#truck ac guide

[truckac]

Quick Tips for Improving Truck AC Efficiency

A truck's air conditioning system is an essential component for ensuring a comfortable driving experience, especially during scorching summer months. However, the effectiveness of your truck's AC can diminish over time due to various factors, leading to discomfort and even potential health risks. Understanding how to maintain and improve your truck's AC efficiency not only keeps you cool but also extends the lifespan of your vehicle’s HVAC system. Below, we’ll explore several practical and quick tips for improving truck AC efficiency so you can enjoy a consistently cool cabin environment.

How to Improve Truck AC Efficiency

Regular Maintenance: The Foundation of Efficiency

The most straightforward way to ensure your truck air conditioner remains efficient is through regular maintenance. This includes routine checks and services to prevent minor issues from escalating into costly repairs. Key maintenance tasks include:

Checking the Refrigerant Levels: Low refrigerant levels are a common cause of poor AC performance. Ensure your refrigerant is at the correct level to maintain optimal cooling.

Inspecting the AC Belt: The AC belt drives the compressor, and any wear or damage can reduce efficiency. Replace worn belts promptly.

Cleaning the Condenser Coils: Dirty condenser coils can hinder the heat exchange process, leading to reduced cooling. Regularly clean the coils to ensure they’re free of debris.

Optimize Airflow by Replacing Filters

The cabin air filter plays a crucial role in maintaining AC efficiency. Over time, cabin air filters can become clogged with dust, pollen, and other particles, obstructing airflow and reducing the system's cooling ability. Replacing the air filter regularly, ideally every 12,000 to 15,000 miles, ensures that the airflow remains unrestricted, enhancing the AC's performance.

Use the Recirculation Mode Wisely

When driving in hot weather, it's tempting to keep the AC on full blast. However, to maximize efficiency, use the recirculation mode instead of pulling in hot outside air. This mode reuses the cooler air inside the cabin, which requires less effort from the AC system to maintain the desired temperature.

Park in the Shade Whenever Possible

A truck parked under direct sunlight can turn into an oven, causing the AC to work harder to cool the interior. By parking in the shade or using a windshield sunshade, you can significantly reduce the cabin temperature before starting the AC, thereby improving its efficiency and reducing fuel consumption.

Pre-cool the Cabin with Ventilation

Before starting your journey, open the doors and windows to ventilate the hot air trapped inside the cabin. This step helps in lowering the interior temperature, reducing the burden on the AC system when you turn it on. A few minutes of ventilation can lead to significant energy savings and faster cooling.

Inspect and Maintain the AC Compressor

The compressor is the heart of your truck's AC system. It compresses the refrigerant and circulates it through the system. Regularly inspect the truck compressor for signs of wear or leaks and ensure it's well-lubricated. A well-maintained compressor is crucial for efficient cooling.

Improve Truck AC Efficiency with Smart Driving Habits

Avoid Idling for Long Periods

Idling with the AC on is a common practice, especially during hot weather. However, this habit can strain the AC system and waste fuel. If you need to wait for an extended period, consider turning off the engine, opening the windows, or using a portable fan instead.

Maintain a Steady Speed

Rapid acceleration and deceleration can put extra strain on your truck's engine and AC system. By maintaining a steady speed and avoiding sudden stops and starts, you can improve fuel efficiency and enhance the AC system's performance.

Keep the Windows Closed When Using the AC

Driving with the windows open while the AC is running disrupts the airflow dynamics inside the cabin and forces the AC to work harder. To maximize efficiency, keep the windows closed when the AC is on, allowing the system to cool the cabin more effectively.

Preventive Measures to Enhance Truck AC Efficiency

Regularly Check for Leaks

Leaks in the AC system can lead to refrigerant loss, which directly impacts cooling efficiency. Periodically inspect the AC lines and connections for any signs of leaks. If you notice a decrease in cooling performance, it may be time to have the system checked by a professional.

Upgrade to High-Performance Parts

If you’re driving an older truck, consider upgrading to high-performance truck AC parts. Modern compressors, condensers, and fans are designed to be more efficient, providing better cooling with less energy consumption. While this might be a more significant investment, it can pay off in long-term efficiency and comfort.

Ensure Proper Insulation of the Cabin

The insulation of your truck's cabin plays a significant role in maintaining the interior temperature. Poor insulation allows heat to penetrate, making the AC work harder. Inspect the weather stripping around doors and windows and replace any damaged seals to ensure your cabin effectively retains cool air.

Utilize AC Diagnostic Tools

Modern diagnostic tools can help you monitor your truck's AC performance in real time. These tools can alert you to potential issues before they become major problems, allowing for timely maintenance and repairs. Investing in such technology can be a game-changer in maintaining AC efficiency.

Optimizing AC Performance During Extreme Weather

Avoid Direct Sunlight on the Dashboard

The dashboard can absorb and radiate heat, significantly raising the cabin temperature. To minimize heat absorption, use a reflective sunshade or cover your dashboard. This simple step can lower the cabin temperature, easing the workload on your AC.

Consider Tinting Your Windows

Window tinting can block up to 99% of harmful UV rays and significantly reduce the heat entering your truck’s cabin. This not only protects the interior from sun damage but also helps maintain a cooler temperature, enhancing the overall efficiency of your AC system.

Schedule Seasonal AC Inspections

Have your AC system inspected by a professional before the onset of extreme weather. Seasonal inspections can identify potential issues and ensure that your system is fully charged and functioning at its best. This proactive approach can prevent breakdowns during critical times. (Infographic: Seasonal Maintenance Checklist for Truck AC Systems)

Final Thoughts

Maintaining and improving truck AC efficiency is not only about comfort but also about ensuring the longevity of your vehicle’s HVAC system. By following these quick tips, you can keep your truck cool, save on fuel costs, and avoid unnecessary wear and tear on the AC components. Regular maintenance, smart driving habits, and preventive measures are all key to achieving and sustaining optimal AC performance. Stay cool and drive safely!

FAQs

How often should I service my truck’s AC system?

It's recommended that your truck's AC system be serviced at least once a year, ideally before the summer season begins. Regular servicing ensures that all components are functioning properly and helps maintain efficiency.

What are the signs of a failing truck AC compressor?

Common signs include strange noises when the AC is running, warm air blowing from the vents, and refrigerant leaks. If you notice any of these symptoms, it's crucial to have the compressor inspected immediately.

Can I use any type of refrigerant in my truck’s AC?

No, you must use the specific type of refrigerant recommended by your truck's manufacturer. Using the wrong kind can cause significant damage to the AC system and reduce its efficiency.

Does the recirculation mode really save energy?

Yes, using the recirculation mode can save energy because it cools the air already inside the cabin rather than continuously cooling hot outside air. This reduces the load on the AC system and enhances efficiency.

What should I do if my truck’s AC isn’t blowing cold air?

If your AC isn't blowing cold air, check the refrigerant levels, inspect the compressor, and ensure the cabin air filter is clean. If the issue persists, consult a professional technician.

Is it necessary to replace the cabin air filter regularly?

Yes, replacing the cabin air filter regularly is essential for maintaining proper airflow and preventing strain on the AC system. A clean filter improves air quality and ensures efficient cooling.

[baronessvonglitter]

Sweet Summer Peach

dbf!Joel Miller x f!Reader

Word Count: 3.7K

Summary: when your dad's best friend Joel catches you with his younger brother Tommy, it sets off a spark of jealousy that can only be tamed by showing you how a real man treats a woman.

WARNINGS: 18+ Only! Mature and Explicit, big ol' girthy age gap (reader is between 18-21, Joel is in his 50s, Tommy is in his 40s), Tommy is a womanizer and Joel's just trying to save you from him while also getting a little of you for himself, innocence kink, first time/loss of virginity, fingering, dry humping, truck sex on a hot day in July, unprotected p in v sex (not stated whether reader is on birth control but we'll assume she is), creampie, come eating, praise and pet names (angel, darlin', baby from Joel; sugar, sweetheart from Tommy) definitely a daddy kink as you've known Joel your whole life and he's like a second father to you, once again your dad is clueless as to what's going on, reader is also Sarah's best friend but she is only mentioned not seen. Reader has hair that Joel can pull and wears a bikini and a sundress. No use of y/n.

JOEL MILLER MASTERLIST | FULL MASTERLIST

"Why don't you ditch that silly little wine cooler and let me give you a taste of somethin' else, sugar?" Tommy Miller's voice is sinful in your ear. "Somethin' a little stronger."

It's over a hundred degrees outside, with no comfort in the shade. The Millers are hosting their annual Fourth of July barbecue, and plenty of people are over, eating, drinking, chatting, swimming in the brand new pool. You've known Tommy and his older brother Joel for years, the latter your dad's best and oldest friend. You and Sarah, Joel's daughter, have been best friends as long as you can remember, being the same age and living just across the street from each other. Joel himself has always been like a second father to you, having watched you grow up. He took you and Sarah to ball games, to the zoo, on fishing expeditions, helped with homework, practically helped raise you. Sarah was his Baby, and you were his Angel.

Tommy, on the other hand, hasn't seen you in years. But he definitely likes the woman you've grown to be.

He's been making eyes at you all afternoon, not-so-subtle glances your way, obviously enticed by your new, revealing bikini. You're garnering a lot of attention from people today, just as you'd expected when you bought it. Your dad would sure have some comments to make on how underdressed you are, but he's not here, working until the evening, and you're taking advantage of your freedom.

Tommy awaits your answer, and with your drink gathering condensation in your hand, you tell him, "Okay," with a soft smile.

He takes your hand, fingers weaving around yours. "Let's dip into the house for a few minutes," he murmurs, eyes gleaming with mischief. Taking a quick look around you notice Joel's eyes on you, his gaze unreadable but you can sense he's on the verge of moving to stop you. But the sight of his glare only serves to stoke the fire of your excitement. It's highly likely he does not like watching Tommy lead you away to privacy.

"Where are you takin' me?" you ask, a giggle bubbling in your throat as you leave your drink behind. He's guiding you to the side entrance of the house, down the hall and to a small den. The blast of the AC hits you with sweet relief and you nearly sigh with satisfaction.

"Away from all the heat," he says, gently pushing you to the wall.

"Tommy," you giggle, half anxious, half excited.

His hands go immediately to your hips, his grip warm and firm as he pulls you close. A low, primal growl rumbles through his chest and he leans in, his nose brushing against your neck. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I got ya." His breath his hot against your skin, his teeth graze your throat, sending a shiver of want down your spine.

"You like that, sugar?" he whispers, his hands exploring your soft thighs, caressing upwards until they brush against the fabric of your bikini.

"More.." your voice comes out in a whimper.

Tommy's eyes gleam with pleasure at your desperate plea. "Greedy girl." His fingers find their way beneath your bikini bottom, gliding across your folds, grinning when you begin to grow even more wet under his touch. He teases without pushing inside, wanting to see you grow absolutely uninhibited with need. "What's the matter, sweetheart?" he teases.

"Not.. used to bein' touched like this," you tell him, brow furrowed in concentration of desire.

"Mm. I can tell." His touch is gentle and insistent, seeking out the spots that make your knees buckle. "You only ever had your own fingers in ya? That it?" He drinks in your sounds of pleasure as you nod at his question. He traces over your clit, watching your hips jerk. "There ya go.." he coaxes, lips on your neck as he continues touching and teasing you. "You like that, huh? Like how I'm touchin' ya?" His fingers circle your clit until you feel yourself grow tighter and tighter, soon to unwind..

"Yes.. yes.. oh my god, oh my god," you moan, and when you open your eyes Joel is there, watching both of you. He looks pissed. You shriek as you meet his searing gaze.

"Get your fuckin' hands off her," he growls menacingly.

Your blood freezes and you're vaguely aware of Tommy's fingers slipping away as he moves from you. Then as you realize your state of dress you try to fix your disheveled bikini, a feeble attempt to cover yourself. "Joel.. I'm sorry," you whisper.

Joel's eyes stay locked on you, a possessive rage smoldering in his black depths. He steps towards you, his movements deliberate and calculated, like a predator stalking its prey. "Sorry?" he mocks. "What the fuck are you doin' in here with my little brother's hands all over ya?"

"I.. I wasn't thinking." It's the truth. For once you'd let your hormones think for you.

His expression hardens. "You weren't thinkin'? That's all you have to say?" His gaze flicks to Tommy, the simmering anger still present in his eyes. "You. Get out," he commands, his voice sharp and authoritative.

Tommy hesitates briefly, all former bravado gone in the presence of his older brother's ire, and leave you and Joel alone.

You feel ashamed, scared, still dizzy with desire if you're honest, the ache Tommy created in you still lingering. "Joel, I'm sorry.. you won't tell my dad, will you?"

Joel's gaze is intense. "You're damn right I won't. Your daddy would rip my brother limb from limb if he found out what just happened." He steps closer to you, his eyes roaming your body, taking in your scantily clad appearance. "But you and I, darlin', we need to clear some things up."

"Like what?" you ask in a small voice, expecting the worst.

"First: I don't want you alone with Tommy ever again. Am I understood?" His voice drops to a low growl. "Second: I'm not done with you, angel. You're comin' with me."

Despite knowing you're in trouble already, you're recalcitrant. "You can't tell me what to do! I'm not a child anymore!"

Joel's eyes flash with anger, and before you can react, his hand quickly clamps around your wrist, his grip firm but not painful. "You're actin' like a child, darlin'. Now you can either come with me quietly, or you can put up a fight and I'll carry you outta here. Your choice."

For some reason the thought of him carrying you out sends a jolt straight to your center. But you relent. "Fine," you growl back. Joel hands you your sundress and you put it on, not caring to ask why he had it in his possession while you were in here with Tommy.

"Good girl," he mutters, leading you to his truck outside. He opens the door for you, the gentlemanly gesture a stark difference from his earlier demeanor. As you get in, Joel climbs into the driver's seat, his large frame filling the small space.

"Where are we goin'?" you ask as he starts up the engine and drives away with you.

He doesn't turn to look at you as he drives, his grip on the steering wheel white-knuckled and tense. "Somewhere we can talk, darlin'," he says gruffly. "Somewhere my meddlin' brother can't get his hands on ya."

You blush with shame as you think of what Joel saw you doing with Tommy, even though it was mostly innocent. "You don't see me as your little angel no more. do you?"

Joel's gaze flicks to you for a moment, his expression showing disappointment. "You stopped bein' an angel the moment you let my brother touch ya."

He pulls his pickup into a dirt parking lot, the location surrounded by trees and secluded from prying eyes.

"Better him than someone I don't know," you say lamely, looking around the deserted area.

"That's a low bar, angel," Joel mutters, voice thick with restraint. "You're not the only one who's noticed ya, darlin'. Hell, the whole damn town's been watchin' ya grow up."

"Tommy's the one who approached me. It wasn't my fault."

"Of course. He'd be blind not to want ya," he mutters darkly. "But you're not the first girl he's had his eye on, baby, and you ain't gonna be the last either."

It stings, but you try not to let it show. "I'm not tryna marry him, we were just havin' fun."

Joel scoffs, his eyes betraying his jealousy. "Fun, huh? Is that what you call it? You have no idea what my brother is like. He's no good for you. You're too young, too innocent, too damn pure."

"Evidently I'm no longer pure by your standards," you shoot back, arms crossed. "A girl can't enjoy herself without bein' a slut, right?"

His jaw clenches. "That's not what I meant. You're not just some toy for my brother to play with and toss aside. You don't know what he could do to you."

You remember Tommy's gentle, sure touch, the way his fingers glided over your most secret parts. "I got a sense of what he could do to me," you can't resist goading Joel. "And it felt so good.."

Joel looks like he's trying to swallow glass. "I bet he made you feel things you've never felt before, didn't he?"

"Almost.. not quite.." Blush fills your face.

"You mean he didn't make you come."

To have it put so bluntly makes you blush all over again. "No.. he didn't."

Joel wets his lips. "I bet it drove you crazy, havin' him touch you like that and not bein' able to finish.. must've driven you wild, huh?"

This is crazy. This conversation is crazy. This whole thing is crazy! It's like you're a kid again and Joel's trying to explain the birds and the bees because your own father doesn't want to.

"Yeah," you answer softly. "It's like an ache that won't go away."

His gaze darkens, drinking in the image of you all desperate, unable to get what you want. "And you're still achin', aren't ya, darlin'?" His voice is low, husky, intimate.

You feel small under his gaze, like a piece of meat being dangled before a hungry lion, like Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. "Yes," comes your whispered reply.

Joel leans close, his large hands reaching out to cup your face. "Tell me what you want, angel."

He's giving you a choice, unlike Tommy who did what he wanted to do. Joel is giving you a choice.. "Make this ache go away for me.. please.."

His desire burns fiercely as he hears the plea in your voice. "You sure that's what you want, baby? Because once you let me in, there ain't no goin' back." His hands slide down to caress your neck, his touch both possessive and gentle.

You whimper. Once you let me in.. You're a fool not to think he means anything else. "I'm sure," you whisper, keeping your gaze on his dark eyes.

It sounds like a dare, like a threat, as he says, "All right, darlin'. You asked for it," and grabs hold of your waist, pulling you onto his lap so you're straddling him. You let out an involuntary gasp. His hands slide down from your waist to grab handfuls of your round ass, squeezing and kneading your cheeks firmly. "I've had a mind to do this for a long damn while," he growls. "You've been fillin' out lately, and those tight little shorts you wear 'round my house ain't doin' nothin' but teasin' my cock."

All your breath leaves you, the way he's grabbing you sends waves of heat and longing throughout your body.

His eyes burn as he feels your reaction to his touch. "You like that, baby?" he continues to grab and squeeze. "I've had to look at those tight little shorts of yours every time you come over.. always showin' off that perfect peach. Even now, this lil' sundress ain't barely coverin' anything." He kneads your cheeks again, giving them a light slap each.

You gasp at the sweet little stings, and each insistent knead of his hands on your ass pushes you forward onto his hard-on that tents his jeans. "That's it, angel. Ride my lap, just like that," he grunts. Your palms are planted on his shoulders, fingers gripping tightly as you grind yourself against him. Your heart is liable to shoot out of your chest but he feels so damn good, and so dangerous. "Like this?" you ask.

"Yeah, just like that, baby." Joel looks up at you, the mask of his authority slipping just a little as he watches you. "You feel that? That's what this pretty lil' ass does to me." Another quick little slap on your butt.

"Mm hmm," you reply, too caught up in the feeling to give a proper reply. "Oh my, I'm makin' such a mess on you," you whisper, noticing the wet spot on his jeans where you've been grinding on him without a care.

"Don't worry about me, darlin'. That's what I want." His voice is thick with desire and need. "I want you all wet and messy for me."

Jesus, the man knows just what to say.. "Joel," you whine. "You said you'd make the ache go away but you only made it worse.."

He quirks a brow. "That so? Well then I better do somethin' about that." One hand snakes its way between your bodies, his fingers easily finding your pussy through the thin material of your bikini bottom. You bite your lip as a curse word leaves your mouth, your head tilted back as he finds you wet and wanting. His fingers glide easily through your folds. "You're soaked, angel." He presses a kiss against your neck, grazing his teeth upon your skin as his fingers finally enter you, pressing into your sweet, welcoming warmth.

Brows furrowed, you start moving against his touch, sighing darkly as you feel his gentle love bite. "It's all.. for you," you sigh.

"I know it is, darlin'. Always has been." As his fingers rock inside you his thumb rubs small circles against your clit.

You ride his fingers, your breath shaking, gasping at the sweet intrusion. "Joel.. don't stop.. don't stop, I'm gonna come!"

"Go on, angel," he gruffs out. "Come for me.."

He holds you tight as you come undone on his lap, your pussy walls contracting around his fingers. "That's it.. good girl.." he praises. He withdraws them gently, shiny and covered in your thick, stringy slick. In a haze of pleasure you watch as he brings them to his lips, licking them clean. "You taste even better than I dreamed."

"Let me taste," you whisper, grabbing him for a kiss and swirling your tongue against his, tasting the remnants of your fulfillment. Your heart leaps as he goes to unbuckle his belt, and your body pulsates with unbridled need that overshadows all other thoughts.

"I need to be inside ya, darlin'."

"Yes.. please," you beg shamelessly.

"Lift up, angel," he whispers, pulling his jeans and boxers down halfway as you give him room. His cock springs up from his nest of dark brown wiry curls: a perfect, slightly curving length, thick and veiny, reaching up past his belly button, his precum already dribbling from the tip. His balls are heavy and full, lifting slightly as he pulls on himself, getting him primed for you. "You ready for me, baby?" he asks, voice low and thick with desire.

"Yes," you nod eagerly.

With your bikini bottom pushed to the side, he puts you over him again and starts to press into you. A deep, guttural groan rumbles from his chest as he firmly holds your hips. You gasp at the surrealness of the moment, straddling him in the driver's seat of the truck he taught you how to drive in just a couple short years ago. You whimper his name as you take a little of him at a time.

He claims your lips in a deep kiss, tongue delving into your mouth as he slowly sinks deeper inside you. Just when you think it's impossible to fit all of him, his kiss eases the way and you sink further down. "God," you sigh.

"You're doin' so good, baby. You feel so damn good around me," he soothes, completely. He starts to lift you up, to go slow and steady as already you're dripping onto him, your juices flowing down his shaft and drenching his pubes. You spread your thighs wider, feeling every inch of him inside you, a pleasure and yet a small pain. "Let me feel you like this for a little bit," you tell him, sheathing him with care.

"Whatever you want, darlin'. It's all yours," he mutters, leaning his forehead against yours, trying to still his heart, trying to catch his god damn breath.

"All mine," you whisper back, your breath tickling his ear. "My first.." You kiss him again and let your tongue tease his.

"Damn right," he growls. "And I'm gonna make sure you remember it forever. You're gonna feel me for days.." With that he starts to move, slowly, generating the friction your unsatisfied body so craves. "Grind yourself on me, just like that," he whispers, pulling the front of your sundress down to reveal your bikini top, and peels that back to expose your breasts, your nipples like pert raspberries. He palms them roughly before tasting each one, swirling his tongue around one bud while pinching the other.

You squirm in his lap, moving up and down his shaft, coating him with your cream. "You're so fucking deep," you moan, cupping his head as he feasts on your tits.

"There ya go.. take all of me. Lemme fill ya up," he grunts. His body tenses under yours as you speed up, mesmerized as your tits bounce up and down right in front of him. "That's it.. ah, such a good girl for me. How much more ya want? How much can ya handle?"

"I want.. fuck!.. I want more," you moan. "Fuck me, Joel!"

At your command he thrusts up, deep and rough, pulling your hair back so he can watch your body, gleaming with sweat, pulsate with pleasure as he taps into your primal need. The truck windows are fogged up as the vehicle gently bounces with your movements. His long, thick fingers leave marks on your hips and your ass cheeks.

He pistons up into you relentlessly, the sound of skin slapping on skin echoing in the truck, along with his grunts and the heavenly crescendo of your sweet moans. He keeps up the rigorous pace and you're on the edge, about to topple over into bliss. "Come on, baby," he urges you. "Yeah, that's it.. come for me.."

Only a few more fierce, upward thrusts and you come, with him nestled in up to the hilt so that every inch of him can feel you quake with pleasure. Your pussy flutters and convulses around him as you rear your head back, basking in the sublime pleasure. Joel follows soon after, unable to resist as he comes deep inside you. You give a little gasp at the warm bursts of his release, unlocking something primal in you. "Give me every drop," you whisper.

"It's all yours, darlin'," he hisses, holding onto you as he pumps stream after stream of his thick white cum within you.

Your eyes meet as he finally stills, slumping back down in his seat, still holding you close so you can feel the thundering beat of one another's hearts. "God.. you filled me up," you say in amazement, feeling him drip out of you already though he hasn't made a move to disengage from you yet.

"Imma fill you up any damn time you want," he rumbles. "Even if I gotta sneak into your room at night. Your daddy ain't gonna know a thing."

You bite your lip, realizing he's not kidding, he's not giving promises he doesn't mean to keep. "He'd probably kill you if he knew what we just did."

Joel's eyes burn with a determination that scares you a little. "Well he ain't gonna ever know. I got ways of keepin' things quiet." He gazes at you and his eyes soften, as if he's looking upon the most beautiful and innocent thing in all the world. "I always knew I wanted ya, ever since you turned into such a sweet little treat."

His phone rings and he groans when he realizes it's your father. He puts a hand over your mouth even though you wouldn't dare let on that you're with him, and makes the conversation as quick as possible before hanging up. "We better go, darlin'. Your daddy's waitin', wonderin' where you are," he says casually, as if he hadn't just had a conversation with your dad while balls-deep inside you.

You lift yourself off him wincing a little at the soreness between your thighs. The remnants of Joel's sticky seed start to trickle down your leg. He runs his thumb along your inner thigh, gathering his cum and brings it to your lips. You suck the salty fluid off his thumb. "I'm not wasting any of it," you tell him, licking your lips as you swallow.

"God damn," he mutters hotly. "You're killin' me, angel," he says, helping you arrange your clothes so you're decent again.

"Not anymore.. you just turned this angel into a devil.."

"Hey pumpkin, where ya been?" your dad greets you as you get out of Joel's truck in his driveway. Walking is a little painful as you're still sore, but you try to act natural.

"Beer run," Joel answers for you, holding up a twelve-pack of Corona Extra.

"Joel took me on a ride," you can't help saying, "It was fun." His cum is still collecting in your swimsuit bottom. "Hey Daddy, Sarah asked me to spend the night with her, so I'll be here all night. Is that okay with you, Joel?" You suppress a smirk as you address both the men.

Joel's heart rate spikes and his imagination runs wild in the quick span of a moment before he says, "Of course it is. You're always welcome here."

And later, when the Fourth of July fireworks cast their multi-colored lights on the black horizon, no one notices as you and Joel sneak away together, the booms overhead concealing your noises of gratification.

dividers by @saradika-graphics 👑

[maybefae]

Messages From Your Guides

Pile 1 - Pile 2 - Pile 3

Remember, this is a general reading and it may not resonate for everyone or completely. Tarot is a tool to help guide but you are responsible for your actions and life, you choose your path.

Tips!

Pile 1

Tarot Cards: Queen of Wands (Justice and Nine of Wands), The Sun (Four of Wands), Six of Pentacles (Six of Swords), Seven of Cups (Two of Cups)

Bottom of the Deck: Two of Swords, Strength, The High Priestess, Ace of Swords

This guide can be a more motherly figure or a very ancient deity that appears more feminine. It almost has a “Crone” energy.

It’s okay to be happy after you have had to put walls up against a certain person, people, or your family. It’s okay that you are happier after establishing boundaries, my love. Compared to what they have done to you, no matter how minimal it could seem, your act of standing your ground and standing up for yourself is justified. It’s okay to be happy. The scales of justice have tipped in your favor. You’ve always questioned why you had to suffer, that the ones who have wronged you seem to always be able to get away with things. But now that you get to be happy once, you feel guilty when you should feel like the weight is lifted off your chest. The shackles they had put on you, the thoughts they put in your head to make you stay small, are a far greater harm than you standing up for yourself.

It’s okay to walk away. You may regret staying as long as you did, taking care of people wishing to receive it back but never getting it in return. But don’t. Your heart and your love is a great power. It is something that makes you strong. You loved yourself enough to finally walk away. And there will be another that shares the love you have, all you had to do is walk away from the people who didn’t. 

Pile 2

Tarot Cards: King of Pentacles, Seven of Pentacles, Ace of Cups, Five of Pentacles, Three of Swords, Ten of Wands, Six of Cups, Eight of Wands 

Bottom of the Deck: The Hanged Man 

This is a very masculine feeling guide. “Great Oak” energy, strong and warm. This could honestly resonate with people who picked pile 2 from my recent week ahead reading. This is a very father-like energy, built like a brick house and someone who does everything with love. A full heart and very, very protective. You could have seen him as a kid? Maybe in a dream or you actually saw his spirit. He could come around as a certain animal you see whenever you are going through something, or it’s like you are the only one that sees this animal and no one else sees them around. He gives off the energy of a bear, coyote, fox, tortoise. Orange daylilies. 

This guide isn’t really one for words but for actions, so I will do my best to describe what he’s showing and making me feel. He didn’t like that he had to keep his hands out of a situation that left you defeated and heartbroken, because his instinct is to keep you behind him and deal with your problems so you can keep living your life with as much peace and happiness as possible. However, he is showing me that he was told not to intervene. 

But just know, he walks beside you on your new journey. He is very adamant on making me tell you that he’s extremely proud and you’re doing a great job. He just nodded and gave a few claps. Don’t let the fire in your heart die and keep your “childlike wonder.” “Everything you thought as a child is true…you are just looking in the wrong places/looking too hard.” The journey ahead is great and filled with merriment despite the lack of coins in your pocket. There will be another great shift that will happen in your favor but keep on trucking. All that work will pay off and you have friends to enjoy the journey with. 

Pile 3

Tarot Cards: Seven of Wands, Ten of Pentacles, The Spirit Plane, Ace of Pentacles, King of Pentacles

Before I pull any cards, you have a guide or guides that come off as very ambiguous. They come off as very angelic or air/light fae, sylphs. I just see light creatures/beings and hear giggling. They are very lovely and they can be tricksters, but don’t cause much harm. They are light-hearted and like to keep the energy of fun around. Now I see them dancing with each other. I also see an expanse of field.

Another note: Since you probably believe in them if you picked this pile, I have a gnome friend who also wants to say something. 

I just have the top row of cards out and they all want to talk. They already have a flurry of messages. They want to say that, yes, you did see/hear from them and you aren’t crazy despite what others have said. They see you as one of them and as a good friend. You probably don’t feel human most days and become very confused/distressed from the way life is in this realm. You operate more in their realm of living. They are also telling you that you are far more rich because of that. 

They just wanna tell you that you aren’t crazy, they keep repeating that. Your view of the world is most likely correct. Nothing makes sense, what you believe should be makes sense though. And there is also a warning here that all beings of this category aren’t happy. In fact, they are actually really angry. “Something’s coming.” They won’t expand on that but they want you to know. You will be protected from your guides! And it will seemingly feel like everyone around you is effected but you. And throughout your life, you may have felt very lucky because things may have felt like were dropped in your lap or life has been pretty easy and it’s because of them. They don’t know if they want thanks or not, but they will take your gratitude in the form of gifts/offerings!

Decks Used: Ophida Rosa Tarot by Leila and Olive, The Dungeons and Dragons Tarot Deck by Adam Lee and Fred Gissubel, Cosma Visions Oracle by James R. Eads

Dividers: @inklore

[rip-quizilla]

Impossible to Hate You ~ Part 6

Pairing: Eddie Munson x fem!Reader

Summary: Thanksgiving, idiots in love, and unwelcome encounters in the parking lot.

Word Count: 4k

A/N: Content Warning! This chapter contains sexual harassment (grabbing at clothes, derogatory name calling).

Thank you so much @hellfire--cult for the adorable Converse divider🥹

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Part 6

Thanksgiving Day, 1983

Eddie had a lot of things to worry about today, but right now he was most worried about whether or not the mac & cheese he’d slaved over all morning would taste like shit. 

His sweaty hands clutched the dish towel-wrapped baking dish for dear life and mentally rolled through all of the ingredients he had read on that clipping from the Southern Living magazine he’d grabbed from the grocery store. It wasn’t as if he’d never cooked before- he could make a mean grilled cheese, and if something came in a box he hadn’t found a way to fuck it up yet. This time, however, he’d been a little out of his element. 

Wayne had been excited to finally have a use for the casserole dish that had been sitting in a cabinet unused for so long that Eddie hadn’t even known it existed. Currently, he sat relaxed in the drivers’ seat of his pickup smiling smug as hell even though Eddie had assured him multiple times that he was not about to meet Eddie’s girlfriend… just a friend. 

No matter how much Eddie tried to hammer that point into Wayne’s skull, however, he still smiled that stupid knowing grin every time your name came up in conversation, as if he knew something Eddie didn’t. 

“You seem nervous.” Wayne commented, keeping his eyes trained on the road ahead as he lazily turned the truck into your neighborhood. 

Eddie glared at the tin foil topped dish in his lap. “Well, I’ve never made this recipe before, I keep picturing everyone taking a bite and immediately spitting it into their napkins.”

Wayne snorted, shaking his head softly and guiding the steering wheel with one hand. “Son, it’s pasta and cheese. Pretty hard to mess that up too bad.” 

“Yeah, well…” Eddie harrumphed. “I’m sure I found a way somehow.”

Wayne smiled softly at his nephew’s smitten nerves, parking the pickup with a jerky stop at the curb of your house. “505, right? This is the one?”

“Yeah.” 

Watching smugly as Eddie stared out the window at your house, Wayne waited about four seconds before he asked, “Are you gonna get out of the car today, or…?”

Cue the sound of the car door opening and Eddie grumbling a sassy muttered retort of I’m going old man, calm down, or something along those lines. Wayne pretended not to catch it. 

You opened the door before Wayne and Eddie could even get to the door, and when Eddie’s eyes landed on you? His uncle could just tell. The smile that exploded on his nephew’s face was all it took.

“Oh here, let me take that-”

“No, no, it’s fine Ace, I got it.” Eddie reassured you, swooping the casserole dish away from your eager hands. He nodded in Wayne’s direction, directing you to do the same as he introduced the only family member of his that you’d heard of at all in your time as friends. “This is my Uncle Wayne.” 

Your eyes shone, welcoming and warm, and Wayne understood in an instant how you’d had such an effect on Eddie in less than a year. Since he’d started spending time with you, Eddie Munson had become the kind of young man who did his homework without being asked. He’d even gotten a job at the mall of all places and gave a portion of his earnings to his uncle to help with living expenses. 

None of the things Wayne had always loved about Eddie had gone away- the changes he’d seen in his nephew were all additions to a personality that he’d always known would take him far in life if he could just surround himself with those who brought out the best in him. People who saw that spark of Munson Magic and knew how to fan it.

Wayne could now confirm that you were one of those people.

He took your hand in his weathered and wrinkled one, pouring his approval of you into a firm and fatherly handshake. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, young lady.” He gestured to Eddie with a conspiratorial nod. “Nice to put a face to the name, all he does is talk about you.”

“Brrrrr, it’s cold out here!” Eddie interrupted his uncle with a hand on your back to steer you away from Wayne and into the house. “Are you cold? You look cold, we don’t need to stand out here yapping when you’re cold.” 

You smiled, following Eddie’s lead but tossing a look over your shoulder at Wayne like it was a shared secret. 

Eddie had already met your parents, so greetings were warm and familiar once the three of you had reached the foyer. Wayne was introduced to both your mom and dad before your mom noticed Eddie had brought an offering for the table.

“Edward Munson, if I’m about to find out you’re not only a shoe designer but also a cook, I might just have to extend a standing invitation for all future holidays!”

“Shoe designer?” Wayne raised an eyebrow. 

You chuckled, pointing your foot out for him to see your white (now turned a bit duller from wearing them every day) Chuck Taylors, completely covered in idle drawings from Eddie’s inability to sit still. 

Wayne gawked at the artwork on your shoes; he’d always known that Eddie was talented, but this was the first time in a long time that Wayne had really stopped and looked at his nephew’s art. The detail, the use of space and composition- it was clear that Eddie knew not only how to draw, but he had an eye for how to make his art look like it belonged on its canvas. Even otherworldly monsters- sea creatures, dragons, demonic ghouls and ghostly images- looked at home on your well-loved high tops. 

“You drew all this, Ed?”

Eddie smiled shyly, nudging your shoulder with his own. “Ah, they’re just doodles. This one over here figured out I pay better attention in class when I’m doing something with my hands. Helps me listen better.” Finally, his trademark grin reappeared, shyness replaced with snark. “Now I’m the one helping her in class.”

“All the times I’ve had to kick you so you don’t fall asleep in O’Donnell’s beg to differ.” You replied, rolling your eyes at him. This brought a good-natured ripple of laughter from everyone in the room. You all felt it- the ease with which familiarity settled in the air amongst you. Eddie felt it most of all, since he wasn’t quite accustomed to the particular familial feel of it. 

He might have been, once. But it’s been a while. 

A second later and your mom had whisked Eddie into the kitchen to set his dish down on a trivet and sent him into the living room with a steaming cup of wassail in one hand and a plate of appetizers in the other.

“There was enough food in there to feed an army,” Eddie said, bemused as he sat down next to you on the couch. “Does she know there are only five of us?” 

You toed off your shoes and let them fall to the ground before crossing your legs up on the green ottoman, fuzzied soft with wear from years of love. You leaned closer to Eddie, eyes fixed on his plate of goodies as you began to pick pieces of fruit and cheese for yourself. 

“Mom grew up with a big family,” you said, popping a juicy red grape into your mouth. “All the family recipes make enough for six at least. She could probably cut the recipes in half… but I think cooking all this food reminds her of home.” you smiled tenderly and shrugged. “We usually freeze the leftovers, but since you and your uncle are here I doubt we’ll even have to open a freezer bag. We’ll just send leftovers home with you!”

Eddie liked the sound of that. 

An hour or so passed before you all sat down to share your meal, and Eddie was amazed how quickly his nerves had dissipated in that time. The two of you sat cozied up on the couch, munching on fruit, cheese and deviled eggs. Your dad had offered Wayne a beer, and the two of them sat watching football in front of the TV until your mom gave the all-call for dinner. 

Everyone loaded up their plates, remarked on how good the food looked, thanked your mom for all of the hard work that went into today’s meal. This was quickly followed by a pointed thank you from your mother to Eddie for the “best mac ‘n cheese I’ve ever had” according to her. He was pretty sure she was just being nice, but he didn’t care. Her smile was still contagious- one of those ‘I love you no matter what’ mom smiles.

He’d forgotten about those.

He’d also forgotten what it was like to sit at a dining room table with more than three people. For a second, he’d been worried that you were all about to hold hands and pray, which wouldn’t have been ideal since all Eddie could remember about the dinner prayer was “bless us, oh Lord, for these thy gifts,” and he didn’t want to embarrass himself. 

But there wasn’t a prayer. This wasn’t a test he’d forgotten to study for, just a meal where Mom and Dad and Uncle were all happy he was here, happy each other were here. That was new. And when your dad asked Eddie how school was going, for once he had nothing but good things to report. He’d gotten a 95 on his last English test. For the first time since sophomore year, he wasn’t failing a single class. And when your dad said “Glad to hear you’re doing well, son.” Eddie felt you squeeze his thigh lightly, just above his knee. He saw Wayne smiling proudly out of the corner of his eye.

Eddie could get used to this. 

Conversation flowed easily in your family; no one felt the need to talk about the weather or ask arbitrary questions, and thankfully nobody decided that “we should go around the table and all say something we’re thankful for!”. There wasn’t a need for it. None of you needed to say it out loud to know you were all thankful for each other. For this. 

By the time dessert came around, Eddie started to think he might be dreaming. Apparently, you were the one always in charge of dessert in your household. And while he’d grown very acquainted with your chocolate chip cookies, he hadn’t been adequately prepared for your pecan pie. Or your chocolate & peanut butter sheet cake. Or the chocolate pudding/cool whip/cookie crumb whatever-it-was that you’d spooned onto his dessert plate. 

Could a person become delirious after consuming too much sugar? Eddie wasn’t sure if it was sugar that was causing him to start wondering what you’d look like making all these desserts in a kitchen that you both paid rent for, or if that was just him. It was probably the sugar.

As soon as Eddie was shoveling his last bite into his mouth, he was looking over to see if you had any left for him to mooch off of you. Your plate was empty- scraped clean, even- and then you were grabbing his empty plate and standing to take them into the kitchen. Eddie was about to pout when you looked at him knowingly and asked, “You want seconds? I’m getting seconds.”

It wasn’t the sugar. Eddie wanted to know what your signatures looked like together on a lease. And Eddie couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to finally admit to himself that he’d been nursing a crush on you since… when had it started? Eddie wasn’t sure. Somewhere between seventh grade history class and this very moment, he figured. 

He looked up at you from his seat, mouth still stuffed with pie crust and cool whip, and smiled when he noticed how pretty you looked in that sweater you were wearing. It was red- you wore red a lot, he realized. Had you always worn red this often?

You giggled, poking his cheek. “You look like a chipmunk when you smile like that.” 

His eyes followed you as you disappeared into the kitchen, and when Eddie caught a glimpse of the way Wayne was grinning at him? Well, his blush was a deeper shade of scarlet than your sweater.

The smile stayed, though. Even a punch to the jaw couldn’t knock that off Eddie’s face.

“I wanna take you out.” 

It had taken Eddie what felt like ages to finally ask you. You were both at school, and he had been thinking about it and thinking about it and ramping himself for weeks to just grow a pair and ask you. The question had sounded smoother in his head, but now he thought he sounded vaguely frightening- sharper and more desperate than he’d hoped.

You blanched, eyes wide and mouth open to a little “O” shape that made Eddie’s heart flutter. 

You were so cute. How had he ever ignored it?

You grinned a little, “Take me out like… assassination, take me out, or…?” 

“No,” Eddie shook his head, laughing nervously, “I mean like, out. To a place. Or multiple places, if you want.” He was jumpy, his hands switching from his pockets to the strap of his backpack, to his hair, to the fraying edges of the friendship bracelet you’d tied around his wrist in July. 

“So when you say take me out, you mean like… on a date?”

There it was. You’d said it, that word. Date. It was out in the open now. 

You’d put the ball in Eddie’s court, and he should be happy about it. This was how it was supposed to be, right? He needed to be a man, take control, take the lead. But unfortunately, it had taken the majority of his bravery just to initiate this conversation.

“Do you want it to be a date?”

Just like that, he passed the ball to you. Eddie cursed himself, waiting anxiously for your response, completely at your mercy.

You looked down at your shoes covered in his doodles, at the red plaid of your flannel that you wore because you’d bought it in hopes that if he started to associate you with his favorite color, he might like you more. Like you the way you liked him.

You couldn’t say the words either… couldn’t speak them into existence without fear of sounding too desperate, too eager. So instead, you nodded yes to your doodle covered shoes and smiled at the dragon he’d drawn on the left toe.

Eddie beamed- inwardly, of course. Couldn’t let you see exactly how happy he was that you felt the same as him- he needed to be calm, to be cool. Girls liked calm and cool.

 “Then it’s a date, Sweet Tart.” He ached to sling a triumphant arm over your shoulder, but shoved his sweating hands into his pockets instead. 

You snuck a glance at Eddie, your smile refusing to leave no matter how cool you were trying to appear. Be cool, don’t act too desperate, you chided yourself. 

“It’s a date.” you repeated, beaming up at him. “When were you thinking?”

“Well,” Eddie shrugged as you both came to a stop by your locker. “Finals are next week and then we’re off for Christmas break, so I should be able to pencil you in for next Saturday night.” He leaned against the adjacent lockers, a smug smile shining down on you. 

“Pencil me in, huh?” you giggled, replacing the notebooks and folders from your last class with your supplies for the next. “I’m flattered you could fit me into your busy schedule.”

“If there’s one thing my schedule always has room for, it’s you, Ace.” 

Swooning. That was the only word for what those words made you do. You weren’t sure if Eddie was aware of the effect he had on you, but you were pretty sure you wouldn’t be able to help it if he was. 

You were actually grateful for your final exams the following week- they gave you something to focus on other than your date with Eddie. Which meant that the moment you’d finished your last exam on Friday, that date was the only thing on your mind.

Your date with Eddie. The words alone were enough to make you smile to yourself. You’d been harboring this crush on him for the better part of this year, and now he asks you on a date? Was it possible that he had felt the same way all this time? 

“You sure you’re cool if I don’t stay for the whole session tonight?” you’d asked Eddie as he’d prepared for Hellfire that afternoon, triple-checking that he wasn’t upset. It had become a routine for the two of you- your weekly presence as the one and only audience member for Hellfire’s in-game escapades. 

“Cool as a cucumber, Ace.” Eddie had replied, “You took three exams today, for crying out loud. Go take a nap.” 

When you finally conceded, he’d walked you from the gameplay table to the door, even going so far as to hold it open for you. Then, to your surprise, he’d taken your hand in his and brought it to his lips. 

“Go rest up.” He’d muttered, low enough so only you could hear. Then he’d brushed his lips against the back of your fingers, and you’d just about melted on the spot. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 8, Sweet Tart.”

Your hand still tingled as you thought about the feel of his lips on your skin. Now, you wanted that feeling everywhere. 

Your body was on autopilot as you made your way through the school parking lot; slushed, muddy snow sat piled up in corners and untouched patches at the edges of the lot from the on-again off-again winter precipitation over the December weeks. Your booted feet marched on toward your car, your mind entirely occupied by thoughts of tomorrow. 

You were so distracted by that thought that you didn’t notice who was waiting for you, leaned up against the trunk of your car.

“Hey there, firecracker.” 

You stopped short when your eyes snapped up to see Alan, along with a couple guys from the basketball team. Their faces were pure predatory malice as Alan eyed you up and down. 

You paused a moment, your heart rate picking up a notch when you realized just how empty the parking lot was, given the hour that had passed since the final bell. 

“I have to get home.” you muttered, keeping your eyes on the driver side door and making your best attempt to brush past the jock leaned up directly beside it, but to no avail. 

“Not so fast, you little freak.” Alan stepped into your path, a cruel smile creasing his freckled face. “We just wanted to chat!”

“You,” your voice betrayed every ounce of disbelief that you felt looking up at the meathead blocking your path to your own vehicle. “-want to chat. With me?”

“I know, I know, you’re flattered-”

“I’m not.” 

“Well you should be.” Alan peered down at you with frigid eyes. “Lord knows no guy will ever want to be seen with you now that the Freak’s got his claws in you.” 

You felt a surge of indignant fire seep into your gaze. “Piss off, asshole.” You attempted to shove past him, but Alan took a step toward you, throwing off your balance. You had to grab the bumper of the car beside you to keep from falling over, clutching at the books in your arms to avoid dropping them onto the icy pavement below. 

“I even heard he branded you.” Alan’s hot breath sent an unwelcome shiver over your skin. “Sherrie said she saw you in the locker room with… some kind of symbol… on your upper thigh, I believe?”

A biting breeze whooshed past you, but you didn’t feel it- your body had already gone ice cold. 

“Sherrie’s lying.”

“You know, I don’t think she is.” Alan’s hands crept closer toward you, ghosting fingertips across the fabric of your skirt. “But if you want to prove it to us…”

You felt your stomach drop when one of Alan’s friends stepped behind you, boxing you in. They were like vultures- to them, you were already down for the count. Ready to be picked at and preyed upon.

Slapping Alan’s hand away, you attempted once again to squeeze past him and his goons, anxious for the safety of your driver’s seat and a locked door between you and them. Unfortunately, Alan had other plans. 

“Come on,” he crooned, “girls don’t get tattoos unless they want people to see them. Go ahead and show us.”

“Go. Away.” you gritted through your teeth. 

“The Freak’s seen it, hasn't he?” Alan pressed, his hand grasping the fabric of your skirt in his fist. “What, you’ll slut yourself out for him, but not us?”

“What the fuck are you dickheads doing?” 

You’d never been so thankful to hear Robin’s voice in your life. 

Alan sneered at the unfamiliar sophomore, subtly letting go of your skirt. “Who the hell are you?” 

Robin marched up to the boy standing behind you, powering her glare with just enough ferocity that he actually moved aside. Grabbing your shoulders, Robin pulled you a good five feet from Alan and looked you square in the eye. “Are you okay?”

You nodded, pulling your car keys from the pocket of your backpack. You were anxious for something tangible to fidget with, something to ground you in where you stood, away from Alan and his wandering hands.

Once she was sure you were alright, Robin turned the full force of her fury on the boys that stood around your car. 

“Mr. Dunne was right behind me on his way out here, so unless you want me to tell him that I just found you groping a female student, I suggest you scram.” 

You saw Alan weighing his options for a moment, but eventually he stuck his hands in the pockets of his letter jacket and- thankfully- took his leave. 

“Whatever, freaks.” he muttered, strolling away like a brat who had grown up believing himself to be invincible in a system that agreed with him.  

It wasn’t until the two of you were both sitting in your car and safe behind locked doors that you finally let out the breath you’d evidently been holding. “Fuck him.” you huffed. “Fuck. Him.”

“Fuck him.” Robin agreed with an emphatic nod of her head. “Has he ever even talked to you before? That seemed… super random, honestly, I’ve never even seen him look in your direction.” 

“I may have picked a fight with him after I heard him call Eddie and I freaks in class not too long ago.” you winced, remembering how brazen you’d been that day… you’d been so bold, so fearless, but that girl was nowhere to be seen today. Instead, you’d frozen like a cornered fox surrounded by hounds. It made you feel so small, you thought you might be sick. You hated feeling this way.

“Apparently,” you continued, “his girlfriend saw my tattoo in the locker room. He said he wanted to see it for himself.” 

Robin had been the first person- and only person- you’d shown your little bat to after Halloween. She’d been pretty impressed… after she’d stopped worrying about it getting infected, of course. 

“First- ew. Gross.” Robin grimaced. “Second- are you telling me you just change in the locker room with that thing out in the open?” 

“I’m usually super careful about keeping it hidden!” you argued, “But it is a possibility that I might have been a little rushed to get to my next class at some point… I guess I wasn’t careful enough.”

A short silence settled while you mentally kicked yourself. I should have known this would happen. How could I be so careless? 

“Well,” Robin started, suddenly chipper. You knew this tone; she was about to try and cheer you up. Good luck, Rob. 

“You’re going to drive me to your house and then we’re baking cookies and watching whatever movie you want.” 

While you were still far from what you would consider over what just happened, your interest was definitely piqued. “Whatever movie I want?” you countered. 

Robin sighed. “I know what you’re about to ask, and yes, we can watch The Dark Crystal.”

The beginnings of a smile stretched across your face. “And you won’t call any of the puppets creepy at any point?”

“Let’s not go that far.” she deadpanned. “I will watch it, I will eat cookies, and I will not suggest that we turn it off before the movie is over. This is my final offer.”

For Robin, that was a pretty good deal. Your beginnings of a grin had graduated to a full-on smile as you took her hand and gave it a grateful squeeze. “You’re a good friend.”

She returned your smile, and squeezed your hand back before letting go to buckle her seatbelt. “I’m a great friend. Now start driving, I’m hungry and we’re stopping for french fries.”

Part 7

Taglist: @rustboxstarr, @josephquinnsfreckles, @rozxartaki, @sheneedsrocknroll92, @melodymishahiddlestan , @sadlittlesquish, @clarafornerlyknownasclaire-blog , @stylesxmunson , @fishwithtitz , @elvendria , @carrotbunnies21 , @the-unforgivenn , @munson-blurbs, @writinginthetwilight, @ghost-proofbaby , @hellfire--cult

I added a few people to the taglist who’ve shown an interest in the series or have been my sounding boards during the writing process for this story. Hope y’all don’t mind!😊❤️

[pathetichimbos]

First Meeting - Part One

((part two here))

Thomas Hewitt/GN!Reader

---

You've run away from home, hitchhiking around Texas as you come up with your next plan, only to find that life has plans of its own when a simple ride with a group of friends lands you at a lone gas station in Travis County, drawn to a mysterious man most seem to avoid.

---

You take another step, the heat of the steaming concrete seeping in through the soles of your shoes, making you cringe. Why you would ever choose to run away in the middle of July in blistering Texas was a mystery to all, and not even you could come up with a plausible excuse.

It's been well over a month since you up and left your home, the overbearing presence of your mother's alcoholism and your step father's compliance becoming too much to handle any longer, even if it meant heading out into the excruciating heat with nothing but the clothes on your back and the bag on your shoulder to your name.

The small amount of cash you spent months saving was slowly beginning to dwindle, the concept of southern hospitality apparently lost to most, given that almost everyone has expected some sort of something in exchange for letting you hitch a ride to a place they were already headed.

You let out a sigh, licking your chapped lips as your dirt stained jeans scrap against your legs with every step, the sun beating down against your shoulders harshly, making you wonder what exactly was keeping you from laying on the grass and giving in to the vultures watching you virtually waste away.

You continue your march forward, the quiet sound of an engine beginning to make its presence known behind you, making you turn to see a truck crossing the horizon.

You slow your pace, thumb sticking out as you watch the truck begin to slow its pace, coming to a stop beside you.

The back passenger door swings open, a young man already moving over to the middle seat as he calls out to you, "Come on in!"

"Thanks." You climb into the truck, shutting the door as the driver begins to pull off.

The truck itself was rather full, two people in the front and now, thanks to you, three in the back.

“Where ya headed?” The driver asks, the truck quickly gaining its speed again.

“Wherever.” You shrug, “Next gas station's fine by me.”

You sigh, the truck's shitty AC feeling like heaven as you lean against the seat, letting your aching body rest for a few moments.

"Can do!" The driver responds in a chipper tone, a mood most of the car's passengers seemed to share.

There were three boys and one girl in total, and over the course of the next few minutes, you learned their names.

Trent was driving, a loud younger man with a kind smile and a lack of smarts. His girlfriend, Katie, seemed to share similar traits, seatbelt forgotten at her side as she turned fully in the passenger seat to look at you while you chatted.

The two boys in the back were Kyle and Jessie, twins who seemed pleasant enough.

The conversation flow stays light and airy as the five of you chat about small things, while you do your best to guide the conversation away from yourself.

“So,” Jesse finally asks, “What are you doing, hitchhiking in the middle of nowhere?”

You shrug, glancing at the empty fields as they zoom past, the overgrown weeds and grass telling you that no one has owned any of this land in quite some time, "…Fresh start. Seeing the world from a new perspective."

“That sounds exciting!” Katie giggles, leaning against her seat as she faces you, her accent giving way that they aren't locals.

“I suppose so. Y'all are from Nebraska, right? What’s got y'all down this way?” You do your best to steer the conversation back to them.

“Trent has some family down this way we’re going to visit for graduation.” Katie smiles.

“Sounds fun.” You return her smile, turning back to the window.

You close your eyes as the rest of them continue talking, enjoying the slight breeze drifting from the front of the truck.

“Oh, look! There’s a gas station that way!” Katie's voice catches your attention as she points out a large red sign that reads:

‘Great BBQ

GAS TIRES CLOTHES’.

You sigh, your stomach clenching at the thought of food. The last people who gave you a ride were kind enough to give you a sandwich, but that was three days ago and your stomach was protesting this unintentional starving.

After a few minutes the truck comes to a stop and the five of you climb out. You stretch for a moment, weighing your options before deciding to head inside the small station, trying to see how far you could make your last few dollars stretch.

It was a dingy old station, for sure. The white paint peeling harshly under the unrelenting sun, the signs worn and tattered from years of exposure, the two measly pumps rusted and seemingly unused for at least a decade.

The four people behind you split up, the twins going to find a restroom while the couple follows you inside.

The inside was just as small as the outside looked, and didn't seem to fare much better. A checkout counter on the right and a deli counter to the left, made a skinny walkway to the small dining area, a few shelves of old products scattered about, none of it looking properly edible but all if it makes your stomach growl painfully.

An older woman stands behind the counter, leaning on it as she speaks to the sheriff on the other side, an older man as well, but not quite as old as her.

“Afternoon, sheriff, ma'am.” You greet them with a polite smile, stepping deeper into the small store.

“Afternoon.” The sheriff tilts his hat, sucking on the tobacco stuck behind his bottom lip before turning back to the woman, who simply gives you a nod in return.

Your eyes wander around the old, tattered building, miscellaneous decorations scattered about the walls,

You thought it to be a miracle that this place was up and running at all, given how desolate the town it resided in seemed to be.

As you look through the old coke cooler shoved in the corner, absent-mindedly listening to the couple make small talk with the sheriff and clerk, a thud echoes on the old, creaking wood, pulling your attention to the back of the store.

You take a few steps to the corner, peaking around it as you look for the source of the noise.

A man stands next to the open back door, stretching in front of a large stack of boxes as if he had just carried them in.

He doesn't pay you any mind as you stare for a few moments longer, not yet noticing you peeking around the corner.

He was tall, taller than most people, with wide shoulders and strong arms to match.

His long black curls hang to his shoulders, seemingly held down by some sort of straps wrapped around his head.

He finally turns, brown eyes catching yours as you realize you're staring. A heat rises to your cheeks as you glance away, feeling a bit embarrassed over being caught. After all, you had been living on the streets for almost two months now, and the dirt embedded in your clothes hid that fact just about as much as the tangles in your dirty hair did.

A low, aggravated huff catches your attention again, pulling you from your embarrassment as you glance back over. With this new angle you could see his face much more clearly, including the dark, seemingly handmade leather mask covering the bottom half of his face and nose.

He glares at the boxes in front of him, intense eyes seemingly annoyed, as if his frustration alone could make them move to the front of the store.

With a newfound sense of confidence, or perhaps foolishness, you take a small step from around the corner, curious eyes watching the stranger in front of you.

Tense, cautious eyes stare back at you as the man furrows his brows, watching you take another step closer.

"Hi…" You give a small smile, leaning back on the heels of your feet, hands wringing behind your back, "…My name's Y/N…"

He looks you up and down, as if trying to decide what to think about you, not saying a word.

Unsure what to do next, you nod towards the boxes, "…Need any help?"

His stare doesn't break, only shifting to one of confusion as he contemplates your question.

…No one ever offered to help him. In fact, most people looked to him for help. So, why the hell were you offering?

A beat of silence passes and you shrug, "I mean, it just seems like a lot for one person to carry, and I've got nothing better to do…" Another beat passes and you begin to wonder if you made a mistake, bothering this poor man and distracting him from his work, "…Not that I don't think you can't handle it or anything, I just thought I'd offer in case it was--"

"Thomas!" A voice stops you in your tracks, causing both of you to look back to the sheriff who was now staring the two of you down, "Have you finished carryin' them boxes in here?"

He shakes his head.

"Then quit your yappin' and get to it!"

Thomas sighs, his shoulders slumping slightly, a weary look on his face as he turns to walk back outside to the sheriff's car parked out back.

"Here, let me…" You offer again, this time grabbing a box off the top of the pile, "It goes to the front counter, right?"

Thomas looks back to you, the confused look still lingering in his eyes as he nods.

You give another small smile over the heavy box, arms straining as you lug it up to the front of the store. The sheriff and clerk pay you no mind as they continue talking with the couple, though the conversation seemed mostly one sided at this point, with the clerk paying more attention to her newly lit cigarette than the couple.

"No, see, that roads been closed for the time bein'." You hear the sheriff explain in his heavy southern accent as you drop the box on the counter behind him, "Kept havin' folks lose bumpers and blow tires and what not on all them damn potholes."

"Is there an another way to get there then?" Trent asks, obvious disappointment in his voice from finding out their planned route was no longer available.

"Well, sure. I can show you the way." He turns back to the clerk, "Hand me that map, Mama.

The rest of the conversation falls into the background as you walk to the back again, picking up another box and seeing Thomas had brought in two more.

You huff a little, pushing the limits of your weakened arms as you try to lift two boxes.

You manage to drag them to the front of the store, this time electing to leave them beside the counter rather than on top with the first one.

"…And after you pass the old meat factory right here, you'll take the second left and hit the highway again." The sheriff's directions fade back into earshot as you huff again, your lack of food leaving your muscles especially weak against the heft of the boxes.

The tingle in your forearms slowly begins to subside as you turn to walk back for another, only to see Thomas carrying the last of the four boxes as if they were made of air.

Your eyes follow him as he sets the boxes on the counter before picking up the two you had left on the floor as well, dropping them next to the others.

You let out a small huff of laughter at his pure strength, watching the originally closed off and curt clerk soften as she thanks Thomas for carrying the boxes for her.

Meanwhile the sheriff waves off the couple, the honk of the truck horn echoing through the thin walls as the twins become impatient with their friends taking too long. The couple thanks him profusely, hurrying out of the store as they rush to join their friends and get back on the road.

The older man watches through the dusty screen door as the group sets off, letting out a low chuckle as he seemingly forgets your existence, "The Lord's lookin' out for us today, Mama. Tell Tommy to get his ass to the house!"

You blink in confusion as the sheriff rushes past the two of you, the clerk quickly yelling after him, “Damnit Hoyt, the boy's right here--”

He ignores her as well, slamming the back door shut before you could hear the loud squeal of spinning tires set off onto the highway.

She huffs from behind the counter, obviously annoyed with the sheriff's antics, “You better head on home, Thomas, Lord knows he'll make it everyone's problem if he makes it there before you do.”

Thomas sighs and nods his head, already heading to the front door.

You watch as he leaves, the creak of the old screen door screeching through the otherwise quiet store.

"You gonna buy somethin' or stand there with an empty head all day?" The clerk asks, pulling you back to reality as she raises an eyebrow through her thick glasses.

You blink for a second, "Oh, uh, yes ma'am."

You turn back to the small selection, grabbing a couple of snacks and a bottle of water from the cooler,

You set them on the counter, digging through your bag and pulling out a couple of ones.

"Ain't got no change." She takes the crumbled bills, smoothing them out as she opens her register.

"That's fine…" You sigh, deciding losing a few extra coins was worth it to get some food in your system.

She shuts the metal drawer with a bit of force as you thank her, shoving everything into your bag before flinging it over your shoulder and heading out into the Texas heat once again.

[lgbtqreads]

Hi! Do you know of any books with lavender marriages or LGBT people in platonic marriages/relationships? I've been struggling to find anything, thanks!

So I am not super helpful with contemporary lavender marriages, but in historical, check out A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence by Jess Everlee, and coming up, The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf by Isa Arsen (1/7/25) and Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith (2/4/25).

For books with queerplatonic partnerships, here’s the list I have on the site right now, but a caveat that they’re not always the endgame relationship, like IIRC in the Kann YA, the MC (who’s ace) leaves a QPR for a romantic relationship. I might be wrong - it’s been a while - but that’s my recollection. 

Lord of the Empty Isles by Jules Arbeaux

Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault

Journey Home by May Barros

Seafoam and Silence by S.L. Dove Cooper

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon (YA)

Go Truck Yourself by J.R. Hart

The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath (YA)

If it Makes You Happy by Claire Kann (YA)

Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor (YA)

The Heretic’s Guide to Homecoming by Sienna Tristen

The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

[yelenasdiary]

The Brightest Star

Pairing: Yelena Belova x Reader

Summary: After a heated argument, Yelena makes it up to you. 

Tiny Angst | Fluff | No Warnings | 1.3K | 

Translations: lyubov' (love), dorogoy (sweetheart), 

AC: If anybody else saw my post last week about a camping fic, this is it! Enjoy! X

You heard the door to your shared apartment open and close, alerting you that Yelena had finally come home after storming out after a heated argument. It wasn't often that you both would fight but this time, it was a big one. You felt a growing distance between you both and it worried you more than you thought it worried Yelena. She'd had a tough mission last month and things just didn't seem the same, even when you tried to get her to talk to you about it, she would just snap at you or ignore you before leaving the room. 

"lyubov'?" Yelena questioned softly as she knocked on the bedroom door. You looked up at the door, your eyes red from crying most of the afternoon. "You're back" you mumbled before your eyes looked back down on the book in your lap. "I'm sorry" she took a few steps into the bedroom, "I shouldn't have shouted at you today, I feel horrible" she adds. 

You sighed, closing your book to look at her. "I just want to help" you admit, "I know that last mission was tough on you, and I know sometimes opening up can be hard for you but you don't have to hide anything away from me" you remind her. Yelena nodded before sitting down on the edge of the bed, taking your hand and kissing the top of your knuckles. "I'm not good with words, you already know this" she spoke in a soft tone, "will you come with me?" she asks.

"Where?" you shuffle closer to her, "I have a surprise for you, well, my way of saying sorry" Yelena looks into your eyes. You could tell that the afternoon had also taken it's toll on her, she wasn't great with words but you could see just in her eyes how sorry she was. You nodded, "okay" you smiled softly to let her know you're not made with her, you're worried. 

"Pack an overnight bag, I'll be in the kitchen grabbing a few things" she kisses your forehead and leaves the room leaving you wondering what she had planned. You packed a few light things and some bathroom items that you believed you might need before meeting Yelena in the kitchen. She had a picnic basket in her hand and a soft smile on her lips. "Are you ready?" she asked. "I think so" you replied, uncertainty in your tone.

It was quite a drive from your apartment to where Yelena was taking you, the night was only lit up by streetlights and the headlights of passing cars and trucks. One hand gently intertwined with yours as she drove, keeping her eyes on the road and stroking your knuckles with her thumb. Her hand was warm, like she was always made to hold yours. "Almost there, dorogoy" she looked at you for a second and smiled softly, her smile always made your heart skip a beat.  

Yelena turned onto an offroad street, turning her high beams on showing you that the two of you were headed for the middle or nowhere. You didn't want to question where she was taking you, you didn't feel the need too. You knew you were safe with her, no matter where she was taking you. After a long 10 minutes down a dark, dusty road, Yelena turns into a paddock and turns the car off. "We have to walk from here" she looks to you. "Babe, it's pitch black out here!" you replied, worry now started to consume your thoughts. 

"I have a flashlight" Yelena chuckled, "come on, you'll love it! I promise" she assures you before getting out of the car. You took a deep breath to shake the building worries thoughts in your mind before Yelena opened your door, "you're worried over nothing my love, let me show you" she smiles softly at you once more as she offers you her hand. You take her hand, her warm touch making you feel calm once more. She turns on the flashlight and guides you both into the woods.

A short walk into the darkness and you were met with a campsite lit up by fairy lights. A gazabo covered with a beautiful transparent white street, a blow up mattress covered by a thick blanket and plenty of pillows and a camp fire just waiting to be lit. 

"Lena" you gasp at the sight, "you did all this?" you asked, turning to face her. Gently, she placed her hands on your hips and pulled you closer, "I'd do anything for you, I know upset you this morning and I really didn't mean too. I just want to get about everything and be here, with you" she says while looking deeply into your eyes. "I brought all your favourite snacks, I thought we could camp tonight and just forget about the world for a moment" she adds. 

Any anger you had towards your girlfriend was no longer existent, you could help the growing smile on your lips as you nodded. "It sounds perfect to me" you replied before Yelena softly kissed your lips, "want a hot coco?" Yelena asked, you nodded. Yelena lit the camp fire which lit up the camp sight with more light, she boiled some water and made you a hot coco before the two of you sat by the fire drinking them and roasting marshmallows. You snuggled closely into Yelena's side for extra warmth as you both enjoyed the open space around you. 

"Sometimes it's easy to forget how beautiful the world really is" you looked up at the sky, stars covering the dark sky with their shine. Yelena smiled as she looked at you, "I've never forgotten how beautiful my world is" she spoke softly. Her comment made your cheeks turn red was you looked at her, "and you said you weren't good with your words" 

"Well when I have the worlds brightest star right beside me, it's hard not to tell them how I feel" she replied before sipping her hot coco making you blush even more. "You do realise that you've already got me, right?" You joked with a chuckle. "I wasn't too sure about that after this morning" Yelena admits, her eyes moving to the crackling fire in front of you both. 

"Honey, couples fight" you place your roasting stick beside you and gently take Yelena's hand into yours, "it's okay, it's healthy. Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily" you smiled, "I am yours darling" you added to assure her. 

"And I am yours, always" she looks at you and smiles softly. 

After you both finished your hot coco, Yelena put the fire out for safety reasons of course and then joined you in bed, wrapping her arms around you as you both looked up at the night sky that was littered with stars. "We should do this more often" you commented, snuggling into Yelena's warm hold. 

"We should just build a cabin in the woods and we'll have this view every night" 

"That's an idea" 

"Why don't we? It'll get us out of the city, away from everything. A wide open place to think and relax" Yelena adds to her growing suggestions. "Are you sure you're ready for that? For us to build a home?" You looked at her, Yelena nodded, "if it's with you, I'm ready for anything" she smiles before placing a soft and gentle kiss on your lips, "then we'll start looking for land" you smiled against her lips.

The two of you share ideas about what your future cabin would look like before eventually falling asleep in Yelena's arms. She never, ever fell asleep before you did. She always made sure you were safe before she rested her eyes. Yelena looked up at the sky once more, "whenever you are Natasha, thank you. Thank you for sending me the brightest star" she whispered before finally letting herself drift off to sleep.

Taglist: @red1culous | @bentleywolf29 | @jeyramarie | @lissaaaa145 | @high--power | @parkerdaramitzzzz | @mmmmokdok | @wackymcstupid | @kiwiana145 | @valiantmugcowboyscissors | @shin-conan-kun | @nattyolw | @ripofflizzie | @get-the-fuck-outta-here | @goofy-goonie | @makegoodchoices | @apollo2907 | @marvelfan98 | @wandaroman0ff | @dumb-fawkin-bitch | @lovelyy-moonlight | @santana1437 | @fluffyblanketgecko | @puta1 | @inluvwithfictionalwomen | @tintedrose12 | @jaymieflorissssssss | @tita001 | @youralphawolf72 | @crescent-witch | @randomnessbecausewhynot | @natashamaximoff69 | @a-dorkier-book-keeper | @hehehehannahthings | @secrettoallofyou | @romantic-slaps-on-the-asss | @marvel-fan-2021 | @mmmmokdok |  @riveramorylunar | @ripofflizzie | @toldthatdevil | @itsmv3 | @katiemay-025 | @maria-403 | 

[hellofanidea]

Dealers choice 43 and 47 on the clothes prompt list 👀

A bloodstained uniform + Rolled up shirtsleeves, Arthur Foster (MOTA AU)

The second raid over Bremen kills Blue Moon's navigator.

All it takes is some well placed flak and George Hatch is knocked out of his seat and onto his ass, screaming about the holes in him. His blood gets all over the maps, and it's nothing short of a miracle that they actually make it back to Thorpe Abbotts.

His blood also gets all over Arthur, who spends the last half of their mission trying to hold his insides together. It doesn't work. Hatch is dead before Blue Moon lowers her landing gear.

They have to peel him out of Arthur’s arms.

He doesn't move after, just stays staring at the spot where he was, the holes in the side of the fort where the killing blow entered. Morse has to come back in and bodily drag him out by his harness. He slides out like a newborn foal, gets a face full of tarmac when his knees don't work, and feels himself get scruffed into the truck waiting to take them to interrogation like a disobedient dog.

Their co-pilot is being taken away in an ambulance with a fucked up leg, along with their waist gunner and radioman. None of the others can look at him. Arthur can’t blame them. He’s stained red from chin to knee. His nose had crunched when he’d fallen out of the fort, and now he can feel the blood from that slowly trickling down his face to join Hatch’s.

The Clubmobile girls, usually so unflappable, blanche when they see him. Doc Stover grabs for him, but Arthur waves him off, wiping at his nose with his sleeve despite the blinding pain it brings.

“S not mine. ‘S not mine. ‘S Georgie’s.”

Stover lets him go, but Tatty pulls him aside by the elbow, forces a glass of whiskey into his hands, and doesn’t let go until he’s knocked it back. It mixes poorly with the metallic taste in the back of his mouth, but the burn is comforting.

“Thanks,” he murmurs to her, and hopes she knows how much he means it.

Hatch's logs are, understandably, incomplete. Arthur reads out what he can of them. Stutters, and stumbles, and the pity in Red's face as he listens is worse than any frustration at his incompetence. He wants somebody to yell at him, shake him, tell him to get a grip on himself. He needs somebody to come rip him out of the hazy, distant, place he's been sunk into since Hatch had wheezed his last into his neck.

Jimmy Douglass would have done it. Would have rattled him by the shoulders until some sense had been knocked back into his fellow bombardier, and then dragged him along to the O Club to take his mind off of things. Would have cracked a shitty joke and nudged him to dance with a Red Cross girl until the pain was back to its usual dull ache.

Douglass isn’t here though, like the rest of the crew of Just-a-Snappin’, like the crew of Our Baby, like the six other forts that went down. Eighty men. Eighty one including Lieutenant George Edgar Hatch, navigator and son and husband and father.

He’d never even held Abigail. She’d been born after they shipped to England, six pounds and seven ounces and with a head full of hair, and they had drunk Norfolk dry toasting her.

Arthur doesn’t hear the dismissal, but Morse’s hand is more gentle this time when she guides him by his collar.

“C’mon,” she says. “Let's get you cleaned up.”

She leads him out of the hut, and he’s barely cognizant of his surroundings until he hears a hissed ‘Jesus Christ!’ from the group of men huddled by one of the doors. Veal and Bubbles are staring at him with open horror, Crank’s crew not looking much happier even though they’d already seen him in interrogation.

“‘S not mine,” Arthur mutters again, sniffing and swallowing a blood clot he really should have spit onto the grass.

“You feeling alright?” Crank asks cautiously.

“Peachy.” This time when he sniffs he does spit, turning away and shooting the vivid red glob between his teeth. “Fuckin’ aces, Charlie.”

“I got him, he’s fine,” Morse says firmly, taking him by the elbow and marching them away.

He needs a shower. Some more whiskey. A nap. His father to rise from the dead and be in England so he can pet his hair and tell him how to live through a man dying in his arms.

The irony of that last one isn’t lost on Arthur. Thomas Foster didn’t live through that either, it just took him a while to die.

Getting a shower at least is feasible. One bonus of walking around the base looking like something out of a nightmare is that when he steps into their block it very quickly empties out, and Morse stands a vicious guard at the door whilst he scrubs off the now dried blood and changes into his uniform. It helps him feel a little more human, even with the blossoming bruise on his nose and the black eyes that will rise any time soon.

His flight gear is pretty much ruined, especially the sheepskin, which has gone a muddy pink and looks distressingly like rotting meat. Smells it, too, and Arthur abandons it all after emptying the pockets. There’s blood on his pack of smokes, and he considers tossing them out of spite, but the craving wins out so he lights one as he waits outside for Morse to clean herself up. With his face tilted up towards the sky the last dregs of blood and mucus slip down his throat. He chainsmokes away the taste until Morse emerges, hair still damp but neatly combed. Unflappable as ever, his pilot.

“I’m gonna go to the hospital, check on the boys. You comin’?” She asks.

Normally Arthur would say yes without hesitation, but this time he actually thinks about it. Then he shakes his head.

“Naw. Give ‘em my love, though. Think I’m gonna sack out for a while.”

Morse gives him a long, searching, look, then nods.

“Course. Get some rest. I’ll swing by our racks later, make sure you get some dinner.”

Arthur isn’t sure he can stomach anything, but thanks her anyway. She splits off to medical, and Arthur makes his way back to the barracks. There's a mostly full flask slid down the side of his locker he should be able to get away with drinking until he knocks out. Maybe that way he'll be too out of it when she comes around.

Marta's already sitting on his bunk when he gets there. Not a hair out of place as usual, except for how her jacket is off and her sleeves are rolled above her elbows, even in the chill of an English October. There’s a sketchpad and pencil in her lap, with a figure Arthur can’t make out yet.

For a brief, fierce, moment he hates her. Hates her for being here, for seeing him, knowing him. Hates her even temper and pragmatism and the sad way she looks at him from behind her glasses.

“Not sure you're meant to be here,” he tells her dryly, staying by the door like that will save him from whatever conversation she might want to have.

“Not sure you're the person to make that argument,” Marta shoots back, just as flatly. Then her mouth twists uncomfortably. “Saw you get back. Heard about your navigator. Wanted to see how you are.”

“I'm fine. You can tell Esther that, too.”

“Tell her yourself. I ain't got the time to talk about you in my letters.”

That makes Arthur snort. Some of the tension he hadn't known he was carrying leaches from his shoulders.

“I ain't been good at keeping up with her recently,” he admits. Not since before Regensburg, at least. He’s found it harder and harder to carry a conversation with her, to share jokes and stories and pretend that it’s all still just a game. Frowning, he adds, “I need to write Georgie's family.”

“Thought that was Kidd's job?”

“Yeah, but…” Arthur shakes his head. “I was with him, Marta. I was… I held him. When he went. That’s… I owe him that.”

Marta doesn’t say anything, but she shuffles up his bunk a little, and he gives into the aches in his body that tell him to sit down beside her. Hatch’s rack is the one beside his, and he stares long and hard at the blanket. His footlocker is gone already, swept away to the orderly hut to be shipped back to his folks in Queens. Arthur doesn’t know everything in it, but there aren’t enough trinkets and letters in the world to make a whole picture of George Hatch, to replace him at his mother’s table and in his wife’s bed and in his little girl’s life.

They sit. Arthur smokes. Marta carries on with her sketch. Outside, the sun fades. 

Eventually, Marta breaks the silence.

“They're talking about sending you to the Flak House.”

“What? Who?”

“Major Bowman was talking to Smokey about it. Said you didn't look good in interrogation.”

Yeah, no shit. I still had my friend’s blood on my hands.

Maybe a trip to the Flak House wouldn’t be the worst thing. It was treasonous to admit it outloud, but he had been able to feel himself fraying at the edges since Algeria, since it became abundantly clear that Escape Kit wasn’t making its way over the horizon or back to base. Some time not sitting behind a bombsight might be good for him.

Then he remembers how many forts they just lost, how many crews. Their names and faces overwhelm him momentarily, one above the rest despite the way Arthur’s been steadfastly refusing to think about him between Hatch dying in his arms and hearing that Just-a-Snappin’ had bailed.

He’s not dead. Can’t be. Arthur doesn’t have that same roiling dread in the pit of his stomach that he did over Curt’s absence, and he’s willing to trust that superstition just to keep himself level. His name will appear on the next list of POWs, or he’ll vanish for weeks and then reappear after finding his way through France. Those are the only options Arthur can contemplate without clawing his own face off.

The thought of being trapped with those two scenarios (and their unspeakable third) for an unspecified time at Coombe House, where he is certain to have far too much time to dwell on them - and every other terrible thing to happen in his cursed fucking life - is completely unbearable. He’d rather shake apart here, in private, and keep himself up in the air in the meantime. They were going to have to drag him out of that fort feet first, just like Hatch.

“They won’t,” Arthur tells Marta. “Too few crews as it is, nobody will be going anywhere until the next batch of replacements make it in.”

“Yeah, well, once they do I’d say you're high on the list for sending out. Just thought I’d let you know.”

His earlier flash of hatred for her smolders shamefully in his guts. Sweet, perfect, Marta, who knows him too well. Knows his ways of running and hiding like a sick animal and lets him get away with it, like she lets him get away with so much else. He nudges her knee with his own in thanks, and she kicks him in the calf in return. For a brief moment he feels like a child again, and the bittersweetness of the sensation makes his eyes burn.

Some time later he is being shaken awake. He rolls over to knock Morse's hand off of his shoulder and buries his face more in the pillow with a groan. Marta had left him to his letter writing with a quick press of her head to his, and he had swiftly started on emptying his flask, a task only left unfinished by his falling asleep.

“C'mon, sleepyhead, I don't get a welcome back?”

It takes a moment for the voice to penetrate. Then Arthur is springing up, nearly tripping over the mattress and his own legs in his haste to get upright. Wild eyed, he fixes on Blakely, standing smiling by his rack like he hasn't just materialized from the ether.

Gagged by sleep and whiskey and confusion, Arthur surges forward to wrap his arms around him. Real. Warm. Holding him back. Arthur barely checks there's nobody around before pulling back to land a desperate, smacking, kiss against his mouth.

“Fuck, oh fuck,” he breathes. “Jesus, Ev, what the fuck-”

“Easy, there,” Ev is laughing, gentling him with a hand down his side. “I'm alright. We made it back.”

“Fuck,” Arthur spits one last time. Then he turns them and pushes him onto his bed by his shoulders. “Sit down, sit down, Jesus, are you insane? Have you been to medical?”

Without letting him answer, he kneels in front of him, starts really checking him over. Miraculously it seems like Ev’s in one piece, aside from the usual scratches and bruises they all come back with. Arthur runs his thumb over the largest graze visible, the one that has smeared a thick line of red over his nose.

Having sat patiently through the hurried examination, Ev reaches out to brush at Arthur's own face. It’s an effort to not flinch away, the puffy soreness of the skin around his eyes having settled in properly by now.

“What happened here?” Asks Ev.

“Fell outta my fort when we landed,” Arthur admits sheepishly. “Broke my nose on the runway.”

Ev tries valiantly not to laugh, but fails, and Arthur can't help but join him, dropping his forehead onto his knees. He's still in his flight suit. It smells of smoke, and sweat, and comfort. Arthur breathes deep, tries to calm his racing heart and spinning mind, tries to bottle up the screaming cocktail of feelings that wants him to pin Ev down and tell him in great, emotive, detail how deeply fucked he thought he was going to be without him. They clog his throat, jostle for dominance, pinwheel him between joy and fury and grief until a kind of numbness wins.

“Hatch is dead,” Arthur says hollowly, not raising his head.

The laughter above him stops, and a hand touches the back of his head.

“So's Saunders.”

Neither says anything for a long moment.

“I'm glad you're not,” Arthur finally adds. If he says anything else it’ll all come spilling out, and that can’t happen, not ever. For both of their sakes.

The fingers in his hair curl, then release.

“Me too.”

[snappit-the-snek]

Each Others Better Half

Characters: Ace Trappola, Leona Kingscholar, Jade Leech

Genre: Fluff

None of them will ever admit it, but you were truely their better half. What they didn’t realize was that you thought the same of them.

Day 28 of @twistedchatterboxed 's Collab :>

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Ace Trappola:

-Trouble squared, that was the best way to describe you two. If Riddle thought he had his hands full with trying to keep the A-Deuce duo from causing trouble, he was sadly wrong cause the schemes only got worse when you came along. Suddenly it was routine to check the roof the Heartslabyul dorm because of the sheer amount of times you two could be found perched on it in order to try and hit some poor kid with a water balloon (or a paint balloon if you were particularly mischievous that day.)

-It was a very weird relationship to anyone looking in. You two were constantly bickering during lunch, accidentally exploding potions in the cauldrons because you weren’t paying attention to which bottle held which substance and then blaming it on the other, getting into intense competitions on the sports field with whatever activity was planned for that day, actively throwing paper airplanes at each other during class periods. Anyone could have sworn you two hated each other’s guts.

-What they didn’t see what the nights you spent together forcing helping Ace study for upcoming tests. Days spent toning some of Ace’s plotting down to more harmless pranks so you didn’t end up with another situation like with the chandelier (despite the fact that time was Deuce’s idea Ace would grumble whenever you brought it up). Patching him up whenever he fell off a broom or got into a fight with one of the other students on campus. No matter how many times he whined that he didn’t need your help he wouldn’t move whenever you treated the scratches on his face. The playful teasing that you exchanged between each other, face’s going red from silent flustering when you looked away after a particularly embarrassing comment. Showing off his slight of hand and card tricks to impress you and teaching you some of them if you were interested. Spending time in the Heartslabyul gardens helping him paint the roses by hand because he got collared again (you usually didn’t cause whats a collar gonna do, you don’t have magic to lock away.) Stopping him from kicking the shins of a student that was talking shit about you, only to have you both start fighting the kid once said student insulted the pair of you to your face. It was a lot of little things, little moments that kept your relationship close knit.

-It was an ungodly hour of the morning when the realization hit him like a truck. Early in the day you had dragged your first year companion to his room after clubs were done for the day so you could study for the upcoming exam tomorrow much to his dismay. He protested the whole way but he couldn’t really deter you, or make that weirdly pleased grin on your face go away as you dragged him along. With breaks for dinner (and for Ace’s complaining that the subject matter was too boring and he needed a break) you ran through the study guide while sitting on his bed, quizzing each other on the questions until you were 100% sure you knew them by heart.

-He wasn’t exactly sure when you fell asleep, but after running through the study guide silently for the last time he threw down the packet in excitement, letting out a cheer. He had gotten all the questions correct without even having to look at the book, which meant a clear stage for a high grade on the exam. Turning to brag about it he stopped once he saw you asleep, leaning against the headboard of his bed. The book you’d been studying from sat open and limp in your hands, making him roll his eyes. He closed the book, setting it on the nightstand before putting his study guide on top of it. Easy access in case a run through of the information was desired in the morning.

-Since both of you were in causal clothes there wasn’t a need to change out of them, thank the seven. He jumped up to turn off the light (and snicker at Deuce who was face first in his bed and snoring) but scurried back as fast as he could to flop himself back next to you. He shifted the two of you around until he was snuggled into your side, giggling to himself about the face you would pull when you woke up in the morning.

-Partners in crime, very much so, and thats what he loved about you. You would always go along with his ideas with a smile on your face and no second thoughts, helping him achieve scheme that would have failed otherwise. Yes you might have stopped a few of these plots, but you were someone he could rely on no matter what he pulled, and he wouldn’t trade that for anything.

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Leona Kingscholar:

-Good lord you were giving this man a run for his money. You looked like a mouse, constantly skittering around the school finishing tasks and picking up new ones, running to go complete them without so much as a break in between. If he didn’t know better he’d think you didn’t know what a break was. The reality was the fact that you were very much a perfectionist with a self worth problem. If something wasn’t exactly to your liking, you would spend hours on pointless corrections, double checking the assignmenst over and over again to make sure there was no way to improve it. If you didn’t have something to work on in that current moment you felt lazy and like you were wasting your time sitting around, so you would run around picking up any tasks you could to keep yourself busy. Honestly it was exhausting just watching you run around like that.

-Leona normally wouldn’t care if someone would run themselves around doing things for other people in order to keep busy. However since you were his S/O it wasn’t exactly something he could ignore. Especially when you hounded him about missing so many classes by taking naps in the botanical garden. You constantly pressed him to go to his classes so he could move on and eventually graduate from the school, dragging the half asleep lion down the hallways by his arms while he grumbled about the fact that the classes were pointless. His attendance did actually go up significantly once you started doing that and his teachers seemed particularly pleased about it much to his dismay. You were often the one that would get his lunch from the cafeteria and getting it to him in his nap spot in the bushes, giving Ruggie a small break from the tasks he often did. You were also the one that got his classwork from the classes and smacked him in the nose with them. No matter how many disgruntled glares he gave, you had yet to cease the paper attacks.

-Often times when you delivered his stuff to him he would drag you down next to him, grumbling about the fact you never took a damn break and therefore was condemned to be stuck next to him until you did. Cue an intense amount of protesting from you, smacking him against his arms that kept you firmly against him and spouting about how you could absolutely not take a break at this point in time. Each time without fail however you would end up falling asleep within ten minutes, softly snoring away in his arms and taking your much needed rest. Yeah he saw the eyebags, he sure as hell was not going to even try waking you up for the next few hours no matter how much you grumped at him.

-When you did experience burnout he would be right next to you, offering his company and small bouts of comfort for your fried brain. He was also there to keep you from making it worse, cause lord knows if he wasn’t there you would try to keep working on more nonsense.

-Tonight was one of those nights, you weakly trying to pry off his grip on your torso in order to get up before giving up. He felt you finally relax against him, eyes finally drooping due to the weight of too many nights of bad sleep. A sigh escaped him once you finally fell asleep, propping himself up on his free arm to look down at your face. It was the first time in a while he’d been able to see you without some sort of frustration present on your face, which made it refreshing to see the serene look you currently had. Brushing aside some of the hair on the side of your head he leaned down, pressing a light kiss against your cheek before flopping back to his original position so he could fall asleep himself. Sure your nagging got annoying at times, but you were the one that kept him on his toes, and in return he took the role of being the person to stop you from running yourself ragged. Frustrating, yes at times it was frustrating trying to get you to just rest for a second. It was like talking to a rock. But both of you kept each other balanced, kept each other from falling too far into their habits. It was a delicate balance, but as long as he could keep you next to him, he would try his best to keep up his side of the relationship.

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Jade Leech:

-No one, and I mean no one could figure out how the two of you got together. Jade was…well Jade. The secretive scary vice housewarden of Octavinelle who you knew had dirt on just about everyone in the school whether anyone knew about it or not. His polite demeor only made him scarier, as it made it harder to tell what he was thinking behind his face of faux cordiality. It was essentially everyone’s mission to stay as far away from him and his brother as possible lest they get caught in a scheme they wanted no part of.

-Insert: Prefect.exe. You were quiet, never usually saying much but your face always broke out in animated expressions with whatever you were feeling at that particular moment. Your face would break out in the most brilliant smiles or pull the saddest looks. While you were fairly friendly to everyone you met, you were fairly easy to fluster. Cue a certain somebody taking notice of odd little you.

-At first it was a lot of discrete spying. Rook might have even been impressed with his ability to silently stay out of sight. But after a week or two of far away observation he started to come up to you, introducing himself and engaging in small conversations with you. He thought it was fascinating how expressive you could be. You could tell almost exactly what you were feeling at any given moment, which depending on who you asked could be considered a good or a bad thing. He couldn’t exactly tell what you were thinking however, because some of the things you would say in your little talks would contradict whatever expression was currently plastered on your face(for example you would have a scowl on your face but you would talk about how nice it was for Cater to compliment you that day). Needless to say his intrest had been peaked furthur, and now people were finding it hard to approach you without the skyscraper of a man tagging along behind.

-As your relationship grew with each other, you started to notice little things that he started to do that he never did for anyone else. Giving you little drinks tailored to your tastes and often with no cost attached to it(which you were sure if Azul ever found out he would grump about losing more potential profits because of it), offering to help you out with the tasks that Crowley would graciously dump on you, having scary eel privileges cause no one wanted to mess with suspiciously nicer eel man. Often times you ended up being a taste tester for some of his dishes, considering Azul and Floyd had basically sworn off every touching his cooking again. If you dislike mushrooms I apologise in advance. You also had the benefit of being able to get away with more physical contact. While he would often pat the top of your head or gentle grip your arm to drag you off somewhere else, you were able to get away with hanging off of his arm or practically tackling him in a back hug. The composed butler-like actions started to feel more and more genuine as time went on, slowly sure but there was definitely changes in his demenor that didn’t go unnoticed. He did take the opportunity to tease you every chance he got, loving to watch your face break out in a bright red blush or pull a scowl at a particularly bad one.

-Soon you were visiting the Monstro Lounge just about every day, passing the time by with small tasks or to just embrace the calming atmosphere of the lounge and the sea life you could watch swimming by the windows. Jade would come over with drink in hand, setting it next to you before inquiring about your day and what you were doing. If you were studying he would assist where he could, if you wanted his help. If you were just there to chill he would engage in conversation with you as much as he could, bopping between his duties and his conversation efficiently. If you stuck around after the lounge closed he would guide you down the hallways to his room so you could continue to discuss, hand resting gently across your lower back. Floyd often jumped into these conversations as they did share the room with each other, and even sometimes his snacks if he was having good vibes that day.

- He discovered quite quickly that you were only really talkative once you got more comfortable with people, curiosity peeking out to ask about certain things that caught your eye. There was many an afternoon where you and Jade would have a very animated conversation about different mushrooms, their characteristics and where they were found. It was one of the few times he would show large amounts of excitement and you were happy to listen to him rant about them for hours. Hikes with him may grow more frequent.

-It was during one of these mushroom rants that he grew to realize just how much of his life you had started to take up. You had wormed your way into his offputting demeanor, making a little home and slowly uncovering more little secrets that few ever found. He fell silent as he watched you excitedly discuss one of the mushrooms you had found along the edge of the forests around the school. It was nice to finally have someone willing to not only listen but to also engage in the conversations about interests that were shared. He felt a small smile tug at his lips, leaning into his hand a bit while he watched you talk. You were the person he didn’t know he needed in his life, a better half to him if you will. You wiggled your way into his life, and he would try his best to keep you in it as long as he could.

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A/N: This was originally going to be a lot larger of a piece but I overestimated how much I could do so it ended up being a lot shorter than planned XD Still I hope this was an enjoyable read :>

Thank you for letting me join in on the collab, I had a lot of fun making this!

[find-roronoa-zoro]

Roronoa Zoro X CisFem Reader

10.5

"Is F/N ok?" Nami asked entering the house between Luffy and Zoro.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Luffy turned as she slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"Well Robin just text me that Perona said she and Law broke up."

"What?" Ace, Sabo and Al croaked from the sofa.

"I guess she overhead a conversation with Shanks down at the bar." Nami shrugged sharing the armchair with the youngest brother.

"It's already late and she's with Shanks, this probably won't end well." Sabo murmured checking the time on his phone.

"What does that mean?" Zoro asked claiming the recliner.

"Those two tend to go on benders when they are together." Ace answered.

Zoro's phone whistled in his pocket, a text.

F/N : sitpploo

F/N : Zooorooooooo*

Zoro : drinking i see

F/N : wah says who?!

Zoro : those texts for one.

Zoro : Also Perona reported to her girlfriend

F/N : how rode

F/N : rude*

F/N : just blowing off steam

Zoro : i heard about that also

F/N : God damn. People need to mine their own shit

F/N : min*

F/N : ugh Mind!

Zoro : lol maybe you should have some water

F/N : water

F/N : not fun

F/N : hey... HeeeeEEeeY

Zoro : send a single sentence woman.

F/N : demandinf much?! Anyway! Co.e drink with me I hear you're some sort of fish

Zoro : fish?

F/N : yeah yeah.. Ya know the saying? Like he drinks like a fish.

F/N : fish is Zoro

Zoro : where are you guys?

F/N : ah well Shanks left, Yasopp disappeared and Benn is threatening to leave. But I'm at the redline

"I gotta head out." Zoro stood abruptly pocketing his phone.

"Uh ok." Ace glanced up at him.

"We'll see you Saturday." Sabo added as he reached the door.

"Yup, see ya."

Nami and Al shared a look before Nami pulled out her phone to shoot Robin and Perona a text.

When Zoro arrived at the bar it was closing and you were clinging to Benn near the door.

"We can just share the uber and you can pay for the rest of the ride."

"Benny," you slurred brows knit, face twisted into an adorable pout, "don't ya know ya can't leave a drunk girl alone in a stranger's car?"

"I can just take you." Zoro interrupted.

"Greenie!" you cheered throwing your arms around his neck.

"Problem solved. No drunk girl in a stranger's car." Benn mocked pinching your cheek.

"Who's drunk?!" you called.

"Have fun with that." Benn said to Zoro while ruffling your hair.

"Hey!" you protested, "What's that mean?"

"Don't worry about it." Zoro suppressed his laughter.

He had seen you this drunk before at your welcome home party and like before he found you quite amusing.

"Let's get you home." he placed his hand on the small of your back to guide you forward.

"Nooo...whaaat? Do we have to go home?" you whined leaning into him to keep yourself upright.

"F/N, it's almost two. There's no where else to go." he opened the passenger door for you.

"We could go to your place." you suggested glancing up at him with rosy cheeks.

He flushed hard.

"Wait!" you stepped back throwing your hands against his chest, "N-not like that! I-I mean to keep drinking. I just don't wanna go home yet."

Zoro quickly regained his composure and hoisted you into the truck, "That's fine but all I have is saké."

"I looooove saké!" you cheered fumbling with the seatbelt.

He closed the door and rounded the truck shaking his head. You were definitely a handful. When he climbed into the drivers seat you were still talking.

"You know we have an office in Japan? The saké is better there."

"You worked in Japan?" he asked.

"No I ran London, but I've been a few times." you paused and gasped startling the greenette, "We should go!"

"Go where?"

"Japan!" you grabbed his arm enthusiastically.

"Sure." he snorted.

"And you can see a real dojo that's like hundreds of years old."

He peeked at you sideways at the stoplight as you continued making travel plans you'd never remember. You quieted down realizing you were being stared at.

"I'm serious."

He chuckled at your pouty tone, "I can see that. Maybe we'll revisit the subject when you're sober."

"I'm not that dr-unk!" you hiccupped.

He laughed again.

"Bad timing!" you playfully slapped his arm.

"Stop yelling woman." he covered your mouth with his right hand.

"Sorry." you muttered against his palm sending a shiver through him.

He quickly retacted his hand and made the turn into the apartment complex.

"We'll just have a couple. You're drunk enough." he placed two small white cups on the coffee table in front of you and turned back toward the small kitchen.

"I'm fiiiine." you giggled pulling your legs up onto the leather sofa.

"Sure." he agreed returning with a chilled bottle.

"You don't drink it warm?"

"Normally yes but this is plum, it's better cold." he took a seat on the floor across from you.

You tilted your head.

"What?" he asked removing the cap and filling the cups.

"You don't seem like the kind of guy who likes sweet drinks."

"I'm not but this was a gift and you like sweet drinks so why not?"

You flushed briefly that he knew your preference forgetting in your haze that he had served you before you knew him. Zoro pushed your cup across the table and watched you concentrate on picking it up without spilling.

How was every face you made so cute?

Slowly you leaned forward with your cup out in front of you. Zoro did the same tapping the lip of his cup to yours.

"Kanpai!" you cheered bringing the sweet liquid to your lips.

He mirrored you and downed the cold drink. It was surprisingly good. Not too sweet with a pleasant plum aftertaste. You set your cup down near the bottle indicating you'd like more.

"That was so good. Whoever gave it to you must have some money, I don't think that bottle is cheap."

"He does." Zoro chuckled pouring another round.

Soon the bottle was empty and you were lying back on the sofa lazily singing a song you'd had stuck in your head. He quietly observed you from his spot on the floor. Slowly the words to the cheerful tune you sang turned into some sort of chant.

"More, more, more moooooooooore,"

"I'm not sure you can handle more." he murmured meeting your half lidded gaze.

"How rude." you gasped in feigned offense.

"Hush, you know you've had enough. How about some water?" he suggested rising to his feet, "You're gonna feel like shit in the morning."

"You worry too much." you tried to sit up and failed falling back into the cushions.

Zoro chuckled and passed you to get a couple of water bottles from the kitchen. When he returned you had fallen asleep. Shaking his head he bent down to scoop you up tensing when you whimpered and snuggled into his warmth. You stirred when he placed you on the mattress muttering that it was hot.

"Here." he pulled a shirt from his dresser and handed it to you before grabbing a blanket, "the bathroom is right across from the foot of the bed. You can wear that to sleep if you want. I'll be on the couch so, call me if you need something."

"Greenie," you called weakly rolling over to face him, "stay in here with me."

A rosy pink dusted his cheeks, "I don't think that's a great idea."

"Because you think I'm sexy?" you boldly teased.

"Exactly," he deadpanned, "go back to sleep."

With that he switched off the light and left the room before he lost his will to not hop in the bed with you.

_____________________

You sat in the bed wracking your clouded brain trying to remember where you'd ended up and what you had done, if anything.

"Fuck." you whispered as the bathroom door opened and Zoro stepped out with a towel lazily tossed over his wet hair.

[truckac]

Top Common Issues with Truck AC Condensers

As the heart of a truck's air conditioning system, the AC condenser plays a crucial role in keeping the cabin cool and comfortable, especially during the hot summer months. However, like any other component, the truck AC condenser can experience various issues that can impact its performance and efficiency. In this article, we'll explore the common problems associated with truck AC condensers and provide insights on how to identify and address them.

1: Clogged or Dirty AC Condenser

One of the most common issues with truck AC condensers is a buildup of dirt, debris, and other contaminants on the condenser coils. This can happen over time as the truck is driven, especially in dusty or polluted environments. When the condenser coils become clogged, it restricts the airflow through the unit, reducing its ability to effectively dissipate heat and cool the refrigerant.

A clogged or dirty AC condenser can lead to several problems, including:

Decreased cooling performance

Higher energy consumption as the system works harder to maintain the desired cabin temperature

Potential damage to other components, such as the compressor, due to the increased strain on the system

To address a clogged or dirty AC condenser, it's important to regularly clean the unit. This can be done by using a soft-bristle brush or compressed air to gently remove any accumulated debris. In some cases, a more thorough cleaning with a specialized condenser cleaner may be necessary.

2: Refrigerant Leaks

Another common issue with truck AC condensers is refrigerant leaks. The condenser is responsible for condensing the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid, and any leaks in the system can cause the refrigerant to escape, leading to a loss of cooling capacity.

Refrigerant leaks can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

Damaged or worn seals and gaskets

Corrosion or cracks in the condenser coils

Loose connections or fittings

If a refrigerant leak is suspected, it's important to have the system inspected and repaired by a qualified technician. They can use specialized equipment to identify the source of the leak and make the necessary repairs. Refilling the system with the proper refrigerant charge is also crucial to restoring the AC system's cooling performance.

3: Mechanical Issues

In addition to clogged condensers and refrigerant leaks, truck AC condensers can also experience mechanical issues that can affect their operation. These include:

Fan Failures: The condenser fan is responsible for drawing air through the coils and dissipating the heat. If the fan fails or becomes obstructed, it can lead to reduced airflow and decreased cooling efficiency.

Compressor Problems: The truck compressor is the heart of the AC system, and any issues with the compressor can have a direct impact on the condenser's performance. Compressor failures, such as seized or worn-out components, can cause the entire system to malfunction.

Electrical Issues: The condenser's operation is controlled by various electrical components, such as relays, sensors, and wiring. If any of these components fail or become damaged, it can prevent the condenser from functioning properly.

To address mechanical issues with the truck AC condenser, it's important to have the system inspected and diagnosed by a qualified technician. They can identify the root cause of the problem and make the necessary repairs or replacements to restore the system's functionality.

Preventive Maintenance

Regularly maintaining the AC condenser can help prevent many of the common issues discussed above. Here are some tips for keeping your truck's AC condenser in top shape:

Regularly clean the condenser coils to remove any accumulated dirt and debris

Inspect the condenser for any signs of damage, such as cracks, leaks, or corrosion

Check the condenser fan for proper operation and replace it if necessary

Monitor the refrigerant level and have the system recharged if it's low

Address any issues with the compressor or other electrical components promptly

By following these preventive maintenance practices, you can help extend the lifespan of your truck's AC condenser and ensure that it continues to provide reliable cooling performance.

Final Thoughts

The truck AC condenser is a critical component of the vehicle's air conditioning system, and it's essential to keep it in good working condition. By understanding the common issues that can arise with truck AC condensers, you can take proactive steps to prevent and address these problems before they escalate.

FAQs

1. What are the most common issues with truck AC condensers?

The most common issues with truck AC condensers include clogged or dirty condenser coils, refrigerant leaks, fan failures, compressor problems, and electrical issues. These problems can lead to reduced cooling performance, increased energy consumption, and potential damage to other components in the AC system.

2. How can I tell if my truck's AC condenser is clogged or dirty?

Signs of a clogged or dirty AC condenser include decreased cooling performance, the cabin taking longer to cool down, and the condenser fan running constantly. You may also notice the condenser getting hot to the touch, indicating reduced airflow and heat dissipation.

3. What causes refrigerant leaks in truck AC condensers?

Refrigerant leaks in truck AC condensers can be caused by a variety of factors, including damaged or worn seals and gaskets, corrosion or cracks in the condenser coils, and loose connections or fittings. If you suspect a refrigerant leak, it's important to have the system inspected and repaired by a qualified technician.

4. How can I prevent mechanical issues with my truck's AC condenser?

To prevent mechanical issues with your truck's AC condenser, it's important to regularly maintain the system. This includes checking the condenser fan for proper operation, addressing any compressor problems, and ensuring that the electrical components are functioning correctly. Regular inspections and timely repairs can help extend the lifespan of your truck's AC condenser.

5. What are the consequences of neglecting maintenance on my truck's AC condenser?

Neglecting maintenance on your truck's AC condenser can lead to a variety of problems, including decreased cooling performance, higher energy consumption, and potential damage to other components in the AC system. This can result in more costly repairs down the line and a less comfortable driving experience, especially during hot weather.

6. When should I replace my truck's AC condenser?

The lifespan of a truck's AC condenser can vary depending on factors such as usage, environmental conditions, and maintenance history. As a general rule, it's recommended to replace the condenser every 5-10 years or if it's showing signs of significant wear or damage, such as extensive corrosion or leaks. Consulting with a qualified technician can help you determine the best time to replace your truck's AC condenser.

[azazelflare]

Drayton Sawyer x Waitress. I’ve had this dynamic on my mind all day. Do with it what you will.

Car Sex

Drayton x Waitress Reader

Drayton had been watching you since the beginning of your shift. Ever since That guy threatened you a few days ago, Drayton would sit drinking a Coke or a Coffee, watching you work. When you finally clock out he comes up and wraps his arm around your waist. He leads you to his truck and opens the door for you. 

"My gentleman." you smile at him. He lets you get settled and closes the door. He moves to the driver's side and gets in, starting the truck. He puts a hand on your thigh and rubs it. He moves up and feels your core. you try to smack his hand away, telling him to focus on the road. He moves his hand away driving off onto a dirt road. He parks and says,”Darlin, you in that damn uniform has got me goin. I can see your nipples when you get cold under the AC. Come on, we’re goin to the bed.” He gets out and opens your door. 

You unbuckle and get out, following him to the back of the truck. He picks you up and sets you on the tailgate. You move back as he jumps up, you lay back and see that he’s hard, if the tent in his khakis is anything to go by. He unzips his pants and starts to look you up and down, releasing his erection. You lick your lips seeing him and sit up to give him head. You move to your knees and take him into your mouth, his hand finding your head and guiding you on his shaft. 

“Mmm baby, just like that, you’re so good at this.” you suck harder when you get to the head and then take him into your throat. He moans loudly and grips your hair. You bob your head and when he feels like he is close, he pulls you off. 

“As much as I wanna cum on that perfect face, I don't want this over yet.” the older man tells you to lie down. He kneels down, hands coming to grab your feet.  He starts by kissing your right ankle, he moves up your legs until he reaches your clothed core. 

“Well, this won’t do.” He pulls out his pocket knife and cuts your panties off, The cold metal touching your heat. You moan at the feeling of the metal. He moves down, bending over after throwing his knife to the side. 

He slides a finger through your folds and smirks at the wetness. "Damn if I knew I could get ya this wet I'd have teased ya during your shift." You blush "Drayton stop, if ya do that I won't be able to focus." He bends down and licks your core, you bend up toward him and grab his head. You pull him closer to you, he starts eating you out like you are his prized chili. He sucks on your clit and you let out a loud moan, hoping that the cops didn’t hear it.

You feel yourself getting close, he pulls away and you groan. He nips at your thighs and licks the bites. He scratches your legs, moving up and smiling at the sight of you. He sucks on your thighs and leaves hickeys on them. You know that they will be seen tomorrow. He moves up your body and positions himself on top of you. He thrusts into you biting your neck, and he pounds into you, his balls slapping your ass. He starts to grunt and groan as he thrusts into you. 

You try to hold back your moans and he grabs your neck and starts to pound into you grinding a bit when he bottoms out. You feel his pubes rub against your clit, moaning at the sensation. He stops after a few minutes. Cumming inside of you. He bites down on your neck, drawing blood. You sit up when he pulls out and he helps you up. You both head to the truck cab. Getting in, you feel his cum drip down your legs and pool in your skirt. He drives to the house and gets out, telling you to go and wash up you had a hard shift.

[lillian-gallows]

Perfect Days. (Eddie Munson X Fem!Reader) NSFW

Pairing: Eddie Munson X Fem!Reader Prompt: An absolutely lovely post from @mantorokk-writes, thank you for letting me use your idea! Summary: A perfect day of weed and 'quality time' with Eddie. Author: http://lillian-gallows.tumblr.com/ Reader Gender: Female anatomy and pronouns used. POV: 3rd Person. Word Count: 1,117 Warnings: Drug use (Weed), Cock warming, Shotgunning, Orgasm delay (?Kinda?). Authors note: Cross posted on Ao3, GIF by @drogonstone

Minors DNI

The pitter patter of rain on the side panels of the trailer, the sound of some horror movie playing as the TV sends flashes of light over the room, the sound of the neighbors watching their TV way too loud to be considered polite.

All these things were white noise when put against the buzz of weed in your head and the thick cock currently buried to the hilt inside you, still save for the occasional uncontrollable shift of your or Eddie’s hips, making it brush against the sweet bundle of nerves that sent shocks up and down your spine.

“You still with me, Princess?” Came Eddie’s slow and low voice in your ear, joint tucked carefully between his plush lips, dark eyes full of the same smoldering heat that they’d held since you got in his truck to come back to his place.

He took a long drag from the joint and held it for a moment before a calloused hand came up to guide your mouth to hover half an inch from his, just close enough to feel his breaths and the warmth of his skin, just close enough to make you crave to press your lips to his but knowing better than to do so you waited.

You waited for him to slowly let the smoke curl from his lips to yours, and when he did the vapors were warm and felt heavy in your mouth. What missed you went spiraling up into the air above your heads to form a cloud that perfectly matched the one making your brain fog up and slow down.

“Mmhmm…” It came out slow and a little high pitched as you let out the smoke, the hit weaker but still serving to further your buzz. “Aces...” You sighed contently, shifting your hands slightly against his belly just to feel his skin against yours only to also accidentally shift your hips and send another shock through your nerves, which made a sound that could only be described as a whimper slip from your lips.

He hummed happily at the sound as his free hand held your hip and guided it in a slow grind, causing a shiver to rush its way through you as you clenched around him. The only indication that this was affecting him the same it was you was the way his jaw clenched, and his eyelids slipped further down over his bloodshot eyes, well that and the pulse his cock gave that your body responded to by clenching again.

“My turn…” You whispered, taking the joint from his hand, which moved right down to take hold of your other hip.

Taking the joint between your lips, the glow of the smoldering tip lighting the space between your faces in low orange that came then faded slowly as the quiet sizzle of the weed burning filled the air. It was so much stronger on the initial hit, heavier in your lungs and frankly smellier, but all you could focus on were his eyes. Such a dark shade of brown that in the low light they looked pitch black, and right now they were trained on you, watching your cheek hollow with your inhale, catching on the curl of smoke from the tip of the joint, and then finally locked on yours.

Something shinned in them now, something teasing, you didn’t have to wonder long what prompted the look as he bucked up into you a little, just enough to really grind into those sweet spots, and make you almost choke on the hit of smoke you were holding, sending you into a short coughing fit that dissolved into a giggle fit that you both shared.

The room was so quiet that you had to fight to keep your laughter quiet so as not to shatter it, but even if you had, it wouldn’t have changed the moment much, it was too intimate, too perfect to shatter so easily.

“Unfair.” You admonished through your grin.

His head was tilted back against the couch as he looked down at you, looking all too proud of himself. “All’s fair in love and weed.” He joked, almost sending you both back into giggles.

Rolling your eyes, you brought the joint back to your lips and took another slow drag, letting it settle for a moment, then moved one delicate hand from where it rested against his belly to hold his cheek. His eyes rolled shut as he leaned into your touch, looking like it felt better than the drug coursing through your systems, better than being buried so deep inside you that the head of his cock was brushing your cervix.

He didn’t open his eyes again till you started to lean in, and even then, they were barely open, too busy watching your soft lips get closer, closer than his had been before.

Blowing out gently you watched as the smoke curled out of you and into him, looking like some kind of magic being passed between you, little whisps curling up into his hair, giving him the appearance of something mystical.

Once your lungs were emptied of the smoke you pressed your forehead to his, eyes open just enough to see his face as he held it for a second, then let it curl from his lips, a slow smirk finding his lips, reminding you of a dragon in human form.

With the way your brain was buzzing you hadn’t even really noticed how he was guiding your hips once more into a slow grind, not till the rolling waves of pleasure started to come in, quickly causing the muscles in your lower belly to tighten with an encroaching orgasm.

“God, Princess…So good for me…” He whispered watching you through half lidden eyes as you whimpered and sighed.

“Eds…Fuck…” You sighed into the gentle air.

The coil in your belly snapped then and all you could do was shiver against him as he held you to his warm chest, his heart pounding in your ear where it was pressed to his skin.

As the waves of pleasure ebbed away you noticed he hadn’t come, so you moved as if to ride him, but his grip on your hips stopped you. He chuckled at the foggy quizzical look sent him. “No need to rush, Sweetheart.” He kissed the tip of your nose. “Got two more where that one came from.” He nodded with the top of his head to the joint in your hand. “And I’m far from done with you…” He pulled you into a kiss then, slow and deep.

Perfect days don’t come around often, you could live with drawing this one out as long as possible.

Tags: @field0f-daisies

[sonofsaviors]

MULTIMUSE QUESTIONAIRE

RULES: Answer the questions with the Muses that would best fit the answers. Bonus if you give details why. If tagged, copy and paste into a new post – DO NOT REBLOG!

I was tagged by @armandlucienduval. Thank you!! I'm not technically multi-muse, but I do heavily involve Negan and Lucille in Logan's cannon and his personality.

1) Rank your softest Muse and your toughest Muse. (Personality-wise)

Softest: Logan, especially when he his young/at the start of the Outbreak. While he can be sassy and spirited, he is still very dependent on Negan to protect and guide him. Negan would be the second softest, especially in regards to his relationship with Logan. Lucille is the toughest, as she was the sterner/stronger parent and was the one in charge; Negan tended to take his cues from her and backed her up as Logan's parents. They were a good team raising Logan.

2) Which Muse would blow through $1000 quickly?

Negan would. I mean. He did buy a $600 leather jacket. Logan would be the second worst, because smoll Nerd child who loves Star Wars and Dinosaurs. Lucille is the most financially responsible.

3) Do any of them have nicknames? Is there a meaning behind them?

Logan: Lo, Kiddo, Brat, Sprog, and other creative nicknames for child from Negan.

Negan: Neegs and Boss. He doesn't really tolerate many others.

Lucille: Luci and Lu, from Negan. Momma by Logan.

4) Are any of them up-to-speed on the latest trends? Anyone more old school?

Negan strikes me as one of the Popular/Cool teachers. He's charismatic and funny. Lucille is sensible and intelligent, and while she's not as outspoken and extroverted as her husband, she still draws people in with her gentle, but strong demeanor. Logan has inherited his father's looks and bright persona, but also has Lucille's sassiness and intelligence.

5) Who has the best relationship with their siblings?

Probably Lucille, if she had any. Negan and Logan are only children. Although Logan does have several verses where he is an adopted brother with Carl or Armand and he really enjoys having siblings and grows VERY protective of them.

6) Karaoke night! Who is likely to grab the mic first and bust out a tune?

Negan. Definitely. He has no shame. He might be able to get Lucille to duet with him and they have loads of fun. Logan thinks his parents are lame and embarrassing, but he'd never say no to belting out some AC/DC.

7) Who is least likely to enter a beauty pageant/model?

Lucille. Not that she thinks they're bad or anything, she just has other more important things to do. Like corralling her husband and spawn.

8) If your Muses visited a haunted house where actors scare you, who would panic and who would be unfazed? 

Logan would definitely be the most chicken, but also the person to maybe kick someone. Negan is probably in the middle, or working on scooping up the sprog before he causes bodily injury. Lucille is not amused and is probably wondering how Negan managed to talk her into this. Again.

9) Are any of your Muses particular about taking certain modes of transportation?

Negan appreciates classic cars and motorcycles. I canon he really gravitates towards trucks or has an Impala. Lucille doesn't really mind either way as long as they're comfortable.

Logan later on does have a horse and becomes a rather skilled rider. He is NOT great at driving.

10) Share a little-known fact about any Muse.

Logan is left handed, but after breaking his arm, had to teach himself to be ambidextrous. There is also the possibility he is immune to the virus. ;)

Tagging: @carltongrimes, anyone who wants to do this.

[beantothemax]

Hollow Cleric Pokemon Teams. This time featuring Jin Mei and Temenos.

Jin Mei (Double Battles)

Ninetales-Alola - While it's bad to have fairy types during the Eternal Night, Jin Mei couldn't really bear to leave her behind and just decided to change her moveset so that she can survive better. She a joy to have and likes to sit on Jin Mei's lap a lot.

Aurorus - Found him in a cave near Winterbloom and raised him from an Amaura to an Aurorus after the end. He a bit big but he likes to go and gently headbutt Jin Mei sometimes. Unfortunate that immediately the man gets chills but ah well. That's what he gets for encouraging pets when it was still a baby.

Arctozolt - Was caught before the end and near Montwise after it escaped from somewhere...Kazan encouraged him to catch it and add it to his team. He doesn't really want to part ways with it despite the bad memories it brings up.

Baxcalibur - Caught after the end. Was mulling around near Stormhail when Jin Mei was still contemplating going home. He's a bit lax and doesn't like moving a lot but they hit like a truck once they get going.

Rotom - Found near Roque Island after the end. While the trip was very pointless as there was no sign of Kazan anywhere, he did get a new friend. Even if the new friend kept on trying to steal his spear...Often he goes and switches from Wash and Frost forms. Can't ever be too cautious. Especially since he knows that Kazan is partial to Fire types and Flying types

Luxray - Jin Mei's Starter and Ace. They're a proud thing and has Guts as an ability. Alongside Jin Mei they have braved the snow and showed that they can withstand the temperatures of Stormhail. It is cautious of Jin Mei as time goes on and the man gets more obsessed with revenge. Knows Return and the move does less and less every time a battle with Jin Mei happens...By the time Stormhail rolls around with Temenos it knows Frustration instead.

Temenos (Technically he has multiple Pokemon teams but this is the main one)

Umbreon - The one Pokemon he found on his person when he woke up. The lil guy seemed to know what's going on but unfortunately the barriers between man and Pokemon are still there. At the very least they help guide Temenos to the right places.

Absol - Found after meeting Crick which...bode ill will. Still, Absol's aren't exactly bringers of disasters. They just warn people of it. So Temenos brought it along so that maybe he would be warned of disaster before things go wrong. They're surprisingly affectionate.

Meowstic (Male) - Found as Temenos was making food. He isn't sure when he caught it. It just. Appeared in his bag one day and wouldn't stop following him. They just stare at people but are generally helpful.

Typhlosion-Hisui - Came with Temenos after the man helped it with putting souls to rest. He is very grateful for that and thus follows the man around in hopes of bringing other souls to rest. A bit of mischievous thing, something Temenos is very pleased about.

Togekiss - Found in Flamechurch. Seems to have known Temenos. Now she follows him around in hopes that maybe Temenos could remember what had happened before. Likes to snuggle and sit on the man's lap. Also may have went and laid an egg once or twice, much to Temenos' confusion.

Zoroark-Hisui - Caught after impersonating Roi. Very volatile but after a while they got along great with Temenos' team and soon became a rather charming member to have on the team. Goes and often fools others with their illusions.

temenos meeting an absol after finding crick… yeah thats checks out. cricky boy can never catch a break

VERY glad you gave temenos the Autism pokemon in the form of Meowstic. this also supports my personal theory that temenos just stares at people really hard until they get nervous and spill the beans whenever he does his coerce path action so it’s a win all around

also… arctozolt….. give jin mei a Creature. he’s earned one

[professorlizzard]

Week #1

1. Your Friendly Local Amorph Sunset Church On The Hill: a misshapen church, owned by a delegation sent from planet Gwin. The priests often hold speeches about impending disasters that might attack the local crops. Has a thriving internet café, freuqented by young pulp book writers.

2. Mr €'s Economical Scooter Rental: A lot full of electric scooters. The buildings seems new and expensive, the scooters are old and expensive. The scooters return on their own, as if guided by an invisible hand.

3. St Femur Free Hospital and Modification Clinic: A gleaming green hospital, ran by a fund of transduction genies. A place to get a free checkup, or perhaps extra legs extra cheap. There seem to be many lawyers around it.

4. Losedar House Library: An old looking brand new mansion, originally owned by an old biologist. It has been converted it into a public library, entirely about wildlife, agriculture, and anatomy. The cabinet of curiosities section is unnerving.

5. SLD Allotment Management: This little firm handles procuring and distributing high quality vegetable seeds from the finest gardens of Planet Small Land Denomination. The smell of homely cooking wafts through the air. "Have you seen gaDNAlf?" posters can be seen near the entrance.

6. Amateur Handegg Court: An old warehouse repurposed as a smaller handegg court. Food trucks congregate in the parking lot. Seems to be under renovation, funded by the recent surge in interest in Handegg 7s.

7. The Jolly Aces': A fancy restaurant ran by a famous hopeling chef. Mainly frequented by snooty firstborn cargo pilots. Spaceship parts and rural aesthetics mercilessly mix inside.