#tom ellis x you

[angelicwrites]

devilishly yours | lucifer morningstar

summary. lucifer becomes captivated by your enigmatic nature and immunity to his powers, sparking a charged dynamic as he relentlessly seeks to uncover your deepest desires. when he finally succeeds, the revelation challenges both his confidence and your own understanding of your feelings pairings. lucifer mornigstar x fem!reader genre. smut (MDNI 18+), dom!lucifer x sub!reader, porn w plot warnings. unprotected sex, piv, finger & oral (f receiving), lots of petnames, teasing

a/n. this is my first smut here, please show some love and feedback !

lux was alive that night, its usual crowd a blur of bodies swaying to the rhythm of the music. lucifer morningstar stood at the bar, a drink in hand, his sharp eyes focused on a singular figure in the room, you. he had been observing you for weeks now, your mere presence an enigma that simultaneously irritated and fascinated him. unlike everyone else, you were immune to his charms. no coy glances, no lingering touches, and certainly no breathy confessions of desire. instead, you looked at him like he was just another man in the crowd, and it was driving him mad.

“she’s doing it again,” lucifer muttered to himself, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. his lips curved into a smirk as he tilted his head, studying you from across the room. “so confident. so utterly unbothered. who are you, darling?”

as if sensing his thoughts, you turned your head, your eyes meeting his with a pointed sharpness that caught him off guard. instead of looking away, you smirked, sauntering over to the bar with an air of defiance. sliding onto the stool beside him, you leaned in just slightly, enough to close the distance but not enough to give him the upper hand.

“enjoying the view, morningstar?” you asked, your voice light but laced with a teasing edge.

lucifer raised his glass in mock acknowledgment, his smirk never faltering. “caught red-handed,” he admitted smoothly. “but can you blame me? you’re quite the enigma.”

“an enigma,” you repeated, your tone almost playful as you tapped your fingers against the bar. “that’s one way to describe it. or maybe you’re just overthinking it.”

he chuckled, leaning closer as if letting you in on a secret. “oh, i never overthink. but you” his voice dropped slightly, sending a shiver down your spine. “you have this way of making me question things. it’s unsettling, and believe me darling, very few people unsettle me.”

you rolled your eyes, refusing to let his words rattle you. “maybe i’m just not impressed by your little party tricks.”

that response. that maddeningly calm dismissal made something flicker in his expression, a flash of irritation, quickly masked by intrigue. “not impressed,” he repeated, as though the words were foreign to him. “you wound me. truly. shall i try harder?”

“please don’t,” you said dryly, your lips curving into a small, amused smile. “i’d hate to see you actually put in effort.”

the back-and-forth was electric, a game neither of you had planned but were fully invested in. lucifer found himself grinning despite the frustration you sparked in him. “you’re playing a dangerous game,” he warned, his voice a low, velvety drawl.

“am i?” you shot back, tilting your head. “because from where i’m sitting, it looks like you’re the one who’s losing.”

for the first time in centuries, lucifer felt the sting of being outmatched, and he found that he didn’t mind. if anything, it only made him more determined to figure you out.

the next encounter came days later, quieter but no less charged. it was late, lux was nearly empty, and the two of you were working a case together. the gruesome details of the murder had done little to distract him from the ever-growing puzzle that was you.

“you’re unusually quiet tonight,” lucifer said, breaking the silence as he poured himself a drink. he didn’t offer you one, he knew you’d decline, just to prove a point.

“i’m thinking,” you replied simply, your tone nonchalant as you leaned against the bar, your eyes focused on the papers spread out in front of you.

“about me, i hope,” he quipped, his grin widening when you let out a small, exasperated laugh.

“always so full of yourself,” you muttered, shaking your head.

“guilty as charged,” he admitted, his gaze flickering to you. “but in my defense, i’m usually right. so tell me darling, what’s your secret?”

you arched an eyebrow, finally looking up at him. “what secret?”

he leaned in slightly, his expression turning serious. “everyone has desires. everyone. and yet, you seem immune. why is that?”

you didn’t answer immediately, your lips pressing into a thin line as if considering whether or not to indulge him. finally, you sighed, your tone clipped but calm. “maybe you’re not looking hard enough.”

his eyes narrowed at that, his curiosity only deepening. “oh, i’m looking darling, believe me. and i’ll figure it out, one way or another.”

the tension between you was almost suffocating, the weight of his words lingering in the air long after they were spoken. as much as you wanted to deny it, a part of you knew he was right. he would figure it out. the question was, what would happen when he did?

that was when it happened. in a flash of celestial energy, the room seemed to shift. lucifer straightened, his usual confidence faltering as he felt something unlock. for the first time since he’d met you, his power worked, and the truth of your desires crashed into him like a tidal wave.

“oh,” he whispered, his voice laced with equal parts surprise and amusement. a slow, devilish grin spread across his face as he stepped closer, his eyes dark with understanding. “well well, it seems the mystery is solved.”

you froze, the heat rising in your cheeks as you realized what had happened. “lucifer—”

“say it,” he interrupted, his voice low and insistent. “say it out loud.”

“i don’t know what you’re talking about,” you snapped, moving to put distance between you, but he followed, his movements predatory.

“oh, don’t play coy now,” he murmured, his fingers brushing against your arm, sending a shiver down your spine. “you want me. you’ve wanted me from the start.”

you turned on him then, your anger flaring. “don’t flatter yourself.”

he chuckled, his breath warm against your skin as he leaned in closer, his lips a mere inch from yours. “darling, i don’t need to flatter myself. i saw it. i felt it. and now” he paused, his voice dropping to a whisper. “now i can’t stop thinking about it.”

a rush of heat flooded your cheeks, and you realized that lucifer's powers, which had been rumored to enthrall and control others, seemed to have no effect on you. you were immune to his allure, or so you thought. "i-i don't know what you're talking about," you stammered, trying to sound brave.

lucifer's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. "really? you’re thoughts are telling me otherwise my dear," he took another step, closing the distance between you. "tell me, what is it that you desire?"

you stood your ground, determined not to show any fear. "i desire many things, but i won't be manipulated by your tricks." your voice grew stronger, and you felt a surge of confidence.

lucifer's eyes sparkled with amusement. "tricks? oh sweets i assure you, i have no need for tricks with you." he reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his touch sending shivers of pleasure through your body. "you see, my powers don't work on you, and now that it does, it fascinates me."

confusion clouded your mind. You had heard tales of his powers enslaving countless souls, yet you felt no compulsion, no urge to submit to his will. ‘why is that?’ you asked, your curiosity getting the better of you.

lucifer's smile widened, and he leaned closer, his warm breath caressing your neck. "because my dear, your deepest desire is me." his words sent a jolt through your entire being. "and that, i find is a delightful challenge."

your heart pounded in your chest, and you felt a rush of emotions. was it possible that your desire for him had been hidden even from yourself? you tried to deny it, but the truth resonated within you. "i-i don't believe you," you lied, your voice trembling.

lucifer chuckled, a deep, sensual sound that sent a wave of desire coursing through your veins. "you don’t believe it, but your body betrays your words." his hand trailed down your arm, sending tingles of pleasure up your spine. "your heart races, your breath quickens, and your nipples..." he paused, his fingers brushing over the sensitive peaks through the fabric of your dress, making you gasp.

you couldn't deny the sensations coursing through your body. his touch ignited a fire within you, and you felt a desperate need to be closer to him. "w-what do you want from me?" you asked, your voice hoarse with desire.

"everything," Lucifer whispered, his lips brushing against your ear. "i want to explore every inch of you, to hear you beg for more. i want to be the one to finally unlock your true desires." his hands slid around your waist, pulling you closer, and you felt the hard length of his erection pressing against your stomach.

a moan escaped your lips as you surrendered to the overwhelming sensations. lucifer's hands moved to the back of your dress, and with a swift motion, he tore it open, exposing your bare skin to the cool air. "you see, my dear, i can't control you, but i can certainly enjoy the freedom to indulge in your desires."

you stood there, breathless, as he feasted his eyes on your naked body. his gaze was intense, devouring you, and you felt a powerful sense of vulnerability and arousal.

lucifer's hands roamed freely, cupping your breasts, thumbing your nipples until they were hard peaks, ready to burst with pleasure.

"please..." you whispered, not even sure what you were pleading for.

"please what, my dear?" lucifer's voice was a low purr as he bent down to take a nipple into his warm mouth, sucking and teasing it with his tongue. "tell me what you want."

the sensations were exquisite, and you felt your knees weaken. "i...i want..." you struggled to find the words, but lucifer seemed to understand.

he lifted his head, his eyes burning with a fiery passion. "you want me to fuck you, don't you?" his words were raw and unapologetic. "you want me to claim every inch of your body."

your cheeks flushed, and you nodded, unable to deny the truth any longer. "yes," you whispered, your voice barely audible.

lucifer's hands gripped your hips, and he spun you around, pressing your front against the cold stone wall. "then i shall give you what you desire." his hands slid down your thighs, pushing your dress up, exposing your wetness to the cool air.

you felt his fingers trail through your damp curls, and then he was pushing inside you, one finger at a time, stretching and preparing you for what was to come. his touch was both gentle and demanding, and you couldn't help but push back against his hand, seeking more.

"you're so wet my dear," he growled, his breath hot against your neck. "so ready for me." he added a third finger, scissoring them inside you, finding that sweet spot that had you crying out in pleasure.

"oh, lucifer..." you moaned, your head thrown back against the wall, your body on the brink of orgasm.

he withdrew his fingers, leaving you aching and desperate. "not yet, my dear," he whispered, his lips trailing kisses down your spine. "let me get a taste first."

lucifer dropped to his knees, his hands gripping your thighs as he spread your legs wide. you felt his hot breath on your sensitive flesh, and then his tongue, slick and wet, was laving your clit, sending you spiraling into a vortex of pleasure. he lapped and teased, sucking gently, driving you wild with need.

your hands gripped his hair, urging him closer, your hips thrusting against his mouth as you rode his tongue. "lucifer, please!" you cried out, your body trembling on the edge of release.

he obliged, sucking hard on your clit, his fingers plunging deep inside you, and you exploded in a mind-shattering orgasm, crying out his name as your juices flowed freely.

lucifer stood, his eyes dark with desire as he admired his handiwork. "that was just the beginning darling. i plan to make you beg for more."

you could barely catch your breath, your body still quivering from the intense climax.

"more..." you whispered, your eyes pleading.

with a devilish grin, lucifer lifted you into his arms, carrying you to a nearby couch. he laid you down gently, his eyes never leaving yours as he positioned himself between your thighs. "now, my dear, i'm going to fuck you until you can't remember your own name."

his words sent a thrill of anticipation through your body. you wanted him, needed him, and you were ready to surrender to the dark pleasures he promised.

lucifer positioned himself at your entrance, the head of his thick cock teasing your wetness. with one swift thrust, he filled you completely, claiming your body as his own. you cried out, your back arching off the couch as he began to move, his hips pumping in a steady rhythm.

"yes, that's it, my dear," he growled, his hands gripping your thighs, holding you open for his invasion. "feel me, deep inside you."

the sensation of being filled so completely was overwhelming, and you matched his rhythm, meeting his thrusts with your own, your nails digging into his shoulders.

"harder, lucifer!" you cried out, your body craving more.

he obliged, pounding into you with fierce intensity, his hips slamming against yours, driving you closer and closer to the edge.

"that's it, my dear. come for me again."

your body tightened around him, and you screamed his name as you shattered into a million pieces, your orgasm rippling through you. lucifer followed, his own release spilling deep within you, his body trembling as he filled you with his essence.

as you lay there, breathless and sated, lucifer's eyes held a new intensity. "you, my dear, are a challenge i relish. and this is just the beginning."

lucifer’s good girls like/reblog/comment!

masterlist

©angelicwrites on tumblr

[asgards-princess-of-mischief]

Last Updated: 2023-12-25

Disclaimer: I am not the author of these stories, just sharing my favourite Lucifer Morningstar stories. Find the authors' links below. If you want your work removed, message me privately.

Legend: 〔E〕 ⇢ Erotic/Steamy | 〔F〕 ⇢ Fluff | 〔A〕 ⇢ Angst/Hurt 〔M〕 ⇢ Minor Angst/Hurt | 〔C〕 ⇢ Comfort | ♥︎ ⇢ Established Relationship | 𑁍 ⇢ Pregnancy/Children | 🚫 ⇢ Content Warning

✑ Invidia by everlastingdreams • 〔F᜶A〕 •

Summary: Maze sends you on a date with another guy to help you forget about your feelings for Lucifer. Lucifer soon starts to act stranger than usual.

✑ A Date with the Devil by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 •

Summary: "Lucifer was nothing if not stubborn. Despite your continuous rejections to his attempts to ask you on a date, he persisted. Your resolve was beginning to wear away, and his proposal was looking more and more tempting."

✑ A Deal with the Devil by bewareofthecrazyperson • 〔E᜶F〕 •

Summary: "You're working at LUX. When your car appears to be wrecked you have no choice but to go back to LUX. Fortunately Lucifer is around and offers you to spend the night at his place."

✑ A Devil's Wrath by everlastingdreams • 16+ • 〔F᜶C〕 • 🚫 •

Summary: "[When Lucifer meets you, he] is fascinated by [your kindness]. [After spending] some time together at Lux, ... the evening takes an ugly turn [when] some guy starts bothering [you]."

✑ A Night to Remember by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 •

Summary: "It'd started as the ramblings of a near drunken conversation. You hadn't expected anything to come of it, but he insisted, promising you a night of fun. You agreed, [expecting a nice dinner between friends], but when the night ended and he asked again, you couldn't help but agree..."

✑ Acceptance by ayanna-wild • 〔F᜶C〕 • ♡ •

Summary: "You should have believed him; he'd [been] honest from the start... [it] just seemed [too] unbelievable... then you saw... his 'other' face... Now... Lucifer's waiting... for you to decide if you still want him in your life... [However,] there seemed to be a misunderstanding..."

✑ Baby Caution by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ • 𑁍 •

Summary: "You... expected him to go somewhat overboard with your first pregnancy… maybe a little fussing over your well-being. You did not, however, expect the amount of worrying and coddling the devil had for you now."

✑ Broken Wings by ayanna-wild • 〔A᜶C〕 •

Summary: "It was a simple matter of loving the wrong man, but you couldn't control your heart. How was it fair for you to be punished? But life was cruel that way."

✑ Can't Fight the Feeling by kittenwritesstuff • 〔F᜶M〕 •

Summary: "[When you], Chloe's [cousin, catch Lucifer's eye], he falls for [you instantly], but isn't sure whether [you'd] have him."

✑ Darling Effort by bubblyani • 18+ • 〔E〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: Provoked by jealousy, you are determined to show Lucifer that you can be just as exciting in bed as anyone else.

✑ Detective Morningstar by matth1w • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ • 𑁍 •

Summary: "You're pregnant... great, right? Wrong. You know how much [Lucifer] doesn't like children. So being a responsible adult, you… lie and avoid him. Lucifer does some detective work and finds out, because of course he would."

✑ Devil Devil by lovingrosewho • 〔A〕 • ♡ •

Summary: "Lucifer needs to confess and show his true self before dating you."

✑ Devil's Party by lovingrosewho • 〔F᜶A〕 •

Summary: "You're best friends with Lucifer, who happens to be the devil, you two go to a Lux's party together where you notice one of your exes."

✑ Dutiful Wife by bubblyani • 18+ • 〔F᜶E〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Forensic Science Sisters by writingtoforgetreality • 〔F〕 •

Summary: "Ella and you were the forensic scientists of the L.A.P.D. One person in the precinct made your work rather hard. Lucifer Morningstar. You wish you had not caught a crush but you could not help yourself. Besides, you knew he only had eyes for Chloe. At least that was what you thought."

✑ Good Night by silence-burns • 〔F〕 •

Summary: "Imagine [waking up while] Lucifer [is] carrying you to bed after you fall asleep on his couch."

✑ He's the Devil, You know by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "You were fond of your new life, loved the people you'd met and the man who stole your heart. Unfortunately an old and dear friend rolls into town, and he doesn't exactly approve of your relationship with the devilish club owner."

✑ Let Me Show You How It's Done by bewareofthecrazyperson • 18+ • 〔E〕 •

Summary: "You're complaining to your friend Lucifer about how your sex life. He shows you exactly how it is done."

✑ Little Things by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "You hadn't noticed them at first, they were to subtle. But one day you'd begun to notice it, they became obvious and you found yourself noticing everything little thing you hadn't before."

✑ Lost￨Prt. II by s-writing-s • 〔A᜶C〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "Lucifer worries the people closest to him when he shows up looking like a mess. Only Amenadiel knows why and shocks everyone with the answer."

✑ Lunch Break by bubblyani • 18+ • 〔E〕 •

Summary: You drop by the penthouse during your lunch break only to find Lucifer in the shower; needless to say, things get steamy.

✑ Now and for Eternity by artzee-bee • 〔F᜶C〕 • ♥︎ • 🚫 •

Summary: When a stalker tries to come between you and Lucifer, the devil makes it clear that nothing will come between you two.

✑ Rest for the Wicked by think-blot • 〔F᜶A〕 •

Summary: "Lucifer doesn't like that your job comes before him. He fixes the nonexistent problem but, now, everyone is questioning him as to why. Including you."

✑ Something Sweet by think-blot • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "...No one thinks twice about [Lucifer's constant flirting with you] because, well, it's just Lucifer being Lucifer. [However,] when a case takes all your attention away from him, people start to question why he's so desperate to get it back."

✑ Thundering Hearts by everlastingdreams • 〔F〕 •

Summary: "[You're] Lucifer's personal stylist, [with] whom he [constantly] tries to flirt [unfortunately for him, You're immune to his charms. Or [so you think]?"

✑ Wedding Bells by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

Summary: "[You'd planned this day for months]. It was like a dream, but the butterflies in your stomach, the way your leg bounced with unending anxiety and excitement reminded you that it was all real..."

✑ A Crush by silence-burns • 〔F〕 •

✑ Alone Time by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ • 𑁍 •

✑ Aunt, the by mortallyscrumptiousmilkshake • 〔F〕 •

✑ Can't Help Falling in Love with You by lucifer-scenario • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Caught by fafulous • 16+ • 〔E᜶F〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Day Like This by banditthewriter • 〔F᜶C〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Devil's Punishment, the by eiressofinspirationwrites • 〔F〕 •

✑ Devil's Wings by lovingrosewho • 18+ • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Early Morning Wake Up Call by geeks-universe • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Every Step by banditthewriter • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ • 𑁍 •

✑ Grooming by lucifer-scenario • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Home by specialagentlokitty • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ • 𑁍 •

✑ Jealousy by mortallyscrumptiousmilkshake • 〔F᜶A〕 •

✑ Meet the Family by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ • 𑁍 •

✑ Miracle by stanathanxoox • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ • 𑁍 •

✑ Morning Tickles by geeks-universe • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Pray for the Fallen by bubblyani • 〔F᜶C〕 •

✑ Rockabye by ayanna-wild • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ • 𑁍 •

✑ Unexpected by ayanna-wild • 〔C〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Worth More by specialagentlokitty • 〔F〕 •

✑ Wounds and Worry by mortallyscrumptiousmilkshake • 〔F᜶C〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Wrong Move by silence-burns • 〔F᜶C〕 •

✑ Babysitting Trixie w/ Lucifer… by silence-burns • 〔F〕 • 𑁍 •

✑ Dating Lucifer Morningstar… by writingbyshiloh • 18+ • 〔F〕 • ♥︎ •

✑ Going undercover w/ Lucifer… by silence-burns • 〔E᜶F〕 •

✑ Lucifer Falling for You… by dragon-kazansky • 〔F〕 •

See Also: Navigation || Lucifer Morningstar Master Index

Authors: @artzee-bee || @ayanna-wild || @banditthewriter || @bewareofthecrazyperson || @bubblyani || @dragon-kazansky || @eiressofinspirationwrites || @everlastingdreams || @fafulous || @geeks-universe || @kittenwritesstuff || @lovingrosewho || @lucifer-scenario || @matth1w || @mortallyscrumptiousmilkshake || @s-writing-s || @silence-burns || @specialagentlokitty || @stanathanxoox || @think-blot || @writingbyshiloh || @writingtoforgetreality ||

[janiehellion]

Fallen From Grace

ONESHOT

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: Caught between a loveless marriage and a past you can't forget, you return to LA, the City of Angels. As old flames rekindle, you're faced with the consequences of your choices. Would you still make a decision that could destroy everything you've built over the years to experience the emotions you've longed for? “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19)

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR X FEM!READER

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: SMUT / HURT / FLUFF / ANGST

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 5.277

MASTERLIST

With your hands deep in the pockets of your jacket, your face buried in a thin scarf, and the warmth of your breath that was soaking into it, it was making you shiver, and your thoughts were thrown back to the ritual of smoking a cigarette. The need to smoke bit into you; thinking of lighting one was still addictive and punishing at the same time. It had been years since you quit smoking, right before you got married to your husband, because he had always hated the smell. Still, your husband was behind you and always had your back regarding your decision to turn your life around, and he became a shoulder to lean on in the change from a reckless young adult into a now responsible and mature woman.

But lately, this routine that you once liked so much seemed to turn into a cage with no way out. The fights with your husband had become more frequent, and his constant work stress added more to the high tension between the two of you. You both were too tired to talk openly to each other anymore and with the same empathy that used to exist. Last night was pretty much no different. A silent dinner, a few short words exchanged between the two of you, and some annoyed glances at each other, until he then got up and went to his laptop in the living room, while you went to the bedroom to read one of your books.

It was days like this, where you felt overwhelmed by your life, that your mind began to wander back to him, to Lucifer Morningstar. You had left Los Angeles almost ten years ago to chase your dreams, leaving him and everything else behind after you came to the realization that it felt more like a simple friendship to you, which had scared you more than it should have. Although you had kept in touch by texting each other every now and then, you hadn't talked to or seen each other in years.

The sun was now setting as you got into your car, and you knew that the decision to visit the City of Angels once again came from some deep, restless part inside of you, and you convinced yourself it wouldn't be a mistake before sliding off your wedding ring and letting it fall into one of your pockets.

Suddenly, a message from your husband appeared on your phone. Apparently, he won’t be home for dinner tonight. He was staying out late with a colleague. Relief washed over you as you replied with an excuse about having decided that you were going out with your best friends anyway before you set the car in motion and headed towards Los Angeles.

A few hours later, you saw the familiar evening lights of what you once called home. You aimed for the LUX, the spot that Lucifer owned. Soon enough, your eyes scanned the room, looking for the one person you hoped to see as you exchanged a few words with familiar faces, but your mind was solely focused on Lucifer.

And there he was. The presence of him hit you hard—the lights, the music... It was overwhelming, and you quickly made your way to the bar, where you sat down. The face beside you? Familiar. She hadn't changed a bit, still looking fierce and gorgeous.

Maze immediately looked at you, recognizing you quickly. "There's no way... is it? Is it really you?"

"Hello, Maze," you said, nodding in her direction and smiling at her.

"It’s been a while! Ten years?"

"Close enough."

She whistled. "Lucifer’s going to freak out when he sees you; you know that, right?"

You smiled again, taking a sip of the drink that she handed you. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know. Probably around somewhere and probably smoking."

Your heart raced as you tried to control your excitement and nervousness. You sipped your drink further, trying your hardest to distract yourself. Then the door opened, and you felt that familiar presence. The smell of cigarettes and cologne hit you, making you grip your glass tighter.

"Now, look who’s graced us with his divine presence," Maze announced almost sarcastically.

You turned around, and there he was—Lucifer Morningstar. His eyes met yours with shock before he tried to hide it like usual. He wore his trademark suit, the one that always made him look like he owned the world.

"What in the world are you doing here?"

"Hello, Lucifer. Have you lost your manners in the last decade?"

"I just didn’t expect you."

"You didn’t have to. I just stopped by."

Lucifer only grunted and sat down next to you for a moment, his eyes never leaving yours. He took a whiskey Maze handed him and sipped it, his silence speaking volumes.

"I just needed to get away, you know," you started, but trailed off, knowing he would see right through you.

"Finish your drink. I don’t want to talk here."

You nodded, finishing your drink quickly. Lucifer was tapping the counter impatiently, and Maze gave you a knowing look as you left. "Good luck, babe," she mouthed, winking at you.

You followed Lucifer into the elevator and then to the parking lot. Right now, his attitude annoyed you, since he used to be so different with you back then, and as soon as you were outside, he stopped and turned around to you.

"Where's your car? I will hold the door open for you."

"What? Excuse me, please? What did you just say?"

He only smirked slightly instead of answering you as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. So you approached him slowly, placing a hand on his arm and feeling his muscles through his suit.

"I just thought you might want to see me again," you said softly, looking down to the ground.

"Do you think I’m not happy to see you?"

"The way you’re reacting right now, wanting me to get into my car and leave? No, not exactly."

"I just didn’t expect to see you again in LA. You simply surprised me."

You continued holding his arm, squeezing it a bit. "I simply missed you. Is it that wrong?"

"Your fault," he mumbled, finally lighting a cigarette. He took a drag and offered it to you. "Want one?"

"No, I quit years ago, don't you remember?"

He raised an eyebrow. "And do you still always do what your boyfriend wants? Do you follow his rules? Do you obey him?"

"Don’t be an asshole, Lucifer. It’s just complicated, okay?"

He handed you the cigarette anyway, and with a sigh, you took a drag. He leaned against your car, looking out over the city. The lights of Los Angeles twinkled like a thousand little stars.

"You’ve changed," he said after a minute, watching you from the corner of his eyes.

"I never changed. I grew only up."

"No, you’ve changed."

"I’m still me, just... older."

You stood in silence. Lucifer had always been a man of few words around you, but he said so much merely by being there.

"Why didn’t he come with you?" he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"He’s busy, working on a case."

"How did you end up with a lawyer, I wonder?"

"If you knew him, you’d understand. He’s dedicated, passionate, even."

"He took you away."

"I know. And that wasn’t my intention."

"Aren’t you here to find yourself again?" Lucifer asked, looking at you for a moment.

"No…"

"Then why? Tell me."

"I'm here because of you, Lucifer. I needed to talk. To feel at home again."

"You can't just show up out of nowhere and expect everything to be the same as it was before."

"I did it without thinking."

"You, who plans everything down to the last detail, doing something spontaneous?"

"I just wanted to see my best friend again."

But Lucifer was right, and you knew it. It was strange to be back in Los Angeles without having really thought about it or thought of any consequences. But the feeling you had in your soul blurred every logical thought.

He suddenly grabbed your hand and walked you toward his car.

"What are you doing? Where are we going?" You asked, but didn't fight him.

"It's a surprise. Just wait and see."

"A surprise? What's the plan?"

"Be quiet and sit tight." Lucifer grinned as he started the car.

After the silent ride in the car, you reached the outskirts of a familiar area, where he soon led you through a wrought-iron gate to a small, charming house with a great view of a lake. The very first things that caught your eye were a marble kitchenette and a leather sofa facing a TV that was mounted on the wall, but most especially so, the floor-to-ceiling window leading out to a terrace and the lake that looked nearly as big as the house itself.

"Is this a new place of yours?" you asked him.

"Yes, indeed, it is," Lucifer confirmed with pride. "But that is not the actual surprise. Follow me." He guided you out onto the terrace. "It's a little dark already, but can you recognize the view? Do you remember it?"

You furrowed your brow, following his gaze, and gasped as you finally realized and remembered. "Is this the place that I think it is?"

"Yes, the very spot where we spent that beautiful evening," Lucifer confirmed. "I simply thought you might appreciate the nostalgia and that I bought this place in the end."

"But how did you manage to rebuild all this?" you asked, quite overwhelmed.

"Hard work and a bit of devilish charm," he teased, turning to face you and smirking at your reaction.

You remembered that night clearly—with just Lucifer and yourself—when you were talking about your dreams and your future under the starry sky.

"This is incredible! I'm so happy for you, Lucifer," you admitted, though tears were forming in your eyes.

"You're happy for me because I bought this place?" Lucifer's eyes softened, searching for yours while he asked. "Then why do I think there's more to it than that? More than simple happiness?"

You turned away from him, blinking back tears. "Forget about it. I'm sorry; I didn't want to ruin your surprise."

Lucifer closed the distance between you quickly; his face was serious but still calm and composed. "Will you tell me why you really left back then? I don't really believe that your boyfriend could hold that much power to rip you away from everything that was so loved by you."

"You know exactly why I left," you finally said, looking at him again.

"Sure... Of course, I do. Because I always do." Lucifer answered with disappointment in his voice.

You nodded slowly, biting down on your lower lip, unsure how to proceed. "I think that I probably should go home," you whispered, the guilt creeping in, just wanting to drive back home to your apartment and forget about everything.

But Lucifer clenched his fists. "Perhaps you should, yes," he agreed reluctantly, taking a step closer to you. "But not before this," he mumbled, closing the distance between your lips.

Lucifer crashed his lips onto yours, pushing you back against the patio door. There was no denying at this point—this was so much more than just a friendly reunion. It was bringing back to life a love where the flame had never actually gone out.

He broke away slightly as he led you back into the house, his hands removing your jacket, and soon enough Lucifer loomed over you inside his bedroom, his eyes searching yours for permission and reassurance. You nodded, and he kissed you again—deeply and almost desperately.

His hands were touching your body as his lips nuzzled kisses down your neck, and you could feel your body arch into him, begging for more, which was enough for the two of you to quickly get rid of each other's clothes.

"I can't wait any longer," Lucifer confessed, his eyes locked with yours.

You met his gaze, your heart racing as you nodded, and he smiled, slowly guiding you onto the bed. His touch was almost soft as he positioned you beneath him.

For a moment, Lucifer looked at you, mumbling, "You are more beautiful than ever."

You blushed, goosebumps creeping onto your skin as his fingertips brushed along your collarbone and slowly down your arm until he kissed the inside of your wrist delicately.

"You're exquisite," he said softly before his lips traveled up your arm again, across your shoulder, and onto the curve of your neck.

He kissed your forehead, then your cheek, before his lips finally kissed your own. His mouth moved slowly against yours, listening to each sigh that came out of your mouth. You reached for his arms, bringing his hands to your tits, where his fingers gently squeezed them, his thumbs lightly stroking your sensitive nipples and feeling them harden.

Once done, Lucifer's hands went down to your waist, pulling you up to straddle him. He slowly lowered you down onto his cock and pushed himself into you. His eyes didn't leave yours as he moved in very slowly, filling you up completely.

"You feel incredible," he groaned, his hands holding your hips tightly. "I've wanted this for so long."

You began moving, your body slowly going up and down as you leaned forward just a little bit with your hands on his shoulders for balance as you were riding him, and Lucifer's hands slid up your back until he pulled you close, burying his face in your neck.

"You're so perfect," he murmured. "Every part of you is."

You shivered at his words and moaned softly as his hands now moved down to your stomach from your breasts, then back to your thighs, and though the moments were stretching on, Lucifer's thrusts were still gentle instead of fast and rough.

"You're simply amazing," he whispered in your ear. "I want to make you feel everything."

His words only heightened your lust, and you rode him even more eagerly until both of you were breathless, wanting more.

But Lucifer's eyes stayed on your face. "I wish this would last forever," he whispered.

You moaned again and closed your eyes, your body quickening in time with his upward thrusts as you both felt your approaching orgasm.

His thrusts grew urgent, his hands gripping you a little bit harder to guide you through the final moments before you came, and Lucifer's body shuddered against yours.

As soon as your orgasms began to subside, Lucifer's thrusts did likewise. He embraced you tightly, stroking your back, and kissed your forehead softly. "I have missed you more than you know."

You clung to him, your racing heart only now starting to slow down. "I've missed you too," you whispered, your voice shaking, before tensing up as a certain thought inside your head started to form itself, your eyes narrowing.

"Protection! I... I didn't think of—" You started, but your words seemed to be stuck in your throat. "I'm sorry, Lucifer. I should have been more careful!"

"Don't worry about it right now, my dear. Focus only on us. and this moment," he simply answered without any care, but you ignored his words, and just then your eyes fell on something that lay on the ground beside your clothes; his eyes followed in the same direction—your wedding ring, which you had left carelessly in one of your pockets. His eyes went from that ring to you, and only then did he realize what was actually on your mind.

"Wait, wait, wait," he whispered quietly, furrowing his brow as he pushed you off, got up, and picked up the ring slowly from the floor. "You... you're married to him? What? You're actually still with him? Are you kidding me?"

Your face went pale, and you couldn't deny the truth, nor was there any reason to try to lie to him. "Yes, I am, but—"

"But what!" He cut you off. "Is this some kind of devil's bargain? Did you come here to light up an old flame, all the while you're still wearing another man's ring? Is this some kind of sick joke to you?"

"No, no! Listen, Lucifer! Listen to me! I didn't come here to hurt you," you tried to explain, your voice breaking. "I came because I missed you and—"

"Missed me?" He laughed out loud and shook his head. "You come back into my life, get me all worked up, and then this? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I must be quite the fool for thinking that you actually came back for me after ten years. How foolish I am, indeed."

"Listen! You don't understand! Just calm down and listen to me, please!" you pleaded, your face now red with tears that started to roll down your cheeks. "I never meant for this to happen! You know that! It just happened!"

"Never meant for it to happen?" Lucifer scoffed, anger suddenly giving way to a mocking laugh. "Oh, please, my dear. You do think this is some kind of joke, don't you? Did you come back just to test my patience?"

He turned away from you—his hurt was obvious as he threw your wedding ring across his bedroom. "How very amusing," he said bitterly. "A married woman who seeks out the Devil."

You reached out to him, your voice desperate, but he didn't let you touch him anymore. "Please, Lucifer, don't be like this. I never wanted to hurt you, I promise!"

He turned toward you again. "Don't be like this, you say? What did you expect? Should I just take this as some cruel joke of, what, fate? You think I should simply forgive and forget just because you come at me with a few tears and your excuses?

He had picked up a cigarette from the package lying on the side table of the bed and grabbed a lighter. "Here's a solution for you," he said, lighting the cigarette. "Why don't you go back home to your husband? I'm sure he's just waiting for you to come crawling back into his arms, so you can do what he wants some more."

You winced at the mockery and sarcastic tone in his voice. "Lucifer, please don't—"

"Don't what?" he interrupted you again. "What is it, huh? Don't you want me to remind you of the mistake you've just made? Don't make you face the reality of your actions? Of our... situation?"

He took another drag from the cigarette. "How amusing," he said bitterly. "I've spent most of my time in Hell, and with you, I finally got a taste of Heaven again, only to have it taken away from me in an instant..."

He flicked the cigarette into an ashtray, letting it go out by itself as it continued to burn down. "I'm supposed to be the Devil," he said, his lips now showing a rather sad and hurt smile. "But right now, I feel like I am the biggest fool in all of creation there ever was..."

The silence fell between you, and there, in his eyes, was only hurt, pain, and pure anger.

"I'm so sorry for everything, Lucifer. I never wanted to hurt you, really! Just believe me! Please!" You pleaded and begged.

He sat down at the edge of the bed, his anger now replaced by sadness, especially given the look on his face. "So, now what?" he asked. "What do you think happens to us after all this?"

"I don't know," you said, your voice trembling as you took a deep breath. "I wish things could be different, but they aren't. Believe me, I know this was wrong. I was wrong."

Lucifer took a deep breath as well to try to relax himself and calm down. "Well, wishing won't do anything, nor will prayers," he said, getting to his feet. "And if you want me to be completely honest, then I think you should leave."

You realized you were feeling regret—this was the end of what could have been all along, what could've been all those years ago. "I'm so sorry, Lucifer," you said again, through the tears that were now streaming down your face. "I wish there was a way..."

He smiled at you sadly and shrugged, handing you your clothes. "Here's to the past," he said bitterly. "May it stay there."

You took them from him, brushing your fingers across his while doing so, and began dressing quickly. "Goodbye, Lucifer," you said softly, your voice cracking again.

"Goodbye," he replied as his eyes watched you walk towards the door and into the living room. The taxi was called quickly, and you turned to go out of the front door, but you stopped for a second, turning around to the bedroom door again that he was about to close. "Go on and don't keep the taxi driver waiting."

After he closed the door, you quickly grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a note, tears falling onto the paper and smudging the ink. You left it on the coffee table and stormed out, slamming the door shut behind you. The street was already dark, with only a few lights on each side of the road, and you quickened your pace to the main road. After a few minutes, you could finally see the approaching lights of a taxi.

The taxi driver soon enough returned you to your car, which was still parked in the LUX. Once inside your car, you glanced at the time, which was approaching midnight, and then you noticed the three messages from your husband and some missed calls from him that you quickly opened nervously.

9:42 PM: "Where are you? I'm back, and you're not here."

10:39 PM: "When are you coming back? Why don’t you answer? I’m worried."

11:16 PM: "I called your friends, but they said you weren't even with them tonight. What's going on? Please call me!"

Tears silently rolled down your face again as guilt consumed you. How had things gone so wrong? Your life had been perfect—or so you thought all the time. You’d spent the last ten years forgetting about your feelings for Lucifer, pushing them aside, and now, in one evening, you’d destroyed everything.

With trembling fingers, you tried calling your husband, but there was no answer. The worst part of this whole mess wasn’t just that you’d probably destroyed your life, but how little you’d considered the consequences of your actions with Lucifer in the first place. If karma were real, you thought, you’d crash while driving back home. But two hours later, you found yourself standing in the parking lot of your apartment again.

Entering it quietly and closing the door behind you, you saw your husband asleep on the big couch in your living room, his mobile phone still next to him. With one hand, you covered your mouth to stifle a sob, not wanting to wake him up, and you paused, uncertain of what to do, then slowly removed your jacket, throwing it over a chair, and decided to lay down beside him.

You couldn't help but remember how you both had always been a great team, at least at the start of your relationship back then, facing the darkest moments and hours together and supporting each other through thick and thin. He’d always been there for you; maybe he's been too distant at times, but he's been there nonetheless.

And now your endless thoughts about your mistake kept you awake until exhaustion finally took over. Later, when you woke up, your husband was gone. You hoped it had all been a bad nightmare, but the note on the table proved otherwise:

"When I get back from work, you tell me what the hell happened! And don’t even try to call me today! We'll sit down and talk in person."

You stared at the note, rereading it several times before crumpling it and throwing it on the floor in frustration. You grabbed your coat and left, not even bothering to look in the mirror. At the pharmacy, you were quick, buying what you needed before heading back home. Once sitting down on the couch, staring at the morning-after pill on the table, you knew you should take it right away, but something inside you held you back.

Your eyes kept wandering around, seeking distraction, but just as you were about to scream, the doorbell rang, making you jump. You tried to calm yourself before opening the door, but it wasn’t your husband who you thought might have left his keys behind. Standing there was Lucifer, who decided to step inside your apartment without even waiting for an invitation.

"What in the world are you doing here?" you asked, staring at him while closing the front door.

Lucifer pulled a crumpled note from his pocket—the note you had left for him. "Why do I have to read such nonsense?"

He held up the note before reading it out loud.

"Lucifer, the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I wish I could."

"Lucifer," you began, but he cut you off.

"Well, isn’t this poetic? The Book of Jeremiah—17:9 to be exact!" His voice sounded neutral, but you could see the fire in his eyes. "I guess the Devil isn’t the only one who’s capable of deceit, isn't he? How charming that you choose to repent now, but I’m afraid it won’t absolve you of the choices you made, my dear... I do admire your attempt at biblical drama! Quite charming, isn't it?"

Your hands were now sweaty, and your heart pounded so fast that you thought it was going to explode. "Lucifer, please..." You managed to whisper, but he shook his head.

"I suppose that’s the true nature of humans, isn’t it? Always seeking redemption when it suits them." His voice relaxed slightly, but the intensity behind it remained, and only then did he grab something from his pocket again. It was your wedding ring. "I’m not a priest, my dear. You know exactly who I am, and I won’t be so easily fooled by your attempts at repentance. I'd say that you owe me more than that."

You had barely started to open your mouth when the sound of keys at the door made you turn around in shock. You looked over just in time to see your husband standing there, his face full of anger and surprise at the same time.

"What the hell is that man doing here?" he asked, staring at you.

"Listen! It's not what you think," you started, but your voice cracked, unable to find the right words to even explain yourself.

Meanwhile, Lucifer gave him an almost bored look and crossed his arms over his chest. "Ah, the husband has finally arrived! How very delightful," he said. "I'm Lucifer, and you must've forgotten about me, I see!"

Your husband glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting to be welcomed with open arms by the man of the hour. But then again, I've never been one to shy away from a bit of chaos."

You took a deep breath, trying to get a grip on the situation. "Listen, we need to talk..."

But your husband's eyes were still on Lucifer, looking him up and down. "About what? How obviously you have been cheating on me?"

You winced at the accusation, but Lucifer merely laughed. "Cheating? Now, that's a rather strong word. I prefer to think of it as rekindling old flames."

Your husband's hands clenched into fists, and he let out a scoff. "You! You have no right to be here. Leave. Now."

Lucifer's eyes narrowed, and for a slight moment, he revealed what really lay beneath. "How quaint! I assure you, I'm only a catalyst. Or, let's just say, the devil's advocate, if you will."

Your husband took a step back, his face turning pale for a second. "What the fuck are you trying to pull here, huh?"

Lucifer stepped closer to him, his smile turning into a grin as he pointed to the pill on the table in the living room, which he had noticed all along. "That little token of affection over there might reveal more with its symbolism than you may realize."

The eyes of your husband went to the pill on the table and then back to Lucifer. "What... what do you mean? What the hell are you even talking about?"

Lucifer's smile widened as he leaned forward. "Why don't you take a guess? Or maybe you would prefer to leave it to your imagination?"

"My imagination? You're obviously fucking my wife, and now you are standing here like you have some right to her? As if you own her?"

Lucifer let out a dramatic sigh. "Well, I suppose you could say I am more of an old flame to your dear wife. But let's not get down to the boring details."

Suddenly, your husband stepped forward, his anger overflowing. "Get out of my house. Now!"

"Oh, such a fiery temper. Are you sure you're not harboring a bit of Hellfire yourself?" Lucifer said sarcastically and threw his hands dramatically in the air.

The eyes of your husband widened again, and he took a step back as soon as he could while he looked into his eyes. "I'm warning you. Just leave..."

Lucifer's eyes changed, his stare reaching deep into your husband's soul. "And I assure you that I'm not someone that you want to provoke."

He took a step closer, and your husband's confidence broke down as he looked him in the eyes. "You know what? I'm done with this. I'm leaving! Don't you dare touch me, whatever the hell you are!"

Lucifer's eyes followed him, and he smirked proudly. "As you wish."

The apartment was almost completely silent as the door slammed shut behind your husband, and you stood there, paralyzed, the realization of that moment and what had just happened finally setting in, but Lucifer snapped you out of it as he looked at the morning-after pill on the table once again.

"My dear, really? Do you think that this pill is going to undo what's done now?" Lucifer started. "Do you actually believe that some sort of pill will stop something divine, like... Oh, I don't know, my touch, as an example? I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, darling."

You looked at him with shame, lust, and regret in your eyes. "What now?" You asked him, whispering silently.

"What happens now will be entirely your choice," he said, moving closer to you and stretching out his hand to touch your cheek. "You see, I very much adore you, and I have for quite a while."

His hands were soft but strong, and a shiver ran down your spine. "You can either act like nothing happened, or maybe you can accept it and see where it takes you," he said, his eyes locked on yours. "You've got a choice to make."

He stepped closer, his lips touching your ear as he spoke. "You could try to forget about the night we just had, but you and I both know better. The seed has been sown, and the question is, at this point, whether you'll let it grow."

Lucifer took a few steps back and pushed the front door open, just enough to fit through. "Whatever you choose, I will be here, waiting. And trust me," he said with a smirk, "I have all the time in the world."

[allaboardthevespa]

So guess who finally got her ass on the Disventure Camp bus

[majestyeverlasting]

the moments in between

Pairing: Joel Miller x Fem!Reader 

Summary: When Joel and Ellie arrive at the Jackson commune, his strong frame and intense gaze captivate you. But as the days pass, you lose hope that he might be drawn to you as well. That is, until the walls come crashing down and the truth finally reveals itself.

Word Count: 7.3k [slow burn]

A/N: I put a lot of love and time into this one. It's my longest fic so far but it didn't feel hard, which I like to believe is a good thing. Hope it resonates, hope you feel the feels and the yearning between these two—let me know! Hope you're well.

A breeze follows Tommy as he saunters in through the doors of the Tipsy Bison, the soft click of his boot heels echoing off the wood with each easy step. The cowboy hat on his head casts a shadow over his eyes until he takes it off, his dark hair cascading down over his ears. There’s a small smile playing on his lips that makes you narrow your eyes.

Cleaning the bartop suddenly loses its appeal, but you don’t stop, only slow down. The fresh, tangy scent of lemongrass continues to waft up from the motion.     

“We close early on Sunday���s, officer,” you tease as he climbs onto a stool. 

He frowns as he sets his hat aside. “I don’t look like a cop, do I?” You shrug, and he chuckles as his gaze roves over to the pool room. “Nate back there? Yo, Nate!” 

“Evening, Tom,” the older man calls back as he polishes a cue ball. 

“Joel’s made it into town.” There’s no overt emotion in the way he shares the news, but you can see that it’s all in his eyes as he waits for you to react.  

“Joel, Joel? As in your brother?” He nods, still in disbelief himself. “Oh my gosh, that’s amazing, Tommy—right? What the heck.” He used to talk about him all the time. 

His exhale makes way for a shaky smile, “I know. Made it in not too long ago with a young girl he’s looking after,” he tells you, voice thick with a mix of emotions. “He’s outside. Wanted to come in and see if you’d let us grab a drink.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Know it’s late. Promise I’ll make up for the trouble.” He knows it’s no trouble. Not when it comes to him. 

He turns around, barstool squeaking, and waves Joel in through the window. 

You move to start working on their whiskies. “Make it up by letting me be the baby’s godmother?” The glasses clink as you set them onto the bar and begin pouring the caramel colored liquid, smirking when you meet his gaze.

Tommy isn’t completely opposed to the idea. You’d been in Jackson since the beginning, a friend to him and Maria in every sense of the word. Arguably family. “If you can manage not to tick me off until the little one gets here.” Despite his words, his eyes are fond. 

The door creaks open, and Joel strides in, scanning the room. There are pictures on the walls of American icons and landmarks, and old Polaroids of commune members. There’s a guarded confidence to the way he walks, an intensity. 

Tommy quickly leans in and whispers, “He means well. It’s been a long day.” 

Joel takes a seat beside his brother and acknowledges you with a curt nod, tugging on the collar of his shirt.  

“Welcome to Jackson,” you greet, introducing yourself afterwards.

“Joel,” he says, taking you in with a steady gaze. 

“Tommy’s told me a lot about you.” You push their glasses closer to them in an encouragement to start drinking.

Joel takes his first sip and fights back a reflexive grimace. It’s been a while, but it's good. Good enough to make him feel pleasantly warm as it glides down. Tommy drinks off his brother’s lead, and you realize just how alike they look. Joel’s hair is a little shorter and accented with streaks of gray, but they both have those same dark, telling eyes. 

They fall into light conversation, but it’s clearly not what they'd talk about if they were alone. That’s when you sense the distance. The slight edge to the space between them. It’s why Tommy resorts to drawing you in, the two of you ripping off each other as Joel listens, fine with not having to speak until this whole little ordeal was winding to an end. However, he does sit up a little straighter whenever you laugh. You pour them more whiskey when their glasses get empty.     

Eventually, the remaining light outside fades away. Tommy hisses at the sight, standing. “I gotta get home to Maria,” he says, stretching his back. Joel moves to get up too, until, “At least finish off this glass, man. You’ve earned it.” Tommy squeezes his brother’s shoulder. He means it genuinely, at least. “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow, Joel. Thanks again for this,” he tells you. 

“Bye, sheriff,” you call after him. Tommy scoffs.  

Joel realizes just how quiet it is when you move aside to tinker with a bison trinket sitting on the counter, unsure of what to say with Tommy gone. He knows you can see him looking at you. “So, are you here by yourself?” he finally asks. 

A playful smile tugs at your lips. “That’s not a creepy question at all,” you tease, quickly gathering that he doesn’t find the implication funny. “Uncle Nate?” you call. 

“Busy!”  

You raise your brows at Joel. “Not alone.”

Nate was chosen family. The man taught you everything you know about shooting, fishing, and survival even though you gave him a hard time for it when you were younger. He was also the founder of the Tipsy Bison. He only came into the bar on the weekends when he wasn't on patrol. His time in the military all those years ago made it hard to step away from a life of service. 

“We were cleaning when Tommy came in,” you tell Joel. He takes in that information wordlessly. 

“You aren’t much for talking, are you?” Joel takes a sip from his glass. “Nothing wrong with that. Must mean you don’t miss much. Really observant.” When he doesn’t respond, you smile shyly, realizing he probably just wanted to relax after a long day. “Guess I won’t stand here and talk your ears off.” 

The floor creaks as you disappear into the recreation room with Nate, rounding the corner. Joel exhales, shoulders dropping from being drawn up. He almost misses your company. 

Nate sits hunched over a word search puzzle, using the pool table as if it's a normal desk. He doesn’t look up at you, even when you give an affectionate tug to his curly gray ponytail. It was something you’d been doing since the days you both were out on your own and had to stay quiet all the time. Back when there was no safety, no security, no commune. 

“Ouch,” he drones, unphased. 

“Are you gonna come out and meet Tommy's brother?” you ask, low so Joel can’t hear. “I feel like you guys have a lot in common: brooding and grumpy.” Pride flutters in your chest when the man’s lips twitch. 

“I’ll meet him… eventually. Gotta finish this puzzle.” You realize there’s a small hourglasses going, the sand swiftly filling the bottom portion. “There ya are—serendipity.” He circles the letters. 

Word searches were something he recently started doing. When you have a past as extensive as his, it’s always chasing after you in one way or another. Especially in those quiet moments that sneak up on you. He claimed that seeking out words from amid an ordered chaos keeps the racing thoughts at bay whenever they come rushing in. 

Joel is finished by the time you join him again, and you realize he’d waited instead of calling out. Already standing, ready to go. 

“Anything else I can get you?” 

He shakes his head. “I appreciate your hospitality.” 

Joel turns to leave but you keep talking, “So I reckon Tommy already squared you away with a house and a tour of the town?” 

He stops. “I’m across the street from him. Gettin’ the tour tomorrow.”  

“That’s great, I’m really glad you found us.” You sound so genuine that there’s a flutter in his gut. “We’re a pretty crazy bunch, but I think you’re gonna like it here.” 

“Hope so.” Those are the words he leaves you with.

Your eyes stay trained on his back as he makes his way towards the door, stride the same as when he first arrived. Perhaps a little looser. Before he exits the bar, his eyes catch a glimpse of one of the decorative license plates secured to the wall: Austin, Texas. 

Shortly after he makes it outside, his heart rate ticks up in that impending way he wishes wasn’t so familiar, breath catching in his throat as if he’d forgotten how to breathe. There’s no escaping the panic as it sets in, surging through him. A few staggering steps allow him to brace a hand on a wooden directory board. 

You see it all from inside. At first, you think he’s trying to read the sign, but then he hunches over more and grips his chest. Without thinking, you jog towards the doors. 

“Joel?” You call once you’ve broken outside. 

It’s a cool spring night, a crescent moon shares its pale glow from above. Most of Jackson is already tucked away inside or at least halfway there. But in this sliver of time, it feels like it’s just the two of you outside. Joel doesn’t let on that he’d heard you, but the moment you’re close enough, you recognize what’s going on. You press your palm to his back to let him know you’re there. That he’s still here. 

“Concentrate on your breathing. In and out, just like that,” you encourage, settling on rubbing his back in measured passes. Then you go quiet on the off chance he needs that. 

In your newfound silence, Joel is forced to focus on the shaky breaths rising from his lungs. That’s when he accepts he’s not in control. Not in the grand scheme of things. There’s a whole big fallen world just outside the gates of this haven. A world that had taken people he loved and was cruel enough to let him be the one who lived to tell the tale. The heat that rises to his cheeks is made up of frustration more than distress, crackling like pop. Like coals. 

The ground takes on a vignette as he stares at it, his vision briefly closes in. You never withdraw your touch. 

When his breaths eventually begin to steady, you remember how to breathe yourself. With a tired exhale, he straightens back up to his full height, and you take a few small steps away. Maybe this wasn’t new, but a fact of life for the man who’d rode into Jackson in an air of mystery and a young girl by his side. Maybe he never wanted you to get a glimpse at this side of him. If he feels that way, he doesn’t make it obvious. He almost looks appreciative that you’d bothered enough to care. 

“Sorry to scare you,” he rasps, not meeting your gaze even though he can feel it. You want to tell him that there isn’t much that scares you anymore. At least that’s what you like to believe. “I’m usually alone.” 

Except, tonight, he wasn’t. And maybe that wasn’t such a terrible thing. 

•••

Howdy Stranger

This is Jackson Hole

The last of the Old West 

Joel reads the painted wooden sign as Tommy and Maria show him and Ellie around. There are people everywhere. Children playing outside, adults fluttering in and out of shops. All while the Teton mountains loom and watch over it all with their snow-capped peaks. He looks over at the girl when she nudges his arm, pointing to a Calico lounging on a porch. Despite her beaming smile, all he offers is a low hum. 

It was hard to be in the now when his thoughts were split between the past and future. Up until Jackson, there was no such thing as stability, and he couldn’t help but think about the day that the rug would be pulled from beneath the commune as well. Ellie’s smile fades when she notices the harsh squint of his face. He kicks himself for it.   

“Cat hater,” she mumbles under her breath.

Joel grunts and directs his attention back to his brother. 

When the tour comes to an inevitable end, Ellie sings Jackson’s praises after Tommy and Maria go their separate ways with a promise to reconnect later that day. He lets her talk as they make their way back to their new house, idly agreeing every once in a while. A few curious eyes fall on them as they walk, but Joel doesn’t pay them any mind. 

“Dude, are you even listening to me?” Ellie stops walking to give him a flat look. 

“I hear you,” he insists. “Been hearing you for the past ten minutes.”

There’s no snark in his tone, but Ellie still feels the slight sting of offense. “Well, sorry for being excited about having a nice place to live for once. It’s not like I was born into hell or anything—I mean the Boston QZ.” Sarcasm drips from her voice as she starts walking again, faster so it looks like they’re not together.

Joel swallows down guilt like it’s just another pill. His legs are long, so it doesn’t take much to catch back up with her.

“Hey…Kid…Ellie.” She keeps ignoring him. “This is new for me too, okay? Everybody’s got a different way of processing, can we agree on that?” It’s a fair enough proposal. He never had been forward when it came to sharing his thoughts. “Wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” she murmurs, deciding to take a break from her rambling for his sake. The mutual silence isn’t so bad. 

Someone he isn’t expecting to see is you. You’re wearing a backpack and ushering a line of young kids into the community center. One of the little girls stops and stretches her arms up towards you, earning a playful eyeroll before being lifted onto your hip. Joel doesn’t miss the way the afternoon sunlight catches your face. 

•••

The next day, a faint thump against the door startles Ellie as she sketches in the dining room. Rather than getting up from the table, she remains still, pencil in hand and brows furrowed. Upstairs, the spray of the shower continues as Joel lets it drown out everything else. Three light knocks eventually sound, and she musters up the courage to scurry to the front. 

She peeks out the window first, spotting you. Someone she hadn’t seen around. An amused smile pulls at her lips at the way you’ve seemingly wrestled the big basket you’re holding into a better grip than before. 

When she opens the door, you let out a relieved sigh. “Special delivery,” you say before introducing yourself. 

“That’s a really pretty name,” she compliments, already warming up to you. “I’m Ellie—is all that stuff for us?” When you nod, she excitedly steps aside and ushers you in. 

“I’m not gonna say you shouldn’t have because that’d be a lie,” she shamelessly admits. “You can put it right over here.” You follow her into the living room and place the welcome basket on the coffee table. 

A few of the ladies you volunteer with helped you put it together after your shift counseling for the spring break camp. There were cookies, seeds, natural soaps, feminine hygiene products, and even a knit blanket that looked particularly soft and cozy. Ellie wastes no time reaching out to run her fingers over it. A laugh bubbles up your throat when her jaw drops. 

“This is literally what clouds feel like.” She haphazardly pulls the blanket out the basket, wrapping it around herself like a cape. “If Joel says anything, this was specifically included for me.” 

“I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to share if he asked nicely,” you reason, amused. Ellie’s nose wrinkles. “But to be fair, we did think you’d be the one to really appreciate it.”

She smiles at being considered. “Who made it? This is, like, next level.” 

“A woman named Emilia,” you tell her. “She actually made me one back when Jackson was first being built up that I still have,” you tell her, taking a seat on the couch and looking around. The evening sunlight pours in through the windows, casting golden streaks onto the floors. “Now she’s always got a few on standby.” 

Ellie sits beside you, reaching out to dig through the other contents in awe. “They told us the commune's only, like, seven years old on our tour yesterday,” she recounts. Think you’ll have your blanket forever?” 

“Forever’s an awful long time. It might hold up,” you think aloud. Ellie nods, contemplative. “I can take you by to meet her sometime, if you’d like. She’s the resident seamstress, so you’ll probably end up crossing paths anyways.” 

“What about you? What do you do?” she asks, giving you her full attention. 

“I mainly help coordinate community events. Been stepping in to assist with the youth spring break camp for the last couple days, though,” you say. “Also bartend on the nights that I feel like it. Just for fun, you know?” 

Ellie's face lights up. “I’ve had whiskey before.” She puffs out her chest when she says it, and you play into her pride by raising an impressed brow. The first and last time you had a sip was when you snuck it from Nate as a teen. “But that’s really cool, though. The community stuff and all that.” You can tell by her tone that she means it. In more ways than one, you’re reminded of your younger self. 

“Joel’s gonna join the patrol. He says I’m too young, but that’s just bullshit.” She says the last part lower as if he’s somewhere listening. “I’ll figure out a way to make him cave.” There’s an air of confidence to her voice that suggests she’s done it before. The thought warms a tiny portion of your chest.

“I’ve gone out with my uncle Nate a few times. It can be a lot,” you admit. “He just wants you safe, Nate’s the same way.” 

As Joel stops at the top of the staircase, freshly showered, he catches those last words. He’d know your voice even if it’d been forever. His footsteps are quiet as he descends the stairs, but you hear him coming nevertheless. Ellie’s too busy sniffing the pine soap as you straighten up and glance his way. Joel’s eyes are as observant as you remember when they land on you, seeing into you, it seems. His damp hair is combed back in a way that makes him look more distinguished. 

“There you are.” You stand up with a smile. You’d been wondering how he was doing since the panic attack.

He wishes your warmth wasn't so compelling.  

Ellie whips around to look at him. “I know you said not to open the door to strangers—which is practically everybody at this point—but she’s really nice and brought us gifts so you can’t be mad at me,” she rushes out. He clocks the blanket around her shoulders. 

He hmphs. “That’s how they get you.” He’s not being serious, but Ellie frowns, trying to read through his eternal poker face. “Treats and a friendly smile.” Your lips twitch in amusement as Ellie narrows her eyes. 

When Joel starts walking your way, she consoles herself with the fact that he would've already asked you to leave if he sensed your intentions were off. The commune wasn’t filled with questionable people like that anyways. The two of them didn’t have to be apprehensive of every soul they came across anymore. 

He’s close enough now that you can smell the cedar soap on his skin. “I’m not a stranger,” you lightly defend. “Not entirely.” You look from Ellie to Joel. 

A wall rises in real time, shutting you out right along with the night you met. It happens in his eyes just like everything does. He hadn’t mentioned you to her, and it was your mistake for believing he would’ve at least passed on a name. 

You swallow back a small lump in your throat that may not be entirely just. “Anyways, hopefully you guys will be able to put this stuff to use.” 

“Of course we will,” Ellie pipes up. “Are you leaving already?” She hadn’t missed the finality that had crept into your tone. 

You nod. “Don’t wanna take up too much of your evening. I actually meant to come by sooner.” 

“Well, are you going to the dining hall for dinner?” Her gaze flicks to Joel. “Maybe you can come with us.” 

Joel knows he’s in trouble when he hears the fondness in Ellie’s voice. It’s the same sentiment he was straining to tamper down within himself. Every time he opened his mouth or looked at you, it tried to claw its way to the forefront. The last thing he needed was another person getting close enough to see that he was a million tiny pieces being held together by the glue of whatever god was keeping him alive. 

You decline her invitation, expressing plans to go to your uncle’s place. But you give her a rain check. When you go to leave, Joel allows his eyes to flitter down the rest of your body. 

That wouldn’t be the last he saw of you. But it was always from afar, lingering on the outskirts. Wishing there was a seamless way he could fall into your orbit without sending everything spiraling out of control. 

You were always looking right back at him with hope in your eyes, holding space. Waiting for your world to be shaken. 

•••

Laughter, chatter, and music drown out the insects that usually take precedence at night. Weeks of planning had finally come into fruition. All of Main Street is lined with fairy lights that cast their warm glow down on the summer festival. There was no shortage of entertainment, games, and food. It was a time to let loose and relish the sweetness in the air along with that of life. 

Nate plays his harmonica for a group of children around the bonfire, all clapping and stomping along. A smile graces your face as you walk by, waving at him. The fullness of your heart almost overrides the ache that has settled in the arches of your feet. You’d barely sitten down since earlier that morning when preparation began. There was a sense of responsibility that came along with the orange vest you were dawned in. The pressure to assist, and guide, and answer questions wasn’t all on you, but the other volunteers were better at taking breaks. 

Tommy’s grainy voice breaks into the air through a megaphone, “Thirteen-and-up three-legged races starting in five minutes, this is your last call. Grab a partner and make your way over to the east lawn,” he says. “Again, this is the last call.”

Joel and Ellie already happen to be seated at a picnic table that gives them a perfect view of the race setup and Tommy facilitating in an orange vest of his own. Ellie had already worked through her first honey cake and was eyeing Joel’s. He pretends not to notice until she looks up at him all wide-eyed.  

“Can I—” he slides his plate over to her. “Thanks.” 

“Your eyes are bigger than your stomach,” he lightly accuses, shaking his head. 

“What does that even mean?” She takes a bite. “Weirdo.” 

Joel just grumbles and tosses a napkin her way. She wipes her mouth and keeps staring at him. Not because she’s waiting for an answer, but because there’s amusement sparkling in his eyes. Which happens more often now that they’d had a couple months to settle into Jackson. A laugh was coming, she could feel it. 

“Quit gawking at me and eat.” There’s a tell-tale waver in his voice. 

“No.” Ellie lightly kicks his shin beneath the table and that’s what sets him off. 

He tries to bite back a chuckle, but he gives in when it doesn’t work out, shoulders shaking. Ellie starts grinning at him from across the table, and he kicks her back with the tip of his boot. 

“Hey!” She breaks into giggles and retaliates. He lets her have the little victory. 

A small smile lingers on his face when he regains his composure. They sit in a comfortable silence as Ellie finishes the rest of her dessert, taking in the festivities around them. 

It isn’t long before a girl with dark hair approaches their table. She’s a ball of masked nerves. “Hi,” she greets. “Ellie, right?” She says it as if it’s possible for her to have forgotten. As if after they sat together at last week’s movie night, she hadn’t been thinking about her since. 

Ellie get’s uncharacteristically squirmy. “Oh. Hey, Dina.” 

Joel can’t believe it.

Dina tucks a flyaway behind her ear. “My old partner bailed, so I was wondering if you’d maybe wanna do the three-legged race with me. I think we’d make a better team anyways.” Then she glances at Joel. “If you wouldn’t mind me stealing her away for a bit.” 

“Take her,” Joel quips, making Dina laugh. 

Warmth rushes to Ellie’s cheeks as she stands. “Sure, let’s go.” 

The two of them jog over to get prepped for the race. Joel watches the whole while, warmth kindling in his chest at the fact that she was slowly finding her tribe. The race doesn’t start for another couple minutes, and when it does, Ellie and Dina burst off into first. It’s intense. The whole ordeal is a mess of laughter, stumbling, and flailing limbs. In the end, the duo end up placing second, crossing the finish line only to fall into a heap of giggles with their legs tied together. 

Joel stands from the picnic table with a grunt to throw away all the empty plates. He has every intention to sit back down, but notices a few frazzled volunteers carrying mops and towels. Then his eyes rove over to the long line standing at the drink stands. Adults check their watches, children fidget. A woman in an orange vest is talking to another woman managing the stand. He doesn’t realize is you until you turn away from her and beeline towards the community center, looking stressed. 

“Hey,” he calls out to a stout man wearing an apron. “Do you know what’s going on?” 

He’s surprised Joel caught on. Everyone else was carrying on as usual, carefree and unaware. “There was a spill at the community center. You know Mr. Robertson’s special Summer Fest punch?” he asks in a thick Brooklyn accent, Joel nods because he’d heard the rave. Apparently it was made especially for the festival. “Kitchen’s flooded with it. I didn’t have time to build an ark,” he jokes.  

Joel wrestles with himself. “I’ll go see if I can help.” 

By the time you exit the community center, gaze fixed over your shoulder, you crash into Joel. He instinctively reaches out to steady you, touch firm but gentle. “Whoa, easy there.” The low timbre of his drawl is enough to draw your mind away from all the noise. “You alright? Here, let’s get out of the way.” You let him pull you aside by your elbow. 

When you look into his eyes, there’s so many things you wish it was the appropriate time to say. It’s been cordial between the two of you, but it always seemed like he was in a constant state of backing away, like an animal scared of giving into a primal craving.  

There was always a reason why he couldn’t stay in your presence longer than he did. He had to get back to Ellie, or turn in early for his patrol shift the next day, or some other excuse. Even during the game nights you hosted, he would always leave before his belly was full and the real fun was about to begin. When everyone was finally free of the day’s worries and truly ready to talk, laugh, and let everything ride on the toss of a dice. 

He’d resigned himself to enjoying you in the little here and there, the moments in between. So much so that even Ellie had begun to notice. It was in the way he never allowed himself to lean in too close whenever you were at his side. Or never fully crawled out of his shell no matter how many times you smiled sweetly or let your fingertips brush his forearm. 

“Does anything hurt?” He asks more intently. As he scans you over, he notices your clothes. The lower portion of your vest and the thighs of your flared jeans are stained with a wet, dark substance. 

“I’m fine, Joel.” You pull away from him with more force than necessary, feeling guilty for the way he swallows and takes a step back. “Sorry.” You release a heavy exhale, tears welling in your eyes with a dull sting. “I’m ruining everyone’s night.” 

Joel frowns. ���No you’re not. Tell me what happened.” 

“I was trying to transfer the extra beverage dispenser onto the wagon so I could wheel it out to the drink stand, but it slipped out of my grip,” you explain. “The lid came off and the punch spilled everywhere.” You wipe your tears away quickly, as if they’ll stain too. 

“Accidents happen,” Joel’s tone is steady like scripture, tenderness peeking through just enough to cling onto. “Everybody’s fine. The world's still turning.”

Nobody had reacted in an extreme manner. There were gasps and startled jumps, but assurances came rushing in as the janitorial volunteers insisted that they’d get everything cleaned up. Everyone in that kitchen knew that there were worse things in life than spilled juice. Sure, it was upsetting, considering the time Mr. Robertson spent and the people looking forward to drinking more, but it was a small mistake in the grand scheme of things. But when your heart is already heavy and your mind is tangled with other concerns, those little mishaps feel like the most devastating ones. 

There was a directness about Joel, though, that eased away the guilt crawling beneath your skin. It was like he understood what screwing up truly was and this was many light years from it. 

Dina spots Joel in the distance and points him out to Ellie. “There he is over there.” 

Their smiles fall from their faces when they get closer and realize you’re crying. “Holy shit, what happened?” Ellie looks between you and Joel, worry etched onto her face. 

“I just made a stupid mistake.” You sniffle, trying to regain your composure, not wanting to worry them.  There was always something unavoidably daunting about seeing adults cry. 

“You girls stay here with her for a second. I’ll be right back,” Joel instructs. 

A new song starts up by the live band that’s playing. It’s an instrumental rendition of Every Breath You Take. A decent crowd has gathered, nibbling on sourdough and nodding to the melody. Some people are wrapped in each other’s arms. Joel soaks it all in as he navigates back to the racing lawn. 

Tommy claps him on the back when he makes it and Joel returns the gesture. “You enjoying yourself, man?” Tommy asks. 

“Yeah,” he says distractedly. “There was a spill at the community center, so no more punch. You think you can get everybody on the same page?” 

“Copy that.” 

Tommy’s voice carries through the megaphone as Joel makes his way back to you, the announcement fading with each step. 

“Howdy, folks. Some of you may have already heard, but in case you haven’t, there’s been a little spill and we are unfortunately all out of Mr. Robertson’s world famous punch for the night. We apologize if you didn’t get the chance to try it, but I promise we’ll figure out a way to make it up to y'all. In the meantime, I heard the lemonade and ice tea ain’t half bad.” 

His words blur into the background as Joel makes it back to you. There are a few disappointed groans, but nobody is completely devastated by the news. They keep carrying on just as he knew they would. 

Tears no longer streak your face when Joel makes it back, Ellie and Dina seeming to have lifted your spirits a little more. 

“Do you wanna go get cleaned up?” Joel suggests. 

Now that you’re thinking about it, the feeling of your clothes sticking to your skin is beginning to grow uncomfortable. You take a deep breath at the thought of walking home, away from Summer Fest, all the energy, all the fun. Joel sees the disappointment on your face. 

“I can go with you,” he offers.

•••

The walk to your house is quiet, the sounds of the night's festivities now distant. The porch steps creak gently under your weight as the two of you ascend them. Joel watches as you unlock the door, but finds himself cemented as you step inside. Confusion, appreciation, frustration, and want are all amalgamated into one look directed right his way. Without saying a word, you head further inside, leaving the door open. 

Joel’s hands twitch at his sides like he’s a live wire wrought with energy. Bugs would fly in if he didn’t do something—that’s the justification he creates. You’re halfway to the laundry room when you hear the front door shut behind him as he follows after you. 

The living room is illuminated by dim lamplight as he walks through. A quick glance into the kitchen gives him sight of one of Ellie’s more recent drawings stuck to the refrigerator door with a smiley face magnet. It's a portrait of your face that you agreed to sit for one lazy afternoon while Joel was away on patrol. 

The air smells like you. Understated and sweet, floral and earthen. Small plants line multiple windowsills despite how convinced you were that you couldn’t keep anything alive. The whole commune would be worse off without you and he’d be the first to wilter away. 

At the sound of a zipper and clothes brushing against skin, he stops his pursuit of you. Miles away even though you’re mere yards apart. All he has is your shadow, dancing in the dim light pooling out of the laundry room and into the hall with him. He backs himself into the cool wall and closes his eyes, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. Up and down and up again. An SOS in the middle of a sea when salvation was right within reach. It gets quiet after a while. No more running water, or cabinet doors, or shuffling around. 

“You can let me in, you know?” comes your voice, so light it’s almost nothing. Joel releases a shaky breath and opens his eyes to the sight of you, dawned in old shorts and a graphic tee. You wish he would say something, anything. Share a fraction of what’s going on in his mind. “I’m right here, Joel.” 

“I know. I see you.” There’s a defensive edge to his voice that’s wounded around the edges, as if he’s trying to accommodate the truth that burns within his ribcage, his stomach, beneath the entirety of his skin. 

“So now what?” You swallow your nerves, studying his face, his neck. “We’re just gonna keep seeing each other for the rest of our lives and that’s it? No knowing, no feeling, no experiencing?” You ask. “No loving?”  

One by one, the walls close in, until it feels like you’re standing toe to toe with nothing but words as weapons and honesty being the only way out. It’s not a fight he’s ready for. He can trek through the harshest winters, fight off monsters and all manner of men, but he’s defenseless in front of you.

There will be no victory, no rising from battle with a bloodied fist or blade, or immediate relief akin to the coming of spring. The only way out is to dig within, and he already knew what resided there. It was a matter of carving it out and laying it on an altar for you to see as you did the same. It’s not a fight at all, it's a sacrifice. All risk with probable reward. 

“I don’t want that to be all that we do.” You’ve never heard Joel speak so quietly. It’s as if there’s Infected lurking nearby and he doesn’t want to be devoured. “Think about you too much.” 

“I was starting to think you didn’t like me at all. Not like how I like you,” you say. 

Joel swallows thickly, warm all over. “How do you like me?” 

You push out of the laundry room doorway to step closer to him, placing a gentle hand on his chest, feeling the warmth beneath his shirt, the beating of his heart. You let it thrum against your palm until a shallow breath slips past his lips, then you move to cup his stubbled jaw, lightly brushing your thumb over his lower lip. The urge to touch you back grows so great that he finally gives in and lets both of his strong hands settle on your waist.  

Joel can hear his heartbeat in his ears as he leans in towards you, studying your face, searching for any sign that this might be some elaborate ruse. Instead, he finds something so poignant that he doesn’t have the words to define. It’s as terrifying as it is wonderful to, for once, be unable to size up what he’s up against. 

You close the space in between you with a softness that takes his breath away. Bared heart meeting bared heart. Joel’s lips are gentle and unhurried, every second savored and not a single one missed. You try to focus but it feels like you’re falling and flying all at once. Then his fingers dig into your waist a little harder, a silent plea to stay there with him, the warmth of his kiss, the firmness of his body as he pulls you closer. 

Your hands find their way to the back of his neck to play with the hair curled at his nape. The kiss deepens not in urgency but a shared understanding. A promise sealed in the way your bodies fit together. And then, slowly, deliberately, Joel eases back, lips lingering on yours for a heartbeat longer until there’s a slight space in between again. Your breaths mingle as he rests his forehead against yours, thumb stroking tender circles on your waist. 

When you open your eyes, he’s already looking at you, wondering if you can feel that two worlds having converged into one, buzzing with a newness that’s as beautiful as all the words you’d kept bottled inside. 

•••

It hadn’t taken much. Just a hug and a few soft kisses pressed to the underside of his jaw. When Joel’s grumbling finally subsided, it made way for the soothing ripple of the river. You’d settled along the bank and stretched out a few blankets when you first arrived. An hour seemed to pass in the matter of a few seconds, laughter, conversations and all. Now the sun creeps closer and closer to the horizon up in the ombre sky. 

It wasn’t any fault of your own that you’d asked Joel if the date could extend a little longer. It’d been a month of getting to see him in this light, open and unguarded, generous with giving those slow, easy smiles. Willing to lay down across your lap like this when you asked sweetly enough. 

The small mouth of a fish breaks the surface of the water as you trace along his hairline, disappearing by the time you run the pad of your finger down his nose. His lips twitch as he continues to ward off sleep. This time, there’s no stopping a soft laugh from rising up your throat. That’s all it takes for his eyes to flutter open, blinking until they’re able to focus on the soft upturn of your lips. No sooner do they avert to the sky, assessing the fleeting light. 

“We gotta head back now,” his voice is gruff. When he moves to sit up, you place a delicate hand on the center of his chest and he settles back down with a sigh. “C’mon, sweetheart, the sun’s setting. I don’t want you out here in the dark.” 

Packing up and riding back to the commune meant this moment would be resigned to a memory. “A few more minutes won’t hurt,” you insist. 

Before Jackson and before you, every second was about enduring to the next. Life was an endless onwards, onwards, onwards reverberating through his veins. Slowing down was always a risk until you showed him that sometimes life’s most worthwhile moments were in the stillness. Somedays that was easier to remember than others, but he sure did put in an effort. 

“I think you’re enjoying this more than I am anyways,” you tease. The corners of his lips quirk upwards before he can stop them. 

You continue on like that, tracing his face, occasionally glancing up at the snow-capped peaks of the mountains. Then an animal catches your attention across the way, lean and tall with short antlers protruding from its head. You suck in a breath of pleasant surprise, and Joel startles upright thinking the worst. His shoulders relax when he sees the creature. It bends its neck down to nibble at something in the grass until deciding to gallop away. 

“Just a mule deer.” He gives you a look. 

“I know, sorry. I get excited.” You offer an apologetic smile and he's reminded of how beautiful you look in the light of the setting sun, features aglow. He doesn’t say anything, just soaks you in here and now. An airiness fills your chest. 

He stands with a groan, extending a helping hand back down to you. When you’re steady on your feet, he takes your chin in one gentle hand and tilts your head back so he can align his lips with yours. The kiss is brief, and he follows it up with a soft peck.  

“Will you let me take you back home now?” he questions. “Ellie’s gonna have our heads if we’re late for game night. Especially when she’s choosing the line up.” 

•••

No heads roll that night. Plenty of dice do, while Uno cards are slapped onto the coffee table, and Jenga blocks fall. Tommy, Maria, Dina, and your uncle Nate, eventually file out of Joel’s house, leaving the three of you alone. Ellie feigns sleep on the couch as soon as it’s time for cleanup, and dozes off for real as you and Joel start taking care of everything yourselves. 

He steps up behind you as you’re standing at the kitchen sink, snaking his arms around your middle. A curious hum rises up your throat as you lean back into him. 

“I think somebody cheated during Jenga tonight,” he hushes against the shell of your ear, relishing the way you shiver at the warmth of his breath.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  

Joel noses at the back of your head. “So you weren’t the one touchin’ me during that last round?” he asks. “Scratching my back, squeezing my thigh.” 

“It was innocent,” you insist. “It's a stressful game, I was just trying to ease your nerves. How was I supposed to know your hands would get all shaky?” 

A sudden chuckle shakes his chest, sending a ripple of warmth through you. “Ease my nerves? We weren’t even on the same team.” His fingers squeeze your hips in quick, gentle pulses, making you arch into him in a spell of helpless giggles. Joel evades your attempts to grab his wrists, but shows you mercy when you turn around, looking up at him through your lashes like you could do no wrong. 

“You’re lucky I happen to like you an awful lot.” He places both hands on the counter behind you, effectively caging you in. 

You smooth your hands up his chest, admiring the soft lines by his eyes, the handsome bump of his nose. “I know. I’m the luckiest person alive.” 

“No, that’s me,” Joel whispers. 

He’s certain of it. 

- 

Thank you so much for reading. I’d love to hear your thoughts, it’s my favorite thing.

[coquettepascal]

texas sweet

summary: joel is your friendly neighborhood dad of the year, so why is his driveway empty on father's day? better yet, why do you feel the need to make up for everyone elses absence?

tags: 18+, smut, handjob, desc of joel mastubrating, a "massage", neighbor!joel x f!reader, massages, general cheesiness, soft!joel, pathetic!joel, almost(?) sub!joel, reader gets blueballed (sorry), biting, joel whimpering, joel being a proud girl dad, no-outbreak, ellie and sarah exist, tommy is mentioned(!!), joel is a southern gentleman, mention of reader having parents, no desc of reader but she can fit between joel and the couch, dilf!joel (yum)

-> part. ii here!

a/n: my first joel fic ever... i would like to thank every person who has written no-outbreak!joel or pre-outbreak!joel. i freaked it.

texas sweet masterlist and my masterlist

(4.9k, not beta read.)

Moving to Texas was not the plan, or even the “blessing” your mother claimed it would be. Being the one who took over your grandparents home after they moved to a seniors facility? Fantastic! Amazing, even. Leaving your job, friends, and boyfriend, back home? Horrible. Heart wrenching and annoying. 

Austin, for the most part, was lonely. Long distance didn’t end up working between you and your boyfriend, your friends just got busier with their jobs, and it wasn’t like your parents could just drive 14 hours to see you every weekend. Co-workers were nice, but honestly who really wants to hang out with people you already spend 40 hours a week with? Maybe you were jaded, or picky, which was what your mother also claimed, or maybe your whole life was uprooted for what felt like no reason.

What you weren’t picky about, was the view from your bedroom window. You’re not a peeping tom, or a perv, but it isn’t your fault that your dilf-y next door neighbor is so easy on the eyes.

No, moving to Austin was not a blessing, but Joel Miller was.

Joel was the neighborhood guy. Need an oil change? Joel. Need your fence fixed? Joel. Block party? Joel’s yard. It’s like he doesn’t know how to say no to anybody, that southern politeness deeper than the drawl that lies in his voice. When you had first moved here he had helped you move your couch through the door, all smiles and polite nods. He barely introduced himself before he was asking if you needed any help, and he had called you “young lady,” which made you giggle. Such a giving man, but of course he was. A single father to two daughters? “No” wasn't in his vocabulary.

Sometimes, you think if your dad was as good a father as Joel Miller was, maybe you wouldn’t be fiending after him with such ferocity. Watching him with his two girls, Sarah and Ellie, was something that tugged your heartstrings no matter what. Sarah wasn’t around a lot anymore, apparently she went away to a fancy college. You had helped her pack all her stuff into Joel’s truck, but quickly went inside when you saw him getting misty eyed, you didn't want to embarrass the poor guy. Ellie is younger than Sarah and still lives at home. Honestly, you didn’t know much about her apart from the fact that she was adopted and that she’s in high school. She’s always happy to chat, but she’s also always going somewhere, which leaves Joel lonely sometimes. 

Joel seems better suited for loneliness than you are though. His brother Tommy comes around pretty often, though they seem fairly opposite. Tommy truly is sweet, has always chatted with you during block parties (even if it may be for nefarious reasons when he’s had too many drinks,) but he looks like… a fuckboy. Without fail, every time he rolls up to Joel’s house, he’s blasting some shitty new country music and wearing Pit Viper sunglasses as he carefully parks his spotless truck. Despite their differences though, they get along just as well. Your summer evenings are often interrupted by the sound of their laughs and the crisp sound of the two cracking open some cold ones. 

So why is it that when Father’s day rolls around, Joel’s driveway is empty?

You aren’t watching on purpose, you just happen to glance over that way a lot. The only action you see from his house is Ellie leaving for her friend's house sometime after noon, like usual on a Sunday. No signs of Sarah or Tommy. Part of you figured that maybe Sarah would make the lengthy drive down from her school, or maybe that Tommy would show up at some point, but nobody does. 

‘Not creepy,’ you assure yourself as you go upstairs to peer through your bedroom window to see if anyone is there. You could totally look through the kitchen window that directly faces his backyard, but you fear the day he’s looking right back at you. 

Looking outside, you see nothing. Joel’s grey-blue truck sits unmoved in the driveway, his plants are watered though so you guess he came outside at some point. The thought makes you feel a bit sad, the image of Joel and his soft eyes watering the plants, whistling to himself and trying to tell himself it doesn’t matter that nobody came. He probably really doesn’t care at all, a lot of men aren’t very sentimental or emotional about days like this, but you care.

He’s a good man, a good father, and a good neighbor. Seeing him be underappreciated on what is basically his day is ticking you off for some stupid reason. When 3pm rolls around you decide that you have to do something for Joel, it feels wrong not to. 

Which is how you end up in line for the register at Home Depot. You sat in the parking lot for 10 minutes racking your brain, trying to think of things that guys like, but came up with nothing. Joel is a contractor, so he’ll probably find some use out of a 50 dollar Home Depot gift card, but it still feels too impersonal. Joel literally fixed your toilet when a date you took home broke the handle off the tank mid-vomit. He’s too nice to just hand a stupid gift card with “Happy Father’s day” scrawled across the mini paper envelope. He deserves something thoughtful, something gentler than a gift card for (probably) his job. 

…Which is how you end up waiting in line for the register at the supermarket. You have a bouquet of flowers in your hand, with a Home Depot gift card shoved in your jacket pocket. It feels utterly ridiculous to give Joel Miller flowers, to pick out which colours you think he’d like and get the florist to wrap them up neatly with a bow, but you have a good reason. At some point in the past week you had seen a post about how a lot of men never receive flowers. It resurfaced in your head as you picked your brain again, making you wonder if Joel had ever received flowers. You know that he was married once, but that was when Sarah was little, it’d probably been 10 or even 15 years since he had any gestures like that made for him.

Not that this was for romance reasons. It was for father’s-appreciation-day reasons. Of course.

Maybe you shouldn’t be so invested in your neighbors emotions and life, but it’s too late now. You carefully pack away the flowers in the back seat of your car, snuggling the gift card into the ribbon that holds the flowers together. 

—

And if you thought that standing in line at Home Depot, or at the supermarket was bad, it’s so much worse trying to work up the courage to knock on Joel’s front door. You can’t figure out how to hold this bouquet of flowers behind your back without dropping them, so you just awkwardly knock on his door with one hand, flowers in the other. At least the gift card is managing to stay in place where you tucked it, but you wish you told the florist not to write his name in cursive.

Your repeating thoughts of “Is this weird? Am I weird?” are interrupted when he opens the door.

Joel looks… normal. He doesn’t look sad like you thought he might, if anything he looks more confused at you being there. His brown hair is tousled slightly and he’s wearing pajama pants, even though he smells fresh. Joel’s eyes meet yours and he tilts his head quietly, as if waiting for you to go on, but what do you even say? Oh shit that’s right–

“Happy father’s day,” your voice comes out shyly. You shove the flowers at him a little abruptly and he blinks in surprise, accepting them. It’s awkward for a second, the way his eyebrows shoot up as he notices the cursive lettering of his name written on the envelope.

“These’re for me, darlin’?” He asks curiously, still looking over the flowers.

A stammering of “um” and “yeah” leave your mouth pretty quickly and he smiles. You’re pretty sure he says thank you, but you just kind of stare at him awkwardly. A beat passes between the two of you as he admires the gift. “You uh– You don’t think of me as your dad, do you?” Joel asks. Oh fuck. You hadn’t thought about the fact that maybe that was what he would take away from this. All of your thoughts had been consumed by worries that he’d think you were trying to hit on him, but here he was thinking that you thought of him as a father figure. Which you didn’t. Your dad is fine, no need to replace him, at least not at this point. 

“No, no. Oh my god– Sorry,” You choke out, half laughing. It’s a quiet moment on the porch for a second, just the two of you standing there. Maybe you should explain your thought process.

“It’s just that you’re a dad and like– not to sound like a weirdo freak but nobody’s been at your house all day and it made me sad for you. Not that I pity you but,” your voice trails off as you fear you’ve made this worse. Joel seems a bit surprised at this, mouth opening slightly but then transitioning to a soft smile.

“And what if I told you that I wanted everyone t’leave me alone today?” He asks you slyly. And oh god, that is so much worse than him mistaking this gesture for flirting or pity. You never would have thought that maybe the guy who does everything for everyone probably just wants to be left the hell alone for a gift. Your heart drops in your chest, taking all the blood in your face with it. Embarrassment floods you with a force you didn’t realize possible, stuttered apologies leaving your lips as fast as you can. Joel shakes his head, laughing quietly as you sputter “sorry” repeatedly, like a broken sprinkler.

“I’m jokin’, sweetheart. I appreciate this,” he says. The crows' feet by his eyes shouldn’t be as charming as they are, but combined with that rumbling laugh and smile… he could get away with anything. He plucks the Home Depot gift card from the ribbon and huffs a laugh, like he’s impressed.

Well that’s… something? It made him smile right? Maybe feeling bad for Joel was better than feeling stupid in front of him. You step back, towards the stairs of his porch, but he shakes his head. “You were really this worried?” He asks, admiring the flowers. That makes your heart bloom in your chest, seeing how much he really liked this. Joel didn’t seem much like a flower guy, but you saw the way he kept his yard neat, with tulips in the spring and his lawn trimmed squarely. Shyly, you nod in response to his question. It feels silly to worry for him like this, you don’t know if he considers you a friend the way he is in your head.

“S’awful sweet,” he tells you. Something about his presence is so big, a balance of hospitality and intimidation all at once. Maybe it’s his big stature, broad shoulders and thick arms, a body built for work. Or his voice, the strong timbre of it, humbled in southern twang. Joel is a force of warmth, a heat that can’t be contained. His heart shines through his golden skin, forcing whoever he looks at to have a spotlight. That’s where the intimidation lies, in how he makes you feel like there’s a halo over your head, all his attention right there. 

He’s so hot you don’t even want him to look at you.

But there he is anyways, smiling as he admires the gift again, dorkily leaning in to dramatically huff the flowers. His mouth is moving but you're deafened by the sensation of a blush on your face. You thought it was just a silly little crush, because who wouldn’t find Joel attractive. He’s handsome, hard working, and just an all around traditional man. But this attraction… It's like your crush on him has given you tinnitus. His lips are moving and you aren’t registering the words. Wait shit, he’s speaking–

“Darlin’?” Joel calls. He looks at you, head tilted, and still fucking smiling. The way his eyes glimmer, the crows feet that squeeze them into a smile… Why is it so hard to hear him?

“I asked if you wanted to come in,” he repeats. 

—

You’ve never been inside Joel’s house, but you’d never thought about it either. Being in it, now, it all makes sense. Photos of his daughters are framed everywhere, their achievements plastered on the walls in shines of silver and gold. It’s hard not to imagine Joel hunched over his kitchen counter, tediously cutting pictures out to place them in frames. He was only an idea before, an idea of a man, and now he has become one wordlessly. All it took was stepping inside his house, smelling him everywhere. Life dances in the jackets that are tossed over dining room chairs, the toolbelt dumped by the shoe rack at the door. The picture of Joel you held in your mind begins to come alive, the movements in the details of his life stealing your breath. He is more than a good man, he is a great one.

And now, you have to strike up a conversation with him.

Joel grunts as he sits down on the couch beside you, placing two glasses of water down. He places his glass in front of the can of beer sitting on a coaster, distorting the label to nothing but warped blue and red. Is he hiding that he was drinking? Why is that cute? 

A pause hushes both of you as Joel gets comfortable, sitting down. He’s paused a show, but it just looks like it was whatever movie was playing on the local TV channel. 

“You must be so proud of them,” you say, eyes glazing over the pictures of Sarah and Ellie. You can tell exactly which photos were taken with a camera and which were taken with his phone. One picture of Ellie, maybe when she was 13 or 14, is from her soccer tournament. She’s smiling, holding up a ribbon for MVP, and Joel’s thumb is in the bottom corner. It’s strange to realize that Joel has basically been a father twice over, but also admirable. 

He talks for a little while, rambling about Sarah and her time up at college, and also how Ellie has been doing better in school this year. You always had a feeling Ellie was a bit feistier than Sarah was, but to hear how proud Joel is of her anyways makes your heart flutter. His love for them was so unconditional, so why weren’t they here today? You ask him, a half smile crossing his lips as he hears your question.

“Sarah called me ‘round lunchtime, one of them video calls. Had lunch with my girl and got to catch up with her. She’s so damn busy, y’know that? Always studying and,” he catches his breath, realizing he’s blabbing again. A reddish tone creeps up his neck in embarrassment.

“Point is, she called. Was nice of her, I miss her lots,” He finishes quietly.

Your eyebrow raises. He didn’t mention Ellie. Joel huffs.

“I’m 99% sure she’s over at Dina’s making me a gift, but it’s fine that she forgot. I’ve been on her ass about homework, fair’s fair.”

He looks cute when he’s begrudging, one side of his mouth sliding to the side so part of his cheek puffs over it. You nod, making a comment in response. The conversation is so smooth you forget what you’re saying as soon as you’re laughing. 

This is easier than you thought it would be. Joel’s always been friendly, obviously, but you just assumed he would be more closed off than this. Even if it’s just rambling about his daughters, or Tommy, or the jobs he’s been managing and how annoying his clients are, it’s something more. Something more than the passing glances and small conversation you’ve had before.

You talk a bit about your own life, how tough the move to Texas was, how lonely it can be. Joel doesn’t seem as receptive to this, but there’s an understanding in his eyes that you can feel. He’s a tough clam to slide your knife into, and you doubt you’ll feel his tongue today. The eager blabber he has for his family and career doesn’t extend to himself, and it seems you’ve hit a wall with him. Or maybe you’ve hit too close to home. “Sorry,” you say, feeling a little weird. 

This whole day has felt like you’re pulling against a lead Joel wasn’t even holding in the first place, like you’re always doing too much. But just like the rest of the day, he isn’t holding the rope around your neck. He’s surging forward with reassurances blooming out of his mouth, Texas sweet to the bone. 

He shakes his head, telling you that it’s fine, he gets it. A joke about being a single father, a smile directed at you, consoling. Vaporub for your congested anxieties.

“I’m sorry darlin,” Joel starts, and fuck is he sending you home? Is that your cue to leave? You did too much, he was just being nice.

“-- I didn’t even offer you water when you came in. D’you need somethin’ to drink?” He asks.

God, doesn’t he get tired of being this nice? Your neighbors warned you that he was a grump when you first moved here, dirty liars. 

“Oh, sure, uh. Water would be good, thanks,” you reply.

You’re only half paying attention to the grunt he lets out when he gets up the first time, your eyes busying themselves with the way his cotton tee stretches across the muscled planes of his back. But, after he hands you the glass of water and groans when he sinks back into the couch, you notice. 

You down the glass like you’re parched, but really your mouth just needs to be full right now. The sound of his groans are bouncing in your ear canals as your neck flushes red with each gulp of water. If he notices, he doesn’t say anything.

“Bad back?” You ask after you catch your breath. 

He hums in response, talking about how it comes with the job he has. “All that lifting in my early years…” as if he’s a thousand years old. Joel mentions that he’s been to the chiropractor a few times, thanks to Sarah’s begging and pleading.

“I don’t know, I think it’s gimmicky. They get you on the table and the guy feelin’ you up acts like he’s Christ himself,” Joel says, rolling his eyes. 

The idea of Joel, shirtless and face down, grumbling as some guy works his hands over his skin. The idea of Joel groaning in relief as someone else works those knots out, God you wish you were a chiropractor, you wish you could put your hands all over him.

Greed hardens over your mind like a shell, and the words tumble out of your mouth before you can stop them.

“I could– I could help, maybe. My dad used to have a pretty bad back and I kinda figured out how to work knots out.”

Joel’s eyes widen, looking over to you with mild interest. For the first time today, around Joel, you don’t feel like you’ve overstepped. In fact he looks interested in this offer. A beat passes between the two of you, hesitation caught in his throat it seems.

It’s probably super fucked up in his head, his younger neighbor coming over and offering to rub him down. But your mind is still greedy, coated in thoughts of his skin under your palms, and that southern rumble that’s given you dilf earworms.

He looks like he’s about to say no when you speak again.

“You don’t even have to lay down, or take your shirt off. Could just lift it up,” you offer. 

Joel still looks like he’s going to say no, the left side of his mouth raising to make up some reason. You can’t let him, not when you’ve been this ballsy. Walking out of here now would make this infinitely more awkward.

“It’s your day, Joel,” you supply him with a reason to say yes. The reason might be silly, might be a last minute add-on to his father’s day, but who cares.

Apparently not Joel, since he pulls his shirt up to his shoulders, the fabric scrunching around his broad frame.

—

You feel a little stupid, slotted behind Joel on the couch. The two of you are basically shoved up against one another, Joel wriggling to give you access to his lower back. He hasn’t said anything yet, no reassurance that this backrub is any good. You think you’re doing well, you feel the knots loosening. It might be better this way, him not making noise. The groan you heard earlier was more than enough to push you into a frenzy.

Your hands work further down, where his waist begins to pull in. Looking closer you can see where the softness of his tummy is, a fatherly badge of honor. Continuing your movements, you gently press your thumbs into the flesh there, and earn yourself Joel’s first noise.

Not a grunt, groan, complaint, or cuss. A whimper.

Your voice clashes with his, both of you talking over each other accidentally.

“Are you okay–” you ask as his voice flounders again, a “Darlin--” leaving him out of his own volition.

Pulling your hands away you begin to pull his shirt back down his back, mortified. How could you claim you were good at this and then hurt his back more? Joel’s been through enough today.

“Please don’t stop,” Joel’s voice grabs your brain again, forcing your focus.

He’s sliding his shirt up again, just by rolling his shoulders as he hunches over, waiting for you to continue. His face is in his hands, and his ears are pink. It’s the first time he’s asked you for anything tonight, you can’t refuse him. 

Placing your hands back where they were, you begin to massage again. It seems like his lower back is the main problem, with the way he’s grunting into his palms. As your hands work away the aches he begins to swear to himself. 

“Fuck,” he grunts as your thumbs dig deep, soothing a pain he hasn’t felt eased in years. 

This is good. Pride spreads in your chest, knowing he feels better. Your hands work away, and you get laser focused on untangling these massive knots in his back. Eventually you break your focus, switching to softer rubs and small scratches up and down his back.

Tearing your eyes away from his skin, you realize the throw pillow that was beside you earlier is gone. The yellow corner of the cushion peeks at you from where you saw Joel’s belly earlier, over his lap. A thick forearm is crushing it into himself there, the veins in his neck pulsing. 

Flames lick up your face, onto the tips of your ears and down your neck, heating your spine. Is he aroused right now? “Joel?” You ask quietly. 

He shakes his head, voice tight.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Just– it just feels nice,” he admits.

Your hands pause. Okay, so he’s admitted he’s hard. What do you do now? Keep rubbing his back and blueball the poor guy? On Father's day? That seems mean, and awkward. Everything about this is awkward though, so it couldn’t really get worse.

“I could… I could help it feel better,” you offer meekly.

You’re not scared of a dick. You aren’t. Your voice is quiet because it seems like he is horribly ashamed of this, probably feeling guilty.

Joel rubs a hand over his face.

“You don’t have to, you can just go,” he says, but his voice betrays him. Need is sewn in his tone, a desperation.

Part of you wonders how long it’s been since someone touched him like this as you reach around, palming the front of his jeans. The hiss he lets out tells you it’s been awhile. How wrong that is, an attractive man like Joel being forced to get his own rocks off.

Getting the button and fly of his jeans down is difficult when you can’t see, even worse when your brain is making up images of Joel masturbating. He’s so shy when he’s being touched, does he bite his sheets? Bite his other fist in the shower? Poor boy, he deserves this. 

His hips lift off the couch to help you shove his jeans and briefs down. Joel’s bare ass slides against you and he cringes. “Is it okay if you don’t look?” He asks. 

You hate that he seems so insecure, but you’re not going to push him. Nodding into his skin, you press your face to his back, resting your cheek near the blade of his shoulder. He’s heavy in your palm, warm skin with veins your fingers can trace over.

Telling him that he’s big feels redundant, you’re sure he knows that about himself. Neither of you seem very sure about what you’re doing, the shuddering breaths from his chest matching your hesitant grasp around his cock. 

“Are you okay?” You ask again.

Joel nods into his hand, asking you to please touch him. 

Admittedly, it’s a dry hand job, but Joel doesn’t seem to mind. The flick of your wrist is fluid, even if your arm is cramping from being wrapped around him. Joel lets out these little noises, grunts and whines. His hand is covering his eyes while the other one rests lightly on your forearm, like he wants to know that you’re still there.

Need is exuding from him, making his desperation take over his need to really give a shit about how submissive he might be appearing. He shudders particularly hard as you squeeze on the upstroke, voice choking.

“Shit– shit, please,” he gasps, “please can I spit in your hand?” 

It’s a little surprising, but again, you can’t refuse him. You say “yeah” into his skin, closing your eyes as you feel him spit into your hand. It’s filthy, his saliva on you as he guides your hand to jerk him off. Joel uses your palm to slick the head of his dick, teasing himself on your skin.

It’s the first time you’ve seen him be selfish all day. Part of you wants to call him a good boy, but part of you also knows this might not be normal for Joel. Hell, this isn’t normal for you either. 

Instead, you ask him if it’s good. A rasped “yes,” emanates from him between a low groan and a curse. Your head lifts from his back as he begins to shudder, his orgasm creeping closer. Listening to him is so good, you’re a mess between your legs, where your core nudges his ass.

Without a thought, you sink your teeth into the meat between his shoulder and his neck. Not enough pressure to bruise or hurt, just to let him know you’re there. There was no intention to push him over the edge, but your little bite does. A guttural groan is forced out of him as he comes into your hand, stringing sticky between your fingers. 

“Fuck– fuck I’m sorry, oh my god,” he pants, shivering. 

Your head is shaking again, reassuring him that it was okay, that he’s okay. 

“It’ll wash off,” you joke, feeling the stick of him on you. 

—

Joel does help you wash it off, once he’s done redressing. He’s clingy though, arms around your waist and chin hooked over your shoulder as you wash your hands in his kitchen sink. He’s definitely sleepy, eyes blinking slowly when you peek at him while you dry your hands.

You step close to him, your damp hands meeting his dry ones. The awkward spirit of the evening has been killed off, his shyness melted away.

“Usually I’d offer to return the favor but… I have to pick up Ellie from her friend’s house now. I’m really sorry, darlin’,” he admits.

Shaking your head, you push away the negative feeling that surfaces. How are you supposed to go back to being neighbors after that? But also, what did you really expect?

Joel leads you to the door, legs a bit shakey. A smug feeling joins the negative ones in your chest at that, but it’s not enough. 

“I really do apologize,” Joel says again, “but this just gives me an opportunity to see you again. If you’d like, obviously. I think I owe ya dinner.” 

And there he is, not holding your lead but reassuring your heart. He wants to see you again.

Your eyes meet his in the dim light of the hallway, catching those sweet eyes in your own. He looks so hopeful, so apologetic too.

“I’d like that, but you don’t owe me anything. It’s Father’s day,” you point out. 

Joel rolls his eyes. This Father’s day excuse is a little overused between the two of you now, but it’s still cute to him since you’re the one saying it. He opens the door for you, slipping his own boots on and grabbing his keys.

“Fine,” Joel says, “but when Pretty Neighbor day rolls around, you let me know.

[joszns]

caught red handed ✭

perv!ellie x fem!reader

warnings: ellie’s a lil perv, panty sniffing, mild degradation, masturbation, fingering, 18+, men and minors DNI. I think that’s all!

“oh fuck, fuck, right there!” you whimpered, ellie’s strap pounding into you. she grunted, a bead of sweat dropping onto your arched back.

she grabbed your hips as a way to steady herself, obsessed with the way your ass bounced with every deep thrust.

“im gonna cum, ellie, m-gonna!!” incoherent babbles and sobs left your throat as you neared your peak.

“ellie…ellie…ellie…ELLIE!”

she groaned, rolling onto her side.

you leaned against her doorframe, sweatpants resting low on your hips, crop top cut high. how she wished she could actually touch you underneath those clothes, but all she could do was just be a fucking peeping tom.

“what do you want?” ellie replied lazily, clenching her thighs together. she felt her arousal, silently cursing you for interrupting her dream.

and for just waking her up in general. she values sleep very much.

“im about to go grocery shopping. do you want me to get you anything??” you asked.

“just like…some popcorn…can I text you this later?” ellie asked, rolling back over and snuggling into the covers. she heard you sigh, peeking out from behind them to make sure you had gone. when she heard the door slam, she was safe.

she quickly got up and went into your room, sifting through your laundry until she found a pair of panties. ellie held the slightly damp fabric to her nose, whimpering at the scent of you. she felt more heat pool between her legs, her clit throbbing against her boxers.

ellie returned to her room, shutting the door behind her and shoving her hand into her boxers. she whined, her sopping cunt finally getting the attention it deserved. she inhaled deeply, breathing in and memorizing how you smelled.

“fuck…”

her fingers circled her clit, knees buckling as she slid down the door. she opened her mouth, allowing your panties to fall on her tongue. ellie moaned, fully soaking through the panties with her saliva. her mind began to wander, picturing you twitching and trembling on her tongue as she would eat you out.

how she wished she could.

she was so jealous of every girl you brought home, wishing she was the one making you moan and cry out in pleasure.

ellie scrambled up and went towards her bed, covering herself before continuing to assault her clit.

“ellie, you never texted me what you wanted so you get your own shit or use what I got!” you shouted, placing the grocery bags on the counter.

oh fuck.

“ellie! where are you?” you called out, walking down the hallway and stopping at her door.

she whined, desperately trying to make herself finish before you came in.

“what are you doing…” you opened her door to see ellie quickly hiding something, her hair messy and face flushed.

“sorry i was…working out.” she lied.

“in your bed, under the covers?”

“yeah. not weird at all.”

you looked at her quizzically, stepping further into the room,

“i see some boxers on the floor, are you lying to me, williams?” you asked, approaching her bed.

ellie’s heart raced.

“um..” she stammered.

“were you jacking off?” you pressed on, running a nail down her exposed collarbones.

“i-maybe…” ellie practically whimpered, her clit throbbing beneath the covers.

“yeah? i hope you know, ellie, i can see my panties back there.”

she flushed red, your observation making her even more aroused.

god, she was fucking nasty.

“did i interrupt you before you finished? poor thing…” you whispered into her ear, ghosting your fingers over her tank top covered breasts. her bare nipples ticled your palm as you traced circles into the fabric.

ellie breathed heavily in response.

“such a pervert…” you teased, now massaging her breasts with your whole hand.

“‘s true..” she whimpered, clenching her thighs together. “im fuckin’ nasty, baby.”

you leaned closer to her face, noses brushing against eachother.

“ive noticed how you watch me undress sometimes,” you continued, sliding your hand under the covers and lightly tracing your finger over her sopping cunt. “why do you think i always start groping myself huh? why i put on a show whenever my girls come over?”

she felt like she was gonna explode. her eyes flicked from your lips to your eyes, struggling to focus as your slowly teased her.

“please…” ellie moaned softly, pushing her hips into your palm.

“please what? want me to give in to your fantasies, ellie?” you said, leaning even closer.

she pushed her hips into your palm again, moaning at the contact. you closed the space between you two, firmly pressing your lips onto hers. you applied pressure to her clit, rubbing circles over the sensitive bud. ellie moaned into the kiss, gripping the covers until her knuckles still white as she tried to process what was happening.

you pushed your other hand up her shirt, groping ellies tits. she grabbed your waist, aggressively feeling you up like her life depended on it. she was going absolutely insane. you pulled away from her, watching your fingers work into ellies cunt while she moaned and trembled.

“why don’t you shut up and put my panties back in your mouth huh?” you said as ellie cried out.

goddamn.

this might just be the best night of her life.

[asgards-princess-of-mischief]

Last Updated: 2023-12-25

Main

Lucifer Morningstar x Reader

Seasonal

Lucifer Morningstar x Reader: Winter Edition || Lucifer Morningstar x Reader: Valentines Day Edition

See Also: Navigation || Private T.B.R.

[janiehellion]

After Hours Duty

ONESHOT

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: You thought your job as the babysitter of Lucifer's daughter would keep you safe from temptation and you never expected to be tempted by him. But when the opportunity arises, you find it impossible to maintain your professional distance.

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR X FEM!READER

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: SMUT

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 4.428

MASTERLIST

"Would you like anything else, sir?" You asked, turning around to the man who had just spoken to you. But he shook his head, and you smiled as he walked away. Following him with your eyes for a while longer, you sat down on the couch, resting your head back against it.

Too bad you were not the hit-and-run type; otherwise, you would have taken advantage of the situation already. But these things didn't interest you, especially since you were babysitting that man's daughter. And you didn't believe in love at first sight or anything like that anyway. Let alone with a man who was literally walking and talking sex on legs.

You sighed, crossing your hands behind your neck and stretching your legs out in front of you, when suddenly, a cough made you reopen your them quickly. You looked around and found him in front of you again, staring at you with a drink in his hand.

"Excuse me, but can you move, my dear? I usually sit there to relax after a long day."

Fuck... And you thought you would have the couch all to yourself this time. But you nodded quietly and moved a little. This wasn't your home after all.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," you answered, looking down, but not without catching the slight smile he gave you.

Lucifer then turned to look fully at you and smirked when he realized that you were clearly staring at him from the corner of your eyes. Embarrassed, you smiled back as soon as you noticed. You knew that you couldn't stare at a man just like that, especially if he looked like he was crafted by God himself.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, you tried to relax again, reaching into your pocket. While looking for your mobile phone to at least distract yourself, your hand touched his, and instantly, you felt chills running through your body, turning into a throbbing ache between your legs.

"So, my daughter is finally in bed and sleeping? It would've taken me hours, if I'm being honest here. You're good at what you do, but I don't think that's the only thing you're good at."

"Excuse me, sir?" You froze at his words.

You didn't know what else to say, and you didn't really want to ask. Still, you had other things on your mind, and apparently, he knew all about it.

The silence felt between you and Lucifer felt uncomfortable as he took a slow sip of his drink. Even a movement as simple as drinking made him look more otherworldly—dangerously alluring.

"You seem nervous," he smirked, swirling the drink in his glass. "Why is that?"

Your heart started racing. "I wouldn"t say nervous, sir. Just... alert."

He laughed, quiet and knowing. "Alert? To what, exactly?"

You swallowed hard. You couldn't admit that your body was reacting to his presence in ways you hadn’t expected. You couldn't admit that every movement he made sent heat through your body, making you feel like you were burning alive.

"Nothing, sir. I just like to be aware of my surroundings."

He leaned in slightly, close, but not too much. "And do you like what you see?"

You inhaled deeply, but before you could answer, he smirked and leaned back into the couch. "Never mind, I already know the answer." Then, after a pause, he added, "You intrigue me."

Your breath hitched at his words, but after a couple of minutes of silence, you finally felt calmer. Lucifer still smiled at you every now and then, slightly biting his lower lip before he glanced towards the bathroom, until he stood up and walked away, disappearing quite quickly.

That was an invitation, wasn't it?

But what if you were misunderstanding everything?

You shook your head. No, you definitely didn't misunderstand what he was hinting at. He looked at you first, then the bathroom, then you again, with a smirk and he was definitely biting his lower lip. But that damn smirk...

You immediately got up from the couch and walked towards the bathroom, but as soon as you reached the door, you stopped. What the hell were you doing? You are the babysitter for that man's daughter! You couldn't do that... Right?

Still, you reached for the door, your fingers hesitating over the handle. This was a terrible idea. You knew it. Every rational part of you screamed to turn around and walk away. But then you thought about the way he had looked at you—the smirk, his knowing in his eyes...

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you pushed the door open.

Lucifer stood at the sink, his hands gripping the edge of the sink, head bowed as if lost in thought. But the second he saw you through the mirror, he lifted his head, his expression unreadable. He didn’t look surprised. If anything, he looked amused.

"You took longer than I expected," he whispered.

Your breath hitched as you stepped inside and closed the door behind you.

"Should I leave?" You asked, your voice steadier than you felt.

Lucifer turned then, slowly, his eyes looking you up and down. "Do you want to?"

You didn't answer.

He took a step forward, closing the space between you in an instant. His fingers touched your wrist, sliding up your arm, sending a shiver through you. When his hand finally found the collar of your shirt, he pulled you closer—not rough, not forceful, just enough to make your pulse race.

"You’ve been watching me all night," he said, his voice almost thoughtful. "I wonder if you even realize how much you give yourself away."

You opened your mouth to argue, but before you could, he kissed you.

It wasn't careful. It was the kind of kiss that left no room for doubt, no space to breathe. You barely had time to react before your back hit the sink, his body pressing against yours. Instinct took over—you gripped his shirt, pulling him even closer, your fingers tangling in his hair.

"Tell me," he mumbled against your lips, his hands gripping your waist. "Is this what you wanted?"

You exhaled sharply, your body betraying you as you arched into him, the cool edge of the sink pressing into your lower back. The heat radiating off Lucifer was intoxicating, his scent—an intoxicating blend of whiskey, spice, and something darker—curling around your senses like a vice.

"I don't know what I want," you murmured, voice unsteady.

He let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head, amusement flickering in those devilishly dark eyes. "Liar." His fingers trailed up your arm, before stopping beneath your chin, tilting your face up to meet his gaze. "Tell me, love... what is it you truly desire?"

A shudder went through your body at his words, the way his voice wrapped around them like a spell, making you want more. "Y-You," you whispered, lips barely parting. "I wanted you from the first moment I saw you."

Something changed immediately. His grip on your hips tightened, fingers pressing into your flesh as he backed you further into the sink, his body trapping yours effortlessly. "Now, that's more like it," he answered with a smirk.

His mouth was on you before you could take another breath, a greedy, urgent kiss against your jaw, moving downward with a hunger that made your knees buckle. He held you effortlessly, one arm holding your waist as he tilted your head to the side. He took his time, kissing, licking, nipping at your skin until he found that spot that made you gasp. And then he bit down—not enough to truly hurt, but enough to brand, enough to make your entire body tremble in response.

"Lucifer," you gasped, gripping his shoulders for support, your nails digging into his expensive suit.

"Yes, darling?" His voice seemed amused, though the way his hands touched your body said he was barely keeping himself restrained. "I do love hearing my name from those beautiful lips. Do say it again."

Your response was cut off by the way he suddenly lifted you onto the sink, standing between your spread thighs, his hands slipping beneath your shirt. He took his time, pulling it up inch by inch, fingertips moving along your skin in a way that made you shiver, before he finally pulled it over your head and tossed it aside.

"Beautiful," he said, holding your chin with his fingers, before moving them downward and over your breasts. "So beautiful."

His mouth went down before you could respond, claiming one nipple with a slow, torturous suck while his other hand teased and squeezed the other. The feeling was maddening—his tongue licking, teeth biting, lips sucking—until you were shaking beneath him, your body aching for more.

But just as quickly as he’d praised you with attention, he pulled back, leaving you breathless and wanting. The loss of his touch made you whimper, but he only smirked, his fingers moving down and over your inner thigh. "Patience, darling. Good things come to those who wait."

Your breath hitched as he suddenly spun you around, bending you over the sink easily. His hands ran down your spine before stopping on your hips. He squeezed the flesh almost too slowly before dragging your pants and panties down, without any kind of hesitation.

And then, without warning, one hand landed on your ass. The sting made you cried out, your hands gripping the edge of the sink, your thighs trembling even more.

"Such pretty sounds," Lucifer whispered, giving it another hard slap. "I think I want to hear more."

Again. And again. Each slap was just hard enough, punishing you until you were panting, your skin burning because of his touch.

Just when you thought you might break, so close to sobbing, his fingers moved lower, spreading your thighs for him. "Trembling for me so much?" He asked, suddenly pushing a finger to your clit. "And I've barely even touched you."

You whined, pushing back against his hand, desperate for more. He smirked, pushing one finger inside you, punishingly slow, before adding another. He thrust them deep, curling just right, only for him to pull away again, leaving you empty and needy.

"Lucifer—!"

He only laughed. "Not yet, love. I’m not nearly finished playing with you."

Before you could protest, he dropped to his knees behind you, his hands gripping your thighs roughly. Then, you felt his warm breath over your dripping pussy, and you barely had a moment to think, knowing what he was about to do, before his tongue licked a slow line from your clit to your asshole.

The feeling was shocking, new and overwhelming, making you choke out a strangled moan from deep within you. His tongue was working you open, switching between teasing kisses and deep, sinful licks that left you whimpering before he pulled back once more.

"Ah, ah," he smiled against you. "Patience, love."

Patience.

As if that were possible.

Your fingers dug into the sink, trying desperately to hold on for dear life. Lucifer held you there, on the edge, but never letting you fall.

And oh, how the Devil loved to make you beg.

He soon moved his tongue against your clit, a light touch that made your thighs nearly give out. And then, without warning, he pushed it as deep as he could inside you, fucking you with his tongue in a way that almost made you scream.

Lucifer had no intention of making this easy.

He was toying with you.

He moaned against your pussy, the vibration making your hips buck in desperation. The man knew exactly what he was doing—how to keep you close to madness, how to push you just close enough to orgasm before ripping it away.

Then, he sucked your clit into his mouth, rolling it between his lips with just enough pressure to make you see stars.

Your head fell back, your mouth opening in a silent scream. You rocked your hips back against his mouth, seeking more, needing more—anything to push you over that edge already, even though you thought for a second how embarrassingly fast you went to that point.

But just as you were about to come, Lucifer stopped. Again.

You whimpered, your whole body trembling with need, but he only laughed against your thigh. "Tsk, tsk," he said. "So desperate, darling."

You moved your head, glaring at him, panting. "Please." Your voice cracked slightly with frustration. "Please, Lucifer. Fuck! Just let me come…"

He growled. But still, he did not let you fall.

Before you could beg, his fingers pushed back inside you, only to press against that devastating spot deep inside you. The moment he found it, he didn't stop—thrusting deep and slow, relentlessly rubbing against it with each movement.

At the same time, his mouth was back on your clit, sucking, licking, devouring.

It was devastating.

Your body couldn’t take it. The orgasm built impossibly fast.

Lucifer knew.

He could feel the way you clenched around his fingers, the way your thighs trembled, the way your breaths were just helpless gasps.

And just as you were about to shatter?

"Come for me. Now."

The orgasm hit you like an explosion.

Your eyes closed, your body shaking uncontrollably as you came. A choked scream escaped your throat, your pussy clenching around his fingers, soaking his hand as he continued.

He didn’t stop.

Not even when your body trembled violently, not even when the feeling became too much to handle.

He was thoroughly prolonging your orgasm until you thought you might pass out from the intensity of it.

When he finally stood up, leaving his fingers right where he'd left them, his lips moved up your spine, his kisses leaving behind only heat.

"You can take more," he whispered against your shoulder, smirking.

You whimpered, shaking your head, but he didn’t care.

His fingers slowed, but the way he moved them—deep, without mercy—was even worse than before. It had you squirming, but he held you against the sink, refusing to let you pull away from his touch.

"Too much?" He asked with amusement. "Oh, darling… I haven’t even begun to ruin you yet."

And then, just when you thought he might give you a moment to breathe, he slid a third finger inside you.

You gasped, your body arching back against him. The stretching feeling burned in the most sinful way, you couldn't deny it.

"Fuck, you feel amazing, my dear," Lucifer groaned, his free hand sliding up your stomach, finding one breast, rolling your aching, sensitive nipple between his fingers. "Your poor little body is trying so hard to keep up."

His mocking voice only made the heat inside you burn hotter.

You whimpered as he thrust his fingers deeper, harder.

It was too much. Too intense.

Your walls clenched around his fingers, your body betraying you despite the overwhelming feeling. You were already close to another orgasm, and you knew he wasn’t going to let you have it so easily.

"Lucifer," you moaned, your voice shaking. "Please—"

He pulled his fingers out suddenly, cruelly.

You let out a broken sob, your body aching from the loss, from the unbearable emptiness he left behind.

"Hush," he whispered, moving his soaked fingers up your belly, and soon over your trembling lips. "Be a good girl and clean them up."

You parted your lips, letting him push his fingers into your mouth, tasting yourself on them. His smirk seemed downright wicked as he watched you suck greedily on his fingers, obeying him without hesitation.

He groaned, his other hand gripping your throat, tilting your head back so you were completely at his mercy.

"Look at you," he said. "So sweet."

He pulled his fingers from your mouth, smearing them across your lips before leaning in, licking it off himself. The kiss that followed was deep, his tongue sliding into your mouth, making sure you tasted every part of yourself.

You needed him.

Needed him inside you. Needed him to fuck you, break you, take you apart completely.

"Lucifer," you whimpered, grinding back against him, feeling his thick, hard cock pressing against you. "Please. Please."

Then, in one sudden movement, he lifted you off the floor.

You gasped as he was spinning you around, placing you on the cold marble.

"Spread your legs for me again," he ordered, his voice sounding so dark, so irresistible.

You obeyed instantly, spreading your thighs wide for him.

Lucifer devoured the sight. His tongue licked over his bottom lip as he took you in, his expression downright feral.

You shuddered as he teased your pussy again, rubbing his cock against your sensitive clit, letting you feel just how thick he was.

"Tell me," he said, looking into your eyes. "Tell me exactly what you want."

Your breath hitched. You knew that if you didn’t say it, he would keep this going until you completely lost your mind.

"I—" Your voice was cracking, your body aching. "Lucifer. Please."

He hummed, pretending to consider it, but his smirk told you he was only enjoying your desperation.

"And?" He responded, his cock sliding forward, pressing right against your pussy.

"And… I want you to fuck me," you whispered in response. "Take me. Please."

His eyes darkened.

In one sudden, hard thrust, he buried himself inside you.

Lucifer groaned, his head dropping against your shoulder as he stopped for a moment, enjoying the way you gripped him.

"Fuck," he hissed. "You feel sinful."

Then—without warning—he pulled out almost completely… and slammed back in.

You cried out, your whole body arching as he fucked you deep and slow, each thrust feeling punishing.

"Look at you. Taking me so well. Such a good girl," he praised as he pulled his cock out torturously slow, leaving just the tip inside before thrusting back deep, hitting you exactly where you needed him.

Lucifer could tell you were close again already. He could feel it.

His fingers moved down your stomach, slow, teasing, cruel. You knew what he was going to do, knew he was about to push you into madness once more.

And then—his fingers found your clit.

You cried out.

The moment he started touching it, your entire body tensed, your walls clenching down on his cock.

"Yes," he groaned, feeling you squeeze him tighter. "Just like that... Come undone for me."

His voice was pure sin, his fingers moving faster, his thrusts hitting deeper, harder, perfectly on rhythm, pounding you straight into oblivion.

You couldn’t fight it anymore.

As your next orgasm hit, you screamed his name, your entire body going stiff, your lust tearing you apart.

Lucifer still didn’t stop.

He kept thrusting until you were shaking, barely able to breathe. But his own movements turned rougher, more desperate.

For so long, he had kept himself in control, focused only on you—but now, with the way you were clenching so perfectly around him, with the way you had completely given yourself to him, he finally let himself come as well.

"Fuck," he growled, his voice strained, his rhythm losing control.

His hands slid up your body, gripping your throat, tilting your head back. His lips found your jaw, your neck, breathing heavily against your skin.

"You feel so damn good," he groaned. "I should keep you like this forever."

"Lucifer," you whispered, voice strained and needy.

And that was it.

His grip tightened, his movements turned animalistic, and with one last deep, brutal thrust, he finally let himself go. He buried himself inside you completely, his cock pulsing, coming hard into your wrecked body.

After he stopped, he didn’t pull away—not yet. He stayed there, still inside you, his arms wrapping around your waist, holding you close.

For a moment, all you could hear was the sound of your uneven breaths, the fast beating of your heart.

Indeed, the bathroom was silent except for the sound of your shallow breathing. Your legs still trembled, your skin still burned where his hands had been, and yet, as reality came back, you felt something else—guilt.

You pressed your palms against the sink, trying to steady yourself. This wasn't supposed to happen. This couldn't happen. You were supposed to be the responsible one. The professional.

And yet, you had let him claim you like you were always meant to be his.

A small part of you, beneath the guilt, whispered that you had never felt more alive than in those moments with him. That his touch, his words, everything—had awoken something in you.

But that didn't change the facts. You were the babysitter. He was the father of the child you were meant to take care of.

And you had just crossed a line you could never uncross.

You exhaled shakily, forcing yourself to look at your reflection in the mirror. "What have I done?" You whispered to yourself.

But there was no answer. Just your own desperate, conflicted thoughts.

Lucifer ran a hand through his hair, letting a out a deep, satisfied breath as he leaned against the bathroom counter. His smirk was still there, but deep down, he felt... different.

He had been with many women before, seduced them effortlessly, had them begging for him. But this was different. You were different.

There was something about you that made him want more than just sex. Something about the way you melted beneath his touch yet fought against what was so clearly between you both.

He knew he was pushing you, teasing you, breaking you down little by little until you couldn’t resist him anymore. But for the first time in a long time, he wondered if he was the one losing control instead.

You finally found your voice, breathless, heart still racing. "Sir…" You could barely speak, your body still trembling from what had just happened.

But Lucifer's smile was satisfied as he watched you. But for you? The ecstasy was slipping away. All you could think about was what you'd just done. You were the babysitter—his daughter's babysitter. You’d just been fucked by the father of the child you were meant to take care of. It hit you all at once.

You pushed yourself away from him, your legs weak and shaky. You almost stumbled, catching yourself against the bathroom wall. "Oh my God," you whispered in disbelief, covering your face with your hands. You couldn't believe this was real. "What did we just do? This… this can't be happening."

"God? Oh, my dear, I’d wager He enjoyed the show."

Your face burned with embarrassment. "I can’t believe this. I’m supposed to be babysitting your daughter—not…" You gestured helplessly around the room, as if the walls themselves would give you the right words.

"And not getting thoroughly fucked by her father?" Lucifer answered as he watched you, never once looking away. "Tell me, darling, what does it look like we just did?"

"Sir," you stammered, unable to look at him anymore. You grabbed your clothes, fumbling with them, trying to pull yourself together in any way you could. "I—I should leave. This… this is all wrong. I’m the babysitter, and we… We shouldn’t have—"

He stepped closer, his fingers touching your chin lightly, tilting your face up so you had no choice but to look into his eyes. "Wrong?" His voice was calm, almost teasing. "You think this was wrong? Do you really? Because you seem to be assuming that something consensual, something we both wanted and enjoyed, could possibly be… wrong."

Your heart raced again. You bit your lip, trying to calm down, but this was too much. You wanted to say something—anything—that would make this make sense. But all that came out was a shaky breath. "It’s just… it’s fucked up! I’m here to take care of your daughter, not to…"

"Not to what?" He took another step closer, his hand sliding down your arm. "Not to sleep with me? Which, as we both know, is exactly what we've been doing? Or is it that you’re refusing to give in to what you’ve been wanting all along?"

You sighed, trying to push down the feelings, but it was impossible—especially not when you could still feel him inside you, feel what he’d given you. Your hands clenched at your sides, still trembling. "It’s… complicated, okay?" You admitted, barely able to catch your breath. "You’re literally my employer, and…"

Lucifer let out a laugh, shaking his head as he stepped back, giving you space but still keeping his gaze on you. "Is that what’s bothering you? The employer-employee nonsense? Or is there something else?" His voice was calm now. "Tell me, darling. Tell me what's really going on in that beautiful, conflicted head of yours."

You swallowed hard. "I just… I don’t want things to get weird. I don’t want you to think less of me for… for giving in." The words were hard to get out, but the truth was there, even if it made you feel awkward.

Lucifer stepped back, crossing his arms. "Think less of you?" He let out a slow breath. "Darling, you have no idea how much I’ve thought about this. About you." His voice turned into a whisper, dark and seductive. "How much I enjoy you… how much I enjoy seeing you bend over, losing yourself to me."

Your breathing stopped, the words sinking in slowly. "Wait, you… so you... like, like me?" You asked, almost too stunned to speak.

"Of course. More than I probably should, given… well, our current arrangement." His voice was full of desire as he nodded.

You blinked, your thoughts racing. "But why didn’t you say anything before?"

"Timing is everything," he replied with a shrug, his hands casually slipping into his pockets. "Perhaps I was waiting for the right moment. Or perhaps I enjoyed watching you crack, watching that resistance crumble bit by bit, until you couldn’t take it anymore."

You laughed nervously, a hand pushing your hair back, trying to hide the blush that had spread across your face. "You really are some sort of devil, aren't you?"

Lucifer's smirk widened. "Oh, I most certainly am, in more ways than one. But, darling…" His voice softened as he took a step closer, his hands gently holding your waist. "If you feel the same way about this little situation… there’s no pressure. No rush. Just... us. Because I can assure you, this is just the beginning of something… divine."

[ellieslittleslutt]

Two Clicks Away

streamer!ellie x streamer!reader

cw: fluff??? idk tbh but mainly js ellie being a loser

When ellie first started out on twitch she didnt have much followers nor viewers. she would sit at her shitty setup playing mainly resident evil 4 and fortnite. she would mainly just be talking to herself cursing out little kids when they killed her. ellie quickly grew over time getting over 500k followers and she had girls practically going FERAL over her “dominate me- WOAH THERE”

during her 500k special stream, she was going through the videos all her viewers sent her some were… questionable. she was sent a video of you. it was a clip from one of your streams basically just you yapping, a viewer in the chat asked you about your opinion on ellie “ thoughts on ellie williams? yeah she’s great! i really enjoy her minecraft and animal crossing streams, it’s so funny watching her rage over tom nook” you were laughing and the clip was basically you fangirling over her you face read and stumbling over your words.

ellies face was RED. she was blushing so much and she trying to hold back her nervous giggles, the truth is that she has had a massive crush on you ever since you started growing enjoying all your streams watching them all too nervous tp talk in the chat. what she didn't know is that you watched al her streams too.

the clip of Ellie getting all flustered on stream was going around on instagram, twitter, tumblr, reddit, anywhere she had a fans on really. it soon caught your attention and you saw how nervous she got at the clip so you decided to dm her on insta

bugwbitess: hey :)

what ellie didn't know is that you have such a huge crush on her keeping a folder of edits of ellie on you tik tok. ellie was doing a stream of shitty roblox horror games and she was scared out of her mind but wouldn’t let her viewers know. she saw the notification ‘bugbitess sent you a message.’ she was taking a break when you sent her the message “hack… fuck.. cough… oh shit.. wheeze..”

after the brief moment of panicking she soon mustered up the courage to reply and tried to seem like she didnt just almost choke because a cute girl was in her dms.

dinodestroyer: heyyy

‘fuck was that too many y’s?’ she mumbled to herself almost shaking holding her phone. “sorry about that chat i’m back” she says with an awkward chuckle and going back to the game.

the second you saw her message your face heated up red. you had no idea how much she was panicking and she had no idea how much you were too. “why the fuck are there so many y’s?” you say a loud with a slight giggle. you thought it was cute like she was nervous or something.

bugbitess: by any chance would you be interested in a colab? ik it’s a long shot but it’ll be fun :)

you thought it was probably very straight forward and soon but fuck it you like her and you’re pretty sure she likes you.

🦖

ellie didn’t reply for a while, first off because she wanted to finish her stream, secondly because she wanted to seem like she wasn’t waiting desperately by the phone (looking back at that she realizes that was probably a dick move). when she did reply it was 2 am so she was surprised to see you awake.

dinodestroyer: yeah ofc i would love that! when were you thinking of?

bugbitess: minecraft sound good?

dinodestroyer: sounds great i’ll call you on disc tomorrow 8 pm :)

bugbitess: see you then!

the truth is that ellie really hated minecraft. like seriously rage quits it too much for a healthy amount.. but since it was a cute girl asking her she of course had to say yes.

the next day when you guys started up the stream the chat was so confused “okay so bugbites is here and we’re playing minecraft today which i’m extremely good at” ellie says proudly and you just laugh “sure you are” you say starting up the game.

“dude what the fuck is thi- AGHH!” ellie screeched her voice cracking, you were saving her from a zombie spawner trying your best not to fold over laughing.

after a few hours of playing together ellie finally rage quit because she suffocated in gravel, “you shouldn’t be able to drown in gravel that’s just stupid!” she complained. “calm down it’s video game logic” you giggle .you guys end the stream but stay on call a little longer just to talk. “ellie?” you ask while she was drawing doing her own thing “yeah?”

“would you like to go out with me?”

an: erm so this is my first time writing an actual one shot so please be nice. I LOVE HER SM OMG OMG KMG

[darknight3904]

All Too Well

Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

Summary: Joel's arrival in Jackson has the past twenty years of memories spilling into his mind like an uncontrollable flood of pain and regret.

Warnings: Langauge in line with the show, child death, Joel has a peeping tom moment, but we'll have to forgive him. Mentions of virginity.

Word Count: 3.5k

Previous Part / Series Masterlist / Main Masterlist

Winter 2023

Joel swears his heart has stopped the moment his eyes meet yours. His name falls from your lips and suddenly he's 35 again, laughing with you in coffee shops and holding you close on his couch during movie nights.

How long had his subconscious wished for over the years? How long had he been yearning like this?

Here you are in Jackson, right in front of him. You're a mere 15 feet from him, dressed in oversized overalls and an old winter coat that's seen better days.

Thick rubber boots are on your feet, giving you the illusion you're taller than you truly are.

Even as you stand there, a shovel in your hands as you clear a horse's stall, you're breathtaking.

Joel stumbles a bit as Ellie's words fall on deaf ears. You're looking at him, examining the man before you. Joel feels the way your eyes slink across his face and down his body, almost as if you didn't recognize him.

He finds himself doing the same to you. Trying to put two and two together. Joel's brain tries to replace the version of you that stands before him with the one that has been living in his mind for the past twenty years.

You had been immortal in his eyes. Forever fresh in your youth, a spirited twenty-something who'd captured his heart oh so long ago.

But now he sees he's wrong in that aspect. The beginnings of wrinkles have started in at your eyes, he can see the faintest of smile lines on your face. If he squints he can even see the beginnings of greys in your hairline. Yes, you're different, yet still so familiar.

"Joel? Hello? Do you know her?" Ellie's voice has him nearly jumping out of skin.

His tongue darts out from his mouth to wet his lips, guilt wells up in his chest, guilt from the past and for what he's about to say. It damn near breaks his heart, but the words come anyway, like vomit he can't control,

"No, I don't know her."

August 29, 2003

The past week had been a blur for Joel. Running around to different job sites and soccer practices and games had both his truck's gas tank and him running on empty.

He hadn't had much time to talk to you recently. Either you'd been busy or he had been. Be it classes or work, responsibilities were catching up to both of you.

Joel had read all your texts and listened to your voicemails. Your girlish voice filled his ears as you left inhumanly long messages to tell him about your entire day. From annoying professors to the fat squirrel that slept in the tree outside your window, you told him your days as if he'd been there as well.

"My birthday is today! I got pizza coming and cheap beer. See you later!"

Your warm voice fills Joel's room as he listens to your message from earlier today. He sighs and falls back onto his bed, his phone beeping to let him know the message was done.

You were so forgiving. Joel knew so many women who'd wring their man a new one if they'd been half as busy as he was this past week.

Your gentle and forgiving nature only reminded him of your youth. How truly young and impressionable you were turning out to be.

Joel ran a hand across his weary face. What the fuck was he doing? Messing around with some college kid? Taking her virginity and then practically playing house with her and Sarah for crying out loud.

Guilt swarmed in his chest as he jumped into the shower, hoping the warm water would clear his head.

It was going on eight thirty by the time he was dried off and dressed.

Joel sat in the driver's seat of his truck, the engine idling loudly as he willed his hand to shift the gear into reverse.

He couldn't do this. He was sure of it now as his sharp gaze stared back in the rearview mirror.

Joel was certain he'd ruin your life if he stuck by your side, fear of his own feelings had him moving. He pulled the keys from the ignition and exited his truck. Slamming the door behind him, he fumbled with the keys to his front door, his mind only replaying one thing.

This was all for the best. For you and for him.

October 2, 2003

He couldn't breathe. It was as if the entire universe was trying to strangle him alive.

His head throbbed as he tried to block out the loud clamor of the military. The whirl of helicopters and the rumble of tanks filled his ears as he squeezed his eyes shut.

Warm blood filled the fresh bandage someone had wrapped around his head just a few moments ago. The wound on his head burned as he squeezed tighter.

Perhaps if he could just shut his eyes tight enough, the nightmare would be over. The smell of diesel filled his nose as he clenched his fists at his side.

If he prayed hard enough, it'd be gone, all of it, the military, the horrible wound on his head, the snarl of whatever monsters were lurking outside this First Aid tent he was stuck lying under.

Joel wanted to go home, to Sarah. He wanted to eat pancakes and watch movies on his couch until she fell asleep in his lap. He wanted to drink coffee while Sarah read the Saturday cartoons in the paper, laughing at the ones she loved.

He wanted to spin you around his kitchen in the middle of the night again, dancing to music only the two of you heard. He missed the sweet smell of your perfume and how it'd cling to the sheets after you left his side to get up for the day.

Joel couldn't breathe, the universe was choking him, strangling him alive, and all he wanted was to go home, home to his girls.

Boston, Fall 2022

Tepid water ran over his hands as he tried to clean the blood from his knuckles. He could hear Tess, rummaging around their tiny apartment, most likely looking for something to take the swelling out of Joe's right hand.

"We've got Asprin that expired back in 06'." She said, entering the bathroom, "Unless you wanted to dip into our stash."

Joel thinks about the large bag of pills under their bed and he shakes his head, They'll need all of those to make enough to buy that battery they'd been after for so long.

He pops an Asprin and lets her bandage his hand, trying to ignore the way his skin stings when she pours a bit of whiskey over the wounds.

"Next time don't do this." She sighs as she finishes dressing his knuckles.

"I wasn't the one who started it." Joel hums

Tess rolls her eyes at his comment.

"You could just walk away, y'know." She points out

"And let the entire QZ think they can get away with talking about you like that? About any woman like that? Those guys are-"

"They're like 17, Joel. Weren't even alive when the world ended. Beating them to a pulp isn't solving anything." Tess chastizes

Joel lets out a slight grunt before following her out of the bathroom. He knew she was right, there wasn't a point in beating up a few kids who didn't know their manners.

"Gonna go look for a new pair of boots, mine are shot." He says as he wanders over to the door, "Y'need anything?"

Her loud no fills his ears as he shuts the door behind him.

The Boston QZ is littered with colorful leaves as Joel walks along the sidewalk. FEDRA officers walk along "patrolling" the area.

The loud whoop of two young kids has his ears perking up as a loud hiss and yelp of an animal follow.

Joel peers down an alleyway to find two young kids, looming over a black cat. They tug at the animal's tail as it swats at them.

"Hey."

The gruffness of his voice bounces off the surrounding buildings. They turn to look at him before glancing at each other.

"Leave it."

The kids scamper off and Joel is met with big green eyes and a loud meow, as if the animal is thanking him.

The cat pads over and slinks between his legs, rubbing its face against Joel's shins. He sighs deeply and bends down a bit, listening to the way his knees pop as he scratches behind the animal's ears. He tries to think of the last time he saw an animal this gentle, had to have been back before everything fell to shit.

The fuzzy image of a fat black cat with green eyes and a gold and green collar fills his mind, followed by the soft cooing of a voice that haunts Joel only in the middle of the night once Tess has fallen asleep.

Joel recoils from the cat as if it's burned him somehow. It meows again but Joel ignores it. He turns from the alley and back onto the main sidewalk. His head spins as if he's got a bad case of vertigo.

You're everywhere all at once. As if it's magic you've taken over Boston. You take over his mind for the first time in so many years. The cool fall breeze sings your name as the trees dance with the idea of you. His head swarms as he tries to push it all back.

The memories, your laughter, your scent, you, it's as if you're back, back from the dead to taunt him. God, he had buried you so long ago, he'd let you go the way he'd let Sarah go. Back in Texas, he'd left both of you there, sitting in the past, untouched and undisturbed by what life was now.

You were a storm he'd never see the end of.

November 2023

Ellie watches as the warm light from the campfire reflects off Joel's face. They were in the middle of no where and her companion and protector had finally given in to the idea of heat in the cold November night.

"You ever have a girlfriend? Or wife?" Ellie asks, her bold voice filling the silence.

It had been a question nagging at her for a while now. Joel just seemed so solitary. She couldn't imagine him with anyone like that.

Joel shoots her a look from across the fire.

She hesitates for a moment before continuing, "Or boyfriend?"

Joel gives her another look as if she's truly losing it. Maybe she was, after all, she'd been stuck with him for months now, and traveling the country was enough to make anyone go mad.

He takes a deep breath before fixing his eyes on the burning logs in front of them.

"I've...had both. Wife, girlfriend."

Ellie feels her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. The girlfriend thing wasn't all that shocking considering Joel had been alive before the world was fucked.

"Got married young." Joel sighs, "Got divorced maybe a year after that."

"Oh, shit, sorry." Ellie finds herself saying, suddenly feeling bad about asking.

Joel shakes his head, and his gruff voice fills the air, dismissing her worries, "Doesn't matter now."

Ellie slowly nods and her eyes scan Joel's face. She can tell he's holding something back.

"What about the girlfriend?" She asks, the words tumbling out, "Were you and Tess...?"

Joel huffs a breath, still not looking at her, "Tess and I...we....forget about it."

Ellie nods again, figuring he'd want to drop the subject now. Joel didn't like talking about his past with her.

"Only ever had one girlfriend that ever really mattered. Screwed it up though, right before the world went to shit too. " He said staring into the flames as if they'd come to life and jump out to burn him. "She uh...she was really the only relationship that actually mattered to me."

Even above his wife?

Ellie kept that thought in, contrary to popular belief, she did have a filter.

"What happened to her?" She asks instead, curious as to where this mystery girl was now.

"I don't know." Joel says sadly, "She uh...I haven't seen her since before the outbreak. Just always presumed she was y'know...gone."

Ellie nods sympathetically, "Maybe it's better like that...you've only got the good memories of her then."

A beat of silence passes between the two of them before Joel's eyes finally leave the fire and meet Ellie's.

"Yeah...maybe." He sighs

Winter 2023

You watch from a crack in your curtains as Maria shows Joel and the girl to their home. How convenient it was that she had placed him right across the street from you.

Maria knew your history with Joel. Tommy had spilled the beans after arriving in Jackson a few years ago. God, he was annoying sometimes.

You remembered the day Tommy had walked through the gates of Jackson. You had nearly fainted when you saw the younger Miller brother alive and well before you.

You had always hoped he and Joel had survived. Of course, the new world was unpredictable and you never truly knew what happened to them.

The news of Sarah had shattered your heart into a million pieces. Tommy had told you over two steaming mugs of coffee in your house one day. Her name fell from his lips like it was some forbidden word, he'd get in trouble for saying. You couldn't bear to ask how Joel had handled it, you knew how much he'd loved his daughter.

Tommy had slowly walked you through how he and Joel ended up in Boston, and then eventually how he ran off to join the Fireflies and how he'd ended up here.

So many times he'd tried to beckon you to the radio to talk to Joel, who still thought you were dead. You'd pleaded with Tommy not to tell him you were still among the living.

So many years had passed yet you still couldn't process the enigma that was Joel Miller.

Joel couldn't sleep. The soft fabric of the mattress should've lulled him right off yet here he was, tossing and turning beneath the soft sheets.

He slipped out of bed and past Ellie's room. He could hear her snores through the closed door. At least one of them was getting rest, and frankly, she deserved it more than him.

He sat on his front porch step in the cold night air. Across the street, he could see the upstairs lights glow from your home. Tommy had told him you were across the way if he needed anything.

Joel had wanted to kill his brother for not saying anything about you. Tommy had just raised his hands in innocence and told him to talk to you before pointing the accusation at anyone.

Joel watched with wide eyes as you suddenly appeared. One of the illuminated windows turned out to be your bathroom.

He felt a nervous trickle of sweat roll down his back. He should go inside yet it was as if someone had glued his ass to the porch step.

He watched as you stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around your body as you brushed through your wet hair. It was longer than it used to be. Joel recalled that you'd had it tied neatly back earlier but now it was free, framing your face nicely. He couldn't help but wonder if it was still as soft as it was so many years ago when he used to card his fingers through it after you fell asleep beside him.

His brain once again urged him to go inside, were you even aware that your bathroom curtains were sheer? He'd have to tell you, after all, you deserved to have privacy.

Joel felt his heart squeeze as he watched the way you went about your nighttime routine. Brushing your hair and your teeth before reaching for some small pot of what looked like homemade moisturizer.

You were as beautiful as he remembered in all of the dreams that had visited him over the years. It was as if you were a ghost returning from the dead and back to his life, breathing fresh air into it.

He turns away in shame when you drop your towel to dry off. What the fuck was he doing, staring into your window like some creep? He's lucky you didn't spot him and shout out your window to all of Jackson that their newest edition, Joel Miller, was a pervert.

By the time he's gathered the courage to look back up, the light is off and you're gone. Joel lets out a long sigh, his breath mingling in the cool air.

What the fuck was he going to do now?

Next Part

Joel: Woah someone needs to tell reader about her sheer curtains!

Also Joel: I should sit and watch...right???

Comment to be added to the tag list. This tag list is not chapter by chapter, I carry the tags over to each part.

Tags:

@lunaticgurly @orcasoul @snowlycanroc @freythecrazyfae

@person-005

[toomanystoriessolittletime]

A helping hand

Summary: Living in your best friends house while yours is getting renovated leaves you getting to know her husband Joel better. After finding out your husband is cheating on you, and learning Joel is about to serve his wife with the divorce papers, a drunk midnight phone sex call from your husband leaves you and Joel to finally give in to your growing feelings for each other.

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem. reader

Wordcount: 2.9k

Rating: E

Warnings: infidelity (though the divorce papers have been served on one side), crushing on your friends husband, a very lame attempt at phone sex, Joel helping with said phone sex, smut (Oral sex f receiving), dirty talk?, kissing

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Full Masterlist // Joel Miller Masterlist

„The house should be finished by the end of next week. Joel offered to take a look himself to check what is taking them so long,“ you said, your husband on the phone as you walked down the stairs of your friends house. 

The house you and your daughter Ellie had been staying at for the last six weeks. 

You were surprised when your childhood friend Vanessa offered you their guest room to stay in when you had met for brunch two months ago. You had told her about the house renovations and that you had to find a place to stay for some weeks.

So here you were, in a beautiful two story home in the suburbs of Austin Texas, living in your friends house.

The house she seemed to be even less present in than your husband had been in yours. 

Sometimes you asked yourself why you were even still friends with her. 

You had been quite close all those years ago when you went to school together, but the more you both grew up, the more you grew apart. 

You had met your husband Tom in college and gotten married and moved away while Vanessa had stayed in Austin, focusing on building her career. She started to take more care of her looks, spending a lot of her money on beauty treatments and clothes. She started hanging out with people you had made fun of growing up.

Which was why it came to a surprise to you when she called you out of the blue (after having not talked to her for almost three years) to tell you that not only was she getting married, no, she was pregnant. 

It would take another couple of years for her to tell you that she only got married to the man she had a child with, because it had been to late to have an abortion once she realised she was pregnant.

You remembered telling her that this was unfair to her husband Joel. She had just shrugged, telling you she knew you wouldn’t understand. 

After that talk you hadn’t heard from her for almost six years. You had your own girl by the time Tom’s job took you back to Austin, moving in to a house on the opposite side of town from Vanessa and her family. 

Ellie and Sarah, Vanessa’s daughter, went to the same soccer school and became friends, leaving you to spend more time with Joel, Vanessa’s husband.

He was the complete opposite of his wife.

Joel was…. Fun. He always cheered the loudest for his girl on the field. Hell, he even brought snacks. Over the weeks and months you spend almost every Saturday together you got to know him. 

He was a contractor with his own business that was finally picking up since the start of the year. He told you that Vanessa had been less than thrilled by the idea of his own business but it had been his dream and he was not getting younger. 

She was coming around though now that his business was making money she got to spend on top of her salary.

Sarah had been a complete surprised to both him and Vanessa and he told you that while in the beginning it was looking like they could make it work, deep down he knew that their marriage only still lasted because of Sarah. He did not want her to grow up without a family. Even though her mother Vanessa only spent little time with her, much less with Joel. 

You felt sorry for him. But somehow it all reminded you of your own life. 

While you had been happy for a long time with Tom in your marriage, things had started to change when you moved to Austin. You had agreed to move here because he told you that he would be able to spend more time with you and Ellie. That he could give you the house you always dreamed of. 

But the opposite was the case. He was traveling even more for work than before and while your house was big and you could do with it whatever you wanted, it felt meaningless to do this without having someone to enjoy it with. 

Yes you had Ellie, but even she had been picking up on her father being away all the time.

And when he was there, he always seemed to be on the phone.

Then, last month when Tom had been home, you had found lipstick stains not on a shirt, but on his boxers. Yet before you could confront him he was gone again, on another „business trip“.

You didn’t even cry, being disappointed but not surprised. Suddenly all of his trips seemed to make sense. Yet you didn’t confront him. You chose to do the petty thing and let him pay to renovate the whole house before you would announce that you wanted a divorce.

If he chose to fuck up you marriage, the least you could get our of it was a fully renovated house for you and your daughter. 

Which was why this phone call you were on right now, was more than annoying  and surprising to you. 

You could hear in his voice that he must have been drinking by the way he talked. 

He was ranting about something that happened at work as you walked into the dark kitchen of Joel’s house, opening the freezer in search of…. Something. 

Ellie and Sarah had both been invited to a sleepover, which Joel offered to bring them to. He would most likely spend the night at his brothers place, celebrating Maria, Tommy’s wife’s second pregnancy. Vanessa, as always, had been on a work trip, leaving you alone in this house.

You hadn’t heard Joel come home, which was the only reason you were in the kitchen in only a thin tank top and very short sleeping shorts. 

Joel had told you to use the big tub in the ensuite bathroom so you could relax, telling you you deserved a night off. 

In the weeks you had been staying with him you had talked a lot. And maybe, just maybe, you had began to crush a little on Joel Miller. Okay, that was a lie. You were pretty sure this was more than a crush. He seemed to be everything you wanted in a man. He was a great father, a great listener, he was handy, he knew how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. 

And he was fucking hot.

It was annoying really and you felt bad about the definitely not PG rated daydreams you had about your friends husband. But a little dreaming about what those big strong hands could do with you, would not hurt anyone, would it?

Especially knowing those big strong hands were planing to get divorced in the foreseeable future. He told you about having met up with a lawyer to get the divorce going, Vanessa apparently knowing about it. 

„What are you wearing?“ You heard Tom ask on the phone, having zoned out of the conversation completely up to this question. 

You grabbed a bottle of water, closing the freezer again, before you scoffed. 

„Why?“ You opened the bottle. 

„Just wanna know what my wife is wearing in the middle of the night,“ he slurred.

You couldn’t stop the snicker.

„What? You want me to say I’m wearing nothing but some perfume?“ You rolled your eyes. 

„Come on. I’m horny baby,“ he whined and you released a long breath, fighting the urge to ask him if his current fuck bunny was not available.

„And I’m tired, so watch some porn or something,“ you mumbled, leaning with your back against the kitchen island. 

„But I’m so fucking hard baby. Play with your tits for me,“ he groaned and you let your head fall back, closing your eyes. Might as well get a midnight snack out of it. You put the call on speaker and laid your phone down on the kitchen counter.

You turned away from the phone, opening the freezer, grabbing some chocolate ice cream. Your favourite. Joel told you he noticed it was your favourite so he always made sure he got some for you when he went out to get groceries.

„Are you naked yet?“ He asked and you fought a sigh.

„Oh yeah. I just got my shirt off. Took a long bath earlier today, my skin is soooo soft,“ you said with fake enthusiasm, walking through the kitchen to get a spoon. You bought both the spoon and the ice cream to the kitchen island, before you grabbed your phone and set it down next to you. 

You leaned with your elbows on the kitchen island, digging into the ice cream. 

„Your skin is always so fucking soft. And you smell so good. Wanna kiss you all over baby,“ he mumbled and you put the first spoon of ice cream into your mouth, licking it off. 

„Yeah? Where do you wanna kiss me?“ You asked, continuing to eat your ice cream. 

„Your tits. Wanna suck on your nipples so bad. Are you wet for me?“ He asked and fought down a scoff. You were as dry as the Sahara. You could hear him jerking off on the phone. 

You were about to answer when you looked up and noticed Joel leaning in the kitchen doorway, watching you with an amused smile. Your eyes widened in surprise.

„Baby?“ Your husband on the phone asked and you blinked at your phone.

„Uh… No. Tell me what else you’d do,“ you mumbled, before putting the phone on silent. 

„Joel I’m so sorry. I…“

„Don’t be. If someone should be sorry it’s him,“ he nodded towards your phone where Tom was still going on about kissing your… ankles?

„Yeah he never has been the best at dirty talk,“ you shrugged. 

„Doesn’t have to be good at dirty talk to get you wet. Bet I can do a better job without even touching you“ he said and you sucked your bottom lip in. He tilted his head slowly smirking at you. 

„We’re both married,“ you said and he shrugged.

„Sadly not to each other,“ he said and you let out a surprised chuckle. 

„Look, tell me to go away and I will leave you alone, let you eat your ice cream while you pretend to have an orgasm from whatever this is,“ he gestured to your phone, your husband still talking.

„Or?“ You whispered. 

„Or you let me make you cum with my mouth here in the kitchen, before I take you upstairs to fuck you like he hasn’t in months,“ he said and you felt a shiver run down your spine. 

Joel was right. The last time you had sex with your husband had been on his birthday, with had been almost seven months ago. Ever since you found out about his affair you had not let him touch you. 

You had confessed this after having a glass of wine too much only a week earlier after dinner.

Yeah, cheating on your husband would not help anyone.

But you just wanted to find out if the real Joel was just like the one you dreamed up in your fantasies. Or maybe even better. 

Maybe you should go after what you wanted for once, consequences be damned.

So, you set your spoon down before you slowly pulled your shirt up and over your head.

Joel grinned. 

You unmuted the phone.

„Baby I grabbed a toy to get me wetter,“ you said and Tom groaned. 

„Which one?“ He asked as you watched Joel walk over to you and you turned around so you were facing him when he came to a stop in front of you his arms caging you against he kitchen island as he leaned in.

„A new one. Haven’t tried it out yet,“ you hummed and Joel grinned before he slowly lowered his head towards yours to kiss you softly. You gasped quietly against his lips, your hands coming up to rest on his chest. 

Deepening the kiss his hands came to rest on your back, pulling you closer against his chest. 

„Are you using it?“ Your husband asked and you parted from Joel’s lips.

„Oh yeah. It’s… I’ve never felt anything like it before,“ you said and Joel chuckled quietly. Slowly his lips kissed down your jaw to your neck. You almost cried out when he picked you up to sit you down on the island. 

„Are you hard baby?“ You asked and Joel used that moment to kiss down your collarbone, then further down to the soft skin of your breasts. 

„So fucking hard,“ he groaned and you rolled your eyes again. 

„Want you to cum with me, can you do that baby?“ Your husband asked. 

„I might need five…“ Joel bit softly into your breast and you moaned. Joel looked up at you before he held up two fingers. 

„Really?“ You mouthed and he nodded. 

„Two Minutes. I might need two more minutes,“ you said to Tom on the phone.

„Don’t know if I can make it that long, it’s a mess over here,“ he said and you shook your head. You watched Joel lower himself to his knees between your legs, his big hands parting them for him. He looked up at you as he took a deep breath, inhaling your musky scent.

You couldn’t remember the last time someone had gone down on you. 

He did not waste any time, hooking his finger into you panties, pulling them aside. You could see his jaw muscles twitch as he looked at your drenched pussy. Dark eyes looked up at you, his nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. 

„You close baby?“ Your husband asked on the phone and you hummed.

„Getting there,“ you whispered and then Joel leaned in. 

His warm tongue slipped through your folds, bottom to top, flicking over your clit, making you moan quietly. 

You gasped when his arms wrapped around your thighs, pulling you closer against him. He gave you a look that would have made your panties drop if he hadn’t pulled them aside already. 

And then he ate you out. 

His tongue playing with you like you held the sweetest nectar, his lips sucking on your clit, his tongue slipping inside of you. He was everywhere and you had no idea how he did it, but you were praying to a higher power he wouldn’t stop. 

You fought the urge to let yourself fall down against the kitchen counter, one of your hands coming to rest in his hair, making him moan against your folds as you pulled at his hair. 

„I*m gonna cum. Shit, I’m gonna cum,“ you heard on the phone followed from the dial tone, your husband having ended the call. Your mouth dropped open in disbelief, only for Joel slap one of your thighs, making you look at him. 

„Guess I have more than two minutes now, huh?“ You felt him grin against your pussy, his tongue still working you towards your orgasm. 

„Don’t think you need more than two minutes….“ You smiled down at him.

He gave you a wink and then you felt two of his finger push inside of you, while his lips closed around your clit, sucking it into his mouth. 

„Oh shit,“ you gasped, pulling harder at his hair than intended but the moan he gave you was downright sinful. 

„Joel…“ you moaned, your thighs shaking. And then his fingers inside you brushed over something that made you cry out.

„There it is,“ he smirked, focusing on that spot.

„Cum for me, sweetheart,“ he groaned, his tongue getting back to playing with your clit and you came. Black spots filling your vision as you held on to Joel to keep yourself up, riding wave after wave of your orgasm, until you almost jumped in Joel’s arms as he kept licking, overstimulated from the mind-blowing orgasm he just gave you. 

He slowly pulled his fingers out of you, giving your pussy one last kiss before he sat back on his heels, licking his fingers like he just dipped them into the sweetest honey. 

Out of breath you looked down at him, still in disbelief over what happened in the last ten minutes. 

„Vanessa was served with the divorce papers this morning,“ he said and you hummed. 

„Tom will get served within the next two weeks,“ you said. He pushed himself up with a groan, his hand coming to rest on your hip as he towered over you. 

„Can I…. Take you out to dinner some time?“ He asked. 

You smiled up at him. 

„Before or after you take me up to your bed?“ You teased and he huffed a laugh, shaking his head slowly. 

„After,“ he said, before he kissed you, pushing himself against your body. Your wrapped your arms around his broad back, as he deepened the kiss, his tongue parting your lips. 

You didn’t know how long you sat there making out like teenagers before he parted from your lips with a grin. 

„After. Definitely, after,“ he said before he helped your hop down the kitchen island and took you up into his room where you definitely did not sleep all night. 

[megalomaniacz]

ENTANGLED IN YOU— WHEN WILL MY LIFE BEGIN?

ways to help, daily click, do not support neil

ellie williams x reader

a/n: this actually isn’t the best but i’ll post it now and edit it later :D let me know what you think

tags: @astralnymphh

masterlist

…

once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who lived a castle…

okay maybe it was an abandoned apartment complex, and maybe she wasn’t a princess, but that isn’t the point of our story. our story focuses on how fate is inescapable.

“flower! let me up.” the doctor calls. you look outside of your broken bedroom window and quickly rush to the main room where there is a lever. you then, twist it with all your might. this triggers a series of reactions going downward which opens a space in the wall for the doctor to walk up.

this was a daily routine. doctor would go out and forage for supplies and food while you tidied up your “tower” as you called it. it wasn’t much but it was home and helped protect you from the outside world.

many years ago an outbreak occurred causing a sickness in the people of the world. doctor says it was terrifying to see. disfigured faces as a parasitic virus took over their minds.

but you were special.

you were born a few years later in a hospital doctor had been working in at the time. your mother had been seeing doctor for months and she was finally ready to deliver you. then suddenly, there was a break in. the infected monsters stormed through and bit your mother as you were being born. in a panic, doctor wrapped you up, ran as fast as she could until she found this abandoned building, and promised to always keep you safe.

she waited to see if the affects of the bite were passed onto you, and gratefully reveled in the fact that they did not. she still continued to watch you carefully. just in case. then, one day while cleaning up, she turned her head for a moment and you’d been scratched by an infected that had found its way inside the building.

you wailed and so did she before she realized that you were not turning. days began to pass and you still hadn’t turned. you were completely fine other than a small scratch on the back of your neck.

doctor rapidly got to work. after running various tests she used your blood to create a cure. it’s temporary against the infection, but it helps keep it from doing extensive damage. it gave those who were previously hopeless a reason to be hopeful.

she was excited about the results and prepared to share them with the world.

once she’d gotten in touch with the others in her field, they said in order to make a viable cure for everyone you would have to die, which she did not agree with.

so she rushed back to the tower, closed the doors, and swore to never let you leave out of fear that others would hurt you. even after you’d grown older. even after a cure had been fashioned years later from a mystery flower. even after the apocalypse had been declared over and it was semi safe to leave again. you would never leave. and she was confident that you’d never try to, until…

“are you excited for you birthday tomorrow, flower?” doctor asks as she walks into the lounge area. you were sat in the corner knitting a scarf out of yarn you’d fashioned from leaves. “i am actually. i’m more excited about the possibility of-“

“leaving to see the festival?” she finishes your sentence. you huff. “doctor, please. i look outside of my window and i see people laughing and lights shining just down the mountain. i know that a settlement is out there. have you still not checked it out?”

“no i haven’t checked it out and i’m not going to. i told you it’s probably fires started to control a large population of infected.” her tone is stern. she has checked already, it is a settlement.

you slump down in a chair next to her, hands clasped together. bottom lip sticking out. “please. please! atleast promise you’ll check on your next trip.”

she looks over at your face and smiles. “fine. we’re running out of supplies anyway. i’ll check on my trip tommorow, would that make you happy?”

“very.” you respond, smiling.

♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧

a loud clanking is heard from underneath the tower followed by a string of curses. “doctor?” you call out. your heart begins to race. what if she’s hurt again and she needs help? or more of the cure? you quickly turn the knob and listen as her footsteps get closer.

then you hear her speak and it is definitely not doctor. you hide behind the entrance, a frying pan in hand as it was the closest thing to you. you watch as the woman steps up and looks around. breathing heavily with dirt all over her. before she can turn around, you knock her hard on her head.

[waywardxrhea]

Better Late Than Never - Matt Murdock

pairing: Matt Murdock x fem!Detective!reader

Your teamwork with Daredevil to take down a dangerous gun trafficking gang leads to your life being on the line more than once.

word count: 6,280

content: hurt/comfort, two idiots in love, canon typical violence, guns, blood, car violence, forced sedative use, binds and gags (not the fun kind lol), beating as an interrogation tactic, knife use

a/n: this was done for an anon request! i was given lots of free reign with this one so this is what i came up with for the request of Reader getting captured and Matt/Daredevil has to attempt to rescue!

ps idk why, but i pictured Tom Ellis as the face and voice claim of the gang leader? not the intention, but it just kinda happened lol picture whoever you would like!

“Thank you for your time, and again, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” you said to the young woman you had arrested the week prior as she walked out of the precinct, shooting you a dirty look on her way through the door. 

You had found her in possession of a weapon that was unregistered and untraceable, so you took her in and had the gun run against the database to confirm your suspicions about the weapon. Captain Mahoney had recently assigned you to work on a case of an organized crime gang who were trafficking guns, so you were on high alert for any weapons that matched their MO. Turned out your hunch was right and the gun matched up with the weapon used in a murder a few weeks prior to her arrest. The detectives on the case were having trouble tracking down who the killer was, so when the gun’s tool marks matched up exactly, everyone was happy to have someone in custody for the crime. 

The woman never once swayed from her story of innocence though, so naturally, she lawyered up. Her innocence was proven just hours before by a pair of talented attorneys from the law offices of Nelson, Murdock, and Page. You looked up to see one of her lawyers coming toward you with a smug look on his face as he approached, the rhythmic tap-tap-tap of his cane not unfamiliar to you at this point. “I guess you can’t be right all the time, Detective,” Matt Murdock said to you as he came to a halt mere feet from you. 

You looked out at the bustling New York sidewalk where the woman had been moments before, and told him, “I’m just glad she didn’t go away for something she didn’t do. She ended up having a solid alibi and we found grainy footage of some thug slipping the gun into her purse the night I arrested her. I don’t think we would have known to look if it wasn’t for you and Foggy.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” he said, a small smile teasing the corners of his lips. There was a moment of silence before Matt spoke again, telling you, “Nice job, by the way, taking down that serial mugger last week. The streets already feel safer because of you.”

“Oh, you heard about that?” you asked curiously. Truthfully, it had been such a cut and dry case, you never followed up on what happened after the arrest.

“Yeah, when he hired us as his lawyers. Obviously, he was guilty, so we got him to take a deal,” Matt replied with a quiet chuckle. You watched as an almost cocky smirk curled up one side of his lips before he added quietly, “He said you were a little rough with the handcuffs?”

You leaned casually onto the wall beside you, crossing your arms loosely with a cheeky smile plastering your lips as you asked, “You’d like to know, wouldn’t you, Murdock?”

Before he could respond, an older officer who was wandering past barked out your last name and said, “Hey! What are you doing fraternizing with the enemy? He’s the reason so many of my arrests walk, you know!”

“Are you encouraging her not to listen to serious concerns from a constituent in her jurisdiction? I was just telling her how safe I feel now that she's on the case and taking serial criminals off our streets,” Matt said to him, his quick defense of you and the lawyer-speak making your heart flutter in your chest. He straightened his tie with his free hand not holding his cane and added, “Maybe if your arrests would actually hold up in court, they wouldn’t walk.”

The other officer stalked off, mumbling something you couldn’t quite make out, but you guessed that Matt could judging by the way his jaw was working in frustration. Wanting to take his attention away from the stressor, you quietly cleared your throat and told him, “You look really nice today, by the way. The tie really flatters you.”

His gaze finally tore away from the man when you said this and the muscles in his jaw relaxed, a smile returning to his features as he said, “Well, I’m glad it isn’t horribly obscene.”

“You could wear the gaudiest of hats and a neon orange tie and you’d still look amazing, Counselor,” you told him, a playfulness in your tone as a smile teased your lips. 

Matt leaned in toward you slightly, his voice lowered and almost with a sultry quality to it as he asked, “Are you flirting with me, Detective?” 

The gesture and his proximity made your heart start pounding in your chest, the sound reverberating loudly in your ears as your eyes quickly darted down to his lips before focusing back on his eyes behind his red lenses. Your voice sounded foreign in your own ears as you breathlessly said, “And if I-”

“Okay you two! No more puppy eyes at each other! You’re cut off for the day!” came Foggy Nelson’s voice as he approached with Captain Mahoney beside him. Both you and Matt straightened up in response to his interruption, the space between you growing once more to one of more professional standards as the two men approached. 

Captain Mahoney playfully tsked at the pair of you before telling Matt, “Come on, Murdock! I need her sharp for the case we’re working on! I can’t have her daydreaming about you the whole time!”

“I don’t daydream…” you mumbled, averting your gaze to the ground in the hopes that the furious blush now taking over your cheeks would be less obvious that way. 

“And I don’t need you to start now,” Captain Mahoney said, a quiet chuckle leaving his chest. You glanced up to see him giving Foggy a pointed look before telling him and Matt, “Now, you two get out of my precinct! And don’t come back unless you have to!” 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be back with cigars for your mom soon!” Foggy said as he and Matt turned to leave the building. 

“Oh, no you won’t!” Captain Mahoney shouted back. 

“They totally will,” you said with a quiet laugh as you watched them disappear into the bustling crowd on the sidewalk. 

Before you could return to your desk, the Captain’s voice caught your attention as he asked, “When are the two of you gonna finally go on a date?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you told him, shocked that he was discussing this with you. 

“Uh-huh, sure,” he said, not even trying to hide his smirk. 

Wanting the conversation to be off of your painfully obvious crush on Matt, you cleared your throat and asked, “Did you get a team together to head to the potential drop site with me tonight?”

“Yeah. It’ll be you, Stewart, Greene, and Campos,” he replied, relenting on his teasing, at least for now. “I had to make it a small team so you won’t be so obvious. You’ll go in plain clothes with bulletproof vests underneath. The four of you will have body cameras on at all times and I’ll be nearby in a van watching the feed with backup in case you need it.” 

“Sounds good, do the others know yet?”

“No, I was just about to find you all,” he said. “Meet me in my office in ten and we’ll discuss the full plan.”

That night once the sun had set and things were settling down as much as they could in New York City, you and your team of officers were making your way to the site where you were told the latest shipment of illegal guns was coming in. Dressed in plainclothes, the four of you ambled toward the site, Greene’s arm slung around your shoulders as she pretended to drunkenly stumble down the sidewalk while you brought a water bottle in a brown paper sack to your lips and took a long drink before pulling a face as if the contents tasted like cheap liquor on your tongue. Campos and Stewart flanked the two of you on either side, both of them also pretending to be unsteady on their feet as the four of you made your way toward the docks. 

Once the four of you got to a mostly hidden spot near where the shipment was supposed to be delivered, the act was dropped and you all crouched silently as you stared at the dock. The boat was scheduled to arrive in the next thirty minutes. As the time got closer, Campos leaned over and whispered, “Are you sure this is the right place?”

“This is where my source told me they would be,” you told him. 

Stewart, a slightly older officer, scoffed quietly and said sarcastically, “Yeah, Daredevil? Look, I know that after what happened with Fisk, Mahoney trusts him, but me personally? I think-”

“You should really listen to the detective in charge,” came the gravelly voice of the man in question as he perched on the structure across from the four of you. “Ghallagar got spooked since you’ve been onto his trail, so he moved the shipment a few docks down. If you hurry, you’ll be able to make it before the sale’s done.”

“And what’re you gonna do, huh?” Steward sneered. 

“Let New York’s Finest do their work,” Daredevil replied. “All I came here to do is make sure you can do your job.”

“Thank you, Daredevil,” you told the man in red graciously. He simply nodded before silently turning and making his way in the opposite direction. “Well, you heard the man, let’s go!” you told the others before gesturing for them to start getting up and heading in the direction of the new stakeout location. Before you could head off though, you spoke aloud so Captain Mahoney could hear, telling him, “The shipment’s being dropped off a few docks down. We’re heading there now. Control van can stay in place, it shouldn’t be too far from the original location.”

“Control van staying put, copy,” came the captain’s voice. “If you need backup just call.” 

“Will do,” you said before creeping your way to the front of the small pack. You had your service weapon drawn and pointed to the ground, but it was ready to be used at a moment’s notice. 

When the four of you arrived, the van for transport had just pulled up and you saw three men get out, heading over to meet with three more emerging from a small boat anchored at the dock. They were all armed to the teeth. It was clear that Ghallagar was not messing around. Before the guns could exchange hands, you motioned your crew forward. Staying slightly ahead of them, but fanned out, you raised your weapon and shouted firmly, “NYPD! Put the weapons down! Now!”

“Shit, we gotta go!” you heard one of the men from the boat crew shout before turning tail and running back to get the boat started. 

“Stop running! Put your hands where I can see them!” you shouted, firmer yet, as the four of you slowly creeped toward the men. 

“Get the guns! Now! We’ll hold ‘em off!” one of the gang men roared while gesturing for the shippers to grab their boxes. 

“Weapons down!” you warned. 

“I don’t think so!” the man in charge of the street crew snarled before opening fire. 

“Get to safety! I’ll provide cover!” you shouted at the other officers who quickly obeyed your command and hid behind shipping containers. In case Captain Mahoney hadn’t heard the gunfire, you shouted, ”Shots fired! I repeat, shots fired!” You heard more gunshots firing off from your side and watched as one man from the boat who was still on the dock got shot, a crimson spray of blood misting the air as the bullet made contact. 

Before you could make a move to back up and into an area of cover of your own, a rapid spray of bullets came flying toward you! You barely registered it as a second man from the street crew who had taken the heavy artillery weapon out of the van before the wind was knocked out of you completely and you were knocked onto your back. As you lay on the ground struggling to breathe due to the impact of so many bullets on your kevlar vest, you saw a blur of red dash past you and toward the dock. 

You barely registered the shouts of, “Officer down! Officer down!” from Greene as your heart pounded in your ears. Adrenaline rushed through your veins, but rather than pushing you up like it normally would, it froze you to the ground. 

When you were finally able to turn your head to see what was going on because you could no longer rely on your hearing, you saw the red-clad figure of Daredevil standing over a bloodied man who had crumpled to the ground. You saw his shoulders moving up and down as his chest heaved with the effort of the fight, his fists clenched at his sides as he stood menacingly over the body. His head jerked up as the van peeled away from the dock without their fallen man and the boat zoomed away into the water. 

Closing your eyes, you breathed a sigh of relief to know the fire fight was over. “Take care of him,” you heard Daredevil’s voice bark to the other officers. It sounded like he was getting closer to you. You attempted to take a deep breath, but groaned in pain as you did, earning a concerned, “What hurts?” from Daredevil as he came to crouch beside you on the cold ground. 

“Ribs. Stomach. Bullets to kevlar,” you managed to get out between shallow breaths, squeezing your eyes shut as more pain burst forward with every word. 

“I’ve got-” Daredevil started to say, but stopped abruptly. When he did, your tightly closed eyes were suddenly engulfed by light before more excruciating pain radiated throughout your body as you were lifted up and into Daredevil’s arms. As you moved through the air with your eyes snapped shut, you felt Daredevil nearly lose his balance as a blast of air jostled him. Opening your eyes for a brief moment, you saw the gang’s van flying past you, missing the pair of you by mere inches!

You came to a crashing halt right into his armored chest with a cry of pain a few moments later, your knees buckling under the weight of your body and the pain. “I’m right here, you’re okay. You’re safe,” he whispered, pulling you gently back up into his chest, his gloved hand supporting the back of your neck as he did. 

Through the ringing in your ears, you barely heard your name being called out as officer Greene and Captain Mahoney made their way over to you and the masked man. “Are you okay?!” Greene asked exasperatedly. “Those guys are maniacs! Santos barely got out of the way before he got hit!”

“I’ll-” you tried before groaning in pain once again. 

“Greene, make sure that bus is on the way and get an ETA, I can handle this,” Mahoney told her before you felt another set of hands on you to give support as you were peeled away from Daredevil’s chest. “I can’t believe they tried to hit you!” he grumbled. When you were able to open your eyes for a few moments you saw the deep scowl on his face as he shook his head, mumbling something you couldn’t quite make out through the cotton in your ears as your heart continued to pound relentlessly. 

It felt like mere moments before you were being put onto the gurney and being stabilized by the EMTs as you guarded your midsection while they worked. Glancing over, you noticed that since you were out of his arms, Daredevil was about to leave. Not wanting him to go without an acknowledgement of being the reason you were still alive, you managed to get out a weak, “Thank you. For saving me.” In response, he offered you a nod before sprinting off, leaving you to be taken to Metro General to be checked over. 

A few hours and exams later, you were released by the doctors at the hospital, being cleared of any breaks or concussion. You were simply sent home with massive bruising and told to take it easy the next few days with some pain killers. And although you protested, Captain Mahoney benched you for the next few days, telling you to stay home and heal up before returning for desk duty at the end of the week. 

It was understandable, being told that you would come back for desk duty after what happened, though. You were shot at by a heavy weapon and almost mowed down by a van, for Pete’s sake! You cheated death. Twice! But it still felt like a punishment. Riding the desk hadn’t ever been your style, and you hated to start now…

Reaching over to the nightstand near your bed in your apartment, you felt around for the bottle of Advil that had become your best friend the past couple of days. When you finally made contact with it, you opened the lid and turned the bottle in order to drop a couple pills into your hand, but nothing came out. Groaning in pain and frustration, you realized that you were out and hadn’t bought any before coming home after the hospital visit… Shit. You would have to go to the bodega down the street and get a new bottle.

Getting dressed was a task, and it took you a long time to get your sweats and t-shirt on in order to go to the shop. You didn’t even bother with sneakers, slipping into a pair of slides sitting by the door as you grabbed your purse off the hook and began making your way out of your apartment building. The walk was slow going and painful, the constant bustle of people around you on the sidewalk not helping as they shoved past you, your tender ribs and bruised abdomen taking hits that had you wanting to scream. 

The bodega thankfully had the medicine you were seeking. After paying for it and a bottle of water, you were taking the pills as you left the store, not wanting to wait a second longer for the pain relief you desperately sought. Before you could close up the pill bottle though, from the alleyway beside you, a pair of arms reached out and grabbed you! The pills scattered all around as you struggled to go into a defensive move you knew by heart in order to get out of the attacker’s grasp. But almost as if they knew you had bruised ribs, they squeezed your midsection, igniting your whole body in a searing pain that had you seeing stars. Taking a deep breath to scream turned out to be fruitless as only a weak cry tumbled out when your expanding ribcage violently protested the intake of air. 

“Gotcha,” said a gruff voice, their breath hot beside your ear as they spoke. After he did, you felt a needle enter your arm as he muttered, “Night, night. The boss can’t wait to see ya, Detective.”

When you came to, you blinked hard a few times, thinking that maybe it was all just a pain-induced nightmare. Reality hit you though when you tried to move your arms but couldn’t because they were tied behind you as you slumped over in an uncomfortable chair. Trying to remain as still as possible so as to not notify your captors of your conscious state, you took in your surroundings. 

You were shoved into a corner of the room, so you had a pretty good view of the space around you. Lining two of the four walls were crates upon crates, each marked with the symbol of the gun runners you had been tracking. So, that confirmed your suspicions about who had snatched you… On top of each box was a display of what gun was inside, small spotlights illuminating the weapon as if it was an art piece in a museum. Two men stood guard near the boxes with guns of their own holstered to keep the product safe. Another man sat in a chair nearby on his cell phone. Because of his proximity, you assumed he was supposed to be keeping an eye out for you to wake up.

There was a musty smell that permeated the air and the occasional drip of water echoing in the distance. It was a narrow room with a slightly rounded off ceiling, which you thought was odd. There was graffiti on the wall that seemed vaguely familiar to you, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on where you had seen the tag before… The far wall looked like it had collapsed long ago, and it held the only entrance to the area that you could see. It didn’t even have a door, it was just an opening in the collapse. Something more promising though that clued you into where you may be located was the unfinished rail tracks peeking out from under the collapsed rubble and the unused tracks that had been used as makeshift barriers to protect the guns. 

You must be in the tunnel where the city had tried building an additional subway line a few years before, but it collapsed before they could get too far. Neither you nor Daredevil had been able to figure out where the gang’s base of operations was located, and now it made total sense. The area the city had accessed to get into the underground area was sealed and forgotten about by the population at large. You didn’t even know where the entrance was, although you had your guesses. Any time you would chase a group of troubled teens you caught harassing a street vendor or tagging the window of a business, they would just disappear into thin air near 45th and 9th. That was where you knew the graffiti tag from! There must be an entrance into this place somewhere near there! Not that knowing where you were particularly helped you at the moment, but… If you made it out of here somehow, at least you knew the best way to get to safety. 

“Hey, look who finally decided to wake up,” said the man near you. A shiver zipped down your spine as you realized that it was the same voice that spoke in your ear when you were taken. “Thought we overdosed you there for a little while. Guess I’m not as good at calculating drug doses as I thought. Oh, well.”

“What do you want with me?” you tried to ask firmly, but your voice came out broken and scratchy from lack of use over however long you had been out. 

“You’re asking the wrong guy questions,” the man said in a bored sort of tone. “Hey, Reg! Call the boss-man and tell him she’s awake. He’ll want to talk to her.”

“That he will,” came a new voice. Your head turned toward the opening in the collapse and saw a man in a white button up and pressed slacks walking in, flanked on either side by burly looking men who you assumed were his guard. 

“Ghallagar…” you mumbled, narrowing your eyes at the man you had only ever seen in pictures from the original brief you were given on the case. The whole time he had been in the Kitchen, the man was practically a ghost, so this was your first time getting a good look at him. 

“Detective,” he said with a certain smugness in his voice as he approached you. He held your gaze for a few moments before asking his men, “May we have the room? I need some time alone with the detective. There are buyers coming in an hour. Make sure we have materials to hide this section of the space. We don’t need them to see what I’m about to do. Bad for business.”

“Yes sir,” one of the burly men replied before turning away and gesturing for all of the men in the room to follow. 

When it was just the two of you again, Ghallagar rolled up his sleeves as he said, “I bet you’re wondering why I had you taken.”

“The thought may have crossed my mind,” you replied, trying to keep your voice steady. What did he plan on doing to you? What did he-

A sharp slap across the face pulled you out of your thoughts. “You seem to have something I want.” Another slap in the other direction nearly toppled you out of the chair before he snarled, “And I intend on getting the information out of you.”

“What do you want?” you asked through gritted teeth, trying not to show any weakness to the man standing tall over you. You may be in the compromised position, but there was no way you were going to let this man break you. You couldn’t. You wouldn’t. 

“Tell me Daredevil’s identity,” Ghallagar said as if it was the most simple question in the world. As if he was asking the name of the cashier at your favorite bodega. 

“I don’t-” you tried, but stopped to let out a cry of pain when he sent a kick into your bruised midsection. 

“You’ve worked with him for months! Trying to find me, finding the gang whose place I took, taking down that mugger together. I could go on with all of the cases you’ve figured out with his help, Detective.” Before you could contain your emotions, your eyes widened momentarily, and that reaction caused a smirk to twist Ghallagar’s lips. “Yeah, that’s right. I know your case files. I have a folder with the names of every criminal you’ve taken down since you got out of the Academy.” He circled around to stand behind you and dug his thumbs into painful pressure points in your shoulders as he said, “You got to do your homework on me, I got to do my homework on you. It’s only fair, isn’t it? And it’s also fair for you to tell me who you’ve been working with since you’ve been such a thorn in my side!”

When he said that last part, a white-hot pain seared over your shoulder as he ran a knife over the skin there. You tried to bite your cheek to muffle your scream of pain, but only drew more blood than was already trickling out of the wound on your shoulder. Taking a deep breath to control yourself only made things worse and you let out another groan of pain as he circled back to stand in front of you. “I don’t know-” you tried again, but were cut off when he shoved the whole chair over with you in it. 

“Do you think I’m stupid?” he shouted as he sent another kick into your ribs, causing more pain to rock your already battered body. “The way he saved you that night on the docks! He made sure to go to you! The way he held you when he saved you from my men’s van! You know who he is, and it’s just a matter of time until I get it out of you!” 

“She was supposed to get back to work today, I haven’t seen her though. Not like her to be late…” was Brett’s response to Matt’s question about where you were. It was the morning you were supposed to be back after the incident at the docks, and Karen had suggested bringing you flowers. He didn’t hear you inside the building on his way there, though, so he hadn’t grabbed any before heading in to speak with a new client. 

“Have you tried calling her?” Matt asked. 

“Straight to voicemail. I was thinking of doing a welfare check myself here in a little bit if she doesn’t show up by noon,” Brett said with a sigh. A quiet chuckle left his chest before he added, “Don’t worry, I’ll get a hold of her, Lover Boy.”

Matt shook his head and laughed light-heartedly at the joke, telling Brett, “I appreciate it,” before he and Foggy left the precinct and headed to their office for the afternoon of case file sifting. 

Running his fingers over the braille case file in front of him, Matt had been fully engrossed in the complexities of this case for hours. Foggy had already called it quits for the night and went home, but he and Karen were still there, working to find an angle they could win this case at. “What if we played up the jury’s-” came Karen’s voice, but Matt tuned her out when he heard your name mentioned in the police chatter from a nearby cop cruiser. 

Officer missing after welfare check. Cameras show the officer’s last known location outside of a bodega before disappearing into an alleyway. Three days ago. 

Matt was out of his office chair and hurtling toward the door before Karen could even ask where he was going, calling over his shoulder that there was an emergency that he needed to deal with. He didn’t even bother with the cane as he ran, he and Karen were the only ones in the building anyway at this hour. He needed to get to his suit and he needed to get to it now. Your life may well depend on it. 

You weren’t sure how long the beatings went on for. There was no light that got into the collapsed tunnel so you couldn’t tell day from night. There didn’t seem to be any patterns on when guards entered or exited the room. There was no specific time when Ghallagar came in or out to beat answers you didn’t have out of you. And there was no use shouting. You felt doomed.

The only reprieve from the onslaught of pain was when buyers came in. When they were there, you were gagged and concealed from sight by a room divider, left to bleed and suffer in pain before more was inflicted when they were gone. Besides the pain, the only thing you knew for sure was that you didn’t have the information he wanted. You didn’t know who Daredevil was. No one did. You just worked with him on the recommendation from Captain Mahoney. That’s all. The way the masked vigilante saved you that night and held you to his chest made you feel safe, yes, but why that made Ghallagar think you knew his identity was beyond you. You wished there was some way for you to prove that you were telling the truth. Some way for him to know- 

Your thoughts were interrupted by the loud sound of gunfire in the front of the room. The enclosed space made everything louder and you squeezed your eyes closed in a feeble attempt to shut everything out. You were afraid of the ricocheting bullets making their way over here. Although, if one hit you, this could all be over… You wouldn’t have to endure anymore pain. There would be no more pain. And boy, did that sound great right now. 

The sound of fighting got closer and closer, Ghallagar’s voice barking orders before suddenly going silent along with the rest of the room. The only thing you heard was the sound of fists hitting flesh and groans of pain from the victims of whoever was dealing the blows. Already conditioned to fear the punches of your captors, you cowered inward as much as you could, a weak and unintentional whimper leaving your throat as you did. 

Within seconds of making the noise, the pounding of fists stopped and you heard a thud as a body landed on the floor, their skull hitting the pavement hard. Your heart pounded in your throat as you heard heavy footfalls approaching you and you wished the person away with all your might. Your wish didn’t come true though as the room barrier was shoved aside, causing you to tuck your head down to be as small as possible in the eyes of the unknown person in front of you. 

Your name was whispered in a gravelly voice, and you shook your head in some sort of attempt to deter the person from you. Instead of another beating that you were accustomed to though, suddenly your hands were free of their confines and you were being hauled up and into the embrace of the person now standing in front of you. You were too weak to fight, but when you felt the texture of the armor adorning the person holding you, you let out a sob and tightened your arms around the man. Around Daredevil. He came to rescue you. He saved your life again. 

“I’m here. I’m right here. You’re safe now,” he mumbled as he held you as gently as he could. With one arm still wrapped around you, you felt one pull away before he spoke again a few moments later, saying, “Tell Mahoney I found her. Collapsed subway tunnel near 45th and 9th. Ghallagar and his men are incapacitated. Get an ambulance here, now. She’s in bad shape.”

It was as if your body instantly switched out of survival mode when he ended the call. The moment you knew that an ambulance was on the way and you were safe in Daredevil’s arms, you collapsed. Every muscle fiber in your body gave out and your joints folded under all the weight and suddenly everything went black once more. 

When you began to regain consciousness, you instantly knew you were in a different environment. Rather than the sound of dripping water and gruff men speaking, there was the occasional beeping sound and soft spoken voices. You were in a somewhat comfortable bed with pillows surrounding you in an effort to soften the mattress and your hands weren’t bound behind you. There was no steady trickle of blood leaking from your body. You were in the hospital. You were safe. 

Your eyelids fluttered open when you heard movement from beside you, and you realized that one of the soft spoken voices was coming from right beside you in the form of Matt Murdock praying. Looking down, you realized that one of your hands was grasped in his as he prayed, and a deep blush creeped onto your cheeks - the moment was far more intimate than any you had shared before. “Hey,” you whispered once he said amen. 

“You’re awake. Thank God,” he said, the emotion obvious in his voice and smile. “You had me scared there for a few days.”

“A-a few days?” you asked, eyes widening. 

“Yeah. It’s been three days since they brought you in,” Matt replied, squeezing your hand gently. “Brett and Daredevil took care of Ghallagar. He and his men are going away for a long time.”

“Good,” you said, your voice breaking with emotion as you remembered what you endured at his hand. Wanting to change the subject off of the man in question, you looked at the gorgeous bouquet of flowers on your bedside table and asked, “Did you bring those flowers?” 

A bashful smile made its way onto Matt’s lips as he nodded, telling you, “I was hoping you’d wake up before they wilted. Was I right?” 

“Yeah. They’re gorgeous. Thank you, Matt,” you said, voice wobbly as you spoke. “And thank you for coming to see me. I- You didn’t have to do that.” 

“I wanted to,” Matt replied softly. 

“Oh hey! You’re awake!” came the voice of Foggy as he peeked into the room. “I hate to break up this happy little reunion, but we gotta go, buddy. Client needs us, like, yesterday.” 

“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” Matt told him. 

During the whole exchange you were left staring at yours and Matt’s intertwined hands and got to thinking. Why hadn’t you ever just made a move with him? Before, you were convinced that he was just playing along with your flirting. That he didn’t have feelings for you like you did for him and that he just didn’t want to be rude. But now, frankly, you didn’t care about your overthought reasoning. After the last week, you realized how fleeting life was and just how lucky you were that you were still alive. So, before Matt could stand up and say his goodbyes as Foggy stepped out of the room, you leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. 

The gesture ignited pain in your battered body and a furious blush on your cheeks as you relaxed back into the mattress. The boyish grin that lit up Matt’s face made your heart flutter, and you swore it almost stopped when he asked, “Can I kiss you?” 

“Yes,” was your instant response in a breathy tone with a wide smile on your lips as well. 

The kiss was brief and gentle with both you and Matt unable to hold back your smiles as it happened. You felt rays of happiness flowing out of you and couldn’t help the giggle that escaped your lips when he pulled away mere moments later. He squeezed your hand once again as he said, “I’ve wanted to do that for a while. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize…” 

“Better late than never,” you replied, a content smile on your lips as you remembered his soft ones on yours, already craving the next. You hoped that this would be the start of something magical with Matt.

big shoutout to my beta readers in the tuna tank for helping me out with this, especially @sunflowersandsapphires for some of the dialogue pieces as well as @justvalkyrie and @thornbushrose for help with plot points and clarity!

ps: the flirty comment with the handcuffs made me giggle so much! it happened very organically too (even though i am a terrible flirt and needed to ask for help in the server for inspo) also the bit at the end with Matt holding Reader's hand and praying?? i teared up, whoops!

as usual, likes and comments are appreciated! xo, brooke <3

taglist: @reidmarieprentiss

dividers by @firefly-graphics as always!

[soviet-supersoldier]

Alright, since the events of Raid on Greymalkin directly affects Arkady, let's talk about it and how terribly the X-men have all been written in this narrative for this story to work and what it likely means for Arkady’s future.

So, in the first issue of Sentinels, Omega Red was captured and brought to Greymalkin Prison by the new Sentinels that Larry Trask and Warden Ellis have created to hunt down "bad" mutants. Keep in mind, Omega Red did absolutely nothing to deserve being thrown into a place like this, as his arc in the From the Ashes Infinity Comic shows. In fact, no one imprisoned here deserves to face what goes on behind these closed doors:

Here, we are shown the state of this prison. It's flithy, rat-ridden, and disgusting. These characters have to live in this place. Blob is being tortured, and -- as we later come to learn in the events of Raid -- brainwashed KGB-style through this method of torture to become a "trustee." I'm going to focus on this a bit as it is important to not only show how this is going to affect the imprisoned characters moving forward from this storyline, but also how it paints the X-men in a very bad light for allowing this to continue.

So, the characters who are imprisoned in Greymalkin currently are all characters who have been villains at one point or another. Every one of these characters has faced judgment and hatred for being what they are and what they were made into. Omega Red is a prime example of this. As a child, he feared and hated his powers:

This is not a view of himself that has improved in adulthood. Arkady still views himself as a monster, that his abilities make him a bad person:

And this is a view he holds even after his time spent on Krakoa where he was able to start turning his life around. He doesn't have to kill to live anymore, and Sage had done a lot to help him improve himself while he lived there and worked as a member of X-Force. Even after all that and her encouragement, the doubt lingers. The self-loathing is still there. I know Arkady is not the only prisoner trapped in Greymalkin right now who struggles with such doubts. Who carries guilt like he does. It's a subconscious view that a lot of mutants have about themselves because society has pretty much told them for their entire lives that they're horrible people because of their powers. That they're all monsters and freaks of nature that need to be killed or locked up. And now, these characters have been put into a place where those fears and doubts about themselves and their place in the world are being indoctrinated into them to be the only thought they're allowed to have about themselves:

This creed that these trustees are forced to recite and believe in is just sickening. Any amount of self-worth that any of them started to get in their lives as of late is being stripped away again in the cruelest possible way. They're being told -- through torture mind you -- that they were born evil. That they're monsters. That they are lesser than humans and lesser than any other mutants because the genetic lottery gave them powers that were a burden and a curse rather than something that can easily be used to benefit others or that would allow them to pass as a normal human like so many of the X-men can.

Which brings this all around to the main point: the X-men. Before this new era even started, I want to point out a few things. The first is that the X-men worked with all of these current prisoners in one form or another while living on Krakoa. They (eventually) gave every one of these characters a chance. Blob was a bartender. Omega Red got cured of his need to kill and became a member of X-Force. Theresa was able to reconcile with Sean and Black Tom and bring their family together. The X-men were able to see these changes and progress made by all of these people. In Omega Red’s case, they even voted on the decision to give him a second chance, with Kurt being a voting member of the Quiet Council who decided to listen to Sage’s argument to have him brought back. They should know that these former villains have been making an effort to improve themelves. The last time they saw any of them, these former villains were all allies, which makes comments like this seem very out of character for someone like Kurt to make:

Kurt should know Arkady is an ally. But yet he's acting like Omega Red is a monster and that nothing he did on Krakoa to improve himself even mattered. Which, again, is something that all of these prisoners are being tortured into believing about themselves. Hearing the X-men hold the same view about you as these horrible guards do is not something that will make a person feel welcomed or loved or help them believe that they can be better than what the world made them into. The trust that Omega Red had started to build on Krakoa with the X-Men is going to start to crumble because of how they are continuing to view him and the plight that all these characters are in.

Which brings me to my next point: just what are the X-men doing? When Krakoa fell, Orchis had mutants under siege. They rounded up mutants in camps to strip them of their powers and torture them. The X-men and Avengers didn't stand for that and fought tooth and nail to get rid of Orchis. They went to war for their kind, for their right to exist. And they beat Orchis. But what did they really end up gaining at the end of it all? Well, if you're the X-men, you got some variation of peace or concessions, getting bases, time to relax and enjoy the world and your victory. Being able to pass for human really helps in that regard. If you weren’t able to pass, however?

You faced violence. Discrimination. Hatred. Society is not kind to mutants who look different. Who are unable to blend in. These were the mutants --villain or not -- who benefited the most from Krakoa. Because they all finally had a place where they could be safe and accepted no matter their looks or abilities. When the X-men finally beat Orchis, they seemed content to leave everything at that and didn't try to reclaim any piece of what they had lost for the sake of those mutant brothers and sisters who were bound to struggle the most without a mutant community to support them.

They unfortunately seemed to just accept that everything was still fine since they themselves weren't personally being bothered by the hatred. But all the while, mutants have started to slip through the cracks without support from the wider mutant community. A community that the X-men are supposed to protect. And this extends beyond characters like Omega Red and the other Greymalkin prisoners, although they are the ones currently being tortured the most. Lifeguard. Chamber. Firestar. These are all characters that have faced a world that hates and fears them without the X-men doing anything to help them. Why haven't the X-men done anything? Because so many of them just gave up and settled for what they have. They had the luxury to be able to do so because they look human. Their powers aren't horrendous abilities that they can't control or that kill people.

Even still, even if they want to take a break, they should all know the fight is not done. They are all well aware of what was done to their former home, the X-Mansion. They know it was turned into a prison. Jubilee scouted it out. Rogue and Scott had phone calls about it. And yet they did nothing. They let it continue to stand, this place which sullies the name of the X-men and their history. This place -- which treats mutants in a similar way to how Orchis treated mutants -- is allowed to continue to grow and thrive even after the X-men and Avengers had just put their foot down and said such places were not going to be tolerated. Now they're tolerating it? Why? There is absolutely no reason to wait. And yet they did. They did absolutely nothing to correct this injustice towards their fellow mutants until one of their own was impacted. Until they themselves finally started to face the same things characters like Omega Red had already been facing for months now. It was only when they were personally threatened that they decided to do anything. Which brings us to the Raid itself.

The Raid... was a mess. A disaster. A series of unfortunate events that didn't have to be. Instead of going into this place, seeing the atrocities committed on the grounds of their first home and feeling a strong urge to eliminate this threat, what did they do? They fought amongst themselves. They argued. They did absolutely nothing to help any of the prisoners. Kurt left Omega Red to rot in his cell. They did nothing to free the trustees nor made any sort of real threats of anger towards the warden for what she was doing to their fellow mutants. Rogue came the closest to saying this place was wrong, but all her concern was devoted to Charles Xavier, the only mutant willingly imprisoned in this place. No concern was given to any of the others at all until it was too late.

And yet, again, this whole thing just seems wrong and runs as an antithesis to what the X-men are, what they stand for, and what they would actually tolerate. A big laser gun should be something they should be able to take care of. The X-men shouldn't be this easily cowed into obedience after everything they recently faced with the fall of Krakoa and how they fought back against Orchis. Thry shouldn't be taking "no" for an answer. They shouldn't allow for this prison to stand. They NEVER should have. And yet, time and time again here, they have failed in their work to actually help their kind, to make the world a better place for mutants. This is not the X-men I fell in love with reading about. This is not the X-men that I know. The X-men should be doing so much better than this. But they're not. They've rolled over and accepted that this is the reality and that they are powerless against a podcaster and her satellite weapon.

This is something the X-men should have never allowed to happen. They should have never allowed things to get this far. And as a result, by doing nothing when they could and SHOULD have been doing something, their enemies were allowed to regroup and begin targeting the most vulnerable members of the mutant community. The X-men failed in their responsibilities and let a place full of cruel and unusual punishment to stand because they weren't the mutants being personally affected by what was happening. And now, so many more have to pay the price for their inaction.

Where does that leave the unfortunate prisoners of this place? At this point, beyond being torn down in mind and body, it's hard to say. Every single one of them does have the right to call the X-men out on their failure, though. They all would be very justified in their anger at being left behind, both after Krakoa fell and here at this prison. In Omega Red’s case, I could very easily see this whole experience souring him on the X-men again and making him very unwilling to trust them again. Because even after everything that these former villains have been trying to do, there's still some part of the X-men that seem to view these unfortunate souls as monsters that deserve to be treated like animals. That they deserve to get beaten, fed rotten food and forced to sleep in wretched cells.

The X-men have failed in their role to protect mutants. They have failed to stand for what is right and failed to help their fellow mutants from being condemned to one of the worst fates a mutant can face: to be weaponized and used like a tool to attack other mutants. The Raid on Greymalkin story arc is a blight on X-men comics and is an example of what not to do when doing a story like this. Characters and their histories cannot be ignored. Petty fights over arbitrary issues should not be taking place when there are SO many higher priorities that need to be taken care of. This story was nothing but disappointing and sours me on the direction Marvel is taking the X-men. There is nothing to look forward to. Like the mutant prisoners who were left behind to be further tortured and devalued, we the readers have been left to a similar fate, wondering when in the world we will finally be freed from this prison that Marvel's writers are putting us in and what we -- and the characters we love -- will even come out on the other side looking like.

[beansnsoup]

Jaelyn's fic recs!

Fluff- 🧡

Smut - 💛

Part One! -> Part Two!

Alastor-

☆ Deer Dolly - Series by @ohproserpine 🧡

☆ for valentines day, i thought i'd buy a gun. By @ohproserpine

synopsis: you make your husband mad on purpose. 🧡💛?

☆ Alastor x Wife!Reader by @altruisticalastor

Summary: Lucifer gets a little too brazen with Alastor's darling wife. Guess the Ruler of Hell would just have to learn a lesson about who you belong to 💛

☆ my wife, my wife, my wife, my wife by @iicarused

synopsis:reader is vox’s ex and he’s not too keen of the separation — you were supposed to come back to him! not run around with his rival and get rid of his only access of looking after you (removing any/all electronics from your life) 🧡?

☆ come back to me by @iicarused

synopsis: you’re getting tired of the radio demon (part ii) 🧡?

☆ alastor + cunnilingus by @vmpyria 💛

☆ heaven knows your name by @iicarused

synopsis: heartaches after yearning for each other after decades of being apart 🧡

☆ alastor x married!reader by @bigfatbimbo 🧡

☆ DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by @popamolly

summary. Amidst the vibrant 1920s in New Orleans, a forbidden love unfolds in the lively jazz-filled atmosphere, evolving from an intoxicating romance to a twisted tale of heartbreak and murder, serving as a reminder to never dance with the devil. (SERIES) 🧡💛

Johnnie Guilbert-

☆ New Set by @corrodedcoffins-blog

summary: Giving boyfriend!Johnnie head scratches after getting new acrylics 🧡

☆ Collab by @teapartyprincess4two

summary: You and Johnnie pretend to date, faking it for so long that it became real. 🧡

☆ Run Your Mouth by @samandcolby-ownme

Prompt: Johnnie and reader get into an argument which leads to make up sex. 💛

☆ vampire!Johnnie x reader by @caeunot

summary- you find out your bf is a vampire 🧡💛?

☆ johnnie guilbert x reader by @caeunot

summary- johnnie writing zombie about you 🧡

☆ You by @sturnsreader 💛

☆ you know i’ll keep you in my locket by @stardustloserdoll 🧡

JSchlatt-

☆ "sit on my face." by @ghostkidabs 💛

☆ Jack & Coke part one by @d444zed 🧡💛?

☆ Jack & Coke part two by @d444zed 💛

☆ Mutual breakup headcanon/oneshot by @ohbabydollie 🧡

☆ Mutual breakup oneshot by @ohbabydollie 💛

Ellie Williams-

☆ no room for the holy spirit by @moncherellie 💛

☆ Roommate Trouble by @justkindalivin

summary: Your roommate Jesse and his girlfriend Dina fuck..a lot. loudly. When you finally get fed up after being woken up by their nightly “activities”, you go to Dina’s dorm for some peace and quiet only to run into her roommate, Ellie. 🧡💛

☆ hands to herself by @elliesbarbie

summary: ellie thinks you look a little too good in that bikini you chose to wear for the annual best friend vacay and can’t keep her hands off you 💛

☆ Getting caught with ellie by @me-and-your-husband 💛

☆ Body Ink by @me-and-your-husband

summary: you tattoo ellie's thigh. it's a bit of a compromising position, and it leads you down an unexpected road. female reader. 🧡💛

Alex Turner-

☆ Pillow Talk by @ohladymoon-blog

summary: what the title says, just pillow talk and soft cuddles after sex. ends in cockwarming. 🧡💛

☆ strawberry lace by @lilmisssweetdreams 🧡💛

☆ Test Drive by @savorypink 💛

Spiderman-

☆ Wingman (Hobie Brown) by @love-bitesx 🧡

☆ Crybaby (Hobie Brown) by @merowkittie 🧡

☆ "Thank You, Mrs. Parker." (Spider Noir) by @sabcandoit

Summary: After your wedding, you and Peter go home and have sex for the first time. 🧡💛

☆ Miss Your Face (TASM! Peter Parker) by @dontsaypetertingle

Summary: When you have to go out of town for work Peter gets lonely and a bit needy. An innocent call home to check on him becomes a lot more intense than originally planned. (Has a pt 2) 💛

☆ Break It In (Tom! Peter Parker) by @simplyparker

Summary: Peter gets his first car, and you want to have some fun 💛

☆ Please, Don't Stop Now by @echos-newlegs

Summary: you are in an established relationship with Peter, and he very much wants baby. 🧡💛

Fred Weasley-

☆ Facetime by @albertdabuttler

summary: !!MODERN AU!! Fred calls you in the middle of the night because he can’t sleep, but you look so pretty and he starts getting a little heated up. (Has 3 parts) 🧡💛

☆ Sweet Sugar Candyman by @keykeep 💛

☆ Sleeping In by @screamingoverfiction 💛

☆ Slipping Through My Fingers by @midnightmoonytales

Summary: Watching his little girl grow up had to one of his favorite things to see, but also one of the saddest. Every pivotal moment of her life flashing through his mind, even to this one now. (Wolfstar!daughter reader) 🧡

☆ Electric Pull by @apparentlytheproblem 🧡

Steve Harrington-

☆ I'll Be The Judge (Ft. Robin x Reader) by @luvfae

summary: steve and robin get into an argument about which one of them can give a girl a better orgasm, you come up with an idea to settle the argument once and for all. 💛

☆ Cowboy Hat Rule by @taintedcigs

summary: helping out mr. harrington in his ranch was supposed to be fun, but steve harrington was an asshole. an absolute pain in your ass that teased you, and you gave him the same energy back, always. so when you unknowingly wear his cowboy hat, he decides to teach you what exactly the cowboy hat rule is. 💛

☆ Marriage Pact by @fantasylandloser

summary: besties that plan to get married 🧡💛

Eddie Roundtree-

☆ Blind Date by @luvfae

Summary: The reader and Eddie get setup on a blind date 🧡💛

☆ Lead Singers Are Overrated by @luvfae

summary: working at the whiskey has it perks and that includes getting railed backstage by a certain bassist in a band. 💛

Extras-

☆ Not In On The Joke (Brian Quinn) by @joe--bro

Summary: The Jokers have to do certain tasks to win in the park, and a certain task given by the rest of the Jokers leads Q to talk to you. 🧡

☆ Flavored Kisses (Xavier Thorpe) by @cosmicpearlz

summary: in which you wear a different flavored chapstick everyday and your boyfriend xavier loves it. 🧡

☆ Babysitting (Judd Birch) by @just-another-author-i-guess

Summary: you and Judd are the designated babysitters for the night. 🧡💛

☆ Don't Fake It (Peter Quill) by @professorrw

Request/Summary: peter starts getting frisky with the reader but shes tired and isn’t really in the mood. He would never pressure her or anything but she wants to make him happy and feels bad saying no, so she does it and fakes her orgasm just to get it over with. Later, he somehow finds out (or knew all along, you decide) that she faked it and of course his ego is bruised and he’s kinda annoyed, but also feels guilty she didn’t tell him how she felt. So the next night, she starts coming onto him and he makes damn sure she never fakes it again. 💛

☆ So Beautiful (Loki Laufeyson) by @lokiisdaddyblog

Summary: Reader is feeling insecure and Loki proves to her that she's perfect. 🧡💛