#would love to talk about these woods they felt so strange walking through this

[aisling-saoirse]

Open Montane Oak-Hickory Forest, Hewitt, NJ - March 8th 2024

[elysianightsss]

Another sweet sweet price thot💋

Okay but let’s talk about Mountain man Price. He retired a few years ago and decided he much prefers the solitude of the beautiful mountains, with the tips of them all covered in snow. He likes the quiet, knowing he won’t run into anyone here. No one from the little town at the bottom of the mountains would be brave enough to hike the mountain trail.

He remembers the day he built his nice log cabin with the help of his trusty lieutenant of course. Simon helped his Captain one last time, before parting ways. Price wanted to be alone, after everything he’d experienced in the military, he wanted it to be just himself and the weather to keep him company.

He’d have the survival skills no doubt about it, but the more time he spent up there the more his social skills began to fade away. He’d have to come down every six months or so to restock his food, he make his trip down the hike trail to the little town at the bottom of the mountains and through the woods.

But the shop workers weren’t his biggest fans. He’d practically clear them out of their stock, the poor little local shop. They didn’t like his attitude either, found him strange and unapproachable. Though that’s exactly what John was going for. The less people that spoke to him, the better.

Until he met you of course.

It was only your second week at your new job, you’d just moved to the little town around a month ago and this was the only job available after some woman called Darlene went of maternity leave.

My gosh the way you’d be so nice to him having no idea the stigma that surrounded him and how suprised he’d be at the kindness you showed him. He’d actually look forward to coming down to the town.

He’d come more often as well, saying he’d ran out of supplies and yet he’d only buy a bag of fruit or some meat. Then he’d start to tidy up his appearance too, trim his over grown beard and moustache back to its former glory. The blush that would spread across your cheeks the first time you see him like that.

Hair trimmed too, you’d be able to see his perfect lips and crooked smile. It provoked a feeling in you that you’d long forgotten. Slowly but surely he’d start trying to flirt. Trying. Though you found it endearing how bad he was at it. Finally though he’d succeeded asking you out on a date and fuck the moment he’d turn up in his dark blue jeans, black shirt and dark brown leather jacket and boots. You swooned.

He had the charm turned on, especially after his phone call with his ex team. They could all hear how nervous their former captain was for this date. It made them very intrigued to meet you one day.

John didn’t miss a beat, almost as if he’d laid this date out like a mission. Going step by step to win your heart. He made you laugh so hard your stomach hurt, made you smile until your cheeks ached. Ordered the food and drinks impressively, no umming or stuttering.

He gave you butterflies when he reached over the table to grab your hand in his larger one. The skin was rough and calloused, but it felt amazing against your hand. He loved how soft your skin felt against his. He traced around the palm of your hand with his thick index finger, those gorgeous ocean eyes gazing into your soul.

After dinner, John took you to a local bar that you were pleasantly surprised with. A few drinks later you tipsily confessed how handsome you thought he was. The longer the evening went on, the more longing looks and teasing touches were shared.

The evening ended with the two of you slow dancing until last call. The way your bodies pressed together, the intimacy and warmth. The way he’d always make eye contact, almost as if he was trying to read you. The way he held you so tender yet tight, his large hands on your body. It all just felt so right.

John walked you home, looking so sad when it was time to part ways. “Please, let’s do this again sweetheart.” When your manager Billy had called you that, it made you feel sick. Had the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, disgust shivering down your body. But when John said it, damn. Your body shivered in delight, the deep mumble entangled with that delicious accent of his made you gulp back a lump in your throat. You swear your underwear was a little wet too.

You nodded leaning forward to kiss his cheek goodnight, John was quick to take your cheeks into his hands and press his wanting lips against yours. He was hungry and almost vicious when he kissed you, it made you wonder what kind of lover he was like as he pressed you against your front door and kissed you like he’d never get the chance again.

[hcneymooners]

⋆ down and out, you got me beggin' for thread.

milf!landlord!ambessa x oblivious!f!reader. men & minors dni. synopsis: in your defense, you just thought she was being an attentive landlord. and then the dinner happened. cw: landlord!ambessa, milf!ambessa, oblivious!reader, age difference, older woman/younger woman, domination, dom/sub, dom!ambessa, sub!reader, ambessa puts you in your place i fear, sweet!reader, oral sex, cunnilingus (ambessa!receiving), bessa has a clit hood piercing whoops, face riding, vaginal fingering (r!receiving), overstimulation, strength kink, praise kink, rough body play, reader is large-chested, cfnf (clothed female, naked female), crawling, kneeling, hair pulling, dirty talk, flirting, seduction, ambessa clocking your shit, she ain't new to this but she's true to this & she's gonna wear you out. notes: i have nothing to say for myself.

in your defense, you just thought she was committed to being a really lovely landlord.

you’d been somewhat isolated from the rest of your neighbors in the condominium, having moved in late and missed all the arranged social activities. they regarded you as a strange little creature—thick hair in an unruly shock, a mouth so full it seemed perpetually pouting. work kept you coming home late most nights, shoes in hand as you climbed the wooden stairs quietly, mindful of the many elderly residents whose comfort you took care not to disturb.

you lived alone, a choice that often worried your family but one you adored. walking through your door to complete silence, greeted by the heavy coffee-and-baby-powder smoke of your newest candle, made it easier to disassociate from whatever unhappiness followed you in from the world outside.

you’d made no effort to distinguish yourself among the residents. even moving in had been a seamless affair—a blur of efficiency as six absurdly lanky movers wrestled your antique french pieces (all dark wood) through the narrow doorway, your winces punctuating every scrape against the walls.

the flat was small but sweetened undeniably by your touch. the floor plan alone had elicited a stifled gasp of horror from your father when you’d sent it to him during a call—confirmation, if you needed it, that you’d made the right choice. your bedroom, however, was the crown jewel.

it was your favorite indulgence, an unapologetic display of your heart & taste, and just a touch of impracticality. the mirrored wall behind the bed was its most divisive feature, reflecting the soft, amber glow of the lamps into endless repetitions of warmth. your father would have grimaced if he saw it, muttering something about "too much light bouncing around," but to you, it felt decadent.

the bed, wide and heavy, was dressed in pale linens with a subtle fringe that seemed to collect light like dew. it was the kind of bed that swallowed you whole, that made you linger in the mornings even when you couldn’t afford to. you’d agonized over the exact shade when choosing the bedding—anything too dark would have clashed with the mirrored nightstands, which were precariously balanced between timeless and ostentatious.

the carpeting was thick enough to mute every footstep, though the faded champagne hue had long since been out of fashion. still, you loved it, the way it dulled the room’s sharper edges. a chandelier hung overhead, small but undeniably glamorous, its crystals catching the light like a handful of stolen stars.

t wasn’t a large room by any means, but it didn’t need to be. it was yours, unmistakably so, and that was enough.

so, of course, it would be the first thing to fall prey to maintenance.

the first drip was forgivable. pipes groaned in older buildings, after all, and you were nothing if not patient. the second drip came faster, followed by the slow, insidious spread of water along the grout of your ensuite floor. you pressed your palm to your forehead, sighed, and stared at the mirror, still smudged from a half-hearted cleaning spree earlier in the week. the bathroom had charm—aged brass fixtures, a vintage vanity—but that charm was waning fast as the puddle grew.

it was past midnight, but you decided you had no choice. wrapping your robe tighter around your waist, you picked up your phone and dialed the number your landlord’s assistant—did they all have assistants?— had given you at move-in, cringing as it rang.

“do you know what time it is?” ambessa’s voice came through, low and sharp, cutting through your groggy apology before you could finish.

“yes, and i’m so sorry, ms. medarda,” you rushed out, cradling the phone against your ear as you stepped around the puddle. “it’s just—there’s a leak, and it’s spreading. i didn’t want to call maintenance without your permission, but honestly, i think the bathroom could use some updating while we’re at it—”

“where’s the leak?” she interrupted.

“in the ensuite. just off the bedroom.”

a pause, long enough to make you nervous. “i’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

you blinked. “oh, no, that’s not—”

the line clicked dead.

true to her word, ambessa arrived twenty minutes later, sharp knocks echoing through your quiet flat. you’d changed into your cotton pajamas by then—a soft rosy brown set with little embroidered daisies, complete with a matching sleep mask pushed up into your hair. billie holiday crooned softly from your record player as you opened the door, clutching your robe around you and smiling sheepishly.

ambessa was the kind of beautiful that made you forget yourself. she filled your doorway as if she belonged there, her broad shoulders wrapped in a perfectly tailored coat that hung just so, framing her with an air of command. the silver threading her tight, thick cornrows caught the dim light, lending her a sharpness that bordered on regal, and her eyes—dark, unyielding—pinned you in place without even trying.

you noticed the subtle tension in her jaw, the way her gloves creaked faintly as she pulled them off with deliberate care, and for a moment, you felt ridiculous in your thin pajamas and mask pushed askew on your forehead.

she was all clean lines and control, the kind of presence that demanded your full attention, and you were too overwhelmed to do anything but offer her a stammered “hello” as if she hadn’t just marched into your space and stolen all the air.

“thank you for coming, ms. medarda,” you said, stepping around her to close the door. “god, you must be freezing. would you like some tea? or something else that’s warm?”

ambessa’s eyes swept over you briefly—taking in the retro pajamas, the faint scent of your cucumber tea steeping on the stove—before she stepped inside, her boots clicking against the hardwood.

“let’s see the damage first. and just ambessa is fine.”

she was taller than you’d thought, filling the space of your small flat with an effortless command. you trailed behind her as she followed the faint sound of dripping into the ensuite.

“it’s outdated,” you offered nervously, watching her crouch to inspect the base of the sink. “i mean, charming, but maybe too charming? i wasn’t sure if you’d be okay with renovations, so i didn’t want to call anyone until i asked you first.”

ambessa straightened, the corners of her mouth tugging upward just slightly.

“that’s sweet of you. do what you'd like.”

you blinked at her. “oh. okay! that’s—so nice of you. i didn’t expect you to be so—” you caught yourself. “i mean, i really appreciate it.” she gave you a long look, something unreadable in her expression, before brushing past you back into the kitchen.

“you don’t have groceries,” she noted, her gaze falling on the empty fridge as you scrambled to tidy up.

“i have emergency pasta,” you said quickly, pulling out a box of whole-wheat spaghetti. “and cucumber tea. if you’re hungry, i can make something—it’s the least i can do.”

ambessa didn’t argue, though the arch of her brow suggested she wasn’t accustomed to being offered emergency pasta at one in the morning. you served her a steaming bowl and poured her tea into your favorite ceramic mug, rambling nervously about how you’d heard through maddie of 44b that her daughter was an artist.

she stayed just long enough to finish the tea, her presence heavy and warm in the quiet of your kitchen, before nodding once and heading out.

“call if it gets worse before the workers get here,” she said gruffly, her hand on the doorknob.

the next evening, you came home to several paper bags of groceries neatly stacked by your door, the scent of fresh pink peonies wafting up as you picked them up. you smiled, setting the flowers on the counter next to the dying ones your mum had sent last week.

this place is so lovely, you thought, unpacking the groceries. the tenants are so well taken care of.

your coworkers didn’t believe a word of it when you told them about ambessa the next day.

“she's sweet on you,” one of them said, shaking their head.

“no, she’s just attentive,” you insisted. “maternal, even. she told me all about her daughter!”

they exchanged knowing looks, and you laughed it off, already planning to send ambessa a thank-you card for the flowers.

❅

you’d gone overboard, but what else were you to do? gratitude came naturally to you, maybe too much so, but how else could you thank someone who had quietly made your life so much easier?

the cookies sat cooling on the counter, golden and soft with just the right crisp at the edges. their sweetness filled the air, blending with the candle you’d chosen—rich sandalwood and rose. it was warm and grounding, just like her. you couldn’t explain why it reminded you of ambessa, only that it did.

maybe it was the way the scent lingered, heavy and grounding. stronger than you. your toes curled as you imagined her voice rumbling low, praising your thoughtfulness.

the basket had become a small labor of love. you’d lined it with a cream linen napkin embroidered with tiny vines, each stitch as deliberate as your careful arrangement of the contents. the cookies rested in one corner, their warm scent still faintly clinging to the fabric, and the candle nestled beside them, a handwritten note tucked just so: “thank you for everything. your kindness means the world.”

you’d agonized over the wording for longer than you cared to admit, erasing, rewriting, and second-guessing every line before deciding it was small enough to be safe, heartfelt enough to feel honest.

your phone buzzed where it leaned precariously against a jar of flour, the screen alight with your sisters’ faces. their voices were lively and full of mischief, the kind that made you want to laugh and groan all at once.

“wait, wait, wait,” one of them said, holding up a dramatic hand to cut through the chatter. “groceries, flowers, a new faucet, and she expedited your laundry machine?”

“and called you sweet,” another chimed in, her eyebrows wiggling in mockery.

“and showed up herself in the middle of the night,” your mother added from the background, folding laundry with a knowing smile.

“again,” your father said dryly, his voice carrying a weight of exaggerated patience.

“it’s not like that,” you protested, though your cheeks flushed. you fiddled with the bow on the basket, unable to meet their eyes. “she’s just… thoughtful. i’m sure she does this for all her tenants.”

your eldest sister laughed, the sound of sharp disbelief that made you want to sink into the floor. “baby, she’s courting you.”

“she is not!” you exclaimed, though the wobble in your voice betrayed you.

“oh, please,” another sister cut in, leaning so close to the camera you could see the shimmer of her eyeshadow. “and you’re wearing that outfit to ‘just thank her’?”

you glanced down, your lips tugging between your teeth. the dress wasn’t exactly subtle. it was black with a scatter of delicate flowers, vintage couture that hugged your waist before flaring just slightly. the neckline dipped low, displaying your cleavage warmed by a healthy amount of body oil, and framed by playful ruffles and slim straps that skimmed your shoulders. it was bolder than you’d usually wear, but you’d told yourself it wasn’t intentional. not really.

your jewelry was simple: a thin gold chain, just enough to catch the light, and small hoops that didn’t overpower the dress. your hair was loose, soft, and shiny in a way you tried not to fuss over, though you’d tucked one side behind your ear so many times it had become a nervous habit.

“god help me,” your father muttered in the background, shaking his head with exaggerated weariness.

you stuck your tongue out at him before signing off, their teasing still echoing in your ears as you slipped out the door.

❅

the basket was warm in your hands, the evening air crisp against your skin as you made your way to ambessa’s flat.

when she opened the door, her expression softened in a way that sent your pulse skittering. she looked… comfortable in a v-neck sweater and soft sweatpants, yet undeniably commanding. her gaze flicked to the basket, then back to you, a smile tugging at her lips.

“i brought this to thank you,” you said, holding out the basket. “for the groceries and the flowers and everything. you’ve been so kind in taking care of me, and i didn’t want to let that go unnoticed.”

ambessa’s lips curved, just barely, and she stepped aside to let you in.

“you didn’t have to do that,” she said, her voice low and steady, but there was something in her tone—something soft beneath the steel. almost affectionate. “lord knows this has to be your eighth one.”

her flat was not what you expected.

it was spacious, sleek, and surprisingly modern, yet somehow still warm. the scent of cedar lingered in the air, layered with something citrusy and clean. dark leather furniture anchored the space, and bookshelves lined one wall. there were other hints of personality tucked in the corners: a golden tray brimming with jewelry, a small tray of perfumes that looked antique, and a faint scent of something savory wafting from the kitchen.

“you’ve been keeping them,” you said, surprised, your gaze landing on the basket you’d left earlier in the week.

“i like them,” she replied simply, pouring you a glass of wine. “you have good taste.”

you laughed softly, smoothing your hands over your dress.

“i found it at a farmers’ market. i miss going so much.”

“there’s one in the next town over,” she said, her tone so casual you almost missed the implication. “we could go this weekend.”

your lips parted in surprise, a laugh bubbling up. “it’s three hours away.”

“and?” she countered, one brow arching in amusement.

she motioned toward the dining table, where two plates were already set.

“i hope you’re hungry.”

❅

ambessa had made a hearty stew, rich and flavorful, served with warm bread that you couldn’t stop tearing into. you’d expected something simple and utilitarian, but the care she’d put into the meal surprised you. the food was rich and delicious, her hands moving with practiced ease as she served you.

“this is incredible,” you said, closing your eyes as you took another bite. “i don’t even want to know how long it took you to make this. it’s perfect.”

ambessa watched you, her gaze slightly hungry, but there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes.

“i’m glad you like it.”

you talked easily as you ate, though you couldn’t shake the way her attention lingered on you—penetrating but not unwelcome like she was studying you. the conversation drifted into quieter territory as the night went on. you’d almost forgotten what your family had said earlier—almost. but then, as the wine warmed your cheeks, the words slipped out before you could stop them.

“my family,” you said, voice light with embarrassment, “they were saying you were courting me. that you have designs to snatch me up.”

her gaze didn’t waver. “and if i do?”

your heart stumbled, and you choked. the air felt charged, the quiet hum of the flat suddenly deafening. you met her gaze, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt.

“i was…” you swallowed hard, your voice softer now. “i was only joking.”

ambessa’s smile was slow, deliberate, and devastating.

“i don’t think you were. i mean you came here all dressed up for me,” she said, standing with a fluid grace that left you breathless. “tits practically begging for my mouth. so, joking? no. teasing? yes.”

when she crossed the space between you, there was no hesitation. her hand brushed your cheek, and she gripped your jaw tightly.

“all night,” she said lowly, “you’ve been moaning over your food. i wonder, do you make the same noises in bed?”

you flushed, skin warm and tingling.

“i—”

“and,” she cut you off, “do you eat the same way?”

she thumbed over your bottom lip, pinching it and then releasing it to watch the blood pool.

“you seem so hungry.”

your legs squeezed together beneath the table, your neck straining as you looked up at her. her eyes narrowed as she tilted your head back, idly bringing up her other hand to feel you swallow. seemingly satisfied she stepped back, freeing you as she moved back toward where she was sitting.

struggling to calm your breathing, you watched as she dragged the char back to where you sat and arranged it several inches away from you. casually, as if you weren’t dripping across from her, she lowered herself and spread her legs open. your gaze focused on the space between them, imagining yourself fitting perfectly within.

“[name],” she murmured. “look at me.”

you did.

“are you full?” you shook your head, hands clutching at your thighs. “mmm. would you like a taste, sweet girl?”

you shuddered and closed your eyes, biting the inside of your cheek to remain composed.

“yes. please.”

“come here.”

you rose, anxious to please, but she stopped you with a raised brow.

“no. crawl.”

you balked, warmth spreading down your neck and into your stomach. she shifted in irritation.

“i’m not going to ask you again.”

carefully, you lowered yourself to your hands and knees making sure to arch your back so that your ass rose behind you like some erotic phase of the moon. ambessa watched as you began to slink forward, two fingers coming together to further push down the band of her sweatpants. by the time you made it to her feet, she’d done away with them altogether.

her cunt sat pretty and fat, lips winking in arousal beneath the soft thicket of black and silver curls. it was veiled by a gorgeous triangle of deep purple lace, the fabric darkened further by her wetness. she was so beautiful, so delicious that your mouth began to water.

you shuffled forward, placing a hand on her calf to steady yourself as you nosed at her inner thigh. she smelled thick and musky here, her clit gleaming at you as if a pearl in an oyster. it was a little large, but you didn’t mind. you found it as perfect as the rest of her.

tucking your legs beneath you, you settled down and laid your head on one of her open legs. silently you asked permission, your eyes wide and pleading—a bit puppyish. she curled a hand underneath your chin and leaned forward, coaxing a kiss from your lips.

you mewled and clung to her, pressing into her hold as you returned the kiss. she laughed meanly into your mouth and pulled back, slouching so that you had more space to conduct your task. you leaned forward, eager, only to be stopped yet again.

“please,” you whispered and she made a noncommittal noise, giving you a considering look.

“just a moment, little one.”

you furrowed your brow as she leaned forward again, this time with lower. with a rough, hard tug she yanked your neckline down so that your tits spilled full and plush into her palm. with a satisfied groan, she groped them, thumbing at your nipples till they strained into the pads of her fingertips. then, she pulled back and reassumed her position.

“leave them out.”

you grew hotter at the command, nodding quickly. finally, she nodded and you let out a little moan of excitement. you should’ve gone slower and taken your time, but god you were starved.

almost immediately, you tugged the fabric of her panties aside and licked a wide stripe up her pussy. she tasted ripe, sweet then slightly bitter, like a grapefruit, and you moaned into her.

“oh, fuck,” ambessa sighed and you nuzzled further into her.

the flat echoed with the wet sounds of your consumption of her, your mouth suctioning around her pussy to apply pressure. to your surprise the hood of her clit was pierced, a small ruby nestled comfortably atop it.

after a moment, you abandoned your initial plan to move further down, tongue gliding between her fat folds where the slick current of her arousal glittered like a jewel. you pointed your tongue and wedged it deep inside her, lifting a hand to drift along her defined stomach.

“mmmhmm,” she said, voice thin as she canted her hips. “just like that. you’re doing so well, sweet girl.”

the praise lit you up from the inside out, and you lapped at her with renewed energy. her hips bucked harder and a strong hand came to root itself in your hair. in response, you lowered both hands to the floor to steady yourself as you allowed her to control your movements.

“such a good girl. so eager to eat this cunt. so eager to please me, hmm?”

“uh huh,” you answered, the words muffled by her sopping pussy.

the vibration made ambessa suck in a breath and she suddenly yanked you forward, rocking into your tongue slowly before speeding up. eventually, she was riding your face as you stuck out your tongue, your tits exposed and bouncing as you met her in eagerness.

you strained to sink further inside her, whimpering as her thighs closed harshly around your head. she could’ve snapped your neck, and you would only have seen it as benediction. an early arrival to paradise.

“oh shit,” she whispered. “fuck. yes. yes. yeaaah.”

both of her hands were on the side of your head as she bent backward, squealing sharply as she began to cum. the sound was high and girlish, and you wanted to hear it again and again. her pleasure broke over her like a rising dawn and you closed your eyes, sucking at her clit until her legs began to tremble with overstimulation. still, you didn’t stop. instead, you swallowed the honey that dribbled from the apex of her cunt and brought two of your fingers up to rub tight circles against yourself.

with a rough moan, ambessa dropped her thighs from your face and tugged you up and into her lap. she huffed in displeasure and struck your hand away from your cunt, slipping two of her thick fingers deep into the cavern of your slick heat.

“no one touches you here except for me. not even you.”

you let out a startled gasp, mouth dropping in a perfect ‘o’ as she stroked and fucked your spongy walls. you began to follow her movements, bouncing faster to chase the syrupy warmth rising into your chest. the world flickered and your eyes caught on hers as she observed the way your body contorted and flexed the more she pushed you.

“that’s it, sweet girl. work for it,” she said, her lips curving cruelly as you gripped her shoulders to better slam yourself down. “come here. let me taste.”

you kissed her, wet and messy, and she licked along your teeth; sucked the remnants of her cunt from inside you. you felt a flash of irrational anger at the action. you wanted her within you forever, staining your tongue.

ambessa slipped a third finger into you and you wailed, spine snapping straight as you felt the stretch spread through your hips. a fourth drifted lazily through your soaked folds, languishing till it was gleaming, but then it soon disappeared. carefully, she nudged you closer to her, tucking your face into her neck as she trailed her other hand down the crack of your ass.

before you could fully process what she meant to do, she inserted the wet tip of her finger into the tight ring of your asshole and pressed.

your orgasm pulsed through you. from where you lay against her neck, you bit down.

for a moment she allowed you to rest, turning her head to press a warm kiss to your temple. her fingers began to re-curl along your walls. then,

“again.”

it was a direction. you followed.

© hcneymooners.

[mrsshabana]

𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅!𝐆𝐘𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐎 ⛧ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

꒦꒷‧₊ Summary Everyone told stories of his kind, but you chose to ignore them. You got so used to how tame your werewolf boyfriend acted around you that you forgot how dangerous he is. But when a full moon rises, his instincts become undeniable, and you quickly learn what he's truly capable of. ꒦꒷‧₊ Content Gyutaro x female!reader, 18+ MDNI, hunter/prey, size difference, forbidden romance ꒦꒷‧₊ Note 1.3k words

༺ Art ༻

⇢ Chapter two ⇢ Chapter three ⇢ Chapter four ⇢ Kinktober Masterlist

This is unusual behavior for your boyfriend. You haven't heard from him in days.

It's only been a couple of weeks that you've officially been his partner, but enough time has gone by that you feel like you know him enough to know this isn't normal.

Maybe that's just how werewolves are? You've never gotten close to a monster before, let alone a species that has a reputation for being dangerous to humans. But you never cared, you started having feelings for Gyutaro after the first time you met him. Everyone talks about how dangerous his kind is. But how could you resist those big fluffy ears, yellow golden eyes, and a mouth full of sharp teeth?

He may look like a big scary wolf, but around you, he acts like a golden retriever. Always so sweet and happy to be in your presence. All you have to do is walk into the room and his tail starts wagging.

He just can't help himself, you were the first person that didn't treat him like an outcast.

As Gyutaro got older he started to realize that he was destined to be alone. The chances of him finding a mate within his species were slim to none. A female would never accept him as a suitable partner due to his appearance. The spots on his face and body were something that no one was willing to pass on in their bloodline. It seemed like a silly concept to you, but for werewolves, these things are very important.

So when Gyutaro started having feelings for you he was more than happy to give your relationship a shot regardless of you being a human.

You never felt accepted by other humans, and he never felt accepted by other wolves. So when the two of you met it was like you finally found someone that understood you. However, both of you knew that your relationship was forbidden and would never be accepted, so you'd meet in secret.

He usually hangs out around your house after midnight, waiting for you so the two of you can disappear into the woods. Or at the very least, if the two of you aren't able to spend time together, he'll leave little gifts at your doorstep. Wildflowers, shiny rocks, or even the occasional dead rodent.

But it's been days since you've seen him or received any of his unusual gifts. It's like he just disappeared.

And now you're left a worried mess. He's never gone so long without speaking to you, it makes you think that maybe something happened to him.

In a last-ditch effort to find him, you search in the woods behind your house. Knowing that he loves running around and exploring there, it's the only place you might be able to find him at this time of night.

"Gyutaro!" you call out as you walk through the forest.

As you go deeper, you begin to hear what sounds like howling.

"That must be him!" you gasp, running towards the sound.

Once you get closer the howling stops and he picks up on your scent. Yellow eyes look back at you from within the trees.

"Gyu!" you smile and run towards him, "I was so worried about you!"

But he says nothing and just stares at you with wide eyes - panting like a stressed animal.

"Wh-what's going on...?" you say as you look at the strange scene before you.

Gyutaro has a chain attached to his collar and is tied to a large tree. It's sad to see him chained up like some kind of pet.

You can't tell if someone did this to him or if he did it to himself. There's no sign of anyone else, but you can't imagine why he would chain himself to a tree like that.

You reach out your hand and he immediately lunges forward with barred fangs. Looking like a feral stray as he snaps at you. But the chain chokes him, preventing him from getting to you.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" you mutter as your eyes begin to water.

Never have you seen him behave this way towards you. He's usually so gentle and sweet, you would have thought he wasn't capable of showing violence. However, at the end of the day, you know what he is and you should never forget what he's capable of.

And that's when you notice it. The full moon peeking from above the trees. How could you have been so naive?

Gyutaro must've chained himself up to protect you, knowing that he'd go feral on a full moon... and who knows what he may do to you.

Your stomach drops and your blood runs cold. Looking down at Gyutaro as he snarls and claws at the dirt, trying to get to you. You don't want to imagine what he will do to you if he breaks loose. He has a wild look in his eye, unlike anything you've ever seen before and it strikes fear into you.

You can hear the metal of the chain bending, it will snap any moment now.

You don't have any time to think about your boyfriend, this thing is no longer your boyfriend. For all you know, he could kill you if he gets loose.

Run. Run. Run. That's all you can think about as your fight or flight response kicks in. And you're sprinting deeper into the forest before you even realize it.

The branches cutting your skin as you run through the trees don't even bother you. You just need to get away from him.

After running what you consider to be a good distance, you look back to see that Gyutaro is gone and the chain lies snapped on the ground.

"Shit," you curse under your breath, realizing the danger that you're in. You have no other option but to keep running, and running, and running until you can't feel your feet anymore and your lungs burn.

A twig snaps, and you instantly turn to see those beautiful yellow eyes looking back at you. Stalking you like prey.

It only makes things worse when you run, causing his hunting instincts to kick in even more. In his eyes he no longer sees his girlfriend, all he sees is prey.

You cry and sob as he chases you, knowing that it won't be long until he catches up to you. And you're right, he quickly pounces on you. Trapping you beneath his large muscular body, looking down at you with hunger in his eyes. The size difference alone is enough to make you freeze with fear. It never dawned on you just how much larger he is than you. And as you lay there helplessly pinned beneath him you realize just how terrifying a seven-foot-tall werewolf can be.

"G-Gyutaro, please!" you sob, "It's me, Y/N! I'm your girlfriend, remember?" You desperately try to remind him of who you are, make him remember that he would never hurt his precious girlfriend.

But he doesn't remember, and even if he did he wouldn't care. Because the full moon makes him go feral and blindly follow his instincts.

From this angle, he no longer looks like your boyfriend. He looks like a monster. The monster that everyone said he was, but you never listened. Maybe if you did you wouldn't be in this situation right now.

Drool drips down his chin as he snarls, showing off his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth that could easily wrap around your pretty little neck. He breathes heavily, panting as the fur on the back of his neck stands on end. He looks like he wants to devour you, but he doesn't.

For a moment you're confused. But then you see it.

The erection between his legs - so painfully hard that it's ripping the seams of his pants.

You thought that he wanted to eat you, but you were wrong. He wants to breed you.

[joequiinn]

The Dos & Don'ts of Fake Dating | E.M. x reader | pt. 2

[chap one] | [all chapters here] | [chap three]

Summary | You propose a crazy idea to the resident freak of Hawkins, Eddie Munson. But maybe he was even crazier for agreeing to it…

Warnings & Notes | fem reader, faking dating, opposites attract, bratty rich bitch reader, minor revenge plot, not-quite-enemies-to-lovers

Author's Note | Oooh I'm excited for this chapter! Would love to hear what everyone thinks about Eddie's characterization! And, after editing this chapter about half a dozen times, I feel like I'm still just not quite conveying the motivations of the character well, so let me know if her thoughts/feelings could be more clear!

Taglist | @daisyridleyss @munsonssweets @marrowfrog00 @lotrefcp @rach5ive

WC | 4.0k

Chapter Two

Getting away on Sunday afternoon to meet Eddie was easy. You’d celebrated your birthday on Saturday, with your friends dragging you along on plans that they put together weeks in advance before you returned home for a far too formal dinner with your parents. You probably could have - and should have - been more excited considering that you were toasting your legal adulthood, but if anything, it just stirred even more desire for change and rebellion in you. What good was being a legal adult if you were still trapped in high school, if you were still just following the status quo?

You told your parents as you were leaving the house that afternoon that you were going to the ice rink - your dad grunted in acknowledgement, too caught up in his reading to really hear you, and your mom commended you for how dedicated you were to skating. To both responses, you rolled your eyes, leaving without saying goodbye.

You knew exactly which picnic table Eddie referred to in his note, as you weren’t the first person to meet him there for a drug deal, nor would you be the last. It was a well-known spot for students to meet with the metalhead - although it seemed like no one actually talked about it, probably because they themselves didn’t want to admit to any interaction with him, somehow everyone knew exactly where Eddie made his deals.

There were trails running through a lot of the forest that made it easy to find your destination; you left your car on a neighborhood street not far from the school, and trekked your way into the woods. It was still pretty in late September - leaves weren’t falling to the ground quite yet, and the sounds of wildlife could still be heard up in the trees and low on the ground. Not that you were one to appreciate nature much at all. But it was hard not to at least notice it as you walked quietly along the trail, going over exactly how you might propose this crazy idea of yours while trying your best not to trip over rocks or step in mud puddles.

When you arrived at the picnic area, Eddie was nowhere to be found, which was actually a relief to you. It gave you more time to think, to calm down and find the best means of conveying this idea to him. You felt stupid, having this strange and foreign anxiety in your chest, but it couldn’t be helped. Best you could do was relax and put on a cool face whenever the delinquent did finally show up.

You were about to sit at the picnic table, but quickly decided against it once you took a closer look at the rotting wood - it was disgusting and dirty, and you weren’t going to risk ruining one of your favorite skirts or catching some nasty disease. So, instead, you paced, keeping your mind busy as you waited, taking in your surroundings with an air of boredom as the hour hit 4 and you were still here alone. Eddie better show, or you weren’t going to be happy.

Eventually, the sound of footsteps crunching on twigs and brush caused you to look around, not quite sure which direction the sound was coming from at first. But it didn’t take long for you to spot Eddie hiking his way to you, surprised amusement on his face as he approached. He cocked his head, lips tugged back in a grin, as your heart skipped nervously; god, you felt so stupid being edgy like this, it was so unwarranted.

“Well, well…” He drawled, crossing his arms as he walked closer to you, “I’ve seen a lot, but the ice princess wants something from me? Now I really have seen everything.”

The way he said “ice princess” was jarring, almost as if it was both an insult and an inarguable fact. Yes, you’d heard people call you that before, but never with the gusto that Eddie Munson added to it - you briefly wondered if the nickname was more common than you originally thought, and then you wondered who it was that first came up with it. Was it Eddie? No, if anything it was probably someone in your own circle that started that stupid nickname, maybe even Duncan - you didn’t think Eddie cared enough to come up with a nickname for some popular kid who he’d never even spoken to before.

It’s as if his use of the derogatory nickname immediately reminded you that there was no reason to be nervous, because you could feel your usually cool demeanor coming back to you.

“Don’t cream your pants, Munson.” You replied bluntly, crossing your arms as if to mimic Eddie’s posture. His brows went up in surprise - it briefly crossed your mind that he might not have known what your voice sounded like, let alone how you talked. Well, now he knew.

Eddie tilted his head down slightly as if speaking to you conspiratorially, “I wasn’t expecting a chick like you to be so vulgar.”

You rolled your eyes. Okay, maybe this discussion would be more challenging than you had anticipated. Having never actually interacted with Eddie before today, you couldn’t have predicted what your dynamic together would be. From what you could tell after only this one minute of interacting, your personalities were bound to clash, making your impossible plan all the more impossible.

“I guess I’m full of surprises.” You replied plainly, your tone disinterested. Without thinking, you leaned your rear on the picnic table, but quickly jumped away when you remembered how dirty it was, an affronted sound escaping your lips. As you tried to wipe dirt from your ass, Eddie chuckled. To that, you shot him a cold glare.

“Alright, what are you looking for, princess?” Eddie asked while sitting on the filthy bench - that felt intentional, as if he was mocking your disgust at the grime and muck on the table, “Ask and you shall receive.”

You raised a critical brow at his theatrical tone, at the way he said ‘princess,’ at his entire demeanor. Yup, this was going to be impossible. You were certain that your judgmental expression was clear as day, because you could see the cogs turning behind Eddie’s eyes, how he was analyzing you just as much as you were him.

You stared at him with your arms crossed, your hip jutting out to the side as you briefly considered him, considered what you wanted to ask of him. You made a bit of a harsh face as you responded, “That’s a bold claim, considering that you don’t know what I’m going to ask.”

You met Eddie’s dark eyes as if to make a point, his brow furrowing in curious response. His gaze was mocking as he held your stare, “You think anything you ask for will shock me? Snobby rich kids always want the same stuff.”

“‘Snobby?’” You nearly snapped, glaring smally in offense. To that, Eddie pointed his hand at the empty bench across from him, a defiant look on his face.

“Take a seat then.” He challenged, the corner of his mouth curling up. You make another grossed out face, to which he gives a half-hearted shrug, giving him all the confirmation that he needed, “That’s what I thought.”

You scoffed, turning your back while grumbling, “God, I knew this was a stupid idea…”

You started to walk off in annoyance, trying your best not to trip over rocks or sticks in your haste, but only made it a few steps before Eddie called after you, “Wait, wait, come back…”

You spun back around, but remained planted where you stood, raising an eyebrow and crossing your arms as if prompting him to continue, to grovel and earn your trust.

“I’m just joking,” Eddie raised his hands in a lazy surender, his face growing surprisingly sincere after a moment, although that sincerity was also laced with a hint of judgment, “What are you gonna ask for, then?”

He’s patient, watching you as you deliberate what to do. Was it worth it? Did you really need Eddie to make this plan work? Should you call this off while you still had the chance?

No. This plan was stupid as all hell, but you were going to do it. With a determined little stomp of your foot - Eddie smirking in amusement at the mildly childish action - you approached the picnic table, bracing your hands against it as you tried to ignore the feeling of dirt getting under your nails.

“If you laugh at me, I’ll ruin you.” You threatened while meeting his eyes. Again, Eddie grinned, but he otherwise kept his mouth shut, which seemed to be his way of agreeing to your terms, “I don’t need drugs, I need a favor. It’s gonna sound… honestly ridiculous.”

“Okay…” Eddie leaned forward so that your faces were only a foot apart; his expression was one of neutral attentiveness, however, you could see the sparkle of intrigue in his eyes. You don’t pull back from the close proximity he created, studying one another’s faces; it felt strange to be observed by him so closely, as Eddie had a way of scrutinizing you that felt different from those you knew, different from the way people normally looked at you. You tried to find the best way of proposing your dumb idea, but nothing would make your request sound less crazy than it already is.

Finally, you gave up with a sigh and just blurted it out, “I need you to date me.”

Despite your earlier threat, an unexpected bark of a laugh jumped out of Eddie’s mouth. He raised his fist in front of his lips and pretended to cough, as if that would do anything to hide his very clear amusement. Your eyes widened in intense warning. To his credit, Eddie composed himself quickly, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, although you could still see a little twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“Can you repeat that for me?” He prompts, fighting off his laughter and confusion.

Again, you roll your eyes - god, you were going to be doing that a lot with this guy, weren’t you? You were already getting tired of it.

“I don’t want to actually date you,” You said as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world, “Just pretend. You know, like one of your dumb games.”

Eddie’s eyes darkened a little at the insult, but instead of retaliating he simply pulled back, putting a bit of distance between you. He looks you up and down in consideration, his mind racing to understand your unexpected request.

“Care to elaborate?” He questioned, his tone mildly critical.

You purse your lips in annoyance as you consider where to start, eyeing Eddie closely - how the hell did you explain to someone that you wanted them to be your fake boyfriend? You sighed, pulling back from the table, starting to walk in a slow circle around it. The motion was vaguely like skating around a rink, so in an odd way it helped you think.

“I hate literally everything about my life,” You paused, half expecting Eddie to mock your pathetic woes, but he remained silent, “It’s my senior year and I’m only now realizing that nothing in my life is up to me, that I don’t have any control over anything - everything is decided by someone else. And I’m fucking tired of it.”

You could see mild surprise on Eddie’s face, and you wondered if it was because of your foul language - it always seemed to surprise people to hear the way you could talk considering how nice and well-behaved you appeared, although you’d always been anything but.

You continued, “I want to do something stupid, something that’ll piss off my parents, that’ll get everyone to stop treating me like some untouchable, perfect princess.” You chose the word deliberately, looking Eddie dead in the eye, “And what stupider than to date Eddie freaking Munson?”

Now, it was Eddie’s turn to look somewhat offended, “Gee, thanks.”

Maybe it wasn’t the most effective tactic to keep insulting the man you were trying to bribe, but you just couldn’t seem to help yourself. You didn’t exactly know how to be nice to anyone. Eddie’s eyes considered you for a moment before something of a mean look flickered across his face.

“This has something to do with that boyfriend of yours, doesn’t it? What, you break up or something?” And then an almost mirthful realization flashed across his eyes, obviously seeing some change in your demeanor that you didn’t intend for him to notice, “Ooh, I get it. He broke up with you, didn’t he? You trying to win him back?”

You brace yourself against the table again as you glare at him, but otherwise you maintain your composure, your tone condescending and mean as you reply, “I do not want him back. He could drive off a bridge for all I care. I want to get under his skin. I want to get under everyone’s skin.”

You could tell that Eddie didn’t get it - he still didn’t understand why you needed his help in this ridiculous plan of yours, and he didn’t understand why you were feeling the way you did. With a sigh, you try to calm down and unclench your tight jaw.

“Look, Munson,” You caved in and stiffly took a seat on the opposite bench as if to bolster your argument, to make him take you a little more seriously, “I know it sounds crazy, but I just know nothing else will work.”

“And how do you know that?” He urged - you couldn’t tell if he thought you were an idiot or if he was actually interested in hearing you out.

You stared at Eddie for a long moment, trying to find the easiest way to make him understand. He stared back, again showing far more patience than you would have expected from him, especially with the likes of you. As you study his face in thought, you finally sigh, shaking your head as you look away with a vague annoyance set on your features.

“I don’t actually know, okay?” You start, eyeing him out of the corner of your eye for a few moments, “What I want is complete and utter… social suicide. To just stop worrying about my reputation or what people think. I’m sick and tired of expectations and status quos and doing what I’m told or what people expect. I want to piss everyone off. I want to piss Duncan off. I just… it feels like I need to change, you know?”

“Nope, I have no idea what you mean.” Eddie says plainly, and as you glare at him, you realize he’s joking once he finally cracks a smile. His eyes are surprisingly kind as he leans forward on his elbows, parroting your words, “When have I ever subscribed to expectations and status quos and doing what I’m told?”

At that rhetorical response, your face relaxed for the first time this entire conversation. Hell, you even felt a mild excitement wash over you as you consider what his words were implying, “So… you’ll do it?”

Eddie makes a face as if he’s still mulling over the idea, still trying to figure out what exactly your motivations were, “I mean, you’re bratty and rude and this plan is kind of stupid, but I might do it.”

“Might?” You ask, trying not to sound too pushy or annoyed by his casual insults. If this was going to happen, you both had to learn to stop prodding at each other like this, learn to stop picking on each other just because you could. That might prove to be the most challenging part of all of this, though.

Eddie smirks, rising back to his feet as he contemplates, “What do I get out of this? And don’t say money - that’ll make me feel like a prostitute.”

As you pulled a face, Eddie grinned at his own comment, obviously finding that idea amusing in some way. And like a teenage mimicry of a business person, you sat up straighter, looking at him plainly as you presented your offer, “No, but I do have one idea. But if you think of something better…?”

Eddie nods in confirmation, urging you to continue.

“Well, my uncle’s a cop--”

At that, Eddie chuckles abruptly while cutting you off, “Oh, trust me, I know exactly who your uncle is.”

Aside from shooting him a small look, you continue as if he hadn’t said anything, focused on getting this plan hatched, “I think I can help you. You can’t get in trouble with them anymore if I’m the one taking the fall.”

Eddie’s brows rose in surprise at your words, his arms crossing as he studied you, “What, you think your pretty little ass can handle a night in lock up?”

“No, genius,” You roll your eyes for what felt like the hundredth time, “If it falls on me, there will be no jail, no arrest, nothing. The minute I tell someone who my uncle is, they won’t even think about putting a hand on me, that would be stupid. I’m effectively untouchable.”

Eddie nods, rubbing his chin, “But doesn’t that go out the window if you commit… What did you call it? ‘Social suicide?’”

You shrug, “Maybe. Maybe not. But I can probably keep them off your ass for the rest of the school year so long as you don’t do something too stupid.”

“You want to date me until graduation?” Eddie makes a dramatic show of placing his hand to his chest as if he’s flattered.

“Jesus…” You mutter to yourself with a sigh, “We’ll see where it goes.”

Eddie, again, nodded while humming in consideration. You sat quietly, waiting for him to add something to the conversation. You could tell that he was drawing it out, though, milking the moment just for the hell of it, to put you on edge. Suddenly, he slaps his hand down firmly on the table, causing you to jump in your seat.

“We have a deal.” His eyes glint as he smirks at you, “We play happy little couple, we destroy your reputation, piss off all your friends, and you keep me out of trouble. What could possibly go wrong?”

It suddenly felt like he jinxed everything by saying that, ruined it before you could even begin, but you ignored that feeling as you gave him a slight smile, actually pleased with how the conversation had gone. Of course, there was still that strange sense of disbelief at the entire situation - it was the most ridiculous thing you’d ever thought of or done, but that also made it kind of exhilarating in its odd way.

Eddie walked around the table, leisurely sliding onto the bench beside you, intentionally leaning over to bump your shoulder playfully. It was unexpected, causing you to make a slight face at him, but that only seemed to amuse him more.

“Look, princess, you gotta start being nicer to me if you want to convince anyone that we’re a couple.” Although his tone was teasing, you knew what Eddie said was true. Even you, known for your bitchiness, couldn’t be too mean to the man that you were supposedly dating, especially if you wanted to get under Duncan’s skin - the nicer you were to Eddie, the more it would annoy Duncan that you were never that nice to him.

“Fine.” You say plainly, looking him in the eye, “If that’s the case, no more ‘princess.’”

Eddie made a teasing face, “Then what do I call you? It would look strange if your boyfriend didn’t have any pet names for you, right?”

You sighed, but he did make a good point - it made you realize that you needed to lay out some ground rules for this whole fake dating thing, something that you hadn’t accounted for during your planning stage.

“When we’re around other people, just call me something nice. I don’t care what it is.”

Eddie’s playful expression was still in place, “Oh, you’ll regret that…”

You rolled your eyes, and yet this time the corner of your mouth pulled up into an amused grin despite yourself, “Just be nice to me and I’ll be nice to you. Can’t be too hard, right? And don’t touch me unless it’s in front of people.”

You looked him up and down critically with that comment. It's not that you were worried about him being gross or anything like that, you just hated people touching you unnecessarily.

“Any other commands, my liege?”

“What, you want me to write this down for you or something?”

Eddie pretended to consider the idea, “If only I knew how to read, princess.”

You made a face, knowing that Eddie kept calling you that dumb nickname quite intentionally, that he kept testing you with deliberate aim. Trying to resist rising to the tempting bait, you continued explaining the dos and don’ts of fake dating. 

“Okay,” You started, raising your pointer finger. Eddie made a show of paying close attention, surely just to mock you, as you raised another finger with each new rule you stated, “One: we have to try to be nice to each other. Two: no unnecessary touching if no one’s around. Three: we have to spend a lot of time together, like, not just at school - we have to go out sometimes, especially to places where people will see us. Four: we have to be extra obnoxious when Duncan’s around. Five: … I’m in charge.”

At the last instruction, Eddie laughed right in your face, “You’re in charge? I thought this was a relationship, not a dictatorship.”

You had a response ready to leave your lips, but you let it go - practice for the inevitable niceties to come, you supposed. Eddie studied you for a moment while half smiling, seemingly aware that you were doing your best to bite your tongue.

“Alright, alright, you’re in charge…” He rose to his feet, which seemed to signal that the conversation was coming to an end, “So, what, starting tomorrow I’m your boyfriend?”

“I mean… Should we build up to it first?” The question sounded ridiculous, you knew it sounded juvenile and naive in its way, but it had to be asked. And yet again, Eddie chuckled.

“Sure, we’ll ‘build up to it.’” His tone was teasing, but not quite so mean as before. Eddie studied the look on your face, trying to learn how to read you considering the amount of time you were surely about to start spending together, “Don’t worry, princess, I’ve got this in the bag. Relinquish some of that control a little, okay?”

He slowly began to walk backwards towards the trail, waiting for you to join him, so you stood to walk alongside him. You almost neurotically began dusting yourself, trying in vain to get the dirt and the mud and the dead leaves off of your skirt, out from under your nails.

You caught up to Eddie easily enough, continuing to pick at your well manicured nails, “I’m serious, Munson, please don’t fuck this up.”

Eddie threw his arm around your shoulder, once again disregarding one of your rules without a single care. He looked down at you with a teasing look on his face, confirming that he did that on purpose, confirming that he was sure to keep doing it on purpose, “Relax. I’ll flirt with you tomorrow, I’ll flirt some more throughout the week, I’ll start hanging around your locker or talking to you at lunch, and then by the end of the week I’ll ask you on a date. Deal?”

You stared into Eddie’s eyes a moment before lifting his arm off your shoulders, stepping just out of reach with a mild sneer on your lips, “Okay, deal.”

His smile is wide as he walks alongside you back to your cars. This was going to be one hell of a time, and he, frankly, was all too curious to see how it would turn out.

[cherryblossomcowgirl]

Safe Haven Hangman

WC: 3.3k

Warnings: cheating; unplanned pregnancy; swearing; smut; angst

.

.

I’m laying on the couch and stupid romcoms blare from the TV. For some reason, my eyes glance down to the coffee table. They land on our wedding photo. Bradley is cupping my face with his hands, about to kiss me as I beam up at him. “AGHH!” I throw the remote at the frame and watch it fall to the ground, shattering. Tears fall down my cheeks as I think about the events of the past few weeks. Our 4th wedding anniversary. How he was so happy, showering me with presents and affection. After the months of emotional distance, I couldn’t believe it. The next day was when my world came crashing down. A letter in the mailbox that was addressed “Mrs. Bradshaw”. A long, handwritten confession from a young woman. Tear stains marked the page. She said she never knew about me. She said Bradley told her he would leave me when they found out she was pregnant. That was 4 weeks ago. I haven’t spoken to Bradley yet, but the front door lock has been changed. He hasn’t tried to come home. He has tried to call a few times and has left hundreds of texts. I texted him this morning to come over to grab his things, but he hasn’t answered. I have felt angry, sad, vengeful.. every damn emotion under the sun. There’s a knock at the door and I yell, “Not right now, Bradley!!” There’s a soft voice on the other side of the door, “Y/n, it’s me. Please let me in.” I wipe my cheek and walk to the door. “Jake, I am fine.” “No you aren’t.” I open the door and he throws his arms around me. I breathe in his scent, cedar wood and jet fuel. Jake and I met a decade ago, the same night I met Bradley. I was the new tech guru at Top Gun. Phoenix had invited me out to the Hard Deck with the squad. Jake caught my eye, but Bradley made the first move. Before I knew it we were dating. Then engaged. Then married with a house not too far from base. Jake was there for everything. He wasn’t just Bradley’s friend, he was mine too. He was the first one I’d call if something happened when Bradley was deployed. He’d drop whatever, or whoever he was doing to come help. He has been trying to get a hold of me for weeks, but I have shut myself in the house since the letter. Maverick approved my last minute leave, no questions asked. Jake pulls back and scans my face, “Y/n, talk to me.” I walk to the office and hand him the letter. He reads slowly, like he can’t believe what he sees. After a few minutes he sets it down, “Has he been here?” I shake my head and I see a muscle in his jaw twitch, “What do you need me to do?” I shrug, “I put everything of his in boxes. My attorney already sent over paperwork. I just need to have him come over and sign it. Can I ask you something?” Jake nods and I look down at my hands, “Did you ever see him with her?” Jake puts his hand on my shoulder, “No. I noticed he was acting strangely, but if I saw anything I would’ve told you.” Without thinking, I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face into him. His scent calms me down. I hear keys try the lock and then the doorbell rings. I look at my phone. Bradley had responded.

B: Anything you want. On my way.

Jake grabs my hand as I walk towards the door, “Do you want me to be here for this?” “Please. Just stay in the office for right now. I’ll let you know if I need you.” He nods, turning back into the office.

.

.

I open the door and Bradley is staring at his feet. I motion for him to come in and he follows me to the kitchen. He looks over to the pile of his things in boxes. I sigh, “It’s all there.” His glassy eyes meet mine, “You changed the locks.” I scoff, “You got another woman pregnant.” “Y/n, I never meant for any of this to happen. You know how much I love you. How much I always will.” I slide the folder filled with paperwork towards him, “If you love me so much you can sign these, take your things, and leave.” He opens the folder and tears spill down his cheeks. Bradley reads through it all and I hand him a pen, “Once you sign this, everything is done. No court, no drama. You owe me this, B.” He takes the pen and signs, “Are you gonna sell the house? I see here that’s all you want. You can have whatever, Y/n. I mean it.” I shake my head, “I just want the house. I don’t need your money. I’ll be just fine.” “I’d be okay to pay spousal support. Or give you half of my retirement? After everything it would make me feel-“ I laugh, “B, I don’t care what will make you feel better. Your money means nothing to me. Your money won’t help me. You broke my heart. You are building the life I wanted with someone else. I want you to be as far away from me as possible.” He nods and silently walks boxes to the Bronco. When he grabs the last one he turns back, “So this is it?” I nod and grab my rings out of my pocket, handing them to him. “You can keep those. Really I don’t mind.” Tears sting my eyes, “B, I don’t want them. Please take them back.” Bradley slides them into his pocket and gives me a weak smile, “I’m sorry, Y/n. Take care of yourself, okay?” I nod, “You too.” I shut the door and slide down until I am sitting on the floor with my head in my hands. Jake walks over slowly and sits beside me, “You okay?” I can’t even look up, “10 years. 10 years went down the drain in what, a few weeks? And he is the one crying? He started a whole new life with her! And then he asks me if this is it? Who does he think he is?!” Jake pulls me into his chest and holds me tight while I sob. My body is shaking and it feels like I can’t breathe. I’m not sure how long I cry for, but it feels like forever. Once I calm down, we stand up and Jake wipes a tear off of my cheek, “Hey, how about I order your favorite take out and put on a movie? Just like we would during deployments?” I smile and nod my head, reminiscing on all the times Jake was there for me. How kind he always was. How he always noticed the little things. Bradley meant well, at least at first he did. He was always wrapped up in the next mission or training. Part of me always hoped he would retire young and we could actually live. Travel. Enjoy each other. But now I know how our story ends, and it is far from anything I imagined.

.

.

When I get out of the shower, Jake is on the couch with our takeout on the coffee table. He chuckles, “I kind of ordered too much because I didn’t know what you wanted.” “Thank you, Jake. You really don’t have to do this for me.” “Yes I do. You have been one of my closest friends for a decade, Y/n. I hate seeing you like this.” I nudge him with my elbow, “I’ll be okay. I’m thinking about going somewhere far away, rural. Maybe getting some cattle. And a couple of dogs.” “Okay while that does sound great, you don’t have to leave. You know how much Top Gun relies on you.” My eyes get watery all over again, “I know. I don’t want to leave y’all. Y’all are my family. I’ll think about it.” He turns on a comedy and I try to turn my brain off. I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I wake up to the sun shining and I am in my bedroom. There’s a note on my nightstand,

Y/n,

Didn’t want to wake you. Have an early morning, but call if you need anything. Hydrate.

Jake

There’s a glass of water beside the note. I smile and put the note in my top drawer. Jake may be known as the jerk of the squad, but he has always treated me so gently. My mind starts to wander. What would have happened if Jake made the first move? Does he ever think about when we first met? He had been flirty and sweet, but Bradley was bold. He swept me off my feet. But what if it had been Jake? I shake the thought out of my head and log onto my computer to start chipping away at all of the paperwork that has piled up in my absence.

.

.

Friday morning rolls around and I throw on my uniform. I have to go back at some point, so I might as well get it over with. The engine of my truck purrs as I make my way to base. Once I park, I walk quickly to my office. There were some hello’s from the squad. I smile and wave. After a few minutes, there’s a knock on my door. “Hey Mav, come in.” He sits down on my couch, “Was wondering when I’d see you again! How are you, kid?” “As good as you’d guess.” He shakes his head, “Hangman talked to me. And Bradshaw. I want you to be the first to know, Bradshaw will be PCSing to Norfolk. He’s reporting Monday.” I feel a pit in my stomach. Tears sting my eyes, “Oh, okay. Thank you for letting me know.” Mav stands up and puts his arms out, “Come here.” I hug him tight and he pats my back before going to the hangar. I look out my window to see a banner that says, “Bon Voyage, Rooster!” Rolling my eyes, I sit back down and keep working. A few hours later, Jake walks in. “Ever heard of knocking?” “I thought friends didn’t have to knock?” “How was the going away party?” He shrugs, “Stupid. Everyone knows what he did. Doesn’t feel like we should be celebrating him.” I laugh, “Let me guess, The Hard Deck tonight?” He walks over and leans on my desk, “Bingo. I’m not really in the mood for that though.” “When are you not in the mood to go drink and pick up women?” He fiddles with my cup of pens, “You know, Y/n, maybe I am finally growing up.” Jake hits me with his shiny white smile and I laugh, “Well I’m going to go by the water to look at the stars tonight, if you wanna join?” “I’ll look for your lantern?” I smile and nod, remembering the first time he found me on the beach. Jake bought a house a few down from ours and Bradley was gone on a very dangerous mission. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to go listen to the waves. I had taken my lantern with me and Jake saw it from his back porch. When he came down to check on me, he found me crying and curled up in a blanket. Jake sat there with me until the sun came up. Back then, I wrote it off as him being a good friend. As I sit here with him leaning on my desk, I wonder if that’s all it was. His fingers brush mine, “See you later.” I gulp, “See ya, Jake.”

.

.

When I get home, I take a long shower to wash off the day. Thankfully Bradley stayed far away from me. I go through my closet, wondering what to wear. I settle on a cute little matching set. I make sure to spray my favorite perfume, it smells sweet and floral. I fix my hair in the mirror and then it hits me, what am I doing? Trying to look cute for Jake? A wave of guilt washes over me and I wonder if Bradley felt it when he was with that woman. The sun finally sets, so I grab my blanket and lantern. I head out to my favorite spot right past the dunes. When we bought the house, I was so excited to have the beach as my backyard. It quickly became my getaway. I lay down and gaze up at the stars. The sound of the waves soothes my soul. It isn’t too long before I hear someone walking my way. Jake’s deep voice and southern drawl brings me back down to Earth, “Hey there, Y/n.” He sits beside me and his hand rests on mine, “Hey, Jake.” “See any constellations tonight?” “Ursa Major is right over there.” I stare off at the stars and when I turn back Jake is staring at me. I giggle, “What?” He gently tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, “Right now you look like.. you. You haven’t looked like yourself in a while.” I raise an eyebrow, “What do you mean?” Obviously I know what he means. I knew something was wrong in our marriage. It weighed on me for months. Jake takes a deep breath, “You stopped laughing. And smiling. You stopped being you. I love when you are you.” His eyes meet mine, green and sincere. I smile, “You do?” “Always have, Y/n.” Jake moves closer, just enough to make my heart jump into my throat. I try to collect myself, “You have?” I feel his breath as he responds, “Yes ma’am. Remember that night? At the Hard Deck? Bradshaw got to you first. I have been kicking myself for the last decade.” His eyes are locked in to mine and my heart is pounding out of my chest. Jake’s lips are less than an inch from mine. I thought this would feel wrong, but every part of me wants him. My head is telling me to stop but my heart wins the argument. I lean in just a touch, our lips brushing. Jake’s green eyes turn dark and he whispers, “Are you sure?” I whimper, “Please, Jake.” Our lips meet. He starts off gentle, sliding a hand into my hair. Then his kiss grows hungry, greedy even. It is like he can’t get enough. His hands explore my waist and the curve of my hips. I nibble on his bottom lip and he smirks. His lips move down my neck and he decorates my collarbone with sloppy kisses. I moan, “Mmmm, Jake.” He pulls back and cups my face in his hands, “I have wanted this for so long.” I smile and push him back into the sand, kissing him in a way I never have before. It’s every ounce of tension that has been bottled up between us. It’s an amount of passion that I have never known. We roll around in the sand and I feel like a teenager again. His hands explore under my sweater and he grins, “A lacy bra? For me?” Heat spreads to my cheeks, “Maybe.” He kisses my neck, “Lacy bra. Perfume. You’re really spoiling me, aren’t you darling?” The pet name makes me crazy. I grab the back of his neck and pull him down to me, kissing him like it is my source of oxygen. The creak of my back gate makes us jump apart, fixing ourselves quickly and turning to see who it is.

.

.

An all too familiar voice calls out, “Y/n! Baby! You out here? The front door is locked!” I stand up with the lantern, “Bradley? You don’t live here anymore.” He walks closer and notices Jake, “Hey! Hangman! What’s up dude?” He is obviously hammered. Someone from work must’ve dropped him off, not knowing he’s moved out. Bradley starts wobbling and I go to his side, steadying him. “Thanks baby. What are you up to? You look so pretty.” I sigh, “B, you need to go back to wherever you’ve been staying. Can I call you an uber?” He shakes his head, “Nooo. I want to sleep at home tonight. I miss home. I miss you.” “Bradley, you can’t sleep here. Where have you been staying?” Bradley looks between Jake and I, his drunk brain trying to process what he sees. He finally asks, “Hangman, why are you with my wife? It’s late. You should be out drinking. Lots of ladies at the bar tonight.” Jake shakes his head, “I’m good. Let’s get you back to Bob’s so you can go to bed.” Bradley shakes his head, “No no no. I don’t wanna go. Tell me why you’re with my wife!” I put my hand on Bradley’s chest, “You need to leave, okay?” I order an Uber to Bob’s and we walk him to the sidewalk. He turns to me, “Have you been sleeping with Jake?” I shake my head, “No, B. The only one that cheated in our marriage was you.” He hangs his head and the Uber arrives. We load him in, then head back to the water. Silence surrounds us. Jake finally clears his throat, “I understand if you want me to go.” I shake my head, “Please don’t.” He kisses the top of my head. I take his hand and lead him inside my house.

.

.

This past week I decided to redecorate. Jake looks around, “I like it. Very you. Very Texas.” He motions to my Longhorn memorabilia and I chuckle, “You know, if you weren’t so damn old we could’ve met in college.” Jake rolls his eyes, “I’m only 8 years older than you. We could always take a little trip and go to a football game.. if you wanted to.” I smirk. Jake Seresin. Hangman. Talking about a trip. The man who I have watched avoid relationships like the plague for the last decade. “I’d like that. You know how much I love football.” We sit on the couch and have a couple of beers. Our conversations switch from work, to our friend group, to our families. I’m starting to yawn and Jake stands up, “I can head home.” I stand up and take his hand, “Or you could stay? If you wanted to.” He tilts my chin up and kisses me deeply, “Of course I do.” As he follows me to the bedroom, I realize how nervous I am. We lay beside each other on the bed and watch a lighthearted romcom. I play with his hair, “Can I tell you something?” “Anything.” “I am so nervous. The way you touch me.. and look at me.. I..” “You haven’t felt this before?” I shake my head, “Not even close.” He smiles and kisses me gently, “Me either.” Jake continues kissing me, his hands roaming my body slowly and deliberately. He nibbles on my ear and whispers, “You are breathtaking.” My breath hitches and I run my hands over his abs, “Did you mean what you said? About the first night we met?” He nods, “Every word. Have you thought about it, too?” I blush, “I shouldn’t have, but I did.” Jake kisses my neck sloppily, “When would you think about it?” I moan, “On the nights he wouldn’t touch me.” Jake’s eyes grow darker like before, “Oh really? Did you think about me any other times?” “Way more than I’d like to admit.” I smirk and bat my eyelashes. Jake’s voice is almost a growl, “Fuck, Y/n.” I kiss his jawline and down his neck. We finally take a breath, and he pulls me in close to his chest. I look up at him, “Didn’t think you’d be the cuddling type.” He chuckles, “Usually I am not.” He plays with my hair and I could get used to this. The affection. The spark. It could be the newness. It could be the guilt. But, I am going to savor every moment of this feeling.

[ann-ann-alan]

Angel Dust x Satan!M!Reader

------/////------/////------/////------/////------/////------/////------/////------

Word count: ~1.6K

TW: Talk about what Valentino has done to Angel Dust. Angel and Val's extremely toxic relationship.

--/////------/////------/////------/////------/////------/////------/////------/////--

Angel's eyes flapped open slowly as the light shined through the curtains of his room at the hotel. For once in his afterlife he felt well rested. He felt so safe and warm cuddling up to his new boyfriend. If only Valentino could be this nice. Valentino. Angel's mind began racing at the thought of his cruel boss, a man that had made him suffer so much, and he would have to go back to him today. Every day until the end of time, or until Angel died. Again.

"Stop thinking about Val." You said as you pat the top of your boyfriend's head. "He's not here. I am. You're safe with me, you know that right?" Angel felt your hands on his face, lightly caressing him, so soft, so caring. "Of course I trust you."

"Good" You kissed him deeply as you swiftly picked him up bridal style. He let out a little squeak at your actions. "Don't worry my little divine being, I won't drop you."

You suddenly turned into a smaller man. A man named Saturn. That's the fake name you had gone for as it was kind of close to your real one. No one could know you were Satan. What would happen if it was revealed that the most powerful of hells beings, second only to Lucifer himself, was staying at a hotel for redemption and was dating a sinner? Hell would be chaos, well, more than it already is anyway.

"I love Saturn and all, but I really wish I could see your real face more often." Angel presses a light kiss to your cheek. "I do too honey, I really wish I could be myself but you know what could happen if people found out about us. It could get real dangerous."

----------------->

You and Angel walked down the steps of the hotel towards the bar where Husk was cleaning glasses.

You and Angel sat on the stools at the bar. As he was rabbling on you couldn't stop yourself from staring at him. His pretty face, beautiful hair, big eyes, and that cute little chest fluff. He was perfect. If only you could truly be with him.

Your train of thought gets interrupted by Angel's phone going off. "Guess I got to get to work." He stared down at his phone sadly, defeated. "Bye Sweetums." He kisses your forehead and heads for the door.

"You really hate Val don't you?" Husk utters, wiping a shot glass down. "What makes you say that?" "Your claws are out and you're ruining my counter." You look down to see both your hands ripping into the counters wood. "Oh sorry. I just- I hate him." Your eyes glowed red. You wished you could rip the head off that disgusting moth. There's nothing wrong with lust (you are good friends with Asmodeus) as long as it's consensual. And Val was anything but.

"Why do you care so much? Angel's just a fling." Husk said starring at your enraged state. "What no! I- well- I- I love him ok?! And I can't keep seeing Val rip my boyfriend apart over and over again!" You love him. You just said it. Husk stared at you with a knowing smirk. "Look, I get you love him and you want to keep him safe but there ain't nothing you can do about a soul contract. He's stuck with Val. Forever." Husk frowned, of course he knew about deals with souls, he made one.

Suddenly an idea comes into your brain. "But what if the contract was broken?" Husk looked at you strangely. "There ain't no way to break a soul contract." "But what is they could be? Would that free him? Would he truly be safe?" You muttered more to yourself then Husk. "Well yeah? But like I said, there ain't no wa-" You put your hand over his mouth. "But what if I could do it? What if I could break the contract?"

"You can't."

"But what if I could?"

"You can't"

"But what if I could?"

"You ca- YOU CAN NOT! Soul contracts don't just break, they just don't. It's better to just give up now."

You could do it. I mean, you're LITERAL SATAN. YOU are the contractor. All soul contracts get run by you. That's your job. You remember when you first came across Angel's contract. You thought nothing of it, just another hopeless sinner who needed a job. Just another hopeless sinner you were now deeply in love with. You could do it. If Valentino willingly showed you Angel's contract, it was over. One touch and the contract would be gone, reduced to ashes and Angel would be free. But everyone would know who you really are. Only one person could break contracts, only one. Satan. Your reputation would be tarnished.

But you would do ANYTHING for the one you love.

----------------->

Angel was tired, he had already filmed three intense scenes and Val only wanted more, just like always.

"Alright my little Angel, you'll be filming one more scene and then you'll come to my office ok?"

Oh god not his office, never his office. Angel couldn't count the amount of unhappy memories he's had in that office. Angel wanted his boyfriend, his real boyfriend, not Val.

"Is there a problem Angel Dust?" Val sneered. "No, no, not at all Val, everything's fine." "Alright then, why wait? Let's go to my office now."

Panic hit Angel like a truck. "Wait now?! I thought I had another scene to film?!" Angel was almost hyperventilating. He couldn't go in there with Val, he couldn't. Not again.

"You said there was no problem. Let's GO!" Val roughly grabs Angels arm and yanks it towards him. "You better behave Ang, you wouldn't want to hurt my feelings would you?" Val looked at him with a disturbing smile. Angel looked into those bright red bug eyes, he was scared, really scared. Scared just like he was when Val made that deal with him.

"Excuse me." Val and Angel looked to the side and found you standing there. "Sata-Saturn what are you doing here?" Angel says. "You know this guy?" Val released Angels wrist and walked towards you. "I'm Val, well you definitely already know me so... Angel said your name was what, Saturn? That's quite a strange name for a sinner." Val held his hand out for you to shake, you just starred at it with your arms crossed. "Well, um, you must be here for a job right? Angel must of told you about me!" Val said as he retracted his hand. "I actually came here because I wanted to take my boyfriend back home."

"What in the hell are you doing?!" Angel whispered to you as he held your arm, almost trying to hide from Val. Valentino noticed this. "Your HIS boyfriend? MY Angels boyfriend? That's a funny joke." Val said almost as a threat, 'it better be a joke.'

"Oh it's no joke. And Angel isn't yours." You stood protectively in front of him. "Oh! But he is. He is MINE. FOREVER." Val says, starting to get angry.

"Baby, you should go..." Angel said from behind you, clutching the back of your shirt with all his hands.

"Yeah, you should listen to him Saturn." Val smirked down at you.

"Let me see it." You utter, holding your hand out in front of you.

"See what?" Val crosses his arms and sneers at you. Looking at you up and down. Judging.

"Let me see the contract that has Angel tied to you. One look at it and I'll leave you alone, forever. You have my word."

Val looks at you suspiciously. "Sure, whatever." He makes the contract apear right in front of you.

You reach out for it and pretend to read over it, but all you could really stare at was the signature at the bottom.

"Well?! Are you happy know? LEAVE!" Val says. He was getting angry. His little play thing had a boyfriend? Who was interrupting his job? What a little BRAT!

"Actually.... I was thinking something a little.... different." Suddenly the contract set ablaze in blue fire, the paper disintegrating.

"WHAT?!?" Val stepped back. HOW?! How was that possible?! How could you do tha- "You're not REALLY named Saturn are you?"

Val could barely get that sentence out before you pushed him to the ground. "You are a pest Valentino. And I'm not afraid to CRUSH you."

Your eyes turned beep red, you gained back your height, long red horns like a ram came out of your head.

"YOU stay AWAY from MY BOYFRIEND! If I EVER see you near him again, you will see the full strength of wrath, you disgusting bug!"

Val stares at you in fear, laying on his elbows, tying to crawl away from you.

"Whoa, whoa! Don't kill 'im baby!" Angel set his hand on your shoulder. Looking back at him all you could see was the man you loved. The FREE man you loved.

"Lets get out of here."

---------------->

"You sure that was a good idea? People know who you are now." Angel said, cuddling into your side as you both sat on the hill of the Hazbin Hotel, looking over the rest of hell.

"That's ok with me. You mean more to me than some stupid reputation I barely cared about in the first place." You pressed both your hands to the sides of his face. "No matter what happens I will always be there with you. Through Earth, Hell, Hay! Even heaven if Charlie's plan works out!" You plant a gentle kiss to his lips.

"I love you for eternity my darling."

"I love you too big guy."

[eloquentlytired]

SFW.

old! logan howlett x gn!reader — the sailor.

summary: You visit your village for summer vacation with your parents. And then you meet the sailor.

word count: 1.5k

warnings(?): dad logan, angsty and kinda sad, hurt to comfort, no smut, yes they kiss in like two days okay let me live, I just made this to cry tbh, sweet in the end

note: I felt inspired at 4:46am so now this came out, haven't re-checked for mistakes so pls don't kill me, kinda rushed

Vacation at the village is always fun when there's so many things happening.

Gossip. Yelling. Bickering. Throng. Bad comments. Distant relatives you've never met, or met as a baby, that you're expected to somehow still remember.

It's definitely all the things that you hate altogether and at the same time everything that overwhelms you. No matter how much time passes.

You find yourself by the sea, walking with a book in your hand. You remember this view vividly and how much comfort it used to provide you with. Now it's just another pretty view but at least there are no voices here to disturb you. You much prefer a seagull’s cry than your family’s at this point.

You walk for what feels like a few minutes when in reality it's over an hour.

The sunset is glorious and watching the sea swallow the sun makes your eyes beam with envy.

You see a single boat in the distance, nothing unusual, but it's the only thing illuminating the dark waters once the sun sets.

There's not much to see. You sit there for a while and quietly watch as the boat continues its destination. As you walk away, you wonder what that destination might be.

It's almost fateful to find a single boat anchored where you'd been the previous night. The waters were crystal clear now and the boat floated on the waves calmly.

You took in its old appearance — it looked like it'd seen better days. Despite that, the worn out letters of the ship’s title and the faded colour made it seem a little charming.

It was odd that something so old and tortured could be so lovely.

“I cannot remember a single person that would sit under the scorching sun to stare at this trash.” A gruff voice said behind you.

You turned fast, clearly startled by the sudden approach.

The man who'd spoken to you — perhaps as old and disheveled as this boat — huffed in amusement.

“I think she's lovely.” You tell him and he seems surprised.

“She’s old and ugly. Not much different than her captain.” He murmurs while his hand pats the faded white wood of the boat.

There's not much to say as the strange man jumps into his boat and starts stacking up some boxes. You watch him grunt a lot, maybe rub his knuckles across his back a few times too.

It feels painful just to see him bend.

“Maybe you could use some help.” The words leave your mouth effortlessly but what surprises you most is his response.

That hard gaze that settles on you and the way he pauses to simply stare before going back to what he's doing.

You distance yourself from the dock and your mind wanders to the embarrassing interaction.

Despite wanting to throw yourself out of the window, you learn that the man you've indirectly insulted is named Logan.

“He’s a good man and sailor.” Your father says one day while pouring himself some orange juice. Your mom reads her book quietly by the window but she listens to him too.

“He seems a little... unpleasant.” You can't help but mutter while you read your work emails through your phone — they're piling up terribly fast.

You almost miss your father talking to you until his finger snap takes away your attention. “What?”

“I asked if you know about the name of his boat.” Your father quirks an eyebrow and he almost asks as if he's challenging you for something.

“Laura.” You mumble, remembering the faded letters on the boat.

“That’s his daughter’s name. She died last year but the man never speaks about it.” Your dad’s response makes both you and your mother's head turn towards him.

He gets the cue and continues.

“Perhaps we could cheer him up a little. Invite him over.” You know where this is going and you don't like it.

You still don't like it as you march towards Logan Howlett’s home. The road is easy and short, and his house is neater than you expect. On the outside that is.

“What?” You can hear the growl in his voice before he opens the door. When he does, he gives you that stare again and you have no idea what he means by it.

“My parents would like to invite you to dinner.” You mumble awkwardly and for a second you forget that you're a grown working person with the ability to make decisions for yourself.

Logan seems to ponder over it.

His fingers scratch his chin over his beard and his eyes appear red as if he's barely slept. Definitely as tortured as his boat.

“Listen. You don't have to—”

“I’ll come.”

Well. And he does.

The walk from Logan's house to yours isn't very bad. You never talk which is bad yes but at least he doesn't stare at you as if he wants to wack you anymore.

The dinner starts off nice. People sitting around and praying — Logan doesn't — and then eating.

You pull yourself away from the table full of your parents, loud relatives and Logan so you can sit with your younger cousins.

It’s going well. The chattering, the nice food and you wiping the food stains off your baby cousin who simply giggles in return. It's a good night until you hear the question drop.

“What about you, Logan? Got any kids? A wife?”

The silence is deafening and you turn your head around slowly to see what's happening.

You don't know if there's another person in this world that hates this more than you do. That feeling you don't want to name, those expressions you don't want to see. It's the worst because it's so evident too — written all over their faces. It's everywhere in their body language too. The awkward cough, the subtle hand brushes and the elbow swings. The eyes. Their pity.

Before you know it, you're rising from your seat and your eyes fall at your bitter Aunt— you know the one who always makes family dinner bad.

“Aunt Jodi.” You call out, drawing attention on you. “Dad tells me you got your fifth divorce on March. Happy holidays.”

She fumes, the others try to soothe her and you go. You notice Logan departing too, maybe running after you.

Your legs guide you to that dock for whatever reason. It's dumb but it somehow manages to soothe your nerves as you sit on the rocky surface and allow your feet to wiggle over the water.

The sun hasn't set yet and once again the view is beautiful.

“Not very nice to insult your family.” He doesn't startle you this time, you kind of expected him to be there.

You unconsciously scoot over and Logan sits next to you grunting.

“Careful. I might insult you next.” You murmur teasingly and for the first time you notice a smile on him. A faint one but still there.

“You know about her?” He suddenly asks and his distant gaze somehow makes you understand.

“About your daughter?” You murmur and he nods. “Only that she's passed and well... Her name.”

You look at the boat while he stares at the setting sun.

“She was everything. Loved the sea and wanted to come with me always but I'd never let her. She was so little.” You didn't dare look his way as he spoke, reminiscing his story. “Well, one day, I did it. I let her come with me and we took the boat for a ride. The weather got messy and shit and..”

It didn't take much to hear the ache in his tone. The desperation. Your heart clenched and you felt your eyes burning — this is who you were. Feeling what people felt. Maybe a little worse sometimes.

“Tried to save her. I failed.” The sun had set out long ago and the moon was high again.

Logan looked at you, at your twitching shoulders that indicated your silent sobs and huffed a little.

“No one’s ever cried for me.” He finds himself adding.

“I’m just..” Your voice shakes but Logan waits patiently, doesn't rush you. “I’m crying because of that boat. It's so ugly.”

You hope he laughs and he does. You do too.

“At least make it pretty for her before she haunts you.” You mumble through your tears and finally look at him, eyes glassy.

His hand is cold when it brushes against your cheek, wiping away a few tears. You lean into the touch quietly.

“I think she's blessed me.” Logan tells you while your gazes meet and you can't help but feel he's right in a way.

His hand wraps around your nape and tugs you forward. When your lips meet his, you close your eyes and savor the passing moment as the sea crashes quietly around you.

Your fingers reach for the wrinkles by his eyes and you touch him there as he claims your lips again — murmuring words you barely catch. Pretty. Sweet. Kind.

In the end,

it still seems so odd that something so old and tortured could be so lovely.

[caplanbuckybarnes]

Howling Moon (werewolf!bucky)

Summary: you find out Bucky's a werewolf.

WC:920ish

Warnings: angst, fluff if you squint hard enough, werewolf!bucky

Read on Ao3!

-

The forest was alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant howls, the moon casting a silvery glow that turned the world into a dreamscape. You always loved the woods, but tonight felt different—charged with an energy you couldn't quite place.

As you walked deeper, your thoughts drifted to him. Bucky Barnes. The quiet guy from town, whose brooding demeanor held secrets you yearned to uncover. Rumors swirled about him, whispers of something otherworldly. Yet, the mystery only drew you closer.

Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the trees, making you pause. You felt a rush of adrenaline, but it was swiftly replaced by a comforting presence. There was Bucky, emerging from the shadows, his blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

“Hey,” you said, heart racing. “What are you doing out here?”

He stepped closer, the tension palpable. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I needed to think,” you replied, searching his gaze for answers. “I’ve been hearing... stories. There’s wolves around these parts, or so I’ve heard. Been wondering what they look like, how they attack their prey. Or if they even exist in these lands.”

“It’s not safe for you to be out here by yourself,” he titled his head to the left as he looked at you. “I think you should go back to the village.”

You thought it strange how he ignored your statement. “Bucky, why are you-” you cut off as a howl echoed through the woods surrounding you. Just as you turned around to gaze into the thicket of trees, you felt a searing pain in your shoulder as sharp canines sank into your skin.

The next morning, you were laid up in your own bed at home, covered under your duvet, warm from the night. You’d laid there for a moment, thinking about the night previous, yet, you could hardly remember much. Didn’t i meet with someone? 

Just then, you heard a knock on your doorframe and glanced up, seeing your best friend,  Bucky, leaning against he doorframe, looking absolutely exhausted. His hair unkempt, his exposed arms covered in bruises. What the hell happened? 

“How’d you sleep?” he asked, unnaturally nervous, eyeing you with caution and concern. “You were out cold when I found you out in the forest.”

“Bucky, i had the strangest dream,” you whispered, sitting up against your headboard and beckoning him inside the room.

He tensed for a moment before walking over to you, his body stiff as you reached out to him, tracing your fingers along the random scratches and bruises he’d acquired the night before. 

“Want to talk about it?” he asked, though his focus didn’t seem to be on you.

“Do you think werewolves exist in the forest?” you asked quietly, as though speaking louder would attract unwanted wolves to barge into your small cottage.

“Anything’s possible, sweetheart,” he frowned. You didn’t miss the worried looks he threw at you as his eyes finally grazed down your body. He knew what he’d done last night. And he damn sure knew you would shout to the villagers of his disease.

“I had a dream - you were there- and-” you coughed out for a moment, grabbing at your midriff as pain shot up from one of the many injuries you had splattered across your body. “- and then everything went black and I woke up.”

“I-” he started, afraid to admit anything to you, afraid that you would hate him for hurting you.

“You’re one of them, aren’t you?” you whispered, acknowledging his behavior. “One of those monsters that keep attacking the villagers every month? Bucky, how? How could i have been so foolish as to not figure this out sooner?”

He flinched as though you had gone to strike him in the face.

“Bucky, tell me.”

“You already know the truth,” he whispered, swallowing the lump in his throat as he pulled away from your touch, standing in the far corner of the room. “I wanted you time and time again not to frolic through the woods late at night. I warned you of the dangers of it.”

“I’m not going to run and tell the town crier, if that’s what you think of me, Bucky,” you frowned. The way he kept flinching as you spoke broke your heart.

"I just need you to be okay," you patted the empty space he'd just vacated. "Come here."

"You were never supposed to know."

Your heart ached for him, the weight of his past hanging heavy in the air as he returned back to the bed. “You’re not a monster, Bucky. You’re still you.”

His eyes met yours, searching, as if he was trying to determine whether you could handle the truth. “What if I can’t control it? What if I hurt someone else? What if I kill you?”

“Then we’ll figure it out together,” you said softly, stepping closer. “You don’t have to be alone in this.”

He let out a shaky breath, tension easing just a fraction. “You’re brave, you know that?”

“Maybe just stubborn,” you replied with a small smile, hoping to lighten the moment. “Or maybe I just see the real you.”

"I don't deserve your forgiveness," he said, eyes surveying the damage he'd done to you. He let out a soft whimper as he finally assessed the damage he caused, partially large bruise across your shoulder into your collarbone.

Without saying anything else, you removed the duvet from your body and leaned forward, pulling him in for a deep hug. "I will always care about you, Bucky."

-

tags!

EVERYTHING PERM: @nekoannie-chan @kjs-s @notyourtypicalrose @mistressofallthingsgeeky

MARVEL PERM: @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory @late-to-the-party-81 @capsthot @kenzieam @dis-plus-fanfic-reblog-writes

[aphroditeinthesea]

“ hits different ”

leo valdez x daughter of aphrodite 🔨

moving on was always easy for y/n, so why did it hit different when it was a certain son of hepaestus

a/n im alive

˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

It was always easy for Aphrodite girls. Or at least that’s what everyone thought. Or at least that’s what Y/N thought.

Love always came so easy to her. Boys fell at her feet to ask her out. It was so fun! She would switch them out like Ken dolls. Everyone knew that she had a new guy to obsess over every week before she got bored. The minute she got Aphrodite’s blessing, she had at least one boy from almost every cabin wrapped around her manicured little finger. She had flowers sent from the Demeter cabin nonstop. Whether or not she kissed- or more- the boy, depended on whether or not she liked the flowers. Well, unless he was cute enough.

But strangely enough, one twerpy son of Hephaestus survived the test of time. Her siblings all thought she went insane, or was replaced by an alien clone. She couldn't explain it. How she nearly peed from how much he made her laugh, or the way she felt like she was on a rollercoaster whenever his hand brushed against hers.

She could never forget when he finally asked her out. He showed up to her cabin with a necklace he made.

“You’ve probably gotten better jewelry than this, but-”

He couldn't even finish his sentence before her lips crashed onto his, “it’s the prettiest necklace I’ve ever seen.”

Y/N had never been happier than in the weeks that followed. Everything just finally made sense. She found herself painting her nails his favorite color and reflecting parts of him in how she dressed. Anything for him to get a certain look in his eyes and drag her into his cabin.

And everything was perfect. It wasn't the freedom that she was so accustomed to. It felt like Summer. She was engulfed in the love she felt from the boy, who she believed adored her to no end.

But now it feels like Summer where the Sun burns her heart and the sand hurts her feelings.

As she sat in a ball on her bed, a hat in her hands as she sobbed, she wondered what happened.

It had been over a month since he broke up with her. She just couldn't get over it, which was weird. Moving on was always easy for her to do.

She had put her friends through it during the first few weeks. They would throw parties and sneak out to the city- and each and every time she would get drunk and slur his name until someone shoved her into a car. Even when her friends would fill her ears with “love is a lie” just to get her by.

She stopped receiving invitations.

“I wish I could tell you why that idiot did it,” she heard her sister say.

She looked up at the girl, “I’ve been going through the evidence and it just doesn't make sense,” she muttered.

Piper sat at the end of Y/N’s bed, “I tried to talk to him, but he just won’t say anything about it.”

She rolled her tear stained eyes, throwing the hat onto the floor, “of course he wouldn't.” She sighed, looking at the door, “I’m gonna take a walk.”

“Do you want me to come?”

She shook her head, “I think I just need fresh air.” It was true though, she had barely been leaving her cabin except for mandatory training or meals. She stood up with shaky legs from how much she had sobbed. She slid on a pair of bunny slippers (me core) and walked out the door, luckily not many campers were out to see her mascara stains on her cheeks.

She made her way to the woods, arms crossed. There was a slight breeze from the September air that made her feel slightly better. She heard a crunch of leaves nearby that made her spin and looked around. She didn't see anyone, thank the gods, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Maybe they had finally come to take her away.

She continued walking until she collided with a body. She muttered an apology until she looked up at the person. Just to find the last person she should ever apologize to.

“Y/N,” he began, taken aback by seeing the girl he had been so keenly avoiding.

She stared silently at the boy as she waited for him to speak. But nothing came out. Just eyes on eyes waiting for the other to move, but neither did.

She finally decided she had had enough of this and turned around. Finding herself unable to leave as he gripped her arm.

“I’m sorry.”

She took a huff before turning back towards him, “you should be.”

He cringed at her hostility. He knew he deserved it. Before the incident, he was convinced that she had not an ounce of coldness in her. “I know.”

“Do you?” She pulled her arm away from him, “I have been trying to find an answer to why the fuck you would do this to me!”

His fingers slightly burned, “I did it for you, I was worried about you.”

She scowled, “huh? Are you stupid? What?”

He slightly laughed at her rhetoric, “I thought something was going to happen to me and I,” he sighed, “I didn’t want you to have to go through that.”

“Leo,” she began, “you put me through worse.”

He heart stung at the words, “I wanted you to move on and be over me by the time I… if I died.”

“But you’re alive,” she responded, “and I’ve had to watch you… exist. Without me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It's just you left me like.. like,” she paused, “no, I don't need another metaphor, it’s simple enough. You abandoned me.”

He looked down at her words, “I’m so sorry.”

She placed her hands on his neck, pulling him down to her height, “and if you died, I’d be coming right after you,” she smiled.

“Don’t say that.”

She let go of him, “I just want to be with you, Leo,” she mentioned, “and you took that from me.”

“I can’t say I’m sorry enough, baby.” Baby. Gods, she was about to be putty in his hands if he called her that again. Everything he had put her through would be buried six feet under.

He grabbed her hand, noticing the color of her nails. “Hey,”

“Don't say anything.”

“Okay.”

She smiled, “you’ve completely ruined me.”

“Why do you sound so happy about that?”

“I don't know,” she sighed, “I love you.”

He grinned, pulling her closer to him while tracing his fingers up and down her arms, “I love you, I’m sorry.”

And with that, their lips touched. And for the first time in weeks, everything was okay.

[bulkyphrase]

Marvel Halloween Rec Week 2024 - Stucky Monday

Happy almost Halloween! I'll be doing rec lists all week, starting with my favorite spooky Stucky fics I've read this year.

Reliquary by afearsomecritter (Stucky, Mature, 2,695 words)

Summary: There was a ghost in the room.   The Soldier was fairly certain that it was the only one who could see it.

Are You Aware, Wolf? by leveragehunters (@leveragehunters) (Stucky, Teen And Up Audiences, 12,068 words)

Summary: Bucky's life was saved because he picked up the tab for a cup of coffee. He'd heard of people getting rewarded for good deeds, but that seemed way out of proportion. Sure, the life-saving came with a side order of being a werewolf, but since that was way better than being dead, he figured he could deal. Of course, that was before he learned about the vampires...

More below the cut!

Black Dog by leveragehunters (@leveragehunters) (Teen And Up Audiences, 55,340 words, No Archive Warnings Apply)

Summary: So long ago the details were lost to time, people began creating guardians of the dead. They were made from dogs, dogs who were buried in graveyards before anyone was laid to rest, their spirits arising as black dogs, bound protectors of the human dead. Steve had always wondered what would happen after he died. He hadn't expected the answer to be 'wake up in the cemetery he'd been buried in', but here he was, some kind of ghost, and he could see the trees through his hands. It wasn't so bad, and he wasn't alone—a sleek black dog, golden eyes glowing bright, was happily waiting to greet him. Decades later, on what was supposed to be a quiet, peaceful, definitely-not-life-changing walk through the woods, Bucky stumbled across an abandoned cemetery and into the impossible. (It's a ghost story and a love story and a story about dogs.) Also available as a podfic read by attolia (@untowardsnark)

Werewolves in the Workplace by leveragehunters (@leveragehunters) (Stucky, Teen And Up Audiences, 45,109 words)

Summary: SHIELD was the only intelligence agency that assigned werewolf and vampire agents to work together in the field, but the program had been a staggering success. They compensated each other’s weaknesses, complemented each other’s strengths, and a werewolf could feed a vampire and shake off the effects faster than ordering a pizza. Bucky knew all that. What he didn't know was why this particular vampire, one Agent Steve Rogers, was holding out a protein bar. They were perched in the rafters of a warehouse, waiting for not-overly punctual arms dealers to show up and deal arms, had been stuck up here for a couple of hours, but none of that explained vampires suddenly offering snacks. In his near decade as a werewolf in SHIELD, Bucky had worked with a lot of vampires, and they all tended to be pretty much the same. Steve Rogers was different, didn't fit the vampire mould, and Bucky couldn't quite figure out why. Not that it really mattered. Steve was just someone he was occasionally paired with on SHIELD assignments. It wasn't like he was going to have any effect on Bucky's life.

Things That Are True by PottersPink (@potterspink) (Stucky, Mature, 5,405 words)

Summary: You think about how you haven't ever felt so alive for being dead.

Ghost of You by redsteele (@shrinkyclink) (Stucky, Mature, 20,013 words)

Summary: Bucky’s job was far from monotonous, but between his last mission being a complete bust and being taken off rotation for field work, he found himself with a lot more free time and little to do with it. But when strange events started to happen at SHIELD, he stumbled onto a conspiracy that could tear his whole world apart. Who was the man in the hospital gown that kept appearing out of nowhere? What was Shield hiding? And most importantly, who is Steve Rogers?

Sunshine in an empty place by seratonation (Stucky, General Audiences, 962 words)

Summary: They went for walks sometimes, but they never talk anymore. Not like they used to. Something was wrong with Steve and Bucky couldn’t figure out what it was.

If You Ever Did Believe by wearing_tearing (Stucky, Mature, 33,192 words)

Summary: Bucky Barnes will never die of a broken heart. The spell he cast at thirteen, in between white petals and whispered words of magic, makes sure of that. But then Bucky murders someone, conspires with his sister to hide the body, and meets Steve Rogers.

[lucytsukii]

Luck – The Angel of the Woods

[English is not my native language, there may be errors in the writing, I hope you like it!]

A character I adapted for Milkshake Mansion!

Mansion belongs to @boiling-potato

I will write about his personality and facts about him in another post (If you like it obviously, I'm very insecure ;w;) because this one got too long (sorry >w<")

Extensive lore warning!!

Story:

Luck was a cheerful and lively warrior angel, even playful, when one day, he was appointed as the guardian angel of a lively and troublesome young lady. He always followed her everywhere without a day off, always protecting her from evil spirits or specters.

One of those days, while killing a spirit, he ended up revealing himself to the little girl to protect her. From then on, she always called him or tried dangerous things just to see him again.

To prevent her from getting hurt, he started talking to her. Over the years, she grew up and the two became friends. However, the girl fell in love with the smiling angel. The angel discovered the girl's feelings, but saw her as a child, finally rejecting her with an awkward smile.

"A mortal cannot be with an angel, because he is immortal."

This was a phrase that left its mark on the girl. As the days passed, the angel noticed the girl's subtle change. She was planning something, but he didn't understand which way she was going, and she always avoided the subject.

This continued for a few months, but Luck noticed something strange: the number of evil beings around her increased, and even stronger. He didn't understand why, becoming even more distracted and distant from her because he was busy defeating these beings.

Until, on a cold night, the girl who was walking down the street headed out of the city, towards the woods.

Luck, not understanding the reason, tried to question her, but was distracted by another spirit that appeared. While fighting, he suddenly felt a chill. When he observed the girl, she was facing a being with a frightening aura, a demon.

The warrior angel was already prepared for combat, determined and confident of his strength, but something stopped him. The girl seemed excited when she looked at that being. She turned around with a look that made the poor angel shiver with fear, with a happy and calm expression. Finally, she said:

"That way, I can be immortal like you! And we will be together."

The angel widened his eyes, looking at the situation in slow motion. He realized what was happening. All these months, she had been looking for a way to achieve this goal of being together, and this demon used his influence to take her to where they were, to give her the hope she so desired, while distracting Luck with spirits so he wouldn't notice.

The girl, in front of that being, smiled as she went to proclaim her request, however, something surprised both the girl and the demon, in front of them Luck with halos stained red, was holding the heart of the girl he had just stolen, the girl, unable to process, fell unconscious seeing tears streaming down Luck's face as her last glimpse.

After a while, Luck would be staggering through the woods, injured from a long battle, but something else, he would be in a smaller form than usual, in his chest, a huge empty hole. As he tried to stay awake, he caught a glimpse of a huge mansion in the distance, decorated by moonlight.

-

With the light of dawn, the young girl wakes up, sitting in the middle of the street of her city, looking straight down a tiled path that leads to the woods, where she feels a vast feeling of loneliness...

Tag: @justafriendlystranger @boiling-potato @edgywithaheart

[fictionsbaby]

Puppy

summary: y/n and seth take a walk in the woods when seth has something to show his girlfriend

warnings: fem reader, cuteness overload

Word count:405

*Kind of a part 2 to My Love, but you don't have to read it first.

the leaves crunched under their feet as the happy couple made their way through the woods, hand in hand. the two lovebirds had been together for almost 5 months, and hoped to be together for many more.

something had been weighing on seth’s shoulders for a long time now, something he wanted-no, needed- to tell y/n.

“she deserves to know,” he thought.

as these pressing thoughts continued to swirl in the young man’s brain, his girlfriend beside him was rambling about how her day went, and what she planned to do the next day, when she was suddenly interrupted.

“and i was thinking tomorrow that i might-”

“y/n, theres something that i need to show you,” he rushed out.

“okay? what is it seth?” she inquired.

“umm, just stay right here,” he told her, letting go of her warm, soft hand, and backed up a good distance away, so that he wouldn't hurt her.he would never forgive himself if they had to face a similar fate to that of Sam and Emily.

“o-okay. just stay there, and please don't freak out. please,” he pleaded to his love.

“Seth… you're starting to scare me,” she said.

Seth began to strip down to his underwear, after telling her to turn around, not wanting to make her even more uncomfortable.

she heard a strange sound, and a few seconds later, she felt a cold and wet nose touch the back of her arm. she gasped, turning around to come face-to-face with a giant, adorable, wolf.

“OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!” she screamed. “YOU'RE ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Seth’s big wolf ears went down at the high pitched scream she let out.

“wait! you're a wolf?!?!?!” she questioned. the adorable wolf nodded his big fluffy head. “ why didn't you tell me?” she asked in a sad voice. when there wasn't really a response, she then realized,” oh wait. you can't talk, can you?” a shake of his big fluffy head. “that's ok. you are so cute though seth!!” she then had a sudden gasp, “what if we go cuddle?” she asked, very excited.

another nod of his head, he took his muzzle and began to guide the girl to a nearby tree. he then laid down, and she sat down, leaning against him.

eventually there were soft snores emitted by the girl who had fallen asleep. Seth could not be more thankful for the caring and understanding girl at his side.

[naughtyneganjdm]

Naughty or Nice - Chapter 5

Summary: The jealousy that Y/N has about finding out how Negan and Maggie's relationship started fuels her and she has a heart to heart with Negan that leads to a fiery interaction between the two of them.

Characters: Negan, the reader (OC), etc.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51464518/chapters/131751610

Warnings: 18+, Swearing, angst, lots of smut, daddy kink, etc.

Notes: This is a long chapter. Thank you for taking the time to read it. I'm sorry it took some time to get out! Things have been really busy over the last few days.

It was strange how certain things could change at different points in your life. When Y/N used to live in her family’s home as a teenager, she always hated having the bedroom that she did. It was on the side where the sun rose and it used to drive her crazy waking up to the sun blinding her every morning. But when her eyes finally fluttered to an open, she actually enjoyed the sight before her. The sun wasn’t completely up yet, but it was a beautiful sight seeing the sun rising slightly over the tree line of the woods in the distance. It’s shine was hidden somewhat by the morning clouds and she found comfort in the sight. This was the first time she had woken up at her family’s home in a very long time. It was both a strange and awkward feeling.

Truthfully? She really didn’t know how to feel about things. The last thing she remembered was Negan sneaking into her room to cuddle with her in bed. Once Negan entered her mind, she felt her heart skip a beat. Pushing up onto her palms, she turned her attention toward the bed where he was last night. A sense of sadness rushed through her veins when she saw that Negan wasn’t there. No one was. With a frown, she stretched her hand out and felt the bed. The sheets were cool beneath her fingertips and she wondered if she dreamt all of that. Everything about yesterday was stressful. The only thing she found comfort in lately was Negan, so maybe that was a way for her brain to relax.

Of course it had to be a dream. Why would Negan show up in the middle of the night to cuddle with her? Why would he want to hold her in his arms? There were so many people that could have walked in and caught them. Especially with Maggie not far from her room. The last thing Negan likely wanted to do was fall asleep in her bedroom. 

After having Maggie talk to her last night, she just assumed Negan was likely fresh on the mind. Talking with everyone made her realize that it was a dumb idea to come back here. A long time ago she knew that she didn’t belong here and in the small amount of time she had been back, it had been proven to her many times that she was right. Part of her still wondered why she came back here after everything her family put her through. Hershel made it clear he didn’t like her and he didn’t want her back. Maggie tried last night, but they were still off with one another. Even though Maggie meant well, there was always going to be tension between Maggie and Y/N. Maggie was Hershel’s favorite and Y/N was the one that Hershel hated. That alone made things tense. Adding Negan into the picture was a whole new world of mess. Learning about Negan and Maggie’s relationship and all the things they did together only made Y/N jealous.

Hearing the ticking of the old alarm clock on her nightstand, Y/N stole a quick look at it to see the time. If her family stuck to their routines, as they often did, she was up early enough to go work on the farm before her father woke up. Maybe if she got to spend some time with the things she actually loved about this place when she was a child, she would actually understand why she came back here in the first place. Feeding the animals might be a calming thing for her and give her time to really think things out.

Seeing that there was a thin layer of snow on the ground, Y/N dressed in warmer clothes that would be comfortable for the morning. After she got dressed and left her room, she stopped at the door to listen. Everything was quiet. That told her that her family was still asleep and it made her happy. It confirmed for her that she would be able to get some alone time. Thank God for their routines. Sneaking out while everyone else was asleep reminded her of her childhood. There were so many times she would just get up early just to get time to herself. There was a chill in the morning air that made her huff. This was so different than what she had grown accustomed to living in big cities for so long.

Heading toward the stables, she noticed that the doors were partially opened as she approached it. A nervous breath fell from her lungs when she wondered who could have beat her in waking up. Stepping in closer, she tipped her head to the side and heard the faint sounds of a deep voice coming from inside, “See. I’m not so fucking bad. I think the two of us could be friends. Don’t you?”

With a smirk, she carefully pulled open the doors further to see that Negan was standing at one of the stables petting the muzzle of the horse that he was in front of. An amused exhale fell from her throat when she saw how he was dressed. He was wearing a dark pair of jeans with a heavy tan jacket that was opened revealing the black long-sleeved shirt that was beneath. A light-colored cowboy hat was on top of his head and he was wearing a pair of boots to go along with it. There was a theme to his whole outfit and he was selling it. Never in her life had she ever pictured Negan getting caught wearing something like that. At this point she could tell that he didn’t notice she was there and she found herself enamored with him.

“What are you doing?” Y/N finally spoke up causing Negan’s eyebrows to bounce up, his eyes lifting to meet her stare. An amused smirk tugged at his handsome features when he saw that it was her and he gave her a simple shrug. Approaching Negan, she noticed that it was Apollo that Negan was petting and it surprised her. Especially since Apollo seemed to enjoy having Negan touching him.

“I’m making friends,” Negan’s deep, raspy voice informed her when she stepped in beside him. Just standing next to him felt nice. There was a warmth radiating off of Negan and it was a nice contrast to the morning air around them. “I woke up early and decided to help your stepbrother. Shawn is around here somewhere. I used to do this kind of stuff when I was a kid at my grandparent’s place. It’s like riding a bike.”

“A bit different,” she acknowledged with a shake of her head. It was hard not to focus on Negan’s apparel now that she was standing beside him. Truth was? She actually liked it. But it did bring one question to her mind. “Where in the world did you get the hat?”

“Your stepbrother gave it to me. I thought I looked good in it,” Negan turned to her, giving her a flirty wink. Just that alone had a rush flooding into her face. God, he was so fucking cute and he knew it. Shaking her head, she tried to focus knowing that her stepbrother was likely near. “I’m a city boy, but I can go back to my old roots if I have to.”

“And you can win over the heart of the biggest asshole on this farm,” she acknowledged, still surprised to see that Negan was managing to get along well with Apollo. That horse was never really friendly and hated most people. So to see them like this? That impressed her. Then again, she thought about the words that she said to Negan. The biggest asshole that she knew on the farm was actually, in her opinion, her father. “Well, the second biggest asshole. My father still likely hates you.”

Snorting out, Negan’s nose wrinkled and there was visible amusement from what she had just said about Hershel. That was one thing he wasn’t going to fight her on. Her father was indeed an asshole. And she more than anyone would know that. Petting Apollo a few more times Negan shrugged his shoulders and drew her attention back to the older horse, “I think it’s because we are both old and grumpy. It only makes sense that me and this guy would be able to get along.”

“That sounds good, but I promise you that no one has ever gotten on this guy’s good side. Maybe Beth? But other than that,” she alerted Negan who seemed pleased to hear that he was one of the only people to get on Apollo’s good side.

“I’m pretty good at winning most people over,” Negan mused, his eyebrow arching when he took a quick gander around the area. Making sure that they were alone, Negan slowly turned to Y/N and reached out to slide his glove covered hands over her sides. Drawing her closer to him had her letting out a shuddering breath.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there in the morning when you woke up. I woke up about an hour ago and figured before your father showed up with a shotgun, I should get out of there,” Negan explained, his voice quiet enough for only her to hear and it made a breath catch in her throat. Noticing the surprise in her features, Negan tipped his head to the side and smiled. “What?”

“Nothing, I just thought…I didn’t think that was real,” she was honest with him hearing his snickering follow. There was that adorable wrinkle of his nose followed by his dimples sinking in. Even with him amused with her he was fucking cute. “I thought I dreamt you crawling into bed with me last night to try to comfort myself to sleep.”

“No, that was me,” Negan corrected her, urging his glove covered finger in underneath her chin to get her to look up at him. There was longing in Negan’s eyes, his long eyelashes fluttered before he lowered down closer to her. “I’m the real deal, not a dream.”

A moment later Negan’s lips were covering hers. The warmth from the kiss was a vast contrast to the cool air that was surrounding them. It sent a chill down her spine but warmed her up at the core when she reached up to slide her hand in over his shoulder to brace herself.

“Negan,” she stopped him, pulling away when she thought about the fact that Negan was actually helping her stepbrother. “If Shawn sees…”

“I know,” Negan frowned remembering what she had asked of him the night before in trying to hide his feelings for her. “I’m sorry. You know how I feel about you with things. I just got caught up in the feeling of everything. Waking up with you in my arms this morning. Your face being the first one I saw. Well, other than your brother.”

“Why do you have to be like this?” she frowned, stroking her hand down from the center of his chest toward the middle of his abdomen. How quickly she fell for Negan was scary. It was too fast. Right?

With Negan pressing his forehead to hers, she was getting caught up in how affectionate the movement was. Closing her eyes, she cherished the warmth of his breath hovering over her lips. Nuzzling his nose in against hers, Negan stroked his fingers in over the sides of her face and breathed in sharply.

“Negan,” she sighed, her eyes fluttered to an open knowing that she didn’t want this to end. “We can’t do this here.”

“I know,” he swallowed loudly, his long eyelashes fluttering, but he wasn’t quick to pull away from her. As they parted, his thumb dragged across her bottom lip and it took her breath away. Just his touch could drive her wild and he knew that. “I promise I will try to relax. It’s just I’m getting caught up in all of this. Having you sleeping in my arms last night was fucking great. It just made me fall for you fucking harder. I’m head over heels for you.”

Parting her lips, she went to say something, but the sound of shuffling in the distance was heard. Stepping away, she pulled herself from Negan and it made her heart race. A disappointed breath escaped Negan’s lungs, but he gathered himself. Shawn made his way around the corner and thankfully by the time he did, they were far enough apart for him not to question things. Once Shawn’s eyes connected with hers, his smile expanded and he actually looked happy to see her. Dropping what he was carrying, Shawn headed over and wrapped Y/N up in his arms giving her a big hug. 

“I didn’t get to talk to you yesterday, but I’m super happy to see you sis,” Shawn released her and stepped back on his heel noticing that Negan was approaching her. “I know that dad has been giving you a hard time, but you just have to ignore him. He’s upset that you left him and he never let it go. When you left, he thought you were going to come crawling back to beg him for help. And you didn’t. So his feelings are hurt. Or maybe his ego is bruised. Either way, don’t let that bring you down. You’re the most successful of all of us. No one can take that away from you.”

That was something she needed to hear. And it surprised her that it came from her stepbrother. Shawn was never really good at picking up on people’s emotions and feelings, so to hear that coming from him didn’t feel like Shawn. It was sweet, but still unusual.

“We might have talked a little bit,” Negan spoke up, his hands resting at his hips while Y/N looked between the two of them. Tension flooded her features and Negan knew that she was overthinking what he said. “About the family I mean. That’s all.”

“What else would we talk about? I wouldn’t know spit from spat when it came to your work or anything like that,” Shawn’s southern drawl made Negan snicker. Bouncing his eyebrows, Negan turned his attention back to Y/N and gave her a small nod. “Just know that myself, my ma and Beth have really missed you. Your energy is something this family is missing. You were always the one pushing for more and I think we all needed that around here. We’re content, but with you…you made a lot of us want more.”

“Thanks Shawn,” she brushed her fingers over the back of her neck before pointing along the horses. “Do you think I can take Dakota and one of the horses on a ride? With the snow, I don’t know which ones handle it the best. I want to show Negan something.”

“You think the city boy here can handle riding a horse?” Shawn teased Negan, elbowing him in the side causing Negan to huff out. 

“I actually grew up on a farm with horses. Well, not all the time, but my grandparents had a farm, so I’m not full fucking city boy,” Negan explained with a snort and a shake of his head. “I think I can handle a horse.”

“You sure?” she made sure that Negan was comfortable which was followed up by a confident nod from Negan. 

“Alright. I reckon I would go with Lucky. He’s the most well behaved and he can handle the snow,” Shawn instructed pointing over toward one of the horses that was brown with white on the muzzle. “I don’t think Lucky would be upset if Negan was uncomfortable at certain points.”

Shawn started preparing Lucky for Negan to ride while Y/N was getting Dakota ready. Heading over in front of Apollo, Negan stroked his hand over the length of the horse’s head and snickered, “Now don’t you go getting jealous of me and Lucky. You and I are still friends, but we have to learn to bond with one another more before I even consider taking a ride on you.”

“I wouldn’t do that if you want to keep your life,” Shawn snorted from the other side of the aisle where he was at. “That boy hasn’t let anyone ride him in years. We can get a few pets in here and there, but he’s feisty.”

“We’ll see,” Negan grumbled under his breath, brushing his fingers through Apollo’s mane. “I think this guy will open up to me at some point.”

“Are you sure you’re comfortable with riding? I figured since you were new around the farm, I would just show you some things that you might like. Maybe you will want to show the kids later,” Y/N spoke up and Negan gave her another confident nod. “Alright then.”

Both Y/N and Shawn waited when Negan climbed up onto Lucky to make sure that he didn’t fall over. At first, he seemed off balance, but when he got his center, he flashed them a bright cocky smile that had Y/N shaking her head. Of course Negan had to be good at most things. Walking over to Dakota, she got up and then directed Negan with what he needed to say to get Lucky to do what he wanted. Once he got the hang of things, they started off through the large, empty field toward the trees.

“Couldn’t wait to get me alone, could you?” Negan joked getting her to look over at him. Flashing her a big, arrogant smile had her rolling her eyes. Shaking her head, she didn’t give him the satisfaction of getting an answer from her and just kept on forward. “I actually don’t mind this whole farm life thing.”

“Oh?” she quipped, her eyebrow arching in curiosity when they reached the tree line and she led them through the woods.

“I mean, I look good in a cowboy hat,” Negan reasoned with her, lifting his left hand to point toward his face. Flashing another arrogant, wolfish smile had her rolling her eyes and continuing. “I’m a sexy cowboy.”

“Does the ego ever quit?” she wondered hearing his raspy laugh follow. Even though she found him adorable and agreed that he made a good-looking cowboy, she knew that it seemed like he was always egotistical.

“I mean, it’s not ego if it’s true,” Negan countered, his head bobbing about when she came to an area in the middle of the woods where she wanted to stop. Watching her hop down, he got Lucky to stop before getting down himself. “I think I just really am that fucking awesome.”

“Of course you do,” she headed over to the large sitting rocks that were set out in a circle. This was a place that Maggie and her friends had set up when they were younger, but Y/N would often come here a lot when she was a kid to get some time to think about things. Taking a seat down on one of the larger rocks that were there, she let out an extended sigh and noticed the tip of Negan’s head. “What?”

“I don’t know, you tell me,” Negan sat across from her, leaning forward on the large rock that was there. Arching his thick eyebrow, he waited for her to say something and tossed his hand up. “I know that look on your face. It’s the, I’m really upset and I have something to say face, but I don’t know if I should. You use it all the time at work when you are trying to be polite, but you hate something. Not that you use it with me, but I’ve seen it with other people.”

“Jesus. You know my faces now?” she retorted and Negan nodded his head shrugging his shoulders when she repositioned on the rock that was before him. It was best to just get everything out now that they were alone and she knew that. “Maggie and I talked last night.”

“And?” Negan slurred as if waiting for something to come from her. There was no panic or worry and that surprised her.

“Negan, I don’t think I can do this with you,” she declared, lowering her head so that way she didn’t have to look at him. Looking at him made things hard because just the sight of his eyes could cause her heart to skip a beat. “Maggie told me about the first time that the two of you met. And she was talking about you. A lot. In extensive details.”

“Okay. And?” Negan put emphasis on his words, still confused as to why she was questioning things with them again. “What is going on here Y/N? We talked about this yesterday and I thought we had a deal between the two of us. You know that you want to be with me and I want to be with you.”

“I know, but it’s…” she felt the lump in her throat growing and the guilt started to eat away at her. “It’s complicated.”

“What isn’t complicated in life? If we let everything that was complicated stop us, none of us would fucking be here,” Negan tossed that out to her and it surprised her how much it made sense. “What did Maggie say that has you uncomfortable?”

“She was talking about the first time that the two of you met. How you brought lunch to her on the steps and then later in the night the two of you had sex in a bar bathroom stall,” Y/N listed off the things that Maggie had told her. Hearing all that made her jealous, but Negan didn’t seem affected by it. “She was going very much in depth about how good at sex you were. How you had a big dick that was really nice.”

“What about that bothered you? I am good at sex. I do have a big dick,” Negan listed off hearing the groan that followed from her. Throwing his hand up in the air, he tried to reason with her about things. “I mean these are things that you know already Y/N. I also have a small ass. I got no back in the booty. I come a lot too.”

“Negan!” she scoffed noticing the dramatic flair he was adding to everything he was saying while bobbing his head back and forth. “It was awkward hearing how the two of you had sex that first night. You have no idea how hard it was for me to sit there and listen to my sister talking about fucking you on the first night. Showing me how big she thought your dick was while deep down I already knew.”

“I still don’t get it. Yes, I had sex with Maggie on the first night, but that’s because your sister grabbed my wrist after she lost to me in a game of pool. She dragged me into the bathroom and it just kind of happened,” Negan recalled his past with Maggie and he licked his lips. “Y/N in this case, I understand that Maggie is your half-sister, but she’s just some person that I had sex with on the first night. But it was safe. I wore a condom. I always wore a condom with Maggie. I get you feel weird about it because she is related to you, but you haven’t even talked to her in years. The people here, they don’t respect you. Shawn, your stepmother and Beth seem to admire you though. I don’t think they would care who you were and you weren’t dating.”

“You say all that like it’s nothing,” Y/N frowned hating that she found herself feeling both jealous and guilty over Maggie. “You’re literally fucking my sister.”

“Correction. I used to be fucking your half-sister. I haven’t had sex with Maggie in a while,” Negan informed her with a grunt, throwing his hands up in the air when she mentioned it. “I’ve been so fucking busy with work and the kids that there was no way that it was going to happen. No nut November would have described the situation going on in my pants because there was no time for anything.”

“Are you ever serious?” she scoffed in frustration hearing Negan’s thick rumble of laughter over his own explanation of things.

“I’ve been nothing, but serious with you,” Negan pronounced his words in such a way that it made her laugh and roll her eyes at him. “I find it hard understanding where the problem falls in here with you and me. I want to date you. I want you to be mine and more than fucking anything I want to be yours. Yes, I was dating your sister. Yes, I’ve had sex with her, but I never will again.”

“You can’t say that,” she dismissed his comment with a grunt. Maggie was a very persuasive person and she knew by the way that Maggie talked about Negan that she honestly liked him. “I can’t expect you to drop every person that you want to have sex with just because you are interested in me and we are having…whatever this is.”

“I don’t want anyone else,” Negan assured her with determination in his voice, reaching up to pull the cowboy hat from his head to set it in his lap. “I’ve been dating your sister for six months. Kind of. And I haven’t even given her a key to my apartment yet. She doesn’t live with me. I came on this trip because I was worried about my children not having a good holiday. I can’t tell you how unserious this relationship actually is with Maggie.”

“Oh,” her lips parted, her eyes shifting when she thought about the information that he just gave her. “I didn’t know that.”

“There are a lot of things you don’t know and I’m an open book that will tell you everything,” Negan threw that out there, throwing his hands up in the air. “Go ahead, have at it. If you are uncomfortable, ask me anything and I will tell you. I’ll be upfront and honest with you. I don’t want to hide anything from you.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you Negan. It’s just Maggie has real feelings for you Negan. I think she believes that she loves you,” Y/N educated Negan on how Maggie appeared to feel about him. “And I’m sure you have some feelings for her there too.”

“I think both Maggie and I love each other,” Negan maintained, his right hand lifting up and circling in the air while he tried to gather his thoughts. “I love Maggie. I do. But the way in which I fucking love Maggie is not me in love with Maggie. I love Maggie the way anyone would love their friends that they are close to.”

“Their friend that they’ve had lots of sex with,” she corrected Negan, allowing that jealousy to flood her features again. Gazing out into the woods around them, she felt like her face was on fire when she let Maggie’s words replay in her mind.

“I’ve had sex with you once and I’m more hooked on you than I have been on Maggie since I met her,” Negan snapped his fingers to get her to look at him. Her face scrunched up and he chuckled, his nose wrinkling at the idea that she was jealous of Maggie. “Boss, I know I probably sound like a fucking creep, but I’ve never felt something more real than I do when I’m with you. I have no doubt in my mind that you are meant to be with me and I am meant to be with you. And maybe having Maggie in my life was the world’s way of putting us closer together like this.”

“I feel like a bad person,” she finally confessed to something that was eating away at her. “I’m engaged to Glenn. And while I should feel guilty about cheating on him with you and for wanting to be with you, I’m actually more upset because I’m jealous of my sister. Jealous that she’s been with you. That she’s gotten to have you for this long. With how I feel about you, I’m a horrible person in terms of both Maggie and Glenn. Both of them are good people Negan. What we’re doing, it’s wrong.”

“So because Maggie and Glenn are good people, we should ignore the things that are happening between us? You should be miserable for the rest of your life because Maggie and Glenn are good people?” Negan inquired frustration flooding his veins and he shook his head. “That’s your abusive family talking, not you. Why can’t you be happy?”

“Because my happiness is going to break the heart of Glenn, my sister and it’s going to tear my family apart again,” she whimpered when Negan stood up from the large stone that he was sitting on, but moved around the area they were in to take a seat next to her. Putting his cowboy hat back on, Negan stared out at her and shook his head. “Negan…”

“If it tears your family apart, you will find your family with me, Beau and Erin,” Negan explained, his hand reaching up so he could sweep his thumb in over the side of her face. “I promise you, it might seem fast, but when you fucking know. You know.”

“But why me Negan? Why me?” she was getting emotional with the way that he was talking to her and the way that he was touching her. “Maggie is so beautiful. She’s perfect. She’s always been better than me.”

“You are beautiful. You are perfect. You are everything I want,” Negan declared, his eyelids growing heavy with his eyes locked on hers. “Yes, I care about your sister, but I want to be with you. I think the two of us could share a beautiful life. And why wait? We both know what we want. Think about it. You can move in with me. If you miss home, we can get ourselves a farm on the side so when you need that break away from the big city, we can disappear together. I mean we can certainly fucking afford it.”

“We’ve had sex once and you’re talking about moving in,” she was shocked, her head shaking but Negan captured her jaw between his thumb and index finger. “How can you make these plans so fucking fast?”

“Because. As crazy as it fucking sounds, sometimes love doesn’t fucking take it’s time. It comes out of nowhere and it punches you in the face and then the gut. I want to be with you every second. I want to walk into work, see you and know that beautiful woman is mine and no one is ever going to change that. I think we’d make cute kids. You can see by Beau and Erin, I make good looking kids. If you are worried about the whole children thing, we don’t have to rush into it. And I’m willing to give you as many children as you want. As long as you would still treat Beau and Erin good because they are my heart. Of course, if we had children they would be too, but I need to have room for all of them. Not just ours.”

“Children?” she chuckled, her eyes tearing over while Negan spoke about things. “In most cases people would think you were insane and I should run.”

“But it appeals to you,” Negan grumbled when she stood up from the oversized rock that she was sitting on. “If you weren’t so worried about other people’s feelings, I would run away with you and the children right now. I would take you home and we could start right there. But you are forcing yourself to worry about everyone else. When in reality, for the first time in your life you may have the first real thing you’ve ever had with me. We’ve gone through all the stages already. Desperation, jealousy, hurt…you name it. As someone who knows what it is like to find a special love and lose it, why would you want to wait when you’ve found something so…so fucking real.”

“God, you have no idea how hard you are making this whole thing,” she shook her head, moving around Negan to head back toward Dakota to hop on the horse. When she took off, Negan swiftly moved back to Lucky. Doing his best to follow her, Negan noticed that she stopped at the old barn on the property. Following her in, Negan saw that she was sitting on a pile of hay, her head buried in her hands visibly upset.

“What has you so upset about us today as opposed to yesterday?” Negan knelt down before her, his hands cautiously reaching out to press in over her knees to caress over them in a tender sweep. “Talk to me Y/N.”

“Maggie brought up something last night. When we were younger, she stole my boyfriend. I was dating someone older than me. Someone that I should have never been with to begin with, but he took my virginity and I thought I was in love with him,” she admitted to Negan, her throat tensing up when the idea of Shane and Maggie re-entered her mind. “What I didn’t realize was that he had eyes for Maggie. I never told Maggie about him, but he used me to get to her. And it worked. Maggie slept with him and I found them together. And even when she found out that he was my boyfriend, she still decided to date him. Maggie stole my boyfriend. If they find out about you and me, they are going to think I’m doing this for revenge Negan. They are going to think that I am holding onto a grudge from all those years ago.”

“Who cares what they think? We both know that’s not the truth. You and I had sex long before I knew you were Maggie’s half-sister and long before you found out that I was dating Maggie,” Negan pointed out, leaning in closer to her, his hand outstretching so he could caress over the side of her tear-stained face. “Your family did a fucking number on you honey. What you need, what you’ve always needed was someone who saw you…all of you and stood up for you. Here I am to tell you, who gives a fuck what they think of us? What they think of you? If Maggie thinks you stole me because of that? Well, good. Because that was fucked up what she did with that fucker.”

“That’s not the point Negan. I don’t even care about that guy anymore, but Maggie will. She will think that I did this in order to get back at her for what she did with him,” she explained hating that it was getting to this, but it was true and she knew it would be brought up. “Yes, I want to be with you…”

“Then stop right there,” Negan interrupted her, leaning forward with his long eyelashes fluttering and his hands grabbing a firm hold of hers. Caressing his thumb over the back of her hand, he got her to look at him and he offered up a big, goofy smile. “Y/N, that’s all that I need to hear. You want to be with me. I want to be with you. It’s not much harder than that. I don’t care what Maggie, Glenn or your family thinks. I don’t care what anyone thinks,” Negan lifted up enough, the warmth of his breath lingering over her lips. “We will make this whole thing work.”

“You’re so confident,” she tremored with Negan’s lips faintly brushing over hers drawing her to calm down and into a sweet surrender all over again. Bracing her hands in over his chest, she slid her palms up to caress in over his shoulders. “How do you know we aren’t making a mistake?”

“Because I know how I feel,” Negan asserted, his words vibrating against her bottom lip with the kisses he was peppering over her flesh. “I’ve felt this way once before and it wasn’t wrong then either. Every time I see you, my heart skips a beat. And it happened long before we hooked up in your office. I’ve always been enamored by you, but spending that first night with you? I just knew right then and there that it was you. You’re my missing piece.”

“Fuck you Negan,” she palmed up over the side of his face, her fingers hooking into his hair. Confusion flooded his hazel eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Why do you have to make me fall in love with you every time you talk?”

“And here I was afraid of using that word,” Negan slurred, his eyes narrowing when he reached up to brush her hair out of her face. Gasping, she realized exactly what he meant by using that word and he hushed her. “I was afraid of throwing that word around, just in case it freaked you out, but with you saying it first…”

“I don’t know what to say,” she was honest. She was at a loss for words. She wanted to deny things, but she couldn’t. And she could go further in depth but she was afraid to. “You’re the only person that makes me feel that way.”

“That’s because I’ve always got something to say,” Negan hushed her, tracing his thumb over her bottom lip repeatedly. A gust of wind filled the air making Negan lift his head to see that it was starting to snow again. “I’ll talk enough for the two of us.”

“Love is a big word you know,” she pointed out, her eyes narrowing when he leaned her back into the hay crawling in over her.

“It’s actually not,” Negan replied back, his lips hovering over hers. “It’s a four-letter word. It’s a really short word if you think about it.”

“Negan,” she scoffed having his nose wrinkling in amusement and his deep raspy laugh following. “People would say we were crazy if we started throwing that word around.”

“Why? I think the word is a very good word to throw around when you feel something so deeply for someone. Like, I love your smile,” Negan pressed a kiss over her cheek, taking the time to pause, “I love your eyes,” Negan continued pressing a kiss over her forehead. “I love the face you make when you’re deep in your work,” Negan’s mouth moved to her jawline to press another kiss there. “It took one night for me to know I’m in love with you. Obviously. I’m fucking willing to run away with you. Start a whole new life. Kind of at least. Last night when I laid with you, you cuddled into me like I was protecting you. Like in my arms you were safe. But having you in my arms like that? It was the first time I’ve felt whole in a very long time.”

“If you threw on half this charm to Maggie, I see why she feels the way she does about you,” she informed him, tugging him down to her to forcefully kiss him. Over and over again, his lips caressed over hers and she allowed him to have the dominance in this moment. She liked the way he took control and how it made her feel.

“It’s not the charm. It’s how I feel,” Negan stated with a smirk, his eyes fluttering to a close when her fingers tugged at the shirt he was wearing to get it loose from his pants. Pushing her hands up underneath the material made him hiss when her cool fingertips skimmed over his torso. “I’m fucking crazy for you.”

“You know how I mentioned you being submissive?” she wondered, her hands sliding up over his chest and back down again toward his lower abdomen near the top of his pants. “What if I asked you to be incredibly dominant with me right now. Would you do it?”

“What do you have in mind?” Negan’s eyebrow arched when she pulled her hands out from underneath is shirt. Licking his lips, he wasn’t turned off of the idea, but he didn’t know where she was headed with this.

“With how I’ve been feeling, I kind of just want you to have your way with me,” she informed him noticing the way he got more comfortable over her, his eyes searching hers for some kind of direction. “I don’t know Negan, I’m so used to having control and here I feel completely out of control with things. Maybe I’m just looking for you to be dominant so I can actually feel good while you’re doing it.”

“Hmm…” Negan hummed, dragging his tongue across his bottom lip before a small smile tugged at his lips. Exhaling loudly, he adjusted his weight over her so he could sweep his thumb over her jawline. “I think you just need a new daddy in your life. One that gives you exactly what you need in life. Love. Acceptance. Understanding. A daddy that will constantly pamper you and praise you.”

Finally bringing their lips together had her purring out against the kiss. Negan’s right hand caressed down over her side while he braced his weight on his left arm. Curling his arm around her waist had her lifting her hips so he could squeeze at her bottom. Moaning against his lips had him pulling back and smiling down at her.

“Daddy kink?” she slurred, sucking at her lip with an amused sound.

“Is that a turn off?” Negan wondered, lifting his hand to use his teeth to pull the glove from his hand. Tossing it beside them, he lowered his hand to pluck open the button of her jeans.

“In most cases, probably,” she admitted with a tip of her head, sinking her fingers into his hair leading him to lean into her touch. His eyes closed, his jaw flexing showing how much he appreciated just having her touch him like she was. “With you? Surprisingly? It’s the opposite.”

“Good,” Negan snickered, burying his head against the side of her neck to pepper her flesh in wet, heated kisses. “Daddy will make you feel so good. I promise.”

Wincing, she arched her hips when Negan’s fingers tugged down the zipper in her jeans. Tipping his head down, he made sure that he pushed the material apart before sliding his palm beneath her pants to caress over her body through the thin material separating him from her flesh. Clinging tightly to Negan, she panted and felt her heart skip a beat at the touch. Chills flooded her veins with the way his palm teased over her most sensitive parts. The warmth from his palm was a vast contrast from the coolness of the cold air that was surrounding them in the old barn.

“When you mean dominant, do you mean just control things or do you mean fuck you raw?” Negan’s words rumbled and a rush of excitement flooded her veins. With the way her pupils dilated after his question, he knew what direction this was going. “You know, I’ll give you what you want, but at some point, I’d like to have sex with you in a bed so I can make love to you. Make you understand what it is that you fucking deserve.”

“I don’t know if that’s going to be possible in my father’s house,” she gasped when Negan forcefully pushed down her pants to her thighs. Tugging at her panties had her arching her hips to help him before he got her settled back in the hay again. “There are so many people in that house.”

“I’m sure I can keep you quiet,” Negan winked at her, his throat flexing when the warmth of his fingertips traced over the length of her sex. Every touch had her tremoring and by the time her breathing was loud enough for him to hear, he couldn’t help but snicker. Teasingly, he circled his fingers around her sensitive bundle of nerves having her coo out with the touch. “I think your body has not been pampered in the way it should have been through the years.”

“You look at me like I’m an innocent virgin Negan and I’m not,” she reminded him, sucking in a sharp breath of air. “You are far from the first man I’ve been with.”

“Mhmm, but I’m the first real man that you have been with,” Negan arrogantly stammered, his lips hovering in over hers. In that moment, his caress got stronger and more determined. “You’ve never experienced real pleasure until you got with me. All the other men in your life? They had no fucking idea how to pleasure your body and make you experience things that you should have been for so long. What you needed was a real man to show you what you are capable of feeling.”

“Negan,” her eyes closed tightly, her cries growing with how he touched her. Rocking her hips into his caress had him letting out a long exhale. Clinging to his wrist, she found herself desperate for his touch and knew that he was right. No one made her feel the way that he did. She had never longed for someone like she did Negan.

“You are so fucking perfect,” Negan slurred, lowering down enough to kiss over her jawline toward the side of her neck. Tipping her head back, she whined when his fingers left her clitoris to slide further down between her thighs. Taking his time pushing a single digit into her warmth had her moaning out, her head burying against the side of her neck. Adding another, Negan hummed and unhurriedly started thrusting his fingers inside of her. Gradually each movement grew in strength having her whimpering against his flesh. It drove her crazy that Negan knew exactly how to touch her in just the right way to have her trembling beneath him. “Look at you. Glenn has no idea what he is doing with you.”

“He was a virgin when I met him,” she blurt out only realizing almost immediately after how bad that sounded when Negan snorted. Crying out, she dropped her head watching Negan’s quick movements hearing the wet sounds of her body while he fingered her.

“Makes sense then,” Negan growled lowering enough to nibble at her earlobe, giving it a firm tug. Soon her moans grew louder, her body shaking against his touch while he focused on her g-spot. “Almost there…”

“Your fingers are so fucking long,” she panted, tugging on Negan’s hair to bring him to her in order to kiss her. “Goddamn.”

“I do have big hands. But I’m also an artist and a gamer,” Negan informed her with a wicked smirk having her clinging tightly to him when he quickened his movements. “So these hands know exactly what they need to do in order to get things done.”

“Negan…fuck…” she cried out with the fire burning deeply inside of her. Pulling her hips away from his fingers, she heard a wet sound follow and a raspy moan fell from Negan’s throat. Digging her nails into the material of Negan’s jacket, she felt the warmth of his kisses trailing up the side of her neck and she panted. Everything inside of her was tingling and her heart was hammering inside of her chest. There was an ache in her head while her hips shook. “I am so, so sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? That is the greatest compliment someone could ever get,” Negan questioned, his tone amused when her body finally started to calm down and relax after the orgasm he got her too. “There is nothing wrong with doing that. See, this is the problem. No one has made you feel as good as you should and you feel bad for coming. I hear you, it feels fucking good, right?”

“Yes,” she licked her lips watching Negan give an arrogant nod before lifting up. A worried sound fell from her, but he shook his head and hushed her.

“Don’t worry, we’re not done yet,” Negan assured her, taking the cowboy hat from his head. Setting it aside, he brushed his fingers through his messy hair to slick it back. Honestly? Knowing that she panicked at the idea of him leaving fueled him even more. Pulling off his other glove, he tossed it aside and then lazily pulled his jacket from his body. Crawling in over her, Negan got on his knees and started to pull his belt open. “Why don’t you show daddy how much you appreciate him making you feel the way that he does?”

Pushing up on her hands, she smirked when he started pulling open his pants. Shifting her weight, she reached up to help him push the material apart. Pushing his shirt up toward the center of his abdomen allowed her the gift of seeing his slender abdomen. Stroking her fingertips over the warmth of his flesh had Negan tipping his head back licking over his lips. Sliding her palms down, she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his boxer briefs and smirked, “Just curious. Do you have anything other than black and red?”

“Huh?” Negan snorted lowering his head to watch her pressing wet kisses over the area right beneath his bellybutton. With a firm tug, she pulled down the front of the red colored boxer briefs he was wearing and it made him grunt when his cock sprung free from behind the material. “Yes, I have other colors. I’ve got gray, blue, white…I just happen to think I look good in black and red. Do you not?”

“You look good in anything,” she dragged her tongue along his flesh having a grumble fall from his lips. Hooking her eyes with his, her fingers curled around his girthy length taking her time to caress over his hard cock. Faintly pressing kisses at the shaft had his hips arching forward toward her making her purr out. “I can’t get over how pretty your cock is.”

“Not as pretty as you,” Negan sank his fingers into her hair, pulling her head back slightly. It had her looking up at him. Her lips parted, her pupils dilated with lust. Curling his fingers tighter into her hair, he reached out with his left hand and dragged his thumb across her bottom lip. Wrapping her lips around his thumb, she sucked faintly keeping her eyes locked with his while her tongue dragged against his flesh. “You’re being such a good girl.”

“Yes daddy,” she purred and it made him laugh, his fingers pulling from her to wrap them around the base of his manhood to caress over it. “I have a confession to make.”

“Yeah?” Negan’s eyebrow arched, curiosity flooding his features when he pushed his hips forward to drag the tip of his cock against her wet lips. Grunting out, he adjusted on his legs while she pressed gentle kisses against his flesh.

“When Maggie was talking about how big you were, I told her that I thought you were small,” she informed him, her tongue dragging out across the slit at the tip drawing Negan to groan out. “With your ego, I would have never guessed you genuinely had a reason to have such a big ego. But you do. Your dick is so…so…nice.”

“My dick can also be very naughty,” Negan teased urging her to hold her tongue out. Obeying, she did what he wanted when he tapped the head of his cock against the warmth of her tongue. “I’m glad I was able to prove you wrong. But I’m also sorry to hear you’ve never been with a man capable of really pleasuring you the way you are meant to be. Now be a good girl and wrap your lips around daddy’s cock.”

Doing what he asked, she took Negan into her mouth, bobbing her head forward before pulling back and dragging her tongue across the flesh. It had Negan’s abdomen flexing, his hips arching forward toward her movements while she pleasured him. The strokes of Negan’s fingers over her scalp were an added bonus while he helped her movements over his distended flesh setting a steady pace over his length.

There was so many things appealing about Negan. From his arrogance to his looks and the way he spoke. Even with sex. She liked that he could be both dominant and submissive with her. Shane was her first and he was rough, but not always in a good way. There were other unforgettable men in between and then there was Glenn. Who almost was afraid of sex and shy to do things. Which is why Y/N never really focused on sex much. Being with Glenn was more of her having a relationship with someone and not being alone. It gave her time to focus on work and not have to worry about the whole sex thing because it never really worked out with her. But with Negan? She understood the appeal. Whether he was being naughty or nice, everything worked with her.

“Relax your throat,” Negan growled, pushing his hips forward to sink his length further down her throat. Gagging slightly at first had him pulling his hips back allowing her to take in a big gasp of air. “Too much?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, licking her wet lips before going back into pleasuring Negan. At first, she took her time on the first few inches of him. This time Negan let her do what she was comfortable with until she started taking more of him further down her throat with every movement.

“Fuck. That’s so good,” Negan dropped his head back, his fingers hooking tighter into her hair while the wet sounds of her pleasuring him filled the cool air around them. Pulling back on her hair had her whining when he pulled her from his length. An amused sound escaped his lips while he used his other hand to pump his hand over his rigid body. “Look at you. So addicted to my cock that you get mad when I take you away from it. I mean, you can keep giving me a blowjob, but you asked me to fuck you raw. If you want to just give me a blowjob, I won’t fight you on it.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tipping her head further back to look up at him with a frown. “I promise I’ll be a good girl.”

“That’s better,” Negan snorted, grasping her jaw between his thumb and index finger. Smirking, Negan urged her back again, tugging her boots off with a grunt and she laughed when he almost fell. “I’m doing my best here.”

“I like it,” she assured him with a tiny laugh when he reached for her pants to tug them down her legs along with her panties and tossing them aside. Pushing his pants further down his hips, Negan stroked his fingers over his length drawing attention to it. Even though she wanted this, there was still a sense of panic when he lowered in over her, bracing his weight on his left arm. Pressing her hands in over the center of his chest, she caressed up and over his shoulders. “Can you take your shirt off?”

“I will if you will,” Negan’s nose wrinkled and she gave him a nod. Working with Negan, she managed to quickly get her jacket, shirt and bra off before helping Negan to push his shirt up his lengthy torso. Once he laid over her, the hairs from his chest tickled at her flesh, but the sensation of the skin-to-skin contact felt amazing. “You just want the both of us to freeze, huh?”

“I just want to see all of you,” she stroked her fingers through the dark curls of hair over his chest, shuddering when Negan nuzzled his nose in against hers.

What was almost amazing is they sold this whole extreme sex situation, but instead they were more so just cuddling against each other at first. Lifting up, she kissed over his collarbone toward his freckle covered shoulders. Awe for this man filled her and she couldn’t believe how much they actually connected. Adjusting her thighs, Negan lowered himself down and grabbed a firm hold of his erection. Leading it toward her entrance, he made sure she was ready before thrusting forward. Sinking into her unhurriedly, Negan’s raspy moan filled the air and she clung tightly to him. It had only been two days since he was inside of her last, but it felt like a lifetime after all she had been through. Meeting Negan’s lips in another kiss only seemed to enhance the feeling of all of this. It was incredible how full Negan could make her feel as he stayed stagnant inside of her for a moment. Once his hips started moving, their kisses grew in strength, her muted cries falling from her throat with every fluid thrust forward.

Hovering his lips over hers, Negan teased her with the idea of kissing her as the strength of his thrusts grew. Every smack of his hips against hers had her mewling out, her fingers digging into his shoulders while he did it. A sound drew Negan’s attention and he looked back over his shoulder to see that the horses were moving around outside of the barn.

“You don’t think they will draw attention, do you?” Negan inquired, lowering himself to be closer to her, the friction of his groin rubbing up against her clitoris with every roll of his hips he made.

“I don’t care at this point anymore,” she informed him, stroking her fingers through his messy hair. And she meant it. If her family were to come here to find Negan fucking her, oh well. The only people she didn’t want to see them was Negan’s children and that was for obvious reasons. But her family? Their judgement was something she didn’t care for. “Fuck them if they see.”

“Thatta girl,” Negan growled, nipping at her bottom lip hearing her cries getting louder. “Feel good?”

“So good,” she whimpered clinging tightly to him, letting out a moan when she felt his left hand reaching up to wrap his fingers loosely around her throat. When he applied a small amount of pressure, it had her purring out and she leaned her head back. Winces fell from her with every forward thrust he made into her. “You feel so fucking big daddy.”

“That’s because daddy’s cock is big inside of your tight little pussy,” Negan growled, his forehead resting against hers. A chill flooded her with his dirty talk. God, it was so fucking hot. Underneath him, her body tensed up. Her thighs were twitching, her pussy tightening around his length. It had Negan cussing out, his thrusts more prominent when he got her to another orgasm. Clinging to him, she was desperate to still keep him moving while her moans filtered from her throat. “Fucking hell Y/N. You can’t get enough of me, can you?”

Pausing his movements, Negan enjoyed the way her warmth contracted and relaxed around his throbbing length. Watching her lick her lips made him smile. Her pulse was jumping in her throat, her pants loud enough for them both to hear with her eyes closed. Grumbling, Negan pulled himself up to his knees and relaxed. Tugging her closer to him, he urged her to wrap her hands under her knees so she could hold her legs up for him. Getting as close to her as he could, he traced the length of his body over her sensitive folds and watched her hips rock up toward him.

“Nothing turns me on more than the faces you make while I’m fucking you,” Negan informed her, sucking at his bottom lip when he caressed the ridges of the tip of his cock against her clitoris. It had her purring out and he reached out to cup her breast with his left hand while his right continued to tease her with his rigid length. “I’m so used to seeing you stressed or focused, it’s nice to see you relaxed and so euphoric over something I’m doing to you.”

“You’re starting to stress me out the longer you aren’t inside of me,” she alerted him and his deep laugh followed. Nodding, he lined the tip of his cock up with her entrance and pushed forward only slightly. Allowing the tip of his cock to enter her, he pulled back and watched her pout before repeating the movement several times. “Please Negan.”

“I know. I know. You just have to understand how amazing the sight is watching my dick going in and out of you. It looks good and it feels good,” Negan growled, leaning back and bracing himself on his left hand. “But you don’t want just the tip. You want me balls deep in your beautiful little pussy. I understand.”

Giving her what she wanted, he led himself back into her hearing the whine she released when he bottomed out. Staying still had her hips arching up against him causing him to growl deeply while his right hand squeezed firmly at her hip, “Good girl. Now keep those legs up.”

Staying put, he slid his right hand down and circled his thumb over her clitoris hearing her coo out upon the contact, “Fuck me…”

Sucking at his bottom lip, Negan started to rock his hips, taking his time thrusting into her at first. Just keeping things steady and sweet. Trying to work up that hot spot inside of her. Once her cries started to escape her lips again, he pulled his right hand back and braced himself on both of his hands. Taking a second to position himself appropriately, he began driving his cock into her at just the right depth to hit her g-spot with upward thrusts. Paying close attention to her reactions to everything, Negan would slow down or speed up at the right times to help aid to the pleasure she was getting. There was something so entirely appealing seeing the way she would lift her head up to watch his cock pounding into her again and again.

Keeping her quiet was not something that was going to happen right now. Not with how he was visibly making her feel. Hearing her breathing hitching, he watched her fingers digging into her flesh and he quickened the roll of his hips, “Don’t hold back this time. Just let this happen.”

“Negan,” she gasped, noticing the strokes of his cock getting harder and faster before she pulled her hips up and away from him when another powerful orgasm hit her. A low guttural growl fell from Negan’s lips. Caressing the tip of his cock against her clitoris had her whimpering out, her hips arching up toward him. Soft tapping sounds were heard before he traced his length between her sensitive folds. “Fuck…I think you’re going to kill me.”

“Only in the best of ways,” Negan grunted with a smile, urging her to turn onto her stomach before he crawled in over her. Resting a knee on each side of her, Negan got comfortable while he stroked his aching erection in his hand. Underneath him she was panting, her hands stretching out to squeeze around the loose hay that was there. With a smirk, he brought his palm down in over her bottom spanking her. A surprised exhale fell from her throat and he didn’t know if she’d be into a light spanking at first. When she wiggled beneath him and purred out, it gave him the okay to do it again. And he did. This time, he squeezed at her fleshy bottom knowing that by the sounds she made that she liked it. “Good girl.”

Readjusting, he grabbed a firm hold of the base of his manhood, leading it back toward her opening. Once he was lined up, he smacked his hips forward drawing a gasp from her throat when he did it. With both hands, he squeezed at her bottom using it to help her bring herself back against him. Their flesh smacked together, the deep plunges of his cock inside of her causing a wet sound to surround them. Pounding into her had her almost sliding forward, but his hands slid up to her hips to grasp them and keep her in place.

“Fucking hell,” Negan tipped his head back, his thrusts hard. His testicles were smacking up against her clitoris and it was already sensitive as hell so the sensation left her wanting more. Reaching around her, she grasped at his hip needing him closer to her.

“Holy shit Negan,” she blurt out, looking over her shoulder to steal a glance at him pounding into her from behind. Gasping out with every thrust he made, she dug her fingers into his flesh and heard him groan. Just watching him, seeing what he was doing to her turned her on all the more. “Fuck…fuck…”

Moving forward, she felt Negan following her, his hands pressing in beside her when he lowered himself, “I know it’s sensitive, but you are gonna want this honey,” Negan assured her, his right hand reaching up to curl around her jaw to get her to turn her head slightly so it could bring their lips together. Brushing his tongue between her parted lips, Negan felt her eager to return the gesture while he had his way with her. Outstretching her left hand, she hooked her fingers with Negan’s and squeezed them tightly. At that moment, she started feeling faint. There was an ache at her temple, a tremoring sensation in her thighs while Negan kept up with his speed.  

“Fucking…Negan…” she cried out, bouncing forward when the power of his thrusts grew stronger. Dropping her head, her eyes slammed shut and she pushed at Negan’s lower abdomen when her body started shaking again. A proud exhale fell from Negan’s throat when he kissed down over her jawline, biting at her chin while she urged him to take a moment. “Goddamn it Negan. I’ve had orgasms, but these…”

“Yeah?” Negan chuckled waiting for her to have some kind of response, but she was still shaking beneath him.

“I’m gonna need a second,” she explained knowing that while she felt incredibly good after the orgasm he just gave her, it felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest.

“Yes ma’am,” Negan responded with a half-laugh, dropping down beside her in the hay. Rolling onto her side, she laid her head in over the center of Negan’s chest when he wrapped his arm around her and she looked to his rigid cock that was twitching. Reaching down, she wrapped her fingers around his body and took her time stroking over it. “Next time we’re going to do it in a bed. And instead of multiple orgasms, I’m going to draw it out so by the time you finally do come it will blow your mind.”

“I’m so confused,” she breathlessly stammered against his flesh, kissing at Negan’s chest before nipping faintly at the flesh. “Were you always like this?”

“What? Hot?” Negan snorted and she rolled her eyes. A moment later she was shakily pushing up to crawl in over Negan still caressing over his erection with her gentle touch. “Yes, I was always pretty good looking.”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant good at sex because it’s like you know exactly what to do and how to do it in order to get whatever it is you want,” she rambled off how she was feeling making Negan smile from where he was beneath her. A muted moan fell from his throat with the way she was touching him and he shrugged. “I don’t get it. I’ve had sex with other people…I’m not a virgin. But with you it feels like I’ve never really had sex before.”

“A lot of people aren’t me,” Negan reasoned with her, his palms reaching up to caress over her breasts while she took time to gain back her strength. “I just have learned to pay attention to people and what they like. No I wasn’t always good at sex. I’m sure if Lucille was here, she would tell you our first time was trash. I had absolutely zero control and I was just eager to come. Now, with practice, I’ve learned to control things, pay attention to what makes someone feel good and I work on that. Do I still come fast sometimes? Yeah. I do. I get excited too. I’m not always perfect. And if you want to be with me, you can’t always expect me to be perfect a hundred percent, but I’ll always try.”

“I see,” she was impressed that he was being honest with her as she reached for the cowboy hat he had pulled off earlier to put back on him. With an amused rumble of laughter, Negan felt her crawling in over him more confidently. Dragging the tip of his cock through her folds, Negan moaned out and rolled his eyes back. His body was ready to come and it ached like hell, but he wanted to give her time to let her body do what it needed. Once she lowered down over his length, he let out a grunt when she took him inside of her completely. Her nails dug into his chest and his fingers squeezed at her hips while she braced herself over him. “Fuck.”

“Goddamn, you feel so fucking good,” Negan arched up toward her drawing her to whine with the feeling. “For someone not used to a big cock, you sure do take it well. God, I want to come so fucking bad.”

“Then do it,” she gave him the okay hearing him huff when she started to only slightly roll her hips over him. “I want my sexy cowboy to come inside of me.”

“Yeah?” Negan wondered, pressing up on his hands eager to watch her ride him while she started confidently to bounce her hips over him. Allowing her to use his body the way she wanted, Negan lowered his head and kissed over her breasts. The sounds they were making were loud and crude. There was no hiding what they were doing or keeping it hidden that they were enjoying themselves. Feeling his body tensing up, Negan rolled her onto her back again. Her legs wrapped around his waist while he bucked up against her. “Fuck.”

“Fill me up with your cum daddy,” she spoke, urging his lips to hers with his moans vibrating against her flesh.

“I’m going to,” Negan assured her, the vein at the side of his neck bulging when his moans grew louder. Looking down, he stole a look at his cock pounding away inside of her and he felt his testicles tightening up. “Fuck…daddy is going to paint the walls of your pussy with his cum. Would you like that?”

“Please,” she begged of him, her whimpers growing louder with him smacking up against her harder. Winces started to fall from his throat when the throbbing of his body inside of her was felt followed by a warmth. Following through with his thrusts, Negan continued to fuck her and she appreciated that. A lot of guys would stop once they started to come, but not Negan. There was a need to want to draw things out to the very end. His hips started to falter, his breathing uneven when he laid in over her. Once again, he was cuddling up against her after they had sex and she liked it. Stroking her fingers through his hair, she knew that she wouldn’t be okay for the rest of the day but she didn’t care. Negan hadn’t pulled out of her, he was just lying in over her having that bonding moment he seemed to long for.

“I fucking love you,” Negan grunted, his head lifting up to show the redness that had flushed into his face. There was something different in his eyes and he shook his head.

Reaching out, she stroked her fingers over the side of his face and led him to kiss her. Their kiss lingered before she sighed and nuzzled her nose in against his, “I love you too.”

“Fucking good. Because I was starting to wonder if I was insane for the way I was feeling,” Negan turned onto his side, urging her to follow his movements with her leg still draped over his waist while he grew soft inside of her. “I don’t want to keep pretending anymore Y/N.”

“I get it,” she replied, stroking her fingers over the side of his face and into his damp hair that was beneath the cowboy hat. “I really do.”

“Then what are we doing?” Negan panted, his eyes searching hers while she swallowed down hard. “I mean, if you choose to be with me, imagine all the amazing shit you could have. A family. That actually loves you and wants the best for you. Think of how when we’re working together, no one will question it at first and I can go down on you while you are working in your office…”

“You don’t have to keep selling yourself Negan. I want to be with you,” she silenced him with a laugh, stroking her fingers through his hair. Pulling his hips back allowed his cock to pull from her body and she let out a surprised sound when she felt some of his release dripping from her body and sliding down her thighs. “I don’t let people come in me Negan. I trust you. I want what we have here.”

“Then let’s get the fuck out of here,” Negan suggested lifting his head up enough, his wet hair in his eyes after the cowboy hat fell from his head. Sweeping his hair out of his face, she sighed loudly and shrugged her shoulders. Grabbing the hat again, she put it back on his head and heard him snicker. “What is it?”

“I think you’re right that I made a mistake coming here. My family wasn’t worth all of this, but…” she slid her palm down in over the side of Negan’s face, her fingertips tracing through his short beard. “I actually think Beau needs this. I’ve already made plans with Beau last night to try to make this Christmas better for him.”

“Beau?” Negan repeated his son’s name, the emotion in his eyes changing when she brought up his son. “What do you mean?”

“We talked last night while you were watching movies with Erin and my family. He really misses his mom. And he misses the way things were with her when he was younger,” she informed Negan, feeling the warmth of Negan’s breath pressing in over her pulse point when he faintly kissed at her sensitive flesh. “He gave me a list of things that he wants to do while he’s here and I promised him we would do all of them.”

“Wow,” Negan muttered, his hazel eyes gazing over her while he hooked his fingers with hers. “You’re worried about my son?”

“I am,” she nodded her head, being honest with her emotions that had been fueling her yesterday after talking to Negan’s son. “The two of us have a lot in common and he just wants to remember what it felt like to be with his mom for Christmas. I can’t give him that, but I want to bring as much magic that I can into his life as I can. I’ve been without my family for so long and I don’t know…”

“I love you,” Negan breathed out, lowering down just enough to press a loving kiss over her lips that took her breath away when he pulled back. “Hearing you talk about my son like that reconfirms for me everything I was already thinking about with you. And you think staying here will do that for him?”

“I think so,” she informed Negan, sliding her fingers up over the side of Negan’s neck. Stroking her fingers at his flesh, she didn’t know if she was overstepping, but she felt like this needed to be done. “I made a promise to him. A few of the things are silly, but doable. He wants to make sugar cookies with his sister. And be messy with it. He wants to go ice skating and he wants to build a snowman. In a day or two, there is supposed to be a big storm. So we’ll be capable of doing the snowman. He wants to go to the main town and see what they have there. There is this wooded walk they have a little while away from here. I was going to run to the store today. Get a few things for a project I want to do with Beau today if you are okay with it. Maybe we can go to town, walk around a little bit and then do the sugar cookies before bed.”

“I like the sound of that,” Negan crawled back in over her, peppering her with kisses until the point they were both giggling by how silly he was being with his kisses. “How are we going to tell Maggie and Glenn?”

“Carefully,” she replied knowing that in order to have a good few days they would have to still keep things from Maggie and Glenn. “Let’s make it to Christmas. Keep things on the downlow until then so we can make things good for Beau and Erin. Then after Christmas, we can kind of drop the bomb. And if we’re kicked out before New Years? Then so be it. But you’re right. What I feel for you is pure. It’s real. I don’t want to waste this.”

“Okay,” Negan agreed, nuzzling his nose in against hers before letting out a sigh. “Then that’s what we will do. I’ll gradually put the brakes on things with Maggie. Start breaking is slowly, but you have to understand during these events, it’s you that I want to be with.”

“I do understand that,” she noted, lifting up to kiss him again. While she thought that they could have given Beau what he wanted if they left and ran off to New York, she thought maybe having her family around for the two children would be good. Beth was fun. Her dad and her stepmom would likely pamper the hell out of them and that’s what they needed right now. Cuddling in closer to Negan, she nuzzled her nose in against the side of his neck and pressed a faint kiss there. “I have to admit something to you.”

“Yeah?” Negan pulled his head back enough making her laugh when the cowboy hat he was wearing fell over his eyes. Tossing the hat aside, Negan grunted and couldn’t help but smile with her laughter.

“I’m freezing,” she alerted him, lifting her head up to stare out at the door that was partially opened to the barn.

“Noted,” Negan grunted, looking down between them realizing that while they were still pressed up against one another, it was still really cold. “My ass and my testicles are really feeling that cool burst of air coming through. And it’s…well…maybe a different version of blue balls that might happen soon.”

“Dear God,” she groaned out, shoving her hand into the center of his face hearing his snort follow.

“I’m serious,” Negan laughed, nodding down toward his chest. “It’s so fucking cold my nipples are hard right now. Look at them.”

“I see,” she slid her hand up to pinch at his nipple before sitting up enough to circle her tongue around the flesh. Giving it a small nip had him groaning out before she shook her head. “We should stop while we’re ahead.”

Moving in beside her, Negan reached for his boxer briefs and his pants that were down at his ankles to pull them back up over his long legs and over his slender hips. Thinking things over, she cleared her throat when she reached for her panties and her pants. “I’ve got nothing to clean myself up with.”

“And that’s a problem?” Negan growled, his thick eyebrow arching in amusement when he slid in beside her palming up and over her thigh. “I like my cum marking you.”

“I would have never guessed,” she shuddered when Negan’s lips captured hers again drawing her to tip her head back to allow him to kiss her. When his tongue brushed against hers, she gasped when his fingers traced over the length of her sex. “I’m going to have to shower this morning before I do anything.”

Holding his hand up, Negan reached for the jacket that he had pulled off earlier. Digging into the pockets, he pulled out a pack of tissues and tossed them to her, “My allergies suck this time of year so I always carry those on me.”

“Smart,” she commented noticing the way that Negan grabbed her panties and she huffed. “You can’t steal my clothes again Negan.”

“Of course I can,” Negan held the material up watching her attempt to grab them and he shook his head. Pushing her panties in his back pocket had a warmth flooding into her cheeks. “These are mine.”

“You’re a pain in the ass,” she commented, cleaning herself up while Negan continued to get dressed. “You’re not kidding when you say you come a lot.”

“I’m a pretty honest guy,” Negan replied back with a laugh, shrugging his shoulders when he spoke. “I’m a perfect breeder. I have a big dick. I come a lot. My cum is healthy. My sperm makes pretty babies. I’m good looking. I have the cutest fucking dimples…”

“No one strokes your ego better than you Negan,” she continue to get dressed feeling Negan sneak him behind her to snake his arm around her hips. Picking her up, he peppered kisses over the side of her face and heard her laughter filling the air.

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Negan muttered against her flesh, nipping faintly at her earlobe when he cuddled her close.

“I can’t,” she responded with laughter, her hands meeting Negan’s to give them a tight squeeze. Once they were finally fully clothed, Negan dropped back into the hay and got comfortable. Wiggling his fingers out at her, he motioned her to come to him. Lowering down, she sat between his legs with her back pressed against his chest. Wrapping her up in his arms, Negan cuddled his chin in over her shoulder and held her close to him. “Are you typically the kind of guy that steals women’s panties after you’ve slept with them?”

“Not really,” Negan snickered, the warmth of his breath tickling against the side of her neck. “Maybe I’m just proud of my moments with you. But, think of it this way. After you move in with me, these will belong to you again.”

“Oh, that’s a plus,” she rolled her eyes, resting her head back further against his chest. “Did you do that with Maggie?”

“Which part? Steal her underwear?” Negan grumbled causing Y/N to laugh out loud. “I can’t say that I did. Nor have I done a lot of things with Maggie that I’ve done with you. I don’t want to shame your sister because I can’t. I’ve had my wild years too. But your sister I think…is a lot more experienced than you. In terms of she’s obviously been with a lot more people and she’s not as innocent. Which is totally okay, but you, your reactions to everything are so special and you enjoy everything so much.”

“I see,” she tried to hold back on the amusement that she had with Negan’s answer. “I’m glad you enjoy sex with me more than Maggie.”

“I’m glad I do too, but it’s not just about the sex with you,” Negan promised, kissing over her jawline and letting out an amused sound. “You have to understand, the sex is great and it makes me happy to be able to pleasure you like I do, but I just feel this connection with you. There is just something so much more between us than I’ve ever felt with Maggie.”

“We should probably get moving,” she suggested allowing Negan to wrap her up tightly in his arms once more to give her a big hug. Standing up slowly, she reached for Negan’s hand to help him up. Stepping before him, she placed her hand in over the center of his chest and looked up at him with big eyes. “Are you sure about this? Everything you feel is real?”

“Everything,” Negan assured her with a wink. Stroking his finger in underneath her jawline, he urged her to look up at him and he shook his head. “I love you. As crazy as that makes me. When you know, you know. I promise you, after Christmas…when we’re together, I’ll be everything your family wasn’t.”

Lowering down, Negan claimed her lips in a long, drawn-out kiss that had her falling in closer to his chest. When they separated, Negan nuzzled his nose in against hers. Holding her for a moment longer, the sound of the door creaking was heard and before they had time to react, it was being pushed open.

“Hey dad,” Beau’s voiced filled the old barn when he entered it, stopping in his tracks when he saw how close Negan and Y/N were. Almost immediately both of them stepped back from one another, Negan’s hands pushing into the pockets of his jacket and Y/N lowering her head to look down toward the ground. “Maggie is looking for you. They made breakfast for everyone and they were coming to get the two of you.”

“Thanks buddy,” Negan felt his heart hammering inside of his chest when he noticed the way that Beau was gazing back and forth between the two of them. It was an awkward situation for Beau to come in at, but he was thankful it wasn’t during one of their kisses or something even worse. Clearing his throat, Negan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Beau to give him a big hug. “It’s good to see you this morning. Did you sleep well?”

“I think maybe we should have that discussion at breakfast,” Beau pulled away from Negan’s hug, pointing back toward the horses that were in front of the barn. “I think you two might want to put the horses away before Maggie finds the two of you.”

“Good idea,” Y/N stepped forward rushing out of the barn, going for Dakota while leaving the two of them alone.

“I uh…I can explain,” Negan lifted his hand, pointing out toward Y/N while Beau stood before him with his big hazel eyes. “You see, we were just…talking and…”

“Dad,” Beau interrupted Negan, pointing back toward the horse that Negan needed to help Y/N with. “I’m not asking questions. If you want me to know something, you’ll tell me. Until then, do whatever you have to do.”

“What does that mean?” Negan noticed the expression that Beau was giving him. Simply shrugging his shoulders, Beau turned on his heel and then went to go help Y/N with the horses. In that moment it felt like the world was spinning around Negan and he wondered if his son knew more than he was actually giving off.

----

Tags: @slutlanna976 @fuckthis-and-fuckthat @jennydehavilland @de-gabyconamor @ibelongtonegan @smallsadjellyfish @labyrinthofheartagrams  @msjamesmarch @thebeautysurrounds @hotfornegan @redmercysugar @caprithebunny @tuttifuckinfruitty @emoryhemsworth @a-girl-interupted @akumune​ @stoneyggirl2 @xsarcasticwriterx  @haleygreen23 @xhannahbananax03 @sanctuaryforthelost @burningredaffair @killaweiser @dead-of-niight @ayumi-wolf @hollyismentallyillhelp @promiscuousbarnes​ @tone-stark @lanadelnegan @flippittygibbitts @stickyhuesos

[talesofesther]

pretty secrets

Wednesday Addams x Reader

This story belongs to the Sweet Calamity universe and is set before chapter 10 (but can also be read as a stand-alone)

Summary: Wednesday thinks you're hiding something from her, and she doesn't like when it starts to rob her of her time with you.

A/N: Hi, yes, here's me procrastinating on other projects just to write this boatload of fluff.

Masterlist

You've been acting secretive lately.

To anyone less aware, it might go unnoticed. But Wednesday had sharp senses.

And when regarding the subject of her affections, her senses are extra sharp.

The changes started a little over a week ago. You'd say you're busy after classes yet not tell her why; you won't allow her into your dorm anymore or, if you do, you always need a few minutes alone to 'tidy it up'; and she once caught you and Enid gossiping around, big smiles on your faces — especially yours — though when she asked what it was about, you changed the subject before giving her a definitive answer.

It's meaningless to worry about it, childish even, yet it bothers the Addams girl. She feels as if there's a small barrier between you that shouldn't have been there anymore.

She, of course, would never let you know about it.

"We happen to have a common free period after lunch today," Wednesday informed you out of the blue, keeping a steady hold of the Hibiscus flower as you carefully plucked out its petals — for someone who loves nature, Wednesday was strangely surprised when she learned you were willing to 'destroy' it, in order to make tea.

You froze your motions with the tweezers as you glanced up at her, "yeah?"

Wednesday nodded once, shifting her gaze to the flower when she felt a familiar distant warmth on her cheeks, "maybe we could enjoy it together, coffee perhaps?"

Wind came through the open doors of the greenhouse, rustling the many leaves around, along with a few rogue wisps of your hair that Wednesday was itching to brush back. The place inside the glass walls and amidst the plants became as much of a safe haven for Wednesday as it was for you.

You gave her what was half a smile and half a grimace, raising your hand to tuck your hair behind your ear; "I won't be able to, I'm sorry."

There was no denying the sudden melancholy in Wednesday's features. The adorable pout on her lips.

"We could go tomorrow, though." Under the table, you bumped her boots with your sneakers, trying to get her eyes to meet yours again.

Running her thumb over one of the few remaining burgundy petals of the flower, Wednesday sighed, her dark eyes cast down, "of course, mi flor, however you prefer."

—

Wednesday Addams walking around Nevermore's hallways on nothing but her dark long-sleeve pajama shirt, black and white polka-dot pants and hair up in a bun was a sight to be seen, luckily no one would be out at this hour — and if she did bump into someone, she would just have to kill them.

But she didn't have many options. She couldn't sleep.

Her talk with you from earlier still bugged her, making her glare at her ceiling as if it personally offended her whilst most unkind scenarios popped up in her mind. Didn't you enjoy her company anymore? Were you unhappy with your relationship and slowly pulling away?

She had to know, and there was no way she'd be waiting until morning so she could ask like a normal person.

Wednesday knocked on your door and you answered rather quickly, indicating that you too, were still awake at past one in the morning.

"Hi," your smile was instant when you saw her on the other side of the door, biting back a comment about her rather adorable clothes, choosing instead to stash the sight on your best memories, "is everything okay?"

"May I come in?" Was all Wednesday asked.

You hesitated, "uh- yeah, just a second."

Wednesday saw herself, yet again, having a staring contest with the dark wood of your door while you most likely hid something from her. She tried to ignore the unpleasant twisting of her stomach.

You opened the door again not a minute later, motioning her in and closing it back again after she was inside.

Maybe it was because your soul could read her heartbeats as if they were a favorite book, but Wednesday appreciates that she sometimes doesn't have to say a word for you to know.

You came into her space slowly, giving her all the time to tell you otherwise. Wednesday instead took the tiniest step toward you, her gaze going down and back up to your eyes.

With a gentleness only she witnessed, you raised your hands to both her cheeks, gingerly pushing back the longer strands of her fringe; your fingers tracing her cheeks and raising the hair at the back of her neck. You then leaned up until your lips could leave the faintest of kisses on Wednesday's forehead.

Her eyes fell closed the second your skin touched hers, like the perfect spell.

When you pulled back, your hands traced their path down until you held onto her own. Your fingers intertwining.

"What's bothering you?"

Wednesday's eyes blinked open lazily, her mouth dry because of the tenderness you gifted her with.

"Have you been… unhappy with us?" Wednesday asked, sounding the most hesitant you ever heard her.

You frowned as if she spoke in a foreign language you had no idea on how to begin understanding; "of course not, why would you say that?"

Setting her jaw tightly in place, Wednesday chooses to focus on your dirty sneakers haphazardly resting near the door instead of your eyes. "You don't seem to want to spend time together anymore, and I feel you're not telling me something."

You couldn't help but grin, because how foolish of you to think she wouldn't notice.

"If you're unhappy, you must tell me," she pressed, taking another step closer to you as her hands gripped yours tighter, "I know I'm not the… perfect partner but-"

"You are," you interrupted her in the same heartbeat, bringing one of her hands up to your lips so you could kiss her knuckles, "and there's no one that could make me happier," you promised against her skin before letting go, walking around her and to your wardrobe.

Wednesday watched with a deep frown as you shuffled through your stuff, her skin still tingling.

"I was going to wait to give you this on a more… special occasion," you told her, biting onto your lip as you looked at your creation in your hands, your heart beating loudly in your chest. With a deep breath in, you turned to face Wednesday again, "but since you're so impatient," you teased, "I guess now is as good a time as any."

The moonlight coming through your window illuminated it perfectly. Vines and tiny branches formed the perfect shape of a crow, little bits of it still adorning moss and small leaves but it added character; on its beak, it held a tiny basket made of the same material — undoubtedly by your skilled hands — inside it, rested a little potted cactus.

You extended the gift for Wednesday, holding onto your breath as you watched her wide eyes move from your face to your hands and back. "I made it for you," you encouraged shyly.

With careful hands, Wednesday took her gift. Her fingers traced over the shape of the bird as she still strived to come up with words.

"I will admit that I got a little excited about finishing it," you chuckled timidly, "I'm sorry it got a bit in the way of our time together."

Few people have gifted Wednesday with something so 'simple' yet so meaningful, this was the result of probably hours of work for you, and you did it for her.

"Now you'll always have a piece of me in your room too," you told her with a fond gaze.

Wednesday glanced back up at you with the beginnings of a smile threatening to show on her lips.

You scrunched your nose, "cheesy, I know."

Whatever unkind thoughts Wednesday had in her mind were vanquished right away, replaced instead by a nauseating emotion she couldn't get enough of.

Carefully placing the gift on your nightstand, Wednesday took meaningful steps toward you until she could take hold of your waist and her lips were just a breath away from yours. "I'll treasure it forever," she said quietly, like a secret against your lips.

She had no intentions of going back to her room for the night.

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are literally what keep me motivated to continue posting here, so I'd appreciate it if you could take some time to reblog and comment if you want. <3

Wednesday’s taglist: @milkiane @bookfrog242 @heelaechan @imagine-reblog @sakurarukas @bluetreecloud20 @the-night-owl-blr @imlike-so-gaydude @jjsmaybank20 @dreifhraniquo29 @emeraldevan @simp4nat @boobabietch @impossibleliv1031 @deadpool-in-a-snood @rainbow-love4ever @pompompuri @halleest @wandaromanova @marveloussimp @rainbow-hedgehog @left-and-right-up-and-down @get-the-fuck-outta-here @awolfcsworld @elduster @alexkolax @georgi-salva @imdumbhi @youralphawolf72 @reginassweetheart @justyourwritter69 @yangsroboarmm @8e-h-e8 @irish-piece-of-trash @femalehomosexual666 @wol-fica @wednesdays-woes @vorsdany @v1ci0us @the-nightshades-library @tundra1029 @aahdiieb @greyscxle-is-taken

[unreliablesnake]

Lover (John MacTavish x reader)

Summary: After everything that happened, Ghost tries to help you through the worst of it, and you can’t help but remember what things used to be like before.

Warnings: mw3 spoilers, afab!reader

Johnny was sitting on the middle of the bed cross-legged, watching as you packed your clothes from the suitcase into the closet where he made you as much room as he could. You knew he didn’t have as many clothes as you did, but it still seemed to be a little too much space. “But seriously, where are your clothes?” you asked him after you hung up a white dress.

“I have like three pairs of jeans, one pair of shorts, a few tees and shirts, one suit, and maybe one or two formal jackets. My gym clothes are usually the duffel bag. I don’t need that much stuff,” he replied with a shrug.

Laughing, you nodded and continued to empty the suitcase. It was strange that now you were about to call Johnny’s apartment your home, and not just his place as you had done since you two started dating. Moving in was a big step, but it was one that was due to happen after all the happy memories you collected along the way.

He was the one who had brought it up when neither of you could sleep on a mission. “Maybe you shouldn’t go home the next time you come over. You should stay for good,” he said casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

But when you looked over at him, you saw that confident smile he usually had on his face when you knew he would win something. This time apparently this something was having you bound to him. It felt nice. Good to know he wanted more from this relationship than just having fun every so often. You said yes almost immediately, and the way he kissed you instantly became a new core memory for you.

“I’ll make something for dinner while you pack out. Any wishes? I can make excellent frozen pizza. I’m the master of tossing it into the oven,” he said with a laugh as he climbed off the bed and walked over to you. “No, but seriously, I’m a great cook. What would you like to eat?”

He kissed the tip of your nose, causing you to chuckle a little. “I don’t know. Surprise me.”

With a satisfied hum, he bowed theatrically and left the bedroom. You couldn’t help but laugh silently, a stupidly wide smile creeping on your face. This man would be your downfall one day. This loyal, loving, caring, and brave guy was everything you could ask for. None of your previous boyfriends had been this good to you, and you highly doubted there would be anyone else after him.

He would be the last love of your life, even if it didn’t work out. If it came down to this by some unfortunate event, you would move into the woods in the middle of nowhere and spend the rest of your life alone. But it would work, you had this gut feeling that told you things would be alright.

Gaz offered to stay with you for a few days, but you said no. You knew he meant well, but you just knew he didn't fully understand how you felt at the moment. Ghost knew; he knew perfectly well how badly losing him affected you, but he was battling his own grief. Price had a lot of paperwork to do, but he told you to call him if you ever needed someone to talk to, no matter how late it was.

Before you left the base, Ghost pulled you aside to have a chat with you away from the others. His amber eyes were glossy from the tears he tried to fight back, and the sight broke your heart. “He was the one who rented the apartment you live in from that grumpy guy, right?” You nodded, already having your idea where he was going with it. “Want me to talk to the landlord about you staying there?”

“No, I already called him, it's okay. We'll sign a new contract. But thank you,” you said before you wrapped your arms around his giant frame and buried your face into his chest. “You know you can call or visit whenever you need it, right?”

Ghost hugged you back with a sigh, resting his chin on top of your head. “Yeah, I know. Same goes to you.”

“If you want to stick around after the funeral, the couch is available,” you told him.

“Careful, I might take that offer.”

“We could talk over a drink. Just remembering him might help with the grieving process.”

“Maybe,” Ghost said with a sigh. “I’ll give you a call.”

“Okay. Take care, Simon,” you whispered to him after a gulp.

You wanted to cry, you wanted to let your emotions out, but this wasn't the time and place for that. You could tell the lieutenant was battling his feelings the same way you were, but he didn't let himself lose his composure either. Knowing he would give you a visit sent a wave of relief through your body, because the idea of having someone like him around sounded nice. You could certainly use his company after the funeral.

Going home was hell. The whole place was full of his things, constant reminders of what you had lost–the love of your life. Because you could tell he was the one after three years together, and despite all his faults, you simply couldn't not love him. This man had been blessed with a heart of gold, a great sense of humor, and the kind of loyalty to you and his friends that you couldn't find in everyone.

His parents didn't call, but you couldn't blame them. Price was the one to break the news to them, knowing you weren't ready to do it yourself. They were devastated, even sadder that despite them embracing you as part of the family, you weren't there with the captain. His sister was the only one who called you every now and then.

“What will you do with his things?” she asked the day before the official funeral as she sat on the couch with a mug of tea in her hand.

“I don't know. I'll see what your parents want,” you replied with a sigh. “Can you ask them?”

She nodded. She thought her parents being a little mad at you was stupid and pointless in this situation, but she knew losing Johnny was too much for them to handle. The two of you chatted a little more, she then asked if she could take one of his precious vinyl albums with her, hoping she could have something that reminded her of her late brother.

After she left, the apartment became too quiet again. Ghost was expected to arrive a few hours later, so until then you lay down on your bed and went through some old photos of you and Johnny. The tears began to fall again, you didn't even keep track of how many times you'd cried that day alone. And when you looked over at the wall and saw the colorful lights that you had hung up the year before, a sad smile crept on your lips.

“Don't listen to her, we can have the decorations up as long as you want,” Johnny said before he pulled you against his chest and kissed your forehead. “I like the lights, they can stay up the whole year,” he added with a smile while he took your hand and twirled you around.

You laughed when he theatrically bowed with a wide grin on his face, a movement he often did to make you laugh. Your parents had jumped in earlier that day, and your mother made a few comments about the Christmas decorations still being on the walls three days after the holidays. It made you wonder if you were childish for being so happy to have them around the apartment, but Johnny was there to comfort you and tell you it was okay.

Every day he proved to you it was a good idea to agree to move in with him. He made you feel safe, and loved, and generally happier than you had ever been. You flashed a smile at him before leaning in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too, bonnie,” he replied before raising your hand to place a soft kiss on it.

Ghost gave you a bear hug the moment he dropped his duffel bag on the floor and you closed the door after him. It only took two seconds for you to start crying, your tears leaving wet spots on his black sweatshirt. He rubbed circles into your back to soothe you, telling you that it was okay, that he was there and you didn’t have to handle it alone.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t figured out how to not cry from everything,” you apologized as you went to the living room and you wiped the tears away with the sleeve of your sweater.

“It’s okay,” he repeated himself. “Thanks again for inviting me to the official funeral.”

He sat down on the couch and patted the empty side. You took a seat and pulled up your leg to turn towards him. “You were his friend, of course I invited you. Luckily his sister helped me by convincing her parents to let you come.”

“Why didn’t you ask them yourself?”

“I think they’re blaming me partially. You know, because we worked together. And they might be pissed that I wasn’t there with Price when he told them what happened.”

With a sigh, Simon reached out to squeeze your hand supportively. The two of them had been close, and you weren’t sure Johnny hadn’t asked him to look out for you if anything happened to him. But you were grateful that he was here, at least you could support each other.

Because this massive guy needed support too. You wouldn’t be surprised if he told you Johnny had been his best friend, so he was probably just as devastated as you were. “He wanted to invite you to celebrate the New Year with us, you know,” you told him quietly, earning a grunt in response. “Just the three of us. Well, four, because he wanted to invite a mutual friend of ours. Cute girl. Clever. You would probably like her. She’s gonna attend the funeral.”

“I’m not in the mood for that at a fucking funeral,” he replied, but upon seeing the look on your face, he let out a sigh. “Well, if this didn’t happen, if we didn’t lose Johnny, then… probably I would have given her a chance,” he admitted.

You flashed a smile at Ghost. “I know you wouldn’t pick up women at funerals,” you said casually. “But it would have been nice to celebrate together. Johnny was really looking forward to it. But that’s not gonna happen.”

Ghost took a deep breath. “If you ever feel lonely, you can always call me. I’ll come over and keep you company. Even if it happens to be on New Year’s Eve.

You stood up and went to the kitchen to make some tea, all while thinking about the last New Year’s Eve you spent with Johnny. A sad smile crept on your lips at the thought of your friends coming over for a few hours to celebrate. They left shortly after midnight, but your boyfriend didn’t feel like switching from the warm apartment to the cold streets, so you ended up staying behind.

You waved your hand after Johnny put the two bottles of wine in front of your friends then pointed at the empty chair next to you. He came over to where you were sitting, and occupied the chair with a big grin on his face. He motioned you to lean closer, and when your faces were mere inches apart, he started talking instead of kissing you.

“What’s the difference between kinky and perverted?” he asked, but didn’t wait for you to answer. “Kinky is when you tickle your girlfriend with a feather, perverted is when you use the whole bird.”

You couldn’t hold back the laugh that wanted to erupt upon hearing one of his stupid dirty jokes. It was a new one, he probably just heard it from someone, and you knew how excited he got every time he could tell you a joke like this. This was his way of entertaining you; telling jokes, especially these ones.

“There’s another one. If you were born in September, it’s pretty safe to assume that your parents started their new year with a bang.” This time your only response was a roll of your eyes. “Hey, we’re gonna start our new year with a bang too, right?” he asked quietly with a smile, his blue eyes shining brightly with hope.

“And the next thing we know, we’re the parents from your little joke,” you pointed out playfully with a laugh.

Johnny put his hands on your cheeks and leaned closer to give you a soft kiss. “I wouldn’t mind having a mini me running around. Or a mini you. I’m not picky.” You tilted your head to the side, surprised to hear him talk about having a child of your own. “What? Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about this.”

With a smile, you pressed your nose to his. “I didn’t think you were ready for one.”

“Or two,” he corrected you with a grin. “Maybe three. But I don’t wanna push my luck, so I’ll settle with two for now.

After the funeral, you and Ghost were standing in front of Johnny’s parents, ready to take his ashes so you could say goodbye the way he wanted. They were skeptical, not really feeling like letting go of their son’s remains, and you honestly couldn’t blame them. But Johnny’s sister convinced them to at least talk to you about it.

“How would you know what he wanted?” his father asked you.

“In our line of work dying is in the cards for us. I once told him what I want in case I end up being kept alive by machines, or what I want to happen to my remains. I even wrote it in my will,” you explained calmly. “He told me too, and I know he went into details in his will. If he died when he wasn’t on deployment, he would have wanted you to do this. But if he died on the field, he would want us to go there.”

His mother wiped away the tears that returned, and nodded to your surprise. “I talked to his lawyer, I know that’s what he wanted,” she said, even surprising her husband.

“When did you do that? And why didn’t you tell me?”

You glanced over at Ghost who was watching the couple with an impatient look in his eyes. You could tell he didn’t feel like being here, that he hated the goddamn cemetery as much as you did. It was Johnny’s sister who broke the moderate fight between her parents.

“Mom, Dad, if that’s what he wanted, we should respect his decision. Let them take the ashes,” she said.

In the end they agreed, and you and Ghost returned to your place where you started a conference call with Price and Gaz. You talked about when and where to meet the next day, you even told them about how the funeral went.

Ghost ordered something for dinner, not really feeling like going out after that day, while you ordered something entirely different. When your package arrived sooner, Ghost gave you an equally questioning and disappointed look.

“Where’s the food?” You shrugged. “All right, what do you have there?” he asked, pointing at the smaller paper bag in your hand.

“Pregnancy tests,” you replied bluntly.

“Why?”

“What do you think?” Ghost massaged the bridge of his nose upon hearing your reply. “It’s a week late. Probably the stress caused by Makarov and Johnny’s death, but I want to be sure. We’ve been working on the baby project for about a year now, but we had no luck. Okay, we stopped trying hard around July, hoping I can get pregnant if we don’t pressure ourselves. Maybe now… I don’t know.”

To your surprise, Ghost pulled you into a hug and kissed the top of your head. “Want me to help?”

“With peeing on these things? I think I can manage on my own,” you told him with a roll of your eyes as you stepped back.

“Okay, smartass. I was talking about providing emotional support.”

With a smile, you went into the bathroom and used all five tests, then put them in a line by the sink. Just a few minutes and you would find out if you had succeeded before your time together ran out.

You knew that Johnny sometimes wondered if he was the problem. But he probably knew that you felt the same way every so often. It was a difficult conversation to have, and despite your relationship being stronger than it had ever been, you never knew how to bring it up. You were afraid he would give up, that he would say it was a stupid idea, but then you always reminded himself that he wasn’t a quitter.

“What’s wrong?” you heard Johnny’s soft voice as he put a hand on your stomach over the blanket.

At first you didn’t know what to say. How do you bring this up? But when you saw the worried look on his face, you couldn’t hold back anymore. “I’m just wondering if we’ll ever have a child. At this rate–”

“Hey,” he interrupted you, moving a little closer to you in bed. “We’ll have a child, it just might take a little more time than expected. Also… I have an appointment to see if I’m the reason why you’re not pregnant yet.”

Letting out a long sigh, you wrapped an arm around his body and rested your head on his arm that was stretched across the pillows. “I should do the same. We should get to the bottom of this,” you told him.

Johnny gave you a kiss. “You’re right. But… I don’t know, maybe we should just slow down and not try this hard. Let’s just put this baby project aside for a few months,” he suggested kindly.

“You think that could help?”

“Mm-hm. I did some research and found a lot of stories where they had a child when they weren’t actively trying. Even doctors say stress might make it hard to conceive, and we are clearly stressed about it.”

He kissed you again, this time having no intention to keep up the conversation. Instead he became laser-focused on you, on pinning your body under his in an attempt to devour you like a delicious meal. You giggled quietly between his sloppy kisses, eventually apologizing for not being serious enough.

“So much for putting the baby project aside,” you told him while you placed kisses along his jawline.

Johnny’s blue eyes watched you curiously, as if what you just said was the stupidest thing he had ever heard. “I’m doing this for fun, doll,” he informed you with a mischievous smile.

You put your hand on his cheek before raising your head to give him a quick kiss. “Let’s leave the military. Or at least the field. Let’s live a normal life,” you told him, having absolutely no idea where this thought was coming from.

“Way to ruin the mood,” he noted sourly. “I don’t wanna do that. I love you more than anything, but you can’t ask me that. Yes, it’s dangerous, yes, I know our work schedule is hectic, but that’s the only thing I know. I’ve been working my ass off to be where I am,” he explained as he lied next to you.

Shaking your head, you reached for his hand. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I said that,” you apologized.

“I think I do. It would be less stressful to know people aren’t actively trying to kill us all the time, and maybe this way we could finally have the family we’ve been dreaming of.”

“Let’s forget I ever suggested it, okay?” When he gave you a surprised look, you flashed a small smile at him then turned on your side to look him in the eye. “If we finally end up expecting a baby, what would you prefer them to be? A boy or a girl?”

“I don’t care as long as they’re ours,” he replied before reaching out to take your hand. “Name ideas?” You shook your head, but before you could say anything, he went on. “Allison would be a good one for a girl.”

You thought about it for a moment, getting familiar with the sound of Allison MacTavish in your mind. It didn’t sound bad at all. “And for a boy?”

A smirk appeared on his lips, one that you usually saw if he did something you wouldn’t necessarily agree with. “Simon. I know it probably sounds stupid, but the Lt. might be my best friend. And he saved my life before, he’s a good man in general, and I just feel like it would be a great way to show my respect for him,” he explained.

“If you say he’s also gonna be asked to be the godfather–”

“Of course I will ask him,” he interrupts you immediately, giving you a why-are-you-even-asking look. “But if you have someone better in mind, I’m listening.”

You shook your head and gave him a soft kiss. “I love that you have already thought these things through. Very sexy of you, just saying,” you told him as you climbed on top of him, continuing what you had begun before your stupid comment.

Following the private little funeral, the team decided to have a drink on the way home. Ghost remained by your side like a guard dog, even in the bar taking the seat next to you without a question. He was staring, which became quite annoying after a while.

“What?” you asked him after you’ve had enough.

Ghost took a deep breath that he exhaled slowly. “I’m just not sure I want to leave you alone after what happened yesterday. You’re sure you’re gonna be okay?” he asked you as he toyed with his drink.

You nodded. “Yeah, I’m gonna be fine, don’t worry.”

“Guys, a toast?” Price asked when he showed up behind the two of you with Gaz. You both nodded, and watched as the other two raised their glasses before you did the same. “To Soap. He will be truly missed by all of us,” he said.

You couldn’t help it, you started crying again, and this time it was Gaz who pulled you into a hug. He rubbed your back to calm you, but this wasn’t enough. You lost Johnny, and there was nothing that could bring him back. You were alone, and right now you couldn’t even imagine how you could ever find joy in your life again. Not without him.

“What will I do without him?” you mumbled against the sergeant’s shoulder.

“You’ll learn to live without him eventually, believe me. It’s gonna be hell, but we’re here for you, okay?” he asked with a weak smile.

Price put a hand on your shoulder after Gaz let you go. “He’s right. We’re like a family, we stick together, no matter what. You’re not alone in this, all right? We’re here when you need us.”

Nodding, you gulped loudly and thought about what to say. But there was nothing, your mind was blank, and instead you just took a sip of your drink after you sat back on your chair. The others took their seats again, and Ghost turned to you with a worried look in his eyes. You knew what he wanted to say, but you weren’t in the mood to have the same conversations again and again.

“I know,” was all you said, these two words serving as a mixture of I know you’re gonna be there for me, thank you, and you can count on me too.