#wow talk about getting soft on main

[backpackingspace]

Okay but xie lian really do just being lying the whole series

[jimvasta]

Humans and their pets

The sentient races of the universe have just about started to get their heads, or approximate similar in function body parts, around the odd nature of humans but only recently have humans begun to bring other Earth creatures into space with them.

“Don't worry about Fluffy, he's totally ship trained.” the human designated Bradley spoke with frightening casualness about the creature sat at his side. It's muzzle was level with his hips and it's forward facing eyes showed it had predator history just as much as humans did.

“It has fangs.” Captain Mota'tog was unimpressed. The permissions were correctly stamped on the file and yet such a creature hardly appeared inoffensive.

“He does not, he's not poisonous. Of course some of his teeth are sharp, he's an omnivore.”

“He's a hunter.”

“He mostly hunts biscuits. He'll scavenge in the canteen from anyone soft enough to feed him. He's a certified well-being dog. People stroke him, he's got really soft fur, it makes them feel better. Look, he's wagging his tail, it means he likes you.”

Mota-tog whistled uncertainly.

“Oh wow!” One of the human engineers arrived at the airlock and dropped her bag as she stared at the dog. “So cute!”

Fluffy jumped round, tail wagging furiously, nuzzling in as the woman buried her hands in his warm soft fur.

“You are totally gorgeous. You're so fluffy and beautiful, you're like a little polar bear. You're here to stay, yes you are.” the woman happily baby talked to the dog who was more than half her size.

Bradley looked at the Captain and indicated. “See. Dogs make us happy.”

“You do all the care for it.”

“Of course.”

There were some false starts with the rest of the crew who were not so trusting of the huge pack hunter in their midst, but over the next few months they slowly learned to trust that the worst he would do was beg for food off their plates at meal times. Some of the braver aliens even began to pet him.

Then an alarm sounded.

Everyone raced to their emergency stations.

Bradley was in the cargo hold, his duty was to check the cargo was safe and secure.

He had quickly trained Fluffy to sit in a corner out of the way. It kept him safe in case anything shifted. The last thing he wanted was for his pet to get hurt by moving cargo.

The clang of magnetic grabs was deafening.

The alert was for a boarding raid.

Pirates.

Bradley cracked his knuckles and picked up a pry bar.

Through the rest of the ship there were varying degrees of panic.

A few of the other species could fight but most looked to the humans, having learned the way they fought when cornered and knowing their best hope to survive was to stay back and wait for the screaming to stop.

“What the fuck is that?!” the shout was shock and outrage. More anger than fear in the moment.

Crouching as it came through the main airlock was a creature taller and broader than anything else on the ship.

“Star spirits preserve us,” Mota'tog whistled. “A Batath.”

“It's a bloody troll is what it is.” Martins snapped.

Everyone froze as they heard the snarling and growling.

It was not coming from the Batath.

Fluffy arrived at speed and leapt, not caring can his opponent was huge. His fur was already matted with the blood of pirates and this was just another opponent.

The humans charged.

The Batath could only concentrate on one enemy at a time, it was used to picking off creatures as they ran, not fighting them off as something had its teeth deep around a knee trying to rip it apart.

The pirates ran when the Batath fell and the gore covered humans turned to face them.

Bradley let himself drop to the deck. “Don't worry, I'm fine. Good boy, Fluffy.”

Mota'tog shook his feathers as he watched the dog go back from snarling killing machine to placid fuss receiver. “I swear to the spirits, all Earth creatures are insane.”

[misshugs]

The Cameragirl || snc

You've been Sam and Colby's cameragirl for some time now. Usually, nothing too crazy happened to you in most investigations, but this time...

warnings: paranormal activity, reader getting attacked, near death experience, strangling(?), cursing, angst?

a/n: took a bit of inspo after watching the boys' video of the asylum, but nothing exactly like it. just the fact that the place is an asylum

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

word count: 3.6k

[u n e d i t e d]

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

As they were making their iconic intro and explaining what this new place was about, you made sure to have a sturdy pulse whilst filming them.

"Today, it's just me, Sam and our lovely cameragirl, Y/n." Colby said, letting you shift the camera towards your face and smile at it.

"Hello there." You said, making sure your face was extremely close to the camera, merely because it has become your way of introducing yourself.

"And since it's only us today like the good old days, we decided to make something fun. ALL of us." Sam explained to the camera and smirked, looking directly at you.

You batted your eyes, looking at them while they kept on smiling menancingly at you. "This wasn't a part of the contract." You said, gaining a laugh from both of them.

You zoomed onto his face and began talking with this soft, almost narrative voice. A voice you very well knew they enjoyed. "What is this oh so fun idea you seem to be hyping about, mr. Golbach?"

"Why thank you for asking." Sam nodded slightly, moving his attention towards the camera. "The three of us are gonna do a little challenge tonight." He clapped his hands together as you began unzooming the camera, putting Colby back on frame.

"That's right, we're going to walk alone, lights out throughout some of the most haunted corridors from this place." Colby continued. "The owners of this place told us it gets freaky when people are alone, so we thought this might get us some good activity."

"We have some cameras with nightvision but we're not gonna see shit." Sam added, "After a while, we all should find our way back to the main lobby."

"So stay until the end to see how that's gonna turn out." Colby says, getting close to the camera before covering it with his hand, making you stop the recording for the cut.

"That was pretty good." You said, looking at the video slightly.

"You're still good with the challenge, right?" Sam asked, looking at you. You scoffed.

"Please. I wouldn't have come if I wasn't sure about it. Remember you told me about it before the video?"

"I know, I know. Just making sure, you know how I am." He laughs. "Wouldn't want you to do something you're not comfortable with."

"You're saying that like we haven't known eachother for how long?"

He chuckles. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Alright, so since we're all settled, should we start right away?" Colby chimed in, looking at both of you.

"Not yet. This place has some good cinematic potential, lemme cook first." You said, looking around with your flashlight.

"Aight, we'll let you do your thing, I'll go ahead and look for the equipment." Colby said.

"Oh, shoot. I forgot to ask the owners about something." Sam said, taking out his phone.

"Go out with Colby, I'll be here waiting." You said, fixing back your camera to start recording.

"Alone?" They both asked, looking at eachother and then at you.

"I do my best work alone, gentlemen. You know that." You begin walking towards the shadiest corridor you've seen in your life, without even looking back.

"Oh wow. Fearless. She's trying to do the challenge before us." Colby laughed.

"Alright, I'll be super quick. If anything happens, just yell. As loud as you can." Sam said, smiling.

"Copy that." You laughed.

In the blink of an eye, you were left alone. You were used to these type of things, so it didn't bother you much. You've somehow become numb to all of this paranormal adventuring.

And that was one of the main reasons why you liked to take control of the camera, since you were able to keep your cool in stressful situations, making it easier for the viewers later on.

Plus, you didn't know how to act on camera and they were the professionals... allegedly.

Whenever something odd happened, you made sure to try and record as much as you could, in the best angles possible. You liked to joke around and call yourself a professional in your craft, although sometimes it wasn't even a joke.

You were passionate about it. The videos and the ghosts, it was only natural to try and do more, risk yourself to do something more interesting and outgoing.

That's a piece of yourself they loved about you. You were simply a perfect match in their combo.

As you began to do your cinematic, you began to have shivers. A sudden draft of air passing through you, as if a window suddenly opened.

Looking around, there was no possible way of that happening. You were in the middle of the corridor, absolutely no chance of an air draft simply passing through so randomly.

You thought it might've been a bit odd, but nothing you haven't felt before anyways. While you kept on making some videos, an eerie feeling of someone watching crossed over your spine.

The sensation of a presence slowly getting closer to you behind your back.

Almost feeling the heat of another person behind you, towering over you.

Hurriedly looking back, you were met with Sam's hand almost touching your shoulder. He stopped midway, knowing he got caught trying to scare you. "You bitch." You spit out, making him laugh.

"Damn it!" He said mid laugher. "I was so quiet this time, how do you always seem to know?"

"I can feel you lurking closer, you stalker." You looked away from his gaze, trying to ignore the thoughts of his pretty face. You began walking back to where he came from, meeting Colby in the process.

"I'm not a stalker, if anything, I'm protecting."

"Quietly from the shadows, sounds like a stalker to me, but you do you." You smiled softly, looking at the confused Colby.

"I left for a second, what did I miss?"

"Stalker behavior, nothing else." You said, putting your camera up again and ready to record.

Colby shook his head from side to side, already being on your side of the story without even asking further questions. "I can't believe you brother."

"Wha- it wasn't-..." Sam sighed, defeated. He knew you were joking, so he wasn't going to win anyways.

You laughed and pointed the camera at them. "Ready when you are." They nodded and you began to record.

"So as you can see, in our hands we have some devices that we'll scatter throughout this first room. If you've been here before, you'll probably be familiar, but if you haven't, these are basically some motion censor devices that will let us know if something walks infront of it." Colby explained, turning one of the devices on and showing to the camera how it worked.

As they organized everything, the REM-POD immediately began beeping. "Oh, shit. That's the rem pod." Sam said, stopping on its tracks. "That was the temperature dropping."

You made sure the camera caught that as you got closer to it. "Oh fuck. I was feeling a bit cold since we got here." Colby added. "Alright. I think we're ready."

"Okay. If there's any spirit around that would like to communicate with us, we would like for you to use any of these devices we've put up for you." Sam started, as you made sure to get far enough from everything for the shot.

"You can touch these lights on the floor, or maybe this device I have on my hand." Colby continued, pointing towards the EMF reader. "We mean no harm, we'd just like to talk to someone."

A couple of seconds passed, looking around, waiting for something to happen.

"Maybe they don't want..." Sam began, before getting interrupted by the REM-POD beeping, making you hurriedly move your camera angle. "Oop. Nevermind. Thank you very much. Can you do that again if you're here with us? To let us know it wasn't something else?"

Silence filled the room for a while, before the device started to beep once again.

Excited, they began asking questions to this entity, expecting for it to be somewhat intelligent enough to give answers back.

Luckily, it was. It seemed to be someone that died inside the asylum, a woman. Curious about the story of this woman, they kept on asking questions. Some of them being answered, others being completely ignored.

Asides from the constant beep from their device, you heard a knock coming from one of the corridors. Quickly looking around, they stopped talking. "What?" Colby asked.

"Heard something." You whispered. The room went silent, followed by what sounded like footsteps getting closer. You turn the camera back at them and their faces were shocked.

"Holy fuck." Sam whispered.

"That was like... thumps. We're the only ones here, right?" Colby asked him.

"Yeah, we're supposed to be." Sam says, walking towards the place they heard the sound, quietly. You followed close behind. "Hello?"

Nothing. They kept on looking around, searching and at the same time waiting for something else to happen. "There's no one here." Colby says. "But that was clear as day."

"Super clear, the camera must've have heard that, for sure." Sam said, looking at you as you nodded. "That was crazy."

"Yeah, let's try something else but closer to this area, maybe it's more active." Colby said, and all of you nodded.

A couple of minutes later, and you were all set up. This time around, they turned on a spirit box to try and communicate better.

The idea was to first use it as normal, then for Colby to do the Estes Method.

And so, the spirits began to talk.

"What's this." It spat out. Colby and Sam looked at eachother, smiling.

"Hello, this is a spirit box, you can use it to communicate with us. Would you mind telling us who you are?" Sam said, looking around.

"Hello?"

"Hi, hello." Colby responded. "Who are we talking to."

"I'm scared."

"Scared? Scared of what?" Colby asked, furrowing his eyebrows whilst looking at the camera.

"Behind you."

They quickly looked behind them. "Oh, fuck. I hate that." Colby said, as you smiled at their gestures.

It quickly faded away when you felt the familiar presence of someone behind you.

Heart racing, you looked around for a second, but there was nothing there. It didn't mean the feeling went away, though.

"Monster. Care..." It seemed the audio cut before finishing the whole word.

"Monster... care?" Sam asked, confused.

"Or maybe it meant careful? Like, careful of the monster?" Colby questioned.

"It would make sense. What monster are you talking about? Is it harming you? Are you scared of this monster... or... person?"

It took a while before responding. Last thing it said, before a screech filled the radio was... "Run."

Quickly, they turned it off. They looked at eachother. "That was terrifying." Colby said. Sam nodded and sighed.

"Let's try and look around for some other place. This doesn't feel safe." Sam said and everyone agreed.

For the past hour of recording, moving around and joking here and there, you felt a bit uncomfortable. Usually, you weren't the type to get scared over the paranormal, but this place felt more eerie than usual.

You heartbeat has been increasing slowly, as well as a slight pain in your chest that quickly faded. You felt watched.

There was a point where you even felt slightly touched, quickly warning the boys about it.

Due to this, they almost discarted the idea completely, thinking you might be getting targeted, scared that it might do something to you. It took you a couple of minutes of convincing them to keep on recording before the conversation was dismissed.

You tried to brush it all off, as 'something you've felt before', but deep down you were really anxious about it. Perhaps it made you feel better to think about it being just the nerves.

But you weren't the type of person to feel these nerves for no reason.

"Hey, you good?" Colby touched your shoulder and whispered to you, noticing you seemed a bit weird. "You seem out of it today."

"Yeah, I'm good. I was just zoning out."

"Yeah, I noticed." He chuckled, looking into your eyes. "You sure you're okay though?" He raised an eyebrow, seemingly concerned. "You don't look well."

"What? Do I look like a ghost to you?" You asked, smiling, which quickly made him show that gorgeous smile you loved.

"More like you've seen one." You shook your head.

"I'm fine. I've just seen some shadows running in the corners of my eye, but nothing too big to point out."

He batted his eyes. "You've what?"

"Calm down, you know I see those things all the time. It's nothing new." Half of it was true. The other half, well... there was a chance you might've seen a whole figure standing close to a doorframe, but you felt your imagination was tricking you too much tonight, so you didn't say anything.

You weren't a psychic or a medium or something close to it anyways. If anything, you'd probably consider it more like a hallucination due to the constant lack of sleep you've been having lately.

"I know, I know, but still. You could tell us about it, you know? Maybe we all see the same thing you do and since you don't point it out, we don't notice."

You rolled your eyes playfully. You were about to say something, but a breeze passed through your ear, a soft whisper saying "Come play."

You jumped, covering your ear and walking closer to Colby. "Shit." You whispered.

Confused, he held your shoulders. "What? What? You heard something?" His worry was enough for Sam to stop setting the cameras up and walk closer.

"What happened?" He asked. You looked around where you were standing.

"Did you guys not hear that?" You asked, the shook their heads. "I heard something like... right next to me." When you said that, Sam began recording once again.

"Alright, so... apparently Y/n just heard something right next to her." He began explaining to the camera, pointing it at you.

"It was like a whisper, it.. uh... it just said 'come play', like, the creepiest shit you can say. I even felt the air on my ear, that shit made me jump." You tried laughing about it to not let the mood down, but it wasn't working much.

"Although I really want to, maybe we shouldn't do the challenge." Colby said, looking at Sam straight in the eyes, genuinely worried.

"Guys. Come on. Don't back down when we're this close." You said. "We're basically done for tonight, this is the last thing we're doing and we're out, right?"

"...yeah." Sam whispered. "Let's..." He sighed. "Let's do it. Just like she said, we walk through the corridor and come back straight away."

Althought skeptical, Colby nodded. "Fine. Let's hurry up then. The quicker we begin, the quicker we're leaving this place."

And so, everyone held their cameras and said their goodbyes. The three of you went through your respective corridors and began walking, alone, with no light.

"Alright guys. I'm not good at, like, talking to the camera but I'll try." You sighed, pointing the camera at your face while slowly walking the dark corridor.

"Honestly? I'm usually not as creeped out when we come to places like this, but this one is like... up there. It's giving me the chills, making me paranoid, I feel like I'm... seeing thing. Or maybe I'm just sleep deprived. That's... that's also an option now that I think about it."

Looking around with the camera, although it's absolutely useless, you started feeling out of breath. Almost as if the air didn't reach your lungs anymore. "It feels... hard to breathe." You took a deep inhale and shakily exhaled.

You gulped, your throat suddenly feeling dry as the lack of oxygen was evident.

"I'm just gonna walk... faster. I wanna get this over with..." And so, you did. But the further away you got, the worse it all felt. You felt your vision starting to get blurry although you could barely see anything.

You paused as your vision began to get used to the darkness.

At the end of the corridor, what you could shape out like a human figure was standing there. Seemingly the same one you barely saw before.

This time, it didn't seem to go away.

You were also alone.

Unable to breathe.

You don't know when it started, but you were unable to breathe properly. You choked, trying to regain yourself from the feeling.

Your neck feeling tight, your stomach hurting at the sudden feeling.

Putting your hands on your neck, you coulnd't feel anything that would make you feel this way. You started to get worried.

You felt as if you were being choked. You tried to scream, but all that you could spat out from your lips was a soft, quiet, 'help'.

Trying to turn around and walk back, you saw the figure again and got scared, falling towards the floor. You coughed for air, sucking back as much as you could but being unable to.

Leaving the camera behind, you tried to crawl back to where you came from, but the lack of circulation on your body failed you as you coulnd't handle it anymore.

Your body falling on the floor, the camera seemingly recording your movements come to a halt.

Your eyes closing, leaving you unconscious.

It didn't take long before Sam and Colby got back to the lobby. Waiting for you, something seemed off.

They knew the corridor wasn't as long as theirs. You should've been the first one out by that logic. They've been waiting long enough and they were starting to get worried.

Even though the concept of the challenge was to be alone in the darkness, the idea of you being in trouble was too much to bare.

Heck, even if you were pranking them, the anxiety of you not coming back on time was driving them insane, they were ready for a scare if it had to come to that.

But the scare they were expecting wasn't the one they got.

Minutes of walking and calling out your name came to a stop when they saw you on the floor.

Hurriedly, they ran towards you and fell to the floor, yelling out your name. "This isn't funny, Y/n!" Sam yelled, moving your body, only to notice how cold you felt. His heart sank.

"Y/n, come on!" Colby said, putting himself on the other side, looking at Sam. The color from his face was gone when he felt her body. Colby, worried, touched your body and understood why he looked that way. "Oh, fuck. Fuck!"

Throwing the camera to the side, Colby quickly checked your pulse. "Sam. Call 911. This is serious." You still had a pulse, but you weren't breathing. First thing that came to his mind was CPR.

While Sam began to call, Colby was trying as hard as he could to help out. He began doing mouth to mouth, trying to bring some oxygen back to your lungs.

Tears streaming down both of their faces. Colby started making compressions to your chest, while Sam was talking to the 911 dispatcher and using the flashlight to illuminate Colby.

Luckily, they weren't too late. You began to cough and moved to the side to spit out some saliva. You breathed heavily and both of the guys sighed in relief.

As you tried to catch your breath, they softly held you up in place while your color came back to you. You blinked a couple of times, adjusting your view to your surroundings.

When you looked at them, they hugged you tight. "Fuck..." Sam whispered. "Let's get the fuck out of here right now." He held you softly and helped you out, as Colby grabbed all of the cameras.

It was hard for you to walk. It felt as if a ton of weight was keeping you from even standing up. It felt as if your limbs went numb, the lack of oxygen probably acting up.

Sam noticed, and didn't hesitate on holding you up and putting you on his back so that you could rest. They began walking as fast as they could, reassuring you that you will be fine.

You were focused on getting your breath back while listening to them scream at the spirits.

"You are not allowed to follow us home." Listening to Colby talk like this, while taking all of the equipment made you feel light. You started moving your arms and made sure to hold onto Sam, closing your eyes.

"You'll be okay. We're leaving." Sam reassured you, waiting for Colby to grab everything and get out of there in a rush.

After the police arrived and handed you an oxygen mask, you started feeling much better. You had some marks on your neck, like some hands were just squishing the air out of you.

Your body... at first, you could even see your veins pop out of your legs because of your lack of color. The poor circulation that ran through your body for a couple of minutes really drove your body to its limit somehow.

It took you a while to be able to stand on your two feet again, but before the police left you could walk on your own just fine. Sam and Colby however still managed to help you out.

"Let's head back home." Sam whispered to you. You nodded slightly and tried to walk on your own, only to be held up by Colby.

"Don't force yourself right now. You need some rest." He said, taking you back to the car. Your face having a rush of blood because of the gesture.

"I... I can walk."

"Let us do this. Please. It's too much already that you fainted right when we weren't with you." Sam said, looking at you, your heart racing at the look of his blue eyes upon you. You gulped.

"...f..fine." You said, resting your head on Colby's chest, making him smile.

✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩

part two is up!! the link is in the beginning! <3

thanks for reading all the way! likes, comments and requests are much appreciated.

-nikkõ

[sleepy-grav3]

The Moon Child Part 2

Part 1

A/n: Wow. I posted the first part to this and you guys like- rushed to it like starving animals holy SHIT... Should I be scared???? anyway- here ya go

Summary: Danny meets the Aqua Family and gets the love he deserves, plus a little comfort.

Tw: hurt/comfort, bad parents, mentioned discrimination, angst, ghost animal cruelty, swears, objectification, fluff

I forgot to mention Danny goes by he/they pronouns, Atlanteans know a lot of animals, and gender is weird sometimes so they aren't assuming anything and that's fair since Danny could shapeshift if he wants

The Moon Child Part 2 - The Moon Loves the Sea

Warm. He felt warm while in his core. And he could feel the soft cushion he was placed on. He heard the stories that Aquaman Arthur would tell him about all of his adventures and the rambles about his family. He was even told the secret about his stepbrother, Orm, who's death was faked and now lived on land.

It was... nice. Safe. He hadn't felt so loved in a long time. Or, at least, he thinks he hasn't. He had lost track of time while in the labs. It was painful to think about. Visibly so. Apparently, when he drifted into those dreadful terrors, his core's soft light would flicker into a dimmer one which resonated with his sobs. Arthur or his wife, who would keep him beside them at all times, would pick him up each time and hold him close to their heart.

"It's alright" They would say. "You're safe now."

Their heartbeat would always calm him down. It pulsed out reassuring feelings with each beat of their hearts. It was soothing and he never felt so safe. Not even when he was alive. To think he needed to die to feel this way.

It took a while for the pain to finally go away, but he soon felt ready to come out of his core. He couldn't recuperate as much as he wanted to. Not to use his full abilities of his ghost powers. No, there wasn't a massive supply of ambient ectoplasm like in Amity. He learned that what he was absorbing the most was the magic, which acted as a saline solution to blood (which he was pretty sure his blood was fully ectoplasm now).

It was interesting how magic tied in with ectoplasm. He wondered if that's why summoning worked best for those in the realms for that reason. Maybe the specific rituals to summon them even tied closely with their ecto-signatures? It's an interesting thought really.

That isn't the point though. What is, is that he was healthy enough to come out of his core.

"Ok, Danny. Deep breath. Here we go-"

-

Arthur was doing his usual thing: struggling to wake up in the morning and only really doing it because he didn't want to worry the literal spirit of a god. And it's not even because they're a god, but because they're a child. Should he have kept them in the same room. He feels like that might've been a better choice than just leaving them in a room next to his.

Arthur shook his head, rubbing his eyes as he swung his legs over the edge only to jump at the cold feeling of the floor.

"All kinds of water magic and they still can't stop the floor from being cold."

He huffed, getting up and picking out some casual wear that didn't have a bunch of jewelry with protection runes. Some normal clothes to hang out with family.

Kaldur came back yesterday, so they're having breakfast together. He hoped that he'd believe the whole moon deity thing. Kaldur was pretty good and believing new things, but this was their main religion they're talking about. Religion is iffy, or at least it was for those on land. The ocean folk are... extremely loyal.

Should he worry about them trying to destroy the new moon...?

He shook his head. No, they probably couldn't get past the layers of the atmosphere. Hopefully.

He walked out of the door, now thinking about how sea creatures would even pull that off before knocking on the door of the room next to his.

"It is uh, me. Again." It never sounds less awkward. Maybe I should try adding the dramatics?

And with a twist and push, he opened the door only to freeze with widening eyes. The stone wasn't there.

"Oh my god- I lost-"

Only to hear a chirp. he flinched, attention darting over to the full body mirror on the other side of the door that pushed into the room. A door he was going to have fixed to avoid heart attacks like these.

He let out a huge sigh of relief, walking over and bending down with a crooked grin.

"Well, good morning. I didn't expect you to appear for a while. But hey! Perfect timing! Kaldur's going to be joining us during breakfast today, so we could introduce you guys! We could meet Orm soon too! I bet he'll be absolutely surprised!"

The child only looked at him with their big wide doe eyes. Hope sparked in them, but anxiety kept their body tense.

"You... You were serious about it? About me meeting your family?"

Arthur placed a hand on their shoulder, he could barely notice the cool temperature of their body before he saw them jump. He was going to pull away his hand, but then the child relaxed a bit more. It was as if they hadn't had affectionate physical contact in a long time.

"Have they ever been anything but a moon? Are all moons like this? What about other planets? Earth... we have so much pollution. If it were alive..., would it only just barely be clinging?"

"Yes, I was and still am. You're a part of it now for as long as we live. And even when we pass, you will continue to have a place in the ocean. You might not have realized this, but the ocean worships you like a god. In fact, I think I'm going to have to talk with the Justice League about offering an apology gift of some sort."

The child blinked, eyes wide and glistening as a layer of moisture sparkled more yet made the eye look foggy. Looking closer, Arthur could see how moonstones came to be when they cried. It would hurt if it was a literal stone the kid cried. Like- like kidney stones! He was thankful that it wasn't like that.

"You... You aren't scared of me being dangerous to them? You don't think I'm evil or non-sentient?"

Arthur blinked. What?

"No... Nobody- Why would anybody think that?"

The child pursed his lips into a thin line, averting his eyes. With each blink, a silvery white liquid would start to drip and condense to the moonstones he found.

"I... don't know how things work around here... But on land... I've... They don't respect the dead or those associated to the concept. I've tried to keep both sides from trying to destroy the other- but... but..."

Arthur took a breath, pulling the spirit into his arms into a tight embrace. They clung to their veil that was wrapped around their arms like a shawl.

It seems that he had some lore to read up upon and some things to investigate.

-

(This bit's about Danny's POV. It'll be continuing with his while he meets everyone)

Danny didn't know what to think when he looked at himself in the mirror earlier. He didn't have a shirt, but the scarf thing was comfy. He could make it into some kind of make-shift shirt if he wanted to too. His memory on how to do it was... foggy and fractured. Some parts of speech were muffled and what he saw from that time would blur or seemed made up.

He knew the person teaching him.

Why can't he remember them clearly? He could hear whispers of something in his head telling him who that was.

And when he pushed that thought aside, he'd look back at other memories and realize who that was.

Tucker. How could he ever forget about Tucker? Why was he forgetting him?

What made it worse was how much he had to stare at the damn mirror to get the knots right. His chest... it wasn't ever that clean. No Lichtenberg scars. No burns, no cuts, no incision scars. Nothing. It was clean of any of his failures. His struggles. His learning experiences.

And yet... he still imagined them being there. Each time his fingers would brush up against places where he knew scars should've been, a shot of pain would spike as if he'd been electrocuted.

It hurt.

He hated how he remembered.

He hated that he didn't.

He used to remember all of it. He did when he was sobbing for days on end.

Now, it was foggy. Now, it was hidden away. He couldn't reach it.

"Oh my god- I lost-"

He chirped in surprise, turning with widened eyes. Oh. It's just Arthur. I really need to get out of my head.

Arthur walked over, looking slightly drained, as if he was relieved of a sudden weight placed on his shoulders. And by the vibes, Danny's guess seemed right.

Relieved Happy Happy Excited Nervous Happy

He was always so cheery in the... well, what seemed to be the day. Sucks to be out now that he thought about it. It would be rude to just fall asleep at random now that they could physically see if he's awake or not.

Arthur greeted him warmly, cheerily saying how he didn't expect him to come out of his core as if the event was a surprise gift. That... was confusing to say the least. It's easier to have a pet rock than a guest. Now he has to feed him to be polite, or at least offer. He has the room covered since the beginning. It was a really big room. A waste for something someone like him.

He felt his body freeze and start muffling sounds when Arthur started mentioning Kaldur and Orm. His family. Close ones, from the stories he would tell.

M4Dd13 and J4Ck would never allow strangers near him, much less Jazz.

"You... You aren't scared of me being dangerous to them?" He couldn't stop the questions from slipping out even when his expression shifted. "You don't think I'm evil or non-sentient?"

He doesn't even know how he could even think of himself as otherwise. He could remember the custom-made, high voltage tasers that targets his ecto-signature itself until he acted how they expected him to. How they wanted him to.

His eyesight became extremely cloudy. It was similar to the green he'd see before he would start crying after he couldn't cry water anymore.

Ghosts... Ghosts cry ectoplasm. What... What was he crying? What is he now? He was- Why wasn't he gone? He was Ended, wasn't he? They got rid of his heart and crushed his core to determine the durability- there wasn't a way to come back from that.

So why was he alive?

Why can't he-

"-think that?"

Shit- he wasn't paying attention.

Danny couldn't bare to look at the man, guilt eating away at him.

"I... don't know how things work around here..."

He could barely register that it was his voice.

"But on land... I've..."

Why was he still touching his shoulder?

Why isn't he disgusted?

Why isn't he scared?

Why isn't he angry?

"They don't respect the dead or those associated to the concept. I've tried to keep both sides from trying to destroy the other- but... but..."

But they destroyed me instead.

It was all for nothing.

Why didn't he listen to the Ancients?

Why did he just kill people?

They already expected him to do so anyway.

So why didn't he?

He couldn't feel the hug he was pulled into until he stopped crying.

What was he even crying about?

-

Ok so- Maybe Danny should start scheduling his breakdowns. So far, he's had ones at random or ones that goes on for multiple days without any stopping. Or- if he did stop, he really doesn't remember them.

But this is getting embarrassing. He was lucky Kaldur came home late or else they might've either came late or completely missed the breakfast reunion.

Ugh- and don't get him started with anxiety.

His eyes must be puffy or something. Great first impression, Danny! All ya gotta do now is cry again in front of everyone to make it one of the worst introductions in life.

Well, it wasn't really a good start even without him. Arthur had just dropped him onto a very cushiony chair and exclaimed: "Thank the seas! I'm starving!" And just went to devour a whole plate before calming down a bit with Mera scolding him.

He was just awkwardly watching until a plate was placed in front of him. He slightly tensed, attention going from his plate to the hand pulling away from the plate now that it was down. That's when his eyes made contact with Kaldur's. He seemed a bit startled to, as he blinked owlishly before smiling politely.

"Hello, I'm Kaldur'Ahm. You may call me Kaldur."

"U-um.. I'm..." What should he be called now? Phantom didn't feel as right anymore. Ah, what the heck. It's not like they know little ol' Danny Fenton. "I'm Danny." For some reason, that name didn't feel too right either.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard that you've been in a stone, so I was surprised to see you carried in by fa- Arthur."

Curious Happy Happy Nervous

Danny relaxed a bit, turning to his plate once eye contact became too difficult. He picked at his food

"I didn't have much strength when I first formed. I wasn't meant to even have a body but I... didn't want to be discovered and have my core cut up and carved into for some jewelry or something, so I forced myself. you could say it's like... an energy conservation form."

Danny started to actually eat his food, though a bit quicker than he usually would. Stress eating, how lovely.

"Is it a lot of work to stay as you are now? You don't have to stay like this if you're too drained." Kaldur started to fret for him, looking for any sign of strain.

Danny, feeling the worry from him, smiled. It's been a while since someone was worried for him.

"I recovered enough energy that I have a bit extra. I can't do a lot of the things I could before, but I don't feel any pain anymore. So, I'll be fine."

Kaldur relaxed a bit, though still held a slight frown.

"Tell me if you ever feel anything. I'm more than able to hold onto your core and protect you."

Danny hummed, continuing to eat. That's about the time Kaldur remembered that it was breakfast time and started- no, continued to eat from his plate. He must've served himself when Arthur started to or even before that.

"Hey hey hey! Now that the kid's awake, why don't we take a family trip toooooooooo" He dragged out the word as Mera glared at him. "-my brother's grave! I bet he'd love to meet you! And on the way, we can go to the burger place and shop for some clothes, meet my dad-"

Danny looked over at Kaldur, who shook his head fondly at his obvious father-figure. Really, that slip up wasn't getting past him, no way, not possible.

"Don't mind him." Mera sighed. "He's an idiot."

"Hey!"

"Danny, you could always say no. We could go a different day." Kaldur mentioned.

"Danny?" Arthur questioned. Mera rolled her eyes.

"Pay attention, will you?"

"No, it's fine." Danny shook his head with a nervous smile. "I'd like to see him too."

"GREAT!" Arthur exclaimed, making Danny jump and Kaldur wince at the volume. "Hurry and finish your meals! I'll call over the pups!" and then he ran off.

"Pups?" Danny asked.

"Sharks." Mera clarified with a fond sigh. "Ever since he heard someone call them sea puppies, he's been calling them pups and puppies ever since."

"That's... really cute actually." Danny snickered.

"He sneaks away to play with them all the time." Kaldur groaned, remembering the number of meetings he had to take over for the man.

Danny reached over and patted Kaldur's forearm.

"You poor child."

"At least you understand."

-

Kaldur... well, Danny didn't really know how to put it. He was really nice and all, but he was a bit...

"These earrings would look great on you." Kaldur hummed as he held up dangling pearls to his ears.

Kaldur's already bought 3 bags of stuff for him in the last 20 minutes since coming to Reef Town (completely made-up place, just go with it). He even had to adjust his ghost clothes so he could wear the pants and shirt, and other stuff that were bought for him. He still kept the veil since it was really soft and soothed him when he rubbed it between his fingers.

"Ah, but this goes with your clothing... Perhaps we should order one to be made in Atlantis?" Kaldur trailed off, mumbling about different shops and what materials they had along with design names Danny had no clue about. He was almost sure that some of those words were made-up with how they sounded.

"Oookaaayyy- how about we think this over later?" Arthur insisted, a hand on Kaldur's shoulder and the other taking away the earrings in his hands. "We have someone to meet in... about 5 minutes."

"Right, sorry! I got distracted-"

"You're fine, you little urchin." Arthur chuckled, pushing Kaldur towards the door. "Now let's go meet Orm!"

Danny felt a hand on his head. It was a gentle, motherly touch. It nearly made his core let out a purr. Only Jazz could do that with touch alone. Though he nearly started to do the same when they'd mark where they'd cut next. They didn't do that as often with how much they liked to see his organs and bones regenerate.

"Tell Kaldur if it's too much. He's just really excited to have you around and is used to having to give something to keep sea creature friends around."

Ah, he knew that voice.

"Ex..cited? Why?" Danny looked up at Mera, leaning into her touch.

Mera smiled down sweetly at him; her eyes were filled with love that would be pointed to her own child.

She didn't have that drunken lust M4Dd13 had in her eyes each time she came back.

It made his core flutter.

"He sees you as a younger sibling. He's wanted one for a little while now. I... I can't get myself to try again, so he didn't expect to have a sibling. He was really excited to meet you after he heard that you agreed to stay with Arthur. You didn't reject my touch either. I hope it was fine that I held your... core, was it?"

Danny felt her finger card through his hair. He melted at the soothing touch.

"Yeah. It's... it's everything to a ghost. Heart and soul. And... I heard about you from Arthur while I was in my core. And you were the reason Arthur knew to comfort me. So, I knew I could trust you."

Mera smiled a bit more brightly and knelt down, hands holding his face with all the love in the world before she placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm glad. Now, let's go catch up with the boys. I'm sure Kaldur and Arthur must be panicking."

Danny could barely follow after her, having to make himself float as she grabbed his hand to lead him outside. Everything was too fuzzy and happy; it was hard to focus.

-

"Did you kidnap a child spirit?!"

That was the first thing Orm said when he saw Danny, immediately looking at Arthur incredulously as he slammed the table with his hands.

He immediately walked over and knelt down in front of Danny.

"I am so sorry about him-"

"Hey! I didn't-"

"-he's an idiot and really doesn't know any better."

"I didn't kidnap him!"

Orm arched a brow at his brother before looking over at Mera.

"No contracts were made."

Orm looked back at Danny.

"You went with him willingly?"

Danny snickered. "He looked like an idiot."

"You too?!"

"You really can't blame him." Kaldur agreed, smiling over at Danny.

Danny giggled and looked back at Orm.

"I'm Danny."

"Orm, that idiot's older brother. Stepbrother. Now, why did a saintly spirit decide to tag along with this family?"

Mera walked over, placing a hand on Danny's head again. He leaned into it, barely able to keep in a purr.

"You remember the incident with the moon?" Orm nodded. "Well, they're the spirit of the moon."

Orm's eyes widened, head snapping right back to Danny.

"You- you're-"

Danny blinked. He's a what? Wait, not the time to dissociate-

"Is... Is that bad?" Danny hesitantly asked.

"No! Not at all- I just- I've always believed in you, it's just that- Seeing an idol is a bit of an experience-"

"An idol?" Danny questioned, looking up at Orm. He was still kneeling, doesn't that hurt?

"Well, I've heard stories about how you'd battle against the sun gods and sent blessed rain to heal those under incurable plagues. That you split your own soul to assist physically on this world to help those that roamed on it! I've traveled to different places on the land just to see your descendants. And what beautiful white features they have. Did you know that humans call them albinos?"

"Really?"

"Yes! They deserve a better name that fits the position of blessed descendants! The fools!"

"I-it's fine, really! I'm glad they're doing ok and- and that my blessing still lives on."

Orm sighed and stood up.

"You're much too kind. Even after they replaced you, you don't hold it against anyone."

Oddly enough, he felt his chest tighten. It was as if...

"Someone has to do my job in controlling the currents, right?" Danny smiled sadly.

The others seemed to feel sympathy for the spirit, Kaldur going over and pulling him into a hug.

"It's alright. The ocean will stand by your side. Forever. They still worship you even now. So don't think you were only a tool, ok?"

Danny nodded. "Ok.."

He fought back against the tears.

-----

A/n: well, that was a bit longer than the last one. I was planning to write more for this chapter, but I'll just add it to the next one. Sorry if it seems a bit stiff, it'll be better eventually... hopefully.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed.

[harryspet]

bambi eyes (3) r. cameron

[Warnings] soft!dark!rafe cameron x reader, daddy!rafe x little!reader older!rafe, crimeboss!rafe, rafe takes advantage of traumatized reader, DUBCON, dd/lg, sex trafficking, sexual slavery, sugar daddy rafe, stockholm syndrome, spoiling kink, unprotected sex, forced? age regression, little editing, 18+ READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

word count: 3.4k

In which you do your best to deal with your Daddy's mood swings.

main masterlist

bambi eyes masterlist

You felt like you were seeing Rafe less and less as the next two weeks went on. He was stressed about what was going on with work. He often paced back and forth in front of you, ranting, although he was never specific about the details of what was going on. 

You noticed that he grabbed you tighter, pushed you harder into the mattress, and talked less during sex whenever something outside was affecting him. You were starting to accept it; it never hurt too much, and you’d be more scared if he weren’t interested in you in that way. If he didn’t want to be intimate with you, then there was a chance he wouldn’t want you anymore. 

As much as Rafe promised you this was permanent, you couldn’t fully believe him. He had done all of this just for you, so you had to be able to offer him something special in return. 

Like Rafe wanted, you established a routine. Every morning the birds would wake you up exactly at eight, and you’d make your bed which kept you from napping all day. Staying in your room was causing your imagination to stretch.  You found new ways to entertain yourself, including trying on all the clothes in your wardrobe and throwing elaborate tea parties with all your stuffed animals and dolls. 

One night that you thought would be like the last twelve nights, Rafe came to you after Lana had already brought you dinner. He wasn’t dressed in his usual khakis and dress shirt but in sweatpants and a pullover. You were curled up on the window seat, drawing flowers in a notebook, when Rafe came over to join you. 

“Hi,” You spoke softly. He placed a warm hand on your knee, and you slowly closed your notebook. 

“Hi, baby,” There was an ease and calmness to his voice that made you believe he’d actually had a good day, “What are you working on? Show me.”

You sat up, leaning closer, as you handed him the notebook. You hid slightly behind your knees as Rafe began to flip through the pages. At this point, you’d covered half of the pages in your doodles, “Oh wow, these are really pretty, Bambi,” He smiled with his entire face, including his bright eyes, “We should hang some of these on the fridge.”

You felt a bit of relief, hearing that he liked him, “I have more. Way more. I’ve colored a lot of the coloring books.”

“Go get them, I’ll pick my favorites,” Excitedly, you got up from the window seat. When you set several full coloring books in his lap, Rafe’s lips parted in shock, “Okay, wow, I don’t think I realized how much coloring you’d been doing.”

“I think it’s fun,” You said. 

“Good, I want you to have fun,” Rafe nodded, “But have you worn down all your color pencils? How come you haven’t asked for more?”

You shrugged when Rafe gave you an inquisitive look, “I try to take care of the ones I have.”

“Would you even ask Daddy for more coloring books if you ran out of pages to color?”

“Maybe,” You spoke honestly. 

The idea of asking for more than what Rafe had already given you did make your heart race. Rafe shook his head at something, “Daddy will get you lots more art supplies. Maybe you could try painting?”

“We could paint together?” You perked up. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Rafe assured you, “I’m really, really sorry I haven’t been here as much as I’ve wanted to. Needed to, really. It’s just … I’m working on a lot of things right now, you know?”

“I’ve been okay,” You said, “Lana has been kind to me.”

“Good, good, I want you to be happy here, you know? That’s why I want you comfortable asking for things,” You watched Rafe’s eyes wander towards the bookshelf, “Like your books. I never see you reading them. Do you not like them?”

“I do,” You said quickly.

Rafe started to stare deeply at you, “What-what is it?”

“I . . . “

“I can pick some different ones for you? What do you like?”

“I like it when you read to me, Daddy,” Rafe tilted his head and the mentioning of his nickname didn’t light up his features like usual, “It’s hard for me. I never needed to … do that.”

He paused, which made you think you’d done something wrong, “You’ve never needed to read?”

“I can do it,” You said, “It’s hard when they’re all together, and there’s so many… the words. I’m sorry you think I don’t like the books you picked. I really do. I will try harder–”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Rafe rushed to put the coloring books aside and grab ahold of your face, “I just didn’t know, that’s it. You didn’t do anything wrong. At all.”

It wasn’t something you’d ever felt embarrassed about, but now you couldn’t help but feel stupid. Deep down, you felt a guy like Rafe deserved someone better. He deserved someone smarter than you. 

You closed your eyes, wanting to hang your head, but Rafe said, “Look at me, hey,” Weakly, you did, “I’ve been thinking that you should spend more time with Lana instead of being cooped up in here. At least until I can take care of this … one problem I have. She’d be happy to have some company. And, if you want to learn, she could help you with your reading.”

“You don’t care?”

“Not at all, look, don’t worry. I’ve got you, sweet girl,” He said. Rafe leaned in to peck your nose before he brought your lips together. You melted into him, realizing then how much you missed him when he was gone, “You know what I was thinking?”

You stared back at Rafe, who had a mischievous look in his eye. 

“We should take the boat out.”

“Now? Where?” 

“Just on a short ride to get you some fresh air. It’ll be cold, so let’s find you some warmer clothes, yeah?”

It was a rhetorical question; Rafe was already making his way over to your wardrobe. You looked down at the small silk pajama set you were wearing. You’d seen all the boats out by the dock but hadn’t imagined that Rafe would take you out on one. “Lift your arms,” You did exactly as he said, pulling a light blue sweatshirt over your head. He also chose long pajama bottoms, helping you get into those, too, “You want to bring one of your stuffies?”

Your excitement mixed with your anxiety as you put on your slippers. It was a hard decision to make about which stuffed animal you wanted to bring, but you settled on Fin, your silvery-blue dolphin, “Excellent choice.”

Rafe grabbed your hand, leading you downstairs, “Do you think we’ll see a real dolphin?”

“Well, they tend to be more active during the day, and it’ll be dark soon … but maybe if you wish really, really hard.”

The air was much cooler outside than you expected, and you certainly didn’t expect it to feel so strange being in the fresh air. You turned in a circle just so you could take in the sky, the trees, the house, and everything around you. 

You followed a determined Rafe across the yard and towards the deck. He chose one of the smaller boats, although there was room for at least four more people. You yelped when Rafe grabbed you by your waist suddenly and lifted you inside. Another yelp escaped your lips as the boat rocked under the pressure of your weight, “You’re okay, don’t worry,” He didn’t have to tell you to take a seat or be still; you decided you wouldn’t move at all, “One . . . moment.”

You watched through the corner of your eyes as Rafe untied the roaps keeping the boat tethered to the dock. The boat rocked again as Rafe hopped inside, causing you to grip Fin in one hand and grip the side of the boat in the other. 

You sat in the seat right across from Rafe as the boat slowly pulled off towards deeper water. As the boat became more steady, you turned your head and watched Tannyhill get smaller and smaller. The orange and blue sky reflected off the water, creating an insanely beautiful view. You sailed towards the horizon, the son looking half submerged in the water, “How do you feel?” Rafe yelled over the sound of the motor, “Wanna go faster?”

You nodded, a smile growing on your face, “My little daredevil, huh?” You sat up on your knees, wanting to see more. You get a better look at Figure 8, seeing lots of huge houses along the beach, although none of them compare to Tannyhill. Rafe pointed out different landmarks for you, including the country club and a huge lighthouse out in the water. In your eyes, this night made every other night where you worried about your place with Rafe worth it. 

“Go ahead, you can give it a taste test,” Lana conceded, allowing you to dip your finger into the chocolate cake batter. A few days after your night out with Rafe, Lana was showing you how to make the perfect chocolate cake. You thought she might be exaggerating about how perfect it was until you were licking your finger. An excited moan left your mouth and you bounced on the balls of your feet, “It’s great, isn’t it? Espresso powder is the key.”

“It really is,” You agreed. 

“Now, wash your hands. It’s time to pour our batter.” 

The entire day Lana had told you exactly what to do and how to do it. You didn’t mind listening or following her directions as she usually spoke to you warmly. Besides that, you wanted to learn exactly how to take care of things around the house, knowing that Rafe would appreciate your help when Lana couldn’t be here. The two of you cleaned the entire downstairs, did several loads of laundry, washed the windows in the glass patio, and even had time for a reading lesson in the early morning. She informed you that she homeschooled her youngest son and that she would try to teach you in a similar way. 

As you washed your hands, you glanced out the side window towards the dock. You could see Rafe far out on the dock, standing with the same business associate who came to the house a few weeks ago. They weren’t alone like you were expecting; someone was on their knees a few feet ahead of them, their head slumped over. You squinted your eyes, trying to see more of them, although Rafe and his business associate shouting at each other blocked your view, “What are they doing out there? Who’s that?” Lana came over to where you were standing, peeking out just like you were. 

Whatever business Rafe was involved in, Lana didn’t seem to care for it, “Mr. Cameron and Barry, they’re always at each other’s throats,” She shook her head, “Come, dry your hands. The oven is heated.”

You did as she said, turning your head away. There were going to be several layers to your cake, meaning you had three pans to fill, and after that, you and Lana would make the icing. Just as your mind wandered back to Rafe, you heard him coming through the kitchen door. 

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, pacing for a moment before his dark eyes landed on you, “Bambi, let’s … uhm, go upstairs,” His voice was shaky and deeper than normal, “Come here.”

“We’re-We’re just about to put the cake in the oven. It’s for tonight, and we’re going to make homemade icing too–”

“Now …please,” He said the last word like it was painful, “It’s time for you to go back to your room.”

No, no, no, a voice repeated in your head. 

“But Lana was going to teach me how to ice the cake, too and she —”

“Fine,” Rafe snapped, his hand slamming against the counter before he rolled his eyes, “Just stay here.” 

As Rafe stomped away, you knew you had something horribly wrong. You’d seen him in a similar mood before but he never directed any of his vitriol towards you before. Whatever had happened on the dock had clearly upset him. You really wanted to finish working with Lana. More than anything, you didn’t want to be locked in your room for another long period of time. 

After taking a breath, or attempting to take one, you turned to Lana, “I didn’t mean… I-I should go say sorry.”

“You might want to let him calm down a little bit, sweetheart,” You’d already made up your mind. You reached behind your neck to undo the top of your apron, “Turn around, let me help you. He’s not mad at you.”

“How do you know?”

“I know who he is,” She spoke simply, “Don’t take anything too personally with Mr. Cameron.”

“You can finish without me; I’m sorry, but thank you for today,” You said as you started to walk away. After you saw her nod, a sad smile on her face, you turned away and sped for the stairs. 

You approached Rafe’s bedroom moments later, hesitantly turning the knob, “Daddy?” You called, peeking inside. You called him again. He wasn’t in the main room but the shower was running in the bathroom, “Rafe?”

You jumped when he suddenly appeared in the bathroom doorframe, shirtless and his belt undone. This time, you notice his bruised hands and bloody knuckles. 

“I didn’t mean to make you upset, Daddy.”

“Get down on your knees,” He stared you down. When you tried to come closer, he said, “No, drop to your knees right there.”

You felt your knees brush against the bedroom rug, “Crawl to me.” 

If Rafe wanted you to feel even smaller, then his plan was successful. You did as he said, seeing no other option, and crawled towards him. You watched as he palmed himself over his briefs, and you could already feel him stretching you, pulling your hair, and leaving marks on your bottom. This wouldn’t last, you told yourself; he would be gentle with you another time. 

Your sage dress had ridden up your body, exposing your floral patterned white panties. 

“You’re gonna suck my cock and swallow all my cum. And then you’re gonna thank Daddy for letting you.”

You’d do exactly as your Daddy wanted, hoping he’d take your sore throat and tears as a sufficient apology. 

Once you were soundly asleep in his bed, Rafe slipped out. He had a huge, bloody problem waiting for him in the cabin of his boat. Luckily, JJ Maybank was still the degenerate he used to be, and no one except his Pogue girlfriend would come looking for him anytime, “Son of a bitch isn’t talking,” Barry grunted out, meeting Rafe at the beginning of the dock, “Knocked two of his bottom teeth out and he’s still not motivated.”

Rafe had done everything possible to limit any competition he might face in Kildare. All small-time dealers would be working for someone who worked for Rafe. This was meant to be Rafe’s island yet somehow, Maybank was getting supplies from the mainland and was stealing his customers. 

“We could take his girl.”

Rafe contemplated Barry’s question before shaking his head, “If she comes around trying to find him, we might have no choice. I’m sure that will motivate him.”

Rafe could see Barry’s eyes wandering to Kie. Part of him would love to see JJ squirm if they got their hands on her. You were the reason he didn’t think too long about that. Barry, on the other hand, Rafe would let him do whatever he wanted with Kie. In the end, Rafe wanted JJ to talk, to give up his sources, but he’d be just fine killing him. 

“I hope,” Barry crossed his arms, “Not exactly looking forward to dealing with the body.”

“We don’t have to deal with that shit anymore; I know who to pay to handle it,” Rafe said, “Speaking of, I think I-uh need some more security here. I want guards all around the perimeter. Because of the amount of merchandise and if we’re going to be taking captives, you know. I want this place to be a fortress.”

“Your merchandise, huh?” Barry flashed Rafe a knowing look, “You got any liquor in that big house?”

Rafe gestured his head toward the house, signaling to Barry to follow behind him. 

“If Kie doesn’t come for him and if he still has no information to offer us, we kill him. No more torture, no mess, one gunshot to the temple,” Rafe instructed, his mind racing with what their next moves should be. The more planning beforehand, the better, and the less likely it would come back to them, “That’ll send a message to the rest of the Pogues too. They work for me, or they work for no one.”

“And after you’ve cornered the market?”

“That’s just the start of everything else,” Rafe led Barry through the first floor, towards his office. Ward always used to keep his office stocked with liquor as it came in handy for important meanings. Rafe learned people will often let down their barriers and concede to more under the influence of alcohol. He opened the door for him, allowing him to enter. 

“Whoa,” Barry said, walking inside just as Rafe heard a soft gasp from a familiar voice. Eyebrows raised, Rafe entered behind him to find what had shocked him, “Is this the new Mrs. Cameron?”

With wide eyes, Rafe took you in. You were in the same clothes Rafe left you in, one of his white button-ups and your knee-high socks, “What are you doing down here?” You slowly stepped behind Rafe’s desk, and he could tell you were trying to hide yourself.

“I-I couldn’t find you.”

Rafe’s jaw jutted forward, his arms crossed, as he said, “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”

Your lips parted to say something, but Barry interrupted, “C’mon, man, it’s not even midnight! Introduce me to your girl. We can all have a drink,” He grabbed ahold of Rafe’s shoulder. You would think Barry had one the lottery based on the look in his eyes. By complete accident, Barry had stumbled on Rafe’s biggest treasure, “I’ll behave, I promise.”

“She doesn’t drink.”

 Rafe was frustrated, mostly because he should’ve been keeping closer track of you. He’d given you that necklace for a reason. A new idea crossed his mind, one he wasn’t expecting, and some of his anxiety eased. He was far from embarrassed of you, he’d chosen you for a reason, but part of Rafe wanted Barry to envy him at that moment. 

Rafe sighed, waving you closer to the two of them, “Bambi, this is Barry. Barry, this is Bambi,” Smoothly, Rafe grabbed ahold of your waist, pulling you into him. 

“Hi,” You said shyly, “It’s nice to meet you.” 

 When Barry held his hands out to you, your eyes darted towards Rafe as if to ask permission. Agreement crossed his face, and Rafe watched you shake his hand. Barry was fully taking you in, of course, but Rafe knew a handshake would be the extent of his closeness with you. 

“The pleasure is all mine, beautiful.”

“Chill out, dude. Sit down,” Rafe instructed Barry, pulling you along. 

Barry made himself comfortable on the leather couch and Rafe motioned you to sit across in one of the leather chairs. 

“How you liking Kildare?” 

“It’s really nice,” Rafe heard you respond as he poured two glasses of whiskey for him and Barry, “There’s so many big houses, and … it’s just really pretty.”

“You ain’t seen much then, have you?” Rafe handed Barry his glass, flashing a warning with his eyes, “All the girls where you’re from, they as pretty as you?”

“I . . . I don’t know,” You laughed nervously. 

Rafe placed a hand on your shoulder, and you looked up at him,  “Why don’t you go get Barry a slice of that chocolate cake you made?” 

Rafe assumed it would ease your nervousness if you could share what you made. “Okay, Daddy,” You smiled at both men, and both men watched you closely as you walked out of the room, “I’ll be right back.”

“Pretty and obedient,” Barry whistled, “I need to travel more.”

A/N: Thank you all so much for your support on the first two chapters BUT psa you will not be added to my taglist if you're not reblogging the fic and letting me know your thoughts! It is crazy to me that people will ask me to tag them in the next chapter when they have neither liked nor reblogged the fic. Constructive feedback is more encouraging than just commenting "PART 4" or "tag me in part 4" :)

PART 4

[thir10th]

ciao, bella! - Emily Prentiss x fem!reader

summary: you love your polyglot girlfriend TW: smut, oral sex, dirty talk, language kink (i don't actually speak Italian so i apologize for any possible mistakes), hair-pulling, i think that's it A/N: requests are welcome! i still have some drafts to finish first tho. Like and reblog, any kind of feedback is greatly appreciated! <3

The hours seem to pass so slowly when there's nothing you can do.

You're sitting on one of those uncomfortable chairs on that bullpen, a cup of coffee running cold on your hand. Staring at te board with all the names and pictures, you were starting to memorize it.

Morgan and Emily enter the room, the main suspect handcuffed and struggling to get away from Morgan's hard grip. Emily takes er bulletproof vest off to enter the interrogation room, you and Hotch following behind. She happened to be the only one who spoke italian on the team, so this one was hers.

You had profiled the unsub as the classical sexist, misogynist, scared of women over 130 pounds, or like you liked to call them- the unresolved mommy issues type.-

Your girlfriend was gonna eat him up alive, and you could not be more proud.

Morgan and Emily enter the room, he tells him to sit down, which he does seem to understand. Hotch and you watch the scene from the other side of the glass, your eyesnever leave Emiy, she carefully reads the file, in complete silence, making him nervous, until she starts speaking.

You certainly weren't expecting it, although you should've. It wasn't the first time you heard her speak other languages. Arabic, Russian, even Spanish, she always sounded so smooth, mysterious even, but there was just something about this exact moment, the way she challenged him, antagonized him, it was easy to tell she had complete control of the conversation despite that you could not understand a single word of what nether of them was saying.

Your braking point is when they start an argument, you cant really tell what it's about but she shoots from her seat, hitting the table hardly with a strong hand, you excuse yourself. You had to get out of there if you wanted to be able to finish the day.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

it takes you less than a second when she closes the door of your shared hotel bedroom behind herself, to wrap your arms around her waist, connecting your mouth to hers, pushing her body against the door.

"wow, not that I'm complaining but, what's got you all riled up?" she asks, a big smile on her face, the second you separate to catch your breath

"nothing... it's just..." you doubtfully say, her eyes scanning you, going from your eyes, to your lips, back to you eyes, both of you heavy breathing into each other.

"c'mon, spit it out" she says, leaving soft pecks on your lips to get you to talk

"just you, your voice" you confess "you know... when-"

"you like hearing me speak Italian?" she finishes for you, grabs you by your waist, and switches places with you, now she's pushing you against the door, running her hands down your back, reaching your ass giving it a gentle squeeze which makes you jump in your place.

"a little bit" you admit. Emily grins, cocky and gorgeous, she slips her hand into your pants and underwear, running two gentle fingertips up your center, collecting your slit, she shows you her hand, a proud smile on her face, you squirm underneath her touch

"this doesn't look like a bit to me" she kisses your cheek, your neck, you bring your lips to hers, your tongue slipping over her lower lip, in the desperate attempt that she’ll grant you access "Questo è quello che volevi?" you cannot control the moan that escapes your lips, her voice is soft, smooth, it makes you feel things, you kiss her again, this time she complies, granting you access.

She pushes you even harder against the door, her free hand finds its way underneath your shirt, you're not wearing a bra which gives her free access, she lets her fingers dance over your sensitive nipples, your breath becoming quicker with each passing second. “Please, Emily, I-” you got cut off as she sharply took one of her nipples into her fingers and twisted it, the pain quickly turning into pleasure

"what's that? or, should i say che dici?" you can't form any coherent words, you just let out a deep breath, grabbing you by the waist, she forces you onto the bed, her hips aggressively sitting on top of yours

"aww, la mia bambina è nervosa perché le piace che parli italiano?" she's loving the teasing, she loves making you nervous but mostly she loves how worked up she's getting you with only a couple of words.

She placed soft kisses all over your breasts, her lips wrap around your nipple, licking the rosy bud, her teeth softly tugging and nipping the sensitive area, you moan in pleasure.

Finally, she moves her mouth down, placing soft kisses all over your stomach, filling it with butterflies. She unbuttons your pants, aggressively taking off your underwear with them.

Even though you had her exactly where you wanted her, she was still too clothed. You pull on her shirt, hoping to get the message across, as your mind was all nice and fuzzy, she just put her hands up, so you could clumsily remove her shirt, leaving her in her bra and workpants.

"Em, please, just please" you cry desperately for her to finally finish what she started. You moan out as she forcefully shoved a finger up your dripping pussy, licking a strap long of your slit.

"ti piace questo tesoro?" you know you're in for a long ride, now that she knows that you like her Italian, she will be taking advantage of it, not that you're complaining, obviously.

"I don't understand a word of this, but it's working" you say, closing your eyes in pleasure,  your hands pulling on her hair, in a desperate attempt to pull her closer to where you needed her the most.

She was going slow just lapping up your juices, her tongue enjoying the taste of you, how drenched you were. Her lips finally met your clit, licking over the bundle of nerves, sucking the hardened bud.

"Oh fuck, yes baby don't stop" She began fucking you faster and harder, using her fingers, loving the wet sounds your pussy was making around them. Her fingers curled at the perfect spot inside you making your eyes roll back into your head. Her mouth sucking on your clit, her fingers drilling roughly into your pussy was bringing you closer and closer to the edge.

"Please, Em, I'm going to-"

"andiamo tesoro, puoi venire" you can only assume that's her way of approving, you came all over her mouth, her fingers, she lets you ride your high, and then collapses over you, laying on your side.

You open your eyes and see her laying next to you, playing softly with a strand of your hair, you need to catch your breath before you can return the favour.

"Who would've said that it would only take me speaking Italian to make you this horny ugh?" she asks, a playful grin on her face.

"It's just something about the accent i think, or maybe just the way you sound, i don't know, but you looked so sexy in the interrogation room today" you try to explain

"Well lucky for you, i'm fluent" you move to kiss her lips

"however there's someone else who can also speak Italian, right?" your mouth falls open when you realize what she means "OH! No, Emily! Why did you have to bring Rossi up now? You're ruining it" you close your eyes trying to erase that image from your head, Emily giggles "I'm sorry! C'mon, Scusa, amore mio, ti amo" she kisses you cheek, your lips, your face "Ok that one i know what it means" you hold her face in your hands, trapping her lips between yours, kissing her in return, her voice and herself the only thing on your mind again.

"C'mon baby" you straddle her hips "It's your turn, tesoro"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

[mssalo]

safety - Part: III

Summary: After years of isolation, Joel Miller's life revolves around control and keeping danger at bay, his past as a soldier leaving him constantly on edge. But when a sweet, soft-spoken young woman starts working at the supply store, her innocence stirs something inside him. Despite his efforts to remain detached, Joel becomes obsessed with keeping her safe from the dangers he’s certain are lurking everywhere.

As his protective instincts morph into darker desires, the lines between safeguarding her and possessing her begin to blur.

Warnings will vary by chapter depending on the content.

Warnings: Dark!Joel, 18+ MDNI, Obsession themes, Stalking, Panic episode/Paranoia, Joel has major Trauma/PTSD, he sees stuff that isn't there, Mentions of war and combat-related trauma, Emotional manipulation, Power dynamics, Noncon/dubcon elements, Unstable mental state, Reader feeling conflicted. Joel needs a hug and therapy. As per usual.

10k

Enjoy!

Part I Part II Part IV Part V

· · ───────────𖥸──────────· ··

The soft afternoon sun filtered through your curtains as you did one last sweep of your small apartment, making sure everything was in place before heading out.

Your camping gear—neatly packed and checked twice—sat by the door, ready for another adventure.

This one felt different, though.

Maybe it was because you’d never gone so far out, or maybe because the spot had been suggested by Joel, the rugged, quiet man who came by at the supply store.

The thought of him made your stomach do a tiny flip, and you smiled to yourself, biting your lip.

Joel.

He was... intense, that was for sure.

Handsome in a way that took you by surprise—older, gruff, with that scruff on his jawline and those eyes that seemed to see right through you.

He’d been kind of closed off whenever you tried to talk to him, always giving short answers, but there was something about the way he looked at you.

You shook your head, grabbing your bag. Don’t get carried away.

Sure, he looked at you sometimes, his gaze lingering just a second longer than necessary, but that didn’t mean anything.

You were probably imagining it. After all, he was always so reserved, so hard to read.

And you? Well, you were... you.

He probably thinks I’m just a kid, you thought with a small sigh.

Cute, maybe, but nothing more.

You laughed at yourself, shaking your head as the trees closed in around you.

Stop it. Focus on the trip.

You weren’t here to daydream about handsome older men—you were here to camp, to prove to yourself that you could handle this on your own.

He was just... nice, in his own way. That was all.

You couldn’t help but smile as you tossed your gear into the backseat and slid behind the wheel, already feeling the excitement buzzing in your chest.

The open road stretched ahead of you, leading to the spot Joel had mentioned—someplace out past the ridge, quiet and secluded. It sounded like heaven.

The drive was peaceful, your fingers tapping the steering wheel as the scenery shifted from city to countryside.

The trees seemed to grow taller as you left the main roads behind, the air turning cooler and cleaner with every passing mile. You loved this—the sense of leaving the noise behind, of stepping into a world that was all your own. Out here, you could breathe.

The road eventually narrowed into a dirt path, and your car rumbled over the uneven ground as you followed the directions Joel had given you.

The sunlight flickered through the dense canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor.

It was beautiful out here—quiet, untouched, with the kind of peace you could only find miles away from anyone else.

When you finally pulled into the small clearing, you felt your breath catch in your throat. Wow.

The space was perfect.

The trees formed a natural border around the clearing, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. The ground was soft with pine needles, and the air smelled fresh and earthy, with just a hint of woodsmoke from somewhere far off.

You stepped out of the car, your boots crunching on the ground, and for a moment, you just stood there, taking it all in.

This is exactly what I needed.

You popped the trunk of your car, the warm breeze rustling through the trees as you grabbed your backpack and gear.

The sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky, casting a golden glow across the clearing, but you had plenty of time to set everything up before dusk settled in.

With a smile tugging at your lips, you slung the pack over your shoulder and took a deep breath of the crisp, earthy air.

It smelled like pine and moss, with just a hint of the nearby sea.

Perfect.

First things first—the tent.

You dropped your backpack onto the ground and knelt beside it, unzipping the side pocket where you’d stashed the tent poles.

Your fingers brushed over the cool metal, and you couldn’t help but chuckle to yourself as you pulled them out.

These damn poles always give me trouble.

You spread the tent fabric over the grassy spot you’d chosen, carefully laying it flat and adjusting the corners.

The fabric crinkled under your touch, the sound almost lost in the hum of the wind and distant birdsong. The air was still, quiet, as if the forest itself was holding its breath while you worked.

With a determined sigh, you grabbed the poles and got to work.

The metal clinked softly as you tried to fit the pieces together, but as usual, they resisted you. You grumbled under your breath, fumbling with the last stubborn connection.

After a few minutes of struggling and a minor battle with the pole that just wouldn’t line up right, you finally secured the tent frame, the fabric puffing up as it took shape.

Not bad, you thought with a satisfied grin, stepping back to admire your handiwork.

The tent stood proudly in the clearing, and you wiped a bit of dirt off your hands, brushing them against your jeans.

You weren’t done yet, though.

With the tent in place, you moved on to your cooking supplies. You pulled out your small camp stove, some pots, and a few basic utensils, setting them neatly near the fire pit.

Everything had a place, and you liked knowing where everything was. Organization was important to you—it gave you a sense of control, made you feel prepared for anything.

It was comforting, like you were creating a little slice of order in the middle of the wilderness.

As you set down your cooking gear, your gaze flicked up toward the treeline, where you could just make out the glimmer of the sea through the trees.

The light reflected off the water like tiny diamonds, and you felt a pull in your chest, a desire to sink into that cool water after all your hard work.

Soon, you thought, grinning to yourself.

Just a little longer.

You double-checked your setup, making sure everything was where it needed to be.

The tent was secure, the cooking supplies organized, and the fire pit was ready for later. With everything in place, a sense of accomplishment washed over you.

The silence of the clearing felt peaceful, almost sacred, as if this place had been waiting just for you.

You took another deep breath, letting the air fill your lungs, and as you exhaled, you felt lighter, freer.

It was just you and the wilderness now, the weight of the world falling away. And with that thought, you couldn’t resist any longer.

You straightened up, glanced back at the sea shimmering in the distance, and a surge of excitement bubbled up inside you.

Without thinking, you raised your arms toward the sky and let out a loud, joyful, “Wooooohooo!”

Your voice echoed through the trees, the sound dancing on the wind.

You couldn’t help but laugh as the echoes faded, your heart pounding with exhilaration.

It was a small victory, this moment—being here, in this beautiful place, by yourself.

“Thank you, Joel!” you called out, a grin stretching across your face.

You weren’t sure if you were talking to the wind or to yourself, but it didn’t matter.

He wasn’t here, but somehow, it felt right to thank him.

After all, he had recommended this place, and you couldn’t be more grateful for the suggestion. You stood there for a moment longer, letting the silence settle in again.

Then, with a smile still tugging at your lips, you turned toward the path that led to the sea.

It was time to reward yourself with a swim, to feel the water against your skin, cool and refreshing.

This is going to be a good trip.

And who knows? you thought, maybe I’ll come back and tell Joel all about it.

· · ──────

Joel had been watching her since she arrived, hidden in the treeline, his gaze sharp and steady. His truck was parked a ways back, well out of sight.

He’d walked the rest of the way, making sure to stay quiet as he moved through the brush, his boots silent against the earth.

He was always careful—old habits from his time in the military never died, and neither did his instinct to remain unseen.

Joel watched her step out, wide-eyed and eager, like she hadn’t the faintest clue about the dangers lurking in a place like this. Even though he’d told her where to come, seeing her here alone had set him on edge.

He had to protect her. Make sure she was safe.

She started setting up her camp, fumbling with the tent poles like he expected she would.

His lips twitched in amusement as she muttered to herself, the poles giving her more trouble than they had any right to.

He watched her struggle, clumsy but determined, and despite himself, he felt his chest tighten again, that same damn feeling that had been gnawing at him for weeks.

He shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be watching her like this, but the more he told himself that, the more his feet stayed planted. He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against a tree as he kept his eyes on her.

She was smart—he could see it in the way she double-checked everything, making sure the tent was secure, the cooking gear laid out just so.

She wasn’t careless, not exactly. Just… naive.

Still, something about her innocence, her softness, drew him in, despite his better judgment.

As she finished up, he was about to move, maybe head back to his truck and give her some space, but then she did something that made him freeze.

She raised her arms to the sky, her voice bursting out of her in a loud, joyful, “Woooohooo!”

Joel tensed, his instincts flaring, his hand instinctively hovering near his belt. The sound had startled him, snapping him into high alert.

He scanned the area, eyes narrowing, but there was nothing.

Just her. Alone. Safe.

Relief washed over him, but then he felt something else—a strange amusement creeping in.

She wasn’t screaming out of fear. No, she was celebrating, shouting into the empty wilderness like it was hers to claim.

She laughed, carefree and so full of life that it almost… unsettled him. His chest loosened, and before he could stop himself, a low chuckle rumbled deep in his throat.

She had no idea he was there, no idea how close he was.

Then, to his complete surprise, she threw her head back and shouted, “Thank you, Joel!”

Joel’s eyebrows shot up, the words hanging in the air between them, the sound of her voice almost too sweet.

His grip on his belt relaxed, his pulse slowing as he realized she was… thanking him.

For this. For bringing her here.

His amusement deepened, and he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. A soft breeze rustled through the trees, and Joel leaned forward slightly, his voice a low murmur as he whispered under his breath,

“You’re very welcome, sweetheart.”

He watched her for a moment longer, her happiness infectious despite himself. She was something different, that much he knew. Something soft in a world that had long since hardened him.

And as much as he knew he should leave her alone, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

Not now.

Not when she was out here, completely unaware of the dangers that could surround her at any moment. Because that’s what he was here for, wasn’t it?

To keep her safe. To make sure nothing happened to her.

Joel watched her from the shadows, still on high alert as she busied herself around the campsite. His amusement had faded, replaced by that familiar tension coiling in his chest, the constant need to keep her safe gnawing at him.

It didn't sit right with him, her being out here all alone.

She had no idea what kind of dangers lurked out in the woods, no clue just how vulnerable she was. He clenched his fists, eyes narrowing as he kept his distance.

She was endearing, sure.

Sweet, even.

But that sweetness was going to get her killed if she wasn't careful. And as much as he wanted to keep his distance, to leave her be, he couldn't. She needs to be protected, he thought, his jaw tightening.

She doesn't even realize how easy of a target she is.

He kept his eyes on her, watching every movement with a careful precision. It wasn't just about keeping her safe from wild animals or the natural dangers of the wilderness.

People-men-could show up.

She was vulnerable in more ways than one, and Joel knew just how ruthless the world could be. His mind was spiraling again, his paranoia threatening to take over, when he saw her heading toward the small lake just beyond the campsite.

His eyes followed her, every muscle in his body tensing as he realized what she was doing.

She was undressing.

Joel's breath caught in his throat as he watched her pull her shirt over her head, her soft skin catching the light of the fading sun.

His mind screamed at him to look away, to respect her privacy, but his body betrayed him, his eyes glued to her every movement.

She dropped her shorts next, standing there in nothing but her underwear, the curve of her waist and hips on full display.

Joel's chest tightened, that familiar, unwanted heat rising inside him. He swallowed hard, his grip on the tree next to him tightening.

All the blood rushing to his cock.

But then she did something that made his blood boil.

With one fluid motion, she unclasped her bra, letting it tall to the ground.

His eyes locked onto the bare skin of her back, the soft curves of her body now fully exposed. She bent down, slipping out of her underwear, her entire form now vulnerable and exposed to the world.

What the hell is she doing?

A surge of anger flared up inside him. She was defenseless, naked, out in the open with no protection.

If anything-anyone-were to show up, she wouldn't stand a chance.

His mind raced with worst-case scenarios, the kind of things he'd seen during the war, the kind of things that made his skin crawl.

She's making herself a damn target.

Joel's jaw clenched, his fists tightening as he took a step forward, every instinct screaming at him to go to her, to tell her to put her damn clothes back on, to stop being so careless.

But then he froze.

His eyes swept over her again, this time with less anger and more... something else. The tension in his chest shifted, the fire in his veins cooling to a slow burn as he watched her step into the water, her body moving with a grace he hadn't noticed before.

Her bare skin glistened in the fading light, soft and smooth, the curves of her hips and the lines of her back almost too perfect.

She moved so effortlessly, her body swaying gently as she waded into the water, unaware of the eyes on her.

Joel's breath came out in slow, uneven bursts as he watched her. His anger faded, replaced by a twisted sense of admiration.

She was beautiful-there was no denying that. Her body was soft, untouched by the harshness of the world. His eyes traced the curve of her waist, the way her plump ass shifted as she walked deeper into the water.

Joel's chest rose and fell, his breathing heavy as he watched her.

His hand twitched at his side, his mind warring between the desire to protect her and the desire to... take her.

Take her - right here, right now on the forest floor.

His gaze followed the curve of her back, the way her hair floated around her in the water.

She was so oblivious, so innocent, completely unaware of the dangers around her.

And that was what enraged him—the recklessness, the vulnerability.

She had no idea how exposed she was, not just to the world but to him. The thought gnawed at him, tearing at the edges of his resolve.

He should have been disgusted with himself for standing there, hidden in the shadows, watching her like this. But the desire twisted deep inside him, growing stronger the longer he stared.

Joel swallowed hard, his throat dry, as his eyes roamed lower, taking in every inch of her.

The tightness in his jeans was almost painful, his cock pressing hard against the denim, aching in a way that made his breath catch in his throat.

The war inside him raged on.

His mind wavered between the desperate need to protect her and the darker, more primal urge he had no right to feel. He wanted to shield her from the world, from the dangers lurking just beyond the trees.

But at the same time, he wanted to take her in all ways possible, to claim her as his. To fuck into her small body. To make her understand just how much she needed him.

No. Stop.

Joel leaned against the tree, his knuckles white as he fought to steady his breath.

His breath hitched as she resurfaced, water cascading down her bare skin like liquid silver.

The way the sunlight danced across her damp figure, catching on every curve and hollow, made her look almost unreal—like something ethereal, pulled straight from a dream.

Her skin shimmered in the fading light, her hair slicked back, clinging to her neck and shoulders in wet strands that only accentuated the softness of her features.

She didn’t belong out here.

She looked too delicate, too pure for the wildness surrounding her.

The contrast between the untamed wilderness and her serene, almost angelic form sent a shiver down his spine.

She was grace in motion, completely unaware of how vulnerable she was.

Each movement she made, each ripple in the water as she waded further in, was almost hypnotic, drawing him in deeper.

He had seen a lot in his life—too much.

The ugliness of the world had hardened him, left him numb to the softness it still had to offer.

But now, watching her, something in him cracked.

It wasn’t just the lust. It was something else.

Something about the way she seemed to glow in the dying light, so peaceful, so unburdened by the weight of the world.

She was everything he wasn't—everything he’d lost a long time ago. Ethereal, untouchable, and yet here she was, right in front of him.

Joel felt the pull again, that urge to protect her, to shield her from the darkness that had consumed so much of his life. But more than that, he wanted to keep her for himself, to have her softness against all his rough edges.

And in that moment, he realized, there was no going back.

Joel's jaw clenched as she started to wade back toward the shore, the water slipping down her body, revealing more of her as she emerged. The way the droplets glistened on her skin, made it impossible for him to tear his eyes away.

His pulse quickened, the primal urge to keep watching nearly overwhelming him.

But then, Joel forced himself to look away.

Not yet.

His fists tightened at his sides, nails digging into his palms.

He wanted to see her fully, to drink in every inch of her-but not like this.

In due time.

The thought stirred something deep inside him, the hunger gnawing at him even more fiercely.

He swallowed hard, his breath coming in shallow, uneven pulls.

Joel exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down, forcing his gaze back to the safety of the trees.

· · ────

The sun had finally dipped behind the trees, casting long shadows across your camp.

You moved around with a sense of contentment, the cool evening air wrapping around you like a comforting blanket.

Everything felt peaceful—the kind of peace that you didn’t often get to experience in your daily life.

You set about lighting the small lantern, but as you reached for your flashlight to help navigate the growing darkness, a frown crossed your face.

“Where is it…?” you muttered, going through your bag again.

You checked each pocket carefully, but no flashlight.

You’d been so sure you packed it.

With a sigh, you knelt to check your gear one more time, shaking your head at your forgetfulness.

But then, there it was.

Sitting right in front of the tent flap, the flashlight gleamed in the soft light of the lantern, as if it had been there all along.

You blinked, rubbing your eyes in confusion.

“I swear that wasn’t there before,” you whispered to yourself.

It didn’t make sense.

You hadn’t seen it when you set up the tent, and you definitely would’ve noticed it while sorting through your gear. But after a moment of hesitation, you shrugged and picked it up, flicking it on to make sure it worked.

The beam cut through the growing twilight, casting long, gentle shadows over the campsite.

You felt a little silly for doubting yourself.

Maybe you were just distracted—too caught up in the excitement of the trip.

“Good job, brain,” you muttered with a grin, brushing off the strangeness as you moved on.

As you dug through your pack to prepare for dinner, your hand paused mid-search. You realized something else was missing.

Your lighter.

“Oh, come on,” you groaned, slumping your shoulders in frustration.

This was supposed to be the easy part.

You sat back on your heels, glancing around camp, trying to figure out where you might have left it.

But before you could even get up to start looking, something caught your eye.

A lighter.

Sitting near the fire pit.

You squinted, taking a step closer. It wasn’t just any lighter.

It had a goofy design on it—bright colors with some sort of cartoon character.

You raised your eyebrows, picking it up and turning it over in your hand. The lighter had a ridiculous picture of a grinning, cartoonish frog on it, wearing sunglasses. Beneath it, the words “Coolest Camper Ever!” were printed in bold letters.

You burst out laughing, the absurdity of it breaking through your earlier frustration.

“What the heck?” you giggled, flicking the lighter on and watching the small flame flicker to life.

“Well, guess this’ll do,” you chuckled, tucking it into your pocket.

You had no idea where this thing came from—it certainly wasn’t yours—but it was too funny to care.

Besides, a free lighter was a free lighter.

You couldn’t shake the feeling of oddness, though. Finding the flashlight and then this strange lighter? Maybe you were just a bit more scattered than usual, but still… it was weird.

You shook it off, letting the humor of the situation lighten your mood as you went back to your tasks.

· · ────

Joel moved like a shadow through the trees, his steps soundless on the forest floor. Years of survival had taught him how to blend into the background, how to become invisible when needed.

This wasn’t his first time sneaking up on someone—far from it—but something about doing it now, with her, made his chest tighten.

It wasn’t the same as before.

No enemy patrols, no immediate danger. But there was a weight to this, a tension that hadn’t been there for years. He was on edge, his senses heightened, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring.

She hadn’t noticed him yet. Not once.

That fact gnawed at him, frustration bubbling under the surface. She was so damn easy to watch, so completely unaware of the world around her.

It bothered him how vulnerable she was, how easily someone could sneak up on her like this.

Like he was doing.

But that's different.

As he moved closer, crouched low among the trees, he caught sight of her bent over her bag, her back to him as she searched for something.

nice view.

Joel quickly dismissed the thought.

He narrowed his eyes, watching her every move, assessing the scene like he had a hundred times before in far more dangerous situations.She was clumsy, fumbling with her things, but she didn’t seem to care.

Didn’t seem to realize how exposed she was.

Joel moved closer, his heart beating steadily in his chest, the thrill of sneaking up on her stirring something dark inside him. He reached into his bag, picking up the flashlight with ease, his rough fingers brushing against the cool metal.

He considered leaving it there for her to find but decided against it. She didn’t deserve to fumble around in the dark. Not on his watch.

Instead, he stepped toward the front of her tent, staying just out of her line of sight.

He placed the flashlight down carefully, making sure it was in a spot where she’d see it right away.

Then, he stepped back, blending into the shadows, watching her from his cover.

The satisfaction he felt when she spotted the flashlight was immediate, that small spark of pleasure flaring up in his chest as she picked it up, her face lighting up with a smile.

She thought she’d just found it by chance, like it was some kind of lucky accident.

Joel’s chest tightened at the sight of her, the tension in his muscles easing for a moment as he watched her laugh softly, holding the flashlight like a prize.

Sweet, sweet girl, he thought, his lips twitching into a small, satisfied smile.

Helping her, watching her without her knowing—it stirred something in him, something deeper than just the need to protect.

He liked seeing her happy, seeing that soft, innocent smile on her face.

And maybe, just maybe, he liked knowing that he had a part in it.

But as she continued with her setup, completely oblivious to his presence, Joel’s satisfaction turned to frustration.

She was too trusting, too naive. Anyone could sneak up on her like this—hell, anyone could do worse. The thought made his stomach churn.

She was easy prey. He could see it. Anyone with the wrong intentions would see it.

That didn’t sit right with him. She should have been more aware, should have been on edge, watching her surroundings like he was.

Instead, she was just… carefree.

Smiling to herself, humming that soft tune, completely at ease.

Joel’s hand clenched around the lighter in his pocket, his thumb brushing over the ridiculous cartoon frog on the side.

He almost didn’t bring it—didn’t want to be caught with something so ridiculous—but it was the only spare lighter he had on him.

He’d groaned internally when he fished it out earlier, irritated by the childish design. But now, watching her, it felt like it fit. She was the kind of person who would laugh at something like that, who would find it cute instead of stupid.

Joel moved again, slipping the lighter out of his pocket and placing it by the fire pit while her back was still turned. He retreated quickly, his heart pounding a little faster as he watched her from the shadows.

Her reaction was immediate. She spotted the lighter, her eyes widening in surprise as she reached for it.

She held it up, inspecting the cartoon frog, and then let out a soft laugh.

Joel shifted slightly, his eyes still locked on her as she moved around the camp, still smiling to herself, still humming that soft tune.

A mix of pride and something darker twisted in his chest.

She’s doing alright, he thought, his eyes softening for just a moment.

She’s managing.

But it didn’t change the fact that she shouldn’t be out here alone. So damn easy, he thought, his grip tightening on the tree next to him.

She wouldn’t be easy prey for anyone else.

Not while he was around.

· · ────

The night had grown darker, the soft glow of her campfire flickering against the tall trees.

The shadows seemed to stretch and shift as the wind rustled through the leaves.

She was oblivious to how exposed she was—how vulnerable. Joel could see it, though, with each breath he took, his eyes fixed on her.

Then it happened.

A sudden thud and a sharp, startled yelp echoed through the still night air.

His body reacted immediately.

Joel’s heart lurched, and his mind instantly raced back to those moments he tried so hard to forget—those moments where a single sound could mean life or death.

His pulse pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else. His hand reflexively reached for his knife, muscles coiled, his senses heightened. Without thinking, he moved forward, his feet silent against the earth, ready to act, ready to fight.

His breath came fast and hard as his eyes locked onto her form.

She was sitting, clutching her knee, her face twisted in a mix of pain and frustration.

“Stupid root,” she muttered to herself, clearly frustrated.

She wasn’t in any real danger—just a small cut, a scrape from tripping over one of the tree roots near her tent.But Joel couldn’t process that right away.

All he saw was blood.

And in his mind, that blood meant danger.

His fingers twitched around the handle of the knife, a shuddering breath escaping his lips as the past threatened to swallow him whole. Memories slammed into him—the screams, the gunshots, the sight of bodies crumpling to the ground.

He couldn’t lose her, too.

His mind flashed back to another time, another place, where he couldn’t protect someone. Someone who depended on him.

No. He wouldn’t let that happen again.

Not with her.

She shifted, wincing as she gingerly touched her scraped knee, bringing Joel back to the present.

His chest heaved with heavy, erratic breaths as he forced himself to focus on her—on the here and now.

She wasn’t hurt. Not really. But she was vulnerable. Alone.

And she had no idea how easily that could change.

Joel gritted his teeth, the panic still clawing at the edges of his mind, even as he crouched back into the shadows, watching her, making sure nothing else was lurking in the dark. His grip on the knife loosened, but only slightly.

Her yelp still rang in his ears, echoing in his mind like the sounds of explosions, of soldiers calling out for help, of people he couldn’t save.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe, trying to pull himself out of the spiral, but the need to protect her—to keep her safe—burned hotter than anything else. It consumed him.

Joel blinked, his eyes snapping open, refocusing on her.

She was bandaging her knee, her movements slow but steady.

She didn’t realize how close she’d come—how easy it was for something to go wrong.

She never did.

Joel swallowed hard, pushing the memories down deep where they belonged, forcing himself to stay in the present. She finally stood up, brushing herself off with a soft sigh of relief, and Joel let out a shaky breath of his own. She was okay. For now.

But that fear, that suffocating terror of losing her, lingered in his chest, gnawing at him, refusing to let go.

As Joel watched her by the fire, his mind began to drift, despite his efforts to keep it anchored in the present.

He should’ve been focused, alert, scanning for threats the way he used to on patrols. But tonight, his attention wavered, his thoughts tugging him back to a place he’d rather forget.

The darkness around him wasn’t just the night anymore.

It felt like the blackness from years ago, the same emptiness that had swallowed him whole when the world had gone to hell.

The firelight flickered against her face, soft and warm.

A shadow of something ugly crept over his chest, a weight pressing down on him as memories surfaced.

Old sounds echoed in his ears—the screams, the gunfire, the deafening silence that always followed. He blinked hard, trying to shove it all away, trying to stay here, in the now.

But the harder he fought, the more it pressed in. His jaw clenched as he inhaled deeply through his nose, his fingers digging into the ground beneath him, grounding himself.

He wasn’t back there. Not anymore. He was here, with her.

Watching her.

Focus.

But the silence around her, her obliviousness to what could be lurking in the shadows—it made him feel the same helplessness he had felt back then.

It crawled under his skin, a sickening reminder of what happened when you let your guard down, when you trusted too much.

His heart pounded in his chest as the old memories of blood and failure threatened to overwhelm him.

He couldn’t lose control. Not here. Not now.

He was responsible for her, for keeping her safe. That’s what mattered. That’s why he was out here in the dark, crouched behind trees, sneaking around like a damn ghost.

But the sight of her, so unaware, so damn vulnerable, gnawed at the edges of his mind, warping the lines between past and present.

A flash of something dark ran through his mind—her, crumpled, broken, hurt, blood on her soft skin. He blinked hard, squeezing his eyes shut, fighting off the images.

No.

Not her.

It was just his mind playing tricks on him. The way it always did.

He forced his eyes open again, and there she was—still sitting by the fire, completely unaware of his presence. Alive. Unhurt. Fine.

But the fear wouldn’t leave him.

He’d seen too much, lost too much. And he couldn’t shake the thought that she was going to slip through his fingers just like everything else had. His muscles tensed, his hands shaking slightly as his breath came faster.

He had to stay calm, had to stay in control. But the firelight flickered against her skin, and the memory of another fire, another moment he couldn’t change, flickered in his mind.

He was back there, just for a moment—back in the dirt, the weight of the gun in his hands, the scent of burning wood and flesh thick in the air.

He blinked, shaking his head, trying to drag himself out of it. His fingers curled into fists, grounding himself in the rough texture of the earth beneath him.

She’s not them, he reminded himself again, his breath coming fast and ragged. She’s not them. She’s here. You can protect her.

But the fear was relentless.

His need to protect her was more than just that. It was the only thing tethering him to reality, to something other than the nightmares.

If he could keep her safe, if he could make sure nothing happened to her, then maybe he wouldn’t have to drown in the guilt and the memories that haunted him every night.

Joel wiped a hand across his face, the weight of it all pressing down on him as he forced himself to focus on her again.

His chest rose and fell with shaky breaths as he stood up, retreating back to the shadows. He would watch her, make sure nothing happened to her.

And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough to keep the nightmares at bay for one more night.

· · ────

Joel’s breath hitched as he crouched in the shadows, his eyes darting toward every shift in the wind, every rustle of leaves.

Something wasn’t right.

The air felt thick, oppressive, like it was charged with danger, and his gut twisted painfully. He clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing, but the nagging fear only grew stronger.

Something was out there. Someone was watching.

His mind flickered back to the war—how quiet the enemy could be, how they could slip through the trees, undetected until it was too late.

He was trained for this. He knew when something was lurking, waiting to strike. But this wasn’t like before. This was worse.

Joel’s jaw clenched as he scanned the treeline, eyes narrowing at the dark silhouettes of the forest.

The shadows moved, shifted in ways that didn’t make sense.

His heart pounded in his chest, a cold sweat trickling down his neck.

They're out there. They want her. They couldn't take you - now they want her.

They’ll take her if you don’t move now.

The thought gripped him like a vice, and before he could stop himself, Joel was on his feet, moving toward her camp.

His hand was still wrapped tightly around his knife, his breath heavy and ragged as he stepped closer. His heart hammered against his ribs, every step bringing him closer to the firelight.

He could see her now—still by the tent, oblivious to what was out there, what was coming. He was sure of it.

The shadows… they were moving too fast. Too wrong. The enemy was here. He knew it.

His eyes widened, panic swelling in his chest. Move faster. Move before they take her.

“Joel?”

Her voice was soft, surprised, and completely unaware of the danger as she turned to face him. Her brow furrowed slightly, confusion flashing across her face as she stepped toward him.

But all he could see were the shadows.

Circling. Closing in.

Joel lunged forward, grabbing her arm with a firm, desperate grip. “We need to go,” he growled, his voice rough and frantic.

“What? Joel—”

“They’re here. Right there in the trees,” he rasped, eyes wild, scanning the darkness behind her. “We need to leave now. It’s not safe.”

She froze, her eyes wide with confusion as she looked around, trying to see what he saw. “I don’t—there’s nothing out there—”

“They’re coming for you,” Joel cut her off, his voice urgent, the raw panic clear in every word. His grip tightened on her arm, and for a moment, the fear in his eyes startled her more than his words.

“Joel, wait,” she said, her voice shaky, but she didn’t pull away. She could feel his hand trembling against her skin, his breath coming out in heavy, uneven bursts.

Her heart raced in her chest as she realized something was wrong. Really wrong.

There was no one in the trees. There were no shadows creeping toward her.

But Joel—he believed it.

She could see it in his eyes, in the way his muscles tensed, the way he scanned the darkness like a man hunted.

He wasn’t seeing what was real. He was lost in something else—something dark and terrifying.

Her stomach twisted with a mix of fear and empathy.

Joel wasn’t trying to scare her. He wasn’t trying to hurt her.

He was trying to save her.

But from what?

Joel’s eyes were wild, scanning the tree line as if any second something was going to leap out and drag her away. His grip on her arm tightened, his knuckles white, and his breathing erratic. She could feel the tension radiating off him, his whole body taut like a coiled spring ready to snap.

The way his gaze darted around, the sheer panic in his voice—she could tell he wasn’t seeing the same world she was.

“They’re here,” he repeated, his voice barely more than a growl. “Don’t you see ‘em? They’re in the trees, waitin’ for their chance. They’re comin’ for you. We gotta go, now.”

Her stomach flipped. She couldn’t see anything. The trees were still, the night was calm—nothing moved except the gentle sway of the branches in the breeze. There were no shadows, no figures lurking in the darkness.

But Joel… he was seeing something. Something awful.

For a moment, panic swelled in her chest, the weight of his fear pressing down on her like a heavy stone.

She wanted to pull away, to run, but she couldn’t leave him like this. His mind was trapped in whatever nightmare had a hold on him, and the only thing that seemed real to him was her.

He thought he was protecting her.

“Joel, listen to me,” she said softly, even as her heart raced. “There’s no one out there. It’s just us.”

But he shook his head violently, his eyes wide, unblinking. “No, no, no, you’re wrong.” His voice was strained, and for a second, she thought he might completely lose it. “They’re watchin’… waitin’. I can’t let ‘em take you. You have to come with me now.”

Her pulse thrummed in her ears, her breath quickening as she watched the battle raging behind his eyes. He was lost in something she couldn’t reach.

She glanced at the woods, her eyes scanning the same tree line, trying to see what he saw. But there was nothing. Only shadows and silence.

“Okay,” she said quietly, forcing herself to stay calm, though her fingers trembled as she gently placed her hand on his. “We’ll go. We’ll leave, alright? But you have to calm down.”

He blinked, his breath coming in harsh, ragged bursts. His grip on her arm loosened, but only a little. His eyes flickered between her and the darkened woods, uncertainty clouding his face.

“Just breathe, Joel,” she whispered, keeping her voice steady, even though the fear still crawled beneath her skin. “We’ll go. I’m right here. Just breathe.”

For a moment, Joel seemed to hesitate, his gaze shifting between her and the unseen threat in the trees. His body was still rigid, his muscles coiled with tension, but her voice—her touch—seemed to reach him, if only just a little.

She squeezed his hand gently, her heart pounding in her chest.

“We’ll be okay, Joel. But I need you to calm down. I need you to help me. I can’t do this without you.”

“You’re the only one who can save me,” she whispered, forcing the words through her tightening throat.

He swallowed hard, his breath hitching as he looked at her, really looked at her for the first time since this episode started. His eyes were still clouded with panic, but there was something else there now—something raw, almost vulnerable.

She was giving him what he needed: a sense of control, of purpose. If playing along helped ease his fear, she’d do it. She’d make him feel like he was saving her.

She didn’t let go of his hand. “Let’s go, okay? We’ll go to the car, and we’ll get out of here.”

Joel hesitated for another beat, his eyes darting back to the trees one last time before he nodded slowly. “Alright,” he rasped, his voice strained but quieter now. “But we need to move. Now.”

“Okay,” she agreed, giving him a small, shaky smile. “We’ll go.”

Her heart was still pounding, but she felt a wave of relief as his grip on her arm loosened.

The whole time, Joel’s eyes remained locked on the trees, his paranoia still burning beneath the surface.

She didn’t know what had triggered him, didn’t know what demons had clawed their way into his mind. But she knew one thing for certain—Joel wasn’t in control right now. His fear was.

And as they made their way toward the car, she glanced up at him, her mind racing.

He wasn’t just scared. He was terrified—terrified for her.

But she didn’t let go of his hand, squeezing it gently to pull him back, to ground him in the present. and uncertain, “ I can’t let them take you.”

“They won’t,” she promised, even though the terror in his voice made her own heart race.

“They won’t because you’re here. But I need you to focus on me, alright? Focus on keeping me safe.”

Joel’s eyes flickered again, his shoulders stiff with tension, but he nodded slowly, as if trying to pull himself out of the dark place he’d fallen into.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, his voice barely audible.

She shook her head, brushing it off. “You don’t need to be sorry. Just stay with me, okay?”

They reached the car, and she gently guided him toward the passenger seat, her hand still resting lightly on his arm. He hesitated, looking back at the woods one more time, his brow furrowed in deep suspicion.

But when she opened the car door, he finally climbed inside, his breathing still uneven, but not as frantic as before.

As she slid into the driver’s seat, she glanced over at him, her mind racing.

She didn’t know what exactly had triggered him, but she knew she had to get him away from here, had to bring him back to some kind of safety.

He needs help, she thought again, her heart heavy with the weight of the realization.

And despite everything, she couldn’t help but feel the strange mix of fear and concern that tied them together in this moment.

· · ────

Joel’s fingers twitched, his hands balling into fists in his lap as he stared out the windshield, still scanning the woods. The shadows played tricks on his mind, flickering with movement that wasn’t really there.

His chest was tight, his pulse still pounding in his ears.

But when he looked over at her, sitting there, waiting for him to calm down, something inside him clicked.

He couldn’t let her drive. Not like this. Not when the road might not be safe.

“Move over,” he muttered, his voice rough, but less frantic now.

He reached for the keys in the ignition, and she blinked in surprise, her brows furrowing as she glanced at him.

“Joel—”

“I’ll drive,” he said, his tone final, leaving no room for argument.

His gaze flicked toward the dark trees again, the unease still crawling under his skin, but there was a steady determination in his voice now.

“I need to make sure we get outta here.”

For a moment, she hesitated, her eyes soft with concern as she studied his face.

But then she gave a small nod, understanding that he needed this—needed to feel like he was in control again.

Wordlessly, she slid over to the passenger seat, and Joel settled behind the wheel, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly.

He didn’t waste any time, starting the car and pulling onto the narrow dirt road.

The tires crunched over the gravel as they drove away from the campsite, the darkness closing in around them, but Joel’s focus was sharp now.

His jaw clenched as he kept his eyes on the road, his mind still racing, still half-expecting something to jump out from the shadows.

But there was something grounding about the feel of the wheel beneath his hands, the engine rumbling under his control.

“She’s safe,” he reminded himself. “I’m getting her out.”

The thought repeated in his mind like a mantra, pushing back the lingering panic that had gripped him so tightly just moments before.

He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Not now. Not ever.

He glanced over at her, just for a second, seeing the way she sat quietly beside him, her hands clasped in her lap, her eyes flicking between him and the road.

She didn’t say anything, didn’t press him, but he could feel her presence calming him, bringing him back to the present.

But beneath the surface, the fear still simmered, the paranoia still gnawing at him.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still out there, watching, waiting. And that made his grip on the wheel tighten even more.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered under his breath, his voice barely loud enough for her to hear.

She glanced at him, her expression softening. “You don’t have to apologize, Joel.”

But he did. He had to apologize for putting her in danger, for not being able to protect her. He wasn’t enough, not in that moment. And that thought alone ate at him, twisting in his gut.

The road stretched out in front of them, the trees looming in the distance, and Joel’s mind remained focused, laser-sharp, as he drove them toward safety.

Toward his home.

Where he could keep an eye on her.

Where he could make sure nothing would ever hurt her.

· · ───────────𖥸──────────· ··

well…. that was intense.

(she’s better than me I would’ve ran away screaming)

Horny, people - I hope you can forgive me for not having real smut in this yet.. next chapter is going to be heated, get ready - it’s finally happening.

Again - comment if you want me to remind you when there’s a next part!

xoxo

[nouearth]

a business trip.

john wick x male reader.

warnings: smut, alcohol, blowjob (r receiving), fingering (r receiving), dirty talk, rough!sex, breeding, unprotected!sex, top!johnwick, bottom!reader.

request.

the soft tune of jazz—a sonata that you were never particularly fond of—became comforting in your solitude. though a piano was absent, hidden stereos were more than adequate as you gathered the ambiance would’ve been more or less the same if a pianist had performed. 

in the sleepy hours of the continental hotel, patrons of the lounge kept their conversations low, indescribable murmurs to your ears as you sipped on your drink—warm and smooth down your throat. 

the time on your phone flicked to midnight, and day two commenced. you came on a business trip. if you could, you would’ve rejected the offer to come to new york, especially when it took away time from your dog. but the rascal was spoiled, and that unfortunately meant you had to step out of your home office once in a while—all to keep her spoiled. 

but who ever said you couldn’t have a little fun during your trip?

the seats at the bar were unoccupied except for yours. clients preferred sitting in something that supported their back, you presumed, but that didn’t stop a gentleman from taking a seat next to you.

oh, wow. maybe the lady was right… this cologne is a dick magnet.

unbeknownst to you, his favorite seat was occupied and he was petty—though only slight, because a strong drink to incinerate his stress was his main priority. 

“bourbon whiskey,” the gentleman glanced at you, dried blood and cuts lanterned under the muted lights, but his black hair succeeded in shadowing. “please.”

the man didn’t seem phased by the injuries—a nonchalant attitude he maintained—but you were nonetheless surprised. speechless as no one, not even the bartender, seemed to have minded his wounds, the blood stained on his dress shirt, and the purple bruise beating on his cheekbone.

it was… strange.

“uh...” you cleared your throat, directing the sound towards the man to get his attention. he looked, clearly want to be left alone as he kept his gaze front. “sorry, i just… uh… should i be worried about that?”

though he didn’t seem to recognize you, the stranger was hesitant to answer, taking more than a few beats before speaking, low and gritty. “no, just… got robbed.”

“oh, shit, seriously?” you reached for you phone and turned the screen on. ”then, I think we should call-“ before you could take the process to another step, a gentle grasp latched around your wrist, stopping you.

“that’s very kind of you, but i’m fine.” he finally turned to you, a reassuring gaze pierced to your worry before letting go and looking front again.

handsome, even when he’s all beat up. focus, that was not the priority right now.

“dude, you’re bleeding.” remnants of warmth escaped your wrist, but his calloused fingers remained in memory. “you could have a concussion or something.”

“maybe,” the man took a sip of his drink, a simper to his face when it was concluded that you were evidently not from his world. “seemed fine as i walked the way here though.”

“jesus,” you couldn’t pick apart between fact or fiction, especially from a stranger, but he had no reason to lie. you took another sip, watching him and accepting his truth. “did you manage to get a hit on them, at least?”

you missed it, but the man glanced down at the red stain on his dress shirt, small and ruby-ed against the white fabric before taking a sip again. “something like that.”

“hm... i guess i know who to call for a bodyguard when i’m in the city again, then.” the ice between the two of you was slowly melting, puddles of it spreading when you two shared a chuckle. “(m/n), by the way.”

“john.” you can put a name to his face now, and it was fitting. mysterious and aloof, but never intimidating because there was a warmth inside of him that just needed a reason to come out. “never seen you here before, first time?”

“kind of?” by now, the drink has caught up to you and you felt a little more confident, turning your body towards him. “i mean, i’ve been to new york before—just not this hotel. i’m here for work.”

“i see,” when you faced towards him, john never meant to do a double-take. several glances were hidden in between the constant motion of drinking, the heat relieving john’s body whenever he took a sip—he likened it to medicine. “enjoying your stay then?”

but the more john looked at you, warmth began to rise instead. it eventually settled on his chest, neck, and cheeks to his dismay and it does not intent to wear off, no matter how many sips he took in greatest efforts to push it down—in a void somewhere, where he believed his feelings deserved to be buried.

“it could be better.” alcohol was a powerful drug, because you were one-hundred percent sure that the chance of you flirting without a drink would’ve been close to zero.

it came out of nowhere—this feeling. fleeting or not, your pants tightened and you needed a release. if it wasn’t him, then it was going to be someone else. and if you really couldn’t get laid, you’d be content with dry-humping a pillow.

you’ve seen it in the movies before—well, usually from a women—but it should be universally accepted, right? confidence was sexy: show some skin, make your intentions clear, and handle rejection like a real class act. 

worst he could do is say no…

“I don’t mean to be crass, but,” you tugged on your necktie, loosening it around the collar, and unbuttoned only the top two buttons. a slight breeze ghosted your neck as it radiated and yearned for lust—kindled further when you downed another drink, a last stop for encouragement, but also a device to handle rejection all at once. “do you want to fuck?”

john watched you stone-faced, but there was clear interest in his eyes—you watched it spread across his dark orbs. 

it was telling that you both needed something—a release: you with work and him with being mugged, apparently. your fingers tapped on the counter, impatient for an answer. 

after a smooth swig of his drink, john got up and beckoned to you with a small smile. “come on.”

as soon as the door shut, you were backed into it with considerable force—not a single second to spare. you held onto john in blind support, groping at his broad back and hips while john’s needy palms worked at your ass, squeezing tight to aid the erection in his pants.

“fuck.” pressure applied to your clothed bulge as john pressed his hips against you, rutting in irregular rhythms conducted by pure lust, and you desperately returned them, needier as you rubbed into his thigh. your moans caught between his lips when the pair found themselves on you, kissing you with the utmost passion—poisonous, because it stole your breath away. 

“i could come just like this.” you spared enough oxygen to breathe out, but later found it swallowed when john kissed you again, eagerly licking the inside of your mouth. his tongue was sloppy, mixing the sweetness of your drink with the burn of his to form an entirely new recipe that only the two of you would share. 

complete darkness filled your sight while your neck was then bombarded with rough kisses, only broken when john unwillingly tore himself from your skin to strip himself. it was a tedious process because he was greedy, returning back to your neck and lips whenever a piece of clothing was thrown to the corner of the room.

but you were impatient, as was he, and knew things would never progress if he was submitted under the smell and soft touch of your skin. so you playfully pushed him, squeezing his chest in midst, and constantly knocking him back to his amusement while the glow of the moon became your guide to the bed.

“keep that up,” john held you by the waist again, applying his bare body to your clothed figure, half-undressed with your trousers and shirt left, as you felt his beard against your skin. a gentle brush tickled you, but his darkened, low voice sent goosebumps. “and we won’t make it to the bed.”

“hm.” a hum vibrated in your throat while he kissed your neck again, suckled at his favorite area because he could feel your cock throb against him, desperate to be freed from the fabric. 

you watched him in the moonlight as john began undoing your clothes, leaving a wake of hot kisses down your body the more you unveiled before him—cold, but john’s mouth made up for it as it wrapped around you like a warm glove. no warning whatsoever, but you preferred that, shuddering when he worshipped your body like a knight to a prince; calmed caresses to your calves while he polished your cock with godly licks. 

john’s fingers spidered up your legs and his palm found its way to your ass again, spanking one cheek hard enough for you to suddenly thrust your cock into his mouth and down his warm throat. “oh, fuck-“ 

he moaned around you, vibrations riding your thick veins as it would take a electrifying trip up north until you moaned, pleaded with him to be fucked—to no avail, simply because he was stubborn. 

briefly, john let you go with a slimy pop to stroke you, standing back up to kiss you in midst. you tasted yourself, the saltiness of your pre-cum lining your taste-buds as his tongue ran over yours in a wet and sloppy affair. “god, you taste so good…”

simultaneously, your hand worked at his cock, under-handing the weight of it with slow strokes—to the intimate arousal of your sluggish tongues moving with one another. it wouldn’t be long until you found yourself pressing into him again, gliding your wet cock against his, spreading and sharing john’s thick saliva between the two muscles.

your lips never his, neither did your hand on his cock—both of your cocks now, clumsily stroking—even when john began to prod at your hole with his finger, lubed up seconds before, teasing. only then, you pulled away when his finger slid into you with careful ease, and you flushed forward.

he embraced you with one arm around your body, holding you still while he worked you open, curling inside of you deeper with quickening intervals. you could practically come undone from this, but you refrained from doing so, distracting yourself with kisses to john’s chest, then his nipples, sucking hard to counter the overwhelming pleasure.

but he had the upper hand on you, only realizing when you immediately flexed around him when he pushed into you with another finger—slight difficulty, and so he worked you open once again. though, it doesn’t last long because he wanted to feel the tight stretch you’d provide for him—a heavenly need you’d happily supply. 

without any guidance, you bent over the bed and pushed your hips out, and he held you close. you laid there bare before him, looking back completely vulnerable while john toyed with you, taunting your arousal as he slid his cock in between your ass cheeks, wet and sticky from the lube. 

“come on…” you almost whined out into the sheets, refraining yourself from wiggling your hips. 

his silhouette didn’t budge and he only agitated your impatience even further by tracing your pucker with the plump tip of his cock, slow and teasing with a smirk you could hear. “you want me that bad?”

“fuck,” you were never one to admit things easily, and this wasn’t going to be the start of it. equally as stubborn as john was, you groaned into bed again and used your core to push back at his taunts. you began reaching back amid his continuing tease to grab ahold of his length. “if you’re not going to fuck me, then i’m going to-“

john’s reflexes were fast. as soon as you wrapped your hand around him, he pinned you further into the bed with a firm shove to your back. your chest stung when it rubbed harsh against the sheets and you immediately let go, lying pliant under his force. “you’re going to what?”

you struggled to move—to escape from his hold—but he was stronger in every way possible. every struggle was met with an ache to your body as he barely used a fourth of his strength to hold you down.

and your cock couldn’t have gotten harder.

“I’m going to-“ before you could respond, your throat dried up as john pushed himself inside of you with one slow yet rugged thrust, pushing heat back in, and filling your hole up with more. “f-fuck!” every muscle in your body tensed and you shouted out, almost a whimper.

his cock was thick inside of you. you can feel every pulse, every vein as he worked himself into you, back and forth with deep and slow thrusts, painfully stretching you out. it knocked the breath out of you and your legs wobbled, feeling your current stance weakening as your toes curled into the floor, desperately clinging onto the arrival of your soreness.

but you loved it. you loved how barely prepped you were because you can feel every inch of him reaching deep inside and violating your hole with the uttermost disrespect. he held your wrists together, your arms back and your chest pushed forward while your cock rubbed against the bed, and fucked into you—faster, harder. “look at you, fuck. you take cock like it’s nothing, hm?“

“m-mmm!” you whimpered out in response, your breath hitching as he repeatedly slammed his hips into you, continuously knocking any thought out of you. the painful pleasure was dizzying, finding solace in muffling your moans into the covers. your breath warmed your cheeks as you rocked into the bed from impact, gliding your cock in between the bed and your pelvis along. 

there was an ache in your shoulders, in your arms, in your wrists, but john’s cock overpowered every feeling to the point where they became numb. all there was left was john’s rapture and you basked in it. the heaviness of the sex-filled air, the humidity of your bodies when john decided to push his all of his weight onto you and fuck you like you were nothing but a void, the warmth of his breath when he kissed your shoulder and neck, and the sting when he bit.

overwhelming was an understatement of your current state of euphoria. you took him in and overloaded yourself into his pleasure. every thrust, every breath was submerged into you, compelled to mirror even a fraction of the pleasure john felt, and it was only when his cock drove into your prostate with unbeatable force that you did—tenfold.

“oh, fuck! don’t stop,” you cried out, desperate in pushing back against him because you never knew if john would pull away anytime soon. “fuck me just like that, fuck!”

and he doesn’t. john was a man of promise and he delivered your pleas with force and speed, letting go your wrists to spread your cheeks apart and watch you be fucked open with his thick cock, growing more swollen with every passing second. you can feel his balls following his thrusts, swinging against your sweaty skin and creating the most delectable sounds. “like that, yeah? you like my cock, just like that?”

“f-fuck, yes!”

in this moment, you were his, under his control, and selfishly captured when john devastated your prostate with one more powerful thrust to your demands, and you found the stars. they resided in the back of your eyelids as you came—thick and heavy—in between the sheets and your twitching body. 

it wouldn’t be long until john joined you in your trip to heaven, his grasp on your hips hard and bruising as he yanked you back and met your ass to his cock one last time in uniting your body with his. 

warmth began to fill you as john came undone, shooting deep inside of you. his hips slowed, but never came to a stop as you clenched around him, tight and yearning for his seed, and with that, he milked himself inside of you, giving you all of him and what was left of him—creamy and thick. 

his breath was heavy in your ear as he pressed his chest to your back, and you groaned, coming down from the high that you just experienced. sleep approached for the both of you, but he maintained the steadiness of his hips, spreading his load in you as if he was marking his territory.

“so... how long until you’re leaving?”

“mmmph, four more days….”

"good."

nouearth. please do not repost, plagiarize, or translate my works. andif you like this story, please reblog and leave a like!

[forever-rogue]

Hi, I love your blog so much it's amazing.

I was wondering if you could write some Joel Miller being jealous? Like they're in some kind of relationship but Joel doesn't want to put a word to it and arrive to some camp and a guy from there is trying to flirt with reader but she just has eyes for Joel, could be the first I love you confession from him, to make things official between them? Fluff because my heart can't handle anything else :').

AN | Jealous!Joel? Okay, okay, I see you!

Pairing | Joel Miller x Fem!Reader

Warnings | Language

Word Count | 2.5k

Masterlist | Joel, Main

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Joel Miller wasn’t a relationship type of guy; he hadn’t been for a long time and it seemed pointless to start now. And that’s exactly how you found yourself in a sort of relationship with him…a situationship if you will. 

He also wasn’t the jealous type either. You weren’t his girlfriend, or his partner, or what have you. You happened to be another person living in Jackson that he spent an inordinate amount of time with and had sex with. Lots of sex…he liked to think of it as stress relief. Yeah. That’s it - stress relief. Everyone could use some of that given the current state of the world. 

But, in conclusion, you weren’t anything more to him than anyone else. 

So why did he experience a definitely-not-jealous-feeling deep in the pit of his stomach when he saw you talking to one of Jackson’s newcomers?

He wasn’t jealous. No. Nope. Definitely not. 

He just wanted to strangle any man that talked to you, or looked in your direction. It was a totally normal reaction…or at least that’s what he tried to convince himself. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Joel?” you found him stalking through downtown and had rushed to catch up with him. You hadn’t seen him in the last couple of days and when you had he’d barely spoken a word or even graced you with a look. 

You could see his shoulders stiffen for a moment but he slowed his stride so you could catch up with him. You quickly fell into stride, but you could sense that he was in a mood. You nudged your arm against his and he grunted in response, “what?”

“What?” you parroted back at him, frowning in response, “or like what’s been up with you lately?”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” the man was stubborn beyond measure sometimes. You huffed and waited for him to expand but he refused to give in to you, “been busy.”

“Busy,” he refused to look at you, but he could feel you glowering at him, “we’re all busy, Miller. That doesn’t mean we don’t make time for each other.”

“You expect me to make time for you?” his twang came out as he stopped suddenly and you almost tripped over your own feet as you stopped as well. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, head cocked to the side. Your expression clearly said duh, “and just why would I do, sweetheart?”

“You’re being a jerk,” you pushed his shoulder, gently, although you doubted you could really do much damage to him, even if you wanted to, “last time I checked I thought we enjoyed spending time together. But over the past few days you’ve had such a-a bee in your bonnet.”

“Last time I checked I didn’t owe you anything,” and oh. Those words definitely stung, “we aren’t anything.”

“Oh wow,” you were hurt, but you weren’t about to let him know how much, “that’s rich coming from you. I don’t know what your problem suddenly is, but if you’re going to be a jerk, you can fuck off. And next time you need something, don’t bother knocking at my door. But if you decide to get over whatever this is, or want to talk to me like a grown man, you know where to find me.”

Your reaction had left him stunned; he knew you could hold your own when you needed to, but you’d never talked to him like that before. In that moment you definitely weren’t that soft, sweet girl he’d grown to love. Love. But he’d never admit it; truthfully he might not have even come to that realization just yet.

You stomped away, leaving him standing there and staring after you, a dismal expression on his face. He might have been a quiet man, but he wasn’t often left speechless. You’d just managed to do so.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You made it a point to avoid him over the next couple of days, figuring that if he really wanted to make things right he would come to you. You missed him, admittedly, but decided to throw yourself into doing things around town to keep your mind occupied. 

That’s how you’d gotten to know the newcomers to Jackson. There were a few women and teenagers, along with some men. For the most past, they were all kind and wanted to keep out wherever they could. 

One of the duties you least liked was being put in charge of one of the community gardens. You had a green-thumb adjacent at best, and didn’t want to be the only one responsible for any bad vegetables or fruits, so you had recruited Max, one of the newbies, to assist you. If you were going down, he was coming right along with you.

You liked Max, so far. He was around your age, handsome in a tall, dark, and roguish way, with a nice smile and good sense of humor. And, unlike men had done since the dawn of time, he didn’t make you feel uncomfortable. So, you had decided, he was going to be your friend. 

“You’re horrible at this,” Max laughed as you fumbled around with some tomato vines, trying to get the ripe fruit without destroying anything else, “how are you making this so difficult?”

“Shut up,” you groaned but it quickly turned into a laugh as you fell onto your bottom from how you were teetering and crouching. You managed to knock the whole plant down (sorry tomatoes), “oops.”

Max had dropped the small shovel he had been working with, head thrown back as he laughed, “and you’re clumsy on top of it. I’ll remember that for the future.”

You grabbed a small handful of soil and threw it over at him, “bold of you to assume that we’re ever hanging out again after this. You’re bullying me!”

“So dramatic,” he snorted in amusement as he brushed off the dirt and came over to you, offering you his hand to help you to your feet, “come on, I’ll let you bully me in return.”

You took his hand and he gently hoisted you to your feet. You almost stumbled into him, but caught yourself by putting your hands on his shoulders as his found purchase on your waist. You looked at him in surprise and he smiled softly, causing you to relax. He was so close, and pretty, and nice, and you could just lean in and kiss him. Max must have been thinking the same thing because he started to lean in too. A shiver of excitement ran down your spine, until-

“Get your hands off of her,” the two of you jumped apart at the sound of his very angry voice. Your face flushed with warmth, a combination of being caught red-handed and annoyance because you weren’t technically doing anything wrong. Max’s glance shifted over to Joel and then back to you, “now take a step back.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” you hissed at him, “why are you here, Joel?”

“Are you two…?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

At the sound of Joel’s answer your eyes widened in surprise as your jaw almost dropped to the ground. Max held up his hands in a sign of surrender as he started to slowly back away, “hey man, I didn’t know she was your girl.”

“Don’t worry Max,” you offered him an apologetic look, “I didn’t know that either.”

“I gotta go, but I’ll see you around,” he said sheepishly, “bye!”

He almost ran off, leaving the two of you there, the tension so thick. After a moment you turned towards him and shook your head. You weren’t quite sure what to say so you decided to just walk past him, but not before giving him a full glare, “you’re such a dick sometimes. First you shove me away like I’m nothing and now you act like I’m yours. How about I make the final decision? We, you and I, are done. Whatever you want to call it, it’s over. Maybe then you can figure out your own feelings.”

But the man wasn’t about to just let you go. No, that was not his style. 

His fingers wrapped around your wrist and his strong grip kept you from walking away. 

“Stay,” he insisted gruffly, causing you to pout in that way that always made his knees weak. 

“Why? Are you going to apologize?”

He remained silent and you could see that the answer to that was clearly no. You huffed as you pulled your hand out of his and started to walk away. He remained silent as he watched you go. He could have just said everything he wanted to and gotten it all out there but…he’d chickened out. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, “fuck.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You didn’t run into Joel again for almost a week. You wondered if it was partly him avoiding you or you just didn’t happen to cross paths. Jackson was only so big; you knew the truth. 

But as your feelings would have it, you really, really missed the man. He’d become such an important and vital part of your life and not having him around felt like you were missing a huge part of your heart.

When you decided that you couldn’t take it anymore, you made a plan to take matters into your own hands. You left your place and made the short trek over to his, knocking on the door loudly. He was home; you could see the light and if he had sort of sense, he would open the door. 

After a few long moments of buzzy anticipation, you heard his familiar footsteps come towards the door. He opened it slowly and his brown eyes widened when he saw that it was you. He was a mixture of confused and happy.

“What are you…?” he didn’t get the opportunity to finish his question, instead watching as you made your way inside, brushing past him and causing sparks to shoot down his spine. 

“Can we just talk?” you were already in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as you looked at him softly. You couldn’t help it; you were a sucker for this man.

“Yes,” he agreed, coming in and mirroring your position on the other side of the counter. You wanted to be made, or at the very least annoyed, but you couldn’t find it in your heart, “I’m sorry for what I said.”

“Which part?” if he thought you were letting him off easily, he was so wrong, “the part where you said we were nothing, or the part where you changed your mind - unilaterally I might add - and decided we were something?”

“Both,” he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh, “I was an idiot.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, “you were. What changed your mind?”

“That kid,” you could see the tick in his jaw as he frowned deeply. Ahhh. Yes, you knew exactly what was going on; Joel Miller was jealous. He just wasn’t going to admit it in those terms. 

“His name is Max,” okay, maybe now you were just doing it to get a rouse out of him, “and he’s perfectly nice. He was just helping me.”

“He wanted to do a little more than help,” the man tore his gaze from you and huffed. 

“Joel Miller, you’re jealous,” your smile was practically stretching from ear to ear as you beamed at him, “just admit it! That’s what all this has been about?”

“I’m a grown ass man,” he sounded anything but, “I don’t get jealous.” 

“Okay, so you weren’t jealous just…something incredibly like it?” you asked. He shrugged dismissively in response but gave away no emotions or anything, “huh, that’s interesting.”

“It’s not, no. I’m not the-”

“I get jealous too sometimes,” you admitted sheepishly, hiding your face in your hands, embarrassed to admit it out loud, “when those women practically throw themselves at you. Makes me want to…I don’t know, show them you’re mine.”

“What are you-”

“You’re such a man,” you flopped your head to the side, “those women - and men - love you. You’re sexy, and smart, and lots of other things, but apparently so oblivious. But I guess that doesn’t matter though.”

“What do you mean?” he was leaning closer now and you could smell his familiar scent; it made you want to curl up with him and let him swallow you whole.

“You said we weren’t anything so,” ugh. You wished you didn’t get so emotional over this, “it doesn’t matter what I think or want. I shouldn’t have assumed anything.”

“I lied,” and it was oh so hard for him to admit that, “that day. I was just…mad - not at you. I just thought, when I saw you with all the new people, that you liked them and they were all over you, especially that one kid-”

“Max.”

“Max,” he didn’t like the taste of the name in his mouth, “I just figured you’d want someone like that and not me.”

“You’re a fool,” you shook your head in disbelief, “I’ve never wanted anyone but you.”

“I never…putting labels on things seems trivial,” he whispered, “how can what you mean to me be summed up with one word? I just never thought about it; it never meant you didn’t mean everything to me.”

"I…" you felt a prickling at the back of your eyes that caused you to try and blink it away, "do you mean that?"

"Yes," he reached over, hesitantly at first before settling his hand on your face  brushing your tears away with his thumb, "I mean it. You're very…important to me."

"You're important to me too," you put your hand on top of his and gave it a gentle, tender squeeze, "we don't have to put labels on anything. Just as long as we're on the same page about everything."

"You're mine," he promised and you felt yourself practically glowing. His words made you feel all warm and fuzzy, butterflies fluttering in your tummy. You nodded happily, "I know I'm not great with a lot of things but I do love you. I hope you know that."

"Hmm," you hummed as you closed your eyes contentedly, "I love you, even if you're a stubborn, tough man."

"Enough to accept my apology?" he had his answer already but needed to hear you say it. You rolled your eyes playfully.

"I suppose," you leaned in closer and smiled softly.

"Enough to let me kiss you?"

"Definitely."

[reneesghostinthelivingroom]

hello, I hope you’re doing well! i would like to make a request for regina x fem!reader where reader struggles with acne and feels insecure about it already, but since dating regina she’s come out of her shell a little more. but then she overhears people at school making fun of her behind her back and saying that she isn’t attractive enough for regina and becomes more withdrawn again. how regina finds out and what exactly happens after is up to you, but maybe include a scene where regina comforts reader? it’s okay if you’re busy and can’t get to this request or something, but i thought it was worth seeing if you’d be interested in writing something like this. either way, i really enjoy your fics, keep up the great work!

Fuel to the Fire

|| Regina George x fem!reader

|| Warnings; brief hints at a hook up if you read between the lines, reader has acne and is insecure about it, insecurities, some bullying, light swearing, Regina soft for reader, short drabble

|| Summary; when reader overhears some girls at the cafeteria, her insecurities feel heightened. When Regina finds out, she promises to handle things and comforts reader.

Requests open!

Started; october 24th

Finished; october 24th

~~~

It was Lunch and Regina was spending it with the plastics at their usual table, you sat next to her. Leaned up on her side practically falling asleep. Regina was reluctant to let you use her as a pillow, but she complied. Mainly because it was her fault you were up so late...

There was some giggling from behind them. Two girls were seated just one table over, their eyes landing to you." Wow, I seriously can't believe Regina is dating that. How the hell did it get so lucky?"

You happened to overhear them, since you weren't fully asleep. Instinctively you moved a little closer to Regina as you felt insecurity flood your mind. Suddenly very aware of the acne under your makeup. Part of you wondered if Regina had heard it, but she hadn't. Only because Gretchen had been yapping so much that the blonde has basically zoned out.

Later that day, as Regina took you to her place after school. She noticed how quiet you were. How off you seemed. She looked over at you and raised an eyebrow, then turned her attention back to the road. "Normally you're yapping about something right now." She pointed out.

A sigh left your lips as you propped your elbow on the window, resting your hand to your chin. Do you tell her? You thought it over, but apparently you took too long because Regina spoke up again.

"Seriously, what's with you today? Did something happen?" She asked. She didn't normally care about people's problems, but you weren't just somebody to her. If something or someone happened Regina wanted to know. And you knew full well that she would handle it, which is why part of you wanted to keep quiet.

But you gave in, she was your girlfriend. She should know when something's upset you," some girls earlier today were just talking behind my back.."

When Regina heard that, she'd nearly slammed the breaks. Tempted to go back to the school but remembered that they were on a main road, cars were behind them. She might've cause a traffic accident if she'd done that," what? Who? What were they saying?"

"I don't know who. They were referring to me as 'that' and 'it' and just wondering what you saw in me." Your voice was barely above a whisper. As far as bullying went, it wasn't the worst they could have said. Doesn't mean it didn't bother you. You were already insecure with your acne problem, which didn't seem to go away no matter how many products you tried. Their comments only added fuel to the fire in your mind.

"I'll handle it. They're just fucking jealous of you." It didn't take a genius to see that Regina was pissed, you could hear it in her tone without even looking at her grip on the wheel.

When the two of you got home, Regina took you up to her room. Placing kisses to your cheeks, then your lips as her hands came up and cupped your face. Your lips moved against hers with practiced ease. Melting under her touch and bringing yourself closer.

Regina broke the kiss and looked into your eyes, "you're beautiful, okay? Don't let some nobody let you think otherwise. I love you and that's all that should matter."

You listened to her words and nodded, murmuring back a quiet 'I love you too'.

"Good girl." Regina purred, moving you over to the bed. You knew you were in for a long but amazing afternoon.

[mybelovedwoo]

Just here to request Seonghwa as your boyfriend head canon <3 I love your other ones sm!

Thank you so so much for you request!! Sorry that it took this long but here it is, i hope you like it:))

park seonghwa as your boyfriend - headcanon

headcanon, romance, fluff, smut

reader x bf!atz

wc. ~ 0.8k

an: since seonghwa is my main wrecker this was really something else to write!!!

you can request headcanons if you want to!! if you want to be tagged in any of my fics you can apply here <3

masterlist

-the kind of boyfriend that is also your best friend, he is so soft and careful with you, you are literally the most precious thing to him, sharing hobbies and interests

-he likes to plan cute little dates with you, like a picnic date or like going to the farmer's market

-but most probably his favorite dates are the stay-in dates, where you two build legos together or cuddle in bed while you watch a movie

-also the type that gives you his jacket every time you two are out, no matter if you're cold or not, he doesn't want you to get sick (full-on mother mode)

-takes such good care of you, especially when you do get sick, he cooks for you, does your grocery, even cleans up your apartment and he never lets you feel neglected, always texts you sweet little nothing, and making sure you're okay

-he likes to act cool in front of you, even tho everyone knows he is more like the soft type, but he hates to admit it

-knows you better than himself, memorized everything that you like from your favorite food to your favorite song, so he can always give you the best of everything

-compliments you every given second "wow how can you look more an more prettier every single day?" or "how did i get so lucky with you?"

-having his arms around your shoulders whenever you two sit together, keeps you both warm and safe

-sleeps with you as he's hugging you from behind and one of his legs is over yours, you literally cannot move for god's sake even if you want to

-oh man he's so jealous (as most of ateez are), he doesn't like it when other men are touching you or even looking at you. gets real serious right there and then, like we all know his famous deathstare right?

-shamelessly kisses you in front of everyone (not full-on making out, just a sweet kiss on your lips or your cheeks), doesn't really care about the other's opinion

-loooves flirting with you and making you all flustered, but also loves it when you flirt back, he thinks it's really hot 

-facetimes you every single day when you two are not together, these calls literally last for hours and hours, and you two are just doing your own things not even talking really

-is the most gentlemeness gentlemen to ever gentlemen on this earth, doesn't let you carry heavy things, opens the door for you and lets you go first, just so respectful and polite

-you would think he's not the type to love skinship, but it's different with you, he just wants to hold your hand all day and night, also loves to hug you from behind

-just stares at you a lot

-not gonna lie likes to be dominant with you, likes to initiate the kiss or a hug, he likes to feel he's the one protecting you, but nothing crazy

-literally acts like a child when it's just the two of you, he does the goofiest little things, you have tons of videos of him that are the funniest

-cute nicknames that have meanings behind them and just the two of you understand

-he's really good with communicating problems, so when you guys have a misunderstanding he's always ready to talk it out and is brilliant with solving it to be good for the both of you

-kisses with him i feel like is very dominant as i said, but somehow also very soft and sweet, but very passionate, he's addicted to your kisses

nsfw +18!!!

-as i said before, he is very dominant but also very romantic at the same time. he doesn't really care about his pleasure, but yours instead. likes raw and passionate sex

-god the thing he can do with his tongue, it's really his super talent that no one can experience just you, probably eats you out as a hobby

-his libido is quite high, cuddle sessions often turn into sex not gonna lie. doesn't mind quickies either

-makes sure you enjoy ever minute of it, likes to asks you questions that you have to answer even tho you can't really speak at the moment. also loves talking dirty a little too much

-he's usually open do try new things like toys, as long as you are comfortable with it

-biggest turn-ons for him are seeing you in sexy clothes and probably good scents (yes he's sensitive to scents)

-he's really impatient, doesn't like to wait, so probably jumps in to things pretty quickly

-he doesn't really mind it when others hear it what you're doing, he thinks it's the proof of your love

-but also he's not very loud in bed, he just whimpers and really breathy

-please praise him!!!! he would be done right there and then

-for positions i think anything where he can be dominant (also always ready to try new ones), like a good doggy or the classic missionary, he just have to be top that's all

-a big cuddle session is a must for him after (especially bc the  previous one had to be interrupted), he wants to feel loved and wanted

-also would take such good care of you after, brings you water and cleans you up

[mayisgoingnuts]

Lee!Lucifer X Ler!Reader Scenario

Warnings: Some swearing but that's all, only did it for comfort.

Author's note: Lucifer. Brainrot. That's everything I have to say for now 😞🙏💞

————————————————————————

"Be careful with those, they don't get pretty all by themselves, y'know?" Lucifer says with a calm smile, which quickly shifts to a more "cocky" smirk. "Well, maybe they do."

You chuckle at his stupid comment, slowly returning your eyes to your main goal: his wings. A pair of wings was already amazing for you, but now three? No way you would lose the chance to check on them. See them, admire them, touch them...

You slowly caress one of them, taking a good look and with your eyes almost shining in amusement. "They're so soft..."

"Right?"

But as you keep stroking his wings and exploring each inch, you can hear a light snicker coming from him. He cover his mouth and looks away, not wanting to interrupt you.

"Huh? What happened?"

"N-Nothing, nothing. Just be extra careful there, alright?" Lucifer answers, looking at what people normally call a 'wingpit'.

"Ah... does it hurt? Sorry if I-"

"No no you didn't hurt me, it's just... ehhh... y'know..." He tries his best to explain without actually turning it even more embarassing, making a few hand movements aswell. "...sensitive?"

It took you a few seconds to understand, but once you did, your confused expression changed almost instantely.

"Oh, alright. I'll be gentle." But as you spoke, your fingers traced around that same spot once again. "See?"

Lucifer jumped a little on his bed.

"Okay, now this one was on purpose!"

"No idea what you're talking about."

The rythm of your fingers did not changed, basically dancing on Lucifer's wings. Everything he was able to do was cover his eyes with a single hand, using the other to grab the sheets tightly.

"Goddahahammit!"

"Wow, your feathers are so nice to touch... I could stay here all day." You say, wearing the happiest smirk you could have right now.

His superior wing flapped lightly as you kept tickling it, only making it worse for Lucifer himself as you now barely needed to move your hand.

"You better not hit me with those."

"It's really hahard not tohoho!"

"...was that a complain or a threat?"

"Bohoth- AH!"

You knew he wouldn't help himself, this man just loved giving you motives to keep going. As a consequence of his "rebel" answer, you let go of his wings, going straight to his ribs.

"H-HEHEHEY!"

"I just felt offended! I'm complimenting you, and you're threatening me to attack me with your wings? Tsk, tsk... not nice."

"COME OHOHON!"

Due his constant squirming, you decided to put a little pressure, pushing him down to the bed to make it easier for the both of you. His wings were so fun to watch too, it was almost like he was about to open flight.

"Just don't fly outta here." You joked.

His giggles and laughter were a mix now, creating this goofy yet adorable (in your opinion atleast) laugh of his. Lucifer kicked strongly in the air, trying to avoid using that huge strength of his on you and end up pushing you away; or worse, throw you away.

The demon's ribs began to have a bit more of mercy as you moved your fingers off of them, but only so you could reach his armpits. They moved very very slowly, tickling all the way 'til there.

"W-Wait! Wait! I- I knohohow what you're doing, dohohon't you dare!"

"Nothing is stopping me to do so..."

"Because I cahahan't! Hehehehe!"

You couldn't help but chuckle at his poor attempt to make it look like he's not letting you do that. "Will it make you happier if I pretend that I believe you?"

"Yehehes! Wait, nohoho!" Your teases were making him way too nervous to think coherently, much less speak. "Fuhuhuck, I don't knohohow!"

"If you say so." Just a few more inches before it hits a death spot... "I won't stop, because I'm evil and I love seeing you "suffer" with your oh, so "hated" tickles!"

"G-Gah- No- Nahahah-"

"And you know what would make me even more evil?"

"I don't wanna know! I dohon't wanna know!!"

It felt just like a button. You pressed his armpits, and Lucifer let out a cackle as soon as you did so.

He tried to roll from one side to another, and as he tried to protect his own weak points, it just made your thumbs get stuck there. All you needed to do was wiggle them, tickling them whenever you feel like it.

"SHIHIHIT! SHIT! SHIHIHIT! I CAN'T TAHAHAKE IT!"

"Just raise your arms, like that I can get my hands back!"

"THEN STOHOP MOVING YOUR FIHIHIHINGERS!"

You went silent, looking away with a bratty smile. "Now you're asking for too much."

"OH HOW I HAHATE YOHOHOU!"

It would be just a matter of time until you stopped and finally let him rest, but for that, Lucifer needed to grow tired of the tickles first.

No, you didn't need to "free him".

After all, getting rid of you was a task that he could've done as soon as you touched him.

He just decided not to.

[mirai-e-jump]

TV Guide, 9/6/2024 Issue ft. Kamen Rider Gavv Cast Members (translation below)

Publication: August 28, 2024

Chinen Hidekazu x Hino Yusuke x Miyabe Nozomi

Chinen: Shouma, who I play, is a young man who loves eating. He actually comes from another world, and while he's friendly, there's an elusive side to him, so if you take your eyes off him, he might end up someplace else.

Hino: Karakida Hanto, who I play, is a freelance writer who's not afraid of taking risks. During the audition, they never gave me a detailed setup for the motifs or roles we'd be playing. The only thing I knew was that one character was a glutton, and that the other was a cool character. How was the audition for the female character?

Miyabe: I play Amane Sachika, a gyaru, but that wasn't disclosed to me during the audition…..

Chinen: Really?!

Miyabe: The impression I had was that she was a reliable person. Then, during the final audition, the Director told me, "Act alittle more like an aunt from Osaka."

Chinen & Hino: Ahahaha!

Miyabe: I wondered what kind of character she'd be, but I was surprised to find out that she was a gyaru.

Hino: I was together with Hide (Chinen) during the final part of the audition, and he was really interesting. We've got so many stories. Which one was your favorite?

Chinen: There's none in particular I like (laughs).

Miyabe: I wanna hear them! (laughs).

Hino: For example…there was "A," the gluttonous character, and "B," the cool character, and the Director would assign us by saying, "Alright, next, you play role A, and this guy will play role B," but when Hide was told, "Alright, you're next," he took role A without asking.

Miyabe: Eh! (laughs).

Hino: I couldn't help but say, "This kid's a genius."

Chinen: I cringe thinking about it now (laughs).

Hino: (laughs). Still, I thought, "These are the kind of kids who get chosen." I really felt that he was different from the other kids. I guess I've been drawn towards Shouma since then. That's why when I found out at costume fitting that Hide had been chosen to play the main character I thought, "Wow! That's great! I knew it'd be him."

Chinen: "I knew it" is what I also thought about Yusuke-kun. When I actually did a face to face performance with Yusuke-kun at the audition, I thought, "It'd be very easy to perform with this person"……

Hino: (said happily) Really?

Chinen: Yeah. That's why I wasn't surprised at all when we met at costume fitting. There were countless people left, but I knew that if I was chosen, the other person would likely be "him."

Hino: (totally embarrassed) Damn. No, that makes me happy! I think that the relationship between Shouma and Hanto will gradually deepen as the story progresses, so I hope you'll look forward to that part as well.

Miyabe: What I liked about the script was that even people who seemed cheerful were complex, and they grew as they struggled with themselves. I personally found these aspects encouraging, and I hope that it'll be conveyed to the viewers as well.

Chinen: When I saw the completed first episode, I thought it was really interesting, and I felt that I presented it with my whole heart. I hope that lots of people will watch it! _

Q: What sweets would you compare each other to?

Chinen: Miyabecchi is a marshmallow. She gives off the feeling of an older sister who watches out for us and embraces us with her softness. As for Yusuke-kun, he's fugashi.

Hino: Isn't that old fashioned?! Wait, there's only a two year gap between us! (laughs).

Chinen: He's well informed, and since he talks alot with his superiors, I chose fugashi since it's a veteran of the sweets world.

Miyabe: I think Hide's definitely a marshmallow.

Hino: Right, it's so him.

Miyabe: Isn't it? He's very soft, and I feel like he could absorb an impact (laughs). As for Yusuke-kun, he's dagashi.

Hino: I guess I'm that type after all (laughs).

Miyabe: It's because there's a familiarity to him (laughs).

Chinen: Ah~ I see.

Hino: I also think Hide's a marshmallow. He's fluffy, pure, and positive. His skin is also like a marshmallow (he pokes his cheeks). As for Miyabecchi…she's both girly and not girly at all, and is also quite mature. I wonder what she'd be.

Chinen: A high quality confection?

Hino: Right. Like a millefeuille! It feels like there are many sides to her, as it also has lots of layers.

Miyabe: Ah, I'm glad~ (laughs).

[justlemmeadoreyou]

Secret Little Rendezvous-5

Summary: The fifth and last part to Secret Little Rendezvous

Words: 3.5k+

Warnings: Angst! There's a lot of angst, fighting and cursing in this one. Hints of smut too, mentions toxic relationship. Alludes to smut.

(previous part here) | (series masterlist) | (main masterlist)

Dylan and your relationship was blossoming. It was going well.

Given, you two hadn’t slept together. Yet.

You didn’t want to get physical so early. It had been 2 weeks or so, and the most physical affection was kisses and neck bites, and the one time you had sucked him off.

It was your idea. He was pent-up and frustrated because he was working hard on a project, and most of it was rejected by the client at a glance. That made you so angry. That person didn’t even bother to see his viewpoint, or why he did it the way he did. 

So, you invited him back to your house, right after work. Made him his favorite: macaroni and cheese.

“Hi,” he had greeted you sweetly, even though he had had a shit day. You loved that about him.

“Hi, how was your day?” you asked, even though you already knew how it was. Maybe he would want to talk about it?

“Eh, it was shit. Got rejected on the project proposal I had been working on for the past week or so, and the client threw my report in the dustbin”

“No! Why would he do that?!” you exclaimed. Saying no was one thing. But tossing reports that took so long to prepare right into the trash was another.

“I know. He’s an asshole. How are you, though?”

You smiled.

“I’m good–I had a nice day. The code I was reviewing today was actually good, and I didn’t have to revert. “

“That’s a relief. I hate it when we have to check the whole thing all over again and 

Check the security and data compromises.”

“I know, right? Anyway, go and change. I made you dinner”

His eyes lit up when you said that, and he walked over to you with his arms extended in front of him. He came over to you and hugged you, his face resting perfectly on the alcove of your neck. 

“You’re the best”

“Alright, big guy. I’ll get the food on the plate. Go and get changed”

He eventually let go of you, but not without pressing a soft kiss to your cheek.

He came back a few minutes later, face fresh and looking good. He sat back and relaxed, while you brought him the plate and sat on the table adjacent to his.

He took a spoonful of the dish, the yummy smell of cheesy goodness hitting him. As he tasted it, a grin spread across his face.

"Wow," he said, nodding approvingly. "This is amazing. You really did a great job, Y/n."

You felt proud hearing his praise, a warm feeling spreading inside. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it," you said, feeling a bit shy. "It's just a simple recipe, but I'm happy it turned out well."

He kept eating, and you sat across from him, enjoying the moment. It was nice, just being together and sharing a meal. And as you watched him, you couldn't help but feel grateful for these simple, happy times.

After dinner, he wiped his mouth and sat back, his stomach full and he looked happier than before.

“That was good”

“Mhmm, you know, this macaroni wasn’t the only delicious-looking thing tonight”

As soon as you said that, his heartbeat rose, and his mouth fell open. He dropped the napkin on the table and looked at you with wide eyes.

“What–what do you–what do you mean?” he asked, but before he could say anything else, you were already sinking down to your knees in front of him. You smirked, pushing his thighs apart and settling down comfortably.

His hands came to rest on your shoulders softly, asking you if you really wanted to.

“You–you don’t have to do this, babe. I’m perfectly fine going to bed and sleeping, or–or if you want me to leave, I can–I can leave too, you know”

You shook your head, taking his hands from your shoulders and holding them in yours, pressing a kiss to the top of each, “Yeah, I’m sure. And it’s good. I want you to relax. Let some of that tension and frustration go away”

He nodded, but he was still unsure.

But you made all of that go away. Starting slow, you took your time with him, built the pleasure and tension perfectly, licking his cock and fondling his balls, sucking at the tip, till he was cuming inside your mouth.

“You–you don’t have to fuck–oh, you don’t have to swallow–”

He muttered, but you had already done it, smirking up at him as he picked you up and kissed you,wrapping his arms around your waist. He apologized later for not returning the favor because he was so tired. You brushed it off, knowing it wasn’t a give-and-take relationship like you had with Harry.

Harry.

Oh.

You hadn’t thought about him in a while. Sure, you would see him in the office every couple of days, but he ensured no contact between you two. It was good…for the most part.

Olivia acted like you were a witch. She frowned and scowled whenever you were nearby, and she really needed to grow up. She had her ego inflated over the fact that Harry had chosen her instead of you.

Only if she knew how much of a lie it was.

.  .  .

Dylan was up for a promotion.

He had been in line for it too when you had gotten it. He was planning on leaving the company after that, because there would be no open positions for a while. So, he had submitted an application, stating that if he didn't get the promotion, he would leave the company. And given that he was a hardworking employee, who had shown excellent growth in the 4 years he had been in the company, there was no way he wouldn’t get it.

He gave the news to you two days later when he had taken you to dinner at a restaurant.

“Sooo I’ve–I’ve been wanting to talk about something” he said, after you had been talking about each other’s families for a while.

“Yeah, sure. What’s up”

“I–I got the promotion, Y/n.”

“Oh my god! That’s amazing! Come on, give me a hug” you exclaimed, so happy for him. You got up immediately and hugged him, earning a few unwat\nted glances from fellow diners.

“Well, that was awkward” he said after, and you nodded.

The conversation had stopped after that, and you could sense the shift in his demeanor. He wanted to tell you something else too.

“Dylan, what’s wrong?” you asked, your heart throbbing erratically, sensing something wrong.

He sighed, his gaze troubled. "Y/N, I've been offered the promotion, but...it means I have to relocate."

Your heart sank at his words, the reality of the situation hitting you like a ton of bricks. "Relocate? But what about us?"

Dylan hesitated, his expression pained. "I don't know what to do, Y/N. I want this promotion, but I also don't want to lose you."

Tears pooled in your eyes, because you knew where this was headed.

“You–you wanna break up with me?”

Your voice was just above a whisper, and you could see by the look on his face that the answer was yes.

“I don’t know! I want this promotion, and–and this is the only way I can get it. And if I leave the company, I would have to start in the exact position I want to get out from”

You sighed, the gravity of the situation finally settling in.

“But–but, we can–we can go long-distance…”

The words trailed off in your mouth. Long distance was a big thing, and you had been dating for about a month and a half. You two hadn’t been physically involved, and that may have been one of the reasons he wasn’t too reluctant to break up, or think of other options.

“Is–is this about us not having sex? It’s easier for you to break up because we aren’t that close yet. Because we haven’t fucked yet”

He dropped the spoon, and brought his hand to his face, rubbing his eyes with it.

“No, it’s not about that. I mean, we haven’t been dating for so long, and I–I don’t think our relationship could stand that. It’s a big commitment. And we won’t be able to see each other for months, because I would be working at the same level as you. Work can get hectic, and Y/n, you know that too, right?”

You nodded, staring at the tablecloth.

“And–and I often resort to drinking every three days or so, and God forbid I do something wrong while I’m out at a club, because I don’t have you by my side. I don’t want to call you one morning, telling you that I was unfaithful”

His words sank in, and you sighed. He was right. Your relationship wasn’t that strong to take the toll of long distance, and if one of you made a drunk mistake, the other would be crushed.

With a heavy sigh, you finally spoke up. "I...I guess you're right, Dylan. Maybe it's for the best if we end things now, before it gets too complicated."

Dylan reached out, taking your hand in his, his expression filled with sadness. "I'm sorry, Y/n. I never wanted to hurt you."

You gave him a small, sad smile, squeezing his hand gently. "I know, Dylan. And I'm sorry too."

.  .  .

He left a month later, and you were left with a broken heart.

Why did everyone leave?

Were you just that unlovable that God saved everyone from you?

You found solace in throwing yourself into work, often staying late into the night to distract yourself from those troubling thoughts. While the temptation to drown your sorrows in alcohol was present, you knew it would only serve to bury those long-buried emotions deeper within you.

Little did you know, there was one other employee working late that night.

He knocked at your door, and it was almost 10:00 pm. You were planning on leaving soon, and the thought of who else might stay late made you curious.

“Come in” you yelled, and in came the green eyed guy, whom you hadn’t seen in weeks.

“Harry”

He nodded, leaning in on the doorframe.

“Y/n. How are you?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Dylan left a week ago. You’ve been working till late ever since. Wanted to check if you were alright”

“Since when do you care?” you replied, unsure of where all this was coming from, especially for a guy who had no feelings for you.

“You know I’ve always cared for you. Since before we were together till today. I never stopped caring”

Your eyes lifted up, staring into his.

“What do you want?”

He sighed, and walked to your desk. He pulled a chair out, dragged it across to your end, and sat beside you.

“Harry–what are you doing?”

“Nothing”

He took your hand in his, and stared into your eyes. It had been so long since you had done that.

“Listen. I know you feel alone right now. And–I’m here for you if you ever wanna talk”

You were not liking his two-faced behavior.

“Shut up”

“What?!” he exclaimed, as if you had said something wrong.

“Don’t give me that “I’m there for you” crap. You don’t give a fuck about me. And you made that perfectly clear when you threw me away those months ago.”

“That’s not true. I do care for you. And I did not  throw you away, okay? It was–It was you, who dumped me”

Your eyes widened, and you stared at him in disbelief.

“You’ve got that wrong! You said you were just with me for sex. And then you said that you can’t take it further because I was getting the wrong signals.”

“I never said that. I just that I was in love with someone else, and that–that I won’t be able to commit to you in the way you want me to”

You sat back, defeated.

“Why Are you pulling all this crap now? Just leave”

You pushed him back, closing the applications on your computer and getting ready to leave.

“Where–what are you doing?”

“Going home. Saving myself from you”

“But, listen–” he got up, just as you did. He grabbed your hand once again.

“What?!” you yelled.

“Just listen to me, please–”

“I’m done fucking listening. I was done listening three months ago”

“But–I–I want to say something–”

You ignored him, taking your stuff and shoving it in your bag. You fetched your keys, and opened uber to call a cab, because your car was with your sister.

“Y/n listen–”

You picked your stuff, slinging your bag over your shoulders and went to turn the lights off. But, what he said next, made you freeze.

“I love you!”

Your legs stopped working, and your eyes widened.

What the fuck.

“Excuse me?” 

You turned around, your eyes full of anger.

He lowered his gaze to the floor, and the anger within you skyrocketed.

You dropped your things to the table once again, walking to him and standing right in front of him.

“I–I love you”

He said once again, his gaze trained to the floor.

You grabbed his chin, lifting his head up. 

His eyes looked into yours. His, were apologetic. Yours, full of anger and disbelief.

“The fuck do you mean you love me? Did Olivia dump you? Or did the whole city say no to sleeping with you?”

Your words hurt him, and his heart sank.

“No! Why–why would you think that?”

“Or–Oh! Or did Natalia stop loving you? Huh? You over her? Your eternal undying love for her is finished?”

He shook his head, “No, I–I broke up with Olivia a month ago. I–I don’t like her anymore”

“Because you love Natalia, right”

“I–I don’t! I–I love you”

“You know you’re saying that to a void, right? Because you’re not getting one back from me in return. What do you want me to do? I should forget all you did to me and come running into your arms? Is that what you want?”

He gave no response, his gaze lowered, even though you were holding his chin up.

“Speak up, Harry!” you yelled, and he flinched. It was the second time you were yelling at him like that, and it made him genuinely scared.

“No, No–I’m not saying that. I–I just want you–to give me a second chance”

“Huh” you exclaimed in disbelief, letting his face go and took a few steps back.

“I’m not fucking around, Y/n. I swear. I–I just want you to take me back once again. I want you to give me a second chance. And punish me however you feel like. Beat me, throw things at me, yell at me. Please, but—but please, give me a second chance. Please”

His voice sounded broken, and tears welled up in his eyes.

“What happened to you, huh? You were, this Harry with a wall of cement over your heart. You threw away anyone who tried to care about you. You threw me away. And now you’re standing in my office, crying, and you want me to care about you once again? Forget what you did to me!?”

Your voice was breaking too, and you too, were about to cry.

“I’m sorry for what I did to you. I was an asshole, and I will never forgive myself for that. But–believe me when I say that I have changed, and that–that I love you”

You couldn’t believe him. Not after what you went through after that. He sounded like he was telling the truth, and you wanted to believe him! But you still couldn’t understand why.

“What happened with Natalia, Harry? And Olivia?”

“I–I broke up with her. I wanted to be with you. But you were with Dylan, and–and I was heartbroken. I thought that I lost you forever”

“Would that be so bad?” you asked.

He walked to you, and got down on his knees in front of you. He reached for your hand, and when you didn’t protest, he took it in his, once again.

“I realized just how much I had lost when I let go of you. I lost the one person I trusted the most. I lost you, and I realized I had no one to even talk to. I had no one to laugh with, no one to get wasted with. You were always there for me. You helped me when I couldn’t help myself, and you even went out of your way to do that. You saved me from being fired, and–and I kept believing the wrong people. When I should have believed you. I should have known you were right. I was–I was just frustrated over the fact that Natalia had broken it off with me. I still believed she loved me, and that–she would leave everything to come back to me. And–and I was wrong. I was wrong about Olivia too. All she wanted was sex, and after almost 2 months with her, I realized she was a female version of me”

You would’ve laughed at that, if the circumstances were different.

“I’m sorry, Y/n. Sorry sorry sorry. I will apologize all you want, I’ll do anything, just–just please, please, take me back”

“But–what happened with Natalia?”

He frowned at the mention of her name, and you squinted your eyes.

“You saw Natalia, didn’t you? And she has something to do with you growing up suddenly? And realizing I was right?”

He gritted his teeth, head lowering as he blinked his eyes in shame.

“Knew it. What did she do?” you said.

“She uh–I went to see her on the weekend, couple weeks before, and to my absolute fucking good luck, her whole family was there”

He raised his eyebrows, remembering just how painful and embarrassing it was.

“So—yeah, I approached her, and everyone asked who I was. So, uh, she said I was her brother”

“Yep. That’ll do it” you replied.

His nose was scrunched, lips in a small pout as he whined at you.

“I then realized she never had feelings for me. She might have had all those years ago, but–she definitely doesn’t”

You nodded. 

You sat in silence for a while, no words exchanged between you two. He looked up at you after a while, his eyes searching for an answer.

“You treated me like shit, Harry. Threw me away like trash the minute you were fed up of me–”

“I wasn’t fed up of you–”

“Let me finish! And don't you dare interrupt me once again”

He shut his mouth and nodded.

“You threw me away the second you found someone to replace me. You threw away my feelings, my emotions, everything. You threw away the trust I had for you. And–and I don’t know if I can trust you once again. You were sleeping with two people, and–and you didn’t even bother telling me! What if I got an STD? And you know how expensive healthcare is! I don’t even know if my insurance covers STDs!”

“I’m sorry”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it, Harry. You know that”

“Then tell me what to do! Please. I’ll do anything you want. Anything. You want me to murder someone, I’ll do it too”

“I’ll do whatever it takes”  his response was instant.

You shook your head once again.

“You’re not going to get me back so easily”

“Okay, first of all, I’m going to treat you like crap. I’m going to call you when I want, I’m going to do whatever I want. I will sleep with multiple guys. And maybe girls too. I will drink and go home with any person I want. I will run away as soon as you’ve orgasmed. I will not give you any aftercare. I will yell at you for caring about me. Understand?”

He hesitated, mouth open and in distress.

“See? How does it feel when the tables are turned? Feels bad? Huh?”

He nodded, pouting.

“Well, I don’t give a fuck. Feels good from where I see it”

He lowered his gaze in defeat, once again.

You grabbed his face, once again, making him look at you.

“It’s not going to go back to what it was in one night, Harry. It will take time. I will take time.”

“Yes, yes. Whatever you want”

“Maybe months”

“Of course!”

“Years, even”

“I can wait for eternity if It means I get to be with you once again” he declared, and you cringed.

“Wow. I’m gonna dump you right now for saying that” you teased, a playful smirk dancing on your lips.

“Okay–sorry! I’m sorry. I can–I can wait for however long you want, Y/n”

You licked your lips, and he brought your hands to his face, kissing your knuckles.

“Alright. Drop me home. And I want ice cream.”

He smiled, nodding happily, and getting up in an instant.

“Yes!” he exclaimed, and you bit back a smile. He may be a moron, but he was your moron.

♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡~~~♡

tell me if you like this!

feedback

taglist: @freedomfireflies @gurugirl @thechaoticjoy @styleslover-1994 @gem1712 @ellaorchard @bxbyysstuff @opheliaofficial07 @rafaaoli @tchlamqtsgf @the-mouse27 @indierockgirrl @vrittivsanghavi @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @drewrry @babyiamperfectforyou @me-undiscovered @tbsloneely @whoreonmondays @kathb59 @avalentina @kittenhere @speedywritingharrystylesjudge @mypolicemanharryyy @theendx888 @ladscarlett @daphnesutton @youcan-nolonger-run @prettythingsworld @chesthairrry   @becauseheartsgetbroken-hs   @hisparentsgallerryy   @storyschanging  @selluequestrian   @islakp217 @swiftmendeshoran @princessaxoxo @tenaciousperfectionunknown @chronicallybubbly @hermoinelove

slr taglist: @vaseoftulips @cohnfusedarling @cherryluvhobi @agent-grey-fics @sassamanda77 @daphnesutton @pqndxra @imgonnadreamaboutthewayyoutaaaa @mariaholland07

[papurgaatika]

You're Good To Me, Baby

kinktober prompt one: Mommy Kink

Pairing: Joel Miller x F! reader

Minors DNI with my work please!!

A/N: HOWDY HOWDY AND WELCOME TO MY FAVORITE MONTH !!! *EAGLE SCREECH NOISE*

Happy kinktober everyone, this is from the absolute depths of my soul and pussy. Joel miller, you are my everything, and i know the fellow tumblerinas are horny for you. Again, hozier song lyric for the title, wow who’s shocked. Thank you to my beloved beta reader my beloved @carlynkurin!! Peace and love from me everyone!

Remember that TLOU is created by a zionist so please look at the resources at the end of this fic and in my bio on ways to donate and educate yourself!!

Tags: mommy kink, praise kink, edging kinda, sub!Joel miller, soft reader, jackson joel. Reader is able bodied but no other description

Word count: 1.7k

Summary: Joel was perfect in your eyes and you’re determined to have him see himself like that

main masterlist

kinktober masterlist

Joel is a grumpy old man. You love him more than you love air, and he loves you more than you thought was humanly possible. Unfortunately, he doesn’t see the good you see in him. He shines like gold in your eyes, like a beacon of warmth that keeps you safe. It wasn’t unusual for you to give him a compliment and fluster him; a peck on the jaw, a casual “look real good today, honey” or a wordless conversation in bed as you just gaze at him. With all of those came his refusal to listen, however. A blush creeping on his cheeks, a scoff pointed at your words, or a grumble to get to sleep. It wasn't what you wanted. You wanted him to see himself how you do. To see how perfect he was for you, to understand truly, and you would make him see it by any means necessary.

You were always a schemer, always had something up your sleeve to catch Joel off guard and he knows that very well. But during a late-night makeout session with your hips slotted perfectly around his, he couldn't seem to care about stopping you. Joel should have known better, should have anticipated your plot, but his mind had been cloudy, his brain turned off while his dick was hard. That’s how he found himself tied to your shared bed, arms bound above his head while you straddled his legs.

“Come on baby,” you hum at him, his cock leaking through his underwear “I'm not touching you until you say you’re perfect” Your voice was sickly sweet as you cooed at him, almost like you were talking to a frightened animal, coaxing it towards safety. But Joel was stubborn as a mule, not that you didn’t love it, but he would refuse until the end of time. He wouldn’t, no couldn't admit it. Not to you, and definitely not to himself. So instead he just strains against the rope, trying to get any sort of friction against his aching cock. Practically begging with those eyes of his. “Baby come on,” you whisper, kissing his cheek as your nose brushes his as you move a piece of hair from his sweaty forehead “Just say it for me, I know you can be good for me, i know you want to be good”

He's holding out longer than you thought he would if you were being frank. The muscles in his arms were straining against the rope, and his teeth were gritted, but you could see the cogs turning in his mind. The choice looming over him was taking its toll, and you were about to win. “Oh, my sweet pretty boy” you coo, your fingers gently trailing over his cheek, a hoarse moan leaving his lips at the praise you give him. You watch with a raised eyebrow as he pulls at the ropes, tilting your head with a slight smirk on your lips. “You know better than to do that baby, I tie a good knot come on” you chide. You watch as he tugs at them again, knowing if he really wanted to get out, he would have been out already, but he liked this almost as much as you did. Almost.

You tsk at him and roll your hips against his gently, a barely there movement, so light he could have been imagining it, but the gasp that it pulls out of him is very real. “You ain’t playin fair darlin” he groans, no, pleads, when he feels another grind of your body against his. His hips instinctively try to get some friction and grind up into you but you tut at him, stopping him in an instant.

You move so that your body straddles the lower half of his tummy, the feel of his happy trail grazing your thighs. “Come on Joel, you know the rules better than that, tell me what you need” you hum, watching the pout on his face grow tenfold, and god he was so pretty when he was desperate. He makes a desperate noise, pulling at the ropes and hips bucking into the air again as you give him a small pout of your own. Your features are dripping with faux pity as you let out a dramatic sigh and swing your legs off from around him and stand up next to the bed. “S’pose you don't know what it is then..” you muse, watching his eyes grow wider at the sight of you moving from him. “I’ll let you stay here and think about it, yeah?” you press a teasing little kiss to the corner of his lips, your hand trailing down his chest, before your touches stop and you turn to walk away.

You stretch your arms out over your head, giving him a view of your curves as you sway your hips slightly, walking to the door of the bedroom before you hear a rushed “Wait no I'll say it-”

Jackpot

No matter how damn stubborn Joel was, you knew what made him tick. He was a man, after all, a man who truly loves your ass, and you would use that to your advantage. “I’m…” he takes a deep breath like the words were refusing to come out of his mouth “I’m your perfect boy..”

The words are hushed and hurried, but he had said them and that’s what you wanted. You move to go back and sit on the bed next to him, your hand pushing his hair back off of his forehead. “I know you are baby… always so perfect and pretty for me, yeah?” The words ring through his ears like a choir of angels, a needy whine leaving his lips as he stares at you with big puppy dog eyes “Okay baby, go on now, what do you need from me hmm?” You coo at him, watching him with kind eyes. “I’m all yours, use your words and it's yours.”

He lets out another shaky breath at the devotion in your words “Touch me... Please touch me Mommy” You loved Joel in all instances, the good and the bad, the hard and easy times, but there was something special about how much you loved when he called you that. Knowing that he trusts you enough to take charge of his pleasure, that he’ll say things that are so hard for him to admit just because you want him to start to believe them.

Your fingers graze over his chest, feather-like touches barely skimming the goosebumps that formed on his skin. “I am touching you, honey,” you murmur.

“Not what I meant,” he whines, trying to find some give in the ropes.

“Be specific then,” you mumble, your fingers running over his collarbone. “Use your words properly.” Sure you were being a little mean to him, but hearing him ask was better than giving in so quickly, it was about the power.

“Mommy I-” his words are whiney and pleading with you “hands, mouth, anything. Just want you to make me cum please I’ll be good I swear I-” you cut his rambled begging off with a small shhh, a small laugh and smile leaving your lips as you press a kiss against his lips. You hum softly as you let your hands trail down his chest, your nails grazing over his skin lightly, enjoying the slight hiss he lets out at the sensation, and then let your hand settle at the waistband of his boxers. You tease them down, painfully slow, and feel him tense up under your touch and just let your fingers trace over his thighs. Up and down, and up and down, never really touching him.

“Mommy please-” his words are hoarse as you tease him, needy with anticipation.

“Okay baby, okay, I'm sorry” you whisper, laughing. It was a soft sound he’ll never get over that makes Joel feel like he's the luckiest man alive, it makes his heart burst every single time. His mind is pulled from that thought as your fingers wrap around his cock and stroke him agonizingly slow, his precum coating your fingers as you swipe them over his head listening to his moans. Your grip wasn't tight, just soft lazy strokes that left his hips bucking into your fist. Broken pleas of baby please, I need more leave his mouth in desperation, as you just hum in response, letting your pace grow just a little faster. You smiled as a hoarse moan fell from his mouth, your free hand going to brush the curls out of his forehead.

“You're doing so good for me baby, look so perfect like this. All mine.” He looked absolutely wrecked. His hips were rolling into yours and his head was thrown back, quiet whimpers and moans leaving his lips. You could tell he was close. His breaths were coming out in pants and a plea of please, please, please- leaving his lips, barely coherent.

Your pace picked up again bringing him so close to the edge “Do you want to cum baby? Is that what you want, sweet boy?” You were relishing the way his hips continued to chase your touch, cock red and angry

“Yes- fuck yes Mommy please I need it I want to” he was gasping at you, panting and trembling with need as he held on for you. You could be mean, make him wait and hold on. You've edged him before, but god he was being so good for you tonight, and you wanted nothing if not his pleasure.

“Let me hear it one more time and you can cum, baby” you whisper, voice like a gentle breeze “Tell me what you are, and you can get what you want”

Every muscle in his body is tense as he staves off his orgasm “I’m- fuck, I’m your perfect boy mommy” he cries out, voice quavering as his orgasm wracks through him. He spills onto your hand and his stomach with panting breaths, his legs shaking as you milk him through it until he’s telling you to stop.

“So good… absolutely perfect for me..” you whisper, swiping your tongue over the cum on your hand and licking a stripe up his happy trail. He lets out a guttural noise at your actions, eyes pressing shut as he regains his composure and catches his breath.

“Yer a menace, darlin” he murmurs after a moment, his eyes still closed but a lazy smirk plastered to his face.

You simply make a small noise of acknowledgement and kiss his head, “yeah, but you're perfect” you hum, undoing his rope “Always have been baby.”

A/N: From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free

READ: This account stands with Palestine unequivocally, and so— I require everyone who interacts to educate themselves, and support/donate. READ THESE; 1, HELP HERE, BOYCOTT. Silence is complicity, do not scroll past this.

DO NOT BUY THE REMASTER, TLOU2, TLOU1, OR ANY GAME FROM NAUGHTY DOG! neil druckmann (the creator) is a zionist.

PLEASE READ THIS, AND REBLOG THIS.

Thank you for reading, and free Palestine

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Arc Reactor

MAIN MASTERLIST / MARVEL MASTERLIST

Tony Stark x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 7,680ish

Summary: You love Tony's arc reactor. But what if it's the thing that can cause you the greatest pain?

Warnings: torture, unwanted touching, transplants, ptsd

Notes: Wow. I have not be able to write this much in a short amount of time in such a long time. It feels good. I hope people enjoy this one. It's a long one. Sorry if there's any errors, I really wanted to just get it out.

Tony and you were laying in bed. It was one of the few occasions that you could convince Tony to come to bed and he could actually sleep. This time, you were the one not sleeping much, content to run your fingers around the edges of his arc reactor. The glow allowed you to see the outlines of his face in the darkness. The softness of his features when they were fully relaxed reminded you about how much you love his wrinkles when he smiles. 

“You’re staring,” Tony grumbled after a while.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I’ll stop.” But you made no move to look away or to stop running your finger over the rim of his reactor.

Tony opened one eye to look at you. “You’re wide awake.” He moved slightly and opened both eyes to get a better look at you.

“Yes, we’ve seemed to switch positions tonight.”

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Just couldn’t stop staring at you… you’re very pretty.”

Tony chuckled. “Pretty?”

“You heard what I said.”

“Well, my dear, you’re prettier.” Tony scooted closer to give a peck to the tip of your nose. He pulled away and studied your eyes. “Are you sure the only reason you’re awake is because I’m pretty?”

You shrugged. “Sometimes I like watching you sleep.”

“Hmm.” He glanced down at your fingers that were running over his arc reactor. “Is it the light? I can put a shirt on.”

“Don’t you dare.”

Tony chuckled a little before the two of you sat in silence for a moment. “I’ve been thinking about seeing if I can get rid of this thing.”

“What?” Your hand stopped its movements as his statement shocked you. “Is that even an option? The reactor is keeping you alive.”

“I’ve looked into some doctor’s that I believe could help me take the shrapnel out of me.”

“That’s… that’s…” 

Your eyes fell to the glowing reactor. This object was inside of your boyfriend’s chest, keeping him alive. It was an object that brought an odd sense of peace to you, especially when missions were hard and you didn’t think you or Tony were going to make it out. It was your personal night-light, connected to the most important person in your life. What would life be without Tony having a reactor in his chest? Would the suit’s work the same? Would Tony’s heart be okay? What if he didn’t survive the surgery? What if Tony—

“Honey,” Tony pulled you from your thoughts through his words and gently taking your face in his hands. He could tell that you were spiraling. You met his gaze. “I promise that I would do anything unless I’m a 100% sure it will work. I will consult every doctor, including Bruce, and I’ll have JARVIS run every possible scenario. Okay?”

“Okay,” you gave a slight nod.

Tony could tell that you still weren’t all in. “And I promise that, after collecting all the research, I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to.”

You sighed. “If it’s really what you want, I will support you.”

Tony gave you a tight-lipped smile before leaning in to give you a light kiss. “We can talk more about this in the morning.” He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into his chest. “We should sleep.”

You giggled. “Said Tony Stark. The Sleepless Wonder.”

“Well that’s a new one.” 

Sighing, you snuggled into Tony. “Goodnight, Tones.”

“Goodnight, my dear,” he pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “Love you.”

~~~

The talk of removing Tony’s arc reactor failed to me talked about more in the morning. Instead, the two of you continued your lives like the talk hadn’t happened. Well, except for the fact that Tony had started pulling together research on doctor’s and procedures. 

Weeks went by and you barely remembered the conversation anymore. Tony and you were just living your lives: trainings, meetings, lab time, date nights. Life was good.

“How big do you think this mission is?” You asked Natasha as the two of you walked to the conference room.

“Well, since everyone’s being called in for this, I’d say pretty big,” she responded.

“Great… Just what I want to deal with.”

Natasha laughed. “It’s been a while since we’ve all be called out together, it might be nice.”

“It’s only nice for you because your boyfriend isn’t as overprotective as mine.”

“I don’t know, the Hulk can be very protective.”

“Yes, but Bruce isn’t. Tony is overprotective all the time.”

Natasha opened the door to the conference room. “I guess you’re right, since your boyfriend saved you a seat and mine’s standing in the corner.”

You let out a laugh as the two of you entered and found your seats. Tony shot you a smile as you sat down behind him. “Thanks for saving me a seat,” you whispered.

Tony turned in his chair and reached over to take your hand, bringing your hand up to press a kiss to the back of it. “Anytime.”

Steve quickly got started with the briefing and Tony didn’t let go of your hand through it all. It was a big mission, everyone was needed. The plan was to take down a major HYDRA facility located near the North Pole. You and Tony were tasked with entering the facility, wiping the drives and placing the needed explosives. The rest of the Team would be outside as the distraction since it was clear that the facility was not empty.

“Is everyone clear about their assignments?” Steve asked. He looked around the room to see the multitude of nods and ‘yes’s heard. “Alright. Pack up and rest up, we leave late tonight.”

Everyone stood up but Tony and yourself. Tony’s thumb was rubbing the back of your hand. You could tell that he was nervous, he always was when it came to you going on missions. Once everyone left, you rolled your chair closer to his.

“Are you alright?” You asked softly, trying to pull him from his anxious thoughts.

“Just… something doesn’t feel right about this mission,” Tony admitted. He wasn’t usually one to feel this way, it was usually you. 

“I’m sure that it’s just my normal nervousness getting to you.”

“No,” Tony shook his head. “That’s not it.” He turned his chair and looked you in the eyes. “This mission isn’t going to end well.”

“When does any mission?”

“I’m not joking, Y/N. I… I think we need to stay back.”

“We can’t, Tony. The whole Team is needed. I’m sure that we’re just switching roles again. You haven’t been this nervous about a mission in a while. It was about time.”

“I guess you could be right…” He sighed. “We should get ready.”

“Yeah.” You leaned in and gave him a kiss. You could tell that his anxiousness about the mission wasn’t going to go away until you were all back in the safety of the compound. “I love you.”

Tony pressed out a smile for you before kissing you. “I love you more.”

~~~

Tony was an anxious mess the whole flight. He choose to fly the quinjet to help ease his nerves but that caused the flight to not be as smooth as it should have been. Everyone kept eyeing you, trying to get you to do something but you knew that taking him away from the controls would be worse. 

“Is Stark okay enough to do this?” Steve whispered to you as you finished getting ready in the back of the quinjet. “I haven’t seen him this bad in… well, in ever.”

You sighed. “He has a bad feeling about this mission. I’m starting to as well.”

“It’s too late to back out now.”

“I know. I’ll keep a close eye out on him and let you know if we need back up in there.”

“Please. We don’t want to lose either of you just because Tony’s not fully focused.”

“I can handle him, Steve. Trust me.”

~~~

“Y/N! I need you to hurry, we have more company coming!”

“Well if you hadn’t lost the damn drive, I wouldn’t have to erase everything manually!”

You were frantically typing on the facility’s main frame, trying to erasing everything as fast as you could. Tony was just outside the room, shooting down any HYDRA agents that came your way.

“I told you this mission wasn’t going to end well!” Tony shouted.

“It’s not over yet, Stark! Focus!”

Suddenly, you heard a loud explosion come from the hall. It shook the place, causing you to fall to the ground.

“Tony!” You shouted, pushing yourself up to rush into the smoke filled hallway. “Tony!” You coughed as you tried to search for him through the thick, gray smoke. “Tony!” You pressed a finger to the comm in your ear. “Captain, can you hear me?” No response. “Anyone? I need backup. Now!” Again, nothing.

Hearing footsteps, you grabbed the guns from your thighs and held them up. You took a few careful steps, still unable to see much, before you tripped. You rolled over whatever you tripped over as gracefully as you could then turned to see if you could tell what you tripped over. You gasped as you saw the familiar gold and red appear through the smoke. You crawled closer to see that it was Tony. He was completely passed out with an EMP attached to the chest of his suit.

“Tony!” You exclaimed as your hands took hold of his face. “Tony! Wake— Up!” You began to cough more and your eyes grew tired. It was clear to you now that the smoke wasn’t just smoke. “JARVIS?” You called, trying to see if the AI would respond. You needed to get Tony out of here, even if his suit did all the work. “JAR—VIS… Any… one…”

Feet stopped right in front of you and Tony before you passed out on top of him.

~~~

“Has anyone heard from Stark or L/N?” Steve shouted as he threw his shield at a group of HYDRA agents.

“Not at all!” Natasha responded as she fought.

“They’re taking too long,” Clint noted from where he was shooting arrows from a tree.

“JARVIS,” Steve called, “I need information on Stark and L/N and I need it—“

Steve was cut off by the facility exploding. The Team members on the ground were thrown by the blast as were many of the HYDRA agents left.

“Tony! Y/N!” Clint yelled as he tried to get them to respond on the comms. “Damn it!”

“Captain,” JARVIS came through Steve’s earpiece, “I am unable to locate or connect to Mr. Stark or Miss L/N.”

“What?” Steve responded. “Since when?”

“Since about eight minutes ago.”

“Call Fury, tell him to send in SHIELD agents. All of them. Coulson, Hill, everyone needs to be on this. We need to find them.”

~~~

You didn’t immediately open your eyes when you finally came to. You wanted to get any information you could on what was going on before HYDRA knew that you were awake. You were strapped to a leather chair. Metal cuffs were keeping your ankles, wrists, and neck in place while large bands ran across your stomach and thighs. You had been stripped of your suit, leaving you in biker shorts and a sports bra. 

The room around you was a cooler temperature. You couldn’t tell yet if it was whatever the room was made out of or if they were purposefully keeping the temperature lower. The only other thing you could sense was that there was someone else in the room.

Finally, you opened your eyes. The room walls were cement and you were sure that whoever was keeping you here was keeping the room at a cooler temperature. As best you could with a metal cuff around your neck, you looked over to the side of you. You gasped when you saw Tony and the state he was in.

Tony had been stripped of his suit and clothes, leaving him in his boxers. He was strapped onto a matching chair in the same way you were. The thing that concerned you the most was the wires that started at his partially destroyed arc reactor and went down on either side of him, along the floor, and disappeared into the wall. You also noticed that Tony had medical equipment attached to him and a nearby monitor, allowing you to see that his heart was still beating.

“Tony,” you rasped, your voice not really there from lack of use. You cleared your throat the best you could before trying again. “Tony.” He groaned in response, slightly moving. “Tony, wake up.”

“Mhm?” He hummed. “Y/N?”

“It’s me, it’s me.”

His eyes blinked open, slowing taking in his surrounding. He glanced over to you before looking down at his chest. “I told you the mission was a bad idea.”

You couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I’m sorry for not believing you. Are you alright?”

“For now. Are you?”

“I’m in better shape than you. Your arc reactor is damaged. You have wires running out of it to who knows where and you—“

“Woah, woah, woah, honey, breathe. I need you to breathe for me.”

“Tony, what if—“

“We are going to be okay, alright Y/N? We are going to get out of here.”

“Tony, I—“

You were cut off by the door opening. A smug, middle-aged man in a suit waltzed in with two armed guards behind him.

“Nice to see you both wake,” the man said. “And it’s nice to finally meet you both. Especially you, Tony Stark.”

“Am I supposed to know you?” Tony responded with his usual sarcasm. “College? A frat party? You know I was constantly drunk until recent years so—“

“You wouldn’t know me, Mr. Stark. But you sure knew my father, Obadiah Stane.” You noticed Tony’s jaw clench. “My name is Phillip Stane. My father had me in secret and didn’t want much to do with me until he realized that I was almost as smart was you. I went to MIT a few years after you, did everything my father wanted to make me like you. Then you killed him. HYDRA found me not too long later and offered me a deal. I’ve been working with them in secret.”

“What do you want with us?” You broke your silence.

Phillip chuckled as he walked between the two chairs. “You haven’t figured it out yet? My father raised me to be Tony. The only things that I’ve been missing is his suits and reactors… well, and his girl.” Phillip ran a finger along the side of your stomach.

“Don’t touch her!” Tony shouted.

“What are you going to do about it?” Phillip smirked. “You’re all tied up and so is she. Not to mention that the only thing keeping you alive is damaged.” He leaned over and looked at Tony’s reactor. “It is a beautiful piece of equipment. Too bad that it won’t keep you alive for much longer. Our facility here needs to run off the grid and your reactor is the perfect thing to do it. Before we make our own, we thought we’d test out the real thing. Just to see if it works.”

“That will kill him,” you sounded more scared than you would like.

“Oh? Will it? I guess that just a part of it. Call it revenge. Well,” he laughed to himself, “part of the revenge. Wire her up.”

The two armed guards moved around you. They grabbed wires that had clamps on the ends and placed them on your open skin and the cuffs and bands keeping you in place.

“I told you not to touch her!” Tony shouted again, trying to get free.

“You can’t stop me,” Phillip taunted. “And, if it makes you feel any better, I won’t be the one hurting her. You will.”

Tony’s blood ran cold. His eyes followed the wires that were attached to you and found that they lead to a small box of buttons near the wall. There were wires running out of the other side of the box and into his arc reactor.

“No. No. No!” Tony tried fighting harder, to at least get some of the cords loose.

Phillip cackled. “Your reactor will power this facility and torture your girlfriend.” He leaned down to Tony’s ear. “I can’t wait to see who gives up the ghost first.” He cackled some more as he leaned back and headed for the door.

“When I get out of here, I will kill you!”

“You won’t get out of here alive.” Phillip pressed one of the buttons on the box on the wall before leaving the room with the two guards.

Tony groaned as the power in his arc reactor began traveling through the wires. The power split up, some going to power the facility and some going to the wires connected you. You shouted out in pain as the electricity hit you. Quickly, you fisted your hands together and ground your teeth, trying to not worry Tony too much.

“Honey, honey,” Tony called, trying to remain as calm as he could. “You’re okay. We’re going to get out of here.” You groaned, clamping your eyes shut to focus more. Tony began growing emotional. He realized that this form of torture was meant to hurt, but not to last long for either of you. “Y/N… I love you and I’m so sorry… I’m going to get us out of here. I promise. You will not die in here. I will not let that happen…” 

You groaned again, this time louder as the pain was getting worse. Practically mirroring each other, tears ran down yours and Tony’s cheeks. 

“Ahh!” You couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Tony!” You cried out. “Ahh!”

“I’m right here, honey. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” Tony could feel himself growing weaker and could see the light of his reactor dimming. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” Tony repeated through your screams and cries as the minutes went by agonizingly slow. “I’m with you. I’m here. I love you.” You suddenly grew silent, terrifying Tony. “Y/N? Sweetheart?” He glanced over to see that you were still breathing, but it was not well. You had clearly passed out due to everything. “I’m going to be right behind you, sweetheart… I can feel it.” The light in Tony’s reactor was dimming with each passing second. “I love you more than anything… I am so sorry about everything…” Tony was fighting to keep his eyes open as he began to felt pain in his heart. “Who knew? Tony Stark dies of a broken heart… Too bad it… won’t be a… headline… Y/N… sweetheart… I… love… you…”

Tony couldn’t fight it anymore. His eyes closed and the medical machine next to him let out a long and loud beep.

~~~

“Found them!” Natasha shouted as she burst into the room you and Tony were being kept in. She gasped when her eyes saw the damaged arc reactor. Her hands quickly went to his neck and wrist to check for a pulse. “Tony’s down! We need medical!” She rushed over to your side. She was revealed to find even the slightest of pulses with you. “We need medical for Y/N too! She’s hanging on by a thread.” Natasha quickly straddled Tony and began pumping his chest. “You are dying on me! Not today Stark!”

Steve and Clint rushed into the room with two SHIELD medical teams.

“Let me switch you,” Clint urged, as Steve pulled Natasha off of Tony. 

The medical team got machines hooked to you as they moved Tony onto a stretcher. Suddenly, the machines connected to you went haywire.

“She’s coding!” One of the SHIELD agents shouted. 

Steve was quick to come over and began compressions on you. “We can’t lose them! We need to get out of here, now! Coulson, how’s the situation out there?”

“We’ve caught the man who did this,” Coulson responded through the comms. “We’re on our way to the compound for interrogation.”

“I’ve got the quinjet ready for when you get here, Rogers,” Maria came over the comms.

“We’re on our way!”

~~~

The electricity had done some serious internal damage to you, while the shrapnel had entered Tony’s heart. That caused you both to be immediately taken to surgery when the Team landed at the nearest hospital. Everyone was terrified that neither of you were going to make it. But, deep down, they were even more terrified that one of you would and the other one wouldn’t. How would the one left react?

“Rhodey, Happy, and Pepper are on their way,” Bruce said as he reentered the private family waiting room the group was put in.

“Good,” Steve answered with a nod. “How long has it been since we’ve had an update?”

“Three hours,” Clint said. “It’s been seven since we’ve got here.”

“The will survive,” Thor stated. “They are both strong.”

Steve sighed as he ran a hand down his face. “Seven hours and they are both still back in surgery? Bruce, do you know any reason why it would be this long?”

Bruce shook his head. He had found a seat over in the corner, with Natasha resting her head on his lap, asleep. “It’s not good for either of them.”

A gentle knock sounded at the door before it opened, revealing a nurse and a doctor. The Team stood up, nervous to hear the update.

“Both Miss L/N and Mr. Stark are out of surgery,” the doctor stated. “But, they are both still in dangerous waters. We are looking into organ donors for both of them?”

“What for?” Clint questioned.

“Y/N needs a liver. Fortunately, we can take that from a live donor as we only need to take a partial lobe.”

“I’ll do it,” Steve stepped up. “I have the best recovery chance.”

“Thank you for your willingness, Captain, but we need to test you to see if you’re a match first.”

“Whatever, I’ll do it.”

“If any of you are willing to get tested, we can do that.”

“What about Tony?” Natasha asked.

The doctor sighed. “Mr. Stark’s story is different. Since the arc reactor was damaged, the shrapnel was able to enter his heart and tear it up so much that we aren’t able to fix it. He will need a heart transplant. We are recommending that he be taken back to the compound or a nearby hospital to it for a better chance of getting a heart.”

The Team was in shock. Both of their teammates needed a transplant, but two very different types.

“We are also recommending that we wait for Miss L/N’s transplant until she’s back at the compound as well. It will be easier for her to heal somewhere familiar.”

“I’m going to call Rhodey,” Bruce said, heading out of the room. He needed to leave the room because he could feel the Other Guy trying to push to the surface. 

“We won’t move them until they’re more stable, but are willing to work quickly to get them moved. Nurse Beck can take anyone who wants to to get tested for the liver transplant.”

“Thank you, doc,” Steve said. “We’ll start putting things together.”

~~~

Just as Steve had hoped, he was a match and fought Natasha on giving the liver needed for the transplant. Steve won as his super soldier serum had him at an advantage for healing. Clint and Thor worked with the doctor to get the quinjet prepped for transport. You were stabilized first and placed in the quinjet. Natasha held your hand tightly as she studied you, unable to take her eyes off of you. 

Tony was brought up next, about an hour later, in much worse condition than you. That got Natasha to burst into tears. Bruce came over and held her close as she cried while Clint got the quinjet into the air. Steve sat between the two beds, constantly checking on either of you. It was his duty as Captain to protect his Team and he was feeling like a failure.

“Y/N told me that Tony had a bad feeling about the mission,” Steve whispered. “I should have talked to him and canceled it.”

“It’s not your fault, Rogers,” Thor told him.

“I’m the Captain of the Team. Fury has entrusted me with it.”

“That doesn’t mean their lives are in your hands. Stark and Y/N knew what they were getting themselves into. It’s part of their jobs.” 

“What if Tony doesn’t survive this? A heart transplant is much more critical than a liver transplant. If Y/N survives and Tony doesn’t…”

“We can’t afford to think like that. They will both survive.”

“Are you trying to convince me or you?”

“Both.”

~~~

The compound was ready to receive you and Tony as soon as you landed. Due to not having a heart yet, Tony was taken straight to a room where Happy, Rhodey and Pepper went to watch him. Steve and yourself were taken straight to the operating rooms. The surgery took six hours. You and Steve were taken to the same room, simple curtains splitting up each of the beds. 

Steve had been awake for a few hours by the time the doctor’s decided to try and wake you. The curtain between you and Steve’s bed was pulled back so that he could watch as the Team gathered around. They kept the curtain closed between Tony and your’s beds so that you wouldn’t immediately freak out. The Team waited with bated breath to see you breathe on your own. Slowly, your eyes began to blink open. 

The light bothered your eyes as they tried to focus on anything. You began to panic slightly when you couldn’t recognize where you were. Natasha’s red hair came into few and focus first, when her face slowly following.

“It’s okay,” she cooed, standing above you to try to calm you. “You’re safe now. You’re okay.”

“T—T—Ton—Tony…” you stuttered. “T—Tony…”

You noticed Natasha glance at someone across from her. You looked over to see Clint standing there. The look they were sharing did not bring you any comfort. You tried to swallow the roughness in your throat.

“W—Wh—Where’s… Tony?” You tried.

“Here,” Bruce handed Natasha a cup of water with a straw.

Natasha took it and held the straw to your lips. “Drink,” she told you.

You didn’t argue, knowing that you needed fluid. You took a few sips before clumsily waving the cup away.

“Where’s Tony?” You repeated.

“We’re so glad that you’re okay,” Clint said, clearly trying to change the subject.

“You’ve been through a lot,” Natasha said. “You had a liver transplant. Steve gave you part of his.” She motioned with her head over to Steve, who was laying in the bed beside yours. 

“What?” You questioned. “Steve… you didn’t have to.”

“Yes, I did,” he responded.

“Thanks… for saving my life… all of you… But… No one has answered my original question… where is Tony?” The Team shared another bunch of unsettling looks. “What are you not telling me? What happened?”

“Y/N,” Natasha began gently, “what do you remember?”

“I remember being in the HYRDA facility and some explosion going off. I went out into the hallway and found Tony passed out on the floor due to an EMP. I was out not long later. When I came to… Tony and I were cuffed to chairs, stripped of most of our clothes. They had damaged his arc reactor and hooked up wires from it to the building and to the wires they added onto me. They used the power of his arc reactor to torture me and to run some power to the building… the pain… it was too much.”

“Do you remember who did this to you?”

“Yes,” you swallowed. “Phillip Stane.” You looked over at Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. “Obadiah Stane’s secret son.”

“That matches with the information Coulson is sending in from interrogation,” Thor confirmed. 

You realized that Happy, Pepper, and Rhodey were awkwardly standing near the curtain divider. Listening carefully, you could hear more medical machines on the other side. Your heart rate began to pick up.

“Where’s Tony?” You repeated.

“Y/N, we need you to—“

“WHERE’S TONY?!” You screamed, not caring that you interrupted Bruce.

“Pull the curtain,” Steve ordered.

Rhodey nodded, taking the divider and pulled it across the room. You gasped as Tony came into view, looking worse than the last time you had seen him. Tears began cascading down your cheeks.

“Oh gosh!” You exclaimed. “Tony!”

“The damage to his arc reactor caused the shrapnel to tear up his heart,” Bruce carefully stated. “Due to that, Tony is in need of a heart transplant. We don’t know when—or if—he’ll get a donor.”

“What happens if he doesn’t get one?” Everyone remained silent. It was an obvious question but you couldn’t help but ask it. “He—I—He can’t—“ The machines you were connected to began freaking out. “I—“

Natasha quickly grabbed the oxygen masked and held it to your face. “You need to breathe, Y/N,” she coaxed. “In and out. Slow and deep.”

“I’ve been on the phone with all the local hospitals,” Pepper said. “Due to the state he is in, Tony is at the top of the list. The next available match will be his.”

“The doctor’s are prepared to do anything they can to help him stay alive long enough to get a heart,” Bruce added. 

“I—I can’t lose him,” you cried through the oxygen mask. “I… I can’t do it…” Your stats began to skyrocket.

“I’m going to give you something to calm you and help you sleep.” Bruce went to the cart by your bed.

“No,” you shook your head. “No. Please, I can’t—“

Bruce was quick to inject a liquid into your IV. You feel asleep almost immediately. “We have to keep her calm, especially as she heals.”

“She’s not going to remain calm while Tony’s in this state,” Natasha said.

“Then we may have to keep her sedated.”

“We must hope and pray that Tony gets a heart,” Steve said.

“Tony wouldn’t want someone else to die for him,” Rhodey said.

“He doesn’t have an option,” said Clint.

~~~

You were in and out of sedation for a few days due to the fact that you couldn’t remain calm. Every time you saw Tony and thought about the state he was in and that he may not survive, you panicked. You simply couldn’t handle the possibility of life without him. The Team was always coming and going from your room, someone always in there with you and Tony. Especially after Steve had been released just a day after your surgery.

Phillip Stane was still in lock up in the compound, but Coulson and Fury had made plans to move him to a high security unit. You had only learned that because you had pretended to still be asleep while Fury and Clint were watching over you and Tony. 

So far, there hadn’t been any matching hearts in the area for Tony. You could tell that the Team and staff were trying to remain positive, but every day you could see them lose that positivity more and more. You even knew that they were being more positive around you than they actually felt due to your continued reactions.

After about a week of you being in and out, you had finally calmed yourself to be released from the doctor��s care. That didn’t mean you were leaving the room any time soon though. You found yourself in a chair next to Tony, holding his hand. You barely spoke, even in the brief moments that you were alone with him. You didn’t have anything to say. All you wanted was your Tony back. You wanted his sarcasm and his wit. You wanted his romantic side and his soft, nervous side. You especially missed his arc reactor that you knew was no longer there under the bandages that were wrapped around his chest. His arc reactor meant that he was alive.

“Y/N! Y/N! Y/N!” Steve shouted as he bounded down the med-bay halls, toward the room you were in. You turned to see him as he slid into the room. “They have one! There’s a heart on the way!”

“What?” You breathed out. “Are you serious?”

“Serious! The nurses are on their ways now to take him back to surgery.”

“He’s getting a heart?”

“He’s getting a heart.”

You turned to Tony, tears slipping from your eyes. “You’re getting a heart.” You stood up and kissed his forehead before resting yours on top of his. “You’re going to make it through… you have to… I love you… I love you… I love you…” You repeated it, like a prayer, remembering how he kept doing the same when the two of you had been captured. “I love you…”

“We’re here to take Mr. Stark,” a nurse said as they entered with three others.

“I’ll see you on the other side.” You kissed his forehead again as the tears came harder. Steve walked over and pulled you away, turning you so that he could hold you against him. You watched as they pushed Tony away until you couldn’t see him anymore. “He has to make it, Steve… I don’t think I could live if he doesn’t.”

~~~

Twelve hours. You paced the waiting room for twelve hours. No one was able to convince you to sit and rest. Thankfully, you did take food and drink. No one came out for updates, making you even more on edge. By the time the doctor’s did come out, you were shaking but wouldn’t let anyone help you.

“The surgery was successful,” the doctor said. You felt like you could breathe some. “We will have to see if the transplant takes, but we are hopeful.”

“He’ll make it?” You questioned.

“We’re hopeful.”

“Thank you, doc,” Steve said.

“We’ll let you know when Mr. Stark is available for visitors.”

As soon as the doctor left, your body gave out. Luckily, Steve was there to catch you. He hoisted you up and took you up to your room. He tucked you in and left, leaving JARVIS to watch you while you slept.

~~~

You groaned as you slowly began to wake. It took you a minute to realize where you were and where you believed you should be. You jumped out of bed and rushed down to the med-bay. Thankfully, no one questioned where you were going and that they had placed Tony in the same room as before. You were grateful to see that Tony wasn’t alone and that Natasha and Clint were with him.

“Hey there sleepy head,” Clint commented.

“How is he?” You asked as you went to sit beside him.

“So far there’s been no scares,” Natasha said. “The doctor’s are hopeful that they may be able to wake him later today.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

~~~

It was about eight pm when the doctor’s decided to try and wake Tony. You sat back, holding your breath as they pulled tubes and cleaned him up a little more. The moment Tony’s hand twitched and a groaned escaped his mouth, your heart leaped for joy.

“Y/N…” He groaned again. “Y/N…”

“I’m right here, Tones,” you said, standing up to be beside him. You took his hand and made sure that you could be seen by him when he finally opened his eyes.

“Y/N…” His eyes slowly opened, immediately locking onto you.

“You’re alive,” you cried. 

“You’re… alive,” he repeated.

You pressed a kiss to his forehead, allowing your tears to fall onto his skin. “I was so worried.”

“Same.”

You let out a watery laugh before starting to ramble. “I’m sorry for not supporting you immediately when you said you didn’t want your arc reactor. It’s my fault. It shouldn’t have been—“

“Hey, hey, hey.” Tony shakily reached up and cupped your face. “It’s alright… I’m right here… None of it was your fault.”

“I was so scared.”

“I was too.” He groaned as he tried to move slightly. “Let me guess… new heart?”

“Yes.”

“Where’s Pepper? I need her to send a note and check to the person’s family.”

“I’m sure she’s already on it.”

Tony nodded. His eyes scanned what he could see of you. “Are you alright?”

“I’m okay…” You nodded. “Steve had to give me a part of his liver, but other than that, I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?” He didn’t believe you one bit. 

“I am. Especially now that you’re awake… I missed you… I love you so much Tony.”

“I love you more.” 

Tony pulled you down to kiss you. He savored the flavor of your tears that flowed down your cheeks and mixed into the kiss. He understood that this all was hard for you and would only continue to be. Tony didn’t even know how he was going to sit mentally since he had been awake for mere minutes. What he did know, is that he’d do anything to make sure that you’re going to get out of this alright.

~~~

It took two weeks for Tony to be released from the med-bay. He could have been released after one week, but everyone had agreed that Tony wouldn’t rest if he wasn’t under the careful watch of the medical personal. You rarely left Tony’s side. This allowed you both to see how the other was truly doing. 

Tony could tell that you were going back there every time you closed your eyes. Almost every night, you would end up curled in a ball at the end of his bed whimpering and crying out for Tony. Pulling you out of the nightmares wasn’t the easiest thing to do. When he finally was able to, you would close yourself off and say that you need a drink, leaving the room. Unfortunately, Tony couldn’t follow you but he had JARVIS track you. You often didn’t make it too far and would end up in a ball on the floor crying.

You, on the other hand, could tell that Tony wasn’t sleeping at all. Thankfully, you persuaded his doctor to help with that problem but he could only do it for a few days. Besides the lack of sleep, Tony was also barely touching you. It was like he was scared to. You didn’t blame him for anything but you knew that he blamed himself for everything. It’s what he did. Tony’s guilt always ran deep, especially if he dealt with someone he cared about.

Everyone on the Team could see that both of you were struggling. None of them wanted to impose until Tony was released, wanting to see if some would fix itself.

Waking hand-in-hand, Tony and you made your way to the common room where the Team had thrown together a small party for the two of you. It was a nice and easy party, letting you truly relax more than you had in a long time. You were sitting off to the side with Natasha. She was talking but you weren’t listening, just watching Tony across the room with the guys.

“Okay,” Natasha pulled you from your thoughts by tugging your arm lightly. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” you shook your head. “Just tired.”

“Mhm… then why don’t you get Tony and head to your room?”

“Because, we’ll get there and neither of us will sleep and I will try to jump his bones because it’s been so long and I’m so glad he’s alive.”

“I don’t see the problem with that. The doctor cleared both of you.”

“He won’t touch me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hand-holding is really all we’ve done since he woke up. And I’ve initiated all those times.”

“But you’ve kissed, right?”

“The day he woke up… I know what’s going on, he’s blaming himself for what happened. Especially since it was the energy from his arc reactor that caused my injuries.” A few tears escaped your eyes and you quickly wiped them. “I’m just going to go to bed.” You stood up.

“Y/N…”

“Tell Tony that I went to bed, please.” You walked off.

Natasha sighed. She got up and moved toward where the men were gathered. “Stark,” she called.

“Sounds like someone’s in trouble,” Clint mumbled.

“What’s up, Red?” Tony responded. He glanced around. “Where’s Y/N? I thought that she was with you.”

“She went up to bed.”

Tony knew that you heading out without telling him wasn’t good. “Do you know why?”

“I think that you two need to talk, sooner than later.”

Tony nodded. “Thanks for the party. I’ve got to go.”

Tony rushed out of there, not caring what anyone was going to say. He needed to talk to you, especially if you left without telling him. When he reached your shared room, he carefully walked in and looked around. You weren’t in the main bedroom, so Tony looked to see light peaking out from under the bathroom doors. He walked over and leaned his ear near one of the doors. His heart broke as he heard your sobs.

“Honey?” He called. “Can I come in?”

Hearing Tony’s voice caused you to stand up straight and quickly wipe your face off. “In a second!” Your voice cracked as you responded.

“I know that you’re crying in there.”

You sighed as you went to the door and unlocked it. You twisted the door knob and pulled it slightly open, leaving Tony to do the rest. Tony pushed the door open and you suddenly launched yourself at him. You tightly gripped at his jacket as you bury your head in his neck and let the sobs loose.

“Sweetheart,” Tony whispered as his arms came around to hold you close to him. “I’m right here… I’m right here…”

Tony held you as you sobbed. His hands ran up and down your back as he tried his best to comfort you. After a few minutes, your sobs began to die down to painful hiccups. Without a word or letting go of you, Tony moved the two of you over to the bed, guiding you to sit down next to him.

“Talk to me, honey,” Tony urged.

“I can’t close my eyes… every time I do, we’re back in that room. And I—I can’t breathe and I watch you die and I… I…”

“I’m feeling a similar way. Every time I close my eyes or look at you… it’s all my fault. All the pain you went through… I caused that.”

“No,” you shook your head as you pulled away from his neck to look at him. “You did not cause me pain.”

Tony pressed his lips into a line. “But I did. It was my arc reactor that gave them the power to torture you.”

“But you didn’t hook me up to the wires. You didn’t do that. You tried to fight for me. You kept me going with your words as they tortured me… You didn’t hurt me, you kept me alive, Tony.”

A tear slipped out of one of Tony’s eyes. He looked up to try and control his emotions. “I was so helpless… They were hurting you and I couldn’t do anything to stop them… I never want to feel that way again.” He looked at you. “You are my everything… I promise that I will never let anyone hurt you like that again… I will never hurt you like that again…”

“Oh, Tony,” one of your hands went up to his cheek to wipe some of the trailing tears. “I promise that I will never let anyone hurt you like that again… I hated seeing you like that.”

He leaned in and kissed you. “I love you so much.”

“I love you more.”

~~~

Slowly, the two of you began to work on putting yourselves (and each other) back together. Tony found you both a therapist, deciding it’s what you both needed. The two of you talked more openly with each other and worked on sleeping in your bed instead of staying up in Tony’s lab working (which had become a big problem for both of you). Tony had began to keep a hand on you anytime he was near you, which you didn’t mind. You knew that it was how he was coping with everything now. 

Two months since Tony woke, you and him were laying in your bed, trying to fall asleep. Your fingers were lightly trailing Tony’s scars on his chest. You sighed as your fingers found his arc reactor scar and began trailing it.

“What is it?” Tony quietly asked upon hearing your sigh.

“I miss it,” you admitted.

“Miss what?”

“Your reactor. Especially on nights like this. Its faint glow would help me sleep.”

Tony stated quiet, clearly thinking about something. After a moment, he kissed your head and pulled himself away, getting out of bed.

“Where are you going?” You sat up.

“Just stay right there. I’ll be back.”

Then Tony disappeared out of the room. You sighed as you threw yourself back on the bed. What could he possibly be getting? It wasn’t long before Tony returned with a familiar glass box.

“What are you doing with your original arc reactor?” You asked as he came over to your side of the bed.

“It still glows,” he answered. He sat on the edge of the bed and placed the box down on your bedside table. “I’ve added a switch.” He reached around to the back and flipped the switch. You smiled as the old reactor glowed. “What do you think?”

“It’s perfect.” You pulled Tony in for a kiss. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, my dear.” He kissed you again. “Think you can sleep now?”

“Maybe,” you smirked, “after I thank you properly.”

A cheeky grin grew on his face. “I think I can get behind that.”