#x: chiralium burn

[devil-kindred]

I was lucky enough to be able to commission @senka-mesecine a second time and they’ve knocked it out of the park again! It’s so amazing and more beautiful than anything I could’ve imagined! This goes perfectly with a scene from my upcoming fic “Sunshine” where the two are briefly reunited after Faye is (accidentally) jumped to the beach. A tiny peek at that work can be found here.

One again, I can’t thank you enough @senka-mesecine! If any of you out there are wanting a commission, please contact them!

[lethalchiralium]

Sing To Me | Higgs Monaghan [The Artist and the Destroyer]

a/n: hello! i’m active! and for artist and the destroyer??? incredible. gotta love it. can still be read by itself! no need to read any other parts (even though i’d love you for it) don’t love the shit that’s fucking with my life though so enjoy uwu

warnings: amelie strand. do i need to say more? cussing, fear, higgs? not really higgs.

summary: higgs can get bored sometimes, especially if he’s not feeling himself.

Higgs got bored.

He’d tell you all day and with every breath he took that he had so much fun when he was alone, but he always had you. Except for today, apparently you had gathered some shitty porter gear from your closet and had left your shelter. Of course he wanted to see what in God’s name you were doing and where you were going, but that’s too… clingy. He wasn’t clingy, he was the Particle of God, for fuck’s sake.

He hated the humanity you so violently stabbed into him when your furnace broke that one time. You were shivering so violently that night, even with him trapped beneath your sleeping form. Whatever he fucked with in that furnace worked, and he’s hated himself ever since. He convinced himself that he didn’t want to fuck with a voidout by his little play thing, but his play thing gave him something to do and when he wasn’t fucking with Sam, he was having fun with you.

Except for this moment, as he chucked the tennis ball at the wall repeatedly, a tune blended into his head. A song he played on his guitar back in his shelter, one he wrote as a lonely, pathetic porter. He almost hit his hand on the wall, trying to make the time fly by like when your pretty smile shines right at him.

“So this is how it ends,” he began to sing that damn tune, the song that seemed to infest his brain as he sat in your bunker for two hours. “Not with a whisper but a bang.” He wasn’t worried, he was far from worried. He was so calm that he could probably have a normal conversation without wanting to kill something out of anxiety. He couldn’t stop picturing you dead in some valley and he was too concerned with his pride to jump and check. He knew he didn’t have much pride when it came to you “Slammin' doors and broken picture frames, puffed-up pride and called-out names.”

You, on the other hand, trudged out of the snow towards your shelter. Old porter boots strapped tighter than they should’ve began to ache less and your pack with your easel and paints strapped to your back became lighter. The sensor poles activated, scanning your ID and quietly opening the door, seeing that you set it to since Higgs was passed out on the floor when you left to go paint one of the mountains nearby for fun. The door opened slowly and you shut it quietly, trying to leave Higgs be in case he needed the rest. But you heard music, like someone was singing.

“I ransom gold,” the voice sang loudly as you walked down the stairs, hearing something hit the wall with rhythm as well. “Peddle your wares on down the road, your manufactured love will stop the show,” A few more steps. “For all the fools just passin by, who have yet to get wise.”

Holy fucking shit, it was Higgs whatever-the-fuck-his-middle-name-is Monaghan. Throwing a tennis ball at the wall and fucking singing, and singing well. Higgs. The terrorist Higgs Monaghan was singing like he was an angel.

“I never meant to break your heart,” A loud yet strong belt came from him as the ball stayed in his hand, he spun around, kicking the ground with a look of boredom on his face as you hid against the wall the best you could. Holy. Fuck. “I only meant to speak the truth-”

“Welcome, Y/N.” Your shelter soon activated at the wrong damn time and you jumped down the remaining steps, scared out of your skin by not just the shelter, but the hell-summoning stare of one man.

“Higgs-” You started but he closed his eyes and bared his teeth, his hand up before his icy eyes met yours like they had become fire.

“You heard nothin’.” He said, finger pointed straight at you before he almost jumped, but your hand grabbed his hand before he could think about it.

“Don’t be scared of yourself.”

Higgs almost looked offended, but you continued. “You run away every time you show me who you really are, under that damn body armor and that stupid cloak.”

“‘Cause you don’t deserve it.” He answered sharply, his other hand dropped the tennis ball. “Let me go, Y/N.”

You yanked his hand forwards, pulling him with as your voice grew sharp and louder than before. “Don’t deserve it? I show you, a fucking terrorist, every damn side of me like it a fucking game. I don’t show fucking anyone anything of me- I mean for fuck’s sake-” Your pther hand pulled off his glove, causing Higgs to almost snarl but he was still docile. He was interested in what you were doing - but a part of him needed to hear what you were gonna say. “You’re comfortable with me doing that. You have fixed my furnace, helped me through a rough week and you smile whenever you see my art. I show you my vulnerability and I get to see glimpses of a man I want to know.”

“You know me.”

“You’re fucking stupid.” You shouted back, throwing the glove in his face before letting go, knowing the fight is an uphill battle where he will always win. You turned around and shove off your pack, angered as you unzipped your suit and walked down the hall. “You’re so fucking stupid, Higgs.”

He turned towards the hall, hand slipping back on his glove as his voice raised, “How the fuck am I stupid if I didn’t want you to hear my stupid fucking song?” He took a step forwards, pointing his finger again. “That was private!”

“Maybe I want to hear you sing, Higgs, ‘cause I liked your voice and I don’t think you’re weak.”

Fire began to spread under his skin, from astonishment and anger. You should have never heard that leave his lips, ever. “Says the damn coward.”

The pause you took was threatening in nature, eyes pointed straight towards him with an emotion he has never seen in a person before. Porter suit tied around your waist and pack no long strapped to you, you moved into your doorway to look at the man.

“You really wanna talk about cowardice?” It was practically a bark that came from your throat, hands on the doorway to ground you. “Where to begin? Oh, with your precious little Sam Bridges.”

“Y/N-“

“You love to poke fun at the poor guy, you have to power to fucking gut him like he’s a fucking fish yet you don’t make an effort to! You are so much stronger than him, he’s one fucking man. You are too much of a coward to use your powers and be the big bad wolf you make yourself out to me- I mean, you’ve fucking hurt me more than you ever have Sam!”

“That’s a fucking lie!” He spat, “I haven’t hurt a damn hair on your fucking head!”

“And what about me, huh?” You hit the doorframe with your left hand. “Your little façade of being God and not having one connection to keep him down.” A step into the hallway. “Then what am I, ‘cause I’m surely not your friend, I’m not your lover, I could never love someone like you, you fucking ignorant, self-centered fucking coward.”

Higgs could only grip his hand into a fist, his tar-coated heart cracked as you snapped, “Get the fuck out of my house:”

Stings scratched his skin as black tar bubbled beneath your feet, hands grabbed your ankles and you hid your fear, you knew he wouldn’t hurt you. Arms reached up farther and grabbed your knees, pushing you onto them as more acidic hands grabbed your wrists, You only made a grunt and your breathing slightly intensified.

Boots hit the cement and Higgs squatted down, the small little click that left his lips made your stomach curl. Higgs knew you were upset with him, your words didn’t hurt him, but it’s so easy for him to fall into place; into his place. His ungloved hand moved your chin up to look at him, his other hand clutched his missing glove. His eyes didn’t spare any expense at looking at every section of your face, remembering it for when it gets late at night and he thinks of just summoning a BT to swallow him whole. And the eyes that he dreams of stared at him with fear, something small in him hated it but he kept going. Moving your head to look at your neck and how nicely that tank top settled right underneath your collarbone. He was observing how quickly you submitted, just like every other pawn under his calloused thumb.

“Higgs.” You whispered, his fingers dig into your jaw and a sharp grunt left your throat. “I’m sorry.”

He let out a couple chuckles, sighing after, “I needed no apology, darlin’. None of your little monologue nicked me where it hurt.” His hand slid from your jaw to your neck, lightly gripping it and danger really set into your skin. “Except for two things that aren’t quite right.”

The extra glove was thrown behind him and his gloved hand set on the crown of your head. Head completely tilted towards him, you had no option but to listen as the slimy hands still held you tight, some grabbed at your stomach and thighs, nothing out of bounds, thank God.

“It’s a game of cat and mouse, where I completely have control of the game. I like my food to have a little muscle, and exercise is the best way to do it,” he smiled. “it’s entertaining to watch some puny fuck run around like a damn chicken with his head cut off. As for you, my darlin’,” he took a deep breath as he sort of leaned back, releasing your hair and tightening the grip on your neck threateningly.

Eye contact was made and his white teeth were displayed again as he practically purred, “You’re in love with me.”

Everything in you stopped working.

“Those stares that last a little too long, almost being shy in front of me like you didn’t think about me losing my clothes and worshipping you like everyone does to me.” A chuckle made its way into his throat as he continued, “And trust me, it’s hard to breathe around beauty like you but feelins ain’t meant for me.

“You’re one of many playthings, Y/N. You’re just one of my favorites that I decided not to use like the others,” he pushed you upwards by your throat and you barely even noticed the BTs had let you go a long time ago. “you’re special, ‘cause you got feelin’s for me.” He only held you by your neck now, pain began to surge through your body and hands tried to grab his arm. He didn’t even budge.

“Here’s the thing,” he sighed, “now you’ve forced my hand to not only hurt you, but to make you scared of me. I don’t want you scared of me, I like my lovers calm and not fidgety, they get too much and they end up dead in a lake out by Middle Knot. So you’re gonna have to pretend that I never did this to you,” he dropped you to the floor, coughs erupted from your throat as he also fell to your height again, his golden mask in hand. “And your little fantasies can come true,” he stood up as you were paralyzed, staring at him as he tapped the chiralium mask. “and Y/N, my darling?”

You didn’t respond.

He smiled. Submission and fear is what fueled him, but there was that part of him that was enraged with himself. He pressed on as he made eye contact again. “Any bullet you fire at me will go right through you, that’s why you’re on the fucking floor and I am about to order pizza.”

“Higgs,” a whisper escaped your lips.

“You’ll wake up soon,” He added, a snap and his hood appeared on his head, his ice eyes looked away. “I’ll see you soon, I- Fuck..”

Particles clashed together in a flash and he was gone, your vision went black.

•-•-•

When you woke up, it was like life had been sucked out of you. You stumbled to your shower, turned the water to hot and sat in your pajamas. You could still feel his hand around your throat and the tar-coated hands as they touched every inch of your body. Crawling, grabbing, the electricity that sparked through his fingers stayed on your skin like promises, ready to be broken by the right person.

The crying started by the time the water ran cold but you didn’t dare more, you were safe. Hands on your head and body as curled as it could be, you were there for a long time.

You wished it was timefall and that you had already rotted away.

It was a couple hours before the system had shut itself off to conserve water and the AI alerted you to a low water warning, that the water had to be sanitized for reuse, you weren’t worried.

You got up, ripped off your clothes and into nothing, grabbing a new set of clothes when you walked into your room. A comfortable pair of sweatpants and the only sweatshirt you owned - one Higgs gave you. You were hesitant but you wanted it. It was a comfort item. Socks and then your a random book you plucked from your nightstand.

You sat down in the corner of your living room, the book beside you as you held yourself in that sweatshirt, trying to erase that dream from your head.

You needed to erase it because you loved him.

•-•-•

Higgs hated this. Amelie paced back and forth with her hands fidgeting.

“You need to scare him more.” She said, Higgs had heard it a million ties before. “Something big, something huge; like that chiral storm by South Knot.” She stopped and curled her fingers into a fist. “A catcher could work, he’s making his way to Mountain Knot.”

“I could take out that Western Middle Knot distro.” He answered and she gave him a look of disgust.

“The Distribution Center North of Mountain Knot City.” She snapped her fingers and Higgs waltzed around her. “A simple attack could work. Overpower the fuel cells with a package and a BRIDGES worker could die and cause a distro shutdown.”

“It’s not hard, princess.” He stated and looked at the non-existent watch on his wrist. “I’ve got to go do that.”

Amelie chuckled as she turned away. “I know you will. But at least say hello to your prepper friend for me.”

Fuck. “What friend, Amelie?” He harshly growled. “Ain’t got friends anymore ‘cause of you.”

“Y/N was your ex, right?” She said, and Higgs grimaced underneath his mask.

“That prepper is a plaything,” He answered. “Something your puppy can chew on when you’re busy.”

“Y/N is your ex, right Higgs?” She asked again, harsher.

He nodded. Y/N knew him before as Pete Englert, not as his true name since he was never fond of it until Amelie spoke about it with kindness. It was a fling, a few week fling. Two porters who walked the same path and a few words sparked something spectacular. They were the first cut to tie before Middle Knot’s flames roared. But now? He wasn’t sure.

She grimaced. “Are you attached?”

“Amelie, I’d love for you to tell me where something fucking interestin’ happens when I have to wait to fuck with Sam,” Higgs answered sharply and he backed away from her with his hands up. “The damn cells are all about bein’ ready for war and all I want is something to entertain me. Isn’t that was Sam does for you?” He pivoted on his foot, the sand crunched beneath his boots and the woman gave him a dirty look. “So why are you on me for this?”

“Because you have been known for being unpredictable.”

“Okay,” Higgs barked and rested his hands on his hips. “Unpredictable? Just because I tried to re-nuke without fucking talking about every detail with you isn’t a good reason.”

The blonde woman rolled her eyes. “As a punishment for that, I talked with your little prepper friend.”

Gravity in his chest became sudden and his stomach fell to the floor but he didn’t miss a beat. “You what?”

“As you, of course.” She fluttered her fingers as she jumped to beside him, grabbing his shoulder and all he could do was stand there. She had way more power than he could ever dream of. “Traumatized them with you using your powers on them, things you’d say,” She smiled and Higgs had to close his eyes before he punched her. ”and the poor thing is sitting in the shower, wondering why you turned on them so quickly. They were comfortable with you, Higgs, and that is something I don’t like.”

“Hypocrite.” He snapped and Amelie was unfazed.

“You can keep your little prepper, but under no condition can you be friends.”

“Fuck off.”

That was the moment when he was sucked back under into the Seam, floating underwater before his eyes opened and he was sitting in front of the Artist’s shelter.

“That fucking bitch.” Higgs muttered and he stepped into the sensor ring, the sound never failed to give him an house of comfort. He walked under the shelter entrance, the terminal raised from the floor and something in him made him pause.

Did she make you scared? Did she make you scared of him?

Higgs knew he wouldn’t be able to handle this without you, and Amelie ruining that made him both furious and terrified. He wanted to ask to come into your shelter this time, so he could know if what she told him was true. She did love to taunt and lie to him.

He jumped anyway into your living room, hearing no movement and no other sounds other than his own breathing. His hands grabbed his mask and hood, pulling them off and placing them on your kitchen counter. He then began to unlace his boots, something he never does when he’s here, and then placed them next to the door. He peeled off his cloak and his harnesses, setting them on the floor and adding his body armor to the pile, leaving him in his black long sleeve undershirt, his tactical pants, and his socks. He was trying to be as docile-looking to try and not scare you.

God, if Amelie made you scared him, he was going to fuck up everything she ever loved.

His eyes looked through the living room, seeing a towel on the couch but nothing else out of place. He glanced into the kitchen, nothing moved. He looked down the hall to see your bedroom door closed, he quietly and quickly walked towards it.

He opened the door and the relief he felt when he saw your body underneath the blankets but it quickly drained when you sat up and scrambled backwards on your bed.

“Y/N, it’s just me,” Higgs spoke quietly. He took a step into the room and your hand flew out.

“Do not.” Your voice was hoarse, he put his hands up. “Don’t come near me.”

“What did I do?” He spoke genuinely and your eyes closed, screwed shut. “Please.”

“You know what you did!” You answered with a shout. “You violated every boundary I set with you and you deliberately fucked with me to make me scared of you.” And there wasn’t a beat missed after you took a shaky breath. “I don’t wanna be scared of you.”

Tears fell instantly after and Higgs almost bolted towards you but his mind was a little faster.

“It was Amelie. Your dream was Amelie, I’m so sorry,” He answered, another step forward. “She told me but I didn’t know she…”

“I need you.”

Amelie’s words couldn’t break the attachment he had to you since he’s never run this fast in his life. He set his knees beside your thighs and his hands sat on your cheeks as your hands tangled in his dark hair. His eyes couldn’t stop looking into yours, praying to see the fear fade away but it didn’t.

“Baby,” He whispered. “I’d never hurt you.”

“Please never do.” You answered and he pulled you to his chest, sobs left your body like unanswered prayers. “I can’t lose you.”

“I can’t lose you either.” He met your statement with truth. “Everything will be okay, I promise it’ll be okay.”

You never answered after that, sobs leaving your throat faster. Hands gripped his shirt and his own held your head, burying his face into your hair. There was nothing he could say to stop your tears because your fight was internal, and he was about to make his own external.

———

Copyright © 2021 lethalchiralium. All rights reserved.

[voidoutbt]

Welcome to the first little scene (of many, an ongoing series) featuring the adventures of mine and @samfrancis94 @samkuchingdraws MULE OCs 'Cosmic' & 'Franc'.

A collaboration of my writing and Sam's wonderful artwork illustration. Some will be scary, some will be sexy, and some will be very silly. I hope you enjoy. 😊 Your feedback is encouraged and appreciated. 🙏

---------

'Shower encounter'

Death Stranding OC Cosmic the MULE x Higgs/BTs

Warnings : Suggestive unconsented touching.

As Cosmic stepped under the cool blast of water, it took her breath away. It's exactly what was needed after a long hot day of chasing porters for their cargo. She couldn't wait to peel off the layers and let a cold gush hit all the bruises and aches. The outside make-shift shower made of a hose rig and plastic panels wasn't exactly luxury, but it was all they currently had. In MULE terms, it was an indulgence. Most went without running water.

Leaning forward into it so that the spray hit the back of her head, she surveyed her throbbing feet. Blisters covered her toes and heels. 'Hmm, really should upgrade my boots.' She thought. But there had been an odd shortage of decent gear recently, in particular boots. She could have sworn that they had grabbed some in the last encounter, but they were not amongst the shared loot back at camp.

An odd noise broke her thoughts. She straightened up and listened again, straining to hear over the torrent. She thought it sounded a bit like a growl. Her heart pounded, she stood still like a rabbit caught in headlights. Splat. A black handprint appeared on the ground a few metres away. Then another. She took a sharp intake of breath. 'That can't be what I think it is... There's no timefall...And the motion sensors haven't gone off.' The inky prints continued, moving in her direction. She stayed frozen to the spot, eyes wide in panic.

Suddenly a loud bang reverberated through the translucent sheeting next to her - a black tar handprint, followed by a clicking-like growl. Cosmic clamped her hand to her mouth to hold her breath. The urge to scream and cry out for help was overwhelming. The others in camp we were not far way, but too far to run, she would be dragged down before she got anywhere. She couldn't raise the alarm. She couldn't even grab her clothes or a towel. She was completely exposed, and in immediate danger. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing it to go away, shaking while her lungs burned for oxygen.

A voice full of southern drawl abruptly pierced the air in front of her. "Weelll, what do we have here? A lone little Mule." Cosmic gasped, attempting to cover herself with her hands, forgetting about the BT. A couple of metres in front of her a gold chiral skeletal mask appeared, seemingly out of thin air, and danced around with the whimsical voice. She stared, unable to speak with shock, clutching at her own chest and groin defensively. The voice continued after a chuckle, "Ah, ain't nothin' I ain't seen before, little MULE. Not that I mind having another look..."

The skull mask disappeared into a cloud of Chiralium, and with a pop appeared directly behind her. She jumped. The water pooling under her feet grew dark, it became black and sticky, rooting her to the spot. She swore she could feel hot breath on the back of her neck and shoulder, and all the hairs on her neck and arms erected as if the air was electrified. The shower water stopped. A black hand appeared from the puddle between her feet, and grabbed her calf. Then another slimy arm followed, groping her other leg. Cosmic whimpered. The golden mask laughed as the BT arms slid up her legs. They didn't pull her down but held her in place. The searching hands were cold, tacky, and smelt like death. "Please don't kill me!" she managed to blurt out. The skull face hovering over her shoulder chimed "Oh I wasn't going to KILL you....you're too much fun."

The tar arms continued their slow ascent, blindly grabbing, feeling their way. They got to her inner thighs, Cosmic clutched herself tighter, desperate to protect her most intimate areas, shivering from fear and the damp exposure.

Without warning, they stopped. She looked down to see only a now muddy pool she was stood in. The phantom voice echoed in her ear, "Got to keep you wanting more, little MULE..."

Cosmic came to her senses and made a dash for it. She used a towel for cover, and grabbed her clothes, running back to the MULE camp. A few of the others stared after her, she wasn't very often seen out of her suit. As she scurried past his tent crying, Franc looked up from weatherproofing a new pair of boots. He called out after her, "What?! You alright?"

----------

A big thank you to @samkuchingdraws for the beautiful Illustration. Go check out his art!

[astrandofgold]

into your arms, into the void

Higgs x reader, smut

Long, languid strokes, a shirt pulled up as a slender hand teases a golden piercing, a slight sheen from beads of sweat rolling down over a furrowed, tattooed brow, soft panting in the dark, a grip that quickens as pointed teeth bite down on a pleading prayer to your absent body.

_______________

Water droplets create a symphony, cold wind rustles your hair, a pale light glows from the temporary shelter and a large, warm hand wraps over yours. They’re held far above your head against the cold metal, and a second hand grips your hip, fingertips digging so deliciously into skin. His hot breath rolls over the delicate skin on your neck, causing a shiver to run through you. Your eyes dart around, scanning for other bodies on the horizon, and a dark, deep chuckle reverberates against your back as he thrusts in even deeper.

_______________

Fingers. Those long, cruel, pale fingers. Stained with chiralium and perfectly painted nails and dirt and tears from a lifetime of torment under them. They trace over your body, outlining the space that designates your being, your existence. He’s giving meaning to your existence, confirming that you are real. Blood flows through your veins as his fingerprints pass over them, leaving trails of blooming attraction in their wake. He’s giving you a reason to breathe, lungs rising and sinking, his fingers run over them, skin burning for more. A single finger moves to your lips, thumb brushing over, parting them and letting the soft exhale escape from your lungs, his stormy eyes calming in your gaze. This is how he sustains you, keeps you alive.

_______________

A pale, lean body towers over you, a constellation of scars telling stories of a lifetime scattered across his skin. His long fingers play with the band of your underwear as he rests his forehead on your head, a promise forming in his touch. His golden piercing catches the light, and you lean forward to catch it between your teeth, craving the taste of cold metal contrasting against hot skin. A moan rises in his chest, and you can feel it vibrate against your fingertips. You feel something else rise, and your fingertips dart down, a palm against him, grasping at his length. A lip bite, a breathe catching, hips desperate to feel friction as you run your hand up, then back to the hilt. The thought of him filling you up

and then some.

_______________

Low electrical humming fills the air, the dim blue lights throwing shadows all around. The tall shelves span to the heights of the warehouse, shelves full of cargo and bright pinpoints of light. Your mind plays through the tasks still in front of you, feet move of their own accord, years of habitual usage wearing paths into the floors. Your body’s instincts react before your consciousness, blood rushing through your body as a low crackle rips through the air. He’s here, you can feel his proximity. Out of the dark come greedy fingers, deftly working the zipper of your uniform and you pull him down by his inky black cloak. Lips crashing against the other, desperate for a taste of the taboo, nimble hands pulling open the suit.

He needs you.

He grabs you by the waist, lifts you up with ease, and your legs wrap around him tightly.

You’ve returned home.

A cry escapes your lips as you lower yourself onto him, pain and pleasure so intrinsically mixed that you can’t picture them without the other. Large hands guide you.

Hunger. Wildness. Pain. Fury. Fragments. All shattered.

All blazing in his ethereal blue eyes. All melting into ecstasy as he loses himself in your passionate gaze.

[devil-kindred]

goodbye, my love

Yet another kiss prompt, this time a goodbye kiss feat. Higgs Monaghan/Faye Holcomb.

Her ear cuff is screaming again, beeping shrilly as it often does whenever there’s a chiral spike. She stands quickly, following the hum that signifies Higgs’ arrival. It’s been so long since he’s visited that it feels like an eternity and she’ll be damned if she’s going to miss his visit this time. The chiral spike worsens, her ear cuff screaming at such a high frequency it makes her head pound and then in a matter of seconds... it falls silent as Higgs jumps into bunker.

“You’re awake.” He sounds surprised and maybe a teensy bit amused. “Figured you’d be out by now.”

She reaches for him without thinking, rushing forwards and slamming into his chest as she wraps her arms around him, going tense at what she finds. The fabric of his shirt is worn but tough and the feel of the smooth material of his hooded cloak beneath her fingers makes her stomach drop.

He’s not staying. Not this time.

“Faye—“

She steps back at the use of her name, not getting far as Higgs grips her arms. He so rarely calls her by her name anymore that it’s startling but it’s not the use of her name instead of ‘darlin’ that gets her attention. It’s the somber quality to his tone, the hesitation both in the way he reacted to her touch and the way he spoke. Cues that tell her something’s not right and that there’s a good chance she won’t like what he’s about to say.

“Higgs—“

“I have to go away for a while.”

She blinks at him, white eyes unseeing as always, her eyebrows raised.

“You could’ve sent mail. How long will you be?” A stretch of uncomfortable silence fills the bunker and Faye feels the beginnings of panic stirring in her veins. “Higgs?”

“I’m not... I might not be coming back, Faye. I’ve got something I need to take care of. I just wanted you to know.” He winces at the lie— the half-truth weighing a heavy, guilty weight in his mind. He knows that he’s not coming back and more importantly, that there won’t be anything to come back to. The sixth extinction, the end of all things. The end of him. The end of Faye.

“Then take me with you. I’m sure I can help with whatever it is. Just let me get—“

He tugs her back to him and leans down to press his cheek against her own, to have just one final moment with the woman he’d grown to care for. The moment almost breaks him, makes him want to take her far away, to let Amelie and her plan fall to the wayside... but he steels his resolve. His final decision made he leans back to get a good look at her, then leans down again to kiss her in the softest way he can manage. Her fingers dig into his cloak and rests a hand against her head, wishing that this wouldn’t be the end.

He breaks the kiss stepping back form her with an unseen expression of sorrow, drops his hand from the back of her head and then he’s gone. A swarm of dispersing chiralium particles all that suggests he was ever there, leaving Faye to stand alone with his unspoken goodbye hanging heavy in the air.

[devil-kindred]

gonna make sure you don’t forget

Pairing: Faye Holcomb/Higgs Monaghan

Rating: M (for safety purposes & hinted at/implied smut)

Warning(s): implied sexual content, suggestive themes, mild dubious consent (kinda)

Summary: Higgs is in a playful mood and Faye is too exhausted to deal with his bullshit. Higgs decides to have some fun anyways.

WC: 569 | 1/1 | find it on ao3

-

Faye is exhausted. Bone deep, don’t want to move another muscle, wouldn’t-move-even-if-the-room-was-an-inferno level exhausted. Which is exactly why she’s face down on the cot Higgs’ junk isn’t piled on in the post-stranding world’s shortest pair of exercise shorts and a t-shirt. Her legs hurt, her back hurts, hell even her ass hurts and she barley did any sitting when they took a break or two on the agonizingly long trek to the city. She’s not moving when Higgs comes back from... wherever it is that he’s fucked off to. 

He can get his crap off the other cot or sleep on the floor for all she cares.

“Well look at you, darlin’. All laid out like the world’s finest dish.” Higgs whistles appreciatively, the pizza box in his hands long forgotten as he eyes Faye’s prone form with a grin. “Didn’t waste any time at all.”

“Fuck off, Monaghan.”

“Now, now, no need to get angry.” He tutts, boots thumping across the concrete floor as he sets the pizza on a nearby table. “You know I hate it when you use my last name.”

Faye sighs into the fabric of the cot and raises a hand, flipping the bird in the general direction of his voice.

“Once more, Monaghan. With feeling.”

She lowers her arm back to the cot when Higgs offers no reply and takes the sound of his boots being unzipped and tossed to the floor as a sign that the conversation is over. But oh, how wrong she is. Her prone form, once relaxed, goes ramrod straight as a heavy warmth settles on her back and a knee slips between her legs⏤ Higgs’ body pressing her own into the mattress.

“What the fuck, Monaghan?” Faye hisses, squirming beneath him to turn on her side even as every single one of her muscles protests. “Get off.”

“Ah darlin’ there you go again, calling me by the wrong name.” He smoothes her long hair back from her neck and nuzzles the exposed skin, warm breath sending a shiver down her spine. “You’d think you’d know better by now.”

She squirms again, barely smothering a gasp of his name— the correct one this time— when her core presses against the hard ridge of his knee. She freezes, a pit of heat turning in her belly as Higgs drawls out her name.

“Oh, Faye.”

It’s a sigh. It’s a warning. It’s a promise. It’s all three rolled into one and she knows it. Still, she tries.

“Higgs,” a whimper, that she hates herself for. “I’m not playing your stupid game.”

“Oh, but you are darlin’.” He breathes the words against her ear and dips his head down to trail his tongue flat against her neck. “You are.”

“H-higgs, seriously whatever you’re doing just— Ah!” Her words cut off in a moan she attempts to smother with her hand as his teeth scrape her skin, but Higgs— the bastard— grabs it with a low chuckle.

“It would seem that now you know the proper use of my name, hm?” He cages her body against the cot with his own, grinding his hips against her backside to elicit another much louder moan. “What is it again? Tell me, Faye.”

“Higgs!”

“That’s it darlin’. You really do know it after all.” He hums a tune, kissing up her neck to her ear. “But don’t worry, I’m gonna make sure you don’t forget it.”

[voidoutbt]

'Eyes of the Pharaohs'

Death stranding fan fiction

MULE oc Cosmic x Higgs.

Warnings: Teasing implied smut, slightly dubious consent.

Artwork illustration by the lovely @samkuchingdraws with thanks! 🖤💛

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

There was nothing quite like reading a proper book; the feeling of textured pages beneath the finger tips, the smell of old paper, the weight of the tome. Imformation-hungry eyes scanned the texts and illustrations. Stormy grey irises honed in on one particular picture - an ancient gold death masque, its painted eyes framed with heavy black and blue makeup. The image incurred a mental flashback, a golden skull levitating menacingly, followed by a whimsical voice.

Cosmic dropped the book titled 'History of the Pharaohs' on her lap with a start. The golden face was burned into her retina and her mind. She blinked a few times, before sliding the forbidden text under her pillow. She had procured it from the last haul of cargo the MULES had intercepted. Group leader didn't know she had it. It had been addressed to someone called Peter, but he sure as hell was not going to get it now.

The MULE stood and paced over to an ornate mirror which hung on the side of the tent, another of her prized possessions. She picked up an eye-liner pencil and began to decorate her eyes; Black strokes of kohl under her lower lid, one down at the corner, and one curling into a spiral below - The 'Eye of Horus/Ra'. She looked at her reflection in the aged glass, she looked like one of those Egyptian priestesses that she had read about.

A sudden flash of Chiralium in the mirror caught her off gaurd. She gasped as the masked man appeared directly behind her, dropping her makeup pen. The gold and black pharaoh-alike wrapped one arm across her chest, the other raised to the lipless skull, a finger over the teeth where the lips would have been. She stared wide eyed into the mirror, too afraid to move. A pair of impossibly blue eyes glared back. It was then that she noticed, they too were lined in khol.

A dangerously quiet chuckle echoed in her ear, the hot breath tickling her neck. The hand across her collarbone wrapped long fingers around her throat. Another hand snaked around her waist, dipping downwards and pulling her back against a solid body. 'So he wasn't a phantom', she thought. She could not tear her eyes away from the reflection, her heart racing as the gloved hand slid under her waistband. She swallowed loudly, her breath hitching in her throat with a little whimper as fingers glided over her sensitive parts, teasingly slowly.

The fingers around her throat tightened. A hoarse whisper filled her ear, followed by a deep growl "You're mine..."

Cosmic sat bolt upright in bed with an outcry. Her head was reeling, her heart was pounding, and that felt so real...

She glanced over to the prone form of Franc, who was snoring loudly, sprawled out on his camp bed, clutching a boot like a Teddybear. She panted, trying to decipher what was real. She still throbbed between her legs, and she could still feel the grip around her neck...

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

Thank you again for being my proof reader and creating the beautiful Illustration for me @samfrancis94 @samkuchingdraws

Please check out their work!

🖤💛🖤

[lethalchiralium]

You Ruin Me | Higgs Monaghan x Neutral!Reader

a/n: ANGST ANGST

warnings: angst, mentions of sex

masterlist.

“Higgs.”

Higgs hummed under his breath as he paused, holding the laces of his boots a little tighter. He ignored the voice, and continued to tie up his boots.

He didn’t dare look up.

“Don’t go yet, I’ll make you something for your head.”

He didn’t want to disappoint you.

“You don’t need to.” He mumbled as he tucked the ends of the laces in his boots. “I’ve got to leave now.” Higgs stood, his eyes cast down and out of contact with your eyes, trying to escape without wanting to stay in this place with you forever. But he knew his future awaited. He fastened his cargo stabilizers a little tighter, in an effort to take his mind off of the gaze burning his back.

“Higgs.”

He pulled his cloak’s hood over his still damp hair, and then tugged his gloves on a little more. He didn’t know why he didn’t just walk out of the door, he didn’t know why he couldn’t break this one tie, the most important one he had to cut in order to follow Amelie and gain the power he knew he deserved. Deep down, he wished you would use that sweet tongue of yours and whisper those saccharine words into his ear as he laid on your chest. He wished that those satin lips of yours would kiss his own forever.

He knew that wishes in this world never stood a chance.

Your hand grazed his cheek, he melted into your body when your chest was pressed into his back.

“Higgs, just one minute.” Your voice was low, next to his ear as you placed your head on top of Higgs’, trying to enjoy the last moment you would have with him for a long time.

You didn’t know it would be the last time you saw your husband.

“No.” His hands peeled you off of him, and he started to march away before your hands gripped his arm, spinning him around to face you. Your soft eyes were hardened, and Higgs felt his heart sink. In his head, he had somehow convinced himself that power was more important than you. His glare was ice cold as he said, “I’m going to leave now.”

You were used to him leaving you alone in your bed after a night full of him saying that he would stay with you and that he loved you. You could feel the years of butterfly kisses across your body, yet he was leaving you alone again. You had loved him for what felt like a painful eternity, you loved him when he was just a porter, and you loved him now... even though you weren’t sure who he was anymore.

“Then fucking do it.”

Higgs stuttered, his eyes stayed trained on yours as you felt the past abandonment slap you in the face. It was something you wish could disappear, that Higgs would man up one day and stay more than a night with you. More than a day, more than a week; you wanted a lifetime. You wanted a lifetime of waking up to a husband who loved you enough to stay and wait for the end with you, who would put you above all.

You wished you could’ve just stared him down, but you turned and laid back down on his side of the bed. You were strong, but when your eyes met his, cowardice always grabs hold and you can’t win. You know that you can’t win, and he knows that your only weakness is him. And he always used it to his advantage.

So you shrink.

You shrink so small to ignore the pain and abandonment until the next night his lips become sweeter than the last time you tasted them.

You knew you shouldn’t have to shrink for the man you loved. That if he loved you, he’d loved you for who you were.

“You can go.” You murmured, tears pricked at your eyes as you balled up the blanket around your face, trying to hide the pain that you hated yet craved for.

Higgs gazed at you for what seemed like centuries before he moved closer and placed a poisonous kiss to your exposed shoulder blade, a promise to you. “I’ll be back before dark, doll.”

The sound of the chiralium dancing for a moment in the air made you hate him, made you want to burn this damn world to the ground.

But you couldn’t.

Those poisonous thorns always drew you back to him.

———

Copyright © 2020 lethalchiralium. All rights reserved.