#whump and fluff for life!!!

[fallenwhumpee]

Year of Whump Tropes, January 9, 2025

Day 9: "Are you okay?” “I have not sustained any damage.” “I meant like…emotionally.” • Masterlist •

Warnings: Implied lab whump, fluff.

Approaching Leader had always been impossible. There was a gap between the team and them. The team was trained. Leader was engineered. It made a huge difference in manners and attitudes.

In many ways, it wasn't a big problem. Sure, Leader's bedside manners were terrible, but they were efficient. Often more than a sentiment approach. They were a little oblivious to emotions around them, but they knew how to offer grounding. They were good at knowing when not to push or when to offer comfort, even if the comfort was an awkward pat or praises that never felt too sincere.

Still, they had a chemistry somewhat, and it felt wrong to leave Leader alone when they had taken a hard defeat.

Because Leader made sure all of them were fine before wandering off to somewhere, even though 'fine' was being tended and ordered to rest for a whole month. A little overkill if asked to the team, but that was what the numbers told Leader how long it would take for the team to get back to their feet.

If only Leader would take their own advice...

Sighing, Youngest tiptoed towards the office. They were chosen for this task because Leader had been extra understanding of them, probably because they didn't have much experience under their belt. They had a better chance at getting Leader to the cuddle pile they did after every mission, and Leader avoided like plague.

"I see no reason to attempt stealth when I'm facing the door."

Unfair. Leader was the only one Youngest was unable to sneak around. But they could humour Youngest and calling them out like that was just rude.

"I'm not doing such thing," Youngest denied. "What are you doing?"

"Filling our leave forms."

"When you are on leave?"

Leader looked at Youngest as if Youngest said the lost absurd thing in the world. They sighed when Youngest didn't continue. "Someone should do it."

"You'll do it later. You, too, need some break."

"I don't require maintenance."

"I— that's not what I asked. You look like you haven't slept in days. Are you okay?”

“I have not sustained any damage.”

“I meant like…emotionally.”

Leader looked at Youngest, startled. For the first time, they raised their head from the papers before them, eyes tired and sunken.

"I don't do emotions," Leader muttered.

Youngest pouted.

"Just tell me what you came for, Youngest."

"Don't you think being apart from the team reduces our efficency?" Youngest tried their last card. "It's your responsibility to make sure we are well bonded. And you're failing by being so distant."

"Do you require my presence to communicate efficiently?" Leader asked, a little... surprised? It was hard to tell what they felt. Youngest always struggled.

"It's not that—" Youngest stopped themselves before they began explaining. Leader wouldn't understand. "Just come."

Without a second thought, they dragged Leader to the living room, trapping them into the pile while ignoring Leader's comments about how this was improper or how they acted defective.

Because they gave the best hugs Youngest ever received.

[waywardwizzard]

Story Title: The Dawn Star

Fandom: Firefly (2002)

Link: AO3

Summary: It all started after they opened the cargo.

Never open the cargo. Mal should've learned his lesson after the first time.

Despite a few problems, the crew of Serenity finish the job but are soon roped into another one that may be even more dangerous. A caper is had, not everyone is as they seem and why does nothing ever go smooth?

Warnings: Not very graphic violence, guns, a little bit of blood and attempted hanging

Characters: Malcolm Reynolds, Zoë Washburne, Hoban Washburne, Jayne Cobb, Kaylee Frye, Inara Serra, Shepherd Derrial Book, Simon Tam, River Tam

Pairings: Malcolm Reynolds/Inara Serra (but in the show sense, not in the 'they finally got their sh*t together' sense) and Zoë Washburne/Hoban Washburne. The rest is gen

When I Started: Somewhere in 2022 after I first watched the show. I had this idea for a scene and it inspired this whole fic. Mind you, I only actually started writing this in May 2024

How I Lost My Shit: When my laptop decided to die 3 days ago. It took the whole finished work with it. There was no back-up

How I Finished My Shit: By deciphering my awful hand-written rough rough drafts and by trying to remember what had been written. Also, sheer spite

For @wipbigbang

Also, shoutout to @asynchronouscommunication who is almost single-handedly responsible for me actually finishing this fic. Thank you <3

(NOTE -> This fic is still being updated because real life got in the way. Everything will hopefully be posted by the 25th/26th)

[daniwib]

Dammit I do not want to life I just want to 911

[shrinkthisviolet]

3, 11, 17?

3: What are your top three most commonly used tags on AO3?

Canon Compliant (24), Canon Divergence (19), Brother-Sister Relationships (18). It's hilarious that two completely opposing tags are both my most popular lol but I do write a lot of fics, so that makes sense

(Also Podfic Welcome (51), though that says less about the fics themselves, hence why I highlighted the next top 3)

11: What makes a fic 'successful' in your opinion?

Oooh well usually with fics, I'm trying to tell a certain story and elicit a certain feeling (or feelings). And if it does that, I consider the fic a success! In particular, I rely on the small but loyal audience I've built up to tell me so. But ofc, hearing it from others is very sweet too

It's especially heartening if the fic in question is experimental or out of my usual comfort zone. Ex: the Barry POV fic, which was tackling one of my least favorite tropes, Miscommunication, in a way that I didn't hate (the trope is usually done in a very contrived/unbelievable way, and is often completely brushed over afterwards, both of which I wanted to avoid here). Which people thankfully seemed to like! It's not my favorite fic by any means, but it got across the intended message and feeling

17: What is something you recently felt proud of in your writing?

Taking part in a fandom event, @yearoftheotpevent! And writing two substantial Westallen fics for it (with more probably to come, though I'll probably also switch up ships during the event) :D I always want to take part in fandom events, but they usually take place during busy months, and only during those months, so committing to them is hard. But the format of this makes it really accessible, which I appreciate! Especially since they're very understanding of stragglers 😅 which I also dearly appreciate

fanfic/author ask game!

[goldenavenger02]

your shoulders are strained (from holding up the world)

Cole didn’t even have to ask Lloyd if he wanted a hug before he was all but tackled by the green ninja and the sobs started as he curled up close to him; Cole pulled him in tighter with one arm and let his other hand go to his blonde curls as tears soaked through his gi.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, I’m here…” Cole trailed off as Lloyd’s sobs grew louder against him and a brief image of an older then he should have been Lloyd curled up on his lap flashed in his mind, “it’s alright, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

(Shoutout to @the-painted-siren for telling me to wrap Lloyd up in a blanket. You helped me indirectly figure out how to end this one)

“And be careful when you hit the desert, there’s always a bit of a harsh wind when you get past the junkyard-”

“Cole,” Vania interrupted him while reaching up to put her hands on his tense shoulders, “Chompy and I rode in here in the midst of an invasion from the embodiment of evil itself, I think we can handle a little wind.”

“I know you can,” Cole agreed, pulling the princess into a hug, “I just want you to be-”

“Safe? I will be,” Vania insisted as she pulled away but not before she gently squeezed his tense shoulder, “but I’ll send a letter as soon as we get back to Shintaro. Promise.”

“Okay.” Cole smiled, which was seemingly a strong enough signal for the princess to climb aboard her dragon, but before they flew away, Plunder spoke up from where he was balanced next to Adam.

“Oh, by the way, one of your friends went down the mountain this morning as I was packing up. I haven’t seen him since.”

“Do you know which one?” Cole’s heart dropped at the idea of losing someone just as soon as they had finally reunited. ‘Kai and Jay could still be coping with what happened to Nya, Zane could have turned off his emotions again, Nya’s powers still aren’t at full strength yet-’

“Korgran saw him too, and so did his ax that doesn’t talk,” Korgan’s rough voice piped up, “the one that wears green. Floyd, maybe? Or is it Dyoll?...”

‘Oh, First Master, there’s no telling where Lloyd would have gone or what is going through his head.’ 

“Thank you, I’m gonna go find him now,” Despite him not wanting them to leave so soon, Cole now had much more urgent things swirling through his head, “have a safe flight, guys.”

He didn’t even see Chompy lift off before he was running down the steps and hoping to see the dark green that didn’t blend in with the plants beginning to grow around the monastery despite the catastrophic explosion.

‘He could be upset about Harumi, his dad, the Overlord…and he told Nya and I that he wasn’t hurt enough for a hospital, but he was still captured for days…’ Cole thought as he quickly scanned every single tree for the familiar jade color of Lloyd’s gi, ‘he wouldn’t lie to both of us…he’s smart enough not to do that now.’

“Come on, Lloyd…” he muttered under his breath, “come on, where are you?”

But despite his pleading, he still couldn’t see any sign of the blonde teenager which only continued to push panic to the forefront of his mind.

‘Maybe he went into town, or maybe he went back to bed,’ Cole considered as he neared the base of the mountain, only to stop when he saw the familiar sight of Lloyd sitting next to the cherry blossom next to the final cliff before the solid ground attached itself to the steps, his legs dangling on the edge and his chin propped up in his hands.

‘Thank the master.’

Cole knew he had to approach carefully when yelling or even just sneaking up on Lloyd could freak him out and send him off the side of the cliff, but he also didn’t want to cause any more emotional distress to whatever Lloyd was feeling.

“Lloyd?” Cole finally spoke up as he kneeled beside Lloyd, keeping his voice steady even when the teenager barely reacted at the sound of his voice, “Plundar and Korgran saw you leave earlier.”

All he did was shrug in response, worrying Cole that Lloyd still wasn’t actually speaking to him.

“I guess that I just wanted to make sure you were okay, since the last few weeks, well…the last year or so, have been really rough on all of us, but especially you,” Cole stopped to breathe and gauge Lloyd’s lack of a reaction, “and I’m not gonna make you talk about it, but I, all of us, we just want you to be okay.”

It seemed as though letting Lloyd know that he could stay quiet, that he wasn’t going to try and pry further than he needed to, was all that he needed for him to finally meet his brown eyes only for Cole to see nothing but tears in the green ones he had grown so used to.

Cold didn’t even have to ask Lloyd if he wanted a hug before he was all but tackled by the green ninja and the sobs started as he curled up close to him; Cole pulled him in tighter with one arm and let his other hand go to his blonde curls as tears soaked through his gi.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, I’m here…” Cole trailed off as Lloyd’s sobs grew louder against him and a brief image of an older then he should have been Lloyd curled up on his lap flashed in his mind, “it’s alright, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

He couldn’t do anything but let the teenager cry all over his golden armor; he didn’t want to move him or make him cry harder and he didn’t want to say anything that would have piled on the stress of whatever he was feeling.

All Cole could do was hold onto him as tight as he could and comfort him as he always had in the past.

When Lloyd wanted to talk, he would go to Kai, Master Wu or Nya. When he wanted a distraction, he would end up playing video games with Jay or helping P.I.X.A.L with her latest project along with Zane, but if he was just looking for a hug, he’d go to Cole.

Not that Cole could be upset with that, it wasn’t like Lloyd was the only one who ever wanted one of his hugs; in fact, it seemed as though everyone on the team except for Jay and Nya would seek him out particularly for what had been unceremoniously dubbed by Kai as the “weighted blanket effect”.

And sure enough, as Lloyd’s sobs began to slow with sniffling and a couple of hiccups, there was an occasional yawn mixed in and the thought of ‘how much has Lloyd been sleeping?’ briefly crossed his mind.

“Alright, Green Machine,” Cole finally spoke up, gently moving his hand to Lloyd’s hip in order to nudge him off of his rapidly growing numb legs, “let’s get you in bed.”

But as he gently pushed him towards the soft grass, he heard the sound that he had briefly considered but was still dreading, which was Lloyd’s all too familiar sharp inhale of breath that meant that he was injured.

“Lloyd?” Cole struggled to keep his voice steady as he stood up because while Lloyd had been aged up older then he was supposed to be, he knew better than to keep injuries from the rest of them, especially when he had been explicitly asked about it, “I thought you told Nya and I that you weren’t hurt.”

“No…” Lloyd finally spoke with a wince as he pulled himself to his feet, his left hand hovering over his right side, “I said that I wasn’t hurt enough that I needed to go to the hospital.”

“You, will be the death of me and Kai’s brown hair,” Cole sighed as he ran a hand over his tired face before grasping his hand around Lloyd’s wrist, “come on, let’s go find Zane-”

“Don’t tell Kai!” Lloyd shouted as he pulled back against Cole’s grip, “please, I don’t want him to…I already scared him enough.”

“Fine, fine, I won’t tell Kai,” Cole insisted, hoping that his assurance was enough to stop the resistance on his grip, “okay? I won’t tell anyone but Zane, because he’s gonna help me patch you up and maybe P.I.X.A.L, but that’s it.”

“You promise?” Lloyd demanded, his heels still planted firmly in the ground in a mix of defiance and regret.

“I promise.”

And with that, the two started their ascent up the mountain with Cole’s hand still around Lloyd’s wrist in case he decided to go back to his tendency to bolt at the first chance he got.

He couldn’t help but notice that Lloyd had grown quiet again after he had given up on fighting against getting patched up; it wasn’t as concerning as if someone like Jay had stopped talking, but something about how silent the teenager stayed was still worrying.

Luckily, it didn’t take long to get to the makeshift medical wing that had been constructed after the adrenaline of unlocking his Dragon Form had worn off and he could feel the concussion that had nearly gotten him and Kai caught by Pythor.

He maneuvered Lloyd onto one of the cots by the arm with a “stay awake” when he laid down before pulling his hood over his head and clicking the side of his comm set, “hey, Zane?”

“Yes, Cole?” 

“Can you meet me in the medical wing? The makeshift one, across from the hangar bay.” He asked while gently flicking Lloyd’s arm to get him to open his eyes again, which he got in the form of a glare.

“Is it your concussion again?”

“No, I’m fine, it’s just…” he trailed off, remembering Lloyd’s defiance at the thought of Kai knowing that he was hurt, “I just need your help with something.”

“Very well, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Thanks, Zane.” Cole said as he pulled his hood off before flicking Lloyd’s arm again to be met with a glare, “I said stay awake for a reason, you could have a concussion.”

“Mean,” Lloyd scowled, “I don’t have a concussion.”

“Well, if you had been honest with Nya and I, I’d believe you,” Cole snapped back before forcing himself to calm down as soon as he saw Lloyd’s tired green eyes, “sorry, that was uncalled for.”

“It’s fine,” Lloyd mumbled while blinking to keep his eyes open, “kinda used to it.”

“That doesn’t make it okay.”

“Kai gets angry when he’s stressed, and I…” Lloyd stopped to try and stop the incoming yawn with little success, “I tend to stress him out a lot, about this kind of stuff.”

“You’re pretty good at stressing all of us out about this kind of stuff.” Cole corrected as the sound of footsteps began to grow louder towards them which finally pried his vision away from Lloyd to see Zane.

“Ah, I see,” Zane spoke before Cole had a chance to explain his previous distress call and started to dig through the cardboard box of medical equipment that had been salvaged or replaced, “is it the head wound again or something else?”

“Head wound? Lloyd-”

“It’s my side, where the Overlord got me.”

“The Overlord? How-”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve asked Zane to patch me up this week.”

“And if he keeps it up, it won’t be the last,” Zane added as he stood up and put the various medical supplies on the metal cart before gesturing to Lloyd’s gi, “that needs to come off.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lloyd muttered, his eyes scrunching up with a wince as his hands went to the tie, “Cole? You don’t have to stay, I know this kinda thing freaks you out.”

And it did; the smell of antiseptic was enough to make Cole feel like he was twelve again and watching as his mother became bedridden at home when she wasn’t in the hospital but, he also knew that he would feel guilty if he left Lloyd like this even if it was in Zane’s capable hands.

“Cole, I’m serious,” Lloyd insisted as he let the jade green gi fall to the floor, “patient knows best, right?”

“No, that would be customer knows best,” Zane insisted from where he was washing his hands, “and given how many times I’ve cleaned your wounds, I will assume that you do not know best-”

“This isn’t about me! Okay, it is, but that’s not,” Lloyd stopped speaking to let out a frustrated breath, “Cole, just…you look kinda sick.”

“Fine,” Cole swallowed back his guilt so the claustrophobic trauma would eb away, “fine, I’ll head out. But I am running your laundry while you're here.”

And he did exactly that after walking out of the hangar bay; in fact, he also made sure to start running a load of dishes in their recently-installed dishwasher before Jay had the chance to dismantle it and tidy up the floor of Lloyd’s bedroom, not that he had been given the chance to dirty it up very much.

But doing household chores kept him focused on the task rather than what he was avoiding, which had been a perk back when he was a young teenager as well as right now when even dirty dishes were better than thinking of his pseudo brother in pain.

And by the time he finished tucking the worn, green quilt over the edge of the mattress, Lloyd was sitting down on the bed while putting down a white pill bottle on the nightstand, the label long since faded.

“What is that?”

“Tylenol. Because when you get a stun gun to the head, fall into a river from five hundred feet up and get electrocuted multiple times by the physical embodiment of evil, the strongest drug you can have is,” he stopped to shake the pill bottle for emphasis, “Tylenol.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“The drugs?” Lloyd raised a confused eyebrow as he reclined onto the pillows at the head of his bed.

“No, what upset you earlier,” Cole said, watching as any signs of joking were wiped off of his face, “I’m not gonna make you, but-”

“I’m fine, I just…” Lloyd trailed off, looking down at his palms, “dad stuff, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Cole said, running his hand over the upper half of his arm, “my dad and I are a lot better now, but…well, I was a few years younger then you are now when everything kinda fell apart.”

“I just…I want to forgive him, but then I remember everything he’s done and it’s…” Cole could hear the sniffles starting to build up into sobs but for whatever reason, Lloyd kept the tears in this time, “I don’t know, I’m probably just too tired.”

“Do you remember the last time you slept all night?”

He stayed quiet as Cole stood up to reach into the bottom drawer of his dresser where Lloyd tended to keep all of the clothes he stole from the others; sure enough, he was met with multiple pairs of Jay’s sweatpants

‘That’s a lot of Jay’s pants.’ Cole thought to himself as he pushed past Nya’s massive red hoodie that had been passed down from both Kai and her dad to reveal his target.

The orange blanket he had taken with him when he had been sent to the Marty Openhiemer, with black embroidered mountains on the corners; his mother had started making it when she first got sick, but Cole had finished it after he had run away. 

But after everything that happened in Shintaro, he found himself being able to part with it and had offered it to Lloyd. 

He knew that Lloyd had run away from Darkley’s with nothing but the clothes on his back and that he had nothing to his name; even as the troublesome boy aged into a well-meaning young adult, he still didn’t have many personal belongings but Cole had so many. 

He had a feeling that his mom would have understood that, if she…no matter how many years continued to pass, thinking about her if she was still around made his heart sink.

“I mean, I guess it was after we returned from The Island.”

“FSM, Lloyd,” Cole sighed as he coaxed him to lay down fully so he could drape the blanket over his bruised shoulders, “I know it’s been hard, but for the love of me not getting my ass kicked by your uncle, go to sleep.”

“He won’t do that, he doesn’t even try to make us go to bed any more.”

“Touche,” Cole chuckled before walking over to the light switch, but unable to bring his hand down over it until he asked, “lights on or off?” 

“Off is fine.”

“Okay,” Cole nodded before engulfing the room in darkness, “do you need me to stay?”

“Nah, just…” he heard the boy swallow nervously before adding, “leave the door open? Just a crack?”

“No sweat. Get some rest, Lloyd.”

And with that, Cole walked out of the room while leaving the door open enough to let a steady stream of light hit the floor, but he didn’t have the chance to even take a full breath, to let himself calm down from the hectic morning when he heard Jay’s yell echo throughout the half-finished walls.

“Where are my sweatpants?!”

[angstyandromanticwriting]

Hello again, my lovely readers!

First of all, Happy Valentines Day! I just wanted to let you know quickly that the Masterlist is well under way, one of the sections already complete and linked to the overview itself, but I have decided I should possibly post them all when they’re done so it looks better that way rather than being unfinished, at current! I hope you enjoy it, once it’s ready, and I’m certainly looking forward to sharing it with you, as well! Until then, I hope you all have a lovely rest of the day/night, and I look forward to seeing you again, soon! For now - as usual, I have been:

As always,

Your ever faithful, H.H. 💜

[adrift-in-thyme]

Sleepiness

Read on Ao3

- Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

- Summary: After Al admits how hard the sleepless nights are, Ed takes it upon himself to keep him company. But that proves a rather difficult task

- No warnings apply

------------------------

It’s quiet in the room. Peaceful. Treacherous.

Ed glares at the page before him, purposefully ignoring the way that the words blur and smear. Usually, he would welcome the unusual calm. But not tonight. Tonight he can’t fall prey to the way it soothes his soul, or blankets him like a plush comforter, or makes the world a bit softer, a bit more distant in a pleasant sort of way…

A yawn pushes past his stubbornly closed lips, bringing tears to his eyes.

“It’s late, brother,” Al says, softly, as though reluctant to break the stillness. “Shouldn’t you get to sleep?”

Another yawn follows the first, this one so wide Ed has no choice but to let it out. His eyes slip closed and beg to remain that way. He wrenches them back open.

“I’m not going to sleep tonight.”

Al cocks his head. “But why not? You need your rest.”

Ed shrugs and the movement seems as difficult as moving a mountain. Stupid body, betraying him in such a way.

“You said the nights are the worst, right?” He gives his brother a small grin. “Well, I don’t want you to have to spend them alone anymore. I’m gonna stay up with you.”

Al blinks, then sets down his book. He holds up his hands as if in surrender. “You don’t have to! Even if you sleep I won’t be alone. Not really.”

That’s a lie if he ever saw one. But Ed decides not to call him on it…directly, at least.

“Yeah, well, company is always better when they’re conscious. Besides, I’ve pulled all-nighters before, haven’t I? I’ll be fine.”

He looks at Al. Al looks back. Doubt radiates off of him in waves.

Instantly, a glare sours Ed’s expression. He shoves a finger in Al’s direction. “Hey! You’re doubting me aren’t you? Aren’t you?”

“No, no! It’s just…” Al shifts, nervously. “You barely ever make it through all-nighters. You sleep…a lot.”

“I do not!” Ed pushes himself up off the couch, hands on his hips. “Look, I’m gonna stay up with you all night, okay? Whether you like it or not.”

“Okay,” Al acquiesces. “But don’t worry if you fall asleep.”

Ed snatches up a blanket and flops down beside his brother, reclining on his armor. “I won’t.”

That promise proves rather difficult to keep. The hands of the clock crawl across the face, moving from eleven to eleven-thirty to twelve. And with every passing moment Ed’s eyelids grow heavier.

His book has long since stopped making sense. Logical thought seems impossible anymore. Thoughts bounce dazedly around his brain – of warm beds and soft sheets and nights where he can rest undisturbed. 

His eyes droop and slide shut. 

“Brother?” 

He jolts out of the near-sleep he had fallen into, bringing a hand roughly across his eyes.

“I’m awake!”

Al moves to put an arm around him and Ed slumps into the half-hug, ignoring the way the armor pokes. 

“I am grateful for you trying,” Al says, softly. The words drift by like aimless fish and Ed has to snatch at them to try and make them make sense. “You need your sleep, though, to keep up your strength. Just think! When we get our bodies back I can sleep as much as I want! But until then, why don’t you sleep for both of us?”

“It doesn’t work that way,” Ed mumbles, grouchily. But he has to admit the idea does sound rather nice. 

Sleeping for two people means getting even more sleep, right?

His eyes slip closed once more, body growing immeasurably heavy. If he tried to get up right now, he doesn’t think that he could manage it. 

“I’m still gonna try,” he says, words slurred by incoming slumber and the way his cheek is pressed against a rather sharp plate of armor. “Don’t want you to be…”

“I’m not alone,” Al says, as he trails off, grasping for the thoughts that dart mischievously out of his reach. “You’re here with me, aren’t you?”

A slightly loopy smile lifts Ed’s lips. “Guess so.”

“So, go to sleep.”

Ed shifts, rearranging so that he is a bit more comfortable. It’s a little difficult given his armored pillow. But he’ll make do. He is nearly gone, anyway, book fallen from his hand, eyes closed, body limp. He is falling headlong into the embrace of sleep. This is a battle he can’t win.

Damn it.

He had really wanted to.

Someday, though, someday soon he will win the war. Al will have his body back and he will be able to sleep all he wants. Ed will make sure of that.

(And he’ll be able to eat too, and feel the wind and rain and sun, and the coarse prickles of grass beneath his feet, the unyielding firmness of pressed earth. And when Ed hugs him or curls up beside him, instead of the hollow ring of empty armor…he will be able to hear a heartbeat.)

He sighs. Yes, someday soon.

For now, however, for now…he guesses he is forced to surrender. Just this once.

“Fine. But don’t go ordering your big brother around,” he gripes. But there is no heat in it. Only the thickness of near-sleep.

Al only chuckles and holds him a bit closer. “Good night, brother.”

“...and thank you.”

[snaillamp]

Beach Day

“Beach, yay, beach, yay, beach!” That was the seventh time Jonas had sung his little song. Enjar chuckled, glancing at Anna, who looked kind of annoyed. “Beach, yay, beach, yay, beach!” The little boy said again. “Jonas, honey, why don’t we come up with a different song now, huh?” Jonas looked offended, “But mammaaaa, I like this one! We’re going to the beach!” He wiggled in his seat, excitedly as they neared the final stretch of the road. “Hey, Jonas. Look at this.” Enjar glanced around, grinning, before speeding over the bumpy dirt road. Jonas squealed in delight as the bumps made the entire car vibrate violently. Anna gripped the door beside her, glaring at her brother who cackled evilly.

The car pulled up to a clearing, everyone getting out. Anna grabbed her stuff from the back of the Land Cruiser and joining Enjar, who was wrangling the child. Jonas was screaming with excitement, eyes lit up with joy and life. Enjar felt warm inside looking at the boy as he put him down, watching him run off like a windup toy the second his feet touched the ground. “Mama, beach, beach, beach! We’re at the beach!” Anna smiled as she shouldered her bag, Jonas grabbing her hand and dragging her in the direction of the stairs leading to the sand. “Come ooooon.” He groaned, grunting as he pulled on her arm. Enjar laughed, sliding his surfboard off the top of the car. “Come on, you’re both so slooooooow” Jonas whined. Enjar laughed again, walking towards the stairs. “Okay, Jonas. Let’s go.”

They walked down the many steps to the beach, Jonas speeding off into the sand and screaming with happiness, his bright red swimsuit soon a spec as they looked at him run. Anna sighed, a mix of tired, exasperated and loving. “I love him, but God… I need a break.” Enjar grinned. “Let me take care of him, you go… sunbathe or whatever.” Anna playfully punched his arm, before rolling her eyes and walking off, sunbathing actually sounded like a good idea.

Enjar walked over to Jonas, who was squatting down on the sand, looking at something, enthralled. “What did you find?” Enjar asked, looking down at the spot. “Crab.” Jonas pointed at the small crab, scuttling away from them. “Wow, look at him go!” Enjar remarked as the crab disappeared into the waves. Jonas giggled, watching the crab disappear into the waves. “Wanna go swim?” Enjar looked down at Jonas, who suddenly grew concerned, shaking his head. “What’s wrong? You’ve wanted to go swimming all morning.” Glancing out at the rippling waves, and humming. “Ahhh, I see. Scarier up close huh?” Jonas nodded again, taking Enjar’s hand in his own. Enjar zipped up his wetsuit properly, placing his board on the sand and tying back his hair, before grabbing the boy’s hand again. “How about we just take a little step in?”

Jonas stood glued to the ground, eyeing the waves nervously. “Just one step, so the waves touch your feet.” Enjar encouraged, watching Jonas think it over seriously. After a few seconds of thinking, Enjar and Jonas took a step together, into the water. Slowly, step by step, they ended up knee deep in the waves, at least by Jonas’ perspective, and he had had enough. “No more!” He cried out, looking at the waves curl over and crash towards him. He grabbed onto Enjar’s waist, hugging it close. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” Enjar picked up Jonas, carrying him into waist deep water and then squatting so that their shoulders were just peeking out of the water. He felt Jonas’ unsure feet rest on his thighs, toes crunched up as he tensed up in fear.

Jonas looked nervous, clinging to Enjar’s chest. “It’s too deep!” He cried out, looking at Enjar with wide, scared eyes, his breaths quickening in panic. “Hey, hey…” Enjar murmured, soothing the boy. “I’ve got you. Nothing’s gonna happen.” He held Jonas close, letting him float in the water, feeling the rapidly beating heart inside his nephew begin to slow as he rubbed the boy’s back. “See? You’re fine.” He smiled at Jonas who giggled, kicking his feet a little. Slowly inching further out, half of Enjar’s chest was now submerged, and they began to jump in the slowly rising waves.

~~

Jonas soon forgot his fear, squealing and kicking as they jumped the waves together. As a slightly bigger one began to rear up from the water, Enjar was forced to turn away and take the brunt of the hit, shielding his nephew. He grunted as the water hit him hard in the back, making Jonas laugh. They continued to play, swimming closer and closer to shore, until Jonas wiggled out from Enjar’s grip, swimming his own way back to land. The lighthouse keeper watched him carefully, making sure he got back to the sand safely, before taking the opportunity to grab his board.

Jonas watched him curiously as Enjar began to paddle out. The waves weren’t great today, but decent enough for him to maybe catch a couple. Once he was out far enough, he waved at Jonas, who waved back, waiting with anticipation. Enjar watched the waves, looking for his opening, finding it and taking off, managing to ride the wave for a good amount of time, before he fell off into the sea. He could hear Jonas laughing from the shore as he paddled back in, walking over to the boy and grinning. “That was so cool!” Jonas looked up at Enjar in awe. “Wanna try?” Enjar asked, looking at him with a glint in his eye.

Jonas jumped up and down, nodding. Enjar glanced over at Anna, asleep in the sand, the books she had been reading collapsed against her chest. Enjar nodded, putting the board in the water and setting Jonas on it, walking him out into waist deep water. Jonas gripped each side of the board, “It’s wobbly.” He pointed out. Enjar nodded, “I know. Just relax your body and it won’t wobble as much. I’ve got you.”

He took Jonas through the motions, teaching him all the basics of surfing, before finally letting him stand on the board. He gave it a little push, letting it drift in the gentle waves. Jonas, as Enjar expected, drifted for a little bit and then fell off. He stuck his head out of the water, coughing a little and rubbing his stinging eyes. “You okay?” Enjar asked, hoisting him onto the board to sit, his voice tinged with concern. Jonas nodded, wiping his eyes and smiling. “That’s so fun! Can we do it again?” Enjar nodded, repeating the process a few times, until Jonas slid off the board and into the water. “I’m tired, Uncle Enjar. Can we go back to mummy?” Enjar nodded, pulling the board closer to his body and made his way through the water, back to shore.

Jonas had already woken Anna up, excitedly jumping up and down and telling her all about his surfing lesson. Anna smiled tiredly, “That’s amazing, sweetheart. You’ll have to show me some more later.”

Jonas grinned, the same way Enjar did, and it struck her how similar he was to his uncle, that same wicked grin, same mischievous gleam in his eye. Anna pulled her son into a hug, kissing his forehead. “I love you Jonas.” Jonas nodded, kissing her forehead back. “I love you too Mummy.” He glanced at Enjar, who had just sat down next to Anna. The small boy walked over to his uncle, leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead too. “And I love you, Uncle Enjar.” Enjar smiled softly, pulling his nephew close and ruffling his hair and kissing his cheek. “I love you too, Jonas.”

Anna had pulled out some plastic containers, full of fruits, cheese, sandwiches and cake. Anna served her son some of the food, tucking the cake container away from sight whilst he ate the other food. Enjar picked at the fruit too, until Anna sighed, handing him a lid as a plate. “Use that.” She rolled her eyes, looking at Enjar grin. It really was like Jonas’, however his was a slightly wonkier smile, the scar on the left side of his face preventing him from pulling his lips in that direction as much. She liked it though, even though the scar didn’t affect his smile too much, the slightly lopsided smile was endearing, and it was still the same wicked smile he’d had his whole life, now just with a little extra flare.

It was funny, she couldn’t even remember what his smile was like before, his face, his arms… It was like he’d always been this way. But she wouldn’t change her brother for the world. Watching him play with her son, smiling and laughing, happy and alive was all she could ask for. The scars had changed him… but deep down, she had grown to love them. They made Enjar who he was, in a way. Not that she had wanted him to be so badly injured in the first place, but a tiny part of her was glad they had forced him to retire, to change careers and live in the lighthouse. He was safe now, alive, able to watch his nephew grow up… The job that gave him his scars, it had nearly killed him, and Anna had a feeling that if he’d continued, it would’ve. But he didn’t, and now Jonas could have a positive role model, a father figure in his life. Someone to step up to the plate, where her ex-husband, Jonas’ father had failed, and Enjar had done just that. He and Jonas had a special connection, and she knew Jonas thought the world of Enjar, and that Enjar would give Jonas the world if he could.

Returning her thoughts the food, Anna watched as Jonas and Enjar played with the food, having a sword fight with carrot sticks. Her son had nearly finished his food. “Jonas, when you’re finished, I have cake.” Jonas stopped, looking at his mother with glee. He shoved the rest of his food in his mouth and crunched fast, swallowing and reaching out his hand. “I’m finished!” Enjar chuckled, finishing his food too, both of them looking expectantly at Anna. She laughed, taking a slow bite of an apple slice. “You two can wait until I finish then.” She began to eat her food in slow motion, Jonas groaning in annoyance. “Mamaaaaaaa.” He whined. “You said I could have cake when I finished my food. Not your food!” He crossed his arms indignantly, looking very cross for a 5 year old.

Anna rolled her eyes, “Okay… I guess I can give you yours.” She handed her boys a slice of cake each, and watched them as they bit into them with glee. Enjar’s eyes widened. “Damn, this is good! You made this?” Anna nodded, watching as her brother wolfed down the food. “Yeah, chocolate pumpkin cake. It’s become a favourite of Jonas’. It’s the only way I can get him to eat pumpkin.” Jonas nodded with glee, already licking the chocolate icing off his tiny fingers, smears of it stretched over his chin. Anna reached into her bag, pulling out a cloth and wiping his hand down, before grabbing her own slice of cake and eating it. “Uncle Enjar, can we go and surf again? I wanna show Mama!” Enjar nodded, easing out of the sand and dusting off his legs. “Sure, let’s go!” Grabbing his board, he raced his nephew to the water, Anna watching carefully as her brother gently guided her son to stand on the massive board. It made him look so small, as he balanced with his arms stretched wide.

Enjar gave it a little push, letting the waves carry it as Jonas balanced carefully. Then, it tilted, and Jonas crashed into the water. Anna cheered from the shore as Jonas’ head popped up to the surface and he waved, coming ashore and running up to her, panting from the effort. His big blue eyes were gleaming as he swelled with pride. “Did you see me surf, mummy?” Anna nodded, “You did so well, my darling.” Seeing movement over Jonas’ shoulder she gasped. “Look!” Pointing out into the sea, they watched as Enjar readied himself to ride a wave.

~~

Watching Jonas go back to shore, Enjar decided to see if he could catch some waves a little further out. He began to paddle, watching the water as he got further and further out. Finally, he turned, gaining momentum as he felt the rush of adrenaline flow through him, the wave catching his board and propelling him over the water. He felt the thrill of the ride as he moved, eventually turning the board toward shore and drifting back. When he was almost there, he leaned over, collapsing into the water with a splash, his feet digging into the sand and pushing him forwards. When he got to shore, his nephew was gazing at him with a new found awe. “That was so cool!” The young boy exclaimed, “You were going so fast and then you changed and then you came back to us and-and… wow…” He breathed.

“Pretty cool huh?” Enjar panted, smiling down at Jonas. “Yeah….” Jonas looked Enjar up and down, taking in his body in a new light. It amazed the young boy that his uncle could do that, moving his body to control the board like that… He wanted to be just like him when he grew up. “I wanna swim more.” He looked at his mother, hoping she would come with them. “Do you want me to come too?” She asked, shutting her book and standing up. “Why not?”

All three of them approached the ocean, the waves now a little bigger. Jonas waded in first, followed by his uncle and finally Anna. She shrieked, tensing up, causing Enjar to whirl around, slightly worried. “It’s so cold!” She squealed, Enjar wading over and sliding an arm over her shoulders. “Come on, it’s not that bad.” Jonas was watching them curiously, but Anna braced as she felt Enjar lean against her more. “No, no! Enjar stop!” She laughed, shoving him off her. She shivered in the cold water, wading a little further in. Jonas splashed some water in her direction, and she smirked. “Oh, are we playing that game are we?” She splashed some water at him, laughing as they closed their eyes, splashing and squealing. Jonas opened his eyes again, for just a second, watching as Enjar snuck up behind Anna, crash tackling her from behind and pulling her into the water. Anna screamed, surfacing quickly and looking for her brother, who’s head popped up a few feet away from her. He’d already put distance between himself and his sister’s rage.

“You little-” She yelled, splashing Enjar who splashed her back. Soon all three of them were attacking each other, splashing water. Enjar began dragging Jonas around. He lifted the child in the air and tossed him into the water, again and again, Jonas squealing as he hit the water, until Enjar was too tired to do it any more.

~~

As they drove back to Enjar’s cabin, Anna glanced behind them at the back seat, Jonas was asleep, tired from his long day. They all were, it had been so fun, but so tiring. When they pulled up, Enjar mumbled that he’d grab Jonas, gently picking up his nephew and cradling in his arms. He was so perfect, sleeping and peaceful in his arms. Enjar smiled down at him, at that moment, he knew he’d do anything for this kid. He would protect him with his entire being, this small person was so special to him, so precious…

Carrying him inside, he walked to the sofa nearby, cradling the small, sleeping boy on his lap and holding him close. He stretched his legs along the length of the sofa, his back leaning against the armrest as he slid down, now using it as a pillow. Before he even noticed it, Enjar’s head was nodding, his heavy eyelids sliding shut…

Anna walked through the door, carrying the last of the stuff. “Where do you want this bag En?” She asked, waiting for a reply. Her brother didn’t say anything, so she looked up, frowning. “En?” A soft smile crept across her lips when she saw her brother slumped across the sofa, Jonas curled up against him. He’d really saved her skin today, keeping Jonas occupied while she had had a much needed rest, but she supposed that he was probably just as tired now. He didn’t really have a lot of energy for young kids. Jonas’ head was resting on Enjar’s chest, which gently rose and fell, one of Enjar’s scarred arms wrapped gently around his nephew’s body, holding him close. It was cute, watching them together, and it never ceased to surprise Anna how alike they looked. But right now, her boys were sleeping peacefully, and that’s all she could ask for. Going to Enjar’s room, she found a light blanket, laying it over them. Enjar grunted in his sleep, his lip quirking with a slight smile.

In that moment, everything was perfect.

~masterlist~

[waywardwizzard]

Mal sighed and counted to ten. Then counted back down to one. Then, again to ten but in Chinese this time.

It didn't help at all and it only managed to make his headache worse.

"What, in the gorram hell happened?" he growled.

Wash and Simon flinched. Some part of Mal felt good at seeing it, but the most of him just felt irritated. Ben dans, the whole lot of them. Sometimes, he wondered how the two of them managed to stay alive.

"We can explain," Wash said, hissing when the doctor cleaned one of the many cuts littering his face, arms and chest. Mirroring cuts littered Simon's upper body.

Folding his arms, the captain leaned back against the infirmary wall and glared at the two idiots.

"Good. Now start explaining. Before I decide to throw the two of you out of the airlock."

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Author's note -

I love writing Wash and Simon friendship fics. And, for once, the captain has the braincell (only because Zoë isn't there).

(Also, I'm very proud of this fic. I don't know why but I am.)

@juneofdoom

[baskervilleshound]

HeLLO YES I NEED EVERYONE TO LOOK AT MY BABIES RIGHT NOW.

@levshany , thank you so, so much for allowing me to commission this!!

For the people that don’t know (which most of you shouldn’t yet), these characters are my own; Melvin and Florence, and they are characters from my debut novel, The Luster of Life. This is little scene from one of my chapters where Florence is dealing with some heavy feelings about grief and regret, and Melvin is here to comfort her.

Florence’s parents were always pretty emotionally inept and unable to help her in these kinds of situations. So for her to have a father figure here for once, helping her through those emotions, is so, so important.

Lev did such an amazing job and I seriously love it so much. She took such care with absolutely everything and was SO nice to work with. Highly recommend commissioning her. I rate 1,000,000,000/10 💕💕

I freaking love making comics, it's always the most interesting thing to do >:3

this one goes for @baskervilleshound! ^^

[giveemhales]

🦇 My 30 Favorite Batfam Fics of 2024 🦇

I’m continuing my annual tradition of sharing some of my favorite fics that came out in the past year (you can see last year’s list here). This is just a way for me to show my love and appreciation for the many amazing artists/writers who keep the fandom alive. If you read any of these fics, please make sure to leave some kudos and comments! And there are so many amazing fics I wasn’t able to include, so I encourage you to show some appreciation to your own favorites!

Please be sure to read all tags and warnings. I’ve provided warnings for the darkest fics.

All of these fics were completed in 2024. I only do one fic per author, but definitely check out all of these authors’ other works. Also, most of these feature tim, because he is my favorite. Now, without further ado…

Sparkles by @iselsis (2k, jason & bruce, fluff, a/b/o dynamics, batman finds an omega kid covered in cuddle pollen and going into heat)

until the bounds of death have been unwound by @vinelark (2.9k, tim & jason, fantasy and angst with a hopeful ending, tim is a demigod and he goes to save jason from the underworld) (the sequel is also great!)

Sacrificial Lamb by @kgraces (3.3k, tim & bruce, angst with a happy ending, bruce makes a deal with the devil to trade tim’s life for jason’s, his kids later find out) (this fic messed me up, i actually think about it all the time)

wouldn’t wish it by @green-eyedfirework (3.3k, jason & damian & tim, whump/angst with a hopeful ending, talia calls jason to save his brothers from the league of assassins) *READ THE TAGS

Lucky Number Three by @sohotthateveryonedied (3.4k, tim & bruce, angst and hurt/comfort, bruce has to deal with the consequences of his actions while he was under the influence of truth serum) (won’t make much sense unless you read this fic which honestly destroyed me)

Anything by @byrambles (3.5k, dick-centric, angst with a happy ending, bruce tells dick he wants to adopt his siblings, dick assumes this does not mean him)

possess by @envysparkler (4.6k, bruce-centric, angst with a happy ending, bruce is possessed by a demon that want, fortunately jason has magic swords)

The Guilt Never Really Left, You Know by @neuro-psyche (4.9k, dick & jason, angst with a happy ending, nightwing saves and then confronts red hood) *READ THE TAGS

Sacrifice by @onemuseleft (5.4k, bruce & his kids, light angst with a happy ending, the justice league is successfully negotiating with alien invaders until they request the sacrifice of one of Batman’s children)

you’ll be alright [or else] by @call-me-quill (5.9k, tim & jason, angst with a happy ending, tim takes a bullet meant for jason and doesn’t understand why jason is so upset)

the bed and breakfast by @adelfie (6.2k, dick-centric, fluff and angst with a happy ending, dick is stranded at a b&b during blizzard, things seem fine until he realizes he’s being held hostage)

with the exception of… by @dss1101 (6.4k, tim-centric, hurt/comfort, everyone realizes tim had a very different experience with his batman than all the other kids)

How to be a Little Brother by @die-erlkonigin6083 (7.4k, damian-centric, fluff and light angst, damian tries to learn how to be a good younger brother)

Reply ‘STOP’ to Unsubscribe by @motleyfam & @batmoniker (8.4k, jason & tim, angst with a happy ending, tim imagines his dad when he’s hit with fear gas at school) (this will probably make more sense if you read the rest of the series first, but I don’t think is strictly necessary (but you should read the series anyway bc it’s great))

Of A Genius’ Legacy by @sparkoflena (8.5k, tim-centric, fluff, tim graduates high school, a lot more people than he expected show up)

Flatline by @dragonpyre (8.9k, jason-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason is injected with a drug that basically shuts down his body, he has to watch his family’s reactions to finding his “dead” body)

Our Dead Drink the Sea by @ghost-bxrd (9.2k, jason-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason is a selkie and bruce kept his pelt when he died, the red hood takes the pelt and the batfam want it back)

In The Back Room by WhumpKing223 (9.9k, dick & jason & tim, heavy angst with a hopeful ending, batman discovers black mask is holding three boys captive, bruce wayne decides to take them in) (the rest of the series is about the boys’ time with bruce and it is great) *READ THE TAGS

Boom, Boom, Pow! by LilaVaporizer9000 (11.1k, tim-centric, absolute hilarity, kid tim steals the batmobile and wreaks havoc/ saves the day)

how to feed your local demon by @inkpotsprite (14.5k, tim & dick & bruce, fluff and humor and light angst, dick is an incubus and isn’t doing well after jason’s death, tim shows up to help)

the fire under your feet by @phneltwrites (17.8k, tim & jason & damian, angst with a happy ending, tim shows up to the league of assassins while jason is still there, they must team up to save damian from ra’s)

Perfect Storm by @banditywrites (25.1k, tim-centric, angst with a happy ending, tim is winning the game of not needing anything from his parents, but it starts getting harder and his neighbors are concerned)

you’re not defenseless, i’ll be your shelter by @fandomtrash-whataboutit (26.3k, tim-centric, angst with a hopeful ending, tim is lex luthor’s captive and is in charge of watching over the new captives- young justice) (the only batfam relationship in this is tim & dick, but the rest of the series has more batfam plus timkon and is so good)

Brother of the Fucking Year by @aceofdivinechlorophyll (26.4k, jason-centric, fluff and crack, jason makes plans to chaotically meet and bond with his siblings… as red hood) (will probably make more sense if you read the first part of the series first, which is also funny and great)

Join the Club by @cephalog0d (26.9k, jason & tim & dick, fluff and humor and light angst, where tim and jason meet at school, tim is dick’s biggest fan, and jason thinks it would be funny to make them meet) (this was filled for me for FTH but I would have included this fic regardless, it’s great)

What Christmas Means To Me by @taralaurel (29.9k, tim & dick & jason & bruce, fluff and angst, tim meets bruce when he is dressed as santa and asks for his parents to be home for Christmas, the batfam takes this as a challenge)

Screaming In The Dark (While We All Play Our Part) by @yourwakingnightmares (32.9k, dick & jason & tim & damian, heavy angst with a hopeful ending, the batboys are captives of a very evil batman, they escape and go to the justice league for help) (I also rec the sequel, which is ongoing and great) *READ THE TAGS

The Right Substitution is Key by @addictedapple (34.4k, jason-centric, fluff and crack and light angst, nightwing and batman go missing, robin asks red hood to fill in as batman)

the loneliness in worth by @yeeyee123 (56.1k, tim & damian, angst with a happy ending and humor, tim is supposed to be training in paris, he instead ends up with the league of assassins and decides he’s gonna help damian get to his father)

Northern Attitude (I Was Raised on Little Light) by @theskeptileptic (103.2k, tim-centric, heavy angst with a happy ending, tim is bruce’s biological son, jack drake has been punishing him his whole life for this, the batfam just want tim in their life) (technically not finished, but I didn’t put it in the WIP section as there is only one chapter left and it’s honestly at a satisfying stopping point) *READ THE TAGS, there is graphic child abuse

+5 WIPs I’d love to see more of in 2025!

[Refuge] by @raberbagirl (7.6k, tim & jason & dick, mostly fluff, the boys take refuge from the streets in the abandoned and supposedly haunted Wayne manor, the spirit of the manor is just happy to care for the kids)

a cuckoo in the nest by @antebunny (9.4k, tim-centric, angst and fluff, bruce makes a deal with the fae to get jason back, he has to take tim in in return, tim just wants to be loved)

Mine by @millytsworld (18k, jason & dick, angst with a happy ending, dick is the right hand man to an infamous mob boss (bruce) and decides jason is his new little brother, jason completely misunderstands dick’s intentions) *READ THE TAGS

Losing Time by hatlessmule (40.3k, tim-centric, angst (hopefully with a happy ending), tim finds himself in a universe where he doesn’t exist, the batfam want to know who this flighty kid is)

Care and Keeping and Kryptonite by @mild-and-hammered (96.9k, superbat ft. the bat kids, fluff and light angst, mild-mannered reporter clark is injured and has to stay with playboy bruce wayne and neither know the other’s secret identity, meanwhile bruce’s kids start meddling to bring the two closer together)

[angstyandromanticwriting]

Day 6 of 🔧

I apologise for not being around as much yesterday to work on my upcoming Masterlist more as I was out for a while, but today I will ensure to put some more hefty work into it for all my lovely supporters here! Until I can see you all again, please have a lovely rest of the day/night, and I look forward to sharing my work on this construction site soon enough! For now, in that case, I have been - as usual:

And as always,

Your ever faithful, H.H. 💜

[philativy]

Accidents Happen!

To: Our Beloved Human Exchange Student (gn!reader)

From: The Seven Rulers of Hell (x the demon brothers)

IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM THE POSTMASTER, PLEASE READ BEFORE BREAKING SEAL: fluff/whump, contains blood, reader is hit with an object, descriptions of pain.

You lounge with your feet propped up on a wooden picnic table, reclined against the steadfast trunk of a slowly wilting tree. Your textbook is cracked open, sprawled face-up on the meat of your thighs. "Practical Application: Alchemy in the Every-day Life" is printed across the top of your elected page, slightly faded with a millennia of use preceding your arrival.

The air is fresh and cool, fingertips of the breeze combing your hair into an untamed knot. The campus is so alive with students that you can nearly feel the pulsating heartbeat of vigor beneath your feet. The Literature Club is meeting in a small circle just a little way off, and a cluster of athletes pass a rotund object between them. Every so often, you glance up to watch Beelzebub chase down a wayward toss.

Beside you, a restless Mammon shifts. His shin knocks into Levi, who glowers and pushes him back in meager retaliation.

"This is borin'." Mammon grouches, plucking a dry leaf out of his ivory hair, "whose idea was it ta' have a study group today anyhow?"

"It was mine, thank you." Satan snips, his eyes remaining faithfully trained upon what appeared to be an effigy of Lucifer in the corner of his notes. He sits in the grass adjacent to you, his supplies scattered around him in a neat semi-circle.

"Figures, I s'pose." Mammon exhales, watching his bangs flip up towards his brow.

"You should be grateful!" Declares Asmo -- who looks awfully preoccupied with painting his nails rather than going over the exam material, "Otherwise, it'd be Lucifer binding you to a chair and forcing you to read. Like every time. Take advantage of this opportunity."

The aforementioned, Lucifer, wasn't present for this little study-huddle. He had a diplomatic errand to attend with Diavolo.

"Beel isn't studyin' though! How's that fair?" Mammon continues to protest, poking his pen through the thin slots provided by the panels that made up the table.

"Beel passes his exams regardless. And he'll make time to study, even if he doesn't do it now." You gently remind him, giving a minute shrug of your shoulder.

"Unlike you, Mammon." Grouses a dozing Belphie (curled up besides Satan on the grass), with far less tact.

"Whadd'ya mean?! That's not even --"

"HEY! LOOK OUT!" Interrupts a pointed shout.

You don't have time to look up. Something hard hits your nose with a distinct THWAK, rattling your skull and possibly rearranging the intricacies of your nasal cavity. The object falls away and bounces onto the ground.

You double over, hands instinctively flying up to cradle your face and defend it from any further battery. Around you, chaos ignites — you hear Asmodeus shriek in horror (something about "their precious face!"), and Mammon all but throws himself at you in a haste to simultaneously observe the damage to your face while covering your body with his own. Levi was assumedly shocked into silence, given the potent lack of his characteristic voice in the air.

Belphie and Satan are just scrambling to their feet when Beelzebub comes rushing over — a jock in tow.

"I'm so sorry! We were- we were just throwing the ball and it got away from us-" the unfamiliar fellow babbles, lifting a tentative hand towards you. Belphie swats it away and places himself as a physical barrier between the jock and your crumpled form. Beelzebub tried to reason with him, but you don’t catch the exchange. Everything is becoming increasingly murky.

You experimentally lift your hands away from your face, eyes watery and fogged with the haze of your throbbing temples. Your hands are streaked with dark, potent carmine, which continues to dribble down your chin and stain your lips.

Levi lets out a long, pitiful whimper at the sight, curling himself into you. "Blood! No, no, no! All the most important hero deaths start with a dramatic nosebleed!"

"They're not dying! Humans aren't that fragile." Satan wrestles you out of Levi's arms and turns your to face him. He carefully guides your face up, shielding your bleary eyes from the glare of the sun with the width of his palm. He uses his free hand to dab at the blood which tints your front two teeth. He slides it up, then, with all the methodical tenderness of a seasoned doctor. He lightly touches the side of your nose, and you jerk away with a sharp cry, new tears culminating in the density of your lashline. "Mm, I know… I know it hurts." he murmurs in sympathy.

Mammon snaps out of his instinctive stupor and tilts his face to fully consider the damage. "They need'ta go to the nurse or somethin'."

"For once, we agree." Satan rises, keeping his hands on your shoulders. "Can you stand?"

You swallow thickly, giving a slow nod. Pushing yourself up, you feel an unpleasant, dizzying curdle in your stomach. You begin to fall forward — only spared by Satan’s firm palms. You moan in distress, sitting back down with an rather undignified thump.

"Let me carry them." Beelzebub offers from somewhere on your left, seemingly having left his teammate to the mercy of Belphegor’s dismay.

There’s a collective rumble of displeasure, but none of the brothers seem particularly interested in arguing at this moment. Mammon, Levi, and Satan step back, shifting their efforts to lifting you into Beelzebub’s sturdy embrace. You curl into a protective fetal position, continuing to obscure your nose as blood stains your otherwise smooth skin. Asmo smooths your hair back worriedly.

You tuck your cheek into the meat of Beelzebub’s pectoral, your vision flickering once before being met by the nostalgic weight of unconsciousness.

END OF PART ONE

dividers by @/cyberbeat, @/bronzewasp, & @/saradika-graphics

part two: published!

[onehoplessromantic]

Masterlist | Glen Powell

Jake “Hangman” Seresin - Tyler Owens

Updated: 6/7/2025 (link check)

!!authors!! if you want ur work removed please pm me

I’m back again with another one!!! It’s definitely not as lengthy as my other lists (yet) but I’m hoping to find some more for all three. I also figured I’d get a stake in this territory as the Glen Powell fanclub grows post-twisters. I hope y’all find what you’re looking for!

peace 💕

join the taglist here

fluff-> 🤍 | smut -> 🍋 | angst -> 🌧️ | major tw -> ‼️

Jake “Hangman” Seresin

𐚁 BROTHERS BEST FRIEND | @tongue-like-a-razor

13 parts | ongoing | 🤍🌧️🍋

Jake Seresin x Bradshaw!Reader

The trials and tribulations of falling for your brothers best friend.

𐚁 BRUISES | @ohtobeleah

8 parts | complete | 🌧️‼️

Jake Seresin x WSO!Reader

After a mission goes south, Jake finds himself captured by insurgents that show no remorse. But whats worse than knowing he failed his mission? Knowing that the Weapons Systems Officer who trusted him to bring her home safe was in the same cell as him. Collecting bruises that match his own.

themes of heavy violence, sexual assault, torture, 18+ content, minors dni, mature themes, being held in captivity, hostage style situations, main character death! whump, angst, conversations that discuss antisocial and antisemetic views

𐚁 ROCKS ARE ALLOWED TO CRACK, STARS ARE ALLOWED TO DIM | @sarahsmi13s

oneshot | wc: ~8.0k | 🌧️

jake ‘hangman’ seresin x fem!pilot!reader

everyone deserves someone to comfort them in their time of need, even the ones that always lend their shoulder.

angst, language, ptsd, description of accident, panic attack, injuries, descriptions of scars, flashbacks, fear of death, familial death (mentioned), crying, bottling up feelings

𐚁 THE WALLS ARE CAVING IN | @desert-fern

oneshot | wc: 5.5k | 🌧️🤍

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x fem!Reader (known as honey bee/honey)

You are sunshine incarnate, the life of the party who is so free with your affection. Jake finds himself struggling to express his desire to be like you while wrestling with his past, what happens when it all comes crashing down around him? AKA Jake is both touch-starved and in love.

jake has a shit dad, angst, still fluffy tho

𐚁 THE BEANERY | @callsign-peach

oneshot | wc: ?? | 🤍

established hangman x female!reader

Jake goes from drinking the base’s stale coffee to bringing in cups from the cafe down the road from the hard deck, and the dagger squad is determined to find out why.

tooth-rotting fluff

Tyler Owens

𐚁 LIKE MOTHER LIKE FATHER LIKE DAUGHTER | @wisdomssdaughterr

oneshot | wc: 3.7k | 🌧️🤍

tyler owens x harding!reader

you had made a name for yourself in the storm chasing game; it was in your genes, being the daughter of the famous chasers jo and bill harding. tyler found your knack for knowing just what the storms thinking, a little infuriating and incredibly impressive

fem!reader, reader gets injured, mentions of blood and injuries, probably inaccurate meteorological info and medical info, angst, fluff, some hurt/comfort

𐚁 CHASE YOUR FEARS | @briefinquiries

oneshot | wc: 11k | 🤍🌧️

tyler owens x f!reader

you and your younger brother are road-tripping across the US when you encounter a tornado. Luckily, the tornado wrangler himself shows up to help.

tornados, fear, flufffff

𐚁 WORTH YOUR WHILE | @wisdomssdaughterr

oneshot | wc: 2.9k | 🤍🌧️

tyler owens x fem!reader

As the local weather woman, you shared an interesting rivalry with your hometown storm-chaser. While you always reported on the dangerous weather from a safe distance, Tyler barreled into it head-first. But things change in the night of the county fair when you find yourself in the middle of a storm rather than the safety of a newsroom.

dramatic fluff, hurt/comfort, description of tornadoes, language, description of injury, slightly inaccurate meteorological info

Glen Powell

𐚁 HEY THERE DARLIN’ | @shellbilee

6 parts | complete | 🤍🌧️🍋

Glen Powell x OFC (Billie James)

fluff, swearing, angst, eventual smut

ⓒ onehopelessromantic, June 2025

[snaillamp]

JOD - day 18 - Any Time

Wanted to do something different for this one ahah.

***************************************************

Masterlist

Day 18: “How long have you been like this?” | Fall | Sleep deprivation | Blankets |

Newbie wheezed as they pushed themself further, their feet thumping on the treadmill. The room was lit up with bright LED lighting, cutting through the darkness of the night. They reached out to press the stop button, slowing to a jog, then a walk and then stopping completely. They jumped off the treadmill, bending over to rest their hands on their knees, panting hard. They looked up at the clock, it was 4 am.

They had been working out for an hour already. Walking over to the water bottle they had set on the floor by the treadmill, they drank and drank, feeling the cold water wash through them. They were drenched in sweat, so they pulled off their shirt and looked around the gym, spying the weights. Walking over, they stared at the numbers, deciding on a weight to lift.

They picked up a weight in each hand and turned to the mirror, huffing as they began to lift. Over the next hour, they switched between weights, push ups, burpees and whatever else they could think of, taking the time to cool down and stretch in between. At 5am, Leader walked in, the first of the team to rise. 


“Oh, hi Newbie? Didn’t expect to see you up so early.” Leader rubbed their eyes, trying to clean away the last of their tiredness from their eyes. Newbie grunted in reply as they stood from a lunge, “Thought I’d get in early and get a head start.”

 Leader considered this answer, before nodding in approval. “I like your commitment, Newbie. You’ve only been with us a few months, but you really show drive. Colour me impressed.” They remarked, hopping on the treadmill and beginning a slow jog. Newbie felt a burst of pride, this is what they were looking for, they had to prove to everyone that they could do it. 


Newbie was the newest addition to the team. It was a big jump, the team was very close and they still felt like a baby compared to the rest of them. Everyone was so cool, calm and collected.

There was Right-hand, who was second in command to Leader, a funny, easy going, but serious woman, Heavy, the tank of the group, who Newbie was convinced was part bear. Technician, a lanky, tall nerd who knew literally everything, he was the literal embodiment of the nerd stereotype. Finally, Leader, the distant, stoic and tough veteran of the group, who was hard on them all. They did not accept anything except the best from their team and in return they gave nothing but the best to their team.

Newbie didn’t quite know where they fitted in yet, they were strong, smart and funny, but they didn’t quite feel part of them yet.
 This is how they would do it, pushing themself beyond their limit, proving that they could keep up with the rest of the team, even be better than them. They had to prove that they deserved to be here.

Leader sped up as the treadmill speed increased. They breathed out steadily as they matched it, sprinting. Newbie couldn’t help but watch, admiring the speed at which Leader could manage.

Newbie went back to the weights, deciding to do some squats. Slowly the rest of the team filed in, uttering good mornings over smoothies, protein shakes and water bottles. Before long, Newbie felt like their limbs were going to drop off, but they couldn’t leave now, they would look like a lightweight. Forcing their body forward, they continued.

They kept squatting, feeling dizzy as they grunted through each rise and fall, until a steady hand came to rest on their shoulder. “That’s enough Newbie.” Leader said sternly. Newbie opened their mouth to protest, “But-” Leader raised their eyebrows, holding out their hand. “You’re done.”

Newbie handed them the weight, their arms feeling like jelly. They hadn’t noticed that everyone else had finished already, everyone usually only did an hour long work out in the mornings. “Give yourself a break, go get some food and then we will get started for the day.” Leader patted them on the back, before turning to leave. Newbie didn’t notice the brief glance Leader gave them as they walked past. 



The hot water of the shower made Newbie practically melt. A contented sigh escaped them as they cleaned off the hours of sweat they had accumulated. They obviously hadn’t worked out for the whole time, taking plenty of stretching and water breaks, but they still felt dead. When they got out and dried themself, they couldn’t help but admire their physique in the mirror.

Newbie had really begun to put on muscle since they started working out harder. They felt proud of their physical gains, but they still felt a little part of them comparing themself to how Leader had just gone at it on the treadmill. They thought about Heavy, lifting double what they could… They had to work harder.


They made their way to the kitchen, preparing a smoothie and downing it hungrily. Newbie’s body was stripped of nutrients, so they gratefully lapped up every drop of the smoothie. They still felt hungry, so they rummaged in the cupboard, looking for oats. Making themself a watery porridge, they wolfed it down, then chugged a glass of water, finally feeling full.

Right-hand walked by eating a banana, “Hey Newbie, impressive workout today. Leader was telling me you got there before they did. Just don’t go too hard on yourself, you could get hurt okay?” Newbie looked up from their bowl, cheeks burning. “Yeah, thanks.”

A feeling of pride and slight embarrassment washed over them. Leader was talking about them? They must be impressed? But… maybe the team thought they were trying too hard, they must know how inadequate they felt. Newbie cringed at the thought of the team laughing about how they were overcompensating.

“Hey, don’t look so down on yourself.” Right-hand leaned over the table, peeling the banana further. She brushed her short hair from her eyes. “You’re doing really well, Newbie. It’s a tough gig and we all think you’re doing great. Not everyone could get where you are so early on.” She finished the banana, throwing the peel in the bin, before patting Newbie on the back. “Oh, and meeting in 10 at the office.” She added, walking off. Newbie smiled weakly to themself, Right-hand’s words a small comfort.

~~

Later that week, Leader walked into the gym at their usual 5 am. Newbie was there, sweating away as they ran on the treadmill. Leader frowned, walking over to the weights, deciding on one and beginning their own workout. They watched as Newbie seemed to tire more and more over the morning, pushing harder and harder, until they finally stopped, the last one to leave before Leader.

Newbie could feel Leader watching them silently from across the room, holding a plank that looked effortless. Newbie smiled awkwardly, before leaving for their room to shower.

Leader watched silently as Newbie emerged into the kitchen and wolfing down food like they hadn’t eaten in weeks. Newbie then drank a massive glass of water, before slumping back in their chair, looking tired. “You went at it really hard today, why don’t you give it a rest tomorrow.” Leader spoke up, looking into their bowl.

Newbie looked over at them, not realising they were there. “Why, I’m fine?” Leader lifted their chin, eyeing them. “I wasn’t asking, Newbie.” Newbie realised what they meant and looked sheepish. “I’m okay, I promise.”

Leader glanced around, making sure no one was nearby, before leaning in a little. “It’s okay if you’re not, you know. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself. You’re doing just fine.” They put their hand on Newbie’s shoulder, squeezing it, before getting up and stretching their back. “I’ll be in my office today, everyone else has the day off. Maybe go do something with them. I think they’ve organised a tv marathon?” They suggested to the tired Newbie.

~~

Newbie sat with Heavy and Right-hand watching some Scandinavian crime drama. They were all intensely staring at the screen as the detective discovered a tiny hair in the back of a car seat, the key piece of evidence needed for the case. They all jumped when Technician crept up behind them, yelling “Rar!”, causing them all to swing arms at him.



When  they all began to rub their eyes and yawn, they began to leave. “I’m turning in. Night guys.” Heavy barely said through a yawn. They all began to plod down the hall. Newbie happened to walk past Leader’s office, glancing in to see them at their computer, tapping away at a keyboard. They looked up at Newbie, noticing them going past and nodded in their direction. “Night Leader.” Newbie mumbled, shuffling off to bed.

They saw their team, bloody and broken. They turned to their left, seeing Right-hand reaching for them, screaming in pain. Heavy was impaled on a pipe, writhing in pain, Technician was missing half of his face, blood spilling all over Newbie, “You should have saved us…” he moaned. A small distance away, Newbie saw Leader lying on their back, eyes vacant and wide and limbs splayed, completely still in a huge pool of blood. They yelled out for them, begging them to move, to help. Leader slowly turned their head, looking at Newbie with those glassy, vacant eyes, before sighing and going limp.

Newbie’s eyes snapped awake, glancing over at their phone, they tapped the screen: 3:13 am. “Fuck.”  The memory of the nightmare echoed through their mind. Anxiety and adrenaline raced through their mind as they stood up from their bed. They had been sweating through their sheets. They grabbed their gym gear, getting ready to head out to the gym.

They cracked open their door, creeping out as to not wake anyone. “Going somewhere?” Leader’s voice piped up behind them. It was gentle, low and quiet, but not angry, that didn’t stop Newbie from freezing up regardless.

“I was just going to get a drink.” “In your gym clothes?” Leader pointed out. 

Newbie sighed, dropping they gym bag on the ground and turning to face Leader. “Fine. I couldn’t sleep. I…I had a nightmare.” They stood, head down, waiting for the lecture from their stoic leader. Instead, they looked up to see the moonlight gently illuminating Leader’s softly smiling face, “How long have you been like this?” Leader gestured at the tired, haggard Newbie, getting a guilty face as a reply.

Leader sighed gently, their large shirt sagging around their shoulders. “Come on.” They held an arm out, waiting for Newbie to join. Confused, Newbie stepped forward, letting Leader guide them with their arm back into their room. Leader looked around at the state of the bed, noticing the sweat stains on the sheets. They went over to the edge of the bed and sat on it, looking at Newbie, waiting for them to join.

Newbie awkwardly shuffled over to the bed, taking a seat next to Leader. They looked tired. They sat in silence for a moment, before Leader leaned forward, resting their elbows on their knees. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” They asked, their tone the same low, gentle tone as before. It washed a wave of calm over Newbie for some reason, and they felt a knot in their stomach they hadn’t noticed before begin to unravel. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, you know, but I think you should.” Leader glanced at Newbie.

Newbie had never seen this soft side of Leader before, as looked over and saw real concern on their face. Before they knew what was happening, they were telling Leader all about the dreams, before the only thing they could do was bawl their eyes out. Leader leaned over and pulled Newbie close, hugging them tightly and hushing them. “Let it all out.” They repeated, rubbing Newbie’s back as they sobbed into their shoulder.

They stayed like that for a while, before Newbie finally pulled back, wiping the tears and slime from their face. Newbie had definitely ugly cried into Leader’s shoulder, but they decided they would die of embarrassment later. “Sorry.” They sniffled, wiping their nose. Leader smiled warmly, “Never be sorry for needing to cry, Newbie. I cry all the time.”

Newbie’s eyes widened, the calm, stoic, infallible Leader, crying? “It’s a good stress reliever, and nice personal time. If I feel overwhelmed, a good cry always makes me feel better.” Leader explained, leaning back casually. ‘They are definitely not in Leader mode right now,’ Newbie thought to themself, ‘but then again, maybe they are, just in a different way?’

Leader sighed, “Newbie. I would never expect you to carry the team for me. That’s what we are all here for, to work together and share the load. I’d be a wreak if I had to do all that myself.” They let out a silent laugh, thinking about all the jobs they would have to do without their team.

“You remind me of me when I was a Newbie. So desperate to prove myself I would force myself to complete arbitrary goals, but when I did them I was still not good enough. I worked myself so hard I collapsed during a meeting out of pure exhaustion.” Their eyes widened slightly, reliving the embarrassment, “That was mortifying.” Smiling to themself, they glancing at Newbie.

“But it taught me something, my team cared more about me being okay, than they cared that I had messed up. You might feel like an outsider, but they all love you. If you haven’t been able to see that...” Leader rubbed their hand on the back of their neck looking slightly stressed and sad, “Then I’ve failed you as a Leader.” They looked out of the door, deflating slightly.


“You didn’t fail me. You noticed just in time.” Newbie assured Leader, giving them a grateful look as Leader reached behind them, pulling a blanket over Newbie’s shoulders. Leader looked at the doorway again with a distance look, before turning back to Newbie, “You can come to me, us, any time, with anything, you know? Any worries, fears, triumphs. We share each other’s load, all of us. Even you.”

They pulled Newbie close, holding them tight. It was comforting, as they began to drift off the the sound of Leader’s breathing, calm and slow and deep in their chest, the gentle thump of their heart beat.

They awoke hours later as the sun streamed through the open door, to see Leader slumped in Newbie’s desk chair, sound asleep. Newbie was wrapped snuggly in about three warm blankets, ‘I must have fallen asleep... Oh fuck this is so embarrassing’. They began to untangle themself from the blanket burrito, accidentally awakening Leader, who looked up with a sniff, and seemed confused why they weren’t in their own room for a second.

They spotted Newbie, untangling their body from the sheets, and smiled to themself, remembering the night before. They had decided to stand guard over Newbie, at least until they made it through the night, but in turn must have passed out themself. As they eased themself out of the chair, they stretched, their joints popping loudly. “Well, I’m going to bed.” They remarked through a yawn, nodding when Newbie looked up at them, seeming more fully rested.

“Thanks again, Leader.” Newbie bowed their head a little, still slightly embarrassed, as they stood from the bed.

“Any time.” Leader yawned as they shuffled slowly down the hall.

[specialgradefckr]

Heatwave: Day 7

tw: explicit content, mentions of past abuse. 6k+ words. Toji/Reader. beta!reader, alpha!toji. hurt/comfort, whump, fluff, toji is kinda pathetic. top!toji, size kink, surprisingly soft sex, extremely domestic.

Prompt: Not everyone has secondary genders, but those who do are considered less than human.

You find him on the streets. A lonely stray, beaten and bruised.

Hair all mussed up, face dirtied, a scar on his lip too poorly healed to be anything but a punishment.

He’s on the floor, propped against the wall in some filthy, dingy alleyway. Covered in dirt, himself.

Eyes half-closed and slowly flitting over his surroundings, like he’s tired but expecting to get hit the instant he tries to sleep.

It’s not uncommon for parents to throw out an alpha or omega teenager as soon as they turn eighteen, if they even waited that long.

Many hospitals didn’t do secondary gender confirmation for minors because the parents would just… leave. Most orphanages were filled primarily with newly-presented alpha and omega teenagers.

And those were the lucky ones. Unlucky alphas and omegas got into worse places. Much worse places. A lot of them stayed around even after adulthood, because what other way was there to work for a living?

Even if they tried to pretend to be a beta, their heat or rut would give them away. Betas didn’t need to go on leave for a week every month or so. Health insurance didn’t cover suppressants if you were registered as a beta, and only betas could get jobs that provided health insurance.

And betas didn’t have the innate urge to mate like omegas or alphas did. Didn’t have the same sense of possession, loyalty, the addiction to their partner’s scent and pheromones that made abandonment impossible.

What they did have was money. All the money, power, and prestige in the world was in the hands of betas.

And if you were an alpha or omega, the best you could do was use your secondary sex to provide the rest of society with entertainment, and maybe get a meal somehow along the way. If you were young and pretty, you might get to live a decent life as some rich beta’s pet.

The stray in the alleyway is a lot older than eighteen. He looks like he’s been eaten alive. Chewed up and spat out once he lost his flavor.

You step up to him and he doesn’t even react to the noise. He’s just sitting there, against the wall, eyes half-lidded and glazed over like he’s waiting to die but still can’t quite sit back and accept it just yet.

That’s the worst part about it all, probably. Because when he was born, he would have looked like a beta, like any other ordinary kid.

Probably to parents who were happy to have him. He might have even had a good life, a happy childhood, a life full of love with a real future in front of him. Until he presented.

He’s a stray, not a wild animal. He had a home, once. Knew what it was like to have a warm bed and a full belly every night. A place to come back to. People who loved him.

A life. A real life, with dreams and aspiration like any normal person – all yanked out from under him in an instant.

An alpha, it looks like. You bend down, sitting on your heels in front of him, waiting for him to notice you. His eyes are narrow, and it’s hard to tell the color –

And then he looks up at you, and you see it. Dark and muddled but the color’s still there. Emerald glittering at you, pick me up, a treasure obscured so only you can see it.

When you reach your hand out, it’s gently, as if not to startle. He just eyes you, wryly, as if he’s too exhausted to be curious about what you’ll do.

You smile. “Hey, stranger.”

Eyes close. Not a threat. “Mmm.”

“Need a hand?”

“If you’re offerin…” He lets his head fall to the side. Not worth the effort to watch you. Some beta lady with a soft heart.

You don’t smell like anything much, not to his burned-out nose, but he can feel your warmth when you lean in closer.

“You got a name?”

Once upon a time, he did. A big name, real important-like, one you might even recognize. Now? Now he’s got nothing.

“Toji,” He gives you, before letting out a hiss as you pull on his bruised hand.

“Sorry,” You murmur, “Let me help you up. Here, like this…”

An arm wraps around his shoulders, tugs him up. It’s impressive that you try at all – Toji heaves his tired, agonized muscles into holding himself up, stumbling along with your support.

You’re doing a pretty good job as a crutch, but there’s no way you can stand his weight for long.

That’s fine. You don’t need to. All he needs is a few days off the streets.

Looks like his luck hasn’t run out completely. Not yet.

-

When you help him in through the doorway, closing it behind you, he slips his shoes off and sets them beside the door, right where yours are.

A stray, not a wild animal. He’s been in homes before, maybe even recently. Just not one he could call his own.

It hurts to think. Almost hurts to look at him, but there’s something achingly handsome about his face.

That half-sly, half-defeated look he’s always got. Those lowered brows and hooded eyes, the cut on his lip that should be mean but just looks scrappy.

He’s an alpha and he’s built like it, but there’s still an unmistakable proudness to his features. A well-defined jawline, strong chin, eyes sharp and fierce.

You’re a little embarrassed at the state of your home. Even in the best of times, you hated doing dishes, and you hadn’t exactly been expecting company. Still, it’s nothing to be terribly ashamed of, even if you apologize for the mess. He doesn’t seem to mind.

“You want to go to a clinic?” You’ve got some pills in hand – some over-the-counter generics, he’s sure – and a glass of water to go with it. “I can take you, don’t worry about the bill.”

Aren’t you just a doll? “Nah. I’ll be fine. Had worse.”

He can see it, too, transparently, how his words pull at your heartstrings. If he plays this right maybe he can get a whole week. Maybe two.

Toji’s always been the gambling sort. You look like a good bet.

“Well…” You think to yourself for a moment, “I think I have a shirt that would fit you, but not much else. I have a bathrobe, too, if you want to take a shower.”

A shower would be perfect, especially if he was going to fuck his way into your good graces. Beta ladies love alpha cock.

“Mhm.” He hums, following you to the hallway and waiting patiently for you to gesture him into the bathroom.

You hand him a robe – probably large enough for him, but extremely fluffy – and a shirt that would probably be a little small on him, but far too large to be a woman’s.

“I, uh, I don’t have separate stuff for guests – feel free to use my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, whatever, I buy it in bulk anyways.” How nice of you to offer.

He was going to anyways, of course. As sexy as the whole wounded filthy beast thing was, women didn’t like letting a dirty guy sleep in their bed.

Even if you were annoyed by it, it’d be a while before that pissed you enough to kick him to the curb. When you did, that wouldn’t be what did it.

A quick once-over confirms he’s pretty bruised and beaten up, but no broken bones. A few cuts here and there that have already stopped bleeding. Every muscle in his body is screaming for him to lie down, hard enough that he almost passes out in the shower, but other than that, he’s all right.

There’s bandaids beneath the sink. It’s more than he usually gets.

When he comes out, clad in the robe and nothing else, he’s kind of ready to collapse.

But what kind of man whore would he be if he didn’t at least give you a glance at the goods? He saunters into your living room, sliding into a plush chair beside the couch you’re currently on.

Your eyes widen gratifyingly at the sight of him, glancing away for a moment in an attempt to stay casual. It’s a little cute, but hopefully you’re not some kind of prude; that’d make things significantly harder.

“Did you find everything okay?” You say, and he notices for the first time a cat curled up next to you as you stroke it gently. It’s bright white and long-haired.

He nods. You notice his gaze, and smile.

“This is Catoru! He’s a huge diva and he loves attention.” A white tail curls around your arm as you pet, swaying gently.

Great. Competition. “Any roommates?” He asks.

To his relief, you shake your head. “I have a guest bedroom, though, you’re free to stay there for as long as you need.”

As long as you need. He’s heard that one before.

It’s all right, though. You’re just a naïve, sheltered beta; you’ve probably never even met someone who would take advantage of your kindness to the absolute fullest extent.

Toji supposes he should be honored to pop your cherry. Right now, he’s not anything but exhausted.

You set a cup of tea in front of him, “You want a snack? I have some protein bars – ”

Sounds perfect, “If you don’t mind.”

He scarfs down everything you offer him, sighing in relief when you bring him a couple more. Sips at the tea, requests a cup of water, drowns several of them before he’s really dead on his feet.

Ah. Clean. Some food in him, some water. This is what heaven must be like.

“My room is just across the hall,” You smile, “I leave my door cracked so Catoru doesn’t freak out. Just let me know if you need anything.”

And Toji feels your smile, all the way deep into his tired bones. Can’t wait to gnaw on it, suck at it, devour every last bit of it until there’s nothing left. He’s always had shit luck but it looks like it hasn’t abandoned him just yet.

He thanks you. The cat at your side winks open an eye to look at him, bright blue and startling against his white fur.

-

He’s left the door open a crack, just in case you’re bolder than you appear.

One of the particularly shit things about being an alpha or an omega is the pack behavior crap. They weren’t meant to be alone, especially while they slept. Made them nervous.

Some kind of pack-bonding stuff. It was hard to sleep without someone next to him. Made him antsy, twitchy, whenever he did sleep he woke up after an hour or so.

Meant a lot of sleepless, painful nights at the Zenin complex. He’d taking to sprinting around the complex, push ups, squats, whatever he could do to exhaust himself so much that he could just lie down and pass out until one of his cousins kicked him awake.

It usually bought him only a few hours, but combined with his alpha genes it meant he grew up built; lean and mean and strong enough to take hits that would kill lesser men.

Lucky him. After they kicked him out he was approached by some tall, scrawny looking omega called Shiu who had a job or two for a strong man with nothing to lose. Money he could blow on food or gambling while he went from one hookup to the next.

He hadn’t heard from Shiu since the last job. Not surprising, since it went worse than expected. In retrospect, if you hadn’t found him in that alley, someone elsewould have.

The thought doesn’t bother him much. Had to end sometime. Every dog has his day, and for a mangy mutt like him, he’d already gotten way more than he deserved. Even life on the streets was better than living with the fucks he shared blood ties with.

Still, as long as he’s in the game, he’s pushing his luck. If he can get you to fuck him, you’ll let him stick around longer, and he’ll get a full night of sleep.

There’s a noise at the door and his excitement rises a touch. He didn’t think you’d be willing to do it this early –

A gentle weight on the bed. Too gentle.

For fuck’s sake!

“Hey, Catoru,” He grumbles, “You’re lucky I even remember a guy’s name. Don’t make a habit of it.”

Catoru, of course, simply curls up next to him, obnoxiously close. His fur is impossibly soft. He should have been named Cloud or Snow or something.

Toji reaches, stroking the bundle of warmth and softness with short, lazy movements. His hands are rough, calloused, but it doesn’t seem to bother the cat any. He just snuggles up and purrs. It soothes his instincts to a degree he finds utterly uncomfortable.

God, fuck, he hadn’t been competition for the cat. The cat was taking pity on him.

Normally he wasn’t so picky about where the pity came from. He was way more popular with the ladies but there was a guy here and there who wanted to try him out.

Those were usually much shorter affairs, though. Women were way better. Took a certain kind of guy to want to fuck an alpha male. A lot of them got off on making him their ‘bitch’, fucking him hard and rough because he had to take it for a place to sleep.

He had enough of that shit at the Zenin complex. This is worlds better.

It’s too good for trash like him, but he’ll take it as long as it lasts.

He wakes up a few times in the middle of the night, but that’s normal enough. The cat’s insufferable, but he’s warm, and soft, and cuddly, which he’s never seen before.

It helps, until the traitor wanders off into your room, probably to snuggle until he decides to wake you up for food.

Bastard. Toji watches him stalk into your room like he owns this whole damn place. Probably jumping right into your arms.

He wonders where the shirt is from. An ex-lover? A male relative? It doesn’t smell like anyone else, but it would probably have belonged to a beta.

You’re living alone, though, which is enough for him. He’s gotten plenty of beta ladies to sleep with him despite having other lovers currently, that’s not a problem.

It’s not like he has to worry about your lover showing up and beating the shit out of him (or you) either – little perks of being an alpha. As long as you paid the bills and wanted him around, that was enough.

There’s a little part of him that always takes an intense pleasure at the thought. Protecting his mate and all that garbage.

Doesn’t matter. He’s just hanging on for now.

-

You’re not sure what food your guest would like, but it’s a good excuse to cook a big breakfast for him and you.

Lord knows, the poor man had an appetite, so you doubt even your mediocre cooking would go to waste. It’s a little embarrassing to have dishes still in the sink, but you’ll do them all at once after you’ve eaten. For sure this time.

Besides, not a lot of ways you could screw up eggs, French toast, bacon, all that stuff. It’s a few minutes of shuffling through things, putting down pans and containers, before you’re ready to get cooking.

You open the fridge, and it hits you. Eugh. Something’s gone off.

Living alone, it happens sometimes. You buy something then forget to eat it before it goes bad. But your fridge is pretty full already…

You look through the shelves, the cases, trying to find what’s gone bad. It’s weird, it’s like the rotten smell just hits you at random times, you can’t seem to find where it’s coming from.

There’s a sudden warmth behind you, like a wall of muscle, as Toji leans over your shoulder, lazily scanning the fridge. He takes one sniff, then reaches deep past a couple jars of condiments and a stick of butter to pull out some cheese.

It’s a soft Havarti, sliced, and you can see the green creeping through it. Bleh.

Toji rolls his eyes as he opens the package up, “It’s cheese, you can eat around it – ”

Oh hell no. You snatch it back and toss it in the trash. The way he’s eyeing it fills you with incredulity.

“It’s not like – it’s not parmesan or whatever fancy cheese that gets mold on it. We can just get more next time.”

“Mmmhmm.” He nods.

He wouldn’t dig through your trash, right? Right??

“Seriously, thank you for picking it out. I was looking for whatever smelled so off.”

Toji was absolutely planning on digging through your trash. Hell if he’d let good food go to waste, but your house, your rules.

“Really? What are you, nose blind?” Beta, he remembers. Not a great sense of smell.

Toji’s always had a great nose. His shitty uncles would hide rotting food around the backyard, and if he was lucky, he could get to it before it was all eaten by bugs or animals.

His cousins would play with him sometimes. Bloodhound. He can still feel the makeshift collar and leash of rope wrapped around his neck. Promises of extra food or clothes if he hunted down a misplaced possession of theirs.

What a chump he was. Took him years to stop falling for it. Ancient history. He watches you shrug.

“Guess so.” Your hand comes up to him, and he doesn’t flinch, but the strike never lands.

Instead, he feels fingers, ruffling through his hair. Softer than usual, since you made him use your fancy shower crap. You have to reach up to get to his head, and you look silly, all stretched like that, but it feels like something in his chest is stretching alongside you.

“I appreciate it.” He almost whines when your hand goes away. “Thanks, Toji.”

That shitty name doesn’t sound so bad coming from your voice. “Anytime.” The words come out softer than he expected them to.

Toji watches for about five minutes while you get ready before he quietly stalks up to the stove and starts the heat on one of the pans. God, he loved some good bacon.

Was a good day when he could snatch some from the family breakfast, even if he got beat for it. Most of the women he stayed with weren’t really the cooking type.

You don’t seem that domestic, either, but with all the food in your fridge it’s obvious you’re trying. You give him a look while you whisk together some eggs, sugar – French toast, he thinks.

“I can get the bacon,” He mutters, waiting for the pan to heat up so he can start laying strips down. “You take the other side.”

“Oh. Oh, sure!” You brighten, smiling at him – what, you’re feeding him for free, but you’re happy he’s helping?

You’re a good person, he supposes. Really good, down to the core, in a way none of those Zenin fucks ever were.

The normal, upstanding sort who went to their jobs and lived their lives without ever knowing what omega brothels were or how alphas were treated as expendable muscle.

You live in a completely different world, one that has barely, briefly intersected his. But he’ll greedily gulp down every breath of fresh air he can get here, even if that means ruining it. Not like he’s ever done anything else.

-

It’s funny, living with you. The funniest part is that it doesn’t seem to stop. It takes him some time to realize that you really meant what you said – as long as you need.

What a chump. A bleeding heart. He’s chomping at the bit to eat it all up.

He learns that you’re a teacher – a professor – at a nearby community college. The pay can’t be that good but the hours are easy, and you don’t need a car – you’re living in some nearby campus-sponsored housing as a part of your employment package. There’s grocery stores close enough to walk to, and a bus for when you need it.

You teach math, or some other nerdy shit. It’s hard not to zone out when you start explaining in depth, especially since you get that excited look in your eyes, and your voice just flows out of you like you’re on a roll.

Before you leave for classes you make yourself a coffee, and you make him one, too. It’s funny, having someone hand him a warm drink without him paying for it first. Funny, seeing you smile and say good morning at the start of the day.

Usually he tried to slink around, stay out of sight unless he knew he could turn things into sex, but you’re not expecting that so he just… lingers.

He used to peek through cracked doors or barely high enough windows to watch TV. Darting out of the way whenever someone glanced outside.

They locked him out, sometimes, like an unruly dog. Can’t have some ugly alpha mutt dirtying their doorways, pissing on the carpet or some shit.

Now, you hand him the remote and show him the channels before you leave.

He watches whatever, until you come home and he bears through your dumb TV shows (Sorcerers? Cursed spirits? Who watches this shit?) and nags you afterwards about your favorite characters, jokes and laughs about them and the plot.

So he catches up when you’re at work, too, just so he can tell you how dumb this Satoru dude is.

God, the guy’s hair is so stupid. And he’s got next to no fashion sense, Toji can already tell (never mind that he is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a stylish man). What a damn tool. Why the hell do you like this stupid beanpole so much?

He tries not to think about why your preferences bother him so much. No use thinking about stuff he can’t change.

The kids are fun, though. Megumi’s smart, even if he’s a bit rough around the edges, Yuji’s too nice for his own good, Nobara is a riot. The Sukuna guy looks like he’s gonna be a blast.

Maybe the show isn't completely irredeemable. You don’t seem to mind his slander of one of your favorite characters, giggling, teasing him, arguing playfully.

It’s fun. It’s fun, and weird, the kind of conversation he’s never had before. Mostly he flirts with women – he does with you, but you brush it off or it flies right over your head – and half-threatens guys. Or he rolls over like a dog to get what he wants.

Doesn’t get to tease people much unless he’s planning on killing them, so it’s a nice change of pace.

He hasn’t gotten his ass handed to him since before you took him in, too. Gets to eat three times a day, or more, even, when you remember to get snacks. He doesn’t ask you but when you see them start to go missing, you start to buy more, ask him what kind he likes best, and it makes him feel funny things.

Lots of things you do make him feel funny. The dumb smiles, for one. The warm meals and carefully made drinks, tea or coffee with cream but no sugar, even though you like yours half-diabetic.

You hate doing dishes, he learns, and quietly he starts picking it up himself. And there’s that smile you make, when you come back home, that look of delighted surprise on your face when the kitchen’s all clean. It’s painfully gratifying.

Same with the litter box for the stupid beast. You’re supposed to change it every day, but you sort of scrape by every other day – with his sensitive nose, he finds it easier to just scoop it every day.

He’s not even trying to help you. Barely sees why you don’t like to do it – Toji’s never minded getting his hands dirty.

He’s been filth his whole life. What’s a little more? This was pristine, compared to sleeping out in the dirt. Compared to getting pissed on, having knives or garbage thrown at him, bruised and bloodied face rubbed in the floor while somebody held him down.

It goes on for so long he wonders if he’s going to lose his edge, starts doing laps around your apartment block. One day you casually hand him a card and ask him to come with you – you’ve gotten a household membership at a local gym.

You don’t visit as often as you should (your words, not his). But you must have noticed him, seen him.

He goes during the day, having nothing better to do, and knowing it’s best to stay in shape for whatever work he may be able to scrounge up someday. He goes to the gym and it’s as weird as living with you.

Punching things, lifting things, stretching and running without his muscles screaming in agony from start to finish, without adrenaline fueling his every motion.

He goes until he’s tired and other folks at the gym give him looks, but they don’t want to fuck him or beat him up. A couple guys glance at him and whoop when he does a deadlift, and he’s really not sure why.

But it’s fun. It’s worth his time. It feels fucking amazing after – he’s all tired out but in a good way, a nice soreness that goes down to his bones and makes him look forward to the hot meal waiting for him at home.

He’s started to cook some, too. Wordlessly helping out alongside you, and then silently prepping things while you’re out.

You hate doing dishes anyways, and it feels good to see how grateful you are to come home to food and a clean home. He doesn’t mind doing it. Doesn’t mind doing any of it, when you look at him like that.

There’s a bit of cleaning to do usually, thanks to some white furry bastard leaving his hair everywhere.

The fuckin cat. What’s with that stupid thing?

He’s never had a pet before, obviously, even scrapped with a few mutts on the streets sometimes digging through the trash.

Once or twice he’d fucked someone who had a pet, and usually it growled at him, if it didn’t cower or ignore him completely. Just alpha shit.

Catoru (god, was he named after that guy in the show?) has a fucking crush on him or some shit. Fucking weirdo.

He walks up to him, rubbing against his leg, purring and meowing to be pet. Likes to be held, too, chirps happily when Toji lifts him up. Lounging in his arms like a little prince-beast he is. Making a home of Toji’s lap whenever he’s on the couch, meowing indignantly whenever he so much a shifts.

The cat meows constantly when you’re gone and Toji wondered at first if you forgot to feed the damn nuisance. But no, you’d never do that to your BABY. Stupid cat.

(God damn. He’s jealous of the fucking cat.)

Nah, the thing is meowing for attention. Wants it bad. Wants his soft pretty fur to get pet, and doesn’t care if it’s some dirty alpha whore doing it.

Eh. Takes one to know one. You did say Catoru was an attention whore.

If he’s got a few treats on hand, if he indulges the stupid animal just to keep it from whining… well, whatever.

-

And then his rut is coming up. Not surprising, since he’s healthy again and fucking lives with you, all domestic-like and shit, like you’re his mate. If anything, he’s surprised it took this long.

Normally when he feels his rut coming up he just finds the first broad he can. He’s got a handsome enough face, a more than impressive form, all he needs is a warm and willing partner.

He doesn’t usually have a problem finding an adventurous beta lady all excited to take a big alpha cock – it’s what comes after that get dicey.

You can’t knot betas, even in the midst of his rut he’s not dumb enough to try it. But his dick is big and he’s been with enough women to know that’s not actually a good thing, at least, not the night after all the “fun”. And ruts last a few days.

His dick’s been bothering him for a while, too, even before his rut. You’re just so fucking hot all the time, so nice to him, so smiley and friendly and you laugh and make jokes with him and shit.

It’s just so easy. He thinks he should feel bad about it, about using you like this, but you’re so utterly unbothered he starts to wonder who’s really winning.

You’re so fucking smart, you and your classes and your routines and your crafts and hobbies and projects. You notice details and act all considerate and shit. Pet him on the head even though he’s taller. Makes him all gooey on the inside and shit.

Blue balls fucking suck when you’re an alpha, and the cock doesn’t help. It’s a disgusting thing, big and swollen and aching, something his cousins and uncles jeered at.

A humiliating handicap that sent him humping and rutting against things like an animal, helpless to do anything but whine and moan and maybe lash out when they tossed rocks or shit at him.

One of his younger cousins liked to kick him in the dick, and another thought of a fun little game where they tied a rope between his legs, and, well –

Shit’s in the past, now. His cock works fine, he’s lucky enough for that. Made him strong, in a way. All those hits, anything could put him on his ass, and he’d get right back up.

It taught him that no comfort was coming, no mate, no home, no warmth, he had to curl up and bear through it, find a way to fuck it out and to not to expect anything but malice on the way out.

It’s not like he’s ashamed of it.

Shame is for people who have the luxury of pride. Toji knows what he is, what he's good for.

But a deep, tiny, stupid part of him is quaking in fear at the thought of rejection. A larger part of him, the practical side, doesn’t want to piss you off and get tossed out.

It’s nice here, too nice, he’s got to keep it going as long as he can, even though he knows your endless patience will run out on him someday.

You’ll look at him and see him for the garbage he is. An alpha, a beast, a dirty animal you’ve taken into your home and fed and pampered until he wouldn’t go away anymore. Garbage to toss out on the street, where he belongs.

One day even the image of you smiling at him will be a distant memory of the days when he had it good.

-

Toji’s gonna lose his fucking mind at this rate.

It’s not like he’s ugly. He knows he’s not ugly. He could accept maybe that he’s not your type, but from the way you have to avert your gaze whenever he walks around post-shower with a towel around his waist, you’re not at all indifferent to his body.

So why the hell won’t you fuck him?

He’s made it pretty obvious that he’s available. Not shy in his body at all. He’s grateful to you, always obedient, never denying any of your request. He’s an alpha, and you know that, you must know that, what he’s good for.

You won’t even ask. Won’t make any kind of mood, send out any signal.

He starts to wonder if you’ve got a partner waiting for you somewhere after all, just far away, and something terrible twists in his chest.

But he’s never had any patience for mixed signals. And this is going to happen no matter what he does, so he might as well say it.

“I’m going into rut,” He says, just to put it out there.

Right away, he sees your body language, little scent indicators that even betas give off. Flustered. Aroused?

“Oh – oh, well. Is there anything I can do to help? To make it easier, I mean…” You trail off, but he doesn’t give you time to be mortified by your own words.

“Unless you want to have sex with me, not much. Just let me get some food and water to wait it out in my bedroom with.”

Honestly, more than he was used to back at the compound. Nothing beat a good fuck, though. And it doesn’t help that you’re pretty attractive, too.

“Oh. Uhm.” He holds back a chuckle at your expression. Too cute. “I – I thought alphas and betas couldn’t really…”

“Oh yeah, you can’t knot a beta,” Toji shrugs, “But having someone with you is the most important part. None of the other betas I fucked have complained.” He was good for one thing, at least.

You look like you want to sink into the ground. “Do you – do you have someone – ”

He raises a brow at you, “If I did, they were a pretty shit partner, yeah? You were the one who dragged me out of that alley.”

“Well, that was just – ” You pause, and god, what he would do to find out what was going on in that little head of yours, “Basic compassion, you know?”

This time, he does laugh. “For an alpha?”

“Well, yeah! You’re human too, right?” You both know that’s not how it works. “And – and still. It’s not like you would have died, right? I was just helping you out.”

He gives you a wry smile. “Right. Anyways, there’s no one else. You’re all I’ve got.”

Oh, he knows what he’s saying. What he’s doing. He’s done it a million times before, but he’s never quite wanted it to work this bad.

Usually women fuck him and then they pity him. You haven’t fucked him yet, and you’re pitying him more than anyone ever has in his entire life.

A better man might be bothered by that. Toji? He can’t get enough.

Watching you stumble for words and stammer and avoid his gaze like prey. It strokes every last instinct he has and then some. He swears he can hear your heart racing, and his knot is starting to pulse in time with it.

There’s a whiff in the air. Tickling his senses. You’re a beta, and it’s faint, but he grins to himself over your stammered answer.

Jackpot.

-

You’re not as shy as he thought you’d be, is his first thought, when he takes you to bed.

You’re smaller than him – most people are – and delicate, breakable, he’s got to be careful. Normally he tries to feel a woman out, see if they like it hard and fast and he can go rough, but somehow, for all his desperate urges, his alpha instincts lock him up when he’s looking down at you.

It’s weird, how strong it is. How compelling. How much he wants to go along with it.

He’s got to do right by you. Treat you nice, make you feel good. Can’t fuck this up when it’s the very first time.

There’s a reason alphas are stereotyped as aggressive, and it’s biting at him now, pulsing in between his legs so painfully he thinks he could die, but Toji’s been on the verge of death before and that doesn’t scare him.

You looking at him with fear in your eyes? Flinching away or crying out? That’s fucking terrifying.

So he kisses you on the lips, works his hands down your body, against your shoulders like a massage. Enough that he can touch you hard but still be tender, still be good to you like every fiber of his being is screaming for him to be.

He’s never been this gentle in his life. Toji is all muscle, all lean performance like a panther, built to kill, but he’s so careful with you, touches ghosting along your skin until you’re humming and pressing back into him.

Taking a large, calloused hand in your own and bracing it over your breast with a bashful look.

And shit, when has he ever laughed during sex? You whine back at him, meeting his eyes as he squeezes and nips – not even hard enough to leave a mark – and something deep inside him trills at how it makes you squirm. How it makes you smell.

He kisses you again. God, he could kiss you forever. The taste of your tongue on his is the best thing he’s ever tried –

But he knows, when he spreads your legs, it’s about to be the second best.

Your hands bury themselves in hair that’s now soft and well-conditioned.

He feels like a beast, licking between your legs, drinking in your moans and wails as he laves over your clit. He feels like he could devour you forever and not be full. Like he’s going to start drooling any time he ever smells you.

A trained dog, with you clasping his hair like a short leash that he never wants you to let go of. You took him in, you fed him and kept him and cared for him, and now he’s yours.

Since he’s yours, you have to have him. It’s only right, only fair.

He makes you cum once on his tongue, then he fingers you, spreading you open with care and diligence, like any loyal hound would.

Your cunt is the purpose of his existence, the vessel for the knot that throbs agonizingly between his legs, and his pain is the evidence of his complete and utter devotion.

When you cum around four of his fingers, he pulls himself up to rub his cock against you. Spreading your slickness carefully along him. You’re not an omega, but he’s made you wet, his spit and your cum slick against him as he spreads it on himself.

Toji doesn’t think he’d mind being your dog. The thought comes to him as he buries himself deep inside you.

It feels like nothing he’s ever had before, like he’s melting, like the whole world disintegrates until all he’s got left is the wet heat of your cunt sucking him it.

He’d gladly be on collar and leash for you. Be your bloodhound, hunt down anything you wanted. Kill, bite, attack, heel.

He’d learn all your commands and jump to obey them like a trained animal. As long as you’d have him. As long as you’ll let him in.

His knot pulses and throbs just outside your entrance. He doesn’t mind if you can’t let him, in, if you never do, as long as he gets to feel this warmth.

Your arms reaching around him, holding him against you. Little noises you make while he drives into you with religious precision, hitting the best spot. Reaching with his thumb to rub over your clit. Kissing your lips, your cheek, your neck as you babble and moan when you get close.

He cums when you do. Nothing feels better than knowing he made you feel good. Every fiber of his body – muscled, powerful, built to rip and crush, kill and fuck – it trembles at the sight of you. Shivering at a bone-deep pleasure that dissipates throughout his entire form.

Alpha instincts scream at him to dig his teeth into your neck. Soft, unmarked, bared for him. It sings to him. He’s never wanted anything more.

But you’re a beta, and it would hurt you. So he lays kisses where he wants to bite. Suckles gently while you laugh at how it tickles, and smiles and kisses your lips like he can devour the sound of your joy, eat it, keep it inside himself like a light that never goes out.

You hold onto him, too. Like he’s something precious, like you want him here with you. He falls asleep like that, half-buried inside you, head buried between your breasts. He’s bigger than you, but he buries himself inside you, hides away in this cavern of warmth and softness like nothing he’s ever known.

He waits for you to pull away, but you don’t. You never do. He wakes up with you still against him, still snuggling up – the annoying bastard of a cat curled up at both your feet.

Maybe… Toji knows he’s living garbage, disposable, good for a fight or a fuck and then to be thrown away.

But he’d been good to you, hadn’t he? You liked him, for some reason he can’t understand.

Maybe – maybe if he can do just this one part good enough –

Maybe you’ll keep him, anyways.