#this one felt rushed but Josie makes me cry

[modernagesomniari]

Mala Suledin Nadas - “Falon’Din Enal Enaste”

Part 4 of the Mala Suledin Nadas series, which follows Eli Lavellan through my current, ongoing playthrough of her.  You can read it on AO3 here

This wasn’t actually inspired by anything in-game, but because I’d created Ghila and Yerevan to be with her at the Conclave, their loss hit me quite hard once Eli got to Haven.  She is never given a chance to say goodbye.  So I gave her one and made myself cry and probably got very self indulgent.

What we have learned from this - Varric is the Best Friend of all best friends, the ladies are good hearted to a woman, Cullen is more perceptive than he initially appears and Solas is a little scary sometimes.

~1900 words

Falon’Din Enal Enaste

It had been Varric’s idea.

She’d made charms for them both, in the hours spent sat in the cold, enclosed space of the Chantry temple, waiting for the shemlen to do whatever it was they had to do.  From their hushed voices and frightened gazes, whatever they were doing was momentous.  So she had used the time to scavenge what she could and sat there near a lantern, weaving and braiding.  Her heart was very, very heavy.

The charms had been complete within a few days, before most of the recruits had been organised into the row of tents outside the gates.  She had tucked them reverently into the pouch at her belt, because she hadn’t known what to do with them and was afraid someone would see them and decide that they were not what the ‘Herald of Andraste’ should have in their possession.  She knew, if she had been brought to task on it, that she would have caused a fuss.  It would probably have involved fire.  Cassandra would not have been pleased.  It was later that day, after standing in front of that throng of people feeling monumentally out of place next to a templar, of all things, that Varric had come to her.  He had gently taken her hand, his eyes soft and kind and she had let him lead her to a small clearing just to the right of the temple.  A little track led away from the stone and ended in a small clearing within the tress, a natural mound in its centre.  At the top of the mound were too newly moved stones, their edges round and uneven, but someone had roughly carved their tops to be mostly flat.  When she had looked down at him, her breath catching in her throat, he’d looked away from her to where the stone stood and told her, in his gentle, deep voice, that he’d had a Dalish friend who’d had to bury a member of her Clan away from the usual tradition.  He only hoped that Eli wouldn’t be offended by how crude the shaping was - he was a surface dwarf, after all.

She had knelt by him in the snow and thrown her arms around his neck.  The great mass of his arms was strange around her back, but he’d held her until she could breathe again and then allowed her to pretend it hadn’t happened.  He’d just asked her what she needed and when she wanted it to be.  She’d told him and when she’d started to wonder how she was going to get everything she needed he’d held up a big hand to stop her.

“I’ll get it done, Firefly.  You concentrate on the important stuff.”

So here she was, standing on a foreign hill merely feet away from more shemlen than she’d ever been around in her life, with the first dwarf she had ever met quiet and solid beside her.  Clasping the charms within her palms, fingers grasping at her own hands, she closed her eyes and opened her heart to the forest, to their Gods, to the two people she had lost.  The tears immediately began to flow freely and she let them, taking slow and pained steps up the mound to the stones.

For Ghila she had woven leather died dark blue, found at the back of smithy, for her practicality in the hunt. Into this she had crudely carved a hare out of a piece of wood from the ruined houses, dotted the eyes with the red clay of the valley.  This was for her ferocity and her passion for protecting her people, like her beloved Andruil.  Finally, she had woven it all together with lamsbwool, for the softness in her when she allowed it and the gentle love she would have given her children had she been allowed to bear them.  Eli’s tears fell hot onto the stone, quick hot splashes of grief on the ice that covered it.

For Yerevan she had started with that same leather, cut in half to have their last remnant of this world come from the same place.  The piece of leather had been long, but it had come from the same beast.  He and Ghila would be together in death the way that had pledged to be together in life.  For the bright sun of Elgar’nan she had taken a smooth stone from the shores of the lake and carved his vengeful symbol into one side, reflected in the moon of the other.  Yerevan had been so angry for so long after he ran from the alienage.  His vallaslin ceremony had been intense and poignant - they had all wept for him and with him.  And then they had all got uproariously drunk.  The last was silk, strong and beautiful, like he had dedicated himself to his new family.  All of them.

She took a few steps away and let herself cry a little, felt a like a child and wished desperately that Bri were here.  The stones just looked so empty with just two charm bracelets on them.  At home they would be piled high with offerings.  The sight of the cold grey stone cut her heart almost deeper than their deaths.  They had been so alone here.  And now, without them…

After some time, a warm hand came down on her shoulder.

“I hope you don’t mind, Firefly, but honestly they all wanted to.”

She turned to him, frowning, then stood in her surprise.  At the place where the line of trees ended, there were three shemlen women.  Cassandra was there, as was Lady Montilyet and Lady Leliana.  For a moment she was irrationally angry with every single one of them and it must have showed, because Cassandra took a step towards her, her dark eyes open and strangely vulnerable.

“You are not the only one to have lost those you love at that Temple, Herald.  I hope you do not mind, but when Varric said that you needed time to honour them, we wanted to pay our own respects.”

“They carried you here and without you, there would be no hope.  If your clan is anything like the ones I have seen, knowing them has made you who you are.  As we honour you, so we wish to honour them.”

This came from Lady Leliana, who sounded so painfully earnest, like she held her soul tight to herself to not betray her own grief, that Eli found herself nodding mutely.  Varric’s arm around her drew her away from Ghila and Yerevan’s stones, to the edge of the mound where he held her, waiting.

Cassandra walked with purpose, setting down a heavy amulet between the stones.  Eli hadn’t had not come across the words of this prayer, but what she heard was well-wishing, respect and sorrow.  That Cassandra used her own god meant nothing in the face of that.

Leliana came with grace, her fingers trailing over the stones.  She laid small bouquets of elfroot and some flower Eli didn’t recognise on each of the stones.  The first sentence she uttered was in what Eli assumed was Orlesian, but the second made her hold her stomach to keep herself from sobbing.

“”Falon’Din enasal enaste.”

Lady Montilyet struggled a little with the snow, but once she was at the top of the mound she knelt fully, placing her dark hand on each of the stones with a firmness and reverence that Eli could have sworn she felt on her own heart.  She took in her hands a necklace of different coloured beads and a dagger with silver inlaid on the hilt and then turned to look at Eli.

“Which should I put where, my lady?”

Eli had to take a moment to speak, grief and gratitude pushing against her lips.

“Give the necklace to Yerevan.  Ghila would have loved that blade.”

There was a wetness to Lady Montilyet’s eyes as she smiled, but she brought each to her lips, kissing it before offering it to the sky, the lyrical notes of Antivan soft from her lips in her prayers.  After laying both, she stood and turned again.

“Commander Cullen also wished to be here, but he thought perhaps it would not be appropriate given the circumstances.  He hopes, however, that you might accept these small tokens for your Clan members?”

At Eli’s nod, she reached into her bag and took out two pieces of paper, rolled and tied with simple ribbon.  She placed one on each of the stones, then walked backwards, somewhat awkwardly, back to the trees.

It still wasn’t much, but both stones were more covered now and it gave her the strength to stand tall, away from Varric.

Her voice, when it came, started small and timid, but as she sang, it grew with the weightless mass of grief that lifted from her chest outwards, reaching for the stones.  She engraved the images of the rock with gifts placed upon them into her mind, let her song hit the clear sky and banish all thoughts of those charred horrors up at the temple, the clanging doubt of whether she’d inadvertently passed one of them but not been able to tell through the ruin of their bodies.  She looked up to the cloudless sky and let her grief soar up into it.  It was hard not to find it heartbreaking how alone she sounded, until she heard a voice from behind her join her own.  Lady Leliana, it sounded like.  A hand clad in cold leather joined hers and it was strangely easy to let a shemlen join her in her song.  They stood and they sang until their voices were hoarse, until the silence was loud and strange at the moment they stopped.

They didn’t speak afterwards, but each one of them laid a hand on her before they left, be it on her shoulder, the crook of her arm, even Lady Montliyet’s soft hand on her cheek.  Then she was alone and the world was very still.

Only, not quite.  Broken from her vigil over her friends’ stones, she noticed something in the woods beside her.  Solas stood within the trees, the rough brown of his clothing almost blending him in to the winter bleached trunks of the trees.  He was standing very tall and straight, his eyes fixed on the stones.  She couldn’t read his face, couldn’t find any emotion she could recognise, but there was something very cold about him.  Not cruel in any way, not even disdainful, which was what she might expect.  Just aloof and very far away.  She felt a moment of nervousness when his head turned so that he might look back at her, almost like she had forgotten he could move, that he wasn’t some sort of statue.  The cold melted away from his face as he glanced at the only graves her friends would ever have before looking back.  He bowed slightly, his eyelids fluttering closed and then he turned away and she watched his back disappear into the trees, feeling strangely ill at ease.

When she turned back, she gasped slightly, her fingers coming to her lips.  Flitting above the stones, dancing slow and calm, were small orbs of lights.  Some would morph into hawks, hares, a pulsing ebb of flame, or rays of a tiny sun that struck the silver on the hilt of the dagger or illuminate the dark of the wool.

This time, her knees hit the snow and she let the tears take her.  Tomorrow she would be what the world needed her to be.  Today, she would mourn.

[mostlybarnes]

It’s My Party, You’re Not Invited (Part Two)

Summary: The morning after Bucky threw a party, you confront him but it doesn’t go according to plan.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Warnings: more angst, arguing, Bucky is an asshole, language, not proof read, mistakes are my own!

Words: 1,567

Author’s Notes: Wow. I absolutely can not believe the support on part one! I’m so happy you guys liked it, and of course I’m always happy to give people what they want and since so many of you asked for part two, here it is! Really hope you won’t be disappointed, please let me know what you think. And don’t worry, there WILL be a part three. This isn’t the end!!

As you had predicted, you got no sleep. Your night consisted of you tossing and turning and occasionally groaning loudly into your pillow.

Your pillow was your closest friend, it captured your falling tears, and provided you with comfort when you couldn’t rest. The morning sun was pouring through your parted drapes, a new day was beginning and you knew you definitely wouldn’t be getting any sleep now.

Lazily, you threw the blankets off of you and sat on the edge of your bed, your palms on either side of you, digging into the mattress. Bucky not inviting you to his party shouldn’t have bothered you, but for some reason, it did. It was the reason you got no sleep, and you were annoyed by how Nat and your friends treated you last night. They were laughing and you couldn’t help but feel like they were laughing at you, even if they weren’t. Today would be the day you would confront Bucky, no matter what. But first, you needed a hot shower to try and wash away the tension that was rolling off your shoulders.

The shower itself would have taken a good ten minutes on a good day, but you spent almost an hour on the shower floor with your knees tucked under your chin and fresh tears disappearing under the shower head. Pathetic, you told yourself. Crying over something that wasn’t even your fault. How dare he treat you this way and make you feel broken. Speak of the devil, through the sounds of your cries and the water cascading down around you, your thoughts snapped back to reality when you heard his laugh from the hallway again.

Enough was enough with his games, you needed to know why you didn’t get an invite, it was just a simple little question.

Standing up off the shower floor with shaky legs, you turned off the shower and stepped out to grab the towel off the rail and pat yourself dry. In your haste to get dressed, your clothes were mismatched and your sweater was turned inside out. You didn’t care about that though, you needed to speak with Bucky. You needed answers.

You left your room and followed the sounds of the chatter coming from the common room. Your feet quickly carried you there, stopping in the doorway and noticing the room was completely trashed from last night’s shenanigans.

Broken glass was scattered over the marble floors, there were literally hundreds of solo cups all over the tables, there was even a broken window.

What the hell happened here? You wondered, stepping into the room, being careful not to tread on glass.

“Watch your feet!” Bucky warned, holding his hands up to halt your footsteps. “There’s glass everywhere.”

“No shit.” You scoffed, folding your arms across your chest and rolling your eyes. You heard him click his tongue as he worked on sweeping up the glass. “I heard you had a party?”

“Uh yeah, just some close friends and stuff.” He shrugged, and ouch if that didn’t fucking hurt.

“Really? I didn’t know you were– were close friends with people from…. statistics?” Anger was rushing through your veins, his nonchalant attitude wasn’t making this any easier and neither was the lack of sleep. You wondered what had happened to the sweet guy you knew. The shy Bucky who couldn’t even make himself a sandwich because he was afraid of being mocked by the other avengers. Or the Bucky that loved to sip herbal tea at 3 in the morning. Where did that Bucky go? Who is this Bucky? It was like a switch flipped and he changed overnight.

“What is this about, Y/N? You walk in here with some kind of an attitude problem and I’m tired, it’s early and I’m not in the mood.” He snapped and that was it for you. If he was tired, you were something else.

You stepped into the room regardless of the broken glass still all over the floor, not caring if any shards cut your feet as you stand toe to toe with Bucky. You shove him, but not surprised when he doesn’t budge.

“Where was my invite? What did I do to you to make you forget about me? It shouldn’t even be a big deal but–”

“Then stop making it a big deal! Is that what this is really about huh? It was my party and I invited the people I wanted to be there!”

“Wha– but you invited everyone but me!” You cried, your voice breaking at the end.

“Then maybe that tells you something.” He offers no sympathy to your state of distress. At least not to your face, it’s when you turn your back and he hears you cry harder does his own heart break. He didn’t mean for this to happen and the Black Widow’s footsteps behind him is about to remind him of his mistakes.

“You’ve really messed this up Barnes. I’m not sure Y/N will ever forgive you.” Bucky turns to look at Nat. Guilt and anger written all over his face.

“You don’t think I know that?! I did it to protect Y/N!”

“Well, what are you gonna do about it?”

“I don’t know.”

////

The day away from the compound was exactly what you needed. The air was refreshing and cold, biting against your skin. It helped to clear your thoughts that were running in circles since you talked to Bucky. You still didn’t have a clear answer as to why he chose not to invite you, and that bothered you more than anything, but what he did say replayed in your mind. You suppose he had a point, it was his party and up to him who he chose to invite but it confused you because you thought you were on good terms with Bucky. Did you get it wrong? Where did it all go wrong?

Your fingers wrapped around the mug as you sat in the corner of the quiet coffee shop with a friend as they watched you watch the world go by.

“Okay, what’s going on?” They asked, blowing into the hot liquid before taking a quick sip.

A deep sigh fell from between your lips. Your body and mind felt exhausted, it was hard to concentrate.

“I don’t even know. I feel like I’m overreacting.” You shrugged, licking your lips and looking into your coffee as if seeking the answers to your unanswered questions.

“Overreacting? Did something happen on the mission you just got back from?”

“No, no. Something that happened after that. You know Bucky, right?”

“Bucky Barnes?” They asked with a raised eyebrow. You nodded and swallowed the lump in your throat. “What about him?”

“I just– I– would you be honest with me and tell me if I’m overreacting?” You bit your lip nervously and your friend nodded.

“Of course! Tell me everything.”

True to their word, your friend sat and listened to every single word without interruptions or sassy remarks. They didn’t stop to ask you questions, and they didn’t make you feel pathetic like you felt. Talking about it out loud made you feel stupid, maybe it was stupid to get angry over something so small. That maybe deep down Bucky had a good reason not to invite you. Maybe you just weren’t close to him after all.

“I’m so stupid, aren’t I?” You shrugged, the wooden table becoming more of an interest.

“You’re not stupid. He’s stupid but I think he likes you.” Your head snapped up and so did your eyebrows.

“You’re insane! Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“Of course I did!” They defended with a smirk, “and here’s what we’re gonna try.”

///

Your friend’s idea was so stupid and this dress was far too tight for your liking. You felt like your your body was spilling out at the seams, a complete opposite to what you were used to wearing: comfortable clothing or pajamas.

Walking in heels was another problem for you. Any second now, you were sure you were gonna have to call Dr Cho because you had somehow broken your neck. However, after a few laps around your room, you felt confident enough to walk a few blocks in them. Grabbing a purse and a jacket from your closet, you staggered out of your room and into Bucky’s chest.

“Whoa there, you alright?” He asked, pushing you away from him. He eyed you up and down, making you feel naked under his gaze.

“Why wouldn’t I be? And what are you doing here? Outside my door?” You folded your arms across your chest, big mistake as it pushed your cleavage together and with the height difference, Bucky had a pretty good view. He was a gentleman though and kept (or tried) to keep his eyes glued to your face.

“I came to apologize. Where are you going dressed like that?”

“It’s a bit late for an apology. I got your message loud and clear from this morning.” You scoffed. “And I’m going out with my real friends, not that it’s any of your damn business.”

“A party?” He wondered, his jaw clenching at the thought of you dancing with other people that weren’t him.

“Yes, and you’re not invited.” You smirked, turning on your heels and walking towards the waiting elevator, ignoring his calls of your name.

Bucky watched as the metal doors closed, his hands tugged his hair so hard he was afraid he would rip it out. He’s fucked up, Natasha was right. There was no way of fixing this.

“Fuck!” He yelled, kicking a hole in the wall next to your door.

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[carters-things]

Hi! I love your writing and I was wondering if you could do a little something with Matt inspired by Enchanted by Taylor Swift, please? 🤍

First off THANK YOU LOVE! I hope I did this justice! I could have kept writing but wanted to keep it semi short. Writing a fic based off of a song was actually REALLY fun and I'd love to do it again!!!

Send me your song/fic requests!

“Pleaseeeeeee come out with us! You won’t regret it I swear!” Your friend pleaded. Every weekend is the same old story. She begs you to go out with her and her boyfriend, and every time they end up getting drunk and going back to their place- leaving you alone wherever you are- and forcing you to call a cab.

“Why? So you can leave me again?”

“No, I promise it won’t happen again.” You roll your eyes knowing how the night is going to go but you reluctantly agree to go anyway. She rushes you to your room and helps you pick out an outfit before rushing you out the door. The two of you met her boyfriend at the bar down the road. A small hole in the wall bar called Josie’s. The three of you took the last booth in the building in the back corner of the bar. Laughter filled your booth as you and your friend took turns making fun of her boyfriend for his stupid college adventures. You found yourself smiling and thinking that maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing coming out with them tonight.

However after the first 2 rounds were finished, the two lovebirds ran off to play pool leaving you behind yet again. You watched as they drunkenly loved on each other at the pool table like they were teenagers in high school. The sight of them made you feel so lonely. You sipped your drink as you sat in the booth, tears beginning to roll down your cheeks. Your friends were too drunk to notice you pretending everything was ok whenever they stopped by the table to sip their drinks. The only thing worse than being here alone was being pitied so you continued to fake a smile as you let your lonely heart crack in your chest as the night went on.

________________

Matt sat in Josie’s with Foggy and Karen as they do most Friday nights. Talking and laughing about college days, client interactions, or just nothing, the way true friendships should flow. Tonight however Matt was distracted, there was something off about the atmosphere tonight. He listened around to the sound of all of the usual Friday night customers. Except tonight there was one more. A new heartbeat, a new voice, a new scent, and it captivated him. The sound of your laughter engrossing his attention. He listened to you without leaving his stool all night. Your stories were told in such a charismatic way he felt as if you were telling them to him directly, smiling and laughing right alongside your friends. He knew he had to talk to you, to meet you but he didn’t know how to approach you. Until he heard the slight skip in your heartbeat when your friends went off to play pool. He stayed at his seat wanting to go to you, to make sure you weren’t alone but he was still hesitant. It wasn’t until the taste of salt in the air followed by the sound of water hitting the table that told him you were crying pushed him over the edge that he knew he needed to be by your side.

“Hey guys, I’ll uh. I’ll be right back.” Matt says to Karen and Foggy who are having a drunken competition to see who can hold their breath the longest. They stop at his sudden departure and see him heading towards you in the back. He loosens his tie on the walk over to you, his heart starting to beat a little faster the closer he gets to your table.

______

You looked up from your drink with tear filled eyes to see a man in red glasses making his way through the crowd to you. Not a single patron paying attention to the blind man on a mission except you. It’s like he could tell you were looking at him as his lips curled into a smirk the closer he got to your table. You were unsure if he was actually coming to your table but you wiped away your tears and fixed your hair wondering why you were trying to fix your appearance for a blind man. He reaches the edge of your table and rests a hand on his hip. Your throat becomes suddenly dry as you search for words to break the silence when he beats you to it.

“Mind if I join you?” He says gesturing to the empty bench across from you.

“Uh, yeah, go for it.” You say composing yourself. “You are?”

“Matt.”

“I’m Y/N. What uhm.. What brought you over here tonight? Aren’t you here with your friends?” Your gaze moves to the man and woman he was sitting with earlier now seeing who can stack more creamer cups before the tower falls. You let out a small laugh as the woman’s tower falls first and the man just about falls off his stool in celebration.

“How did you know I came with them?” Matt says his head tilting to the side. You realize now you’ve been caught. You might have given Matt a few glances over the night. Enchanted by his smile that made its way out every so often.

“I saw you sitting with them earlier. I’m quite observant, you know. So what brought you over here?” You say running your finger along the top of your glass.

“I couldn’t let such a wonderful person be so sad over here by themselves now could I?” He flashes that killer smile again.

“H-How did you know I was sad?” Your cheeks fill with heat at Matt’s accusation.

“I’m quite observant you know” He tilts his head down raising his eyebrow as he uses your line against you. The smallest bit of his eyes peek over the rim of his glasses and just as you thought they are as kind as his smile.

The night goes on with the two of you exchanging stories, getting to know each other, laughing and talking for hours. Both equally enthralled with the other one you don’t even notice the bar has just about cleared out and is closing down. Your friends return to the table, unable to keep their hands off each other as they slur their words telling you they are getting a cab.

“I should probably head out too. It’s getting super late.” You say as you scramble to find your purse through your hazy vision.

“Can I walk you home?” Matt says laying cash on the table before you could.

“What about your friends?”

“They can handle themselves. I’ll have Josie call them a cab.”

“I mean you really don’t have to-”

“I want to” Matt assures you. He settles the situation with his friends before offering his arm to you as you step out the door of the bar. You make your way down the street towards your apartment, your hand holding tight to Matt’s arm as his other arm guides the way with the tap of his cane. You get a small shiver as the slight breeze runs across your exposed skin. Matt stops the two of you immediately giving you his jacket before you could even argue his chivalrous nature. Your cheeks yet again blushing at Matt. your hand slowly slides further and further down his arm with each step until your fingers intertwine with his. The alcohol most likely being the cause of your confidence tonight. Your head rests on Matt’s shoulder.

“Which way am I supposed to be going?” Matt laughs as you guys approach an intersection. You lie and tell him to go right, forcing you guys to take the long way home, buying you more time together, that unfortunately flies by faster than either of you were ready for.

“You know. I didn’t even want to come out tonight.” You laugh as you and Matt round the corner to your house.

“Oh really? How about now?”

“I’m very glad I did” You smile relishing in the last moments of Matt’s touch as you walks you to your door.

“Can I see you again?” He asks with the slightest bit of nerves in his underlying tone.

“I’d like that.” You say as you put his number into your phone, and programming his in return to say your name when you call or text. He waits at the door until you’re inside safe and sound. As soon as the door closes your back rests against it replaying everything that happened tonight.

“Please don’t be in love with someone else. Please don’t have somebody waiting on you.” You say as you slide down to the floor to undo your shoes. Your phone buzzes with a text message from Matt saying “don't worry- I'm not"

[dr0wning-in-hell]

Sacrifice - Hope Mikaelson

Summary : Hope is always sacrificing herself for others, everyone knows that including her girlfriend, Y/N. When fighting against another unknown monster from Malivoire, Y/N jumps in front of Hope to try and protect her, but ends up with major consequences. 

Word Count : 1000

Warnings : angst, near death, crying, angry!reader, angry!hope, fluff

Prompt : “ hi!! i was wondering if you could do something angsty with hope from legacies but with a happy ending ?🥺🥺🥺 only if you can!! “ - anon

Pairing / characters : Hope Mikaelson x witch!reader, Landon, Lizzie, Josie,

A/N : This is very short with very shitty writing, I am truly sorry. I’m also sorry I haven’t posted in so long, a lot of horrible things have happened to me lately and it’s hard trying to find the motivation to write. I will be trying to post more since school is coming to an end! Hope you enjoy this small piece.

new masterlist | prompt list | color prompt list

It was an endless nightmare at the Salvatore Boarding School. Monsters were coming out of that gooey pit in Kansas left and right, leaving some of the elder students and some staff to protect the younger students. 

One student who took thins a bit too far when trying to protect the younger students was Hope Mikaelson. Everyone was aware of how protective she was over everyone, despite being so cold and hard to get to. The one who knew this best was Y/N, Hope’s best friend and girlfriend. Y/N knew that protecting the students from the never ending sea of monsters was a big deal, especially since they were so close to getting rid of everything once and for all.

The newest monster however, was a lot harder to beat than the others. Never in a million years did the students of the boarding school think they’d have to encounter a basilisk. When they first saw the creature everyone immediately thought of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Thankfully this was real and some of the concepts from the movie were false.

Lizzie, Landon, Josie, Hope, Alaric, and Y/N were in the sewers trying to find the beast when one of the twins felt something wrap around their leg and start dragging them to God knows where. The group followed the beast, throwing rocks and casting spells in some attempt to get it stop. When it finally did they got to see how big it truly was. 

“I fucking hate snakes,” Y/N grumbled glancing at her girlfriend, who was already pulling out a vile of some potion that was supposed to kill the monster. While everyone was doing their parts to distract the snake and free one of the twins, Y/N and Hope were finishing the potion. While distracted with finishing the concoction, the snake gravitated towards Hope. 

Y/N was the closest one to her, and not wanting anything to happen to her she jumped in front of Hope. Only seconds later was Y/N trying to protect herself with any spell possible but was too late when the snake wrapped its’ tail around her legs and threw her across the sewers. Y/N’s body hit the wall with a hard thud, cracking the wall slightly. When Hope looked over she saw her girlfriend laying on the ground, a small pool of blood seeping from the crack in her head.

Hope threw the potion as Alaric and the twins finished off the Basilisk. She rushed over to Y/N who was laying motionless on the ground. Her skin was paling and the amount of blood leaving her body grew. The group made their way out of the sewers trying to keep their friend alive for as long as they could.

It had felt like forever until they reached the school, but when they finally arrived they rushed Y/N to the nurses office where Kaleb fed her his blood in order to close the wound. Alaric stitched up what was left of the wound on her head, and cleaned off the blood as they all waited to see what was going to happen. Hope was pacing back and forth next the bed Y/N was laying on, while the others went to go clean themselves up. 

Hope had tears forming in her eyes, even though no one ever saw her cry or express her emotions, they all knew how much it would break her if Y/N died. She kept mumbling things to herself, blaming Y/N’s current state on herself and not protecting her girlfriend. Little did she know that Y/N put herself in between Hope and the giant snake to protect her, just liked how she was always protecting everyone else.

It took another two hours for Y/N to finally wake up, and when she did she was tackled into a bear hug by her girlfriend.

“Why’d you do that? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” Hope said slightly angry as she pulled away from Y/N, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she sniffled.

Y/N groaned slightly as she sat up, an arm going to wrap around her waist. “You protect everyone all the time, Hope. I love you and I wasn’t going to lose my girlfriend so I did what I had to.” Y/N said simply. Hope shook her head as she held Y/N’s hand.

“I sacrifice myself to make sure that everyone’s lives can go on. I can heal, I can-” Hope was cut off by Y/N pressing her lips against Hope’s. 

When she pulled away she was face to face with a shocked and blushing tribrid. “And this time it was my turn to sacrifice myself to make sure you survive. I can’t live without, you know that.” Y/N said softly as she held Hope’s hand in her own, the pad of her thumb running over her hand.

Hope nodded, “I guess it was an equal trade,” she smiled softly at her girlfriend. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” Y/N nodded in response, pulling Hope into her side as the two held each other in silence until they both fell asleep in each other’s arms.

[runwithwolvcs]

You Know I'm No Good - s e v e n t e e n

Warning: Sexual Content

my something stupid

Some one had once said, there will be nights where you take a shower just to sit there and cry undistruberd by your family asking whats wrong, there will be nights when you feel stupid for feeling anything at all when your mom tells you it just a teenager thing and its not that big of a deal. There will be nights where you lay in bed for hours wondering if you said the wrong thing. Or where you cry because your jeans fit too tight. The nights where you feel as though you never do the right thing.

Tonight was one of those nights.

A week has gone by since the beach fiasco, and life has not been easy since. Tallulahs been on edge, and the fact that she hasn’t physically seen Paul since finding out his secret has not helped.

She had stopped ignoring his calls and text messages, but between midterms for her, and what she now knows as ‘patrol’ rounds, they haven’t had any time to see each other.

That lumped on to the argument between Josie and Tallulah about the unfairness of Tallulah being able to skip school and go to the beach, but not the twins, did not help her attitude, especially since Lenna felt the need to side with Josie.

The tension in the Forrester home had been building since that argument, leaving Tallulah to feel like everyone was walking on eggshells around her, much to her dismay.

She didn’t realise just how tense she was until her father brought up college applications at the dinner table, not accepting the fact that his eldest daughter did not want to go to school for anything other than art, which was currently off the table. Voices were raised and the conversation ended with Tallulah storming off yelling, “Maybe if you had just left me in Seattle this wouldn’t be an issue!”

She was currently sitting on the edge of her bed, phone pressed to her ear, having decided that if he doesn’t answer, she’ll move onto plan number two. She had too much pent up emotion, and the tears refused to come as she listened to the dial tone.

“Hi, Lu.” Tallulah let out a sigh of relief when Paul answered, his voice husky and gruff, sounding as if he had just woken up.

“Did I wake you?” she asked, already regretting calling him out of everybody she could have called. She looked at her alarm clock sitting on the night table beside her, 8:34 p.m.

“No.” Tallulah could hear the sleep in his voice and instantly felt bad. He had mentioned how the pack had to run rounds throughout the day and night. Lack of sleep was inevitable for them, and here she was waking him up over her own mundane issues.

“I think i’m going to do something stupid...” she whispered into the speaker. Tallulah was so frustrated and tired of being treated like a child. Like she couldn’t make her own decisions because they all turned out to be mistakes. The lack of control is what drove her to make these mistakes in the first place.

“No, you’re not…Come over.”Paul said, his voice deeper than usual. It was hot. But there was no way her dad was going to let her go over to Pauls after the argument they just had. Nothing screams mistake to her father like his eighteen year old daughter going over to a twenty- six years old house after the sun has set, but, it was either that or digging through the still packed boxes sitting in her room for anything her mom may have missed when raiding her room for drugs and alcohol. A party for one, you could say.

“I’ll be there in twenty..” she said quickly, before pressing the end call button. She looked at herself in the mirror leaning against her wall, and grinned at her reflection. Cliff jumping may not provide her an adrenaline rush like her friends, but sneaking out a window without her fathers knowledge sure did.

----

Paul had opened the door as soon as Tallulah's foot hit the first step of the porch, a tired smile on his face. She had woken him up.

His house looked like every other house on the reservation, but less run down than most. Must come in handy being able to fix things yourself, she thought as she reached the front door where Paul was standing, leaning against the door frame.

Shirtless.

. Typical.

“It must be nice never getting cold,” She said to him, tugging the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands. The walk from her house to Pauls was only ten minutes, but the cool night air had made it feel like thirty.

“108 degrees year round, baby.” Paul smirked, opening his arms up for her to walk into. She wrapped her arms around his waist, closing her eyes with a sigh at the warmth he gave off.

“You’re like my own personal heater.” she mumbled, her forehead pressed against his chest.

Paul brought his hands to her hips, looking down at her in contentment, “As much as I’d love to stand here and be your personal heater, we should head inside.”

She nodded, unravelling her arms from around him, taking one step back.

“I should probably tell you that my dad doesn’t know I’m here.” she spoke tentatively, “or that I’m not in my room..”

Tallulah worried about his reaction to what she was saying. That he would tell her she’s childish, or side with her dad that she wasn’t responsible and needed guidance.

Paul nodded in response, “What's your plan if he does find out?” he asked, leading her into the house, before shutting the door.

Tallulah gave a small shrug, “he’s already upset with me, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“So, your reasoning for doing something you know will upset him is that he’s already upset?” Paul said, looking at her with an amused look. He grabbed her hand and walked her down the short hallway to the living room.

His home was the opposite of Sam’s.

No pictures lined the walls, there really wasn’t much stuff in general, but it was clean, really clean for a guy his age. The living room consisted of a black, fluffy couch pushed up against one wall, and a tv attached to the opposite wall. Two wooden side tables adorned each side of the couch, with a matching chest pushed off into the furthest corner opposite in which Tallulah stood.

“He would’ve said no, and then I would’ve gotten myself into even more trouble by doing something even stupider. So, he should just be grateful I’m proactively trying to be a better daughter like he wants.” Tallulah huffed, sinking into the couch beside Paul, who had sat down while her eyes roamed the room.

“But you didn’t ask him.” Paul stated, causing the younger girl to gape at him,

“You agree with him?” she asked while she turned her entire body towards him, tucking her legs under herself, sitting back on her heels.

“No, Lu, but you don’t know that he would have said no.” he reasoned and she rolled her eyes, the emotions she had shoved down on her walk, rising again.

“You know, I didn’t call you to have you tell me I’m in the wrong.”

“That’s not --” she interrupted him again before he could finish his explanation,

“I didn’t call you to talk.” Tallulah emphasised, clutching the fabric of her sleeves in frustration with her fingers.

“You called me to stop you from doing something stupid.” Paul said, repeating her words from their short phone call.

“Not technically. I was going to do something else, but then I called you. You’re my something stupid.” she grinned.

“Oh.”

Oh.

That’s all he's got to say. Fuck, she thought, letting her expression fall in to the disappointment she inwardly felt.

“Hey, hey, no. That's not what I meant. I just -- you just caught me off guard.” Paul said, eyes wide.

Tallulah bit her lip, the idea of being rejected by Paul was enough to set her heightened emotions ablaze. She stood up from her spot on the couch, the flighty reactions that controlled her more often than not sending shivers down her spine.

“No, you don’t have to say that. I shouldn’t have assumed you would want to, I just, I don’t know.” She rambled off, fighting the urge to start pacing, barely able to look at Paul who watched the flighty girl carefully. “I should go.”

Go find something stupid that won’t say no to her.

Tallulah turned to walk to the door only to be met with a hand on her waist, and another on her neck, spinning her back around before a pair of warm lips met hers. Her lips slightly parted in surprise before she snaked her arms around his neck. Paul forcefully walked her backwards until her back hit the wall, her body flush between his body and the coolness of the wall, a small moan escaping her lips.

Paul's hands moved to the back of Tallulah's thighs, hoisting her up with ease. She wrapped them tightly around his waist as he pulled away slightly from their kiss, softly saying, “I’ll be your something stupid whenever you need, Lu.”

Her fingers played with the hairs on the nape of his neck, looking from his lips to his eyes from underneath her eyelashes, “Now. Please.”, she practically begged.

Paul responded with a low growling rumble that sent Tallulah to the edge, pressing her lips back to his feverishly.

He carried her back over to the couch, setting Tallulah down on her back. Paul settled himself in between her legs, using his forearms to keep from putting his entire body weight on her.Tallulah removed her arms from around his neck and down to the hem of her hoodie, breaking their kiss long enough to get it off, before engaging with him once again. Pulling his bottom lip in between her teeth, eliciting a low groan from Paul.

Paul pulled away as he sat up a bit to marvel at her as she lay spread out across the couch, as if his eyes couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The tanned skin beauty, lying beneath him, clad in a tiny tank top that left little to the imagination and sweatpants.

“Fuck,” he breathed out, as she pushed herself onto her forarms

“Do you want to stop?” she asked, looking up at him with her lip sucked between her teeth.

He shook his head no, and Tallulah grinned, sitting up further and pressing her hands against his chest forcing his back against the armrest before climbing into his lap, her hips pressed against his and for the first time, she could feel just how hard he was for her. Her mouth formed an ‘o’ shape at the feeling.

Tallulah hovered over him with her hands planted on his shoulders, softly grinding her hips against his, as he ran his warm hands over up her sides and under her shirt, the lack of bra giving him free access to her breasts. His lips left sparks with each kiss he planted on her neck and exposed collarbones.

A small whimper fell through her lips as he twisted her nipple with one hand, and palmed her other breast at the same time. Sliding her hands down his already naked chest, feeling every dip and curve of muscle as she did, before her fingers landed where she intended them. Unbuttoning his jean shorts with zero hesitation.

Paul removed his lips from her skin, and his hands from under her tank top. Watching her as she focused on what she was doing. Tallulah was grateful for her abundance of experience and lack of nerves in this moment as he kept his gaze on her, a pit in her stomach already starting to form, just from one look.

Paul played with the bottom of her tank, letting her finish what she was doing before lifting it up, forcing her arms in the air in order to get it off completely. As soon as it was off, he tossed it and he gave her one quick glance and then his lips were over her again, taking her right nipple in his mouth and causing Tallulah to tilt her head back and gasp at the sensation. He nipped at her bud and she brought a hand up to his head, tangling it in his hair.

Allowing him to continue his assault on her breast she sat up, her knees on either side of his waist and pushed the waistband of her sweatbands down her to the middle of her thighs. At the sudden notice of untouched skin, Paul's hands travelled down her back, to the flesh of her ass, using both hands to begin kneading it roughly. The calluses of his fingers bring in a new sense of pleasure she had never felt before.

His hand wound it’s way down and moved aside the thin lace of her thong, spreading her and rubbing against her folds, making sure his fingers were slick before inserting one slowly inside of her .

“Oh, fuck,” she moaned out softly, pressing her hips down on his hand at the feeling of him fingering her. The heat from his fingers caused a burning sensation that only made her want more of him.

Paul pulled his lips away from her skin to watch the moaning girl, inserting a second finger into her, moving them in and out at a steady rhythm, his thumb pressing against her bundle of nerves, causing her face to contort into a look of pure bliss.

He moved to flip them over, so that he could run his tongue over more of her body but Tallulah stopped him,

“I want to be on top,” she moaned, the look on her face was irresistible, causing Paul's mind to go blank at the beauty in front of him and just nod. He would never deny her taking control over him. Especially in their current predicament.

Pulling his fingers from her, and she made quick work of discarding her sweatpants and panties, as Paul shed himself of his own shorts and briefs, before she settled back down on his lap, “Condom?” he asked, before she got too comfortable.

Tallulah shook her head no, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before whispering, “We’re good.”

Her mom had talked to her into getting an IUD as soon as she found out she was having sex, the last thing she needed was for her daughter to become a pregnant.

He brought a hand to her face to stroke his thumb across her lips, “You’re going to be the death of me,”

She grinned and took his length in her hand, and stroked him sensually, not that it was necessary at the obvious want he was displaying.His mouth dropped open softly at this and as she pulled softly on the length of him, he let out a low sound that drove Tallulah crazy.

Tallulah gripped him gently before lining him up with her, pressing her hips down slowly,he pushed into her slowly. Tallulah let out a whine of pain mixed with pleasure and when she let go of his member to thread her arms around his neck, he gripped her hips, keeping her steady. She whimpered softly as he gently pushed halfway into her and then pulled out slowly. Paul's length and size being the biggest she had ever seen, let alone had in her, which was causing her brain to go fuzzy, the pleasure overwhelming her senses.

“Breathe,” he whispered to her, helping her lift her hips all the way up before pressing them slowly all the way down until he bottomed out. She was wet enough that she could have easily taken him at once if he had wanted to.

He littered her collarbones with soft kisses as her breathing began to labour, lifting herself up and down, making sure to press her hips into his each time. He knew he wasn’t going to last long in this position. Not with her gripping him the way she was.

Tallulah rested her forehead against his shoulder, the feeling of being so full was setting her nerves on fire, the pit in lower stomach growing with each thrust up and back down, like she was on a rollercoaster that she never wanted to get off of.

Paul's hands on her hips tightened as he began to thrust up into her, as she came down sending out shockwaves of pleasure as moaned his name, “I’m going to switch positions, okay?” he asked her, and she nodded, her eyes closed in pure ecstasy that only furthered as he flipped her onto her back.

Thrusting in and out of her at a new pace and angle, causing her body to rock with each thrust, Tallulahs mouth parted looking up at Paul with half lidded eyes, “Faster, “ she moaned, and he obliged, one hand on on her hip, the other beside her head, he grunted with each thrust, seeking out his own release, now as she became more vocal. Clearly close to her own climax

Tallulah's head pulled back at the unbearable feeling of pleasure, snaking her hand down to her clit and rubbing it with the same intensity of Paul's thrusts, screaming out his name as she let go of everything she was holding back.

The feeling of Tallulah's release, squeezing around Paul's member, causing him to give into his own climax inside of her, slowing his thrusts down before he overstimulated the girl splayed beneath him. Her eyes closed with a small smile on her face.

Paul pulled out of her before getting up, throwing his discarded briefs on. Before lifting her up bridal style.

Tallulah giggled and rested her head on his shoulder, eyes barely able to stay open, “Where are we going?”

“We are going to bed,” he stated, looking at the girl in his arms with a look of admiration , before walking towards another room on the main floor.

--

Paul gently placed Tallulah on her feet once in the room, “Bathrooms there.” he said point to a closed door, “i’ll grab you a t-shirt and sweats that should fit.”

Tallulah nodded her head and opened the door to the bathroom before shutting it gently behind her. Quickly peeing and cleaning herself up before heading over to the sink and washing her hands. She looked at her reflection and barely recognized who she saw staring back. Paul was definitely the outlet for her emotions that she's been looking for so long, and it was obvious from the glow radiating off of her.

Exiting the bathroom, she made her way over to Paul, who was still only in his briefs. He had placed a tshirt on his messy bed, the only thing in his house that looked like he used from what she saw.

Tallulah wrapped her arms around him from behind where he sat with his back to her on the bed, still very much naked, before saying a small, “Thank you.”

Paul turned his head to look at her, a smile on his face, “For what?”

“For answering.” she said plainly, laying back on his bed.

Following her lead, Paul turned off the only light source in the room, which happened to be a lamp on his night table, and reached over her to turn the second one off, before laying beside her, covering them both with his green duvet, more so her than him.

Tallulah pressed her body to him, cuddling into his side, seeking out his warmth.

“Lu..” he started, then hesitated, “What would you have done if I didn’t answer?”

[beca-mitchell]

little taste of heaven (i'm caught up in you) (1/1)

Summary: now i see daylight AU - Beca and Chloe’s first date, finally. 

Word count: 3.9k

For @anna-kendrick​: We've worked on this universe for the past year and holy, it means the world to both of us that you guys love Beca and Chloe as much as we do. Thank you so much for the encouragement and love, always.And of course, again, thank you to Josi who is an incredibly talented artist. Look at this art.

title from "untouchable (taylor's version)" though I did heavily consider using "our song"...i just liked the energy of untouchable a bit more.

Read below or on AO3!

* * * * *

AGE: 15/16 LOCATION: Brookline, MA MONTH: June

 * * * * *

 It is finally June. The warm air is only a hint of better things to come. Like the last day of school before total freedom.

Beca smiles at Chloe as she nears Beca’s locker. “Hey,” she greets. “Good practice?”

Around them, students mill about excitedly, cleaning out their lockers and making plans for the summer to come. Chloe shrugs, hair clearly still damp from her shower. “I don’t know why we keep running through practices when we have no more games for the season.”

“Got to keep the regional champions in top shape,” Beca teases. “Keep the other teams on their toes.”

“But I’m tired,” Chloe complains. She leans heavily on a neighboring locker. “Since it's the last day of school, will you come over tonight for dinner? My parents are whining about how they haven’t seen you in a while.”

Beca clears her throat, thinking about how the last time she had gone over to Chloe’s house had been when Chloe and Tom broke up...at the end of April. Over a month ago. She had gone because Chloe had been crying and upset. She had gone because even if her body ached with the anxiety of not knowing where she and Chloe stood, she and Chloe were always going to be friends first. Best friends.

Best friends who felt something more than friendship for each other. Confirmed, real feelings. Feelings that made them want to kiss each other.

Feelings that they hadn’t yet talked about. Or acted on despite both of them being extremely single at the moment.

Hell, Chloe's birthday came and went a couple weeks ago without much fanfare. Beca had been too shy to do anything remotely romantic and they ended up going to a movie with a few friends before going to an arcade.

“Bec?”

Beca nods stiltedly, pretending to contemplate her now-empty locker a bit more before turning to face Chloe. She steadies herself with a quick breath. “I’d love nothing more.”

 * * * * *

 Beca stares at her reflection with some trepidation.

“It’s just Chloe,” she mutters to herself, eyes tracking over every crease in the skirt she has picked out. Maybe I should go with jeans, she thinks. But it’s gross and hot out today.

She isn’t even sure why she’s nervous. It just feels like a return to normalcy of sorts, but Beca’s pretty sure that now that she knows what it feels like to kiss Chloe and what it feels like, a little bit at least, to know that Chloe feels somewhat similarly to her. It’s different. In a good way. Maybe it’s different in a scary way.

She isn’t even sure she can bring up the topic with her mother, so that’s an added layer of uncertainty: it’s additionally anxiety-inducing not knowing how her mother will react.

It’s well past the time that Beca should have already walked out the door to head next door by the time she actually forces herself out of her bedroom and down the stairs, but she figures Chloe will understand. And dinner is rarely ever prepared at the exact time stated in the Beale household anyway. Beca’s not too worried. Just nervous.

She finally reaches out to press the doorbell.

Chloe opens the door almost immediately. “Thought you got lost,” she teases.

“Were you just waiting behind the door?” Beca asks quickly, allowing Chloe to grab her wrist and pull her over the threshold.

“And if I was?” Chloe shoots back, offering Beca a lazy smile, playful in nature. With an underlying hint of something else.

Beca blinks the surprise away. “I wouldn’t be complaining if you were waiting for me. Just sorry I kept you waiting,” she offers.

“Dinner’s not ready anyway,” Chloe says, as Beca expected. They breeze past the living room area, taking a mild detour past the kitchen and towards the back porch. “I might have told you a slightly earlier time because I wanted to talk to you about something,” Chloe says lightly.

“Should I say hi to your parents?” Beca asks worriedly before it registers what Chloe just said. “Wait, what? Talk to me about what?”

“Come sit with me,” Chloe says instead. Patiently. She gestures towards the tree - the tree they used to play under all the time as children - nestled in the corner of the backyard.

It’s one of Beca’s favorite spots.

She follows Chloe, wondering if it’s too late to run home and change into her jeans because she’s sure the grass and sticks will prick at her skin, but she’s surprised, as they near, that there is a small blanket laid out underneath.

Chloe had planned for this.

“Please sit,” Chloe offers. She sits comfortably, patting the spot next to her. “I had a feeling you’d dress up a little. Didn’t want you to get a dress dirty.” Her eyes drift down to Beca’s skirt briefly before she lifts her eyes, smiling at Beca. Beca doesn’t feel self-conscious, shockingly. She feels content. Safe.

Maybe a little warm if anything, but she knows that’s probably the proximity to the girl she’s been crushing on for the longest time.

“I...wanted to talk to you because we haven’t...really talked. About...y’know.” A hint of nervousness creeps into Chloe’s voice. “When we kissed and then Tom…” she hesitates. “We just didn’t get to talk about anything. And now the school year’s pretty much over, so I thought…”

“Right,” Beca agrees quickly. Her palms begin to sweat. She sure as hell hopes Chloe doesn’t expect her to lead this conversation. It was mortifying enough the first time around when she had basically laid everything on the line while Chloe was still dating somebody else. When Chloe had left her with nothing more than a heartfelt, vulnerable don’t give up on me. Then she had broken up with Tom and that was all their school could talk about for weeks.

And now this. Somehow Beca survived all of that while slowly making sure her friendship with Chloe survived as well. They both made sure of that.

“I like you,” Chloe declares. “I mean...I think I always did. Like you, I mean. As more than a friend. But the feelings were really confusing.”

“I get it,” Beca says a little too quickly. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs, laughing a little when Chloe smiles at her. “I feel like I haven’t stopped thinking about this for a while. But I never wanted you to feel pressured to talk about this with me even though we kissed.” She ignores the way her voice totally cracks over that last word.

“I never felt pressured,” Chloe assures her gently. “I am so...grateful that you’re in my life. I didn’t want to mess this up. But I think we should...try.”

“Try?” Beca echoes.

Chloe blushes. Like a full-on blush that spreads across her cheeks, visible to Beca even in the dying daylight. It makes her cheeks rosy and Chloe even flinches at her own reaction. “Dating,” she says simply once she seems to regain control of her emotions. “I want to go on dates with you. And hold your hand. And more kissing! If that’s what you want.”

Beca’s sure that her heart explodes somewhere in her chest because she suddenly finds it very difficult to control various parts of her body. She can’t control the smile that spreads across her face and the following, matching blush in her cheeks. It heats through her face with ease. And even worse, she can’t control the way her hand comes up to her mouth as if to instinctively cover her smile because somehow being thrilled that her crush is basically asking her out making her body react in embarrassing ways.

Chloe laughs at her, not a hint of malice in her laugh. Just joy. “I take that as a yes. Thank God, I wasn’t sure how I was going to convince my parents to move away.”

Beca rolls her eyes. Finally. Teasing. She can do that. “You wouldn’t be able to leave me. You like me too much.”

Chloe’s smile grows soft. “Well...yeah. I do. A lot.”

Beca’s breath catches. She’s sure she could kiss Chloe right now and the crazy part is, it wouldn’t even be totally weird. Or out there. Because they’re going to start dating. But maybe kissing Chloe again before their first date is frowned upon? Beca has no idea. She’s still only ever kissed one person and that person is sitting in front of her.

“Girls! Dinner!”

As if Chloe had been reading her mind and her intentions, Chloe shakes her head and stands, offering a hand to pull Beca up. When Beca stands, they’re somehow even closer - almost nose to nose - than they had been when they were sitting. “Saved by the bell,” Chloe whispers, breath close enough to be felt on Beca’s mouth.

 * * * * *

 The most interesting part is that Beca hadn’t really thought about any of this - dating Chloe - beyond just vague daydreams and fantasies about just some kind of happy utopia with Chloe by her side. It’s honestly not much different from their usual day-to-day considering how close they already are, but dating? Actual dating?

Her Google search history stares back at her accusingly.

dating tips dating best friend first date first date movies dating girl what to do

She supposes she could ask her mother, but even that brief thought makes her shrink away from her desk. Beca stands and begins pacing. She’s sure that she’s overthinking this all. That Chloe could probably care less about what they do on their first date. That Chloe’s probably just expecting them to spend time together, just the two of them. With more handholding. And maybe a kiss at the end of the night.

“Shit,” Beca mutters suddenly. She rushes back to her computer, adding another search to her list.

kiss on first date ok???

She frowns. Not quite.

kissing before first date acceptable

In the end, she is saved from her descent into a hole of online searching by a text from Chloe herself.

Chloe dinner tomorrow at south street? haven’t been downtown in a while

Beca i’m down!

The ease at which Beca replies does not at all reflect the somersaults in her stomach.

 * * * * *

 “Hey,” Chloe calls, putting her menu down. “Where’d you go just now?”

Beca blinks, realizing that she had glazed over the menu entirely, too wrapped up in her own thoughts. “Oh, just...contemplating…” her eyes land on the first item she sees. “Salad.” She can’t help the way her own nose wrinkles instinctively at the thought of eating salad.

Chloe is as intuitive as ever, smiling as she reaches across the table to touch Beca’s hand. “You hate salad. Especially here.”

Beca swallows, struck by both the normalcy and intimacy of Chloe’s touch. They’ve been friends for years—there is nothing extremely off-putting about them holding hands or even just randomly touching each other on the arm, shoulder, knee.

And yet—

Chloe draws her hand away, seemingly not at all aware of Beca’s inner turmoil this time. She refocuses on her menu. “Want me to order something for you?” she asks instead.

Beca nods, though she is surprised. “Sure.” Now she’s curious as to what Chloe will order for her. And if she’s being honest, it kind of makes her feel giddy, the thought of Chloe knowing her well-enough to order something. Not that Beca would even bother with telling Chloe that she’s wrong. She’d eat anything at this point, just to spend more time with Chloe.

It’s not even like they’re at a fancy restaurant. It’s a diner downtown. The bright retro designs all around plus the comfortable, plush booth seats are all appealing to Beca and she likes the general atmosphere.

But she kind of wants to just…

“Can I sit next to you?” she blurts out. Immediately, she clamps her mouth shut, resisting the urge to avoid Chloe’s curious gaze, which lifts to meet hers immediately.

Chloe grins. “I would want nothing more. Get over here.”

Beca nearly sags in relief, but focuses instead on moving around the booth so she and Chloe are sitting closer, now on side of the booth.

Beca focuses on the frequent piece of advice she had found through a few somewhat reliable Google results.

Hold her hand.

Beca does. She inches her pinky across the cool vinyl seats until she can feel Chloe’s against her finger. Then, she slips her hand over Chloe’s, gently hooking her fingers on Chloe’s palm until Chloe gets the idea.

Chloe’s hand flips slowly, their palms touching. Beca exhales, sliding her fingers between Chloe’s, already liking the easy, comfortable fit of their hands.

Chloe says nothing, content to enjoy the silence and familiarity just as Beca is content to allow her feelings to take over. For a moment, Chloe appears to be perusing the menu in silence, but there is a steadiness to the set of Chloe’s shoulders. Beca can tell, having been so attuned to Chloe’s characteristics for longer than she’d like to admit. For longer than even Chloe herself knows at this moment. She glances at her date—her date!—selfishly taking the moment to appreciate Chloe’s profile.

It’s something she has done so many times before, but this time...this time, in a diner outside of town with the soft clatter of dishes around them and Chloe’s soft, warm palm against her own, Beca knows this is different.

“You know,” Chloe starts awkwardly. “I...obviously don’t mind if you ordered on your own.”

Beca laughs. “Why’d you offer to then?”

“I don’t know,” Chloe says, exasperation in her voice. She groans and hangs her head slightly. “I asked Max and-”

“You asked your brother what to do on a date with me?”

“No!” Chloe explains before she snorts. “I just...told him I was worried about impressing a girl. And I don’t know why, but I somehow thought he’d have some idea.” She grins a little, glancing at Beca out of the corner of her eye. “Did it work?”

“Maybe a little,” Beca says distractedly. She’s more fixated on the fact that Chloe must have been truly desperate to have turned to her older brother for help.

“Oh and he totally guessed I was going out with you, by the way.”

That’s not something that thrills Beca too much. Her imagination immediately conjures up a comically exaggerated vision of Chloe’s brother threatening her with a knife. “How?” she asks. “What did he say?”

“Nothing, really. He just kind of guessed and then said ‘finally’ or something like that.”

“Well, thank you for offering to order for me. It was very...chivalrous of you.”

“Please stop.”

“Quite charming.”

“Beca.”

“I can’t wait to see what other moves you try on me. Are we going to share one milkshake?”

“...no?”

 * * * * *

 They end up ordering two separate milkshakes because Beca sticks to her vanilla and Chloe orders chocolate.

“Try,” Chloe commands. “You always get vanilla. Chocolate is so good.”

Beca sighs, but obediently sticks her straw into Chloe’s cup despite Chloe’s protests of “contamination” and quickly takes a sip just to shut Chloe up for the time being. It’s not horrible - Beca just isn’t the fan of how chocolate tastes in milkshake form, though she’s sure Chloe will claim there’s no difference if the milkshake were in a solid chocolate bar form instead.

However, she’s mildly distracted by the sudden proximity she and Chloe have between them. Chloe’s arm rests loosely over her shoulder, where she had put her arm when Beca leaned in to drink from Chloe’s cup. She can practically feel Chloe’s breath on her neck and her cheek.

It would be so easy to just turn and -

Beca shakes her head slightly and shifts back. Chloe takes a moment longer to slowly move her arm from around Beca’s shoulders.

“What?” Beca asks quietly, poking at her fries a little. She catches Chloe smiling at her affectionately.

“Nothing,” Chloe replies quickly. “Just...you smell nice. That’s all.”

 * * * * *

 “I guess it’s kind of convenient that we live together,” Beca remarks, trying not to think too hard about the way Chloe’s hand feels in her own. She winces. “Well. Not live together. But…you know. Live next to each other.”

Chloe tilts her head, smiling as they walk up the path towards their houses. “And why is that convenient?” she asks lightly.

Beca blushes. She hadn’t thought this far. “I’m…I don’t know. I was just…commenting. On the convenience.”

Chloe giggles, pulling Beca closer ever so slightly. Beca likes the way their arms press together. She likes holding Chloe’s hand. She likes lifting her other hand to curl against the bend of Chloe’s elbow.

She likes knowing that Chloe likes her—really likes her—and Chloe enjoyed their date and—and—

“This is you,” Chloe murmurs, stopping in front of Beca’s door.

Beca kind of doesn’t want the night to end. She wants to sit on the porch and talk to Chloe for a few more minutes. Maybe one more hour. Just to hear the sound of her voice and have her attention for a few moments longer.

“This is me,” Beca parrots, feeling a lot more nervous than she thinks she’s letting on. That was what people said in those movies adorning Chloe’s shelves, right? It was what the internet said. Normal first date cliches. She steps backwards, under the light of her front porch, still holding Chloe’s hand as she does so. Chloe hesitates for a moment like she wants to follow, but ultimately she simply squeezes Beca’s hand in understanding and drops her own hand away.

Beca is immediately disappointed. She hadn’t wanted that at all. She bites her lip, watching as Chloe awkwardly shuffles her feet before she glances back up at Beca. A soft, slow smile spreads across Chloe’s lips, gentle and affectionate all at once. It makes Beca’s heart pound ridiculously hard.

“I had fun,” Chloe whispers, like she’s afraid somebody else will hear her. But not because she's afraid of other people. Just afraid that their bubble will burst, like Beca is. Another step closer. Beca swallows. “Can we do that again?”

“You’d want to go on more dates?” Beca asks, just to clarify, even though she knows exactly what Chloe’s asking.

“I would love to go on more dates with you.”

“Me too,” Beca squeaks out. “I—um—”

Chloe’s smile stretches, somehow happier than before. “Goodnight Beca.”

Something in Beca snaps. She steps forward, just two small steps and calls out Chloe’s name. “Wait,” she adds hastily.

Chloe stops and turns, surprised.

“Can I—” Beca swallows, licking her suddenly dry lips. “Can I kis—”

She doesn’t get to finish her question before Chloe is covering the ground between them in two short strides, wrapping her hand around the back of Beca’s head, letting the other come up to Beca’s arm, and kissing her for all her worth.

Beca gasps in surprise into the kiss, hands coming up to Chloe’s shoulders, squeezing tightly. Gently and slowly, Chloe presses further into the kiss, her lips moving ever so lightly against Beca’s. It is so much more than their first kiss—a do-over, if anything—and Beca realizes, with a jolt, that this is something she can do now. She can kiss Chloe because Chloe likes her and Chloe went on a date with her. Chloe held her hand all night.

Chloe wants to kiss her too.

Beca hums happily at the thought, looping her hands behind Chloe’s neck. It feels instinctual even as Beca blushes at the sudden intensity of the kiss. She knows Chloe has kissed more people than she has; she knows Chloe will forever have more experience in this regard. But God, Beca thinks that she has never felt more wonderful or powerful than she does in this moment, tightening her grip on the fabric of Chloe’s light jacket.

Pulling back ever so slightly, Beca heaves a breath and rests her forehead against Chloe’s forehead. Chloe’s breathing is the tiniest bit labored as well. For a moment, neither of them dares to move, too afraid to break the spell between them.

Chloe is the first to smile—the first to press forward ever so slightly so their noses brush delicately. “What were you going to ask?” Chloe murmurs.

Beca swats her shoulder lightly. “You’re so weird,” she mumbles back, leaning in to steal just one more kiss from her beautiful, wonderful date.

 * * * * *

 When Beca reaches the solitude of her bedroom, she finally gets what all those high school romcoms were about. Showing their protagonist thrilled to finally finish a date so they can squeal and giggle and simply dream about their crush or date. It’s probably the first time that Beca has felt her energy rebound around her room with such happiness and positivity. The sensation is addicting—she honestly just wants to text Chloe all night.

Which, honestly, she could.

Chloe kissed her. Chloe kissed her because she likes her and they just went on a date. A freaking date.

A text from Chloe jolts her back to reality.

Chloe i miss you, is that weird?

Beca no because i miss you too. weirdo.

Chloe i have something else to tell you. that might be weird. Idk

Beca go for it.

Beca watches the text bubbles float in and out on her screen, like Chloe is typing a paragraph. Despite Chloe just saying that she missed her, Beca can’t help but feel nervous.

Chloe I just wanted you to know why i picked south street. it’s because. well. Remember when we first went there by ourselves without our parents. Sometime last year. With a few friends. And we all squeezed into that booth and sat there and shared fries and milkshakes and felt like we were at the top of the world because we were finally in high school or something stupid like that. I don’t even remember much about that night or who we were with but i do remember seeing the way you laughed at something and how your entire face lit up. and i remember thinking that i really liked you and how scary it was that i felt these things for you so suddenly and so much. Like a lot. but i’m so glad that we both got to this point - that we both feel the same way. I just really loved the way you looked when you laughed and i am so happy you’re in my life.

Chloe also i really like kissing you

Beca doesn’t even bother replying.

She shoves on her shoes again and rushes out the front door. She is only surprised to see Chloe sitting on her own front porch, staring worriedly at her phone.

“You really are so weird, y'know that?” She calls out, careful not to startle Chloe too much.

Chloe does jump anyway, but she sets her phone down quickly. “What are you doing?”

“Finishing this date off again that you confessed your big scary feelings. Through a text message.” Beca pretends to be annoyed as she stomps over to Chloe. “You couldn’t have said all that?”

“You make me nervous!” Chloe exclaims.

Beca shakes her head, mustering up all the courage she has in the world, pulling Chloe in for a kiss like she wanted to earlier before Chloe beat her to it.

“So much better,” Beca whispers, smiling when Chloe huffs quietly against her mouth.

It's the perfect end to the beginning Beca has been dreaming of all this time.

fin.

[thatonefrenchwitch]

Chapter 2: Interrogation Gone Wrong

She choked on her own breath. Only one phrase went through her mind as she looked into the eyes of the vampire; Oh no.

“Speechless, witch-chan~” He inhales her scent.

“Nope..” She stomped on his foot, his grip losing a little from being caught off guard.

She yanks away from his hold as she runs, Yui grabbing her hand as they ran. “Okay, Yui, which way to the garden?” She ran down the corridors with her.

“This way I believe.” She leads her to the stairs only for Laito to pop up and push the intruder over the rail. A small yelp of surprise leaves her mouth as she moves her hands to grow a large vine to swing her safely to the floor, moving it to move off the floor to grab Laito by the ankle and try to pull him. A look of confusion on his face as the vine grows. She moves her arm to fling him, making him fall and she tosses him into the wall. A loud BANG echoes through the room. “Oh fuck, I just summoned the mosquitoes, didn’t I?” Terror covers her face.

“Yep.” The blonde replied as she ran down the stairs to get to the nature-grower. Josie wrapped an arm around her protectively. “And to think my original plan was just to grab you and get out… Well, there is a first for everything.”

“You never saved someone before?!” Yui yells.

“Well yes and no. Yes, I’ve saved some humans before but I haven’t saved one from a vampire before.” Yui’s face went pale as some other brothers show up.

“What is the meaning of this?!” A man with glasses notices the large body-shaped hole in the wall, Laito on the floor slowly getting up with a groan of pain, and a woman holding Yui while Yui clings onto the larger woman. “Who are you and how dare you come onto our property.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure daddy’s money will cover whatever I’ve done so I’ll just be making my way out.” She prayed they didn’t hear the fear in her voice as walks with Yui only to have her hair grabbed. “Ow! Hey, that really hurts!” She tries to pry off the invading hand.

“Oh does it? I’m glad it does, maybe if I pull harder I can see you cry~” A small boy says to her with an eerie smile.

“Why are you guys so creepy? Aren’t vampires supposed to be, I don’t know, not repulsive?” She snaps at the vampire.

“Repulsive?! And to think a witch is speaking to me like this! Teddy, which would be better, disemboweling her or removing her skin and letting her rot from the inside?~” He laughs.

“How about none!” She stops her foot, making a hedge get between them and him stumbling back and letting go.

Before she knew it she ran as fast as she could, gabbing Yui to leave, almost to the door. Then, all she felt was a fist and pain and everything went black. Her body lay on the marble floor, blood coming from her nose and mouth.

“Who the fuck was that?” The white-haired vampire says, shaking off his hand after his one punch.

Yui rushes to her. “Oh no! Please don’t die!” She feels her pulse and sighs in relief. “Yui, did you catch her name?” The second-born asked, pushing up his glasses as he walks over to the scene.

“No, but she was really kind…” She says and sniffles. “She made me a bouquet of lilies and lilacs.” Her chance of escaping left before her.

“Typical witch trash coming in and destroying everything.” She shakes his head. “But she smells… Odd?” They all came around her.

“What happened?” A man yawned and rubbed his eyes. “I heard something hitting the wall.”

“Not something. Someone.” Ayato laughed a bit. “I Can’t believe Laito got his ass kicked by a witch!”

“I’d let her do that to me again~ I’d let her do a lot of things~” He fawned over her unconscious state. “Aww, she’s so helpless like this~ Reiji, can we keep her as a pet?” He looked at her with half lidded eyes.

“No, however, we should tie her up so she doesn’t cause any more damage to the house and try to get some information out of her.”

“Can’t you just let her go?” Yui begs. “She just wanted to help me. I can’t be the reason she might get hurt.”

“Pancake, she’s already knocked out hard. Great job, by the way.” He nods to Subaru.

“Heh, that was nothing.” He smiles as he looks at her. “For someone who talks big she can’t take a hit for shit.” He makes fun of her.

“So… Who is this exactly?” Shu squats down to get a closer look.

“Well, sleeping beauty, maybe if you would have graced us with your presence, you would have known a witch was able to almost take Yui.” Reiji snapped. “We don’t know when she’ll wake up, we must prepare for the worst.”

“I’ll carry her~” Laito goes to grab her. Scooping her up in his arms. “She looks so cute when she’s asleep. Say, let's get that mask off of her.” He yanks off the material. “No wonder she has a deer mask, she looks like one!” He laughs, making her groan in her sleep.

“Hurry.” Reiji led them to an empty room, grabbing a chair from a different room to bring in along with some rope. He ties her down so her arms are behind her and her legs are against the chair’s legs.

An hour goes by before she wakes up with a hiss of pain. “Jesus Christ that fucking hurt.” She cries out, trying to rub her face only to get stopped by the rope.

“Good, that’s what you deserve for breaking and entering along with an attempt of stealing our property.” Reiji sat across from her.

“Property? That’s how you see her?” She scoffs. “Typical aristocratic piece of garbage.”

“Of course she’s property, she belongs to use as a sacrificial bride. She is here to serve our needs.”

“Oh I’m sure that thinking gets you all the brides to flock to you, doesn’t it?” She mocks him. Causing some of the brothers (Mostly Shu) to laugh softly.

Not responding to her taunts he keeps his cool. “Who are you?”

“Don’t worry about it.” She struggled in the ropes, hissing in pain at the feeling of the burn.

“Teddy, look at her face scrunch up, isn’t it cute~” He chuckled a bit, Josephine look at him in disgust a fear.

“It is part of our concern since you threw my brother into a wall.”

“Awww, you do care about me Reiji!~” Laito beamed. “Shut up, now is certainly not the time.” The elder vampire spoke to the redhead.

“My name is Josephine…” She says with a sigh. “Happy? Can I go now?” She struggles some more, wrists getting raw and red from the ropes. A tear pricked in her eye.

“Hah! What a crybaby! Can’t stand to be tied up?” Another red-haired vampire spoke.

“Shut up!” Josephine and the one who’s most responsible spoke at the same time. His voice booming with authority and irritation while hers was wobbly in fear and anger.

I can’t believe I let Aunt Jacqie down… I can’t get my pocket mirror since it’s in my back pocket. She tried to move her wrist some more and whines at the burn.

“Why do you keep moving, witch-chan? Are you secretly a masochist? Maybe even a rope bunny?~ Oh how exciting~” He teases and she eventually snaps.

“God will you just shut your stupid fucking face for five minutes! The moment I get freed from these ropes I will shove a tree so far up your ass, you’re going to be coughing up splinters for the next millennium you imbecile!” She eventually grabs her mirror and flips it open.

“You have a lot of nerve coming in here, trying to take our sacrifice, throwing my brother into the wall, and speaking to us like this?! I will not-“

“Kuro please help me!! I’m scared and they’re all perverted and I’m tied up!! Please Kuro-Nii!” She screams as she focused on reaching him. Thank the stars that he heard her but couldn’t see her. Only seeing the wall behind her.

“Aww, crying for your nii-chan! How old are you?~” The hatted one asked and mid-laugh Yui let out a scream. A small bird flew through the mirror and turned into a man.

All they saw was a 6-foot young man with a big nose, green eyes, and wavy brown hair that was messy. He cracked his knuckles and look at all of them. “Step back. Now.” He warned them all.

“Or what?” The 3rd eldest spoke. This releasing a devious smile from Kuro and before their eyes, he formed into a 9ft black bear and roared loudly. The 4th son cried loudly and clung to the stuffed bear as the rest panicked. He moved his hand up and sliced through the ropes on his younger sister, freeing her.

“Thank you!!” She hugged her brother since she’s no longer tied down.

“Yeah yeah, you’re welcome, ya little shit.” He patted her head with a paw.

“This is stupid, let me handle this.” The white-haired man that knocked out Josie went before them and raised a fist to punch. Kuro caught it with his paw. “Too slow, fucko.” He backhanded him with a different paw, sending him to tumble a bit.

The blonde sitting back eventually gets up. “This is getting so annoying.” He groans before going in front of him to help join the fight. Josie gets an idea, realizing that Kuro is creating a distraction. Thank you, Kuro! You’re the best big brother ever! She moves around to the door and sees Yui look at her and moves to her wave her over. Once the blonde gets to her she opens to door for her old to get yanked by her collar.

“And what on earth do you think you’re doing?! Have you learned nothing?!” The one in charge of them moved the hand holding her collar to wrap it around her throat. “I must admit, your determination is impressive but you need to learn your place.”

“Same goes for you.” She smiles deviously at him but looks at Yui. “Promise you won’t think I’m evil if I do this!”

“What are you doing?!”

“Just promise me!!”

“For fucks sake, Josephine just fucking use your magic!” Her bear brother yells at her.

“Fine!” She yells and moves a hand to grow a large flower to punch the one capturing her in the nose, making him lose grip. “Sorry!” She says and stands by Yui.

“Kuro and Josephine Ako!”

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Code Silver - Life in the ER

This is the continuation of my “Life in the ER” series. This takes place two months after the previous installment. As always, you don’t necessarily have to read the previous installments but it may help clarify any questions you have.

Now take note of this MAJOR WARNING - there is an active shooter situation in this chapter. There will be blood, cussing, needles, surgery and death in this chapter. You have been warned.

I do not own Dr. Leighton. His name was originally used in Code Black, which is one of my favorite medical dramas. I do not own that name. And Dr. Weasley is named after the famous red-headed family in Harry Potter - I don’t own that name either.

As always, feedback would be wonderful and much appreciated. Buckle up kids, this is going to be a doozy of a ride.

June 10, 2021 11:00am

He never wished for a normal day while working in the ER but he wished for one today. Wishing for normal days, usually, meant that the hours in the ER were filled with chaos and craziness and somehow even more casualties than an average shift. He sighed as he thought back on the long night he had. Mack had been up most of the night, and usually Race could get her settled down but he was at his wits end. Spot ended up getting up to help him, making the 5am wake up call a struggle.

“Get it gear, Conlon.” Plums teased as she stood at the nurse’s desk giving a look. “Coffee not kicking in?”

Groaning, he looked up from the keyboard he was staring at a little too intently, nodding to the white cup sitting beside his hand. “This is my fifth cup; if it hasn’t kicked in yet then I don’t think there’s hope. Little miss only wanted me last night.”

“Ahhh those days are fun. Addie is in a Jack phase right now and I’m chopped liver.” Plums grinned. “Hopefully that won’t last long?”

Spot shrugged. “It’s been a week already. It doesn’t help when I’m working the early shift. She loves to party between 2 and 4.”

“Ugh do not miss those days. Addie is finally sleeping all the way through the night. She gets up at 5:30, just as I’m walking out the door though.” She smiled as Albert slid into a chair. “You okay, Al?”

He grinned. “Yea, patient in room four needs a checkup at some point. What’d I missed?”

“Noted - thanks. Spot’s kid throwing a rager from 2-4am.” Plums pointed out.

Albert chuckled loudly. “Ahh that sounds like fun.”

“Don’t laugh - this’ll be you this time next year.” Spot pointed his index finger in Albert’s direction. Finch and Albert had announced their little bundles of joy would be arriving around the beginning of December.

The grin slid from his face as Spot’s words made him pause. “Shit. I guess I will be taking notes from you both before that time.”

A call came over the intercom as Plums grabbed a chart before heading down the hallway. “Duty calls. Meet you guys in the cafe around 1 for lunch?”

“See you then.” Spot saluted her as he finished typing up his notes, looking over his shoulder at Albert who was writing in his own chart. “You doing good?”

A smirk crossed Albert’s face. “Doing well. Finch mentioned that we should have you and Race and Jack and Kat over for a cookout.”

“That’ll be fun.” Spot sighed, typing something in the chat he was having with another doctor, groaning as he stood up. “I’ve got to go draw another vial of blood. Don’t miss me too much.”

Albert blew him a kiss as he watched him walk away with a shake of his head. “Don’t worry, pooks, I won’t.”

Spot quickly drew the vial of blood from his patient in bay 12 before walking it upstairs to deliver Elmer. “Got some fresh, still warm blood for you. Orders should be in your inbox.”

“How’s the world of emergency today? Quiet?” Elmer accepted the vial before typing a few keys on his keyboard, giving Spot a quick smile.

Spot sighed, leaning against the wall, trying to stretch his back. “It’s quiet but two ambulances were pulling up just as I escaped up here. Is it 6pm yet?”

“Sorry, you still have 6.5 hours to go.” Elmer was way too cheerful as he delivered that news to Spot, who merely groaned.

The hospital phone that was attached to his hip dinged with a message that made him smile. “Hey if you haven’t eaten by 1, we’re planning on eating in the cafe. Come by.”

“I’ll see if I can get away. These results will be in your patient’s chart by the time you get back downstairs.” Elmer grinned.

Saluting him, Spot grinned. “Thanks, Elm. You’re the best.”

Whistling along to a song that was stuck in his head, he headed back downstairs, via the stairs. He hopped down the stairs as he thought about everything that he needed to do before his shift ended. Just as his foot hit the bottom stair, the intercom blared to life with a “Code Silver” followed by the Emergency Department as the location. Words you never wanted to hear in a hospital. A shiver ran down his back as his brain processed the words. Gripping the handle of the staircase he faltered in his step. Active shooter.

Throwing open the heavy stairwell door, he found himself in a surprisingly empty hallway. His shoes squeaked softly as he made his way to an empty patient room, quickly darting behind the door for protection. Grabbing the blue hospital issued phone, he opened it, silencing the volume. He sent a message both to Plums and Albert asking them where they were.

As he waited, all he could hear was someone yelling and the blood rushing through his ears. The phone vibrated in his hand as he quickly brought it up to eye level. From Plums: Patient’s room, door locked, everyone okay. You?

Ignoring her message for now, he started making his way back towards the center of the Emergency Room. In the back of his mind, he knew he should get out while he could but not while his sister-in-law and best friend were in the middle of danger.

“Where the hell is Nicole Ridder?” A loud voice raged, catching his attention as he slid under a desk. “Where is she?”

A gunshot went off as several more screams pierced the air as a hand slammed on a desk. “Where is she?”

Looking around the corner, Spot’s eyes went wide, as he took in the scene. Albert was under the desk, the very desk the man was loudly banging his fist on. Sadie, a nurse that Spot didn’t know too well, was staring down the man. “Sir, there is no Nicole Ridder here. I just checked our in-patients and there’s no one here by that name.”

“She texted me and said she’s here and now you won’t fucking let me see her.” The man screamed as another gunshot exploded, breaking the silent air. All Spot could do was watch Sadie crumble as the bullet hit her.

The man hit his hand once more before taking several steps, waving the gun in front of several other nurses, the air returning quiet. “Nicole, where are you?”

The man neared Spot’s position, as he tried to make himself smaller. “NICOLE!”

His shouts became more desperate as he started pushing open closed doors. Spot tried to regulate his breath as the man’s footsteps came closer.

He stopped at the desk that Spot was sitting under, his hand pounding the top. His voice was gruff as he cocked the trigger of the gun. “I know there are more people here - just tell me where in the hell Nicole is and I won’t shoot up the place.”

A cry broke the silence, as both Spot and the man looked towards a closed door. Within seconds the man was standing in front of the door, the butt of the gun banging against the solid wood door.

His hand tightened around the door handle, jiggling it to open it but found it locked. “NICOLE, OPEN THIS DOOR! I know you’re in there.”

A noise behind Spot made him look. Albert and a few other nurses made a break for it, running for a door that would lead them outside. Spot felt a rush of air escape his mouth. Albert was safe. But he feared for Plums’ safety.

Plums’ POV

The jiggling of the door handle sent a shiver down her back. She was currently hiding behind the bed, with her patient and her patient’s child, trying to keep them both safe. Putting a finger to her mouth, she locked eyes with the two.

She had been about to discharge Josie, who had strep throat, when the Code Silver had come over the intercom. Immediately she had shut the door, locked it and put the chair under the handle, blocking them in the small room.

“NICOLE, OPEN THIS DOOR! Goddammit I know you’re in there.” The jiggling continued as tears crowded her eyes. She attempted to calm her breathing.

Grabbing the blue phone, she quickly typed something in and sent it to both Albert and Spot, hoping the two of them got out before this madness began.

“NICOLE DAMMIT OPEN THIS DOOR.” The man’s voice pleaded as his fists hit the door, each bang louder than the previous.

She slipped her hand into the little girl’s, giving it a squeeze, as she prayed that the ordeal would end soon.

Spot’s POV

He felt the phone vibrate in his hand as he opened the message.

I’m in the room with her and her daughter.

The gasp escaped his mouth before he could help it but the pounding on the door told him the gunman hadn’t heard. He wished he had his personal cell on him but the hospital frowned upon that. He just wanted to get a message to Race.

His thoughts stopped for a minute. Race. His husband who was out on summer break, at home with their daughter. Or maybe he and Jack took the girls out for lunch and were at least together. Leaning his head back, he stretched his neck muscles, praying that he’d get to see his daughter and husband at least one more time.

Taking a steady breath, Spot’s mind started turning. He needed to get that gunman away from that door if Plums had a chance to get away.

Opening up the phone, he quickly typed out a message to Plums Right outside the door under the desk.

His butt was falling asleep as he sat scrunched up under the desk. He slowly adjusted himself, cussing when his shoe squeaked. Spot cussed under his breath as the pounding on the door came to a standstill. “Who’s there?”

Eyes wide, Spot bit his lip in an attempt to stay quiet. “Show yourself or I will put a bullet through this door. This isn’t a game.”

Another gunshot sounded as screams pierced the air. Several more gunshots were fired in quick succession as the man growled under his breath. “Damnit, Nicole, get your skinny ass out here now. Quit playing these damn games.”

Another several gunshots were fired through the door, wood splintering as the bullet made contact. Several screams pierced the quietness, one of which was most definitely Plums.

Spot could hear the man pacing in front of the door, as his shoes squeaked with each pass. Every few seconds, the butt of the gun would knock against the door. Spot could hear him growl, growing frustrated by the situation at hand. “You leave me no choice, Nicole.”

Before he could take another breath, the gun was fired in quick rounds, several bullets hitting the wooden door as screams erupted from the small room. Spot eased out from his position, looking at the man as he screamed and unloaded his gun into the small room.

He heard the familiar click of the gun, signaling that it was out of ammunition. Spot took that moment to stand and look at the man. He moved stealthily, as he made his way to the man. Before he could think, he punched the man, successfully crumbling him to the ground. The gun went sliding down the hallway as Spot punched the man a few times. “Plums, get them the hell outta here.”

The man attempted to hit Spot back but was unsuccessful and several seconds later, the police came in, slapping handcuffs on the man before helping Spot up.

Spot stood, chest heaving as his brain caught up on what had just happened. He faltered in his step just as a police man caught him. “Sir, you okay?”

“Dizzy.” He mumbled just as he collapsed and fell to the ground.

Plums’ POV

Holding up her hands, she hurled herself over to the police and told them to get the hell in there, that the gunman had been subdued.

Without another word, she watched several police officers make their way into the building as she was led to a makeshift medical area. She was led to a stretcher where her vitals were checked and she was given a check over. She had some cuts from glass and bruises but nothing life threatening. The mental reminders would take some time to overcome. Albert wrapped a warm blanket around her shoulders as she sat on the bed. “It was Spot.”

Albert’s hands stilled as he took her blood pressure. “Spot what?”

“Spot subdued the gunman by hitting him and knocking him out.” Plums whispered as she looked at Albert.

Albert dropped the stethoscope, before pulling her into a hug, as she lost it. The tears, fears, relief all came bubbling to the surface. He hushed her, brushing his hand up and down her back as he attempted to calm her down. “Hey it’ll be okay. Jack, Race, and Finch are all outside and as soon as you’re done, I’ll bring them all back, okay?”

She nodded, her breath coming out in gasps, as he took her blood pressure. He did a few other checks, she figured for bullets or any other damages before jotting down something on the piece of paper at the makeshift table. “Do you want me to stay or go get them?”

“Can you stay and have someone get them? Also, where’s Spot?” She asked, eyes wide with the fear still radiating through her body. She knew the adrenaline would be cursing through her body for some time yet.

Albert nodded, stepping out for a moment before coming back in. “Maddie is going to get Jack, Race, and Finch and she’s checking on Spot.”

“Albie?” She asked, clutching the blanket tighter around her.

“Yea Plums?” He asked, scribbling something on a chart in front of him. He looked up, looking at one of his family members, trying to keep it all together.

She sniffled, looking at the cut on her hand. “Was anyone killed?”

He stilled with the question, dropping the pen before walking over to wrap her in a hug as she broke down crying. “Shhh.” He whispered as he ran a hand up and down her back.

Tears clouded his eyes as he listened to her heartbreaking sobs. Soon they turned to snuffs as she pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. “Sorry.”

“No, Kat, you have nothing to apologize for.” He shook his head. “You’re safe and your body is trying to regulate itself. It’s okay. But to answer your question, I haven’t heard anything about anyone. Once I got out, they checked me out and said they needed help with injuries so I’ve been doing this. I was just relieved to see you run out.”

Looking up, she gasped seeing Jack, Race, and Finch all standing there. Before she could do anything, Jack was pulling her into a hug as she busted into another round of tears. Jack was mumbling stuff in her ear and running his hand through her hair as she immediately felt safe in Jack’s arms. Leaning back, she pressed a kiss to his lips. “Love you too.”

Stepping away from Jack, she pulled Race into her arms as he sniffled. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Where’s Spot?”

“He was the one who subdued the gunman. He’s probably talking to the police.” She mumbled, watching Race’s face crumble.

She watched many emotions cover Race’s face as he faltered. “He did what?”

“I don’t know how but he knocked the gunman out and told me to get out of there.” She looked at him. “He’s a hero, Race.”

Tears clouded Race’s face as she pulled him back into a hug. “He was fine when I was running out of there so I’m sure he’s talking to the police.”

She soothed him, by rubbing a hand up and down his back. She watched Jack talk to Albert and Finch. “Where are our girls?”

“Medda has them.” Race pulled back, wiping his eyes. “Jack and I were hanging out at your house when she stopped by. When this came across the news, Jack said we needed to get down here. We held our breaths every time the door opened. We got here just after Albert came running out.”

Nodding, she sat back on the bed, wrapping the blanket around her. She looked over at Finch, whose fingers were laced with Albert’s. “Hi Finch.”

“Hi Kat. Glad you’re okay.” He smiled, squeezing Albert’s hand.

Nodding, she looked at the men in the room, sighing. “Hey Al, can you go check with Maddie?”

He nodded, leaning over to kiss Finch before escaping out of the medical area.

Sighing, she kicked her legs, antsy with wanting to know what was keeping Spot. She figured the police would want to talk with him but he should be done by now. She felt Jack stand behind her with his hand on her shoulder. She knew it would be a long time before he would be able to have her out of his sight.

Albert’s face was stoic as he returned with a police officer. “Plums, this is Office Ramirez. He’d like to talk to us for a few minutes.”

“Katherine Kelly, sir. This is my husband Jack and our friends, Tony, Albert, and Patrick. Tony is Sean’s husband. Can you tell us what’s going on with Sean Conlon?” Plums sat up straight, trying to look more authoritative than she felt. Her heart plummeted into her stomach as he was introduced. Usually having a police office come talk to them was never a good thing.

Officer Ramirez shifted, pulling his hat off before looking at the same group of friends. “I was first through the doors when I saw Sean on the floor punching the gunman. Several officers took care of the gunman while I went over to Sean. I got him to his feet when he mumbled that he was dizzy and before I knew it, he had fainted.”

“Doctor White was in the vicinity and immediately started checking Sean. In the initial check, he had blood on the left side of his scrubs. Several nurses and Dr White loaded him onto a gurney and rushed him upstairs to surgery.” Officer Ramirez’s face was grime as he relayed the information. Race gasped, processing the information. “If you’d like, I will escort you up to the surgery floor where you can wait?”

Kat sat back as the words hit her. She looked over at Race, who staggered a bit, only for Albert’s arm to wrap around his waist. “That would be great. But I have one other question - was anyone killed today?”

The officer paused. He was conflicted on how much he should actually tell them. “There were two nurses and an orderly that were killed. There were several that were injured by the stray bullets.”

Tears crowded Kat’s eyes as she thought about her coworkers and their families. Hanging her head, she let a sob out as someone put their arms around her. She looked up at Race whose face was tight with a mix of emotions as he hugged her. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she looked at Officer Ramirez. “I’ll need a few minutes to talk with some of my colleagues but after that, can you escort us upstairs?”

“Absolutely ma’am. There will be a police officer outside the waiting room just for some extra protection. And we will need to speak with you and Mr. DaSilva at some point.” The office said, as Kat nodded.

She pushed the blanket off of her before she looked at Jack. Leaning up, she gave him a quick kiss and hugged Race before walking out into the still mayhem scene.

Maddie came up and gave her a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay. Any word on Spot?”

“He’s in surgery but that’s all I know. We’re going to head up to the surgical waiting room. Can you let the head honchos know?” Plums asked, giving the young nurse a look, as she looked around the mayhem of police officers, nurses, and patients.

Maddie quickly nodded. “I can do that. Do you want me to have food sent up?”

“Thanks, that would be nice since all of us just want a status update.” She smiled at Maddie.

“Consider it done. Just let us know when he’s out and doing okay?” She asked, as Plums quickly agreed before going back to the medical area.

Making sure they had everything, Kat gave Officer Ramirez a look as he led them through the eerie empty halls of the Emergency Room to the elevators. Katherine moved quickly, not wanting to be reminded of what had happened there just a short while ago. The group was silent as they got on the elevators, watching the numbers slowly rise up to level 8, the surgical floor.

Several police officers were already waiting outside of the waiting room as they stepped off the elevator. Kat led the group into the room, where a couple of styrofoam containers were on a table along with two sets of scrubs. “If you need anything, my officers will be outside. When you’re ready to talk to us, just let us know.”

“Thank you for everything. Let us get changed and get some food, then at least I’ll be ready to talk.” Kat told him before she looked at Albert, who nodded.

Officer Ramirez gave her a slight smile before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

She watched Albert and Finch walk over to the food as Jack and Race hovered near her. She smiled weakly at them both before picking up a pair of scrubs and walking over to the bathroom to change. Not wanting to see the scrubs she had on ever again, she threw them into the trash before joining the men in the waiting room. As the door closed behind her, she pulled her hair down, wanting her hair to be done, instead of up in a ponytail like it normally was when she was on shift.

Jack and Race had styrofoam containers balanced on their knees as they ate. Finch and Albert were throwing theirs away.

“There’s a sandwich and mac and cheese there for you.” Jack motioned over to the table as he continued to eat.

Nodding, she sat at the table, immediately opening the mac and cheese container and eagerly eating the cheesy goodness. “Any word?”

Shakes of heads were her answer as she sighed and banged her head against the wall. She knew she should go downstairs to get hers and Spot’s stuff but she just didn’t have the energy.

Her eyes darted around the room. Apart from the eerie quietness, the people in the room were okay. She just wished she could find out what was up with Spottie and why it was taking so long. Her brain kicked into medical mode and she wondered how serious Spot’s injuries really were.

“Kat?” Jack broke her train of thoughts by softly calling her name. She raised an eyebrow at him. “The police are ready to talk to you if you are.”

Nodding, she quickly threw away her trash, grabbing a water bottle before she walked out of the room, ready to be done with the day.

Jack looked at Race who was twiddling with his hands, looking absolutely lost. “Race?”

“Yea Jack?” He asked, looking up from playing with his wedding band.

“I know it’s a stupid question but you doing okay? Do you need anything?” He asked.

Race shrugged, sighing. “I just want to lay eyes on him and make sure he’s okay. My mind keeps playing the what if game and it won’t stop until I can see him.”

“Do you want me to have momma bring up the girls?” Jack asked, knowing Kat would want to see Addie sooner rather than later.

Race was torn. On the one hand, it would be good to hold Mack until he knew about Spot; on the other, the little girl would want to explore the unfamiliar place and Race didn’t know if he could be patient with her as his nerves were already frayed. “As much as I would love to say yes, she’s better off with momma at the house.”

Jack nodded. “Do you want to play cards?”

Race loved his brother but he could slug him at the moment. He understood what Jack was trying to do but he just wanted to know how the hell Spot was doing. “No Jack. I’m fine. Just anxious to hear how Spot’s doing.”

Silence fell over the room as Race began to day dream. He thought back to earlier that morning. Did he even say he loved Spot as he said goodbye to him? Did he say have a good day or that he’d text him later? Race let his head fall backwards as it collided with the wall. Tears crowded his eyes at the lack of updates and knowledge of what the hell was going on.

Race wasn’t going to lie. It was painful to see Jack and Kat along with Albert and Finch reunite as he sat there awaiting the news of his husband. Race just prayed to whoever that Spot was okay and he would be back by his side soon.

His eyes met the clock on the wall. 1:35. Just over two hours since he heard the news about an active shooter at the hospital and his heart damn near stopped.

Pulling out his phone, he noticed there was a 40 in the top corner of his messages. People had been contacting him to find out if Spot was working and if he was okay. Race just didn’t have the heart to reply to any of them. The only one he opened was from momma as she had sent a photo of Kenzie sleeping. He smiled slightly before locking his phone and putting it back in his pocket.

The opening of the door caught his attention as a nurse slipped through. “I’m Maeve. Is this the family of Sean Conlon?”

Nodding, Race looked at the young nurse with a pleading look. “I’m his husband. Is he out of surgery?”

“I was in the operating room. The doctor is just finishing up surgery and will be in shortly.” Maeve tight lipped smiled at them.

Race cleared his throat. “Is he okay?”

“I’m sorry but the doctor will be out shortly.” She apologized as she slipped out of the room.

Jack stood, stretching his back. “I’ll go let Kat know. Anyone need anything?”

Everyone shook their heads, watching him leave the room. Race tapped his feet, a renewed energy knowing that soon he’d have some answers and maybe he could see Spot sooner rather than later.

Kat joined Jack as they came back into the room. Before she took a seat, she held something out to Race. “I had the police collect his belongings from downstairs. He has quite a lot of missed calls and texts.”

Race accepted the phone and Spot’s canvas bag with a nod. He didn’t go through it, and merely pocketed the phone. “How was your talk with the police?”

“Okay. They just wanted to make sure they had all their ducks in a row. They’re going to want to talk to Spot and you, Albert.” She directed her last words to him as he nodded, fingers laced with Finch’s.

“It might be a few days before Spot’s up for it.” Race gave his sister-in-law a look.

She quickly nodded, looking at him. “The police are well aware of that fact. His doctors will have to clear it before he is able to do so. Plus he’ll have us by his side when he does talk to them.”

The door opened once more as they all looked up. “Doctor Leighton.”

“Katherine, I’m glad you’re doing okay.” He gave her a side hug as he turned to the other four. “I’m Doctor Leighton, I did Spot’s surgery.”

“This is Tony, Sean’s husband. My husband Jack. You know Albert and his husband Finch.” Kat made the introductions. “How’s Spot?”

Doctor Leighton nodded at all of them before taking a seat. “Spot’s okay. He’s in recovery at the moment. It was tough and go for a while. He had a bullet hit him on his left side. We ended up having to remove his spleen but he lost a lot of blood. We’re currently giving him blood transfusions to try to replenish what was lost.”

“Will he make a full recovery? Can he live without his spleen?” Race asked, looking between Kat and the doctor.

The doctor nodded his head. “Yes, he will make a full recovery and at this point, we don’t see any cause of concern. We’re waiting for him to wake up. And yes, he will be fine to live without his spleen.”

“What are your concerns for him in the next 48 hours?” Kat asked, as Race was glad she asked because he didn’t know what else to ask.

Dr. Leighton sighed. “You know the concerns, Katherine. Since the spleen is so instrumental in fighting infections, I’m a bit more concerned with him catching infections going forward. He will need to make sure he’s up to date on all of his vaccines after he’s discharged.”

“So I should be more concerned when he comes down with a cold?” Race piped up as the doctor nodded.

Kat nodded. “Yes, especially in the next year as his immune system adjusts.”

“When can we see him?” Race asked, his toes tapping anxiously, just wanting to lay eyes on his husband.

Dr. Leighton looked at Race, smiling softly. “Give us about 20 minutes to get him moved to a room then you can see him.”

“Thank you Dr. Leighton.” Kat stood, shaking his hand as the rest of them did the same. He gave them a tight smile before he left them alone.

“Well he was helpful.” Race choked out as Jack Finch, and Albert both snorted.

Kat shook her head. “He’s a brilliant surgeon but he’s got little bedside manner. I’d request him in a heartbeat, a thousand times over some of the surgeons in this hospital.”

Race nodded, trusting her 1000% with anything medical related. Standing up, he started pacing, just wanting the time to go by fast so he could see Spot. “Race?”

He stopped, looking at Kat who softly called his name. “Do you need anything?”

“Just to see my damn husband.” Race sighed. “Sorry but I can’t think of anything else until I lay eyes on him.”

Kat nodded, as she couldn’t imagine if that was Jack in surgery and wanting to see him to make sure he was okay. “You heard Dr. Leighton, Race. He’s okay but I understand your frustration. Do you want us to hang back when you first see him?”

“Do you mind?” Race asked, his voice small, not wanting to give away how scared he truly was.

She stood, pulling him into a hug, running her hand up and down his back. “Of course not. You should be the first to see him. We’ll hang around while you go to visit him. Al still needs to talk to the police so he can do that while you go see him.”

The door opened and the nurse from earlier stood there. “We’ve got him settled into his room. We still have him sedated but you can go ahead and see him.”

Kat nudged Race. “Go see our boy and give him our love. We’ll hang back and see him later, alright?”

Nodding, Race hesitantly stepped forward as he followed the nurse down the hall to a room in the corner. “I’ll be right at the nurse’s desk in case you need anything.”

She propped open the door as he silently walked inside. There were two IVs, one going in each hand, one fluid of clear liquid, the other full of blood. He stood at the foot of the bed, looking at the step up, two chairs, one on each side of the bed, along with a table and two chairs off in the corner. Stepping around the bed, he sat in one of the chairs, and being careful of the IV, lacing his hand with Spot’s.

“Hey Spot.” He whispered, torn between waking him up and letting him sleep. Race had always loved watching his husband sleep, due to the fact when he was awake, he was never still. Spot was always moving around, unable to really settle unless he was sick or sleepy. “I heard through the grapevine that you’re some kind of hero. You saved a lot of people today, Spottie.”

Time, Spot only needed time. Time to heal, time to recover, time to wake up. “I know you want to sleep but I really want to see your pretty brown eyes. It’s been a pretty rough afternoon and I need to tell you I love you, because I’m not sure I actually said it this morning.”

“I’m not leaving, Spot. Wild horses couldn’t pull me away.” Race promised, squeezing his hand. “Kat, Jack, Albert, and Finch are out in the waiting room. Momma is at the house with Mack and Addie. As soon as you wake up, I’ll get her to bring the two of them up to see you.”

He continued to ramble about random things, always being told that patients could hear when they were unconscious. He didn’t want Spot to be alone and promised to fill the quiet room with his cheerful chatter.

Race held his breath, knowing that Spot would wake up with time but he wasn’t the most patient person. Squeezing his hand, he felt himself relaxing in the chair for the first time since arriving at the hospital. Race kicked his feet up onto the bed and let his head fall back to the back of the chair, listening to the constant beeping from the monitor, his eyes closing as he dozed off.

Kat’s POV

She watched Race leave the room, wanting to join him as he saw Spot but knowing Race needed some time to adjust to having Spot in the hospital bed. Standing up, she felt antsy from waiting so she paced the room as she answered texts from family and friends concerned about her.

“Kat?” Looking up from her phone, she looked over at Jack who had concern written all over his face. “You okay?”

She sighed, walking over to him and sitting beside him. “Just antsy. I’m glad Race gets to go see him but I want to check up on him as well.”

Pressing a kiss to her head, Jack nodded. “I know. Despite our rough start, Spot is like a brother to me and it’s hard when we don’t know what the next few days or even weeks will look like. But we have to go along with the doctor who seems optimistic that he’ll be alright in the long run.”

Kat reached over and laced her fingers with Jack’s. “We’ll see him soon. Let’s give Race some time with him.”

She looked at Finch and Albert and smiled sadly at them. “You two doing okay?”

“Just hanging out until we can see him.” Albert looked as worried as she felt. “You two hanging out for the night?”

Jack shrugged, giving them a look. “Depends on what Race wants us to do. We’re kinda letting him dictate what we’re doing. I just checked in with momma and she said the girls are down for their afternoon naps.”

She didn’t get a chance to answer as the door opened slowly as an older man poked his head in. Standing up, she weakly smiled at him as surprise was evident in her voice. “Dr. Weasley.”

“Katherine, they told me you were up here. I just wanted to check in with you, Spot, and Albert to see how you were doing.” He said as she nodded.

Motioning for him to come in, she sighed. “Spot had emergency surgery and he’s in a room down the hall. This is my husband Jack and Albert’s husband, Finch. Guys, this the director of the ER, Dr. Weasley. We’ve just been hanging out here waiting to see Spot after his surgery.”

Dr. Weasley nodded. “I heard that he had to have his spleen removed - he’s a tough nut and will be okay. I’ve come to tell you that you and Albert have the next week off. There will be a check-in before you’re allowed back into the hospital, per guidelines. As for Spot, we’ll take it day by day with him and when he’s cleared to return.”

“Is there anything we need to do in the meantime?” Albert came by Kat’s side as he was curious what the requirement was going to consist of.

Dr. Weasley smiled at them. “You’ll both need to see one of the hospital’s trauma specialists before you’re released to come back. You will also need to take the mandatory 5 days off before you step back in here.”

“How long will the ER be shut down for?” Kat asked, knowing it was only one of three emergency rooms within the city.

Dr. Weasley shook his head. “It’s going to be shut down for tonight but obviously the hospital doesn’t want it down for too long. They’re hoping to have it back up and running tomorrow morning.”

Frowning, Kat shook her head. “It doesn’t seem right. There were people killed in that ER earlier today and tomorrow it’s back to business like their lives don’t even matter.”

“I agree with you Plums but you know how the head honchos are.” Dr. Weasley agreed as he shook his head.

She rolled her eyes with a sigh. “It’s just not right. But I make pennies compared to them and I know nothing.”

“Keep up that attitude Plums and you’ll be alright.” He smiled, looking between her and Albert. “Do either of you need anything?”

Albert shook his head with a smirk. “Million bucks, new scrubs, better hospital food?”

“Noted but not sure what I can pull out of my magic hat.” Dr. Weasley looked between the two of them with a shake of his head. “You have my number if you need anything. I’m glad you two are okay.”

Watching him leave, Kat shook her head as the door shut gently behind him. “That was nice of him to check up on us.”

“You know it was because we’re not down at the ER with the rest of the staff.” Albert told her with sarcasm laced in his voice. “He knew it would’ve gotten around the ER if he didn’t come check up on us and Spot.”

Kat nodded. “True. I’m going to check up on Race. You guys staying here?”

Albert agreed while Finch and Jack stayed behind, letting the two of them go. Her shoes squeaked as she walked down the hallway. Pushing open the door, her shoulders immediately relaxed as she took in Spot’s appearance in the bed. A noise drew her attention away from Spot and to the chair beside him where Race was snoring away.

Stepping up to the bed, she looked Spot over as his quiet breathes matched Race’s deep snores. Albert shook his head as he reached up to wipe his eyes before taking Katherine’s hand and squeezing it. “He looks better than I thought he would.”

“What did you imagine?” Kat asked, looking over at him with a smirk.

Albert shrugged. “Bruises, black eyed, ruggedness. You know, someone who just got into a fight but he actually just looks normal.”

“Excuse you, I’m ruggedly handsome.” A voice drew their attention from each other to the bed. A smirk was on Spot’s face as he looked at two friends.

Kat’s eyes immediately watered with tears as she looked at him. “Spot.”

“I’m sore . . . what happened?” He asked as he tried to move but felt instant pain.

Albert stepped up, giving him a look. “You had surgery. They removed your spleen due to a bullet. You fainted in the ER just after the police came to take the gunman away. Race was really worried about you and had been in here for about 20 minutes before he must’ve fallen asleep.”

“Is that what that train sound is?” Spot asked, craning his head to look over to Race, who quietly snored away.

“Yes. He’s been worried sick about you.” Kat smiled. “Do you want me to wake him up?”

Spot shook his head. “Nah, let him sleep. Who’s got Kenzie?”

“Momma’s got her and Addie. Last we knew, they were taking their afternoon naps. Jack, Race, and Finch have been here most of the afternoon. They watched Albert run out.” Kat explained.

Spot nodded, as he bit his lip as a wave of pain coursed through his side. “Anyone killed?”

“Two nurses and an orderly.” Kat frowned. “But thanks to you, no one else was killed. There’s a few injuries but you saved a lot of people, Spot, including Nicole and her daughter.”

Spot shook his head. “I about died when you texted me that you were in the room with them. I knew I had to draw him away from the door in order for you to escape.”

“I’m thankful that you did but I almost passed out when I saw you slugging him.” Kat shook her head. “You’re an idiot Sean but I do love you.”

“Love you too Kat.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Do you want to go get Jack and Finch? I don’t know how much longer I’ll be awake.”

Albert rushed from the room, leaving Kat and Spot alone with the sleeping Race. “He doing okay?”

“Worried about you but he’s been alright.” She smiled. “He has your phone but hasn’t done anything with it. I got your stuff from downstairs.”

Spot nodded. “Thank you, Kat for everything. Any idea how long I’m in here for?”

“Dr. Leighton didn’t say but I’m sure he’ll be around to see you later.” Kat shrugged. “I’m guessing in a few days you'll be released. Albert and I are on mandatory leave for the next week and we have to see one of the trauma specialists before we’re allowed back in the ER.”

Spot didn’t say anything as the door was opened as Jack and Finch stepped into the room with Albert behind them. Kat stepped back, letting the two talk with him. Albert came over and wrapped his arm around her. “Counting your blessings?”

“Something like that.” She smiled, laying her head on his shoulder. “Just really glad my family is okay. Really glad my closest coworkers are alright. Sad that we lost some good people but happy that everyone else is okay.”

Albert shook his head. “Love you Kat.”

“Love you too Albie.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Are you and Finch heading home?”

Nodding, Albert sighed. “I just want to go home and put today out of my mind. I have a feeling we’re in for a few rough days.”

“Agreed. We’ll be around if you need someone to talk to.” She smiled. “I’m only a phone call away, okay?”

He nodded, a ragged sigh left his mouth. He watched Jack and Finch joke with Spot as he started to doze off. Once he was asleep, Finch and Albert made their way out, leaving Kat and Jack with Race and Spot.

“What do you want to do? I’m sure you could use a shower and some Addie cuddles.” Jack suggested as he looked between the two sleeping men in the room.

Kat stretched, a groan escaping her mouth. “You’re probably right but I just don’t feel right just walking away after everything we’ve been through this afternoon.”

“Kat, you’re not walking away.” Jack gave her a look. “How about I take you home, you can shower, cuddle Addie, then we can come back up here and bring them food? Does that sound like a plan?”

Nodding, she pushed off the way, pressing a kiss to both Spot and Race’s foreheads before walking out of the room, hand laced with Jack’s.

An Hour Later

The rustling of bedsheets was the sound he heard as he slowly woke up. Cracking open his eyes, it took a minute to figure out where he was. The hospital, active shooter, Spot surgery all came rushing back to him.

Sitting up in the uncomfortable chair, he cracked his back as he looked at the bed. The most beautiful sight he had seen was staring back at him. Spot, with a smirk on his face, and eyes opened as he stared at Race. “Hi.”

“After all this time and scaring the literal shit out of me, all you can say is hi.” Race was out of the chair and sitting on the side of the bed smirking. “Hi yourself. How are you feeling?”

Spot grimaced. “Sore, really sore. But other than that, okay. Kat and Albie filled me in on everything that had happened when they were here earlier.”

“You were awake and they didn’t wake me up?” Race frowned, giving Spot a look.

Squeezing their linked hands, Spot looked Race in the eyes. “I asked them not to as you were in a deep sleep. I’m sorry I didn’t wake you but I needed to know what had happened.”

“You doing okay, Spottie?” Race asked, worry in his voice.

Spot sighed loudly. “To be honest, I don’t know how I feel. I’m angry that someone interrupted the safe space the ER was. I’m upset that I lost coworkers. But I think I’m mostly grateful that Albie and Kat are both okay and safe.”

Leaning forward, Race captured Spot’s lips in a kiss. “I love you and it’s completely okay that you’re not okay. There were a lot of emotions involved in today but I’ll be here for you as we go through the next couple of days, weeks, and months. Kat and Al aren’t going anywhere and they’ll be here for you, when I can’t.”

“Love you, Racer.” Spot smiled slightly. “Also, you did tell me that earlier this morning before I left the house.”

A light blush raised on Race’s cheeks. “You heard me?”

“Yeah . . . but it was a big foggy so I couldn’t actually tell if you said that or if it was my mind playing tricks on me.” Squeezing his hand, Spot sighed. “I kept kicking myself that I didn’t have my phone on me. I only wanted to get you a message that I was okay and that I loved you. I’m just glad I have the opportunity to tell you that now.”

“Love you Spottie.”

“Love you too Racer.”

Later that Evening

He found himself sitting up in bed, a course of antibiotics and pain medication surging through his body. He was happily slurping on a strawberry milkshake while Race was cracking jokes with Jack. Kat was watching her husband and Race with an amused smile on her face. A few of their coworkers had stopped by to check up on them both, not staying long but to say their thanks to Spot for being a hero.

“You okay, Plums?” He asked over the crackle of Race’s laughter at something Jack had just told him.

Looking up from her fast food chicken nuggets, she smiled. “I’m fine. I got to cuddle Addie and Kenzie, take a shower, and pet Basil for a little bit. I had a good cry in the shower.”

“Promise me, you’ll text if you need anything?” Spot gave her a look, knowing full well that she was just as likely as him to keep things bottled up.

Nodding, she smiled. “Of course. I’ve been made to promise by Jack, Albert, Race, and now you. I scheduled my appointment for the trauma specialist for next week.”

“Good. I’m proud of you for scheduling it out already.” Spot said, giving her a look that he knew what she was thinking.

She couldn’t say another word as there was a knock on the door. Kat raised an eyebrow to Spot, silently asking if he knew who it could be. He shook his head, as she got up and answered the door. She smiled at the guests as she reached out and grabbed Addie. She pushed open the door as Momma walked in, Kenzie in her arms.

“Momma!” Spot sat up and grinned despite the pain on his side. Race stood, taking Kenzie from her arms before kissing her cheek loudly. “What are you doing here?”

“Thought it might be a good idea for you two to see your daughter. Addie is just along for the ride, though I thought her parents could see her too.” Medda grinned, watching Jack take Addie from Kat’s arms. “Besides, I wanted to check up on you to make sure you were okay.”

Spot grinned at the woman who had been the replacement momma in his life. Ever since he and Race started dating, Medda had taken him in as one of her own. “Doing alright momma. Will be laid up for a little bit as I recover but I’ll be just fine in the long run.”

“Good.” She patted his foot. “You make sure that son of mine takes care of you, waits on you hand and foot.”

Race, cuddling Kenzie, looked up at his mother with an insulted look. “Hey! As if I wouldn’t wait on him hand and foot! I take offense to that.”

Laughter sounded around the room as Medda shook her head. “I’m just thankful you, Spot, and Katherine are okay. I checked in with Albert and Finch earlier and they’re doing as well as could be expected. I’m just glad all my babies are okay and here with us tonight.”

Kat looked around the room, locking eyes with each of the people in it, giving them a smile. “I’m glad today is almost done and tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow we start to move on from today and though we'll never forget, we will start to move on.”

Kat and Spot locked eyes. Though they had always been close since college, it seemed their bond had dug a little deeper. And she smiled, there was no one she’d rather have in her corner than Spot Conlon, as he would always have her back, just like she always would have his.

Feedback would be wonderful and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[fandom-imagines-stories]

Face Me

Gif credit: @haloforsam​

Dean Winchester x Reader

Words: 3673

Summary: The Winchester brothers are recruited by a former girlfriend of Dean’s to help with a haunting problem. As the case intensifies, Sam and Dean uncover the ghost’s origins and the reader’s dark secret. 

Notes: Welcome to the Winchester October Take Over! As always, as this month progresses, let me know what you think and buckle up for plenty of Winchester angst. This was totally inspired by Becky Barnes from the Starkids musical Black Friday. This is very very intense, but I hope you guys like it.

Special shout out to my amazing beta reader Sarah, @suckmysupernatural​ . I love her so much and honestly, she’s helped me so much in getting these imagines out for you and she has some absolutely killer writing of her own!

Warnings: Extreme domestic abuse, violence, death (like I said, it’s intense so please please read only if you are comfortable)

Want more Supernatural? Find it HERE

-

It wasn’t a call you ever thought you’d have to make, but as police swarmed around you, you lifted the phone to your ear. You thought you had calmed down enough to speak, but as soon as you heard the voice on the other end, you felt the whole situation crash into you again, along with so many feelings you’d kept locked away in your heart. 

“D-Dean?” You sniffed, feeling your stomach drop as they brought the body out the front door, sealed up in a bag. “Oh god.”

“Who is this?” Dean’s voice was gruff and tired. You must have woken him up. 

“I’m sorry. You probably don’t remember.” You started to regret calling. After all this time, you couldn’t expect him to come racing to save you. Dean was quiet for a moment.

“Y/N?” Sam stirred awake and gave his brother an inquiring look. “Y/N, is that you?”

“Dean, I-” You tried to catch your breath. “I need your help.” 

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“Something… something killed Danny.” Or someone. 

“Are you still in that same sleep town in Nebraska?” That’s all he needed to know. No details, no suspicious activity. You were in trouble. That was enough for him. 

“You know me. I never go anywhere.” You winced, thinking about the last time you saw Dean Winchester. There was a loud shuffle as Dean started to pack his things, motioning for Sam to do the same.

“We’ll be there by morning.” You uttered a tearful thanks and hung up. 

“What was that about?” Sam asked, climbing out of bed and grabbing his duffle bag. 

“You remember when we were in Nebraska for a few weeks trying to find that coven of witches?”

“The ones that were using high school kids in their ritual? Yeah.” Sam recalled a fiery English teacher that Dean had dated for most of their time there. 

“Y/N’s brother is dead.” Dean said somberly. 

“The one that bought us drinks after we saved some of the kids?” Dean nodded. “Damn.” He was a good guy. “She thinks it’s our kind of thing?”

“I don’t know. Y/N’s one tough broad, Sammy, and she-” The sound of your trembling voice echoed in his head. “She sounded scared.” By the look in his eyes, Sam knew how important this was to him. 

“Then what are we waiting for?” He zipped up his duffle bag and threw it over his shoulder. “Let’s get to Nebraska.” 

-

You spent most of the night answering police questions and carefully watching the windows. He was in there somewhere. Waiting for you. Once the ambulance and the police were gone, you didn’t dare go back inside. Instead, you curled up on the porch swing and broke down. This was your fault. Danny was gone and that cruel smile was burned into your brain. He was coming for you. 

You must have fallen asleep because the bright morning sun and the low rumbling of an engine pulled you out of your nightmare. You’d never been so happy to see that beautiful car. 

Sam got out of the passenger side and you slowly walked towards him. You had to restrain yourself from just crashing into him to be safely wrapped in his arms. 

“Your hair’s different.” You noted with a small smile. He pulled you into a hug. 

“I’m sorry about Danny.” He whispered, pulling back to give you a sympathetic smile. Behind him, his brother waited anxiously, straightening the sleeves of his jacket. He hadn’t changed at all. 

“Dean…” You gasped, memories flashing through your head faster than you could register them. The first touch. The feeling of his flannel wrapped around your shoulders. Your last kiss. 

“Hey.” He greeted. Neither of you moved. You just looked at each other, both wanting to say something but not having a single clue as to what. 

Suddenly, it hit you. What might have been. How different everything would be. Danny would still be alive. When your eyes started to fill with tears, Dean enveloped you in his arms without a second of hesitation. Feelings he had tried to forget came rushing back, but he tried his best to ignore them. That’s not what you need right now. So he pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. 

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” He wished more than anything that you had reunited under different circumstances. He knew how much your brother meant to you. He ran his hands down your arms. You felt like ice. “Jesus, Y/N, you’re freezing. What, did you sleep out here or something?” He quickly shed his jacket and draped it over you. 

“Why don’t we head inside?’ Sam suggested. “Talk about what happened.”

“No.” You responded a little too quickly, earning a strange look from both Winchesters. “Why don’t we talk down at the diner? Breakfast’s on me.” They exchanged a skeptical look, but agreed nonetheless.

People were already whispering when you walked in. Word traveled fast. As uncomfortable as the stares made you, anywhere was better than home. 

“Hey Josie, can I get a few cups of coffee?” You asked the only waitress who wasn’t too busy gossiping about you. She gave you her usual smile. 

“You got it, sweetie.” At least you still had one friend. The three of you picked a booth, Dean sitting on the other side and Sam sliding in beside you. He put a hand on your arm. 

“Can you tell us what happened?” You tried to ignore Dean’s worried gaze and took a deep breath. 

“I’ve been living with Danny for a little over a year now.” Just tell them. Just tell them. “After Isaiah left, I needed a place to stay.”

“Isaiah?” Dean stiffened. You couldn’t look at him. 

“My husband.” Both Winchesters froze. 

“Oh.” Was all Dean said. You set down your coffee mug a little too fast and the hot liquid splashed onto the counter. 

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter.” You tried to clean up the mess with your napkin, your voice sounding more flustered than you intended. After all this time of keeping the secret, why was it so hard to lie to them? “He’s gone now.” Sam was the first to speak. 

“I’m sorry.” His voice was so sincere, you felt yourself choke on your words, the emotion becoming too much. 

“What matters now is destroying what killed Danny.” 

“Do you have any idea what it was?” Sam asked. Dean seemed very interested in the inside of his mug. You wanted to tell him the truth, but the words caught in your throat. “Y/N?”

“I don’t know. One minute he was fine and the next his head was cracked open.” You closed your eyes, remembering that awful scene. You felt a hand rest on top of yours. Dean had reached across the table, his warm touch giving you enough courage to keep going. “The police can’t figure out how anyone else got in the garage, what the murder weapon was, or anything that could give me an answer. So I called you.” Sam and Dean exchanged a look. 

“We’ll do what we can.” Sam promised you and Dean nodded. 

“And we’ll fry this son of a bitch.” 

-

Without a good enough excuse not to go back, you took Sam and Dean to the house. The police had cleaned the scene so you were able to get in. Dean stopped by the garage and laughed softly to himself. 

“Still working on the bike.” He mused. You smiled slightly. 

“He finished restoring it last year.” That motorcycle was Danny’s prize possession. A 1984 Disc Glide Harley Davidson. It was one hell of a bike. He had been washing it when he died. 

“So… married.” Dean blew out a long breath. You looked away. 

“After you left, Isaiah was… the normal I thought I needed.” You almost laughed. How wrong you were. “And then after a couple months he was… different. I guess I was too.” You thought of every red flag that you had missed, every great big warning sign you chose to ignore. 

“Ah,” Dean nodded. “Normal.” You looked at him, shaking your head. 

“I was wrong.” He read the glint in your eye that you had tried to hide. Your ex scared you. 

“What went down between you?” His question wasn’t out of plain curiosity. He knew there was something you weren’t telling him. 

“He started vanishing into the beds of barmaids and the occasional tennis coach until he didn’t come back.” You shrugged, hoping that he would buy the lie. He didn’t, but he didn’t ask you anything else. 

“Hey guys, I think I found something!” Sam shouted from the living room. He was holding up a picture of you and Danny from a couple years ago. It looked fine. “Check this out.” Sam turned the farm around, revealing the words scratched into the back of the frame. Your heart stopped. Face me.

“Face me?” Dean read. “What the hell does that mean?” He and his brother both turned to you. 

“Does this mean anything to you, Y/N?” Sam asked. All you could hear was Isaiah’s voice. 

“Face me you stupid bitch!” You instinctively pulled Dean’s jacket tighter around you even though you knew they couldn’t see what you had hidden under your shirt. 

“Y/N?” Sam repeated. Both brothers were staring at you waiting for an answer. 

“You know Danny. He used to get in bar fights all the time. Maybe one of them died and wanted to get revenge?” You wouldn’t have believed it either . Dean ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. 

“Look, we can’t help you if there’s something you aren’t telling us.” He snapped. “What the hell is going on?”

“My brother is dead, Dean!” You shouted. And it was all your fault. The two fell totally silent and you tried not to cry again. “Sorry. I’m just… tired.”

“Maybe you should just take it easy for the rest of the day. We’ll go back into the history of the house and see if there were any violent deaths.” Sam suggested sweetly. 

“Don’t leave me here.” You pleaded, grabbing Dean’s hand. “Please don't leave me alone.” 

“Hey, it’s okay. I won’t.” Dean assured you. What the hell was going on. He briefly turned to his brother. “Sammy, why don’t you head to the library and I’ll take Y/N to the motel?” 

“I’ll call you if I find anything.” Sam gave you one last concerned look before heading out. Dean gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“Let’s get you out of here.”

-

The motel room was relatively nice compared to the other places they had stayed. You sat on Dean’s bed and took off his jacket. 

“Here. You probably want this back.” You held it out, but he shook his head. 

“You can keep it until we get this son of a bitch.” He pulled up a chair across from you and you couldn’t help but check him out. Those muscles under his shirt, his perfectly messy hair, his unreal green eyes. He really hadn’t changed at all. 

“Do you ever think about it?” You blurted suddenly. 

“Hmm?”

“About how we said goodbye?” Dean looked at the floor. 

“Sometimes.”

You had thought about it nearly every damn day for the past three years. After facing the witches, it was time for Dean and Sam to move on to the next hunt. Dean had fallen in love with you, which was not something he usually allowed himself to do. You knew that you loved him and it scared you. The man hunted monsters, for god's sake. So when Dean asked you to come with him… you said no. 

“Look, Y/N, I don’t hold anything against you.” Dean started, “I mean, we’d only been together a couple of weeks and you were still teaching and, you know, I had just killed a bunch of witches pretending to be lunch ladies. 

“Dean.” You crossed to him. “Not leaving with you… It’s the biggest regret of my life.” Dean stood, eyes intense. YOu weren’t sure who kissed who first, but just like that, the years melted away. You quickly threw his jacket over the chair and Dean lifted your legs up around his waist as he backed you towards the bed. His jacket joined his jacket. 

Dean’s hands slipped under your shirt, just grazing one of the lower scars on your back. You panicked and pushed away from him. 

“Wait.” You gasped, catching your breath. 

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t.” Too many questions that you didn’t know how to answer. “I’m sorry, Dean. I can’t-” Seeing how upset you were, Dean tried to relax, putting his hands on your shoulders. 

“It’s okay. You’re tired. Today has been pretty crazy. How about you rest?” He was being so sweet, which just made you feel worse for keeping things from him. 

“Will you lay down with me?” It seemed like such a juvenile question after literally tearing his shirt off. Dean just smiled. 

“Yeah, of course.” You both got under the blankets, keeping apart at first. You moved closer and he wrapped his arms around you, your back pressed against his chest. “Hey Y/N.”

“Yeah?”

“Sam and I are gonna keep you safe, okay?” His breath was warm against the back of your neck. “You can trust us.”

Dean knew that you were hiding something. Something that absolutely terrified you. He felt the marks on your back before you pulled away. For now, he would let you sleep. Hell, he could use a few hours himself. But sooner or later, he would find out the truth. He just hoped that it didn’t destroy you first. 

-

You slept without nightmares. It was so unfamiliar after so many sleepless nights that even as the afternoon light streamed through the windows, you slept more peacefully than you had in years. It wasn’t until you felt a rush of cold and turned around to cuddle closer to Dean. Your eyes fluttered open and you screamed. The spirit stood over Dean menacingly with a stone raised over his head. Even though half of his face was bashed in, you could see Isaiah’s furious scowl. 

“Dean!” You cried. Dean woke up and looked over his shoulder as Isaiah brought his hand down. Dean rolled out of the way, both of you tumbling off of the bed. 

“You cheating whore!” The apparition shrieked. Dean pushed you behind him and you screwed your eyes shut. “Look at me when I’m speaking to you, Y/N! Face me!” He reappeared, standing over both of you and raising the jagged rock over you. 

“Get down!” Sam burst through the motel door and fired two salt rounds into the ghost. Isaiah vanished. Sam hurried to his brother’s side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Dean stood, eyes burning into you, demanding answers. “What the hell just happened?”

“I’m sorry.” You let terrified tears stream down your cheeks. “I should have told you. I should have told you.” Sam helped you to your feet, trying to calm you down. 

“Y/N, who was that?” He asked gently. There was now way to hide anymore, but you just stood there. Dean’s anger disappeared, connecting the spirit’s words and your fear. He cradled your face in his hands. 

“Sweetheart, we can’t help you unless you tell us what happened.” He tucked your hair behind your ear. You tried to pull yourself together. 

“It was Isaiah.” You sat on the bed and pulled your knees up to your chest. 

“Your husband?” Sam asked. You gave them a weak nod. 

“He didn’t leave me. I tried to leave him. He hurt me. He kept hurting me.” Every cut and every bruise stung now as if they were fresh. Dean gripped the back of the chair. “I told him I wasn’t going to let him hurt me anymore. He got so mad…” You gulped and turned around. You slowly lifted up the back of your shirt. Your back was a jagged puzzle of scars, some small and some stretching across your skin. 

“Oh my God.” Sam gasped. You kept your back to them, unable to look them in the eye. 

“He pushed me out of a glass door.” You pulled your shirt back down and wrapped your arms around yourself. “Our yard opened out to the river where there were some trees. So I just ran.” 

Dean closed his eyes, the entire scene playing out in front of him. The blood soaking the back of your shirt. Your crying pleas for help. It haunted him. He somehow felt like it was his fault. Like he should have been there to protect you. 

“I ran and I ran, but everything stung and it was hard to see straight with the pain. He caught me and shoved me to the ground. I was screaming, but nobody came. He wrapped his hands around my throat.” You sank further into your nightmare. “I grabbed a rock and hit him over the head. I just kept hitting him and hitting him and hitting him.” Your body shook as you cried. Nobody said a word for a long while. You were grateful. 

“Y/N,” Sam sat down beside you. “You didn’t have a choice.” 

“I shouldn’t have fought him, Sam.” You exclaimed. “If I hadn’t fought thim, none of this would have happened. Danny would still be alive.” Dean pushed the chair aside and crouched down in front of you, making you face him. 

“None of this is your fault.” He said sternly. “Not what he did to you when he was alive and not what he’s doing now. Do you hear me? It’s not your fault.” He pulled you to him and let you cry into his chest, gently stroking your hair to sooth you. He looked at Sam intensely. “We’re burning this son of a bitch tonight.” 

-

In order to find the body, you had to go back to the river. As you lead Sam and Dean through the grove of trees, Sam asked more questions. 

“It’s been a little over a year since everything happened, right?” You nodded. “Why do you think he’s back now?” You shrugged. You had been trying to figure that out too. You suddenly remembered a conversation you had had with your brother. 

“It’s because I’m leaving.” Of course. If you were gone, Isaiah wouldn’t be able to exact his revenge. He may have been tied to you, but he was also still tied to his body. Dean joined the conversation. 

“Leaving?”

“Yeah. I need to get out of this place. Get away from everything that happened here.” You sighed. “I guess Isaiah had other plans.” 

“Where will you go now?” Dean glanced over at you with a flicker of hope in his eyes. Before you could respond, you reached the North Platte and the tree you buried the body under. 

“This is it.” You forced yourself to stay calm as the memories flooded your head. Dean gave you a reassuring nod. “No one ever came looking for him.” It was kind of sad. Everyone in town just assumed that he left you and he didn’t have any family to worry about him. “I couldn’t bury him very deep with my back cut up like that, but I couldn’t bring myself to just throw him in the river. Monster or not, he was till my husband.”

It was late evening now so you didn’t have to worry about anyone stumbling upon the scene. The boys started digging, that lump in your throat getting bigger and bigger with every inch. Once the body was fully uncovered, you made yourself look at him. Sam and Dean stood on either side of you. 

“Alright Isaiah,” Dean started, lighting a match. “You’re not gonna hurt her anymore.” 

Both Sam and Dean were flung backwards and you felt icy cold hands wrap around your neck. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Isaiah hissed in your ear. He flung you into the tree, hitting your back hard. 

“Over here you freak!” Dean fired a salt round, but missed. Isaiah knocked him to the ground, slamming a rock against his temple. Sam rushed to help his brother and Isaiah simply raised his hand, throwing the younger Winchseter into the river. 

“Stop!” You tried to scream, but it just came out as a wheezing gasp. 

“We’re going to be just fine, Y/N.” Isaiah sneered. “Just as soon as you face me and learn your lesson.” He hit Dean again, this time knocking him out. You reached into your pocket. 

“Face this you son of a bitch.” 

You threw your lighter onto the body and watched it go up in flames. Isaiah raised the stone one last time before burning away. You ran over to Dean, your back aching with every movement.

“Please please please.” You begged, holding his head in your hands, his blood oozing from his temple and onto your palm. 

“Y/N!” Sam called out, crawling out of the water. “Dean!” 

“Come on Dean.” You cried. “If you wake up, I’ll say yes this time.” You leaned down, pressing a desperate kiss to his lips. 

“That’s gotta be my favorite way to wake up.” He teased, his green eyes slowly opening. 

“Shut up.” You shook your head and laughed, pulling him into your arms. 

-

Sam packed the last bag into the trunk and gave you a small smile before getting in the passenger seat. Dean had his arms around you, his hands soothingly running up and down your back. 

“I guess this is goodbye.” He sighed dramatically. You rolled your eyes. 

“I’m going to be right behind you.”

“I don’t know if I can wait until we get to the motel.” He gave you a cheeky grin and pulled you into a passionate kiss. He went to the car and you revved Danny’s Harley to life. Dean pulled the impala out of the driveway, you trailing on the motorcycle. You followed that beautiful black car down the open road, ready to face anything.

-

General Tag: @rae-gar-targaryen; @takemepedropascal; @childhood-imagination;  @mylovegoesto;

[the-blind-one-speaks]

Prey pt 2

Lilliander Tessum the Third was sole hair to the Tessum estate. Of course, nobody knew that. As far as the public and the large majority of nobility was concerned, Lilliander’s father had no heir. That suited Lilli just fine. She hated being reminded that she was not the sterling son that her father had always expected.

Her uncle was more fun to spend time with anyway. He was just a guard, since her father never liked acknowledging him as a blood relative, since apparently he was sick or something with what they called “illegitimacy” or something like that. Lilli had once asked him if it was catching. He had roared with laughter at that, before asking her if the sky tasted like cranberries. She wrinkled her nose and told him that rain never tasted like cranberry juice, so she thought not. He said he thought the same of whatever it was he had.

They’d played this game before. Her uncle was tense, his face drawn, that corner of his mouth with the pale silver scar twitching into a frown. “You remember the rules, Lilli?”

“Yes sir,” she said seriously. “I’m a maid named Lilli and I’ve nothing to do with the manor except washing the dishes.”

He nodded seriously. “And if anyone asks you about your father?”

“He was a milkman who couldn’t feed me anymore so he signed me over to the Master.” She repeated it dutifully, slipping into her wide-eyes servant girl persona. Sometimes she almost believed that was what happened. She wore pretty clothes and didn’t do chores here, of course, but her father might as well have been a milkman who had sold her off. She kept that to herself, though. Better distant than angry.

“That’s right, good girl. There’s no time for you to change, so what do you say if anyone asks about your clothes?”

“The Master liked to see me sit for portraits sometimes. He called me his Muse, but he wasn’t ever quite satisfied with the works he created.”

“That’s right. You remember where he kept the paintings?”

“Upper library, by the stained glass windows.”

“Good girl. Very good. You going to find that farm we talked you about, right?”

“Yes sir, with your friends Josie and Addam.” He nodded, squeezing her hand gently. When they reached the little side door, he kissed her roughly on the forehead. Getting down to her level, he gripped her shoulders tightly, studying her serious face.

“Now listen to me, Lilli. This is going to be scary, I’m sure. No matter what happens, you mustn’t forget the rules, alright? What’s the last one, Lilli? What’s your last rule?”

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Never admit to my full name or heritage, uncle.”

He smiled at her, but the expression was pained. “That’s right. Even to me. I’m just a guard now, remember?”

“Yes sir. I remember.”

“Good girl. Go one, now- into the woods and don’t you stop, not for anything nor anyone, alright? Go!”

She pulled the little side door open and rushed across the courtyard. There was noise coming from the gates to the estate — shouts and screams, hoarse, awful sounds. She felt a coil of fear make her heart beat rabbit fast. Racing into the thicket, she screamed as something landed on her back, the weight toppling her into the bushes. At her high-pitched cry she heard her uncle’s familiar roar.

“Lilli!”

She forgot her rules. She forgot the game she was supposed to be playing. She was frightened and the branches were scratching her and she wanted her uncle. She wanted his strong arms to wrap around her and hold her close, like he had after her many nightmares. She wanted to feel the beginnings of the beard he always started to grow before shaving it clean impatiently tickle the top of her head and catch her fine hair. She wanted to feel safe.

“Uncle! Uncle, please help me! Uncle, I’m scared!”

A pair of expensive leather boots paused in front of her. She sobbed, too petrified to try to shift the awful, unknown weight off her back. When she glanced up through her tears, she was met with a curious sight: a man with a blond beard, green hood drawn up, a thin veil stretched across his eyes. He was smiling down at her, one gloved hand perched on his hip.

Taglist: @thegreatwhodini @unicornscotty @spookyceph

[deep-space-elf]

Cullen x Reader - Misheard

Summary:  Y/N wants to finally confess her feeling to Cullen, but when she arrives at his tower, she overhears something that makes her question his feelings for her.

Word count: 3326

Warnings: None really, expect maybe that it’s a little angsty 

A/N: You can also find this fic on AO3

Y/N felt a little silly, but she just wanted it to be perfect. She looked into the mirror for the 5th time in the last 10 minutes. The dress, a gift from Josi, really looked lovely on her, but would Cullen like it? Not so long ago, she always rolled her eyes at girls who would behave like her just then. Looking perfect for a man… But tonight wasn’t just any night. She was determined to confess her feeling for her commander, and it wouldn’t hurt to look lovely for that occasion, right?

She looked into the mirror once again, and shook her head. She was pretty sure that Cullen felt the same, and he has seen her at her worst, right after a whole mountain dropped on her, half frozen to death. Stop being silly and just go! No more excuses! She took one last breath and made her way to Cullen’s tower.

As she walked through the atrium under the library, Solas looked up from his book and raised one of his thin eyebrow when he saw her. A small smile played around his lips. “Good evening, Inquisitor.”

“Evening, Solas,” she said curtly and walked past him. Just before the door closed behind her, she heard Dorian asking Solas a question, that sounded strangely like “Is it finally happening?” and “It looks like it”. She was so not looking forward to the teasing, that she knew would be happening. But Cullen was totally worth it.

When she reached the tower, she hesitated. Her hand was already raised, ready to knock, but of course, her mind choose that moment to question her intend. What if he didn’t feel the same? Maybe he was simply nice and not romantically interested in her. She would make a fool of herself, and would never be able to look into his eyes ever again! That certainly would make war room meetings awkward.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a strange noise from the inside. She froze and waited. There it was again, but she couldn’t tell what it was. She looked around, to see if anyone was watching her, but luckily, the few people who were still wandering in the courtyard, were busy walking towards the tavern. She leaned her ear against the door, and waited.

There it was. A soft moan from Cullen. A cold shudder run through her body and her heart clenched almost painfully. She swallowed a lump in her throat.

Of course he could sleep with whomever and whenever he wanted, they weren’t anything but friends at the moment, but the fact that it happened on the night she wanted to finally confess her feeling, felt like a slap in her face. She couldn’t help but wonder why he choose to sleep with someone else, when he knew that she she was interested. Or at least she thought he knew. Maybe she was right before, and he simply wasn’t interested romantically in her. Tears of hurt and frustration blurred her vision.

She rushed back to her tower the same way she came.

“Inquisitor?” Solas asked, surprise and worry carrying in his voice.

She ignored him, threw the door open, and let it crash back in the lock behind her.

“What happened?” Dorian asked the elven mage.

“I’m not sure,” Solas said. “But she was clearly upset.”

Dorian huffed. “I’m going to kill him.”

Solas might not much like the Tevinter, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed by his loyalty to their leader. Especially after such a short amount of time. “I think that would only upset her further.”

--- 

She barely slept that night. Her thoughts kept repeating what she had witnessed tonight and how to handle the situation from there. She was hurt, though she knew she had no right to feel that way. Even if Cullen felt the same, they weren’t in a relationship, and he had every right to see whomever he liked. It just irked her, that he was giving her so much hope, but then slept with someone else.

Almost every exchange they had, in the last couple of weeks, were heavily streaked with flirting. A suggestive sentence here, a little shy smile there, and oops was that an “accidental” touch? There was tension between them, so obvious, even Dorian noted it while watching from the small window in the alcove he claimed in the library. Needless to say he teased her all the time about it, and constantly asked about updates about they liaison.

She had told him a hundred times that there was nothing going on, but Dorian kept on pushing. He knew she had feelings for their commander, and he insisted that Cullen felt the same. “You should see how he looks at you! I can see those heart-eyes all across the courtyard,” he would say. And she believed him. Dorian had a little mischievous streak in him, but he would never mislead her with matters of the heart.

But now she couldn’t help but wonder, if maybe Cullen was nothing more but fascinated with her, because she was the Herold, their Inquisitor, and not because he was interested in her as a person. Maybe she misread all their flirtation, and it wasn’t the way she saw things. After all, Cullen wasn’t very skilled with words, and sometimes, he said things without thinking, and correct himself - almost too late - what he had just said.

Or maybe, or maybe, or maybe… ugh. She rolled on her stomach and covered her head with a pillow. I hate being in love.

---

The war room meeting went as awkward as one can imagine. Y/N couldn’t bring herself to look at Cullen, even when he was directly talking to her. That resulted in several curious and questioning stares from her advisers, or confused and hurt ones in Cullen’s case. She knew she was handling the situation badly, even a tad bit childish, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

“I think that’s everything for today,” Josephine said cautiously. Actually, there were still several things she wanted to discuss with the Inquisitor, but the woman was obviously not in the… what? Condition? Mood? Whatever it was, she assumed it was better to end it here, and discuss everything else, once their leader doesn’t look like she’s about to kneel over any second.

Y/N nodded. “Good.” And with that, she turned on her heels and basically fled from the room.

“Inquisitor,” Cullen called after her, “if you have a moment…”

“Sorry,” she answered, without turning around, “maybe later, but I’m rather busy.”

Cullen turned to the two other advisers, baffled by the Inquisitor’s behaviour today. “With what?”

Josephine only shrugged. Leliana’s eyes followed Y/N until she was out of sight, before she turned towards Cullen. “There is obviously something bothering her. Give her some time.” She didn’t however said that she assumed it had something to do with the commander. She noticed how uncomfortable Y/N became as soon as Cullen entered the room. Interesting.

Cullen shook his head. Sometimes it felt like every woman he knew, was ought to make his life even more complicated than it already was. He wondered if there was something he has done, that made her act so strangely.

He thought about the last time they spoke, yesterday morning, and couldn’t come up with anything that might have upset her. On the contrary, she even suggested they should have dinner together sometime, so Cullen could introduce her to all his favourite Fereldan meals. His heart had skipped a beat at the suggestion. His heart sank however when re realised that maybe she was regretting making such a bold proposal.

He had to get to the bottom of this. If anyone knew what was going on with her, it was Dorian.

---

Cullen found the Tevinter mage in the library, where he seemed to spend most of his time. He approached him, while the mage was looking for a certain book in one of the shelves. “Dorian? May I have a moment of your time?”

Dorian turned his head in his direction, and Cullen almost made a step backwards when he saw the hatred in the other men's eyes. Was everyone bugged by his presents today?

“Depends on what you want,” Dorian said, the usual playfulness in his voice was absent.

“I-I wanted to talk about Y/N,” Cullen said, scratching his neck.

The Tevinter turned fully to him, with his eyes narrowed. “What a coincidence! I wanted to talk about her with you as well,” he said mockingly. “Solas stopped me however. He thought it would upset Y/N only further.”

Cullen peaked up at that. So he was right, Dorian knew what was going on. “So she is upset. Do you know what caused it?”

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because Dorian’s eyes narrowed dangerously now. “No, I’m not sure what caused it, but I have a pretty good idea who.”

“Who? Well, who was it?” Cullen asked. When someone upset her, he wanted to know, and maybe have a few words with them.

“Obviously, you!”, the mage almost shouted, which earned him a couple of “shhh” which he ignored.

“Me? But what have I done?” Cullen asked. He really had no idea.

Dorian crossed his arms over his chest. “I would like to know that as well. All I know is, she went to your tower last evening, and when she returned, she was crying.”

“Last evening? My tower?” Now Cullen was completely lost. She didn’t visit him yesterday, did she? All he remembered was going to bed, after another stressful day, which resulted in a terrible headache. “She didn’t visit me yesterday.”

Dorian crocked his head to the side. What was Cullen playing at? Whatever excuse the ex-templar tried, he wouldn’t get out of this that easily. “Yes, yes she was. All nicely dressed. Must be around nine.”

“I was already asleep at nine,” Cullen said. He sat down on a nearby chair, and rubbed his face with his hands. “Something is wrong.”

Dorian sat down opposite him, still not fully believing him, but he couldn’t deny that something was off.

“And she wasn’t with you?” Dorian probed.

“No!” Cullen said forcefully.

“Hmm,” Dorian stroke his chin. “Maybe something on the way there… but if something happened, why didn’t she tell Solas or me?”

For a moment they sat in silence, both lost in thoughts. Eventually Cullen got up. “Well, there’s only one way to find out. I go talk to her.”

Dorian nodded. “Tell her I’m there for her if she needs me.”

Cullen smiled. “I think she already knows that, but I’ll tell her anyway.” And with that he left.

“You surprise me, Dorian,” Solas voice came from below, as soon as Cullen had left the library.

Dorian lent on the cordon and looked down. “Oh? And why is that?”

“I expected at least one fireball.”

“Are you insane? Not in a library!” Dorian huffed and got back to the bookshelf, ignoring Solas’ faint snicker.

---

Well… that went horrible. Y/N sat on her bed, with her head in her hands. So much for handling it like an adult.

She knew had to get a grip. It may hurt, but she needed to get her feelings under control. After all, she was supposed to work together with him and couldn’t avoid him forever. Not to mention it was anything but fair to him. He didn’t do anything wrong.

After telling herself several times that she needed to stop moping, because that wouldn’t change anything, she got up and went to her desk. A pile of unread letters waited for her to be read and answered. Maybe this could distract her for a while.

Just when she was halfway through the first letter, she heard the door to her tower being opened and closed. She put the letter down and waiter for the visitor to announce themselves.

“Inquisitor?” Cullens voice carried up the stone walls.

He noticed. Shit. He noticed and is going to ask what’s wrong! What am I supposed to say? Shit, shit, shit!

“Up here,” she answered, and hoped he wouldn’t notice the slight waver in her voice.

Soon Cullen conquered the last steps. He knew he had to find out what happened yesterday, but he hadn’t thought about how to do that. Now that he was there, standing on top of the stairs, he silently cursed himself for not thinking of a plan before he marched into her private quarters.

“I- um, may I speak with you for a moment?” he asked and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yes, sure, of course,” she said and wondered if she demonstrate her nervousness any more obvious.

She gestured to the chair on the other side of her desk, and Cullen sat down, looking anywhere but at her.

Cullen cleared his throat. “I was wondering if I have done anything to offend you?”

Yes. No. Yes… but not really. I hate my life. She shook her head. “No, everything’s fine.”

“Then why… this morning, at the meeting, it seemed like you were avoiding me, and when I talked to Dorian, he told me you were upset yesterday, after, so he and Solas assume, visiting my tower,” he said, and finally looked at her. She was blushing an adorable shade of red.

The images of last night came flashing back. She standing in front of his tower, ready to knock, when she heard the moan. A moan she would have been delighted to hear under different circumstances. Her heart throbbed painfully and she swallowed a lump in her throat. “I- it- it was… nothing. Really. It was nothing to worry about.”

Cullen didn’t understand her. She was obviously upset, if not downright distressed. Something was bothering her, why wouldn’t she tell him. He thought they’d build a friendship over the last couple of month, and she would trust him enough to tell him if something wasn’t right. Maybe he had been wrong. He had hoped she would see him as more than just the commander of the Inquisition, but a friend whom she can tell everything as well. Ever since they arrived at Skyhold, he and Y/N would spend some time together, talking about anything and everything. They would even flirt occasionally, and Cullen had hoped that perhaps, she could feel something more for him. But it looks like he had been wrong.

It hurt, but he wouldn’t give up that easily. She may not feel the same for him, but if something was bothering her, he wanted to know and fix it. He would be there for her, as commander, as friend, as lover, whatever she choose him to be! “Inqui- Y/N,” he said softly, “I can see something is bothering you. Did something happened while you were on the way to my tower? Because I know, as opposed to what Dorian may thinks, that you weren’t in my tower. I sleep so lightly, I would have heard you knocking or entering. Please tell me what happened. I- we are worried about you, Y/N.”

Y/N looked at him with wide eyes. “Asleep? You were asleep?”

“Yes!?” it almost sounded like a question.

“Oh…” Suddenly she realised that he probably moaned in his dream, or even worse, his nightmare. And I ran away like some angsty teenager. Way to go, Y/N!

“What does it have to so with anything?” Cullen asked, still confused by her question.

A good question for which she had no answer, expect for the truth but that was not an option. For the second time this day, she put her head in her hands and groaned.

Cullen rounded the table and knelled beside her. “Y/N, what’s wrong?”

“I’m an idiot, that’s what’s wrong,” she muttered between her hands.

“I don’t understand…”

“I thought,” but she stopped herself. She couldn’t tell him the truth, it was too humiliating!

Cullen carefully took her hands and lowered them from her face. Her expression was a mixture of defeat and anger. Without realising it, he cupped her cheek. His thumb was softly stroking her cheekbone. When she looked at him with a questioning gaze, he froze. What was he thinking? He wanted to lower his hand, but her hand stopped him. It was his turn to look rather puzzled. She leaned into his palm, and both of them relaxed a little.

“What happened, Y/N,” he tried again, his voice barely above a whisper as if he was afraid that speaking too loud would ruin this moment.

“Like I said, I was an idiot,” she said with a sad smile.

“But what does it mean?”

She said nothing and only starred into his eyes. This beautiful shade of brown, in which she could easily get lost in. Her eyes flickered to his mouth. She had been wondering for some time what it would be like to kiss those lips. He was so close… it would be so easily to just kiss him. She looked back up. His looked so worried at her, it brought her out of her little fantasy, and she remembered that she owned him an explanation and maybe an apology.

“Cullen I-” But he pressed his lips to hers, before she could say any more.

For a second she was too shocked to do anything, but before she knew it, she was leaning into the kiss. His lips, so warm and soft against hers… But before she could truly savour the moment, his lips were already gone, along his his hand on her cheek.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me!” Cullen backed away from her and stood up.

“Cullen-” she said, a little breathless.

“I have no words for how sorry I am,” he continued to ramble.

She stood up and walked over to him, until she stood directly in front of him. “You don’t need to apologise.” This time it was her hand that cupped his cheek. “Just tell me, do you feel… could you imagine… I mean…” Why was this confession stuff so hard?!

“Yes,” he said, “I mean, that is, if you wanted to ask… I felt something for you for a while and…”

“Me, too!” she said. They were slowly closing the space between them. “I just never thought you…”

“Y/N? May I kiss you again?”

His husky voice send her shiver through her. “Maker, please!”

---

“Sooooo?” Dorian asked and plopped down next to her.

Y/N knew it was a mistake to have her breakfast in the hall, but eating alone in her chambers was always kind of depressing.

“So what?” she asked him, not looking up from her plate.

“A little birdie tole me-”

“Was that birdie’s name Sera? Or Varric?” she asked.

“-that our dear commander visited you again last evening, but no one saw him leaving it. Not until half an hour ago.” Though it was a statement, the question he wanted to ask was clear. She wouldn’t make it that easy for him, though.

“That’s right,” she said in a neutral voice.

When Dorian didn’t ask anything else, she looked up, and regretted it immediately. He was looking at her meaningfully.

She sighed. “Yes, we stuttered our way through…”

Dorian laughed. “Oh, it must have been adorable! I want all the details!”

“All the details of what?” Cullen’s voice came from behind them.

Y/N quickly got out of her chair. “Cullen! Now that you’re here we can finally start with the meeting.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the table.

“But I haven’t had any breakfast, yet,” he protested weakly.

Solas sat down where Y/N sat only moments ago, watching the couple. “Should we tell them that this door leads to her chambers and the war room?”

“Nah,” Dorian said, “let them have some fun.”

[cxplqnce]

Milton Greasley - Lighthouse

Based on Lighthouse by Georgia Ku

Word Count: 1,537

Won't put your feelings on the table

Don't ever say what's on your mind

You go from all-in to unstable

And I'm left to read between the lines

You had had a crush on MG for a while now, and you couldn’t stop thinking about him. You knew that MG had been through a lot, he’d just killed Landon – thankfully, he came back to life – and found out that his mother was working for Triad. And that’s only the two main issues.

You knew it would be hard for him to open up, but he was spending the summer with Kaleb so he’d have time to deal with everything away from the school. Since you had no live family, you spent your summer at the school – becoming closer friends with Josie and Landon.

I wanna take all your broken

Hold it together like glue

Know if you leave the door open

I'll come through

After summer ended, you heard Lizzie announce that she was embracing opportunities by saying yes to more things. Then, you heard Kaleb say to MG that this was his shot to ask Lizzie out, which made you feel like your heart was being ripped out.

You wanted to tell MG how you felt but you knew right then and there that you would get rejected so you kept your feelings to yourself. Unfortunately, Josie noticed that something was wrong with you and you spilled your guts to her. She told you not to give up on him but that just confused you more, should you go for it and most likely get rejected or just try to get over him?

Unbeknownst to you, Kaleb overheard your conversation with Josie and told MG everything he heard. Now you weren’t the only one with conflicting feelings.

You know sometimes you'd like to check out

Lock all your issues in a safe

I know that trust is hard to give out

Whatever's left, I'll gladly take

This made it real for MG. He never really thought he had a chance with Lizzie so it all felt surreal – the feelings, the relationship possibility but now that he knew you liked him, it all became real and he had to revaluate whether he was actually ready for a relationship.

Then he saw you.

You were walking out of a class, looking extremely stressed and he realised all of the feelings he held for you. He’d known you for the same amount of time that he’d known Lizzie but he’d actually met you first. Lizzie and Josie were late to give him the tour and you were passing by so Dr. Saltzman pulled you over to introduce yourself. You were a vamp too so you knew exactly what MG was going through and he felt comfortable with you straight away.

You also had heaps in common, even though you had never read a single comic book, you loved superhero movies and TV shows so you would talk about them with him for hours. He then introduced you to the comic book world and you instantly fell in love – stopping by his room every other day to borrow one of his comics to read.

You were also insanely sweet and gentle, you wanted to help people so bad that you’d started learning some first aid and you had decided that you wanted to be a teacher from when you were very young.

Today was the day of the football game against the townies and you had been convinced to play by Josie. You were not athletic in the slightest, you were just the only other student who would participate, and also you were a very, very weak link so the team would surely lose with you. However, the new headmaster, Professor Vardemus, had told you to use your powers in moderation to win – which neither you nor Josie liked the sound of.

The game began and the biggest guy on the opposing team tackled you to the ground and you definitely heard – and felt – something crack in your body. You knew you’d heal but it was extremely painful. Frustratingly, the guy that hit you didn’t seem to care that you had been injured but MG rushed to your side, helping you up. He guided you to the bench and helped you sit down.

“Are you okay? What hurts?” He asked, trying to be calm but failing, while holding your hand in his. You squeezed his hand hard as you felt the bones in your leg resetting themselves.

“My leg.” You croaked out, trying not to scream or cry but MG assured you he’d be there until you were better.

I'll be careful with your heart now

I know you're fragile

Baby, when it's dark out

I'll be your lighthouse

After the game, which your school lost even with the added bonus of your supernatural powers, you were sat in your room reading a comic book you hadn’t returned to MG yet and nursing your leg which had healed but you could still feel an ache. You heard a knock at your door and by the breathing and footsteps you could hear you could tell it was MG.

“Come in!” You called, shifting your position on your bed. MG entered your room and you saw that he had flowers in his hands. “Hey.”

“Hey.” He replied, before looking down at the flowers and holding them out to you, “These are for you… To make you feel better. Does your leg still hurt?”

You shook your head, “Nope, I’m all healed, and thank you… for the flowers. It was sweet of you.” You said, taking the flowers from his hands and laying them down on your bedside table.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He smiled, before noticing the comic book on your lap, “The Flash… which one is your favourite?” He asked, sitting down on the edge of your bed.

“This one so far… I’ve only read the first few, but so far The Flash is definitely my favourite character and series.” You smiled, gaining courage as you laughed with him, “Would you want to go on a date… with me, sometime?” You asked with an awkward look on your face.

MG was stunned, he never expected you to ask him out so he did the only logical thing he could, “Yes, definitely!” He shouted, before calming himself down, “That was way too much, right?”

“Just a tad.”

I could chase away the voices in your head

Take away the pressure; you can let your guard down

I'll be your lighthouse

You and MG had started dating after that encounter in your room and you had been getting a lot closer. You had both been through a lot and come out stronger for it, and you were even stronger together, however, that was until you saw him sitting in the pool with Alyssa Chang on what looked like a date. She was all over him and you wondered what had possessed him to do something like that so you confronted him about it later on.

“Hey, Y/N.” MG started, coming up behind you in the library, “I was thinking I could come to your room later and we could watch some TV, maybe The Flash?” He suggested, acting as if he hadn’t been all over Alyssa Chang just an hour ago.

You took a deep breath, “Are you kidding me right now?” You said, turning to look at him.

His smile faded when he saw the saddened and disappointed look on your face. “What’s wrong, baby?” He asked, resting his hands on your shoulders but you shrugged him off you.

“Don’t act like everything’s okay when it’s not, MG.” You said, walking away from him and vamp speeding to your room. He obviously followed you, determined to find out what was wrong.

“What’s not okay? What did I do?” He asked, trying to get you to open up.

You sniffed, a few tears falling down your face, “You know what you did,” You said, but MG’s face was blank so you continued to spell it out for him, “I saw you… with Alyssa, in the pool. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”

“No, Y/N, it’s not like that. I swear, I can explain.” He defended. You sat down on the edge of the bed and motioned for him to continue, “Alyssa sent the twins and Dr Saltzman to a prison world using an ascendant and Hope and I have been trying to find it and when Hope found out that Alyssa had a crush on me we agreed that I would try to… seduce her into telling me but it didn’t work.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” You asked, wiping the tears off your cheeks.

MG sighed, “I don’t know. I just… I didn’t want to ruin this.”

“I would have been okay with it, if you’d just told me.” You said, pulling him closer to you so you could wrap your arms around his waist. He instinctively did the same, pulling your head to his chest.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled.

You smiled, “It’s okay, just remember you’re mine.”

A/N: Hope you enjoy! Follow my instagram @ cxplqnce and I take requests if you have one! :)

[writingformymentalhealth]

Chapter 2

Josephine Fawley or as her brother liked to call her the tomboy Princess had a striking romance with Hogwarts very own Pureblood rebel Sirius Black.

Sadly her parents deemed his Brother the so called Slytherin Prince as a better fit and arranged a marriage with the younger Black.

Possible Tw: Arranged marriage, possible smut, swear words, lots of fluff, angst,

Part 1

Part 3

Wattpad book link

Masterlist

The Fawley twins stood on Platform 9 3/4, already having left their parents behind at the station as Isabella Brown came in their direction.

Quentin always described Isabella Brown as the perfect sidekick, and Rory always found that unfair. Quentin’s reasoning was that Isa was pretty average, her dirty blonde hair and dull eyes not making her ugly but certainly not pretty either. Her grades were tolerable and her intelligence questionable.

But despite her brother’s hatred towards the girl, Rory liked to think of her as her best friend. After all, they have been sharing a dorm since the age of eleven...

“Isa!”

“Josie.”

The girls hugged, completely ignoring Quentin, whose eyes were transfixed on a certain blonde arguing with Lucius.

“I’ll leave you two to it.” He mumbled, making his way to the couple, but the girls didn’t hear him already gushing to each other about their Christmas Holidays.

At the time Quentin reached Narcissa Lucius was long gone and silent tears were falling down her porcelain skin.

“C’mere,” Quentin mumbled pulling the girl into a hug.

“You shouldn’t be here he doesn’t like me hanging with you.”

“You aren’t his property, Cissy.”

“I don’t want him to hurt you.” Narcissa’s deep blue eyes met his for the first time today.

“I’m not scared of Lucius.” Quentin said his eyes subconsciously drifting to her lips, the lips he used to kiss so often...

He shook himself out of the trance taking Narcissa’s trunk leading her into the train to find an empty compartment.

Silence engulfed the Teens while Quentin secured both their trunks and Narcissa fidled with her fingers nervously.

“You shouldn’t let him treat you like that.” Quentin said seating himself next to the beautiful girl.

“I will marry him.”

“Cissy-“

“I will do what is right for my family Quentin.”

“But what about what is right for you?”

“What are you saying I should do?” Narcissa asked something desperate in her voice as if she hoped he could show her a way out.

Quentin wanted to say a lot of things, run away with me, he wanted to say, I’ll protect you, but he didn’t have the chance to open his mouth as Lucius entered the compartment a cruel glint present in his eyes. “Fawley, thanks for taking care of my fiancée for me.”

“Pleasure.” the Ravenclaw answered dryly forcing himself to look into Lucius eyes who looked taken aback at the bold response.

“Cissy, Babe, why don’t you tell your dear ex boyfriend what you told me?” Lucius asked a sardonic smile playing on his lips.

Narcissa’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at him but her boyfriend just quirked his brows, his stare cold and dominant giving her no other choice than to oblique.

Quentin’s eyes darted back and forth between the couple trying to find out what was going on. Narcissa wasn’t able to meet his eyes as she swallowed visibly a few times.

“I don’t want my clingy ex boyfriend hanging around me all the time.” she said looking at her hands her voice barely above a whisper.

Quentin froze, his jaw clenched and he felt like he was about to cry but the devilish look in Lucius’ eyes stopped him.

“Well,” he stood up, clearing his throat “I should get going then.”

“Oh no,” Lucius faked kindness, “You don’t have to leave.”

Quentin pressed his lips together trying hard to swallow the lump in his throat, “no worries.”

“No really,” Lucius said the sardonic smile reappearing, “everybody knows you don’t have friends because nobody likes you, so we understand that you are so clingy.”

That hit home.

Narcissa seemed to try to disappear in her seat not daring to look up from her hands.

“I’ll go find my sister.”

“Oh yes family, they have to at least try to like you don’t they?” Lucius taunted but Quentin was already out the door.

On the other end of the train to Hogwarts, Isabella filled Joey in on the latest gossip.

“Regulus hexed a student - a muggle born he probably won’t come back to school,” she just said dramatically, wringing her hands.

“I guess they call him the Slytherin Prince for a reason.” Rory answered dryly, not sure what to think about all these rumors about a boy who used to hide behind his older Brother at any given moment.

“He is pure evil! Have you seen his cold stares? As if he is about to kill someone.”

Joey thought about the girls’ argument for a moment, Isa was right, Regulus always had a cold, unreadable demeanor which intimidated even the older years greatly.

“Maybe.”

Isabella just scoffed. She hated it when her friend didn’t take part in her gossiping.

Thankfully, Quentin entered the compartment in this moment, his lips pressed together in a thin white line.

“What’s wrong Quen? I thought you were sitting with Narcissa.”

“Narcissa and Lucius made up.” He said snappily, getting his sketchbook out of his pocket and started drawing, clenching the charcoal so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Quen-“

“Don’t” Quentin interrupted his sister.

“You could help your sister and sleep with Nicolette.” Isabella said, brushing her fingers through her dirty blonde hair, seemingly unaware of the silent conversation the twins held with their eyes.

“Why would that help me?”

“Oh, haven’t you heard? Nicolette wants to steal your boyfriend. Which isn’t an immense surprise after she slept with half the school, and don’t you remember the incident with Carter?”

Of course Joey knew the story about how Carter cheated on his long-time girlfriend Dorcas with the seductive blonde, everybody did - Dorcas made sure of it. Some rumors about Nicolette giving Carter a love potion went around, but Joey didn’t know what exactly went down. She only knew that every girl avoided Nicolette like the plaque and she herself surely didn’t want that girl near her boyfriend.

“Where do you get all your information from?” Quentin asked, still sketching furiously.

“Well, Fawley, A is for information and-“

“According to what alphabet?” Her brother scoffed, making Isa pout and look out of the window. But Joey couldn’t bring up the energy to comfort the girl, her thoughts being occupied by Nicolette, and the possibility of her stealing her boyfriend.

-

“You did what?”

“We made Slughorn’s toilet explode.” Sirius explained, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

“And how the hell did you make his toilet explode?” His girlfriend asked, trying to sound stern, but the smirk on her face gave her away.

“I can’t reveal all my tricks, love.”

“Aren’t you scared of getting detention?”

“What’s life without a little risk?” Sirius asked, throwing an arm around the petite girl.

Joey always thought of Sirius as a true Gryffindor, he was chivalrous, bold and daring, while she wasn’t a true - anything, known as the longest hat stall in the history of Hogwarts the hat jumping back and forth between all four houses for an hour before reluctantly placing her in Gryffindor. She never felt like she truly belonged there, but Sirius always knew how to make her feel like a true lion, involving her in pranks and bringing out the rebel in her and Joey didn’t want to think about next year when he would be in the Uni sector of Hogwarts - so close yet so far, in a completely different world of alcohol and parties - even more than they already had.

“What’s going on in your pretty little mind?”

“The Future.”

“You don’t look too happy about the future then.” He said, gently pulling her into his lab.

“I don’t want you to go to Uni.” She blurted, and he frowned.

“I’ll still be in the same building, Love.”

“We all know that the Uni students and the school students are strictly separated.”

He laughed his barking laugh, and Joey knew she would listen to his laugh for hours if she could.

“They are separated so some innocent first years won’t see some drunk teens shagging in the hallways, but it’s not forbidden to visit the other side of the castle.”

Joey had to suppress a smile at his crude wording.

“Still, you will live a completely different life with parties and alcohol and-” she paused, hiding her reddened cheeks in the crook of his neck, “girls.”

Sirius had the biggest, cockiest smirk plastered on his face as he turned towards Joey. “You jealous love?”

She tried to hide her face with her hands, but he easily pulled them away from her, exposing her flushed face.

“It’s just with alcohol and pretty Uni girls, I just don’t want you to fall out of love with me.” She mumbled, and Sirius’ amused expression suddenly disappeared, changing into a serious one.

“Josephine Fawley, I’m always going to love you. I’m going to love you in your weakest moments to your strongest ones. Don’t you understand? I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” His grey eyes stared straight into her green ones. “I want you, and only you, every piece of you. And I’m always going to want you, I’m always going to be here loving you with everything.” He said, and a smile tugged at Joey’s lips.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m always Sirius” he smirked making her roll her eyes at the overused pun, “but yes I am completely serious.”

“I Love you Siri.”

“I love you more Josie.”

“That isn’t possible.”

“Yes, it is”

“No, it isn’t”

“Yes, it is”

“No, it isn’t”

“Yes, it-” his sentence cut short by Joey pressing her lips onto his passionately while positioning herself so that she was straddling him, peppering soft kisses along his jawline.

-

The quidditch game Gryffindor against Slytherin was coming up and you could practically feel the excitement buzzing in the great hall.

“I don’t get all this excitement over a stupid game.” Isabella complained playing with the food on her plate.

“We don’t have to go,” Joey said with her mouth full of cornflakes, “Sirius doesn’t play this year.

“Why? Did he want to have more time for other types of exercises?” Isa asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Actually, I wanted to have more time for my beautiful girlfriend,” Sirius said from behind, seating himself next to Joey.

“Hey Siri.” Isabella said, ignoring Sirius’ scrunched-up face as a person other than his girlfriend used this nickname.

“Hey Isa. Are you guys coming to the match today?”

“No, Isa just-“

“Of course we are coming.” Isabella interrupted, earning a weird look from Joey.

“I thought you weren’t playing this year?”

“I am not playing but McGonagall asked me to be the commentator.” He smirked devilishly.

“She’s going to regret this.” Joey mumbled while Isabella congratulated the boy.

The stands at the Quidditch game were annoyingly full and Isa and Joey stood together tightly, watching the Teams warm up.

“On the one side we have the captain of the Slytherin Team, the always unhappy looking Lucius Malfoy while on the other side we have the much more attractive James Potter as the team captain of the Gryffindors.” Sirius’s voice echoed through the pitch making the Gryffindors burst out in laughter.

The game went on James being the first one to possess the quaffle, “James being slightly distracted by a certain redhead still doesn’t stop him from being a better chaser than Lucius.”

“Mr Black.” McGonagall shouted, and Joey could swear that she could see Sirius smirk right in front of her.

“Mathew McKinnon blocking a bludger while maintaining his ever perfect hair, and I know we all ask ourselves how does he do this? Well, I happen to know tha-...yes Professor I do think this is important informa-...look the people deserve to know...no it’s not irrelevant to the game...see now you made me miss a goal.”

Joey saw a defeated-looking Professor McGonagall walk away from the commentator stand making a dismissive hand gesture.

“James stop laughing. I know I am hilarious but you have a game to win.” Sirius announced and Joey looked up, seeing an almost falling of the broom James potter crying tears of laughter.

“Mulciber here seems to be slightly distracted by the fact his girlfriend cheated on him with Lucius” Joey saw out of the corner of her eye that Narcissa left the stands Quentin following her immediately.

Joey sighed standing up from the stands making her way through the crowds to her boyfriend, as she knew his comments would only get more heated from now on. His body rushing with adrenaline from all the cheers and laughter filling the pitch. That was the thing between the two of them. They balanced each other out; he was fire, and she was water; she cooled him down when his fire burned the people around him and he melted her when her water turned to ice, too stubborn and scared to move in any direction.

Just as she wanted to climb up the commentator stand she saw the Slytherin team erupt into cheers as Regulus Black had catched the snitch.

Sirius hopped down the commentator stand, seeming absolutely content with himself.

“Enjoyed the show, Love?” He asked, grinning proudly.

“You never know when to stop do you?”

“It’s one of my charms.”

“It’s most definitely not. You made Narcissa cry.”

“Everything I said was the truth.” He said furrowing his brows.

“You still embarrassed her in front of the whole school.”

She could see something stir in his stormy eyes but just as he opened his mouth a figure in a short skirt and unmistakably red lipstick approached.

“Nice Job, Black.” Nicolette said smiling coquettish and Joey wanted nothing more than to rip out her just-the-right-kind-of-messy-but-not-too-messy hair.

“Thank you, Nici.” He smiled looking at Joey triumphantly.

Nici.

Why did he call her by a nickname?

“I wondered if you could help me in Transfiguration this weekend? McGonagall says you’re one of the best.” The girl asked, smiling brightly showing off her pearly white teeth.

“We already have plans this weekend.” Joey said through gritted teeth and although Sirius quirked an eyebrow at her he didn’t say anything.

“Oh, Okay Sorry.” Nicolette said clearly, forcing a smile as she turned around, walking away without another word.

“Having a jealous streak are we?” Sirius asked, his grin only widening as he saw his usual calm girlfriend all worked up.

“Shut up.”

Part 3

[mrs-maximoff-kenner]

Let Love In

You all probably see a pattern by now 🤣 @xxwritemeastoryxx blog post #3 for tonight Hope x FemReader for the square werewolf bite. Hope you like it! (This is one of my favorites)

 When they say that your life flashes before your eyes when you're dying… they never tell you it's just the parts that will make you miss living the most. 

      You had been a vampire for less than 6 months when you found yourself at the Salvatore school. It was really the only place for you to go considering you had no one else. Your parents were gone. So was your brother. And you didn't know of any other family. So this school… It was meant to be a safe place for you. And it was. 

      You were pulled into the super squad almost immediately. You really didn't have a choice. After all, Landon basically took one look at you sitting alone for lunch one day and decided that you were going to be his best girl friend. (His best friend was Raf and his girlfriend was Josie hence your title of best girl friend.) You tried to resist at first. That lasted for about 1 hours before Landon broke through your tough exterior. He was so similar to your brother… You missed that bond. So, you were inducted into the super squad. 

      The next person you got close to surprised everyone. It was Hope. She was wary of you at first. She was with most people. But there was something about you. Something in your eyes that she just connected to one day. The next morning when an older vamp was making fun of you… she broke his hand before grabbing yours and pulling you away. 

      Little things like that were what made you fall for her. The way she would look after you. She cared about you, something that you craved. And Hope, she felt the same. Hope wanted someone to look at her and see Hope Mikaelson the girl. Not the mistake. And when Hope saw you she could swear your eyes lit up every time. Even if you had only been apart for one class. You needed each other. It was simple, easy.

      That's why when Hope went to New Orleans for a long Holiday break to visit her Aunt Freya she took you with her. You had never been there before. She was so excited to show you her home town and all of the sites. Of course something came up and for a short while you were left to your own devices in the Compound alone. That's when they came. They were looking for Klaus Mikaelsons daughter but they found you instead. You knew where Hope was. Would you tell them? Never. You knew the risks of dating Hope. Knew who her family was. This was the family's past rearing its head. 

      It took about 15 minutes for them to realize they weren't going to get a location out if you. You figured they would leave. Maybe vervain you. Or break your neck. But not this. Never this. Werewolf bites were toxic to vampires. At school they had the cure stockpiled for a situation like this. But here, alone, in the middle of unfamiliar territory, you were alone. The bites toxin burning it's way through your blood and you had no idea when Hope would be back. 

      So, now here you are. Reflecting on the last year of your life. Clinging on to the things you will miss the most. Landon's awkward jokes, Raf's pranks, reading with MG. Girls night with the twins. And Hope. Always Hope. You promised you wouldn't leave her too. That must have been why you forced yourself to open your eyes again. You wanted, no. You needed to see her face. To tell her you love her and this wasn't your choice. 

      Hope couldn't breath. Everything was broken in the courtyard. And there was blood. (Y/N). Where was she? Hope was frantic by now. Listening for you. For any sign that you were alright. Then she saw your (Y/H/C) hair behind and overturned table. She had never moved so fast in her life. They said their wolf had bitten you. Usually the bites take longer but… a younger vampire, with a bite as big as yours. She chanced a look at your neck. It had almost been ripped off. No wonder you were so far gone. Hope wasted no more time before ripping into her wrist and putting it to your mouth as she held you as close as possible. 

      You couldn't be sure if you had died or not. When you forced your eyes open, you saw Hope. She was crying but she was still so… angelic. You must be dead. But, then why were you drinking her blood. At that thought you started to cough and pulled away to breath. Hope let out a louder sob and pulled you into a hug before kissing you as soundly as possible. You two had kissed before but never like that. It really reaffirmed that you were alive.

      Later that night you lay with Hope curled up together in her bed. She hadn't let go of you since finding you earlier that afternoon. Not that you were in any rush to let go of her either. As Hope kept running her hand through your hair you finally worked up the courage to tell her how strongly you felt. You opened your mouth to say those life changing words when she interrupted you…

      "I love you (Y/N). I thought I lost you today and I don't think I could have handled that after everything else. You helped me learn to love again after everything and I just… I needed to tell you that I love you."

      "I love you too Hope. Even if you stole my thunder by saying it first."

      You smiled at each other and as the night went on you both drifted off to sleep whispering your love to each other in between loving kisses. 

[grownups-are-the-real-monsters]

Here Today

Summary: Beaver spotted the man first as he & Jonesy strolled towards Derry’s kissing bridge, hand-in-hand. He was hunched over himself in a way that had to be might uncomfortable. Beaver stopped his loud laughter when Jonesy let go of his hand. For safety. 

They’d just bow their heads, walk past and maybe come back later to attend to their business if they saw fit. At least, that could have been the plan had Beaver not recognized the stranger. 

Fandoms: IT & Dreamcatcher 

Ships: Reddie, Jonesy/Beaver 

Word Count: 3,708

There was a man with bad posture sitting on the kissing bridge. 

A couple of things were wrong with him. Some were simply symptoms of a common cold (the cough, the stuffiness & the sneeze). But what was left (the breakdowns, the depression & sudden fondness for his hell-hole hometown) were signs of a problem much larger than that of a ‘sick-bug’.

The man with awful posture was re-entering a period of mourning. Like the time of the werewolf; the moon snuck up on Richie Tozier two nights ago and reduced him to a sad, hairy man. Slobbery too. But slobbery with tears.  

Each of his loser’s club pals had reached out to him that morning. Their texts were loving & perfect but awkward (through no fault of their own). Who knew what to say to their best friend who’d never officially come out of the closet on the anniversary of the man he never got to confess his full-love to’s death? Hallmark didn’t have the best cards for that. Some. But not a lot. 

Mike Hanlon had encouraged his Idea to come on down to Derry over the phone when he’d hesitantly pitched it. Once Richie told him about the carving, Mike told him to go on & head-out. Pay a sentimental visit instead of succumbing to his usual coping mechanism of crying & watching movies for straight men. ‘She’s Out of My League’ had been his original plan for the afternoon.

But sweet Mike was right, as he often was. So Richie negotiated a week off with his agent before the ‘real work’ in his schedule started. He came home...to the place where he’d grown-up...the place which housed some of his fondest and some of his most horrifying memories. It was that strange sort of balance that kept any feeling but numb at bay. 

{R + E}

It had still been there, of course. He hadn’t expected any Derry hooligans' to scratch it off or some shit. But it was still sort of surreal to be back again. He traced his fingers along the thick, cut-open lines just as he’d done down the tender ripped skin of Eddie’s wound two years ago. He shouldn’t have been as squeamish this time, considering it was only carved wood not the yanked-open & festering skewer hole of his loved one (Ha! He laughed like a disturbed & deeply depressed Fozzy Bear at that one!)

That had been a little over twenty minutes ago but Richie still hadn’t left. He sat now at the edge with his legs hung over the side. Not completely ready to go back to his lonely motel room. He thought about the Losers having to pull him off Eddie’s body down in the sewers which eerily lead him to his Halloween costume six or so years ago...Tom Petty’s get-up in the ‘Mary Janes Last Dance’ Video. 

He felt a sudden urge to vomit and cry at the same time. Because there was truly no way to avoid the pain. It would just have to hammer in his chest until it either passed or killed him. He couldn’t run from himself or his memories for very long. He felt a sick sensation of missing the time he’d first left Derry & was forced to forget everything and everyone. At least then...

No. He hated that he could even think about wanting that. He would just have to keep learning how to live without Eddie Kaspbrak. Shouldn’t be too damn difficult, huh?

: : : : : :

Beaver spotted the man first as he & Jonesy strolled towards Derry’s kissing bridge, hand-in-hand. He was hunched over himself in a way that had to be might uncomfortable. Beaver stopped his loud laughter when Jonesy let go of his hand. For safety. Derry was nowhere near as bad as it’d once been but you couldn’t be too careful when it came to displaying your sexuality in front of strangers, sadly. 

Though still, the boys held love for their home-town. After all, it was the setting of their found family and nothing was more important than the good ol’ SSDD gang. 

They’d just bow their heads, walk past and maybe come back later to attend to their business if they saw fit. 

At least, that could have been the plan had Beaver not recognized the stranger. “Jesus Christ-Bananas!” he yippee’d in that voice Jonesy usually adored but was slightly annoyed by in the moment. “That’s Richie fucking Tozier!”

“A very distressed looking Richie Tozier.” Jonesy corrected, hoping they were giving the man enough space & privacy that he couldn’t notice them yet. He nver understood his boyfriend’s obsession with the guy. To Jonesy, Richie Tozier seemed like any other straight white comedian. “We should probably leave him alone, Beav.” 

Beaver’s beautiful joy snapped into an accepted disappointment as he observed the man in front of them. Jonesy could see the ache to rush over was hard for him to hold back. It pained him just to see his boyfriend so deflated. Teased by such a great possible experience-

“I’ll be leaving soon, if that’s what you’re worried about!”

Came a sudden friendly & very Richie Tozier like voice. Beaver just about shouted as they jumped their eyes over to meet the stranger’s. He was tall and a little gangly with Buddy Holly glasses sliding down his nose. 

“Actually we were just trying to decide which one of us was going to rob you...” Beaver chuckled awkwardly & so unlike him. “We were gonna do a coin toss for it.” He added before slamming his hand against his forehead (quite forcefully too). “That was a joke, sorry...a dumb joke...” He mumbled. Jonesy couldn’t hold back his amused grin but resisted his urge to pull Beav closer. Instead, he walked forward to their conversation ahead, an eager yet embarrassed boyfriend following him. 

“You’re Richie Tozier!” Beaver repeated. 

“Beaver’s a bit starstruck.” Jonesy smirked. “He gets this same way whenever he sees a famous comedian just chilling in our hometown.” He chuckled and pretended not to notice Mr. Tozier’s red eyes. He got the feeling---actually it was more than that, he could very well tell the man was caught between a rock & a hard place with the little...trick he & the gang each possessed. 

“Hey, that’s ok with me.” He laughed & pushed his glasses up his nose. “Don’t see any paper...want me to sign a body part or something?” He joked and Jonesy knew exactly how Beaver would try and continue the joke so...

The taller friend slapped his palm over ‘Beavers’ mouth which made that squeaky old man laugh escape Richie. 

“Gary Jones. You cane call me Jonesy.” The young man held out his free hand to shake in a charming gesture which said ‘We do this bit all the time’. It hit Richie right in the grief bone again. 

“Joe Clarendon. But my friends call me Beaver.” And just like that, Beav’s confidence was back. 

Richie noticed the way Jonesy practically glowed when his friend spoke. “Richie Tozier.” He felt the need to introduce himself, like an idiot, even though they obviously knew his name. “But you can just call me ‘your hero’, I guess.” He laughed at his own lame joke which seemed to make the Beaver-guy light up again. 

He looked them up and down. They looked about twenty or twenty-one to Richie. Beaver was a short but made up for it in hair, which was long & hippie-like. He respected that. Most of his body up top was covered by a large Fonzie-Jacket & the bottom was all about the Doc Martens. Richie felt like he was looking at a bit of a modernized version of his younger self. 

Jonesy was going for a much calmer look of a light-blue flannel and sneakers. They looked like quite the pair. 

“What’s a guy like you doing in a town like this?” Beaver grinned, charm oozing so easily off him. One of the reasons Jonesy fell in love with him so quickly. 

Richie chuckled, swiping his thumb under his nose. “Thought I’d visit my old stomping grounds.” He shrugged. 

Jonesy shared a quick look with Beav as a feeling shot up his body. He got the idea through their...special talent that there was more to that story. And by the look of it, so did Beav. 

“There’s no way you grew up here. I would’ve known that!” Beaver smacked a hand to his chest. “Jesus-Christ-Bananas!” 

Richie quirked his brow at the Beav-ism & Jonesy briefly thought he might ignore it or roll his eyes like most strangers but instead...“Mary, Joseph & the whole fruit basket!” He shook his head. Beav looked like he might burst with respect and adoration. It was just about the cutest thing Jonesy had ever seen. “I can’t believe it myself sometimes.” 

The Beav takes a toothpick from his new wooden container (a gift from Mrs. Cavell) and pops it between his teeth. He thought-no-he knew that Rich Tozier was doin’ a voice. Not an outrageous one like he sometimes did on stage but one that said ‘I’m alright. Doing just fine. Nothing to see here’ and all at once Beav felt a little bad for bothering him again. 

“I ran around with a little gang of dorks.” He laughed, 100% sure he was about to dumb a lot of his tory onto these poor boys. Not all but some. “Lost one of them two years ago today...” He frowned and looked conflicted before adding “In the flood.” 

The boys started to nod but where Jonesy felt a pinch of something wrong in his mind, Beaver started having a full-on attack about it. Like in the old days. Days of Grenadeau and Josie. Jonesy felt his boyfriend shaking and looked to see him trying to repress it to the best of his ability before lurching forward with a grunt that sounded painful.

Richie ducked down like he might try to catch him if he fainted but Beaver popped back up with sweat running down his temple. 

‘What happened?’ Jonesy sent a message through his mind almost completely accidentally. 

Beaver looked up, looking deeply deeply disturbed and scared. He’d seen images he could not for the life of himself comprehend. ‘Dark places. Large sharpened legs stabbing through somebody's body? Something like that. Screaming and...?’ He looked at Richie. “New shit today, Jonesy.” He felt vomit whirl up his throat but he swallowed quickly. “I saw a clown?” 

Richie widened his eyes before vomiting over the edge of the bridge.

“Major gross-out!” Beaver whistled as he heard the plops of chunky puke hit the water. Jonesy looked a little green himself after Rich came up, wiping his mouth with general looking shock. 

Beaver was about to make another kind of joke when he noticed the guttural growl the comedic-stranger made as his body lurched forward. He hoped the guy could catch his breath before he choked on any more reverse meals. 

He stepped forward to offer him the bandana he kept in the jacket pocket but when they briefly touched hands, another sight hit him that was just as shockingly awful as the last-----

‘Beads of blood dotted the corners of Richie’s torn lips. Hands incapable of remaining clutched with the slickness of the sweat pooling in his palms. He had Eddie kneeling between his skinny legs who was trying to communicate something to him but the most Richie could think to do in those fatal seconds was to hope for a few things. 

The kind of hopes that were important to someone at the delicate age of forty. 

A large thump above his head made him flinch, Eddie’s fist briefly slamming hard under his chin. He fought back his pain filled yelp by clasping his palm over his wet mouth. His eyes darted wildly back and forth behind the minimal cracks on his glasses. 

The second hand dirt that he’d gathered on his piss colored shirt was now having a wipe down of maroon. 

Only the dye-job didn’t come from him. Rather, Eddie Kaspbrak who was now wailing above him as Pennywise waved him around like a magic wand. 

The hair on the back of his neck stood. He popped his hand off the tight grip he’d had on his chin. The satisfying pop sound came with a small following gurgle. Gasps of choked breaths rushed out from his clotting throat. 

But none of that mattered because the love of his life was being murdered right in front of him.

He screamed.’ 

Beaver screamed too. Not as loud but just as horribly pained. 

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

“So let me get this straight...” Richie paced back-and-forth on the bridge while Beaver & Jonesy tried to follow him, amusingly. They’d each given each other new and semi-honest backgrounds now. Richie’s was hard to understand without all the pieces but beyond crazy still. “You’re in a group of friends, from Derry-” He laughed like a crazy person. Beaver loved it. And oddly, so did Jonesy. “And you all have these...powers?”

Jonesy nodded, now walking in-pace with the older man. “You got it.” He chuckled. 

“There’s five of us. How many do you have?” Beaver added, standing on his tip-toes. 

Richie stopped moving. “There’s seven-” He paused. Thinking of the cruel way Stanley & Eddie had been taken away from them. “Five left though.” He looked like he wanted a cigarette so Beaver instinctively held out a tooth-pick. 

When the comedian actually took it, Jonesy saw Beaver smile so wide it looked like it might break his gorgeous little face. For a moment the pair so alike just stared at each other. It was something of a little stand-off that Jonesy was about to question when a different thought popped into his brain. “Whoever died this day-?”

Richie slid down against the wood and sat. “Eddie.” His eyes glazed over for a moment before falling on tiny Beaver’s huge Doc Martens. 

Jonesy swallowed, hoping yet knowing he wasn’t wrong. “Was he your...?” He licked his lips in thought. But Richie cut him off by looking back up with freshly-red eyes. 

“Almost. Maybe.” He shrugged, rolling his toothpick to the other side of his mouth. “Slipped through my f-f-fingers-fuck. Starting to sound like stuttering Bill.” He laughed but the boys weren’t sure who that was. 

The three of them were now sitting on the bridge together. 

“He didn’t know. We left him down there and he didn’t even fucking know I was in love with him.” He sighed, not wanting to think about how weird the day was starting to become. “He was afraid of the dark.” He shrugged, holding the tooth-pick between his fingers, rolling it back-and-forth.

“Taste good like a cigarette should, huh?” Beaver mumbled after a few minutes and again Jonesy was sure that Richie wouldn’t appreciate that reaction but the man surprised him with a hearty laugh. 

“It’s like the song says; I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. Seen sunny days that I thought would never end. Seen lonely times when I could not find a friend. But I always thought that I’d see you again...” Beaver raised his tooth-pick, Richie followed without question & Jonesy raised his pinky finger. 

“How’d you get to be such a funny kid, huh?” Richie quirked his brow. 

Jonesy smiled. “Born that way.” He slapped Beav’s knee gently. 

“Overactive imagination and anger issues.” Beaver pushed Jonesy back by the face and giggled when Jonesy just let him do it. 

Richie watched the short little spitfire slap-fight his pal and felt sick to his stomach by how much the young man reminded him of himself...and of Eddie only with a tooth-pick holder clutched in his hands instead of the inhaler.

Jonesy felt a short breeze pass over them. “Beav brought me here to show me some carving he did when we were little.” He glanced at his boyfriend with extreme affection. Both knew Richie was safe now. 

“Our initials in a heart!” Beaver whistled. “Because little Beav didn’t know how to express his feelings.” He mocked a sweet voice. 

Richie laughed, chin to the sky. “You gotta be shitting me.” He leapt to his feet and gestured for them to follow him. Which they did without hesitation. “I came here for a reason today too.” He pointed towards his old carving with an unbelievable amount of pride and utter amazement. Another coincidence. 

{R + E}

The younger men each stared at the carving with wonder and appreciation. Beaver kneeled down and traced it with his fingers just as Richie had done just a half-hour ago. Jonesy simply looked off with vague amusement as he threaded his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair, Richie supposed he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. 

“My friend, Mike...Mike Hanlon. He thought it’d be good for me to come up here today just to...” He faded off to wave his hands about, not knowing how to finish. The boys looked up with happy looking grins. 

“Mike Hanlon?” Jonesy shook his head with joy. “He was our childhood librarian.” His tongue ran across his lips & he was most surely seeing flashes of his childhood. And maybe feeling a bit like time was passing by too quickly. 

‘Damn kid was barely twenty-one though’. Richie thought bitterly & fondly. 

Beaver nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah. Nice guy. He helped me check out my Playboy’s that one time.” He stuck a thumb into Jonesy’s shoulder which was slapped away with amusement. His smile faded to an exaggerated grimace. “It was always weird to go there after that.” 

Richie couldn’t help but laugh again with the jovial young men. It lasted about twenty seconds before it turned into hoarse sobs. He turned away from them, chest hurting. “Fuck, man! This is embarrassing as shit.” He managed a small chuckle through it. 

Jonesy looked at him sympathetically, hearing all of Beaver’s thoughts of ‘I wish Henry were here’.

“SSDD, huh?” Jonesy did the best he could and took pride in himself when the man turned. “Same shit, different day.” He added. 

Richie chuckled again, a beautiful one. “Yeah--yeah, I’ve heard it before.” He shook his head and leaned onto the railing. He genuinely looked cheered up by that simple phrase, sharing a private & entertained look with Beaver, who Jonesy would later call his soul-son. 

“We should give you our other friend’s number, he’s studying to be a psychologist--”

“Psychiatrist, Beav.” Jonesy corrected.

Beaver shrugged, waving his hand. “Psychiatrist, whatever. He may be able to help your fragile mental state.” 

Jonesy accepted just then that his boyfriend could never push too far when it came to Richie because the Tozier man recognized the Beav for what he was. And that would be someone very similar to himself. 

It was strangely beautiful. 

“What I saw was...” Beav faded off, eyes twitching. It was hard for him to put to words just how gut-wrenching the scene was. “Awful. I can’t imagine what you must have gone through or are going through.” He shook his head. 

Jonesy nodded, rubbing a comforting hand down his boyfriend’s arm. “I only just felt it & I wanted to die.” He wondered if that was extremely rude to say. 

Richie squinted. He was reminded of a younger Stanley Uris & his ability to see...to understand things past the other loser’s comprehension. He felt a strong urge to insist his losers come back down to Derry just to meet these home-visitors too. Maybe it was meant to be. 

“It’ll be hard to get over the fact that my vision of Eddie & I getting together in my head....” He bit into his cheek “Well, it’s going to have to stay there forever.” He looked up at the happy former Derry citizens couple as they instinctively held each-other’s hands tighter. He nearly choked with jealousy. “I loved him for a few years, forgot him for a good twenty-seven more and now...” He waved his hand in-front of him in a tight spiral. 

“You’re lonesome all the time since leaving your baby behind on Blue Bayou, huh?” Beaver flicked his tooth-pick. The sky grew a little bit cloudy over their heads and Richie Tozier burst into a fit of giggles. 

“You could say that, kiddo.” He crossed his arms, looking ready to drop the subject all together now. “And I’m not gonna say anything more about that fucking clown before you ask.” Rich smiled, pointing a finger at Jonesy who truly was about to ask more about that creature the comedian briefly mentioned only enough to explain Beaver’s vision. 

“I’ve made your nice little trip about me, sorry.” He added. “See, making people miserable is a talent of mine. I’m a great comedian in that way.” He rolled his eyes, standing up straight. 

“You’d be better if you wrote your own material. I’d like to hear some jokes about that horrible trauma you talked about.” Beaver giggled as he bit hard into his toothpick. Richie burst into another fit of genuine laughter. “My trauma is the center of my comedy-” He smirked. 

Jonesy frowned, thinking of the past and of men like Richie Grenadeau who they had once dreamed dead. He softly pinched the back of his boyfriends palm. If Tozier could keep some cards close to his chest, so could they. At least for now. 

“Ow! Bitch-in-a-Buzzsaw!” Beaver whipped his hand back and sucked on his skin like a child. Jonesy tried not to giggle as Richie looked on with confusion. 

He shrugged in response. “I just-”

“Nah, I got it.” He waved a hand from his temple to the vague direction of Jonesy’s. “We don’t have to tell each other everything. Hell, we’re still strangers.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked off in the direction of his carving. 

“But soon to be best friends.” Beaver added, breaking his lips free from the moist spot on his hand. Richie and Jonesy had a nice shared laugh at the charming boy. 

They walked a ways up the bridge to see Richie Tozier off, in some silent agreement. Jonesy felt a rush of disappointment pass through him but it was quickly squashed by the eagerness he had for his date with Beaver. 

As the group walked him over the bridge, Jonesy caught sight of little Beaver’s old carving...in the shape of a heart...

{B + J} 

[doyelikehaggis]

Works In Progress: Stefanie Salvatore Origin | Bamon + Stefanie (The Vampire Diaries)

Requested by anonymous

Time has never felt like it's moved slower, and that's really saying something considering all of it that Damon's had to endure as a vampire. But somehow humanity feels stiller right now than it ever has. Frozen.

It has all day, since he woke up to Bonnie rushing from the bed in their current hotel room and slamming the bathroom door behind her. He's quick to follow at the sound of her throwing up. Food poisoning, they assume.

"I told you something was off about that place," she complains hoarsely, head resting on her arm on the bowl.

Damon just smooths more of her hair from her face and gives his agreement, staying next to her. She had warned him, after all, and the food had definitely tasted wrong in many ways.

The sickness seems to pass shortly after. Having already made plans for the day, Bonnie insists that she's fine now. So, they try and go about the day as they planned, checking out places around the little town in a pocket of the Netherlands.

But they cut things short when Bonnie finally admits that the nausea is back and she's sure she's about two seconds away from collapsing. They head back to their hotel room instead.

Damon will admit to being worried. If it really is food poisoning, he should have all the same symptoms, he reasons, should he not? They ordered the exact same food, and he managed to get down more of it than she did. It doesn't make any sense.

At least, it doesn't until he comes out of the shower and finds Bonnie sitting cross-legged on the bed with a nervous, almost terrified look on her face. There's a thin, rectangular box next to her. Unopened.

It immediately clicks for him and he doesn't know how he didn't consider it before. Maybe deep down they both did.

"I called my mom," she tells him quietly, glancing up at him, but only for a second. "Just to check in, like I usually do. I, uh, I told her about the food poisoning, and she said..."

Her eyes dart to the box and she takes a sharp inhale. Damon moves slowly, approaching the bed with his heart pounding in his chest.

"Do you think...?" He swallows, but follows her suit in taking a deep breath. "Do you think you could be?"

Bonnie doesn't answer right away. The look in her eyes is enough, though. The morning sickness. Feeling light-headed and dizzy. The reason why the so-called food poisoning only seems to be affecting her.

It makes sense, he thinks, and his heart drops. She presses her lips together and he knows she's thinking it, too.

They've been doing this for months--travelling from one country to another without a real plan. Cade was defeated. Mystic Falls was safe. Damon was human and officially single. They were both still grieving over Enzo. It made sense for them to leave together to get a fresh start.

And things just happened after a couple of months, and maybe they weren't always so careful, but they were sure it was fine. Nothing has happened. Until now.

"I don't know."

Damon nods slowly. "Okay. Well... let's just see. Start with the test. If..." If it's postive, if you're pregnant. "Let's just start there."

Bonnie agrees. She disappears into the bathroom with the box. Damon forces himself to pull some clothes on. He then sinks down onto the bed and waits.

The waiting. Bonnie comes back out a moment later, the test in her hand. She comes and sits next to him, and places it on the bed.

"Takes a few minutes," she tells him, still not looking at him. Her eyes are on her hands instead.

"Bonnie," he says softly. When she doesn't respond with more than a little noise, he repeats it.

She turns her head, lifting her eyes to him. It hits him all at once. The storm of emotions flashing through her eyes. Fear, worry, the look of someone who's utterly lost.

He takes her hand, his gaze never wavering as his fingers curl around Bonnie's.

"I'm here. Okay? I know... we've never exactly talked about this kind of situation. But I promise you, no matter what the test says, I'm still gonna be right here."

She stares at him for a moment more, letting his words sink in. He offers a gentle smile, and she returns the pressure of his fingers.

"If it is..." He wets his lips, heart jumping into his throat. "If it is positive... how would you feel? Tell me what you're thinking."

She shakes her head, looking away from him again, as if she can't let herself think right now. But he waits, simply running his thumb over the back of her hand.

And eventually, in a barely audible voice, she says, "Honestly? I'm terrified."

He nods, but stays quiet.

"I've thought about kids, of course I have. Not recently, but I have. And I've never been able to stop asking myself, what if I'm bad at it? I love my mom, and my grams was amazing raising me. But still, with history... you never know."

"Genetics don't determine what you'll be like as a mother," Damon says, shaking his head. "And even if it did, you said it yourself: your grams was amazing. Emily and your mom both did what they could to protect their kids. To protect you."

"I know that," Bonnie says, staring straight ahead. "But neither of them were able to be there. Of course I don't blame my mom for protecting me, but I spent my entire childhood not knowing why she left. Questioning why."

She turns her head to look at him, her eyes big and round and so full of worry as her voice cracks.

"What if the same thing happened with me? What if--because of our lives, I have to leave? Or something bad happens to me? I don't want my child to go through that. It was an awful and horrible feeling."

"I know," Damon says quietly, giving her hand another light squeeze. He looks away, clearing his throat. "With the way my father was with me and Stefan... I never thought I'd have to worry about it after I turned, but now..."

"You're scared that you'll be like him," Bonnie says knowingly. "Just like I'm scared of history repeating and my child ending up without me. Or just completely alone."

Damon swallows again and takes in a deep breath, turning his gaze back to her.

"That wouldn't happen," he says, pushing down his own rising, swirling fears. "You would be an amazing mother. Kind, and supportive, and encouraging. I've seen you with Lizzie and Josie. Risking your life for them. You would find a way around any problem."

Bonnie's eyes are shining and he's sure she isn't even blinking. But she smiles, the barest twitch of her mouth.

"And you're not your father," she says.

He bites down on the inside of his cheek. He isn't as convinced on that part. Something must show on his face, because Bonnie gives his hand a light tug, making him look back up at her.

"You're not," she presses. "You think I haven't seen you with the twins as well? You've offered up your soul to protect them. You would never do anything to hurt your own child. You would be a good dad."

He's never put that much thought into it until now, but he wants to believe her. He just nods, returning her small smile.

Silence falls over them. That feeling of time moving slowly stretches out. He just stares at their suitcases left open in a mess across from them.

"Should we look?" Bonnie asks quietly, at last.

"I don't know," Damon says. "Probably."

He hesitates, and he can feel her doing the same. Then they both look down at the test.

Damon's stomach drops out of him. His heart pulses relentlessly against his ribs and in his throat, loud in his ears. It feels like he can hear Bonnie's, too. And the third heartbeat apparently growing inside of her.

"Okay," Bonnie says quietly, nodding slowly. Her hand is gripping his with a strength to rival a vampire's. "So, I'm pregnant."

Damon's mind is racing. Reality hits at last, finally feeling real and yet not at all in the slightest.

He turns to Bonnie. It's another blow to his chest and his heart when he realizes she's crying.

"Hey, hey."

He quickly pulls her in, wrapping his arms around her. She immediately collapses into him and buries her face in his shirt as he just holds her with a hand on the back of her head.

"It's okay," he says. "It's gonna be okay. The test might not be right. We can see a doctor, get it confirmed. And even if you are, whatever you want to do. I'll be right here no matter what you decide. It's gonna be okay."

They stay like that for a moment. Bonnie then shakes her head, and he feels her pull back slightly. She wipes at her eyes with her wrist.

"It's just the shock, I think," she says.

Damon's hand drops to her leg and he rubs her thigh soothingly, and also to have something to do.

Bonnie breathes out slowly. She glances back down at the test. That terrified, but thoughtful look returns to her face.

Another beat passes, then she nods. "Seeing a doctor is a good idea."

"Okay," Damon agrees. "Do you wanna find the closest one here?"

"Yeah," she breathes out. "The sooner we get an appointment, the better."

Damon nods and moves to get up for his phone, left on the other side of the room. But Bonnie catches his wrist and holds him in place.

"Wait," she quickly says, and he does, pausing. He sinks back down onto the bed as she takes a moment before continuing. "I... If I really am pregnant... I think I want to keep it."

Damon's pulse is loud in his ears once more, reverberating throughout his entire body. Bonnie's staring, searching wide-eyed for even the faintest reaction.

"Okay," he breathes out. He tightens his hold on her hand as surprise flashes through her eyes, and he moves his other hand to clasp hers between the two of them. "I told you that I will be here, no matter what. You wanna keep it, we keep it. I promise you that I am not going anywhere, I will be here for you every step of the way. We're in this together, right?"

Bonnie's eyes are wide and shining again. A couple tears fall when she blinks, but her face breaks into a smile, a short, gentle, breathless laugh. She nods quickly, hair bouncing around her shoulders.

"Yeah," she says, and for the first time, she's smiling so wide he thinks he can actually hear joy in her voice. She swallows, quickly pressing her lips into a line. "We're in this together."

Damon can't help but grin back at her. Something flutters in his chest, and then they're both laughing for no reason. Both crying, too, he realizes when Bonnie reaches a hand up and wipes a tear or two from his cheek.

The thought of all of it is still absolutely terrifying, somehow more so after making an appointment with the nearest doctor in a couple of days. But it's also exciting in a way that he never thought he'd experience. He can see it in Bonnie's expression as well when they're curled up in bed together, the sun setting outside.

She's trailing her fingers along her stomach, as if she can already see the possibility. And she's smiling still, a glint in her eyes. Damon can't do anything but watch her, content in doing so.

"What kind of name would you choose?" Bonnie asks him without looking up, her smile growing.

He hums in thought. "Daffodil."

Bonnie twists her neck to stare up at him, furrowed brow in disbelief. "What?"

Damon laughs, and she rolls her eyes. "I'm obviously kidding. How cruel do you think I am?"

"Well, I don't know, you were born in the nineteenth century to a man named Giuseppe and grew up around people like Honoria," Bonnie says with a scoff. "You probably have terrible taste in names."

"That is absolutely untrue, how dare you."

"Gimme one good example of a name you would choose."

Damon pauses. "There's... Jo-Johnathon. God, no, not Johnathon, I take that back."

Bonnie laughs, twisting a little onto her side, curling into him. "See? You can't think of one. And you can't suggest Giuseppe. Lily I might allow, but Katherine is off-limits."

Damon shudders. "God no. Agreed. Never Katherine."