#we should make these one day when the kids are out

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

Counterintuitively, Jason trafficking drugs himself, and the way he treats drug dealers in general is actually one of the core reasons I do believe he has a real moral backbone.

In Lost Days we see him mention that he killed his small arms teacher because the smack he was dealing was poisoned. In Nightwing (2016) Annual #2 Jason is particularly violent towards their enemy because he cut his heroin with other substances, leading to his mother's first overdose. In Under the Red Hood, his most important rule is 'no selling to kids', and he is specifically employing people who do sell drugs to adults.

Playing a bit of Headcanon Jazz here - listening to the notes Jason doesn't play as much as the ones he does - It feels really notable to me that dealing drugs is not enough to get on Jason's shit list. On some level Jason thinks it's okay to deal drugs. Even more importantly: Jason doesn't at all imply that drug users are at fault - nor that they need to have the choice to use taken from them 'for their own good'. Heck, I can't remember any instance of him saying that doing drugs is a bad thing.

He has lived with and cared for someone struggling with an addiction that she died to, which would have made it really easy to take him in a 'no leniency, no tolerance, kill all drug dealers and burn all the crack so no one can smoke it' road. Yet that's the opposite of how he's operating.

And I'm putting all that together to get a Jason who firmly believes in harm reduction and that when it comes to drugs, people have a right to risk; they have a right to choose to use. I don't think it's too much further of a stretch to say that he thinks that those who do use should be supported by infrastructure ensuring that their drugs are uncut and properly dosed and that they should have safe places to use and well funded rehab options if they want to quit.

This whole thing is so important to me because it lies completely outside of his emotional conflict of 'I wasn't avenged'; it's proof that there was more to Jason's talk about running Gotham differently than simply killing people.

Factually, there are a huge number of criminal activities that could be used to improve the lives of vulnerable people.

I firmly believe that no government has the right to detain, imprison, deport, et.c. people fleeing violence and persecution in their country of origin. A criminal organization that genuinely had their best interest in mind who could provide access to new identities, jobs, housing, and paperwork for cheap could save and change hundreds of lives. Sex workers, especially survival sex workers who want to quit and move on to a new job, could benefit enormously from protection from the cops, and from landlords kicking them out, and the ability to get criminal charges purged from their records, and lots of other stuff. People who use street drugs need a lot of the same things, as do people who need access to medication but for whatever reason can't get prescriptions the legal way.

This is all stuff that is already a staple of organized crime - they just do it in ways that are insanely abusive and exploitative.

It makes sense that Jason would look at that and think he could make it work! Honestly I'd love to read a comic about him trying! He could be the pinnacle of Be Gay Do Crime! Sadly though, it's very unlikely we ever will, especially because his term as a drug lord was so incredibly short to begin with. Under the Red Hood, a tiny snippet of Robin (1993) and Green Arrow (2001) #69 - #72 is really all we get, and none of those really got into the politics of his organization either.

Tho, there is a tiny snippet we possibly see in Seeing Red, my favorite Jason run ever, and I will take any excuse to talk about it so here we go lol!

This is a comic in which Batman gets some things wrong about Jason, and might be straight up lying to Green Arrow in places too, so I don't think we can take his word for it when he says Jason is driving up the trade. Especially not when Jason hasn't given a single flying fuck about collecting wealth for himself in basically any other appearance ever.

Is he using drugs as a trading good to some capacity? Yes, that's a minor plot point here, however, I think justice is very present in his reasoning. I think Jason is being selective with which shipments he's keeping - testing each and destroying the stuff that's extra dangerous, making sure that what's getting used is as safe as it can be. Plus, he might be reducing the supply so that drug trade can't expand, while considering complete elimination to be flatly undesirable, since it could force users to go cold turkey, something that can be dangerous, or at least very painful.

Now, obviously this is still headcanon territory, we never really see into Jason's head about this specific topic, but I do feel like it's a reasonable way to fill in that gap!

Anyways, this is why I've never felt like Jason's disagreements with Bruce's methods were purely about his own emotional desires. There's too much else surrounding that which he clearly also cares about.

[reminiscingtonight]

Guilty

Lia Wälti x Russo!Reader

Word Count: 1.2k

A/N: Tis the season for sequels. Featuring a lot of Kyra and Alessia and not so much of Lia

[The Thing About Families Masterlist]

You should have known better than to trust her. 

There’s a reason Steph’s always more than happy to drop Kyra off on your doorstep whenever camp’s over.

There’s a reason Mini looks like she’s gained five years every time the younger girl has been granted privileges to “babysit” her two kids. 

You have a million reasons to not trust her yet you did. 

Why did you trust Kyra with the ring?

Your knuckles are nearly white as you drag the young girl into a nearby unoccupied conference room. Kyra’s looking apologetically guilty, but a delirious haze is starting to take over you. It’s a mixture of horror and disbelief, but at the bottom of it all, you feel beyond stupid.

“What do you mean you lost it?!”

Kyra looks like she’s moments away from crying, but you can’t find it in yourself to be compassionate. You can console her later. Right now you need to get to the bottom of this and try to salvage your relationship with your girlfriend first. 

“I swear it was stashed at the bottom of my drawer but it just wasn’t there when I looked this morning.”

“Well where did you put it?”

“I never moved it! Someone must have taken it.”

You pinch your eyes shut, praying to whatever soccer gods that are above that this was just a cruel joke. This wasn’t really happening and you weren’t about to postpone all the plans you’ve spent months working on. “Kyra, I am begging you not to do this. What am I supposed to do? The dinner’s been booked! The restaurant knows I’m proposing!”

“We can get you a new one! I’ll front it, I swear.”

Forget Kyra crying, you’re going to cry. 

“Unless you’re willing to shell out five grand in the next few hours, I don’t think ‘buying me a new’ one will work.”

The young Australian’s eyes bulge out at the sound of how much you spent on Lia’s ring. 

It’s not a well kept secret that you were going to propose. You and Lia have been together for years now, married in every way except for the official one. Wedding plans have already been discussed, from venues to food to the invitation list. The last thing you actually had to do was the actual proposing and getting married parts.

Though with the ways things are going, you’re not sure you’re going to get married anytime soon. 

There’s a knock on the door but you ignore it, pacing back and forth as your mind races. There’s not really much you can do at this point. The place you got Lia’s ring custom made at is already closed at this time of day, and your girlfriend deserves something better than a last minute generic engagement ring. 

A flash of blonde enters your peripheral just as you make your decision.

“Okay. I think I’ve got a plan.”

“Oh I’ve been looking for you guys--”

“Now’s not a good time, Less,” you wave your sister off, not even bothering to pay her any attention. “Okay Kyra, listen closely because I won’t repeat myself.”

The younger girl nods, determination painted all over her features. 

“I’ll cancel the reservations. That’ll buy me a couple days.”

“Guys--”

“Less. Not a good time,” You repeat, shuffling to turn your back to her to ensure Alessia can’t interrupt again. “The jeweler still has the plans I sent him. I can probably get Gio and Luca to lend me some money, but you have to find where you stashed that ring, Kyra. It wasn’t cheap.”

“About the ring--”

“Not now Alessia!” This time your and Kyra’s voices blend together, neither of you willing to give Alessia a minute of your days. 

She lets out an offended huff and you have half a mind to just strangle her right here and now, your mother’s feelings be damned. 

Gritting your teeth you turn around, not really happy to have to find out what your sister wants. She has free reign to bother you at any minute of any day but why was she so insistent on doing so right now? “What could possibly be so important, you impatient piece of--”

You cut off suddenly, eyes doubling in size when you look down at her hands. 

There’s a velvet box clutched between her perfectly manicured nails, the tiny thing sitting there like it’s mocking you for losing your temper earlier. 

“That’s my--”

“The ring! But-- but--”

“Where’d you find it?”

“Oh god, Lessi I could kiss you, you just saved my ass--” Kyra breaks off, something clicking in her brain. “Wait, where did you find it?”

There’s a slight pause as you wait for Alessia’s answer. 

“Err… so funny story.” She blows out a breath of air, trying her best to look nonchalant. “I might have been-- actually Kyra hid…” Alessia fidgets, not liking the crease that was growing deeper and deeper between your brows. “IwantedtoprankKyraaftersheprankedmesoItooktheringthelasttimeIvisited.”

She slams her mouth shut the second the words are uttered, but no one says a word. 

An uncomfortable tension settles into the room and Alessia does her best not to wilt to the ground. 

You stare at her.

Kyra stares at her.

Alessia stares at a spot past your faces, nervously shuffling under the weight of your gazes.

There’s no mistaking icy stare or the clenched jaw that proved you caught every word of her fastball confession. 

“You… What?” There’s an edge to your voice, a tone Alessia rarely was at the end of growing up, but one that she recognizes all the same. The order there is clear, but Alessia’s not so sure she wants to repeat herself out of self preservation.

She shrinks, suddenly wishing she wasn’t so tall. “Um. Well. So Kyra hid my earrings the other day, and I, uh, I thought hiding this would be a funny way to prank her back?” Alessia cringes, not liking the way this all sounds now that she’s saying it out loud. “But judging by the looks on your faces, I’m going to say otherwise.”

Your nose flares but that’s the only response she’s given. 

Kyra looks grumpy, probably the result of taking your misplaced anger from earlier. 

You hold out your hand.

No words are exchanged but Alessia is quick to drop the box into your hand. 

Just as quick as she darts forward to do so, she jumps back, shoving her now empty hands into her pockets. 

“See, no hurt no foul, right?”

Crickets. 

That’s all Alessia hears as she nervously chuckles. 

Neither you nor Kyra have moved, faces giving nothing away. 

At least not until you call the Australian’s name calmly, eyes never leaving your sister’s.

Alessia watches as the two of you slowly peel away from each other. Her eyes keep darting between the two of you, feeling more and more like prey that’s being stalked as the seconds tick by. “Guys, c’mon–”

“Remember how I told you to play nice with my only sister?”

Kyra’s frowning. It’s probably supposed to come off frightening but she looks too much like a kicked dog for it to really do too much.

But the look on your face… yeah, that was intimidating enough for the two of you.

“Forget everything I’ve ever said. I don’t have a sister.”

Alessia gulps.

“Get her.”

She bolts.

[f4dedtouch]

╰┈➤ how doll!reader met rafe cameron and somehow, never got rid of him.

pairing: doll!reader x s2 rafe

summary: doll!reader knew she made a mistake going on this dull date the moment she sat down desperate for an out, she slips away to the bathroom to bail, only to catch the kook king’a attention. amused, he decided to have some fun at her expense… and ends up leaving the worst first impression possible.

warnings: swearing, just rafe being insufferable and leaving the worst first impression.

you knew this was a mistake ten minutes in.

thirty minutes in, you were suffering.

he had not stopped talking about his dad’s yacht. or the gala his dad was hosting next week. or his dad’s latest business deal. seriously? was this asshole really sitting here, bragging about his dad’s money like he was the one who worked for it? you stared at him, expression blank as he went on and on about something called a bertram 35, which you were pretty sure was just a fancy word for a boat.

you nodded absently, twirling your straw in your drink, offering the occasional mmhm or oh, really? just to make it seem like you were listening. you should have known this was a bad idea when he would not leave you alone at the bonfire last week, practically begging for just one date. one. and now here you were, resisting the urge to bash your head into the table as he started explaining—explaining—what a fucking yacht was.

fuck this.

you glanced at your phone screen, not actually reading anything, just thinking. an escape. you needed an escape.

and then, like divine intervention, an idea formed in your head.

“shit,” you exhaled sharply, eyes widening just the right amount. “i just got a text. my mom needs me to come home.”

his face fell. “oh. uh—really?”

you forced a regretful sigh, shoving your phone into your bag. ��yeah, i should probably get going.”

he hesitated. “so, can we—”

“i’ll text you,” you said quickly, already grabbing your stuff. you did not plan on texting him. ever.

before he could say anything else, you were gone.

you made a beeline for the bathroom, locking yourself inside and pressing your palms against the sink, breathing. that was fucking painful.

rafe cameron had a shitty day.

his dad was on his ass, he was out of coke, and his patience was thin. so naturally, he ended up at the country club, sitting at the bar, ordering a whiskey he probably did not need.

he was not looking for anything. not really. he just wanted to get out of his own head for a few hours.

but then he saw you.

sitting across the room, at a table with some asshole in a blazer, twirling your straw, looking bored out of your fucking mind.

rafe had seen you before. always with sarah and her little pogue friends at the bonfire, all soft curls and glossed lips, too pretty to be with that crowd. you moved different. you looked different. and right now, you looked miserable.

it was entertaining, really. he was amused.

you were staring at the guy like you were seconds away from stabbing him, nodding along as he talked, but rafe could tell you were not listening to a word coming out of his mouth. he knew that look—bored. done. looking for an escape.

and then he watched you find one.

you sat up a little straighter, eyes flickering to your phone, and rafe could already see the plan forming in your head.

you said something—he could not hear what—but whatever it was made the guy’s face drop.

and rafe?

rafe fucking grinned.

he watched you stand, grab your stuff, and slip away, practically running toward the bathroom.

it was the weakest excuse he had ever seen.

and yet, it worked.

your date sat there, annoyed, huffing like a kid who just got his toy taken away.

rafe exhaled a quiet laugh, sipping his drink.

and just like that, he knew exactly how he was going to spend the rest of his night.

waiting.

you stepped out of the bathroom, scanning the room quickly, and relaxed.

your table was empty

thank god.

you exhaled in relief, making your way toward the bar. maybe you would actually drink that overpriced cocktail now.

but the second you sat down, you felt a stare.

the presence was strong, charged, something you did not even have to look at to recognize.

but you did. you turned slightly, and there he was, grinning at you.

rafe cameron.

fuck.

you had never officially met, but you knew enough. sarah’s brother. an asshole. a cokehead. a walking red flag.

men like him could not handle you. or so you thought.

he was watching you like he knew something you did not, like he had been sitting there, waiting.

you rolled your eyes ignoring him and turned back toward the bar.

“vodka soda.”

you barely got your drink before rafe’s voice cut through the air, smooth, amused.

“oh man, you’re back.”

your stomach sank.

not at his words—but at who he was talking to.

you turned, and there he was. your date. sliding into the seat on your other side, annoyed.

“wasn’t your mom expecting you?”

you blinked. fuck.

“uh—yeah, but one of my friends was home, so they handled it.”

rafe exhaled a laugh, shaking his head.

you glared.

“since we’re all here,” he mused, “let’s have a drink.”

you straightened. “oh, i was about to go—”

“c’mon,” rafe cut in, voice dripping with something almost mocking. “we could talk about boats.”

he knew.

he fucking knew.

your date perked up instantly. “boats?”

and just like that, the two of them started talking bullshit.

you stared at rafe, burning.

your hands clenched into fists in your lap, nails digging into your skin, because if you despised him before, now?

now you wanted to kill him.

slowly. painfully.

you could break the whiskey glass sitting in front of him and shove it straight into his neck. you could strangle him with your pretty pearl bracelet you always had on your wrist. or maybe you could grab the steak knife off the waiter’s tray and just—

he was watching you, barely even engaging in the conversation, just watching you.

so fucking amused.

“you know what,” you cut in, voice tight. “i actually have somewhere to be.”

rafe’s smirk deepened. “nah. stay.”

“i can’t.”

he tilted his head, eyes gleaming. “sure you can.”

your nails dug deeper into your palm.

you had two choices.

you could stand up and leave, but something told you rafe would find a way to keep you here, just to piss you off.

or you could sit here and suffer, glaring at him so hard you could set him on fire with just your mind.

either way, rafe was winning.

and he knew it.

god you fucking hated rafe cameron. you hated those wild bangs covering his forehead and that pretty smile and those blue eyes of him.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

The Miraculous fandom has some of the most creative people I know in it. I mean this, positive sense.

However that same talent becomes a problem when people cannot distinguish between a narrative beat and their own post-hoc justification.

The second is useful now and again when any sort of media misses a beat or takes a leap. ML fans carry the narrative on their backs.

It's telling that you have so many fanworks out there that are equally or more valid readings of the canon when they were published that have been completely obliterated by future development.

I'm not talking the wild takes. I'm not talking ML suddenly turning shonen, or coffee shop AU. I'm not even talking 'Adrien gets equal screen time.' Just 'with what we know, what comes next?' type fanfiction.

It's like canon is deliberately trying to dodge anything remotely predictable... but narrative beats are predictable for a reason. They work. They're good storytelling. A twist can be good storytelling, but only if it is better in every way then the not-twist.

You combine the shock-at-all-costs mentality with ML fandoms devotion and creativity and you get leaps of logic that would make a crypto seller blush. It ends up going downright unhealthy places at times.

I know their hearts are in the right place. I know they just care about the show they've sunk time and self into, but there are times you have to step back.

It doesn't mean you have to give up or turn away from the media. You just need to be willing to admit 'This episode/throughline/season/beat sucked'.

Then you hope it gets better.

Not doing this now and then is engaging in cult behavior.

(Post that spawned this ask)

I fully agree. People liking "bad" media doesn't bother me. What gets under my skin is people defending bad media. I'm in a book club and we all own that we like books that are objectively bad. We don't defend them as good, we just like the good parts enough to drown out the bad stuff. That's normal and fine. You don't have to limit yourself to perfect and pure art if such a thing even exists. I can name flaws in most of the things I like, I just think the good far outweighs the bad.

Miraculous is not some deep and complicated show that requires you to watch every episode. The writers have flat out said it is supposed to make sense even if you miss seemingly vital episodes. This means that trying to go the deep and nuanced route to explain the flaws doesn't work. This is a show for young children. It is supposed to be easy to follow. If it's not, then it has failed at its job! Little kids have no expectations to subvert. Shows like Miraculous are supposed to teach them how stories work so they can go on and watch more complex stuff when they're older. (For us adults, shows like Miraculous are supposed to be cute escapism that lets us feel like kids again.) If no one can possibly predict where a story is going next at a high level, then it's probably a bad story.

To be clear, I don't mean that every plot beat should be obvious. It's just that the longer a story goes, the more obvious things should feel as all the little elements of the story build and come together. This allows the audience to get excited about what's going to happen next and keeps them engaged. Stories where literally anything can happen no matter how little sense it makes aren't fun because you can't get invested in anything. I'll take a predictable ending over an impossible one any day.

A perfect example is the season three final. That final was all about Gabriel winning because he knew Chloe's identity. This is spelled out in the episode and the episode setup.

Miraculer set up:

Gabriel: Chloé Bourgeois must become Queen Bee again! Nathalie: Are you still considering making her an ally? I'm afraid Ladybug has grown reluctant to giving Chloé the Bee Miraculous. She's being very careful. Gabriel: Then I will get Chloé to force Ladybug to give it to her. All I need is for her to lose all hope in Ladybug. To become angry enough so I can akumatize her. (smirks evilly)

Ladybug: I'm sorry, Chloé. I should've told you this a long time ago. I might never be able to let you be Queen Bee again. Queen Bee: What? But I did everything you asked me to. Ladybug: I know. But this is for your own safety. It's too dangerous for you and your loved ones because Hawk Moth knows that you're Queen Bee.

Final pay off:

Hawk Moth: Try it and see for yourself. You're Ladybug's greatest fan. You've helped her, you've trusted her. And what has she done for you in return? Chloé: (gets angry) Nothing! She couldn't care less about me! I'm done with her. She's irrelevant, utterly irrelevant! (reaches out to grap the Miraculous, stops) I want you to de-akumatize has my parents first! Hawk Moth: Whatever you say, my queen. (Chloé takes the comb and puts it in her hair, releasing Pollen)

Since the final also includes every other temp hero being outed this should mean that season four will go on to have Ladybug and Chat Noir starting from scratch, but is that what happens?

Nope! The mass identity reveal means nothing and everything is fine to keep going as is. Chloé's identity reveal being a problem was a one-off fluke we don't need to think about.

There is no justification for that. You can decide that you're willing to let the flaw slide and keep watching, but there is no way to make this a good choice for the story. It was the start of the secret identities holding less and less weight to the point where a lot of people no longer care about the love square reveal because it's been so incredibly cheapened. Marinette keeping her identity from Chat Noir no longer makes sense when it was once pretty reasonable.

[uniasus]

The sputter of a coffee pot let Danny know he'd failed in his plan to slip out of the apartment before its owner woke.

He kept his eyes closed as the rest of his body woke up. He was sore, and a shift on the couch let him know it'd take longer to heal from the newest GIW weaponry. The sharpnel cuts on his cheeks felt healed though, and in his pocket he could feel the three marble-sized ghost cores humming softly.

He'd gotten out of the GIW facility. He'd rescued some of their other captives. And the dark apartment he'd broken into had been surprisingly well stocked in terms of medical supplies and even more surprisingly unempty.

He should have known it wasn't though; he felt the liminality of the guy, whose muttering Danny barely heard over the click click click of a stove turning, from across the room. He must have been pretty out of it last night.

Danny opened his eyes. The front door was feet away. If the guy was distracted with breakfast, Danny could slip out. Open the door, or waste a bit of ecto to sleep through the floor. Except from his position he saw the bloody towels on the bathroom floor.

It'd be polite to clean up his mess. It'd be smart to burn any traces of his DNA.

With a groan, Danny pushed himself up. Yup, that blast to his side was a motherfucker. It'd partially healed, but he was not looking forward to wandering around Gotham looking for a way out of the city.

"Don't move," the guy called out.

Danny got more comfortable on the couch, slowly moving to lay against the arm rest. By the time he'd settled, the guy sat on the coffee table, holding a fried egg on toast and a mug of coffee.

Danny eyed them, ravished.

"You want these, you gotta give me a name," the guy said. "I thought you were one of my brothers last night, but you're obviously not."

"Your brothers get in a lot of fights?"

"Whole family does."

Danny nodded. The Fentron weren't much different, if you considered ghost hunting ghost fighting.

"Danny," he offered.

He got the coffee, but the man withheld the egg. "Got a last name?"

"... Nightingale."

The guy didn't believe him, but handed over breakfast. Danny ate the fried egg in three whole bites. When was the last time he had a meal?

"I'm Jason Todd," the apartment owner said, sipping his coffee. "If you tell me who shot you, I'll make you two more of those."

Danny clutched the coffee. He'd prefer more sugar, but if black coffee was what he got, that'd be what he drunk.

"You wouldn't believe me."

"This is Gotham. We have a lot of weird shit."

"I don't want to put you in danger."

"Again, this is Gotham. You never know when you'll be caught in a rogue attack."

Danny looked at him. Jason looked like a fighter. Not just his broad shoulders and defined arms, but the seriousness in his eyes. The sure tone of his voice.

The very well-stocked first aid kit, and the pretty high-quality care considering he'd been half asleep last night.

Danny slipped a hand to his pocket, to the ghost cores he'd rescued. He had more to save. He didn't think he could do it alone.

But he didn't want to put a liminal on the GIW's radar.

"I'll clean your bathroom instead."

Jason sighed, pushing himself to his feet. He reached toward Danny, who flinched, but the older man simply ruffled his hair.

"You're wincing, you're staying on that couch all day. And if you don't want to tell me, I won't press. Just like I'm not going to ignore a starving kid. Two eggs enough?"

Danny curled into his coffee mug. "Can I have sugar in my coffee too?"

"Sure thing, Danny."

Muscle Memory (DpxDc)

Jason barely remembered getting back to his safe house or even finding his way to bed. The night had been so tiring, so busy, and so many parts of his body hurt.

The moment his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. Drifting off into dreamland for some much need sleep.

That was until a noise stirred him up from his sleep. It was a soft creak of one of his many loose floorboards.

It was in a flash that Jason was up, eyes still heavy with sleep, and a gun held to his thigh as he exited his bedroom. The soft light coming from his bathroom was the first hint.

When he pushed open the bathroom door, the sight before him had him holstering his weapon. Black hair, blue eyes, and blood. That's all Jason needed to see.

Jason would swear he wasn't still half asleep, that he knew this wasn't one of his brothers. In reality, still sluggish from a hard night and sleep deprivation, Jasin's brain had automatically assumed it was one of his baby brothers.

As he immediately settled into patching up the wounds, holding back questions for now. It wouldn't be the first time one of them came to him for aid when they didn't want Bruce to know they were hurt yet.

It was pure muscle memory as Jason worked. Yes, he didn't like the injuries, reminding himself to ask which rogue did this in the morning.

Now wasn't the time for an interrogation. Not with the barely concealed tears in those eyes, or the dark bags that decorated beneath them.

He barely grumbled for the teen to take the couch, reminding that there were extra blankets in the hallway closet. Dropping a few pills into the boy's hand to help with the pain he was surely in.

Jason left the mess in the bathroom, leaving it a problem for more awake him. He waved the boy off when he tried to speak, telling him they'll talk in the morning.

In the end, Jason was glad to finally face plant back into his bed. Barely bothering to curl up under the covers before sleep took over once again.

When morning came, Jason almost forgot about letting one of his brother's crash in his place. Stumbling out of his bedroom to immediately notice the lump on his couch.

He put a pot of coffee on, grabbing his phone, ready to let Bruce know that whoever came to him last night was safe and sound.

Except, when Jason moved over to confirm who it was, he finally noticed. This wasn't one of his brothers. And last he heard, Bruce hadn't taken in any new strays.

Jason stood over the sleeping boy, phone in one hand, and mind figuring out what to do. His mind replaying the half-asleep memories from last night.

It made sense, now that he thought about it. The boy had seemed so scared, so surprised that Jason was helping. The boy hadn't done anything either by the looks of it.

He didn't seem to have taken anything or even snooped. The boy seemed to have just crashed on the couch like Jason had told him to. He didn't come here to rob him or cause trouble. The kid had broken into his safe house only to raid his first aid kit.

The kid had broken into his safe house only to raid his first aid kit.

Well, Jason wasn't about to put Alfred's teachings to shame by being a horrible host either.

[car-o-line]

I absolutely love your work!! Keep it up!! :D

May I request Doey(trios!!) with a reader that’s seriously injured and is a teenager doing Poppy’s work?

Have a nice day/afternoon/night!! <33

Sincerely, a person named Aiden!

AAHH IM ADDING THAT PICTURE TO MY CAMARA ROLL HE’S A CUTIE!!! everyone say thank you to Aiden for gracing us with this request and if you don’t Kevin WILL come for you(NOT CLICKBAIT 3:00AM CHALLENGE)

Doey’s spirits dealing with a teenager that’s injured(as player)

Warning: Blood, injury😱😱😱

editing me anyway poppy and Kev are the same color but I’m pretty sure you can tell who’s who

Matthew Hallard:

Okay so first of all-

He was reluctant to let you continue doing tasks for Poppy because you’re still erm A TEEN. And the last thing he wants is another child being brought up into this mess, especially when you’re probably so tired and worn out.

But with some whining to him on your end and Poppy’s nagging he finally gave in. He did say that if you couldn’t come back that this was Poppy’s fault(you can do no wrong in his eyes <3)

Before you left Safe Haven, Matthew had to push Jack or Kevin out of Doeys control just so he could make sure you have everything you need.

“Do you have a snack?”

“Mhm..”

“Water for the snack?”

“Yea.”

“Bandages in case you get hurts? A plushy so you won’t be alone?”

“I’m not five Doey-”

Not even 10 minutes later after you left Safe Haven, Kissy swore to everything pink she heard a scream, that sounded just like you. She didn’t say it verbally but Poppy understood what she meant and quickly told Doey to go find you.

Long story short, it was Yarnaby. You were trying to collect the Omi-hand and you ran into the fuzzy lion.

The creature tried to bite your arm off but thankfully your Grab-pack pulled you up towards a vent. Sadly, he did manage to bite your arm, just not completely off.

Matthew immediately panicked and went searching for you right away, he was upset at Poppy for letting you go but he could speak with her another time, right now his focus was on you not dying.

Once he got to you, your whole arm was covered blood. He was even more panicked at the sight and quickly picked you up with his gentle arms and hurriedly brought you back to Safe Haven.

On the way back if your arm like uhm, wasn’t bleeding everywhere you would’ve hear him mumbling, “Back to Safe Haven, back to Safe Haven.”

Once you both were back he didn’t waste any time getting you to and bed and calling the medic, all the other toys were horrified. The blood from your arm splashing onto the ground from how quickly Doey was going.

When you started crying from the pain he tried his best to relax himself so he can relax you. Like distracting you from the Medic who was putting pressure on your wound, maybe reading a book to you or speaking about the random thoughts he has.

After you recovered he knows one thing for sure, you are not to leave Safe Haven for a while until your arm has fully healed and even then when you do leave he or Kissy Missy will accompany you during that time.

Kevin Barnes:

Okay so he actually didn’t care that much when he found out “Poppy’s Angel” was just a young teen. He believed that you were just another troubled kid like the rest of them except you just weren’t an experiment.

But he did slightly care, you’re still a kid at the end of the day. Not a toy, experiment, just a human.

Anyway, Poppy told you to collect food for yourself and the other toys, unlike Matt, Kevin actually encouraged it as well. Everyone was starving and who could be the best candidate for collecting food other than someone who killed Mommy Longlegs and Catnap?

Poppy wished you well as you left Safe Haven.

“Hey Kev..”

“What?”

“Don’t you think it’s worrying Y/n isn’t back yet, it’s been a long time.”

“Hm..Jacks right, we should go check on them.”

And so that’s what Kevin did, he didn’t tell anyone, just leaving(Much to Matthew’s dismay)

When he was going around the outsides of Safe Haven he spotted a figure in the distance, crawling on the ground from what he could tell. He thought it was a humanoid toy until he heard your voice, calling his name.

That’s when Kevin started to act and ran towards you, stopping near you and staring at you bloodied body.

What happened was, the doctor kinda cooked ur ass up<3

You were going to get food but the mf had like a villain entrance and went after you. You were so close to killing him, but you got distracted by a smiling critter and didn’t see one of the doctor’s clones after you. It was then too late when the doctor stabbed your leg with his sharp fingers. Running off by adrenaline you ran as fast as you could but eventually passed out and when you woke up, no one was there to help you causing you to crawl your way back to Safe Haven.

Kevin was embarrassingly(in his words) freaking out and surprised by how you lasted this long.

“HOW DID Y/N NOT EVEN DIE”

“THAT DOESN’T MATTER RIGHT NOW, THE FACT WAS THAT YOU WANTED TO BE IN CHARGE SO BRING THEM TO SAFE HAVEN KEVIN”

So he did, but unlike Matt(I’m so tired of saying Matthew istg), he was a bittttttt rough. So Matt had to yell at him to be more gentle.

Once he got back he dropped you off on a bed and started yelling at the Medic to do their job.

Once both you and him calmed down he told you that you’re never leaving Safe Haven ever again.

He also told you that you had to publicly apologize to all the other toys for worrying them so much(you didn’t because Jack told him to stop yelling at you and then he forgot about it)

After that he’d be a little nicer, he knows what you went was painful physically and emotionally so there’s no real reason to be that mad at you for messing it up.

“I told you not to go.”

“You encouraged me actually!”

“You encouraged me actually🤓☝️”

Jack Ayers:

Him being the stupid little ############# that he is he was actually happy that you were young!

In his mind that meant you would play with him and the other toys more than if you were an adult.

But when Matt told him everything you’ve been through he felt sad, buttttttttt he felt happy again when he realized that you’re in Safe Haven now and nothing could hurt you anymore.

But then,

“Hey Y/n..”

“Poppy go away I’m making something.”

“You know this is serious right?”

“…”

“…What are you making?”

“Hopscotch mat!”

“Oh! That should be fun..hm. Anyway, like I was about to say you need to get use some extra batteries.”

That made you frown instantly, but! Since you’re such a good person you went anyway.

Jack, who was in charge at the time, asked you where you were going when you were just about to leave. You told him the truth and he wished you luck.

It had been about 7 hours since you’ve left and Jack was worried sick, he kept insisting that he should go look for you but Poppy said that you were probably just taking your time.

That was until a loud crash was heard outside of Safe Haven, a loud, loud, one.

Jack didn’t even wait a second before making Doey sprint out that door, even if Kevin was yelling and him not to.

Finally after about 25 minutes he found your body next to a battery, unconscious and under a large machine, what happened was that when you used your grab pack to collect the battery from the machine. You pulled too hard and the whole machine collapsed onto you.

Jack was rightly horrified and started sobbing on the spot, so much that Matthew had to take over and lifted the heavy machinery off you just to pick up your body.

Running as quickly as he could he finally made it to Safe Haven and called the Medic over frantically.

Jack soon convinced Matthew to let him in charge so he could watch over you, he didn’t sleep at all that night, just making sure he was awake so you wouldn’t be alone in the tent when you woke up.

When you did wake up Jack was thrilled and almost started crying again, he gently held your hand in his and promised you that he wouldn’t let you get hurt anymore.

Not after that.

Idk why this took me so long, it was really fun to do this tho!🤪

[marlynnofmany]

Another Strange Earth Drink

I can finally say I’ve tasted the “worm jerky” that the one Heatseeker ship was named after. It wasn’t as bad as I expected. Extra chewy, and this kind had a sharp flavor that changed wildly between bites — because that’s the variety that Paint liked the most. 

She said, “It’s best if you hold it between your teeth and run your tongue along it to get all the flavors. It’s a full fan of sharpness values!” Her lizardy face was excited as she demonstrated, looking like a kid playing with gummy candy. If that kid was also an orange-scaled lizard alien.

I didn’t bother trying to make sense of the phrasing. “Full fan” was probably something like “rainbow.” I just cleaned my mouth with a handful of cheesy crackers that I wasn’t going to subject everyone else to, and waited for my turn. 

(We had a day to burn while waiting for our next delivery client to meet us, and a visit to the space station’s market had ended with half the crew picking items of their own species’ origins to share with the rest. Eggskin the medic was on hand just in case.)

Oh boy, it was my turn next. 

“What omnivore nonsense have you come up with?” Mur asked, folding his blue-black tentacles sternly. “It had better not involve that infant-food liquid.”

“Nope, no dairy products,” I said, picking up the heavy box under my chair. 

Eggskin tapped a claw against their tablet full of biological info. “I’ve ruled out anything likely to cause digestive distress, and that definitely counts.” 

“Yes, no pizza today, more’s the pity.” I set the box on the table. “This should actually be fun. Marble soda!” I opened the top and began passing them out. 

“Marble what?” asked Blip, frills waving curiously. 

“Is this a drink?” Zhee wanted to know. He angled his antennae into a look of suspicion. Trrili held a similar expression across the table.

“It’s a fun drink!” I said. “There’s a special trick to opening it. The soda itself isn’t that special — the most popular brand is named after a mispronunciation of a common flavor in another language, though they make a bunch of other flavors too — anyways, it’s a bubbly drink with a fruit flavor. This one’s strawberry. And Eggskin says it’s safe enough to try.”

Eggskin nodded their scaly head. “I wouldn’t recommend large quantities, but yes. The bubbles are carbon dioxide and the fruit is in trace amounts.”

“I like fruit,” Paint said bravely, clutching the bottle. “How do we open it?”

“Right. Everybody watch me. First you peel off the plastic wrap.” I demonstrated, exposing the plastic contraption that had something of a learning curve even among my own people. “Now this bit is in two parts. You have to pop the center piece out, ‘cuz that’s the part you actually need, and this part you set aside. It just keeps the bottle from opening early.” I separated the two and held them up.

Everyone was watching carefully. Good.

I continued. “I can help with that if you need. Once you have this part, though, you just place it against the top, give it some pressure, and it pops the marble down into the bottle.” With a flourish, I leaned a palm onto the little plastic doohickey until the marble separated with a satisfying pop.

Paint made a quiet “Ooh” noise while Blop flapped his frills in surprise.

“Now you have to make sure the marble doesn’t just roll back to block the opening when you drink it,” I said. “These dents will catch it; you just have to hold it at the right angle. Like this.” I took a sip, and the marble stayed where it was supposed to.

When I put it down, the air was full of the crinkling of plastic as my alien coworkers got to work on the wrapping. Some had an easier time than others.

“Oh, you’re supposed to rip it along the tiny holes,” Paint said, having already sliced it off with a claw. “I didn’t see that.”

“This is not meant for tentacles,” Mur griped. He tried twisting it, but no luck.

“Here, let me.” I put out a hand, ready to remove the wrap quickly and help the others. Blip and Blop should be fine, but the Mesmers with their praying-mantis pincher arms might find this awkward. They had those tiny little wrist fingers, but—

Identical pops sounded from opposite sides of the table.

I turned to find Zhee and Trrili each holding a bottle with one pincher. They’d used the other to stab through the top, not bothering to remove the plastic wrap first.

“Well, that’s one way to do it,” I said.

Zhee said, “Seemed faster.” He peeled off the wrapping now with one deft pincher-tip while Trrili simply wrenched hers away.

A thunk sounded as Blip misjudged the angle and tipped her bottle over instead of opening it. Next to her, Blop was having trouble finding a finger small enough to separate the plastic bits. I hurried to unwrap Mur’s drink and help.

Paint had a little difficulty getting enough leverage to press down on the top, but Eggskin figured it out and gave her a hand, standing on the seat and using their bodyweight. One way or another, everybody got their bottles open.

They tried it! And everybody hated it.

“If the bubbles are regular air, why do they taste so bad?” Blip wanted to know.

“I think it’s the fruit flavor that’s tangy,” Blop said.

Zhee hissed quietly. “You mean fruit’s not supposed to taste rancid?”

“It’s a drink that fights back, and I can respect that,” Trrili declared. “But this is not a battle I’m interested in fighting.”

Mur took a sip and shuddered, sending rippling tentacles in all directions. “Ugh. It tastes like static shock and the wrong part of a plant.”

“That’s a pity,” I said. “It’s pretty good as far as I’m concerned.”

Unexpectedly, Paint said, “I like it! It kind of bites you at first, but then it reminds me of an overripe galaxy fruit. And the bottle is interesting.”

“Glad to hear it!” I said.

So everybody hated it except for Paint. And Eggskin probably, who didn’t make any loud declarations, but they did drink the whole thing. I call that a win.

“Well, that was a fascinating disaster!” Zhee said, shoving his bottle towards the middle of the table. “On to my turn.”

Mur grumbled something that sounded like “Oh great.” He’d already dumped his soda down the sink and kept the bottle as a fidget toy, sticking a thin tentacle in and batting the marble around.

I sipped my own and waited to see what Zhee would bring out. I considered myself lucky to be on the omnivorous side of things — theoretically anything he came up with should be fine.

But of course, theory only goes so far.

“Everyone here is okayed for animal-based nutrition,” Zhee said, setting down an opaque bag. “So everyone ought to enjoy this one. Except for Trrili, who has no taste.”

Trrili did the Mesmer equivalent of sticking her tongue out at him, which involved a disturbing configuration of mandibles.

Zhee opened the bag and began removing little sealed tubs. “I give you: fursqueak brains, with the best vitamin sauce!”

I sank down in my seat, still holding the bottle and not eager to grab a sample of brains. Even when Eggskin clarified that the sauce was Vitamin C, and ought to taste like citrus, it didn’t sound particularly appealing.

Zhee was proud of it, though. Apparently this was the best food in the universe, favored by all the best chefs (of his species, anyway), and there was nothing anyone could say to ruin his enjoyment of it, even if everyone else present was as uncultured as Trrili.

It occurred to me that I could probably ruin his meal by telling him about his ressemblance to the fried crickets that were easy to find back home, but I decided against it.

I just drank my marble soda and enjoyed watching Trrili argue with him instead.

~~~

These are the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book.

Shared early on Patreon! There’s even a free tier to get them on the same day as the rest of the world.

The sequel novel is in progress (and will include characters from these stories. I hadn’t thought all of them up when I wrote the first book, but they’re too much fun to leave out of the second).

[littlxpxtal]

I wish I never met you

TYRANTS || STORY MASTERLIST

PAIRING: rafe cameron x fem!reader

WARNINGS: MDNI 18+ Content, swearing, sexual content, drug and alcohol use, violence

WORD COUNT: 2.5k

Mixing liquor and pot

Heard your brain cells can rot

If my memory was shot

I would like that a lot

I wish I could forget you

May

It was all a blur. The whole day. Zipping up my gown, putting the bobby-pins in my hair to situate the cap on my head.

I wish I could say graduation was the best day of my life, but I barely remember any of it. My name rumbled through the field, my legs moving without a thought. I moved my lips up on my face for the picture, shook hands with faculty that I had never seen or spoken to in my entire life.

The dinner with my parents was bland. They went on and on about college, asking me questions about what I decided to study. I don’t even remember the answer I gave.

I didn’t come to reality until the third time my phone rang while I laid on the edge of my bed, head hanging off the edge with my eye closed, a random record playing on my turntable was at the end and a soft humming noise filled the room.

I decided to finally check who it was, and to no surprise it was Sabrina.

“Hi” I mumbled into the phone, flipping over onto my stomach, one hand barely holding up the phone while the other dangled towards the ground.

”You done with family shit yet?”

”yes.” I answered simply, closing my eyes.

“Well I know you’re out feeling the best but, I really think you should come with me tonight.”

I groaned into my sheets.

“Sab” I whispered, my voice shaking.

“You can’t let this take over your life, y/n. We only graduate high school once.”

her positivity sickened me. I knew she was right. I didnt want her to be.

“Sab its the same shit we’ve been doing all year, what is different about tonight?”

“Well there’s no risk of expulsion”

”hah” it was her turn to groan in response.

“Y/N, im spending the whole summer abroad and I leave next week. I seriously need you to do this for me.”

”you cant pull that shit on me Sabrina its not fair.”

”but its true, y/n. You’re my best friends and I need you. You were a fucking zombie today. Snap out of it.”

there was a period of silence. I sat up in my bed and turned the lamp on.

“Well, what should I wear?” I can tell she tried to hide it, but I could hear her squeal on the other line.

“Cute top and a skirt.”

”I can make that work”

”fuck YA THERE SHE IS” she cheers into the phone. “I’ll pick you up in 15.”

We arrived to see the beach was already filled up, party in full swing. Sabrina gave me a reassuring look before we walked towards them.

”Let’s get some drinks. You deserve one” she says to me. I nod my head, following her lead.

We make our way over to the nearest keg, taking one of the many cups the boys were passing out.

“Grab me two” I whisper in her ear. She smiles wide and winks.

”That’s what im talking about.”

I chugged the first cup,passing it back to the kid who was pouring them out, he filled it back up and we walked with our cups to the dance floor.

“You gonna double fist all night?” Sabrina asks over the music.

”that’s the plan” I mumble back. The speakers are booming a new Metro Boomin song, and we make our way to the group of girls that are dancing.

I lose track of time, and snap back into reality when I notice Sabrina furiously texting on her phone.

“What’s up?” I ask. She hesitantly looks up, and locks her phone, sliding it back into her purse.

“Nothing, just, Toppers here. But, he’s with �� his friends. So im just gonna stay here for a bit.” She awkwardly looks away, makes eye contact, then looks away.

“Sab, its okay, I would be an idiot to think he wouldn’t be here, especially with your boyfriend. Go say hi.” I give her shoulder a nudge and she shakes her head.

“No, im here with you.”

”im serious Sab.”

”just one more song. Who knows how long he’ll keep me on his arm if I go now.”

”you know I can fend for myself.” Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift starts playing on the speakers and Sabrina jumps up and down.

”I know, but I LOVE this song”

She starts leading us to the middle of the circle, and we sing to each other, as if we were the only two people on the beach. By the time the song is over, were doubled over laughing,our drinks spilt all over the sand.

“Im gonna go get another drink, you go say hi to topper okay?” She frowns and reaches for my hand.

”Fine, but I’ll be right back okay?” I roll my eyes.

”I told you I’ll be fine. Just go okay?” She smiles and skips away. I watch her walk over to the other side of the crowd, where a group of guys are standing, including Topper, Kelce, and, well of course, Rafe.

I notice everyone’s in conversation, expect for him. He’s just sipping from his cup, staring out into the sea.

I catch myself staring for too long, and realize i'm still in the middle of the dance circle, with two empty cups. I look around for the nearest keg and walk slowly over.

I made empty conversation with the girls standing around the keg while waiting in line, checking my phone every so often. The DJ continues to play songs I like, including pursuit of happiness, collard greens, Roll in Peace and more.

I find myself tipsy, dancing by myself in the sea of people. By the time I finally looked at my phone again, it had been an hour and I had a text from Sabrina.

were fuckin in my car really quick lol I’ll be right back.

that was from 5 minutes ago, so I probably wouldn’t see her for at least another half an hour.

I was tired of dancing, so I started walking towards the edge of the party, closer to the water.

The temperature outside was perfect. There was a slight breeze, not enough for me to put my hair up, but enough to get a whiff of the sea.

I pulled my phone out to take a picture of the water and the moon, before I heard a shout.

“Fucking BITCH”

I could recognize that voice anywhere. I whip my head to the right and see Rafe and another figure a few yards away.

everything in my mind told me not to go. But my heart was controlling my feet. I walked closer, and realized the other person was Noah.

“You ruined fucking EVERYTHING” Rafe growled.

“I didnt do shit expect tell her the truth man. She’s a dirty fucking shut,all you did was make sure I knew.”

I tensed up, and made eye contact with Noah. He smirked and looked back at rafe.

“Perfect timing, y/n, we were just talking about you!” Noah exclaimed, splashing the liquid in his cup in the air.

Rae whips his head back and stares deep into my eyes.

“Y/n,” he whispers. My body is still tense.

“Wh-whats going on” I ask

”your boyfriend - sorry I mean .. your confusing complicated situation ship over here is harassing me.”

rafe keeps his eyes on me. I cant read his expression, he looks empty.

“Maybe, if you just stayed in your place on the cut, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.” Noah shouts at me.

I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out.

I decide its just best if I leave. I start to walk away and hear Noah chuckling.

“This is all YOUR fault” Rafe yells, lunging at Noah. Noah swings back in defense, and I stop in my tracks.

“STOP” a scream escapes my lips and I run over. Rafe is knocked to the ground scrambling to get back on his feet.Noah kicks him back down, and I hear a sharp click, and notice something in Noah’s hand. The smile on his face is terrifying, and as I get closer I realize its a switchblade.

“My god Noah put that thing away.” I whisper.

“If rafe wants to fight, we can fucking fight.”

He points the blade down at rafe who is still struggling to stand.

“Noah, seriously,” I walk towards him and his eyes flicker towards me, down at rafe and back at me. He points the blade up at me, and I start to shake.

“You’re insane” I whisper, taking a step back.

While he’s distracted, Rafe takes the opportunity to pull Noah’s leg, knocking him to the ground. The blade falls from his grip into the sand, and I lunge to get it. He reaches after it too, our bodies colliding. Rafe pulls him away from me while I grab the knife, and he pins Noah down, punching him straight in the face.

“That’s ENOUGH” I shout at the two of them. They both freeze and look up at me. The knife is dangling from my hand pointed down.

“Noah get the fuck out of here. And don’t EVER pull this shit again. You’re just embarrassing yourself.” He scrambles to his feet, patting the sand off his pants.

“Give me my knife back y/n” he commands. I shake my head.

”I’ll give it to you when you’re sober.”

he looks over at rafe. Something in his face must’ve scared him, because he makes a beeline back to the party.

I walk slowly towards rafe and pass him the knife. He safely closes it and stuffs it in his pocket.

“What’s wrong with you?”

He huffs, brushing sand off himself. He turns to look at the water, and his shoulders slump.

”I wish I knew” he whispered. After a brief moment of silence he turns to me, with sadness in his eyes this time.

“Look, y/n, im really-“

”I don’t want to fucking hear it okay? How many times are you going to put me through this. Like seriously?”

His jaw twitched and he looked down, running a hand over his hair.

“It hurts. It hurts so fucking much to see you hurt” he finally says.

“Then why do you keep hurting me?”

the sound of the waves and music behind us fills the silence.

“I don’t mean to. I just keep fucking up.”

I sigh, unsure of what to say. He takes a step towards me, I flinch slightly, which he notices, and makes him sigh.

“Sometimes I cant tell” I start to say. He looks up at me and takes another step forward.

“Sometimes I cant tell if you like me or hate me” I whisper the last part.

“Neither” his voice cracks slightly, and he looks up at the moon.

“I don’t hate you. I could never hate you, y/n. And I don’t, I don’t just like you, okay? I don’t just like you I fucking-“ he stops himself, his voice getting hoarse. “I fucking love you okay? And its driving me insane.”

I furrow my eyebrows and let out an involuntary laugh.

”the fuck are you talking about Cameron?”

he looks back at me, his face hard and serious.

“I mean, im fucking obsessed with you. I can never get you up of my head, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. You’re always just THERE. All the fucking songs you’ve showed me, all my favorite shows and movies. God even my favorite color. Its just you, and its always been you. It’s fucking terrifying, did you know that?”

”I-I-“ I stammer. He takes a step closer.

“I think about you when is wake up, when I eat breakfast, when I work out, when I do homework, when im smoking, when im drinking, when im high out of my fucking mind, when im sober, when im driving around town. All I see is you. You’re fucking everywhere and I cant get you out of my head.”

”it sounds like you don’t want me there.”

”that’s the problem is I DO. I want you there, I want you with me. And I finally fucking had you, and I just-“ his voice breaks again and he closes his eyes.

“Just don’t know how to keep you.”

”rafe” I whisper, walking towards him to close the distance. “Rafe, why didnt you tell me?”

”god y/n, you don’t even know how hard it is. Im dealing with all this shit in my head, and I wanted to save you from it but you made your way deeper into my life than ever before, and I couldn’t hide you from how fucked up I am. I tied you into this mess, and it’s not good for you.”

”why did you tell Noah that lie about me and JJ?”

”I told him because he was bragging to everyone about taking you out. I was pissed that someone else was going to take you. I was jealous. I didnt think it was going to hurt you the way it did.”

”why didnt you just tell me before he even asked me out. We were seeing each other-“ he cuts me off

”because y/n, its easier for me to do shit like that than it is to express my feelings okay? I cant do this love shit easy alright? It doesn’t come naturally like it does some people. It’s fucking terrifying”

his breathing is ragged, and he starts to clutch his chest.

“It gives me these chest pains like I cant fucking breathe.”

he huffs out, trying to catch his breath. I notice his face is flustered.

”cmon, lets sit” I grabs his hand and pull him down onto the sand,

“its okay just breathe” his pants slow down, and I wrap my arm around his shoulders.

“It’s okay” I whisper again. He leans his head on my chest, and I hear a sob escape his mouth.

“Im so fucking sorry. Im so fucking sorry” he repeats this over and over a few times before going quiet.

”I know you are.” I finally say.

We sit in silence for about 5 minutes before its interrupted.

”Y/N! There you are-“ Sabrina cuts herself off when she sees us, Topper trailing behind her.

“I knew it” I heard him whisper to her.

”well, did you guys kiss and make up” topper slurs. She shoves his chest, letting out a giggle and a hiccup.

“You guys have been boning for hours now”i shoot back at them. Topper lets out a nervous laugh and Sabrina hides her face.

“Well, are you guys going to come join us or?” She asks. Rafe sits up and looks at me

“Can we start over?”

I smile at him, stand up and reach out my hand.

“Rafe?” I whisper, he takes my hand and stands up, his figure looming over me.

“Yes, pretty girl?”

”i Love you too.”

Previous Chapter | Instagram AU

Tags: @ltristessedureratoujours @davinashifts333 @tomholland792

[ragana62]

Hermione doesn't break rules openly, because she knows that having the aura of following rules means that when someone starts looking at the trio for who was responsible for all the laws broken, she will be written off on principle. She knows that being the responsible one gives her protection, and it gives all of them an escape route should things go badly.

I have always held it as a survival tactic. It's Hermione knowing that nobody even notices the quiet, polite, bookworm in the corner who just keeps her nose down and always turns in her work, with extra credit, perfectly complete a day early at least. The magical world is a dangerous place, she doesn't know anyone there at the start, and the people she does know have made clear to her on observation that even for those the magical world doesn't hate on sight, there's not much of a guarantee of help coming much less help that can do much of anything in the face of some of the opposition. She needs to fade into the background, because being in the spotlight is a target, and if she is going to take the spotlight, it needs to be for something positive like her academic work where she can still be written off as 'one of the good ones'.

And... it works. First year Hermione can walk up to multiple professors and say 'It's my fault, I read about trolls and thought I could stop it before it hurt anyone, they were just helping me' and every last one of them just nods and says 'yes, that seems perfectly plausible, good job boys, perhaps we don't do that again Hermione'. Second year Hermione already knows how to brew multiple NEWT level highly controlled potions and can steal the ingredients to make them, brew the potions in broad daylight, and turn up into the hospital wing when one goes wrong looking like a were-cat, and it raises no questions. The assumption is that she was just trying to work ahead and made a mistake, it absolutely wouldn't be that she stole ingredients to knock students unconscious and stick them into a closet so her friends could break into another house's common room while impersonating them. We see the pattern time and time again.

Hermione doesn't openly break rules, so her teachers, her peers even, don't look at her when a rule is broken, and more than that, if something goes wrong in the pursuit of breaking rules, she can bullshit her way out of it with little more than a 'oops, I was just really excited to try something new I learned and it went a little wrong, I'm sorry' and the problem goes away. And that's exactly why she feels confident she can get away with putting Rita in a jar, or stealing books from Dumbledore's office after sixth year, or any number of other things. Because she already has gotten away with things like that, and quite frankly, even if she does get caught, all she has to do is say 'I'm sorry, I was just really interested in some new reading material and didn't think he would mind since it was to help Harry...' and McGonagall will ignore it, or 'She broke the law, look, unregistered animagus! I was just trying to be responsible and help, especially with all the bad things happening around the tournament, you don't think she might have something to do with that, do you?' and everyone will just say 'ah yes, Hermione was just trying to enforce the rules and got a little overzealous, this is why we're going to make you a prefect. Maybe we need to put a little more thought into how we do that next time, okay? In the magical world, we tell an adult these things, instead of just jumping straight to trying to catch the perpetrator ourselves.'.

(I also think this is why Dumbledore is so confident in just saying 'two turns, you can save them both, have fun kids' and knowing she will know what he means. He has a rather similar understanding that appearances will always matter more than actions when it comes to consequences, even if I don't always agree as much with the actions he chooses to use appearances to cover over, and I think he recognizes that in her as well.)

i love how hermione has such a rule following aura that everyone ignores that she is the real rule breaker of the trio. harry sneaks out at night sometimes. hermione straight up kidnapped a whole woman and held her prisoner in an enchanted jar. even tom riddle didn't do that.

[gardenwalrus]

The Beatles speaking about themselves in DISC (12 October 1963) [Paul & John section here]

[GEORGE] Our dress style has changed…  It was when I was relaxing in a Boeing jet on the way back from America last week that I realised that in many ways I was still the same George Harrison I was before The Beatles were so well known. But I also realise that in some ways my life HAS changed - mostly for the better I’m glad to say.  The most obvious change is financial. That’s very nice, but I don’t think it's the most important thing. It’s nice to be able to buy a new car and new clothes when you want them, but I was happy when I couldn’t afford these things.  One big way The Beatles generally have changed is in their style of dress. Eighteen months ago, for instance, we dressed far more casually than we do now. 

I think my social life has changed considerably as well. Now we meet far more people than we ever met before.  I mean, like, when we appear at a one-night stand we’re often invited back after the show to a nearby club. People seem to go out of their way to try and make sure we have a little fun after our work.  A question I’ve been asked quite a few times over the past 12 months is: “What do you think is the right age to get married?”  I honestly think there’s no such thing as ‘the right age.’ I think that you should get married when you decide that this is the time when you should get married. This is a decision which you can only make yourself. There’s no correct age.  In my personal tastes, I’m a bit undecided about clothes, too. I haven’t got any definite preferences. But if something I see pleases me I’ll buy it and wear it whether it’s in the French style, or Italian, or English.  One thing I really do get enthusiastic about is music. As I’ve said before in DISC, I like the coloured American groups like The Shirelles and The Miracles. But I’m fond of a lot of other music - Segovia on classical guitar, for example. 

+

[RINGO] I’m the silent type…  I’m the one the boys call the silent type. Well, I haven’t got all that much to say for myself, and I prefer to listen to other people speaking. My real name is Richard Starkey, but the Ringo bit has been with me for so long, I don’t think of myself as a ‘Richard’ anymore. Of all the Beatles, I live nearest to the city centre - about 10 minutes walk and six bus stops away. It’s not a rich part of town, but my mum has all her friends there and doesn’t want to move out.  Some of my family are just outside London. They sometimes come and visit us, and once a year my dad makes a trek down south.  I want to do things for my family, but they keep telling me to save my money. Eventually I think I’ll open a chain of hairdressing shops in and around Liverpool. I’d like my main shop to be in the centre of the city, and be THE place.  I have enough hairdressing friends to keep the shops well staffed, but feel with a haircut like mine it would be best for me to stay away from them!  I have my hair cut about once every three months! I’m joking of course. I have it trimmed when the mood takes me and have no special barber.  You don’t hear very much about me in the group, because I don’t sing. I had my big and only singing moment on ‘Boys’ for our LP, and really made the most of it.  And, surprisingly enough, although I’m a drummer I don’t have a favourite musician. Well, not a real one. I like to see good showmanship in any artist, and I hope to get a chance of seeing Brook Benton while he’s in England. It’s a stroke of luck he’ll be doing the Palladium show at the same time as us, but I’ll probably be so nervous, I won’t have time to appreciate his act.  I don’t eat very much. If I did, I’d probably have much more energy. As a kid, I was very fond of chips and jam-butty (that’s a jam sandwich), and to this day, I still like it. Even if I enjoyed it, I don’t think I’d ever get used to eating caviar or drinking champagne.  One of my ambitions in life is to learn how to play the piano. I’d willingly take lessons if only I had the time. But my main ambition is to be happy all the time.  Yet I don’t relax very much. I like to be active. Even if I have a chance to go on holiday, instead of sitting in the sun all day I’m off exploring the local neighbourhood. I think I do this because if I didn’t I’d be nothing more than just plain lazy! I very rarely go near a Chinese or Italian restaurant. Don’t like either food, and if anything has onions in it then I’m completely done for.  I’m mad for rings. I wear four, and would wear them on all my fingers if I didn’t think they’d get in the way. Often I get wrist ache from drumming too much, but the only other ailment I suffer from is occasional colds. I’m not as bad as John though. He keeps on losing his voice. Never doing a performance, but usually just after a recording session. 

[miss-vanta-likes-to-write]

I'm thinking about König and his three kids you managed to give him from this post. Two sons and a daughter, and your daughter is the ring leader.

He marries you two days after you tell him you were pregnant with the boys. (It's a cute courthouse wedding and he insist that Kim *Horangi*be the witness to your union.)

You both argue about you working and he expresses how he has enough income for you and all of the little babies he's gonna put into you. He's thinking at least six kids!

You are thinking about pushing out six kids and you tell him "absolutely not Sir."

You both compromised on three (four if your second pregnancy is twins again. You're thankful that it's just the one girl. His babies are grown big, and you now have 3 under two a circus, really)

Your sons names are Lukas and Leon

Your daughter is named Charlotte (But she is called Lottie by her dad)

Speaking of König, I hc that König is his last name, but people really think it's a call sign (lol his first name Mathias)

When he's on deployment or needs to be stationed on base for extended periods, he hires a nanny to help you around the house.

Every night König video calls you and the children, he tells them bed time stories that he remembers his Oma telling him.

When he is home, the kids are glued to him. He can't take two steps without Lukas or Leon following after him. Lottie makes it known that she doesn't acknowledge you. (All three of them are traitors really)

You adore how sweet your husband is with his kids. He's stern when needed and breaks up fights between his boys. He doesn't believe in spanking. (His own father before the bastard left and never came back was abusive he never wants to harm his kids)

His daughter though? He genuinely thinks she can do no wrong!

"My Daddy, my Daddy, My Daddy" to death the second she starts talking. Her first words were "Dada," you were distraught, honestly. But you do love how he treats her. He teaches his sons to treat their sister and you well with respect. Won't even tolerate anything less.

Very much a "She's your mother, but she's my wife" type of Dad.

Out of your 3 kids, it's Lottie that's the ring leader for trouble. Lukas is often trying to descalate her, and Leon encourages and enables. So when they get in trouble it's often König that gives them a stern talking to.

You frowned at your husband. "Mathias, you can't keep telling our kids to just assault people when they are insulted!" Your kids have all been expelled from school over fighting again. "We are not raising hooligans!"

König sighed and smiled sweetly at you "meine geliebte Frau" He presses a kiss to your forehead, "our children will only have each other should something ever happen to us. We aren't raising hooligans. We are raising children who defend themselves and demand respect ja?"

You aren't moved by his sweet but true words. Your body leans into his, enjoying his warmth and tight embrace. "We need a new start. Somewhere the kids won't be called the hellion trio." You pout.

He hums in thought, "Fine, pick somewhere, and we will move there. New start for my wife."

König is not happy you chose England of all places. You have family out in that neck of the woods you tell him. More help with the kids when he's stationed at base or deployed.

Your kids don't mind the move at first but can't stand the weather. Lottie though has suddenly amassed a nice collection of raincoats and rain boots that are all color coordinating.

But that's besides the point. Because not even four months into the new school year, your kids have detention for fighting. But in the end your kids end up being friends with the other two kids named Tommy and Oliver Riley.

You and Mrs. Riley, get along great! You both plan play dates and get togethers for the kids.

A shame that your husbands don't like each other.

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

@zepskies

Karl Urban and Bruce Willis' fight to Back In the Saddle is literally everything to me! It lives rent free forever in my head! But I will forever be disappointed that Karl Urban didn't come back for the second movie 😭

You should watch Knight and Day if you haven't seen it. It's like Red but with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz and it's an action Rom-com.

Also you're spoiling me with all of these wonderful reviews 🥰💗

Ahh the "hear me out" thing is so relatable lmao. But Marlin?! Really?! 🤣🤣

It really is the best thing to do with your friends 🤣 My friend group has a chat where all we do is send photos of our "hear me out" characters lol.

Oh God, you're giving me Vietnam War-level flashbacks to undergrad when I was stuck until 12 am at the library working on essays and shiz. 🫠

I'm sorry, but man it's so relatable. I was up for hours studying for physics tests that I never understood. I hated Physics... I mean I know it's real and that it exists, but I don't need to know why things work the way they do. They work and I believe it, that's it 🤣

GIRL PLSSS. 💀💀💀 Not "daddy gorilla." 🤣

🤣 I had to do it LMAO! I'm ashamed 🫣

Okay, lmfao. I'ma need you to stop calling me out like this. 😂😂

Its funny because I was one million percent calling myself out with this. Girl, you had no idea how many romance novels I read lol, but I love the use of the "You're out of order gif" so much 🤣

But I so love the description of Russell -- he's a man in a sea of man-boys our age, and there's a distinct difference. 😏

Amen 🙌🏻 That's why we like men in their 40's, because they're experienced and they actually know how to treat a woman. 😉

LMFAO. Reading this snippet in context is of course even better. I'm dying but also she would so be me in this situation. 😝

Thank you sweetie 😘 Yeah, I wanted to make her a little bit more realistic and not as confident or practiced lol. She's literally me whenever an attractive man talks to me. 😭

OMG YESSSSS. Lmfao Rain was beautiful! And I love that you referenced one of my favorite movies. 😆😆 Totally agree that Nala had bedroom eyes. And I raise you Robin Hood from the Disney movie! They did NOT have to draw him that sexy.

Dory is a horsegirlie and I will make Russell the cute older brother that had to endure her obsession! But I might have also been thinking about cowboy Dean and your follow up series Outlander. I'm so excited to jump back into that world!

Oh my word Robin Hood is peak disney animation- they had no business making a fox that sexy 🤣. And he was GOOD WITH KIDS and a GOOD PERSON! Robin Hood walked so Nick Wilde could run in Zootopia and that is the hill I will die on!

Miss ma'am!! Don't make me bring out the Out of Order gif again! I had to fan myself when he literally caught her hand. Dear Lord. 🫠 Also, the way I was so shocked and literally laughed out loud at the way she headbutted him. 🤣 Honestly that would probably be me trying to flirt. A+ casting 😂👌🏽 But again, that spice and the way he kissed her melted me like the Wicked Witch of the West. ❤️‍🔥

The man is too smooth 😉 I'm going to be honest the original draft didn't have the headbutt, but then her kissing Russell like that seemed too easy for her and she needed to be more awkward lol. I needed her to embarrass herself and I wanted to suffer from second hand embarrassment lol

"A+ casting" ☠️🤣 LOL

Thank you! Russell is really working her, but he's also making her feel comfortable with her awkwardness lol

lmaooo sage advice! 😂

Kay is the Gandalf of this fic 😂. She's trying to steer the reader in the right direction and support her!

LOL I love her inner monologue. She's so adorkable, but I'm already getting the RED vibes omggg. 🙏🏽

Thank you friend! She is very "adorkable." And yay! I'm glad you're picking up the RED vibes. Of all the Jensen Characters I felt like Russell fit the best for that kind of situation.

It's the little things I love loll. 🤌🏽

Oh goodness thank you! Yeah, Russell protecting her head while she fell is so him and I love him so much for that.

Not me feeling sorry for him right now when she's well within her right to try and beat him with a pink baseball bat. 🤣🤣🤣

She is one million percent within her right to beat him senseless, but I also felt bad for him too. He really isn't a murderer (well... maybe) but he was attacked!

I was smiling so hard while reading the rest of this. I was actually so disappointed to get to the end! This was one helluva meet cute, hun. 💜 The thing about your one-shots is that they feel like the start of a series--of an amazing adventure that's about to start. I know you have probably a million WIPs at this point lol, but this does feel like a RED kind of movie and I would love to see more of these two if you ever feel so inspired. ✨

Yay! I'm happy it made you smile Alex! It really is one crazy meet cute lol

Girl stop, you're making me cry with these compliments 😭💕 I do have about a million WIPS, but I really do love this reader and Russell too. And I would love to continue their story in the future, because I'm obsessed with RED. I might have to watch it again to plot out a series with these two 😉

I Can Explain!

Pairing: Russell Shaw x f!reader, Reader POV

Prompt: "How Do You Know Where I Live?"

Requested by: @vixaaa

Summary:  When you meet a gorgeous green-eyed stranger at a bar and agree to go home with him, everything goes off the rails and you're strapped in for the ride.

Tropes: Awkward Rom-Com? Forced Proximity? Protective Russell.

Word Count: 10.6 K (But You'll Laugh The Whole Time)

Warnings: An Unhinged Game of "Hear Me Out," References to Sex, Sexual innuendo, Little bit of self-deprecating thought (reader), Reader is kinda awkward and clumsy, Gunfire, Weapons, Talk of Murder, Shooting?, Brief Description of Torture, Brief Description of Murder, Terror, Fear, Cursing, Kissing, I think that's everything? I promise this one is a rom-com despite all the warnings. 😅

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is no use of y/n. I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite!

Internal monologue is in italics and is in first person.

Main Masterlist

Prompt Celebration Masterlist

A/N: Hey guys! This is another wonderful prompt request that I got for my prompt celebration from the enchanting @vixaaa! This one is based a little bit on the movies "Knight and Day" and "RED." If you've never seen either of those, go and watch them right now. They are some of my favorites!

P.S: Yes, this is the one I've been writing that has just been making me wheeze/cackle laugh the whole time I wrote it...

“Alright, hear me out… Gil, the angelfish from Finding Nemo. There is no way in hell he was made for kids.” Your friend Liza says wobbling slightly on the plush leather bench seat of the booth before taking a shot of vodka. Her peacock blue No. 2 hair shimmers like a beacon in the dimly lit bar. 

“That’s low hanging fruit.” Kay snorts from your left while leaning heavily into your shoulder, the smell of her vanilla perfume wafting up with the movement. “That scar? The tragic backstory? And voiced by Wilem Defoe? Sign me up.”

You giggle into the shot glass clasped in your hand before you knock it back, face scrunching at the taste and pleasant burn.

The “Hear Me Out” drinking game your two best friends proposed to clear your head from the nuclear level bombing of an exam you just took in your Physics One class, had been successful so far. You couldn’t remember any of the questions from the test that made you scream obscenities into the strawberry shaped pillows on the couch in your living room earlier. Exactly where the two of them had found you when they got back to your shared apartment at the end of the day.

The live music in the crowded bar thrummed through your veins and the shots were giving you just the right amount of buzz to feel more carefree than you had in the past week. The week that you’d spent approximately one million hours studying for the test and trying to memorize all the formulas that looked exactly the same. 

Four times you’d fallen asleep on your computer and had the imprint of the keyboard on your cheek, three times you’d had a mental breakdown and decided to change your major promising yourself that you were sure you could make it doing freelance whatever the fuck sounded good at that moment, and you couldn’t count the number of times that you’d gone to the library to study only to get distracted by whatever else was better than studying for a physics test.

Spoiler alert, there are a lot of things that are.

But you knew you were screwed the second you saw the first question and the rest of them had only been the final nails in the coffin that was the dream of getting an “A” in the class before the semester was over. 

The glimmering sheen of hope at the end of the semester you once had, was ebbing to a dim lantern being swung by a lighthouse keeper in a hurricane, hence the large tray of vodka sitting prettily on the water ringed table in front of you.

You were sure to regret every single shot, but your next exam was two days away and you didn’t want to think about it yet, not when the shadow of the last was poking you in the back with a pencil like someone looking for your final piece of gum.

For a Tuesday night, Duke’s, the bar the three of you frequented so often that the rotating circle of bartenders knew you all by name, was crowded.

There was the familiar glow of the neon signs posted on every wall, a new band performing a set on the small stage in the corner, a collection of screaming girls in the front row of the crowd snapping photos and drooling over the base player, a group of frat guys shouting obscenities at a tv blasting a football game, and a few patrons trying to unwind from a long day while nursing multi colored drinks and sitting sporadically around the crowded bar while the bartender of the hour leaned against the counter and tried to hear orders people shouted over the din. 

You would have been more than happy to spend the evening on the couch eating a greasy pizza and drinking margaritas back at the apartment, but Kay and Liza refused to let you rot on the couch. 

The three of you had been inseparable since freshman year when you’d been assigned as roommates together. Liza was an art major hoping to illustrate book covers one day, Kay was a hardworking pre-med student, and you were… undecided. Physics 1 had been the idea of your advisor, who after a year of trying to get you to declare a major was close to throwing in the towel, you believed that he was using Physics 1 as a form of payback for driving him almost to the point of early retirement. 

“Okay, okay I see you.” Kay giggles, before grabbing a fresh shot. Her long black hair is pulled back from her face with a claw clip, but a few pieces bob around her head with the movement of her head to the music. “And I raise you Kerchak from Tarzan!”

“The daddy gorilla?” Liza asks, leaning into her fiance, Matt, where he lounges back against the faded maroon leather beside her. 

There was a half full glass of beer sitting in front of him, one he’d ordered when he found out what everyone else at your table was drinking. But he’d been a good sport so far despite all of his suggestions to the game being so obvious there was no reason for him to defend his choice and the rest of you mocking him endlessly for it. 

“Sweetie, he could be my daddy any day of the week.” Kay winks and throws back her shot. 

“You’re disgusting.” Liza rolls her eyes, refusing to take a shot to agree with Kay. 

“Hey! What happened to ‘we listen and we don’t judge?’” You interrupt, putting your arm around Kay who holds up a middle finger in answer to Liza’s taunt.

“Where was that when I said Jessica Rabbit two turns ago?” Matt grouses from his side of the table, crossing his large arms over his chest. His blond hair had tumbled out of the bun at the back of his neck to cover the grass stain on the collar of his jersey. He’d come straight from practice when Liza called. 

And then Kay and you had to suffer through the long make out session the two of them had when they reunited as if they’d been separated by war for fifty years and not two hours. They were recently engaged and you loved Matt, which is why you’d let them make out for exactly thirty seconds before Kay and you started making exaggerated gagging noises while they kissed. 

Kay’s boyfriend hadn’t been able to get out of work, but Kay was going to walk to the coffee shop inside the library to pick him up when the tray of shots in the center of the table sat empty. Usually you’d worry about that sort of thing, your friend walking alone on campus at night, but because Kay had the highest tolerance out of all of you, Matt included, and a total badass who welcomed the challenge of anyone who tried to test her, you were willing to let it slide. 

That and the three of you tracked each other’s location with your phones.

“Because Jessica Rabbit isn’t a hear me out! Everyone knows that she’s super sexy!” You argue. “She doesn’t fit the criteria of this game!”

“She’s right babe.” Liza says, squeezing his arm with a sympathetic smile. “But it’s okay. I love that you’re a basic bitch.”

“But she’s animated!” Matt exclaims, obviously confused.

“So? Flynn Ryder is animated and he’s every woman’s dream.” You shrug, picking up a glass to take your turn.

You begin to shuffle through the mental file folder you have on characters who possessed “the energy” that made them so attractive. Truthfully, Kay and Liza had already said most of the ones you were thinking.

“You want to talk about every woman’s dream?” Kay smirks, her eyes flick over to the bar. “Check out green eyes over there. Holy shit, I’d let him rock me like a hurricane all day and all night!” 

“I’ll be sure to tell Sean, your boyfriend of three years-” You begin to say, but Kay pinches your cheeks between her fingers and turns your head so you can see who she’s talking about. 

Oh.

The stranger sitting at the bar is everything she suggested and more. He’s the kind of handsome that didn’t exist outside of the stack of communal romance novels that sat on the bookshelf in your living room and served as the perfect reminder of how single you were. 

The man is taller and broader than any of the so-called boys you went to class with each day, his tight fitting dark t-shirt pulling up over muscular arms that rippled with taunt muscles and were decorated with smoky tattoos curling beneath the ink colored sleeves. His chocolate colored hair is long and pushed back over his head, but a few strands hang forward to frame a well defined jaw covered in a thick dusting of facial hair.

Your throat suddenly gets very tight. 

The man’s gaze is focused on you, the green of his eyes brilliant, crinkled just around the edges with his smile. He winks and your entire face takes on the identity of a strawberry with your flush.

“Holy shit!” Kay nudges you. “You have to go over there.”

“What?” You squeak. “Are you insane? That guy is-”

“The kind of man who would make you forget all about that physics test?” Liza raises an eyebrow.

“The kind of man who would break the laws of physics with you all night long?” Kay adds. “Babe, come on, it's been months for you. Why don’t you go over there and say hi?”

“No way.” You shake your head vehemently, hyperventilating a little bit at the thought of going up to a complete stranger. 

You were not the confident girl in the group that did that. Kay was. It was exactly how she had met her boyfriend Sean three years ago, by using a cheesy pick up line that made him snort so hard he had beer coming out of his nose. Liza wasn’t much better. She’d met Matt in this very bar when her heel broke and she stumbled into where he was sitting with his friends at the bar. 

And the truth was it had been a few months since the last relationship (if you could call it that) fizzled out… and with both of your friends in relationships you often were the awkward fifth wheel. It wasn’t that you didn’t like your friends' boyfriends, Matt and Sean were great and they always did their best to make you feel comfortable whenever you were out with everyone, but you were kinda tired of being the spare tire.

“I don’t think we should be encouraging her to go off somewhere with a random man from a bar that she just met.” Matt says with a frown. 

Matt often held the braincell in your friend group and was the one who was more focused on making sure that everyone was safe. He was the one who followed up with a text whenever someone left to go home, the one who made sure that everyone stayed together when you were out late, and was usually the designated driver. 

“You’re such a hypocrite.” Liza boops Matt on the nose. “You were a random man that I’d never met before. And if I’m not mistaken we met in this very bar.”

“That’s different.” Matt sighs, but he leans towards Liza, the tension dissipating from his shoulders as he looks at her and his frown slips into a smile. 

They were one of those couples that no one ever thought would work. Liza was the carefree art major with no plan in the world and Matt was the All American, blue-eyed, blond haired football player that everyone said was “going to do great things” when in reality all Matt wanted to be was Liza’s husband. He didn’t care about anything else, but making her happy. Hence the giant engagement ring on her finger, the same one that he’d let her design because he knew that was important to her. 

They were everything you wanted in your own relationship. A beautiful merging of crazy (from you) with someone stable and structured, preferably someone with a strong jaw, brilliant green eyes and-

Great, he’s already invaded my subconscious. 

You glance up again to see if the stranger is still looking. He is, but this time his smile is just a little wider, and you watch his eyes drag down the length of your body for a moment appreciatively before flicking back up to yours and catches you doing the same thing. 

You weren’t wearing anything revealing, in fact, you hadn’t bothered dressing up to go out because you didn’t feel like it. You were still wearing the blank sweatpants and oversized sweatshirt combo that you’d worn to your exam. 

When you caught him looking at you, it made you regret you hadn’t worn something more eye-catching.

“Come on, that guy is checking you out! Go over there.” Kay nudges you, jostling the forgotten tequila shot in your hand. 

“He looks like trouble.” Matt says half-heartedly, but he’s too busy staring into Liza’s eyes to really care. Her hands are entwined at the back of his head pulling his forehead down to hers.

When it got to that point of the night, it usually meant that the two of them were about fifteen seconds from calling it an early night and going back to Matt’s apartment. Technically Kay would probably end up there as well because Sean was now Matt’s roommate and that meant you’d have the apartment to yourself…

“How can you tell? Are you looking at his reflection in Liza’s eyes?” Kay takes a shot from the collection of the remaining few in front of her.

“We all know that if Sean was here, you’d already be practicing your scuba breathing.” Liza gently brushes back the few strands of blond hair that hang forward into Matt’s face which only makes him sigh softly and look at her like she’s the last woman on earth. 

You try not to be jealous. 

Kay only rolls her eyes. “Alright, I’m taking initiative.”

“What does that mean?” You begin to ask, but Kay shoves you out of the booth and towards the handsome stranger who hasn’t taken his eyes off of you since your eyes met moments ago. 

“Kay. What the hell?” You turn back to look at her, but she’s already holding up your forgotten shot. 

“Take this and go over there.”

“But-”

“The only butt you should be thinking about is his, in those deliciously tight jeans. You will thank me in the morning.” She refuses to budge. “And then come home and tell me everything the two of you did, because Sean’s about to go visit his family for a week and I will need something to fantasize about.”

You wrinkle your nose in disgust, but then look to Liza hoping for help. Unfortunately she’s too busy counting Matt’s eyelashes to defend you. You look back at Kay who is still holding up the shot, gaze unwavering. 

I can’t believe I’m about to do this. 

You think to yourself with a sigh, before taking the shot, hoping that it will give you some of the confidence you need to talk to the most attractive man you’d ever seen in your life. 

I can do this, I can do this-

The internal monologue repeats itself over and over again with each step as you weave your way through the crowd to make it where the man is sitting, dropping your gaze to the people around you as if you’re more focused on them.

You weren’t, but staring at him while you were walking towards him seemed too predatory, and you could already feel how warm your cheeks were from your flush.

You grip the firm edge of the bar when you make it to him, using it to ground yourself there in the moment before you find the strength to meet his gaze.

There’s a faded green jacket hung over the high backed barstool behind him that you hadn’t noticed before.

Your eyes trace over his body, just a quick glance, but snags on his arms for just a second too long to be casual. They were even more glorious in person, tan and flecked with cinnamon colored freckles hidden beneath twisting tattoos that disappeared into his dark shirt sleeves.

“Hi.” You smile shyly at the man when you meet his gaze.

“Hi.” He rumbles with an easy smile while the green of his eyes flashes in the neon sign hanging behind the bar.

His voice catches you off guard. You weren't expecting it to be so smooth, silk over your skin, but also like the rough drag of the ocean against sand as it pulls it out to sea.

“Hi.” You say again as all other thoughts evaporate from you mind and you fight the urge to facepalm. 

What the hell am I doing over here? I might as well do the walk of shame back to my own table. 

Russell raises an eyebrow, his smile widening. “Hi.” He echoes.

You open your mouth-

“Before you say hi back sweetheart, why don’t you tell me what you’re drinking instead?” He winks making your cheeks warm with their flush.

Honestly, you were expecting him to be turned off by your somewhat awkward introduction, but if you bothered him, he doesn’t show it. He leans towards you curiously, eyes drinking you in. 

You clear your throat while your mind scrambles to come up with something appropriate or sexy to say other than ‘wow you’re pretty.’ You settle on. “Whatever you’re drinking.” 

Smooth real smooth. 

You glance back in the direction of where your friends are sitting as the man’s gaze turns to the bartender so he can order you a drink. Kay makes an obscene gesture with her hand that makes Matt kick her under the table, and Liza gives you an encouraging thumbs up.

Kill me now. 

You turn back to the man lounging against the bar, unaware that he’s watching you again. 

“You seemed like you were having some fun over there. What were you talking about?” He nods his head in the direction of your friends, the motion causing more of his dark hair to fall into his eyes and you fight the urge to push it back from his face and find out if it was as soft as it looked.

“Oh um.” Your mouth goes dry. The last thing you wanted to say to the gorgeous man was that your friends and you were discussing what animated movie characters turned you on. So you blurt out. “The First Law of Thermodynamics.”

It had clawed its way from the dark recesses of your mind where the rest of the test answers had been hiding from you when you tried to summon them earlier. 

“What?” The man laughs while you feel your face begin to blaze. 

“The First Law of Thermodynamics?” You clear your throat. “The theory that energy cannot be created or destroyed."

Where was that when I needed it for the test?

“Huh.” He smirks and takes a long sip from the beer in his hand. “Didn’t think Tarzan had anything to do with that.”

Oh sweet baby potatoes he heard the daddy conversation. Why couldn’t he have heard the Jessica Rabbit conversation instead?

“Ah.” You laugh awkwardly, realizing exactly what he overheard. 

The bartender puts down a bottle of beer in front of you and whirls away to another patron sitting on the opposite side of the bar. The band begins to play a new song, this one louder with more drums than the last one, causing the man to lean closer to you so you can hear him. 

“So.” The smell of the man’s cologne wafts over you. He smells like pine, mint, whiskey, and there’s an odd smell you can’t place, something that smells almost a little bit like smoke.

You ascribe it to cigarettes, but you don’t realize how wrong you are. 

There’s something about him, more than just how attractive he is or how good he smells that draws you in. Maybe you’d just been burned by far too many boys and were blinded by the man sitting in front of you, but he had a roughness and self-sufficient air that you found refreshing. 

He was assertive, sexy, with smoldering green eyes that somehow seemed soft and hard at the same time and filled you with an unholy amount of desire. 

“So?” You parrot, bringing the beer up to your lips, hoping that a sip will take the edge off. 

“Don’t you want to hear mine?” His voice is low and sultry, breath warming the air between the two of your faces. 

You sputter out a cough, choking on the sip you took in surprise, and his eyes widen in concern.The man brings his hand down against your back with a hearty smack to clear out your lungs.

“Are you okay?” 

“Never better.” You choke out, voice a little wheezy. “Wrong pipe.”

This is quickly becoming the most embarrassing moment of my life. 

“Are you sure?” The stranger’s eyes trace over you as if he fears you’ll start asphyxiating at any moment.

“Mhmm.” You clear your throat again. “What were you saying?”

“I asked if you wanted to hear mine.”

You suddenly forget how to breathe, the only thing grounding you to this moment is the hand you placed on the cherry wood of the bar. “Sure.”

“Rain.”

Despite the last few seconds of you feeling so awkward it made you want to sink into the floor like quicksand and the fact that your throat is still burning from when the beer went down the wrong pipe, your mouth quirks up in a smile. “The horse from Spirit?”

“Mhmm.” He smiles a little wider. “My little sister used to watch that movie non-stop, and there was always something about that horse.”

“Huh.” You muse taking another sip of the beer, this time successfully not choking on it. “I didn’t peg you for a horse guy. You seem more like a Nala person.”

“Oh that lion did it for me too.” The man leans closer to you and you can feel your knees getting weak. “She definitely had bedroom eyes.”

“She did!” You laugh at him. “The animators knew what they were doing.”

It was getting easier to talk to him now and you could feel your nerves slowly going out to sea. There’s a comfortable silence that fills the air between the two of you.

“Why did you say the First Law of Thermodynamics earlier?” He asks before taking a sip from his beer. The condensation trickles down the side of the glass to pool against the wood of the bar.

“Because I didn’t want to admit what we were talking about.” You answer honestly. “And I guess it’s still a little fresh in my mind-”

“Why?”

“I had a physics test today. Completely bombed it. That’s why my friends brought me out tonight, they were trying to make me forget it.” You wave a hand dismissively, but it was the first time you’d thought about the test in the past hour and it still stung a little bit. 

You were hoping that by this point of the night it wouldn’t have mattered anymore, but it did. Not to mention you didn’t exactly want to be talking about your most recent failure with a man who looked anything like he did. 

But something about him made you feel comfortable talking to him about things that were not on the pre-approved list of subjects you created when you spoke to people you were attracted to. He didn’t seem to just be some hot stranger in a bar, he seemed like he actually cared, and that he was invested in what you were going to say. 

It made him even more attractive. You weren't used to boys wanting to actually listen to anything you had to say.

“I’m sorry.” His face pulls down into a sympathetic frown. 

“Me too.” You sigh. 

“Maybe you didn’t do as bad as you think you did.”

“Oh I did. When I turned in the test, the professor made a face.” Your thumb rubs against the glass of the cold bottle clutched in your hand. “I studied all week for it and it kinda feels like I wasted all that time.”

The man studies you for a moment. “I think that if you learn something from it, then it’s not a waste. There are no accidents.“

“Are you purposely quoting Master Oogway to make me feel better or is that just a coincidence?” 

“He’s a smart turtle.” He laughs pleased with himself that he made you smile. “But you remembered the First Law of Thermodynamics. And I thought it was a nice pick up line. Might use that sometime.” 

“Shut up.” You laugh and raise your hand to hit him on the shoulder, but he catches it with his.

The contact of the rough palm of his hand in yours makes electricity zing through your body, bringing a wave of heat coursing behind it. 

“That’s not very nice. Keep trying to hit me like that and I might have to take you to court, Sweetheart.” He winks.

“Oh please-” 

“How else am I going to run into you again?”

“Well-” You swallow trying to find the next words, but they’re stuck in the back of your throat. 

I am so out of practice. 

“Well?” He raises an eyebrow in a silent challenge, the end of his perfect mouth teased upwards in a smile. 

“This doesn’t have to be goodbye.”

“What did you have in mind?” The heat of his gaze sends goosebumps dancing over your skin and you swear you can feel your heartbeat in the base of your throat. 

People do this all the time. I can say it. I can-

“Maybe-” You scoot closer to him, summoning some courage from the tequila. “Something like this.” 

Your free hand curls into the front of his shirt to pull the stranger closer for a kiss.

Unfortunately, you pull him just a little too hard, with a little too much enthusiasm, and he falls off the stool with a startled cry in surprise and knocks his head into yours. 

“Ow.” You groan rubbing at the red mark forming on your forehead. “I am so sorry.” 

By now your cheeks are so warm that you could fry an egg on them and you were sure you looked like a giant raspberry. You had never been so clumsy or so embarrassed in your entire life. 

“It’s okay, you just surprised me a bit.” The man says, but he’s peering at the mark on your forehead. “Are you okay?” 

How many times is he going to ask me that tonight? 

“Yeah the only thing that’s hurt is my pride.” You let out an awkward laugh. “I’m just gonna-“ You gesture with your thumb over your shoulder to signify that you’re going to leave. 

The anecdotes that your friends were going to tell from tonight had already begun to manifest in your head:

“Hey, remember that time you tried to flirt with a gorgeous man at the bar and you headbutted him?”

“Hey, remember that handsome stranger? The one you told all about your failed physics test instead of sleeping with him?”

“Wait.” He gently puts his hand on your waist, sending your heart into a gallop. “Can we try that again?”

“Huh?” You blink in surprise.

So far all you’d done was head butt him and tell him your sob story about failing your physics test. 

Worst seduction technique ever. 

“Don’t move.” He smiles. “Don’t want to have to take you to the hospital for a CT if you bump my head again.” 

It would have made you laugh if he wasn’t already kissing you.

It might just be the alcohol talking, or the fact that the last thing you kissed was the strawberry pillows on the couch in the living room last week when Liza, Kay, and you were watching your favorite paranormal tv show and you were imagining the male lead, but this kiss is nothing like any of the others you’d had in the past. 

His mouth devours yours, beard scratching against your cheeks in a way that makes your entire body buzz. The man’s hands tighten your waist to draw you closer, closing the space between your bodies, and all you can feel is the wonderful drag of his fingertips against the end of your sweatshirt, the burn of his beard, the press of his chest onto yours, and the tangle of his tongue as you sink further into him. 

A moan vibrates up through his chest and into your mouth that you echo with a soft sigh, your hands slipping over the taunt muscles before finding purchase against his back, your fingertips curling into the soft fabric of his t-shirt. 

The rest of the bar is rendered to a dull throb of life at the back of your mind, the man in front of you absorbing the rest of your attention as he should. He is nothing like anyone you’d ever met and you wanted to know more. You wanted to see the end of the odd shaped scar just at the base of his throat, trail your fingers over the dark tattoos that decorated his skin while searching for more in places you couldn’t yet see, and sink into the deep green sea of his eyes. 

“Better?” He breathes.

“Much, but if you’re not into that, I also know the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Just to give you something to remember me by.” You mumble against his lips, still slightly embarrassed. Your hands were still curled behind his strong shoulders, fingertips digging into the firm muscles.

“Beside the bruises?” He smirks before he kisses you again, the languid roll of his tongue against yours makes you forget your own name. “I’d very much like to hear it.” The rumble of his words vibrates through where your bodies are pressed against one another. “But first let me get the car and then I’ll let you tell me all about it.” 

He brushes his lips to yours one more time, before he puts cash on the bar, and leaves you breathless as he saunters away towards the front door. 

Holy fucking shit. How did that work?

“Girl Yes!” You hear Kay, before you feel her hands come down on your shoulders to shake you excitedly. “I was a little worried in the middle there for you with that head butt, but yes! That’s how you do it!” Her excited squeal brings you back down to earth from the cloud you were floating on with Russell. 

“Where’d he go?” Liza asks. Matt was holding her from behind, his chin on her shoulder as he slowly rocked her to the music.

“To get the car.” Your cheeks flush at the insinuation. 

“Fuck I am so jealous. The only thing I’m going to get to do tonight is Sean’s back.” Kay gives an exaggerated sigh. “It’s acting up and that means I’m going to have to give him a massage for an hour and not the good kind. It always knocks him out.” 

“Aww babe.” Liza says. 

“It’s okay.” Kay shrugs, but then sends her a saucy wink. “I can do some laundry. His washing machine has this spin cycle that makes me see stars.” 

“I didn’t need to know that you’ve been molesting our washing machine.” Matt closes his eyes as if trying to scrub the image from his mind. 

“It’s money well spent, Mattie.” Kay batts her eyes at him. 

He huffs, but then turns his gaze on you, his blue eyes are filled with concern. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“Yeah.” You shrug, nerves popping and sizzling inside so much that they might as well be giving off enough electricity to power New York City. “I don’t get a creepy vibe from him. I think he’s actually kind of nice.” 

It was true. Your radar was usually on point with things like this, and there was something about Russell that didn’t scream axe murderer. He seemed surprisingly laid back and honest, and you found yourself curious to know more about him. 

Matt doesn’t look convinced.

“It’s okay babe.” Liza says, swaying her and his body to the music. “We have the app on our phones and we all know the safe word.” She continues, referencing the word the three of you designated when everything was okay as well as the other word that meant everything was going terribly wrong. 

You didn’t think that you would need it. 

He sighs. “Fine, but if he tries anything weird-”

“What qualifies as weird for you?” Kay asks, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve always been curious about your kinks.” 

Kay always took pride in getting under Matt’s skin. You never knew why that was, only that it seemed to be her mission to make him crack. He never did. 

“Be safe.” He nods at you before he drags Liza towards the door. 

“Seriously babe.” Kay begins to back away. “Be safe. Because the last thing you want to pass right now is a pregnancy test.” 

“Why are we friends again?” You groan as you follow behind her, weaving through the mass of bodies writhing to the newest song. 

The air outside the bar is cooler, but there’s just a hint of something on the wind. Spring was coming, but it was still far enough away to leave just a light chill in the air. The street in front of Duke’s was populated sporadically with cars of varying shapes and colors, but you couldn’t help but wonder what kind of car the mysterious stranger drove. 

Why didn’t I ask him for his name? 

“Because you’d be lost without me.” Kay laughs at you, but then pulls you into a hug. “Have fun and please try not to think about that stupid test. You’re so smart and I promise that one test is not going to define your entire future. If that were true my first organic chemistry test would have come with a refrigerator box to live in, because that test was literally the stuff of nightmares.” 

She frowns at the memory. It was the first test that she had ever failed in her entire life, and although you were the one who usually obsessed over grades, it was the first time you’d ever seen Kay so disappointed. That was also because her professor had asked her to stop by for office hours and told her that there was no way she’d ever be able to get the grades she needed in his class. 

But a weekend marathon of Sex and the City listening to her mentor Samantha Jones, had brought her back to life and she’d sauntered confidently into the classroom armed with a flat white latte and sat in the front row at every lecture the rest of the semester. 

She’d gotten the highest grade in the class. 

Basically, Kay was your hero, that was the real reason why you were her friend. 

“I’ll try my best. Tell Sean hi for me.” You squeeze her just as tight, before she walks away down the darkened path back to campus where Sean would be waiting for her. 

There was an odd glow over the sidewalks tonight, a yellowed light that crawled along the cracked brick building that housed Duke’s and halted just shy of the opening of the alley that ran between Duke’s and the bank next door. No other people were visible. Even the small crowd that usually leaned against the rustic brick wall outside of the bar smoking was nowhere to be seen. 

It was odd.

You rub your hands down your arms with nervous anticipation. You’d slept with someone from a bar one time before, but one night stands were not your forte at all. The last time it’d happened, you’d gone back with a guy to his apartment only to find out an hour later when his girlfriend got home that he wasn’t single. She hadn’t seemed surprised that you were in bed with him, but you had been when she pulled out a switchblade the size of your hand and began to slash through the neatly arranged collection of plush squish-mallows on the floor while screaming obscenities at the guy.

In hindsight, maybe the squish-mallows were a clue that he was in a relationship. 

But you didn’t have any bad feelings about the man you’d met. He was attractive, witty, nice, funny, and he genuinely seemed concerned about you when you almost choked to death on a sip of beer. 

I will make him forget the entire awkward encounter. 

You promised yourself, but you also began to be a little bit nervous. You didn’t know why it was taking him so long to find the car. 

A bird caws overhead, sweeping low across the buildings, feathers an inky black in the night air, its shadow flickering across the moon. 

Another two minutes pass and you start to get antsy. 

Maybe he just left?

The thought brings a wave of disappointment over you. The stranger was the first person in a long time that you’d felt genuinely attracted to and now you couldn’t help but think that maybe he lied and when he said he was going to get the car, he really was trying to get away from you as fast as possible. 

You take a few steps in the direction that Kay left thinking that you might as well cut your losses and see if you can catch up, but hesitate. 

What if I leave and he comes back? What if-

An odd noise that sounds like a cat hacking up a hairball comes from the alley directly to your right, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the pavement. 

You turn. Most of the alley is obscured in shadows, several large dumpsters jut out from grimy brick walls stained with God knows what, but you don’t see anything out of the ordinary. 

There are some lights fastened to the wall that runs the length of the bar, sending a dingy orange light over the bags of trash, empty flattened cardboard boxes, and plastic cups strewn over the wet ground. 

The door of Duke’s swings open for a moment, bringing the sounds and smells of the bar through the doorway as a woman enters tugging a sullen looking man behind her.

You turn your attention back to the empty alleyway, and catch the low rumble of a voice that sounds oddly familiar. It echoes through the darkness bouncing off the stone, metal, and bags of trash to where you stand at the dimly lit mouth of the alley.

That’s weird. 

Another sound follows the voice, a wet sounding thud that piques your interest. You take a tentative step forward into the darkness.

Wait. Isn’t this how every horror movie starts?

It was a valid question. But then you hear the voice again, it’s louder, vibrating against the brick and mortar, and it pulls your forward. 

Anxiety hums through your body as you inch down the alley, sticking to the well lit side that runs the length of Duke’s.

“Who sent you?” The familiar voice asks.

There’s no answer, and the sound of the cat choking up a hairball comes back. 

Someone needs to get Grizabella a glass of water.

You take another shaky step passing by the first dumpster before you reach the part of the alley that wraps around the back of the bar. 

At first you’re not sure what you see. The part of the alley behind the bar is more of a cramped street with a tire marked dirt path, bathed in awkward light from the moon and from a lazy streetlight that’s only half lit. There’s another dumpster back here, this one a little larger than the others you’d seen along the side of the building, but that isn’t what’s interesting. 

The image comes into focus. 

The stranger from the bar is standing there, his back to you, but he isn’t alone. The stranger has a man pinned to the dumpster, a large knife stabbed into the space between the man’s collarbone and his right shoulder while his other hand is clasped tightly around the man’s neck.

“Who sent you?!” The stranger roars, the knife digging into the man’s shoulder. 

Your entire body freezes in fear.

My radar was so wrong. How could it be this wrong? He was so caring and kind- That’s what they said about Ted Bundy. 

Your gaze drops to what you thought was a garbage bag at the green-eyed stranger's feet, but realize that it’s not a bag, it’s a body.

Holy shit he’s a murderer! Maybe if I just back away slowly-

You take a slow step backwards hoping to edge back into the alley that runs the length of the bar and forget this night ever happened, but instead of your foot finding solid ground, it finds a forgotten potato chip bag. 

The crinkled plastic crunches underfoot, breaking the still silence of the night. You inhale sharply and look up. Your gaze locks with the green-eyed man.

“I didn’t see anything.” You hold up your hands, backing away slowly. “Have a nice night.”

“Wait-”

“Nope.” You turn and flee down the alley hoping that someone is coming out of the bar at the exact moment who can witness the broad stranger chasing after you. His boots thud against the concrete, splashing through water in hot pursuit, contrasting against the plods of your own feet sloshing through puddles and through trash to get back to the light.

Before you make it halfway through the darkness, he grabs your arm and turns you to look at him. 

“Let me go!” You shriek, tugging at his grip, preparing to kick him between his legs, the only place that matters.

“Please wait. I can explain!” 

“You don’t have to explain!” You keep pulling at his arm. “I didn’t see anything! I don’t know who you are. And you know what? I wasn’t even in the bar tonight! I was back in my apartment watching Crime Scene Kitchen!” 

It was the first thing that popped into your head, but if it meant that you got to live, it would be your alibi.

He hesitates confused. “What’s Crime Scene Kitchen?”

“What? You just fucking murdered someone in an alley, you’re about to murder me, and that’s what you’re asking me?” You scream.

“I’m not going to murder you. And I was the one who was attacked!”

“Oh sure!” Fear clamps down hard on your throat squeezing the air coming in through your lungs. Tears begin to burn against your eyes as you try to release his grip. “Somebody help me!” You scream loudly trying to twist away from him and wishing that you’d brought your bottle of pepper spray or that you’d taken the self-defense class last summer with Kay or at least paid more attention to that scene in Miss Congeniality.

How could I have been so stupid? He’s going to kill me here and I’ll never know what that physics test did to my GPA. 

You frown slightly at that thought. It really is weird what goes through your head when you think you’re going to die. 

“Please, let me explain.” He says again, eyes wide and filled with an emotion that looks surprisingly like regret.

His dark hair has fallen forward over his cheeks that are flecked with blood, but the lights that line the wall of the dark alley perfectly frame his face. He looked like a model for a beer commercial or one that they’d roughed up a little for those weird perfume commercials you saw that never made any sense, but were always intriguing. 

Why are all the hot ones crazy? Why couldn’t he have just been a bad kisser? Or maybe a little too loud? Why is his flaw that he freaking MURDERS people? 

As you think that, there is a little voice inside your head that asks: Could I be okay with that? 

NO! OF COURSE NOT!

“There’s nothing to explain! You’re a murderer! You just killed those people!” You aim a kick at his crotch, but the man only catches your ankle with his large hand. You could feel the warmth of his skin through your sweatpants, the sensation that brought warm tingles through your body when you were in the bar, only sends a wave of fear crashing over you.

“Yes I did, but for a good reason!”

“Really? What reason was that!?”

“They were trying to kill me!”

“I don’t believe you!”

“I-”

Before he can finish his sentence, gunfire explodes over your head. Sparks fly as bullets crash into the dumpsters and rip through the night air around where you and the man are standing.

There’s a large black suburban parked in the street that runs behind Duke’s where you’re found the stranger with the body. Three men stand in front of it all in dark clothing and each one is  holding a pistol pointed directly at where you’re standing. 

“Holy shit!” You scream, but the stranger tackles you back behind the large rusting green dumpster that juts out and gives you cover from the blaze of bullets.

His body lays over yours, curving protectively around you, and his arm is behind you head so when you hit the ground, your head doesn’t. The impact of the cold, wet, concrete beneath your body jostles through your system, but you can’t focus on it too much, not when the man’s entire body is laying on top of yours and it feels as if he was made especially for you. 

He lays in the cradle of your thighs, wonderfully broad and hard, the muscles of his body contrasting to the soft curves of your body underneath your clothes. It left very little to the imagination, well… not little. 

It’s enough to make a girl forget that he’s a murderer… No, what am I saying!!

You shove him off of you and cower back behind the dumpster, the sound of gunfire filling your ears and making you realize exactly what you smelled on the man earlier that you thought was smoke. 

“Baby-” He says reaching out to comfort you.

“Don’t touch me! I’m not your baby!” You swat his hands away from you pressing yourself back into the wet wall of the alley. 

The smell of mold and trash was rising all around you in an unholy mist. The wet ground soaked into the soft fabric of your pants and left stains that you didn’t want to think about what they were. 

“Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit-” It comes out like a sickening mantra as you rock back and forth, hands on your ears to make the sound of the gunfire stop.

I’m going to die here. In this dismal back alley. In front of this gorgeous murder. If I had know that I wouldn’t have spent so much of this week studying for a mother-fucking physics test!

“Sweetheart!” The man shouts to catch your attention, but you don’t look at him. 

“What in the devil’s ass is happening?!” You shriek.

“Listen to me!” He shouts louder over the sound of gunfire and takes your cheeks in his rough palms to make him look at him. His green eyes are brilliant in the light, but filled with a determined fire that makes you suddenly feel very safe despite watching him kill someone and the active gunfire bouncing all around you. 

You wanted to trust him, but you also didn’t want to be on the news or used as a cautionary tale for mothers to guilt their daughters with. 

“I promise that nothing is going to happen to you.”

“How can you guarantee that?!”

“Because I don’t break my promises.” The determined grit in his eyes hardens as they sweep over your face. “I will explain what’s going on. But first I have to go talk to them.” He releases your face, but hesitates. 

The man wasn’t bothering to duck and cover, in fact each time a bullet ricocheted off the side of the dumpster he didn’t even flinch, meanwhile the sour taste of bile was rising into your mouth and you were sure that you were going to throw up. Panic was setting in, and your heart rate was getting dangerously high as anxiety and fear flickered along your nerve endings. 

Oh my sweet goodness he’s mentally unstable.

“Actually.” He sighs and flashes an awkward smile. “I don't want to lie to you. I’m going to go kill them. Don’t move.” He reaches into the waistband at the back of his worn jeans and pulls out a gun. 

Has he had that this whole time? HOW did I not feel it? 

“Wait what? Don’t go out there!” Your fingers fist in the front of his jacket, the fear of him leaving you more than the fear of him murdering you. At this point it was either be killed by the beautiful stranger or killed by the other guys, and being killed by the other guys meant that you’d have to meet someone new and look where that had gotten you tonight. 

“They’re not exactly going to leave on their own.” He cracks a smile despite the situation. “But promise me you’re not going to move.” His smile turns into a concerned frown, eyebrows furrowing together as his eyes settle on you once more, steely and unyielding. 

“I promise.” Your voice comes out shaky and not at all what you sound like. Truthfully you were surprised that you got anything to come out of your mouth that wasn't vomit.

He nods once. 

When he leaves, you wait exactly three seconds, counting each of them out in your head before you take off in a dead run for the front door of Duke’s bar and into the safety of the street beyond without looking back while hoping that all of this has just been a bad dream. 

Coming back to the apartment feels surreal, crossing through the living room like a Salvador Dali painting, and finally closing your bedroom door and locking it is like a mirage. 

You weren’t sure how you made it back here, only that you did, and that was all that mattered.

Kay and Liza weren’t home, predictably, but you would have tried to call both of them if you hadn’t dropped your phone in the cluster fuck that was everything that happened an hour ago. Because on top of everything now you didn’t have any way to contact your friends and let them know that you’re alive and okay.  

Your body was still buzzing with the anxiety of everything that happened, mind going a mile a minute the longer you allowed it to bathe in the memories of being shot at and watching the stranger kill those men. 

The stranger that somehow was able to trick your radar.

I just need to breathe, relax, and- 

You turn around towards your bed expecting to go to sleep and forget all of it, but the thought stutters to a halt as you realize you’re not alone. The green-eyed stranger is standing there in the center of your bedroom. He is holding a bundle of your clothes in one hand and your empty school backpack in the other. 

“What the fuck?!” You scream and reach for the Strawberry Shortcake bat your dad bought you when you moved out, hefting it high on your shoulder preparing to swing. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He raises an eyebrow at your awkward stance. “Why are you holding a bright pink baseball bat?”

“All the better beat the shit out of rapists who break into my apartment in the middle of the night!”

“What happened to murderer?” The end of his lips lift up in a smile too perfect to be real. He almost seems to be enjoying this, like he thinks you’re being cute and not accusing him of something terrible. 

“That too!”

He laughs at you, but then his smile slips into a frown.“Why did you break your promise?” You don't understand why he looks like a kicked puppy at the thought that you broke your promise. 

Of course I didn’t keep it! I was running for my life to get out of the way of the millions of bullets pointed at my head!

“What?”

“You promised that you would stay there and you didn’t. You could have been killed.” Worry flashes in his gaze, and your eyes drop to the flecks of blood on the outside of his jacket that remind you of everything this man had done tonight.

“Oh, well excuse me for breaking a promise I made to a murderer!” 

“I’m not a murderer.” 

“If the boot fits!” You snap back. “You showing up in my bedroom certainly seems plenty murdery. That and you going through my underwear drawer for a little souvenir.” Your eyes narrow in suspicion. 

“A souvenir?” The man laughs at you again, his shoulders shaking. He’s still wearing the same clothes he was in the alley, and again you’re momentarily stunned by how attractive he is.

“Why else would you be going through my drawers? And how do you know where I live!?”

“That��s not important right now.” The man shoves the bundle of your clothes into your backpack before moving back to the chest of drawers in the corner of your bedroom for another handful.

“What the fuck do you mean that’s not important right now? And what the hell are you doing?”

“I’m packing you a bag.”

“What? Why? So it’ll look like I ran away?!”

Oh holy fuck he’s still going to kill me!

You swing the bat as hard as you can, but the man raises the backpack to block your attack. 

“Calm down Derek Jeter! I’m not going to murder you, please stop saying that.”

“Why?”

He frowns and shrugs his shoulders. “Because it’s hurting my feelings a little bit.” 

“Hurting your-” You shake your head in disbelief. “Look, I have no idea who the fuck you are or why you broke into my apartment but-”

“Hi. I’m Russell.” The man now identified as ‘Russell’ holds out his hand to try and shake yours. 

That’s obviously a fake name. 

You stare at him blankly. “Are you insane?”

“No, I just told you, I’m  Russell. And we have to go.” He retracts his hand and begins to shove clothes into your backpack again.

“I’m not going anywhere with you, crazy! I have class in the morning and an exam in two days!” You heft the baseball bat higher on your shoulder as a silent threat.

Judging by the way he blocked your attack so easily a few moments ago, you didn’t have high hopes. But you did think that if you screamed loud enough your elderly neighbor, aptly named Willy due to the many, many times he’d flashed Kay, Liza, and you “accidentally,” would come over at least to see if you had any extra magazines to take back to his hoarder apartment that was stacked floor to ceiling with yellowed newspapers long out of print. 

Russell sighs, and looks from the bat to you, shoulders relaxing a millimeter, but there’s still something determined in his gaze. “I understand that you’re scared, but those guys, they saw you with me.”

“So?”

“So if I leave you here with no protection, they’re going to come here and take you.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Yes I do!” He replies, the edge of his voice is tinged with anger and frustration. 

“How?”

“Look!” Russell holds up a battered phone. Displayed on the cracked screen is a message thread of texts to an unknown number. Russell clicks on one of the pictures that was sent an hour ago, about the time the two of you met.

As it grows larger on the screen you recognize the two people in it. It’s a picture of Russell and you kissing at the bar. Your eyes are closed, hands curved over his shoulders possessively, while you smile into his mouth.

The memory of the kiss sends a warm tingle down your spine as you remember how good the kiss was. It was definitely in the top ten, hell, it was number one. 

Don’t be seduced by his charm and good looks! You saw him kill someone tonight! Not to mention he probably killed those other guys that were shooting at you.

Russell swipes his finger over the screen again, this time the picture is of him and you talking, your face on full display. You’re laughing at something Russell said with your right hand resting on the cool bottle of beer you never finished. Honestly, if anyone was seeing those photos for the first time it would look like Russell and you were together. 

“You took pictures of me!?” You shout. “You’re a fucking freak!” 

“Sweetheart, listen to me-”

“I’m not your Sweetheart. You’re just some random murder that I met at a bar!”

The things that I’ve said tonight for the first time could be an SNL skit. Why me?

“For the last time, I am not a murder! And I didn’t take those photos. The men who were after me did.”

“So? Why would they care about some random girl?”

“Because they don’t know you’re some random girl I met! They think that you’re important to me and until I figure out who they sent these pictures to, you’re not safe.”

“Can’t you text them and say that you just met me tonight? That it’s a pure coincidence?! That I’m not important to you.” You point at the cracked phone, waving your free hand frantically at it.

Russell laughs at your question. “Are you kidding? Do you think they’re going to believe me?”

“I don’t know! And how would they know where I live?”

“The same way I knew how.”

That is a good point. How did he know where I lived?

You hesitate, gaze flicking over where Russell stands with your backpack in his hand, but another idea begins to wiggle from the depths of your mind. “Wait. Is this some kind of kinky thing you do? Some fetish? Pretending to be a spy or that people are after you just to get yourself all hot and bothered?”

“What?” Now it’s Russell’s turn to look at you like you’re crazy. 

You take that as confirmation. “It is! Holy fuck, that is so messed up.”

Wow forget murderer, he’s an actual psychopath. Why the hell did I drop my phone?

Kay and Liza weren’t going to be back tonight. Especially not if they think that you took “Russell,” if that really is his name, back to the apartment. You had no other way of contacting them, except with your laptop that was sitting closed on your bed behind where Russell was standing. 

“Wait a minute. I’m not a spy.”

“Exactly, that’s the point! You’re pretending to make me-”

“No, I’m not. I promise all of this is real!” Russell sighs frustrated. “I know that you don’t want to believe me, but it isn’t safe here. And I can protect you!”

“That’s exactly what you would say to kidnap me!”

“Sweetheart. I am not going to kidnap you, I’m trying to keep you safe. I mean, if I have to kidnap you I will-”

Your eyes widen and you heft the bat high on your shoulder prepared to swing.

“Sorry, that was a bad joke.” He holds up his hands in surrender, flashing an apologetic smile. “What would it take to make you believe me?”

It was the question that you had been contemplating since he’d protected you in the alley. You knew nothing about him, didn’t know what he did for a living, and you’d only just learned his name. But despite everything that happened there was a little part of yourself that wanted to believe him. You wanted to believe everything he was telling you, well, not the part about you being in danger and the idea that people now wanted to kill you, but the part about being able to trust him. 

You think about the way he made you feel at the bar, when he listened to you complain about your physics test and made you laugh. You’d trusted him then, enough to go home with him or at least, try to go home with him. 

“I don’t know.” The bat slips a little bit from your shoulder with your honesty. “Do you have any character references?”

Russell cracks a smile. “Isn’t it a little early for you to ask me about my old girlfriends? Don’t think any of them would be willing to say anything good about me either.”

This time you can feel a little smile begin to tug at the end of your lips, one that Russell notices. 

“I know that you’re scared.” He takes a tentative step forward. “But I promise that I will explain everything to you, answer all your questions, but all I know is that you’re not safe here. And I can’t in good conscience leave, if I know you’re in danger.”

The look in his eyes had the determined fire you’d seen many times tonight, but there was something honest about it. They saw through you, and even though you had spent most of the night terrified and believed him to be a murderer, you didn’t think that someone like that would be so determined for you to go with him. 

It felt like two parts of your head were at war. You wanted to trust Russell, you didn’t think he was lying to you, but you had seen him kill those men. And there was an unfortunate part of you that worried he made all of this up to kidnap you. 

But I think if he meant to do that… he would have jumped me the minute I walked into my bedroom, he wouldn’t have said “hi.”

“I know this whole thing sounds crazy. But the last thing I want is for you to die because of something stupid I did. Please.”

You bite the inside of your cheek thinking about Kay and Liza. “If I leave, what about my roommates? They live here too.” 

He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not going to sugar coat it Sweetheart, there’s always a chance that they’ll be hurt, but with you gone, there’s also a chance that these guys will focus more on finding me.”

“So basically you can’t guarantee their safety?”

“No.” He drops his gaze for a moment, but then he looks at you again. “But I can guarantee yours and I don’t want to take the chance with your life. And my brother is smart, maybe he can figure out a way to keep them safe too.”

You stand there for a moment contemplating what he’s saying, the memories of everything that happened tonight rising up in an unrelenting wave, not just cowering behind the dumpster, but the kiss the two of you shared, and the way he made you laugh.

I want to trust him. I don’t think he’s lying, I don’t think he’s going to hurt me. You think to yourself, and then the inevitable thought comes. I feel safe with him. 

“Do you promise that your name is Russell and that you’re telling me the truth?” You ask one more time to make sure.

“Yes.”

So you take a chance and hope to God that you’re not wrong. 

“Okay.” You nod, lowering the bat entirely. “I’ll go with you.”

He sighs in relief. “Good.” Russell holds out the backpack towards you. “You should probably pack this. If I had my way, there won’t be much in here besides underwear.”

“You’re such a guy.” You roll your eyes and take the backpack from him, but you can't help the smile that curls on the end of your mouth.

Russell returns it, pleased with himself that he'd gotten you to smile again. “That's better than you accusing me of being a murderer.”

“Jury’s still out on that one.” 

“But you have to admit… this did make you forget your physics test right?”

He's not wrong... but you don’t think that this is better.

A/N: I had so much fun with this one. I hope y'all laughed as much as I did 😂

Thank you so much for reading! Likes, Reblogs, and Comments are not required, but are always appreciated! I love hearing what y'all think! 😊 If you'd liked to be added to my taglist please let me know!

Taglist:

@roseblue373 @livya99 @mrsjenniferwinchester @zepskies @louisanalady

@yvonneeeee @kr804573 @waynes-multiverse

[maddie0101]

𖠰 weathering the storm

𖠰 paring: bellamy blake x fem!reader

𖠰 summary: sent on a rescue mission, bellamy and the reader are stranded and when acid rain hits, it forces them into the rover. as the storm rages outside, another brews between them. one they can’t outrun, no matter how hard they try.

𖠰 warnings: smut!! (mdni), set in s4, sexual tension, best friends to lovers, y/n Kane, teasing, p in v, fingering, idiots in love, rover sex, acid rain, dirty talk, bell’s been a simp for the reader since day 1, wrap it b4 you tap it bc they don’t.

𖠰 word count: 5k

The rover rumbled over the uneven terrain, bouncing with every dip in the road. The forest stretched endlessly on either side, thick with towering trees that blocked most of the sunlight. What little light broke through flickered across the dashboard, painting shifting patterns across the cracked leather. The air was dense with the scent of damp earth and pine, and despite the tension of being on patrol, there was something almost peaceful about the steady hum of the engine and the rhythmic movement of the vehicle.

At least, it would have been peaceful—if not for Bellamy. “You ever gonna take your feet off my dash, or is this just how it’s gonna be now?” he asked, casting a sidelong glance at you.

You smirked, not even bothering to move your boot from where it was comfortably propped up. “I dunno. I kinda like it here.”

Bellamy huffed a laugh. “Of course you do. Just like you like ignoring the actual purpose of patrol and letting me do all the work.”

“I’m scanning the trees, aren’t I?” You gestured toward the dense forest outside. “I don’t see you keeping an eye out for grounders or rogue scavengers.”

“I’m driving,” he pointed out.

You hummed. “So, I guess that means I should be the one making sure we don’t run into anything.”

Bellamy snorted. “If we get ambushed, you’re the first one I’m throwing out as bait.”

You placed a dramatic hand over your chest. “Wow. That’s so touching. And here I thought we were best friends.”

Bellamy smirked, shaking his head. “Best friends who get each other killed, apparently.”

You chuckled, settling deeper into your seat. Moments like these weren’t uncommon between you and Bellamy. Ever since the drop ship had landed on Earth, you’d gone from barely tolerating each other to being inseparable. At first, you’d clashed. His reckless leadership, your stubborn defiance, both of you constantly butting heads. But somewhere along the way, arguments had turned into mutual respect. Respect had turned into friendship. And now…

Now, you weren’t entirely sure what it was.

Because there were moments like now—where his smirks lingered just a second too long, where his teasing carried an edge of something softer. Moments where his presence felt too comfortable, too familiar. Moments where you had to remind yourself that he was your best friend, nothing more.

Even if sometimes, it felt like he could be. But before you could dwell on it, static crackled through the radio.

Bellamy sighed, reaching for the receiver. “Go ahead.”

“This is Kane,” your father’s voice came through, sharp and clear. “We need you two to divert from your patrol.”

You straightened, instantly on alert.

Bellamy exchanged a glance with you before responding, “What’s going on?”

“One of the kids from the hundred, Talia—went out on a supply run this morning. She hasn’t reported back.”

Your stomach tightened. Talia. She was one of the original delinquents. The ones who had landed with you, Bellamy, and Clarke. The ones you had sworn to protect.

Bellamy sat up a little straighter, all humor from before fading. “How long has she been missing?”

“Long enough,” Kane said. “Her last radio check-in was hours ago. We need you to find her before nightfall.”

You didn’t hesitate. “We’re on it.”

The radio cut out and Bellamy was already turning the rover around. His grip on the wheel was tight, his expression set in stone. You could see it—the weight settling over him, the same way it always did when it came to your people.

“We’ll find her,” you said, quieter now.

Bellamy nodded once, jaw clenched. “Yeah. We have to.”

The journey toward Talia’s last known location wasn’t easy. The roads were rough, the ground still damp from the last storm. The rover jolted with every deep groove in the earth, and navigating the terrain was like playing a dangerous game of chance. You had just started to think you might actually make it without issue when the wheels suddenly spun out.

The rover lurched forward before sinking deep into the mud with a sickening squelch. The engine growled as Bellamy tried to gun the throttle, but the tires only spun, flinging wet earth into the air.

“Shit,” Bellamy muttered, gripping the wheel tighter. He tried again. Nothing.

You exhaled, already unbuckling your seatbelt. “Tell me we’re not stuck.”

Bellamy muttered another curse before shutting off the engine. “We’re stuck.”

You pushed open the door, immediately sinking up to your ankles in the mud. “Great.”

Bellamy got out of the rover, boots squelching in the thick sludge and came over to your side. He ran a hand through his hair, glancing at the tires. The rover was buried deep, way too deep to just drive out of.

“We’re gonna have to dig it out,” you said.

Bellamy let out a sharp breath. “Yeah. Because that’s totally gonna work.”

You shot him a look. “You got a better idea?”

He hesitated, rubbing his forehead. He was stressed, and you could tell. His shoulders were tense and his jaw was set. You knew that look. He was already thinking about how they were wasting time. How every second spent here was a second Talia could be in danger.

“Hey,” you said, softer now. “We’ll get it out.”

Bellamy exhaled, nodding. “I know. Just—let’s hurry.”

You grabbed a branch, hoping to use it as a makeshift shovel, and started working at the mud around the tires. Bellamy did the same, his hands digging into the thick, wet earth.

But then the first drop fell. It landed on the back of your hand and a sharp, burning pain followed immediately. You hissed at the pain but before you could react, Bellamy hissed from beside you.

You quickly lifted your gaze up to the sky, but as you did it seemed like the sky opened up. Within seconds that one tiny drop of rain turned into thousands, all sending sharp burning sensations wherever the rain hit your body. The pain was instant and agonizing. You'd never felt something like this before.

“Acid rain—” Bellamy’s voice barely cut through the the storm.You barely sucked in a breath before Bellamy grabbed your wrist, yanking you toward the rover. “Go! Go!” His voice was sharp, urgent, but the pain was worse. Your clothes were already smoking, the rain eating through the fabric like it was nothing. The rover was just a few feet away, but every step was agony. Your boots sunk into the mud, legs straining as the downpour pummeled your body. Bellamy reached the door first, swinging it open before practically shoving you inside.

You barely got into the back before he was scrambling in after you, slamming the door shut behind him. For a moment, there was only the sound of your ragged breathing, the storm raging outside. But the burning was agonizing.

“Shit.” Bellamy’s voice was tight, hoarse, his hands already yanking at his soaked jacket. “Get it off—now!”

You didn’t need to be told twice. Your jacket hit the floor in an instant, but it wasn’t enough. The acid had already soaked through, searing into your skin. Your hands trembled as you fumbled with your shirt, trying to tear it off as quickly as possible.

Across from you, Bellamy was doing the same—his fingers clawing at his shirt, desperate to rid himself of the burning fabric. His skin was red, raw, and he winced as he ripped the material over his head.

You weren’t fast enough. Your shirt was sticking to your skin, the acid making it cling. You hissed in pain as you struggled to pull it over your head, heart pounding.

Bellamy barely hesitated. “Here.” His hands were suddenly there, fingers brushing yours, helping tug the fabric over your arms. The second it was off, you sucked in a sharp breath, blinking through the sting.

But it wasn’t enough. The pain was still crawling across your body, and your pants—

“Off—get them off,” Bellamy ordered, already working at his own belt.

You weren’t thinking, just moving. Doing anything possible to get the burning sensation to go away. Your fingers fumbled at the button of your pants, struggling with the wet fabric, legs shaking as you pushed them down. Your boots were still on, but you barely registered the difficulty as you kicked them off, peeling away the last of the soaked material.

Bellamy was just as frantic, shoving his jeans down, breath coming in sharp, pained bursts. His skin was littered with burns, deep red patches where the acid had already started eating through.

The air inside the rover was thick and hot despite the chill outside. You were both half-undressed, bare skin stinging, breaths coming too fast.

Water. Your hands scrambled for your canteen, popping the cap off with shaking fingers before tilting it over your arms, letting the water wash over your burns. You barely registered the way Bellamy did the same, tipping his flask over his chest, water dripping down his skin, mixing with the remnants of acid.

For a long moment, there was nothing but heavy breathing and the storm howling outside.

Bellamy exhaled sharply, leaning back against the seat, chest still rising and falling rapidly. He ran a hand through his soaked curls, muttering something under his breath before finally glancing at you. His eyes trace the curve of your jaw, the way a stray lock of hair clings to your damp skin and he swallows hard, his gaze traveling lower to your chest. Shaking out of whatever trance he's in, he quickly looks away with his jaw set tight.

“Well,” he rasped, voice rough. “That was fun.”

You huffed a breathless laugh, weak but there. “Yeah. Let’s do it again sometime.”

Bellamy let out something between a chuckle and a groan, rubbing a hand down his face. He shifted slightly, and you caught the way his muscles tensed—probably still feeling the sting of the burns. You weren’t much better. Still feeling the uncomfortable tingles shooting through your body.

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. Just sat there, bodies humming with adrenaline, skin still damp from rain and water. The tension was thick but not just from what had happened, but from the way you had just stripped in front of each other, so frantic for relief that nothing else had mattered.

Your pulse pounded in your ears as your eyes flickered to Bellamy, still catching his breath across from you. His skin was still damp water clinging to him that traced the defined lines of his abs. For a second you just watched the way his chest rose and fell but noticed the burns that stood out on his tanned skin.

It wasn't until your gaze trailed back up that you realized he was watching you. Dark eyes locked onto yours with an intensity that made your breath hitch. Heat instantly crept up your neck, and you ripped your gaze away, praying he couldn't see the way your cheeks tinted pink.

You exhaled slowly, pressing your back against the cold metal of the rover, your damp skin still tingling from the burns. The air inside was thick and humid from the steam rising off your bodies, the leftover sting of the acid rain making every breath feel weighted.

Across from you, Bellamy shifted, leaning forward to grab the radio. His shoulders were tense, jaw set as he twisted the dial, static crackling through the speaker. His fingers tightened around the radio before he tried again. “Arkadia, do you read me?”

The only response was more static. Bellamy sighed through his nose, setting the radio down with a little too much force. “Perfect.”

“Nothing?” you asked, even though you already knew the answer.

Bellamy shook his head, scrubbing a hand through his damp curls before leaning back against his seat. “Signal’s dead. Either the storm’s messing with it, or we’re too far out.”

You glanced out the window. The rain still came down in thick sheets, obscuring the trees beyond the windshield. You couldn’t see much, but you knew that you weren't getting out of there anytime soon.

“So, we’re stuck.”

Bellamy’s lips pressed into a tight line. “Yeah.”

You exhaled, tilting your head back against the seat. “Great. Love that for us.”

“You did say you wanted to get out of Arkadia.”

Your head snapped toward him, brow lifting. “Oh, really? That’s the angle you’re taking?”

Bellamy smirked, but it was faint, exhaustion weighing down his features. “Hey, I’m just saying—you got your wish.”

“Right. Because sitting in a half-broken rover, practically naked, covered in burns is exactly what I had in mind.”

“Could be worse.”

“Oh?” You shot him a look. “Enlighten me.”

Bellamy shrugged. “Could’ve been a grounder attack.”

You rolled your eyes. “Fantastic. I’ll be sure to count my blessings.”

Despite everything, Bellamy chuckled—a quiet, tired sound that sent a strange warmth through your chest.

Silence settled between you again, heavier this time. Neither of you mentioned the fact that you were still sitting there, half-undressed, bare skin marked with fresh burns. The only warmth in the rover was the heat radiating off your own bodies, but that didn’t help much when the damp air still clung to you.

You rubbed at your arms, trying to chase away the chill creeping over your skin. The acid rain had burned, but now that the immediate pain was dulling, the cold was seeping in fast.

But Bellamy noticed. “Come here.”

Your breath caught slightly at the sudden shift in his tone, still rough, still Bellamy, but softer.

You hesitated, but only for a second before you sighed, pushing off your seat and scooting closer. Bellamy met you halfway, slinging an arm around your shoulders and pulling you in. His skin was still warm, muscles tense beneath the burns, but the heat was comforting.

You exhaled, letting yourself lean against him, your cheek resting against his shoulder. “This is the worst patrol ever.”

Bellamy huffed out a laugh. “Yeah. Definitely not my favorite.”

You turned your head slightly, just enough to look at him. A small smirk tugged at your lips before a quiet sigh escaped you. “How long do you think the rain will last?”

His fingers traced absent patterns against your arm, his voice lower when he answered. “No way to know. Could be hours.”

You groaned. “Fantastic.”

Bellamy didn’t respond right away. His hand stilled against your skin, his thumb brushing over one of the raw patches left by the rain. You inhaled sharply at the sensation, not from pain, but from something else entirely. Something you really didn’t want to name.

Your eyes flickered to his, only to find that Bellamy was already watching you, his expression unreadable in the dim light of the rover.

The space between you had already been small, but now it felt thicker, charged with something you had spent too long ignoring. His gaze dropped, just for a second to your lips, before flicking back up.

You swallowed.

Bellamy’s fingers twitched against your skin, like he wanted to move, to do something, to close the already small space between you. But as the storm raged on outside, the relentless drumming of the acid rain against the rover’s roof the only sound filling the silence between you. Everything still burned, the raw patches of skin tingling from where the acid had touched.

You exhaled, shifting slightly beside him. “You okay?”

Bellamy let out a breath, glancing down at you. “Yeah. You?”

You nodded. “Still breathing.”

A small smirk tugged at his lips, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He leaned his head back against the rover, staring at the ceiling. “I can’t believe we’re here,” he muttered after a moment.

You turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”

He let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “Just… all of this. You and me. Trapped in a damn rover, half-naked, cuddling, soaked, waiting for acid rain to stop falling from the sky.” He glanced at you, something unreadable flickering in his gaze. “It’s a hell of a long way from where we started.”

You softened, understanding settling over you. “Yeah,” you murmured. “It is.”

Bellamy huffed. “I mean, we hated each other when we landed.”

You couldn’t help but smirk. “I wouldn’t say hated.”

He gave you a pointed look. “Oh, come on. You couldn’t stand me.”

You chuckled, shrugging. “Yeah, well. You were an arrogant ass.”

His mouth twitched, but he nodded. “Fair. But you weren’t exactly easy to deal with either.”

You raised a brow. “You mean when I was trying to keep everyone alive while you were busy playing King of the Delinquents?”

Bellamy groaned. “Okay, fine, I made some bad calls.”

You nudged him with your knee. “Some?”

He let out a breathy laugh. “Alright, a lot.” He shook his head, eyes flickering back to yours. “But then… I don’t know. Somewhere along the way, we figured it out. Became friends.”

“Best friends,” you corrected softly.

Bellamy’s gaze lingered on you, something warm settling in his expression. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Best friends.”

Silence stretched between you, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was full of something else—something you both felt but never said. You swallowed, glancing down at your hands. “Crazy how things change, huh?”

Bellamy tilted his head, studying you. “Yeah.” His voice was quieter now, more careful. “Crazy.”

For a moment, neither of you moved. The rain outside continued to fall, trapping you here in this moment—one you weren’t sure you were ready to leave. A sudden shiver ran down your spine before you could stop it. The cold air inside the rover clung to your damp skin, making you tense. Before you could even think about shifting closer to Bellamy, he beat you to it. His arm tightened around you, pulling you flush against him. His warmth wrapped around you instantly, his bare skin pressed firmly against yours. You let out a small breath, tilting your head slightly against his shoulder as he murmured, “You’re freezing.”

You almost laughed at that. “Kinda hard not to be.”

Bellamy huffed, his chest rising against yours. “Come here,” he said, his voice softer now, rougher somehow, like the way he spoke when he was trying not to feel too much. You didn’t fight it, didn't even hesitate. You let yourself sink into him, your fingers lightly resting against his ribs as you exhaled.

But when you finally looked up at him, everything changed. His dark gaze was already on you, and for a second, neither of you moved. Neither of you spoke. Bellamy’s grip on you tightened, his fingers pressing into your skin like he was trying to ground himself. His expression shifted, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. His brows drew together just slightly, like he was trying to figure something out but then his gaze dropped.

To your lips. It was quick. Barely a second, but you saw it.

His breath hitched, his jaw tensing as his eyes flickered back up to yours. Then down again and then back. You couldn’t think. Hell you could barely even breathe. He looked at you like you were the only thing in the world that mattered. Like he was memorizing every inch of your face, every part of this moment, because somehow, deep down, he knew he’d never be able to forget it.

Bellamy swallowed hard, his grip on you unmoving, his body still frozen, except for his fingers. They twitched against your side, like he wanted to move, to do something, to close the already small space between you. You felt it, the hesitation, the war waging in his mind. You should’ve pulled away. Should’ve cracked a joke, did something to break the tension, but you didn’t. You just watched him.

His breaths were shallow, slower now, his gaze fixed on yours in a way that made your stomach clench. The storm outside was deafening, rain pounding against the metal of the rover, but inside, everything felt still—like time had narrowed down to just this. Just him.

Your heart slammed against your ribs when Bellamy’s hand finally moved, sliding down from your arm to settle at your waist. His touch was barely there, like he wasn’t sure if you’d let him. You didn’t stop him. His fingertips pressed lightly into your skin, an unspoken question hanging in the space between you. You could feel the heat of his body against yours, could see the way his jaw tensed, like he was trying to talk himself out of whatever was about to happen.

And you? You were done pretending. Swallowing past the lump in your throat, you lifted a hand, fingers ghosting along his forearm before trailing up over his shoulder. Bellamy inhaled sharply, and for the first time in a long time, you saw something in his eyes that wasn’t guarded.

He wanted this. Wanted you.

“Bell—”

He moved before you could say anything else. His forehead brushed against yours, the tip of his nose barely grazing yours as his breath fanned across your lips. Your skin still ached from the acid burns, but none of it mattered. Not when his hand tightened slightly at your waist. Not when you felt the weight of his body leaning closer, like he couldn’t help himself.

“Tell me to stop,” Bellamy murmured, voice low, rough.

You exhaled shakily, your fingers curling around the back of his neck. “I don’t want you to.”

And that was all it took, Bellamy closed the distance, his lips pressing against yours in a way that stole every thought from your mind. There was no hesitation anymore, no second-guessing—just heat.

His hand at your waist pulled you closer, his fingers sliding over your bare skin, leaving a trail of warmth in their wake. Your free hand tangled in his hair, nails scraping lightly against his scalp, and the quiet sound he made against your lips sent a shiver down your spine.

The kiss deepened, slow and desperate all at once. Like neither of you could believe this was happening, but neither of you wanted it to stop. The storm raged on outside, but inside, all you could hear was the sound of your breaths mingling, the quiet, needy gasps escaping between kisses.

Bellamy pulled back just enough to look at you, his forehead still pressed to yours. His eyes were darker now, filled with something intense, something he wasn’t even trying to hide anymore.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he admitted, his voice almost shaky.

Your heart pounded against your ribs, and for a split second, you could only stare at him, wide-eyed, breathless. But before you could even think of a response, his lips were back on yours—this time hungrier, more desperate.

A small gasp escaped you, but you didn’t pull away. You couldn’t. Bellamy’s hands slid up your sides, fingers splayed against your bare skin, warm and grounding. His grip tightened, like he was afraid you’d disappear, like he needed to make sure this was real.

You melted into him, your hands pressing against his chest before trailing up, curling around the back of his neck. He groaned softly against your lips, his body pressing closer, heat rolling off him despite the chill in the rover. And neither of you stopped, you couldn’t.

Bellamy’s hands tightened around your waist, fingers pressing into your skin like he couldn’t bear to let you go. You felt his heartbeat hammering against your palm where it rested on his chest, matching the wild rhythm of your own.

A soft whimper slipped from you as his teeth grazed your bottom lip, and that was it. That was all it took. Before you knew it, you were shifting, moving without thinking, your knees pressing into cold metal as you climbed onto his lap. Bellamy barely had time to react before you were straddling him, your legs bracketing his hips, your chest pressed against his.

His breath hitched, but then his hands were gripping your waist, pulling you closer—like you weren’t already impossibly close. Like he still needed more.

“Shit,” he breathed against your lips, voice rough, almost wrecked. His hands slid up your sides, over the bare expanse of your back, leaving trails of heat in their wake. You shivered, but not from the cold.

Bellamy kissed you like he was starved for it, like this was something he’d been craving for so long that now that he had it, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to stop.

You tangled your fingers in his damp curls, tugging him closer, and he groaned into your mouth, his hands gripping your hips tighter. The air between you grew thick, charged with something you’d both been holding back for far too long. A groan of satisfaction rumbles through his chest as you let out a small moan, having felt him hard beneath you.

His large hands glide up and gently cup your face, keeping you close as you start to gently rock your hips down onto his, testing the waters. A loud groan escapes Bellamy's lips as the friction was something he'd been needing. The next time you rolled your hips down, he quickly met you, thrusting his own hips up.

"That's it, fuck." Bellamy panted, the air inside the rover quickly turning into hot and thick. "Been dreaming about you since we first landed."

His words only filled the heat pooling in your core but before you could muster up enough strength to say anything else, you let out a yelp as your back hit the cold metal of the rover.

Bellamy's mouth was back on yours and he kiss you like he'd been starved. You sigh into the kiss as his hands trail down your body, mapping every inch of skin his fingers touch. As Bellamy plants messy kisses from your mouth, trailing down to your jaw, he finally lands at the soft skin of your neck. You let out a small moan as he sucks on the area he found the most sensitive, having found it surprisingly fast.

"Bell-" You try to tell him what you need but stop short as his hand cups your heat.

"So fucking wet for me already?" Bellamy's rasped, his breath sending a shiver down your spine as his lips brushed the shell of your ear.

"Please, Bell-" you started to beg but let out a moan as Bellamy slipped his fingers past your soaked panties and slipped a finger inside you. The gasp that left your lips was quickly covered up by Bellamy's mouth attaching yours. And as if one finger wasn't enough he slipped the second in right after, both fingers worked in and out of your heat, causing sparks to shoot through your body. Your brows scrunched as you could feel the coil in your stomach heating up, waiting and begging to be released.

"God, you're so much tighter than I imagined." Bellamy breathed, "So perfect."

Your head lolled to the side as Bellamy attacked your neck, leaving kisses and sucking at the sensitive areas.

"Come for me, baby." His gruff voice caused you to shiver, quickly rocking your hips down onto his hands for more friction. "Such a mess for me already. Can't wait to have you come around my cock."

His words sent you over the edge. A loud moan rips through the rover as he continues to help you ride out your high. You barely even caught your breath before the tip of his length was teasing you, causing a whimper to escape from your lips.

"Bell quit teasing, I need you inside me." You whined, causing a smirk to appear on Bellamy's lips.

"God, I love it when you beg." Bellamy admitted but didn't geive you enough time to make a sarcastic comment before he slowly thrust himself inside of you. You instantly let out a loan moan when he bottomed out. The feeling of him inside you was euphoric and his large hands gripped the sides of your thighs. You met him each time he thrusted into you, wanting nothing more than the delicious feeling to never end.

"I've wanted you for so long." Bellamy admitted, "ever since your sexy, sarcastic, and bossy self threatened my plans."

"Me too." You admitted, having remembered the first day on the ground when you and Bellamy stood toe to toe, exchanging insults and threats. The two of you absolutely despised each other.

Bellamy was trying to save him own ass at the time and you were trying to help Clarke keep the rest of the 100 alive. It didn't help that you were also Marcus Kane's daughter. "One of the privileged." As Bellamy put it. But quickly the two of you found common ground, setting aside your differences. Clarke was furious with you at first for trusting Bellamy but she too eventually realized that he wasn't a bad guy.

Bellamy let out some low growl, his pace picking up. "Such a good girl. Taking me so well. This pussy was made for me."

The words only spurred you on, grinding down on him as you started to moan his name over and over again in his ear. "I'm so close, Bell" You admitted, that familiar coil tightening in the base of your stomach.

"Come with me." Bellamy's hips met yours in a more sloppy, erratic pattern and you knew he was close too.

You moaned his name over and over again like a prayer as the coil finally snapped. Your walls clenched around Bellamy's dick as you came, causing his own orgasm to follow.

As the two of you finally came down from your highs, your breathing erratic as you tried to catch your breaths, Bellamy's forehead rested ontop of yours. As he finally caught his breath, he looked down at you. A soft smile spread across his lips and his eye lids stayed hooded. He felt drunk.

"I love you." Bellamy admitted, causing your breath to hitch.

Your eyes trailed over his face, watching as he kept his soft gaze on your swollen lips. Your eyes danced around his face memorizing each freckle littering his skin. "I love you too, Bell."

author’s note:

Yes, I am very aware of the fact that bell and the reader fucked instead of helping poor Talia out. For their sake let’s just say they ended up getting out and rescuing her, LMFAO.

Anyways, this was my very first Bellamy fic! Ahh! I’m so excited to post this! Bell was my very first tv/celeb crush and it’s kind of sentimental for me. He’s the reason I got into reading fanfics and now I’m writing them. CRAZY.

If you guys would like more Bellamy fics let me know! I’m excited to write for him!

Also, if you would like to be tagged please go to this link and fill out the form :)

my works

[sibsteria]

Can you keep a secret?

Ian Hecox x fem!Reader

Masterlist

Warnings/Content: kissing, fluffy, alcohol

Summary: This has gone on for too long, hasn’t it?

New! Ian Hecox Prompt Series

Prompts: “I saw that. You just checked me out.”

Another day, another function, right? Well maybe not everyday, but they come pretty often when Ian Hecox only wants you as his date, and to everyone else you were simply just close friends. Best friends. They couldn’t be more wrong.

As time went on, it got harder and harder to make excuses as to why the office couldn’t know about this, as to why it should be a secret. Maybe at this point you just wanted yourselves to each other secretly, enjoying the game to the maximum.

It gets harder to look anyone in the face like your just colleagues when you have seen them naked, you would know. Sometimes you wonder if it’s almost too on the nose, and then you hear the arguments as you sneak by.

“No, dude, there is something going on between them!” Damien bites in a whispered shout.

“No, no, they’ve known each other for years, man. That’s it-“ Arasha, you sweet, sweet dumbass.

“You are so blind, don’t come running to me when we find out they are married with twelve kids.” You stifle a laugh, trying not to get caught.

“Twelve?” Amanda chuckles.

“Have you seen the eyes they give each other? They are absolutely boinking enough to have twelve kids.” Shayne explains to the class, acting like he had higher knowledge.

“I dunno man…” Amanda hums, thinking about what could be going on.

It was extremely hilarious to Ian and you how they would argue about your possible relationship, little did they know.

They had only gotten the story bang on, once, that being Olivia- she had been there from the beginning and was the only one paying true attention to what was right in front of them. Screwing this, pining that, just friends?

“Hey, do they always carpool when Y/n lives the opposite way from the office? And owns her own car?” Back then, her comment went unnoticed. No, no you did not, you were at his place that night and hoped no one cared enough to notice your blooming relationship.

“They’re dating, calling it.” You stood laughing in his office, giving him big googly eyes.

“You guys are stupid, it’s not lust- it’s love! Well, it is lust-“ A healthy mix of both?

“Clearly, they kissed at Tommy’s birthday, and then started dating! I was there that night, you could smell it a mile away.” She’s right, you did.

And soon, she would get her satisfaction.

This function was informal at best, just an office celebration, promotion- yada yada, etc. Still, dressing up was heavily encouraged.

You stood in your shared bedroom, that once was just Ian’s bedroom, brushing your dress down in the mirror. You put in your earrings, plucking out some wispy hairs before you hear the door click open.

From the mirror in front of you, a suited Ian clad in a flattering green suit, you caught eyes on him and couldn’t tear them away. You scan him up and down, not turning yet, not giving away just how much you wanted to forget the party and just-

“I saw that. You just checked me out.” He hums to himself, satisfied with the compliment that went unsaid.

“So what if I did?” You play along, finally turning around and damn, the mirror understated it.

“Hey, don’t give me that look, we can’t be late-“ He shakes his head at you, as you walk towards him.

“Whatever do you mean?” You whisper, laying a soft kiss on his lips, he wraps his arms around your waist, admiring your face.

“You know.” He mumbles.

“I can’t stare at my fiancé?” Oh, yeah, that was why you couldn’t be late- big announcements and all, it was about time.

“You think they can handle it?” They definitely will not.

“Fifty, fifty. Give or take.” You shrug, smoothing out his lapel.

“One of the fifty’s is Anthony, obviously.” Well, duh, he wasn’t going to hide this from him- for clear reasons.

You sat around some circular tables that were put up for the party, various drinks and buffet plates strewn around. You sat next to Ian, obviously, with Anthony on his other side- Spencer, Erin and Mallory at the table along with you. There wasn’t really a seating plan, this wasn’t the Oscars.

Your hand slid under the table as you found Ian’s, wrapping your fingers around his, he turned to smile at you momentarily- you would attempt to confine everything just one last time.

“You ready?” He whispers in your ear, sending tingles down your spine as his breath was so warm against the chill of the air conditioned room.

“Bring it on.” You take a deep breath, now or never, the façade was over now.

It was speech time, everyone prepped for the usual ‘thank you, everyone’ ‘good luck, [insert name here]’ ‘i am proud of all of you’s, no one could have prepped for what followed.

Ian and Anthony had finished their parts between them, everyone thought that was it.

“Hey, wait a second…” Ian looked around confused, so did…everybody else.

“What?” Anthony played along, you didn’t know they had scripted anything, now you felt left out.

“Can you hear that?” He cups his ear and Anthony pretends to be confused.

“Hear what, Ian?” He had flipped to his on voice, his video voice, everyone had thought this was just another gimmick.

“The…the wedding bells?” He squints his eyesz

“Oh…yeah?” Anthony hums, looking around.

“But where is my fiancé?” He scratches his head, good think he wasn’t too drunk as this would look like a regular mess-about.

“I think I see her.” Anthony doesn’t look at you yet, your heart hammers in your chest.

“Where?” He tries to hold off a smile, the whole room is itching with anticipation. Where was this going? Was this a joke? A bit?

“Oh, there she is.” Anthony pretends to act stupid as he points directly at you, sat next to them as they stood. The room went wide eyed, a few gasps, was this real?

“Come on, Y/n, don’t leave me at the alter with all of these people watching.” Ian grumbles into the mic, you shakily stand, mostly out of excitement.

“I would never.” You giggle into the mic and he wraps an arm around you, kissing your temple, Anthony sits down slowly. and lets you have your moment.

“Oh my god, oh my god, it’s happening.” Damien whispers. The room is in hushed murmurs, unsure-

“We are…engaged.” Ian bites his lip as soon as he lets the cat out of the bag, finally.

“What!”

“OH MY GOD!”

“THIS IS NUTS!”

“I TOLD YOU!”

“Oh, oh!”

“I KNEW IT!��

“Engaged?!!”

“For how long has this been going on?!”

“What the hell!”

The room turns into chaos, chairs screeching as people stood.

“Is this for real?”

“Okay, okay, may we have some decorum? This is in fact real, hello, we have been dating for the past five years and…thought it was time to tell all of you about it. And to save the date, of course.” You smile at the crowd some of your closest friends, this was a family after all.

There was screaming and shouting, you thought you heard a few bets come to a close and swapping of money.

“Mama and papa!” Courtney whimpers in joy, forever the comic.

“Mama and papa confirmed.” You nod at her as Ian speaks.

“No more complaining about our speeches now, I guess?” Ian raises his eyebrows.

You had gotten home later than expected, the night sort of turning into a premature engagement celebration and answering questions as you got swarmed. You groan as you kick off your heels, putting on a comfy shirt of Ian’s and climbing into bed next to him.

“I love you.” He trills, securing his arms around you once you are under the covers.

“Yeah, yeah, tell me something new.” No hint of annoyance in your voice as you stare off into the room lit by bedside lamp, a smile stuck to your face.

“Serious. I wanted this for so long when I met you, feels so good to just be here with you.” You can hear his smile in his voice as he kisses your neck goodnight.

“Me too, mister, me too. I love you so much.” You breath out a sigh of contentment through your nose.

You really don’t want to be at the office tomorrow.

[things-arent-what-they-seem66]

⚠️ TW Past Domestic Abuse ⚠️

Lucifer: Yeah, Eve is a good person unless you fuck her over...... Did you want to talk about it?

Adam grabbed more coupons and the vegetables: I guess. We met when I was 18 and our families wanted to merge companies, to make it smoother they thought we should get married and so we were....... Lilith was never kind to me. She would just go out of her way to make my life Hell on Earth like everything was my fault. And we had to have at least one kid to inherit the company to keep it in the family.

He smiled remembering the day Abel was born.

Adam: How I was given a ray of sunshine for a son from an evil harpy still baffles me.

Adam rubbed his neck, sometimes he could still feel Lilith choke him or hit him.

Lucifer took his hand: Of course he's a sweet boy, he has you.

Adam: Thanks........

Lucifer: She hurt you didn't she?

Adam: Anyway she could......

He wiped his tears, he didn't want to cry in a grocery store.

Adam: Hehe.... We should uhh.... Finish up Charlie's probably starving.

The light in his life

@things-arent-what-they-seem66

Adam groaned as he finally woke up from another barely restful sleep. He sat up and ran a hand through his short, chocolate locks tiredly before sitting up and getting out of bed. His mind and body went into autopilot as he took a shower, cleaned his face and teeth, and took his medication before finally donning a robe and heading downstairs to get some breakfast.

He automatically grimaced as he heard his wife's laughter before he even entered the kitchen. He saw Lilith pacing as he animatedly talked to a friend on the phone. However, her face stained when she noticed his presence.

She turned her back on him and continued her chat. Adam felt his irritation stir within him as he grabbed a mug and poured some coffee in it.

Abel: Morning Dad!

His lips pulled upwards at the sound of his seventeen-year-old. He turned around and saw his son eating on the marble counter. His smile doubled as soon as he saw Abel's.

Adam: Morning bud.

He went to sit down next to him and try to enjoy his morning with his son. Keyword, tried. He was just about to read the paper when he was barraged by Lilith.

Lilith: Well, I'm off I'll be gone for the majority of the day, but I'll be back here around four thirty or so to pick you up. When I get back, I want you both in your suits got that?

Abel: Yes mom.

Abel replied before going back to his breakfast. Adam sat there confused, however, picking him up and Abel to where?

Adam: Um Lilith where we are going tonight?

Lilith pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed heavily: Adam I thought I told you this already. Tonight is the company party.

Adam: No, that's not right the company's anniversary isn't until a few months from now.

She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms: No, this is the anniversary of when your parents' company and my parent's company merged. Don't you remember? Because before that little contract was sealed another contract was sealed between us.

Adam knew exactly what she was getting into, she was talking about their marriage. About seventeen years ago Lilith's parents were having a rough patch with their own company. Even if their business was still lucritive in certain areas.

They decided to get help from Adam's parents, and they said that they could simply merge their companies as one. That way they would all still have rights to them as one day their children would too.

However, there was only one way for a merge such as this to happen. One minute Adam was being introduced to a beautiful girl the next he was standing at the altar saying I do. What made it even worse was that they were only eighteen at the time.

No, the worst possible outcome is being married to this beautiful yet cynical creature. At least there was one small yet noticeable light that came from this, Abel.

Adam was pulled out of his thoughts by his wife snapping her sharp, well-manicured fingers in his face.

Lilith: Ahem, as I was saying since this is our "family" company party Jr. is allowed to attend. But I want you to make sure he stays on his best behavior for the ENTIRE evening. Is that clear?

Adam: Crystal.

Lilith: Good, then I'm off.

Adam's hardened gaze followed her retreating form as she left. Not even bothering to at least say goodbye to their son. Adam started to take in big gulps of his drink, trying to ready himself for the day.

--

Adam downed yet another glass of champagne trying to keep himself busy as he watched the guests mingle about. Abel was not that far away talking to a few of the employees' children. Though Abel tended to be on the shyer side his friendly character always brought others to him.

Adam: (mutters) At least you're having a good time.

The sound of a familiar voice drew Adam's attention to Lilith.

Adam: (mutters): And so are you.

She wasn't that far from him yet didn't take any note or acknowledgment of him there. Or maybe she did, and she simply didn't care. Adam however did take notice in the topic she and her friends were discussing.

Him.

Despite everything in him screaming to walk away he got a little closer to them and listened closely.

Stella: So, tell me darling what is he like in bed? Is he at least desirable then?

Lilith: Ugh, don't make me laugh he is HORRENDOUS under the sheets. It's like he has no idea what to even do with it. And it was one thing back before he started taking those damn happy pills. Because at least then he wasn't bad to look at. Now every single time I have to lay with him it's like a walrus is trying to squash me!

Her friend let out a haughty laugh: Oh, I can't even imagine the horror of that brute naked let alone actually bedding someone.

Lilith: What makes it worse is that he practically has breasts now. Breasts Stella! But that's not even the absolute most dreadful part of being married to him.

Stella: Oh? What is then?

Lilith: I have to do all the work! I run his company; I run the house, and he even wants me to run him ragged in the sheets!

Stell: (gasps) You're not suggesting-

Lilith: Yup! From the very beginning, he had me do all the work while he lay there on his back like a log. A true bore and pathetic excuse for a human being. I'm glad I only had to birth one child so I could stop pretending to want to bed him.

The rest of the conversation was drowned out as stared down at himself. A hand going to his extended waistline and grimacing. He really had let himself go hadn't he?

Retracting the hand back he used it to scrub over his face in an attempt to stop the tears from flowing. Instead, he decided to find something stronger than champagne to drown himself in.

[mrsfezziwig]

Dear Stray Kids: Bang Chan

As part of the cheer up week for our lost children, I want to write to each, starting with our glorious leader.

𝒟ℯ𝒶𝓇 ℬ𝒶𝓃ℊ 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓃,

Young man, do you know that you don't need to be so humble? I wish you could see yourself the way that Stay does because it hurts that you don't believe you deserve all the love, awards, and commendations you have! For a long time, I have wanted to tell you that you need to let yourself shine! We all know you went through hell during training, that you may have considered ending your life, and that the Stray Kids members saved you. Watching you go through the loss of a member was painful even though I was not there to see it first hand and I hate that you apologised for something out of your control. JYPE is wrong to do that to you and we know that you must have been traumatised by it. We love that you would see us weekly like our therapist and obviously we miss you being part of our weekly routine but honestly, more STAYs get why it was necessary than it may seem. Some of your comments about yourself really broke us, because it was clear you truly don't see the absolute pureness that lives inside you. Before I never believed in Star Children, those sent by the universe to bring light and peace to as many lost souls as they can but now I absolutely do because you are one. Please make time to nurture your own mental well-being because even the strongest break eventually and, I can't lie, after Moonbin died and you said you couldn't eat or sleep I thought we would lose you to the Hell that South Korea can be too.

For some reason, you don't let yourself bask in the fact that you did it—you survived it, you became everything you dreamed of and more. You were tenacious and full of sheer will to make it, so please don't let your love for the other members stop you from letting your light shine. Give yourself more lines and more centre time because you earned it, and Stay wants to see your bright soul and smile more than your abs. Not that we are complaining, but I think most Stay would agree. Hearing your voice and seeing you dance is far more valuable. We want to see you relax and let loose as the idol you should be rather than hiding your light under a bushel.

'Genius' is an adjective I will forever link to you, because it was your raw emotional intelligence that saw how the members would fit together so perfectly. Not only that but your ability to find beats out of nowhere just shows that music is your purpose for being here. I love watching the recording behind-the-scenes videos just to see how, even when exhausted, you glow and laugh, proving your soul was crafted for music. Somehow you take the most everyday noises and mould them like clay to satisfy the ears and if anyone says you guys are 'just' noise music then they haven't even bothered to listen to your songs.

For many of us, Stray Kids make those hard days easier and help us handle the times we want to disappear. Thank you for being a leader who is steadfast and immovable, bringing so much joy to people all over the world. Just by being the respectful, kind, honest, and down-to-earth man you are, you show your younger fans what a real man is, who deserves their love and who does not. Some people say you are the reason for demanding such high standards in their relationships, and for me, as someone old enough to be your mother, I am relieved knowing that someone is teaching today's teens what is right and what to demand from someone.

Stay love you so much, and as a fandom, we want you to get some sleep! Please take a break and some time to absorb the past 7 years and rest. Honestly, if we received a statement that you were taking a couple of months off or maybe even a full hiatus, we would probably rejoice because your health is so important to us! It’s true that you are nearing 30, and if you don’t take the time to decompress while pushing yourself so hard, it will affect your long-term health! Rather than another album, we want to see you chilling for a bit, shaking off all the stress of the nonstop comebacks and touring. We’d prefer longevity over more music; you’ve been pushing for 14 years. Letting go a little isn’t illegal, and we all want a healthy, happy, fulfilled Christopher Bang over Bang Chan the idol.

Love yourself as much as we do, and we will never have to worry about the mistakes and the fear that you will burn out. You are human, so being self-critical is normal; however, it's obvious that the pressure of your trainee years has made you terrified to stop working. You never, ever, ever, EVER have to worry about whether you are doing enough, working hard enough, or putting on the best performance because your humanity is what we love most. Even bleary-eyed and with your hair sticking up everywhere, you are perfect in our eyes. So, take a break, for fuck's sake, we aren't going anywhere at all! And when you make it back refreshed, hop on a live so we can see your face and chat a bit. No matter what the future brings for you, keep that child-like love for the world that you have and we will smile indulgently at you all the while. It is obvious that that is the genuine you, not the forced persona of so many idols. That you are universally loved by kpop stans, not just STAY, speaks volumes about your authenticity and humble nature which is something I have only ever seen for you.

On that note, I shall go now. I pray you finally accept just what an unstoppable force you are, that the kids accept your hugs and there is never another pineapple in your burger!

With love from

𝒜 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓎