#you know what? im glad he wasn’t in this chapter

[shih-coulda-had-it]

They cooked Sorahiko for years for what he said on that hospital bed, whole audience was booing him, but there in the crowd Hori was cheering him on the whole time.

Correction, there were at least TWO voices cheering for that unkillable old man: him AND ME.

[vhstown]

ain't no love; pt. 1

"ain't no love in the heart of the city"

— miles g morales x gn!reader series

SUMMARY: Miles Morales is just a kid without a father; the Prowler is just a "rotten" vigilante. Both of them start coming into your life — one in the middle of the semester, and the other by total accident.

SERIES MASTERLIST 📼 PART 1 / PART 2 →

chapter summary: [READER POV] The one day you decide to skip breakfast, your deskmate comes in. AP Calc has never been more unbearable — and interesting.

content/warnings: brief mentions of death, depictions of hunger, a little bullying </3

word count: 4.8k

a/n: first series idk what im doing BUT WE ROLL (criticisms accepted lmao) proofread courtesy of @qiuweyballs you're a real one

You were starving. In AP Calc, no less, with probably the least talkative bunch of students in the whole school, the period before lunch. Whoever made your schedule was a monster, and whoever put this class together was even more of a monster. Everyone was dead silent, which was usually fine, but not when your stomach was threatening to detonate a nuclear grumble. Maybe it’d even echo given how big the classroom was. It was too early in the year to have a mental breakdown, though — you’d save that for midterms.

Even the teacher found the silence awkward, muttering to himself as you walked into the dreary classroom. He was a bit of a pushover, Mr. Wellston — a newbie who really had no idea what he was doing besides fixing his unevenly cut hair every two seconds while everyone pretended to know what was going on. God bless AP Calculus; you didn’t even know how to do the starter activity on the board.

But your teacher’s ridiculous inadequacy didn’t matter right now. The most important decision you had to make was what poor soul you were going to look at sideways when everyone turned to the source of the growl. Being nice wasn’t exactly an option when you were 3 seconds away from dying of starvation.

Thankfully, you were at the back, and the only seat next to you was empty. It wasn’t so bad, you tried convincing yourself as other students started to fill up the seats in front of you. Maybe you'd even forget about how hungry you were if you engrossed yourself in "one of the most riveting fields of mathematics", as advertised by your freshman year math teacher. Just one hour. You could hold back your hunger for one hour.

"Attendance..." Wellston murmured, looking around the room without much attention. It was reasonable to assume was here as usual, except for one kid who'd been absent since the first week. "Morales" — you didn't know his first name, not like you had the chance to learn it.

Scribbling down whatever activity there was, a part of you was glad this kid wasn't here today. It was one less person to hear the result of your unfortunate choice to not have breakfast this morning. You'd never spoken to the kid, but everyone knew why he wasn’t here. The renowed "hero", PC Davis had passed away — his dad. It was all over the news: "PDNY OFFICER DIES SAVING A CHILD", around mid-freshman year. You couldn't guess what was going on with the kid almost 2 whole semesters into sophomore year, but you couldn’t exactly think too hard when your pen had barely touched the page, and your other hand was clawing into the side of your shirt.

You were sure your stomach was going to growl, and loud. And your teacher was looking at you. Pretty much every muscle in your face was straining. You probably looked insane, which you’d actually rather be right now. The worst he would make was a bad joke, but the sheer panic that rose in your chest when Mr. Wellston started to walk towards you made your heels dig into the ground, ready to bolt out the class. You were exhausted, anxious, praying to anything you could think of that your teacher would just turn around and stop looking at you and—

Creak... Everyone's eyes, including Mr. Wellston's, turned to the door. You could make out someone with a black jacket — teacher? They wouldn’t let you wear jackets inside. Not important. Water.

"Nice seeing you here, Morales," Wellston said, his expression as unamused as he could attempt. The pushover was feeling confident today.

You drank so much water that it got stuck in your throat for a moment, making you scrunch up your face. "I'd take off that jacket if I were you,” Wellston continued.

The boy obliged with an incoherent mumble, stepping into the classroom and slipping off his jacket. His eyes landed on the seat right next to you. Even if he wasn't looking at you, something about his gaze made you look away immediately. Great. 53 minutes until lunch. Why did he have to show up today? Why did you wake up late and skip breakfast? A part of you was telling you it’d be better to not blame it on this guy either — maybe it was your gut. Ha-ha. Maybe you were insane.

Screeech! The slap of a notebook next to you snapped you out of your mini-spiral. You were now all the more aware of the boy next to you. His attendance was so low that it competed with your will to live, so you couldn’t help but look. His hair was in two braids slipping just past his collar, but that’s all you dared to notice. They were kind of cool, you admitted to yourself. The muttering was quickly shut down by a grating "Focus!" from Wellston, and you tried to get back to your work.

Calculus, calculus... When was the last time you’d gotten a question right? All you could do was keep uselessly pressing the fraction button on your calculator, watching the empty boxes stack up. It felt like he was staring at you. Math, come on, you know math. What was the probability he was looking at you? What if he was just glancing at you? What was his eye colour? Black or dark brown, probably. You could check — if he was staring, of course. Not his eye colour. That'd be weird.

That tight feeling built up in your stomach like the foreshock of an earthquake. You pictured yourself slamming your head into the desk, far too vividly to be normal — like an insane person. No need to traumatise the “new” kid on his first day back.

"Alright class, considering we have a full house now," You stopped yourself from imagining Wellston’s head slammed into a desk. "I suggest you all try to solve this problem. It's the hardest question that's ever come up on Calc BC, and you're getting secret access to it."

Yeah, like you cared. This man did not have a lesson plan, as usual. Now you had to fight the urge to look at the kind of cool kid next to you, fight your hunger like a famished Victorian child and fight the stupid calculations forming a jumbled mess in your brain. You were fighting a lot of things, and losing miserably. Just looking at the question made your brain hurt, and you could see it in the rest of your class too. All Calc BC nerds who were just now realising their mistake in taking this class with this particular teacher, probably. Visions was a scam.

"Does anyone have an answer?" It hadn't even been two minutes; it was like the man just wanted to feel smarter than everyone else. Something about him today was even more annoying than the pitiful jokes he usually came up with ― just because a "new" kid came in? Maybe this was to make up for the first day of class where he totally embarrassed himself mumbling all lesson, the bell ringing overtop of him.

The awkward silence and the slight cocky curl to the corner of Mr. Wellston's mouth made you question why they hired someone who was fresh out of college to teach you the classes that were supposed to get you into college. Your frustration only grew when you were going in circles with your attempt.

"No? Guys, you that you have a midterm soon." Helpful.

"This is more simple than you think." Explain it, then?

"Nobody? Really? Okay, you really should start paying attention, the―"

"Six." You almost forgot about the kid next to you until he spoke up. He put down his pen, giving Wellston an expectant look while the whole class was silent.

"…Six what?"

"Litres per hour."

The man quickly shuffled to his computer. Of course he didn't know the answer either.

"Six litres per hour," Wellston confirmed. No other kid had a chance to retort. Wellston seemed surprised for once. A part of you was surprised too at how simple the answer sounded when it came out of the "new" kid's mouth. You noticed that the boy didn't even have a calculator.

"Well, it looks like you all have something to learn from Morales here," he continued, something almost like contempt in his words. "Do you want to explain how you got that?"

The boy went about explaining it pretty simply, almost like he was reading off of a script. It was concise, different to what you'd learnt. Something about chain rule, which you truthfully had no idea how to actually use because someone didn't bother to go through it properly. Even if you were still somewhat unsure, it sounded easy enough.

"Interesting method..." Wellston murmured, trailing off for a moment. "Well, that settles it then. Do you guys understand how we got six?"

We? This guy... Aside from the fact that he was looking at you a little too much for comfort (probably because you were still clutching your stomach like you’d been shot) you had another reason to be annoyed by this teacher and his stupid hair. Everyone just returned his question with silent nods and mumbles, people taking opportunities to actually look at the calc-wiz.

You took a chance too, looking over at his seemingly unbothered face. You were almost right about the brown eyes. They were more coppery than anything, maybe even a little green. If he was staring before, you couldn't tell, his gaze trailing his desk with disinterest. Why did his eye colour even matter?

Forty minutes of class to go. You felt like you could eat your calculator at this point. The mystery kid didn't seem to need one anyway, and you weren’t getting much use out of it.

BRIIIIIIIIIING!

"The bell doesn't―" The screeching of chairs cut him off.

Like that would work this far into the semester. The Morales kid was already gone by the time you'd stood up. Letting out a drawn-out sigh, you debated between your tiredness and hunger. Would you try to fight to the death to get to the front of the lunch queue? All you wanted was food, maybe a nap afterwards, definitely no more calculus.

That couldn't happen, of course. For some reason, you were the only one left in class. You heard your name, wincing a little as you stopped in your journey out of the door.

"I just want to speak for a moment, spare me a few minutes?" You figured this was coming. It looked like he wanted to speak to you about something all class; his expressions weren’t exactly mysterious like that new kid. You wanted nothing more than to strangle him with his ugly patterned tie as you walked over to him.

Mr. Wellston leaned on his desk by his elbows, lowering his voice as if he was about to tell you something serious.

"You're not doing very well in this class." Okay… not that serious. "It’s the longer questions, I think. FRQs.”

Your grogginess made it impossible to focus on Wellston’s rant, but what you did pick up on was his weird accent. You guessed he wasn’t from Brooklyn, but the way he was talking right now let you pick up on the strange intonation in his voice you otherwise wouldn’t care to notice. Almost European-sounding. First that kid's eye colour and now your teacher's accent... what was it with you and random details today?

"So..." he continued, looking up at you with his head still low. "I'm going to start an extra class after school. I want you to come to it." Okay, this is worse. You couldn't have lunch, and now you couldn't even have after school.

"When is it?" It better not be some unreasonable time.

"Well, I've only got Friday afternoon free. You know how it is, meetings..." If he was trying to be apologetic, or convincing, he was failing at both. "I'll call you in later to discuss it further."

You just nodded, the grip on your backpack tightening. "Okay."

"It's important that you come!”

His voice was drowned out by the flood of students in the hall as you shut the door, turning on your heel to head to the cafeteria. The line was probably impossibly long by now. You couldn't care less about that extra Friday class. Forget college. You'd be a bum, or work at a WcDonalds. You'd probably make more money than Mr. Wellston there anyway. Forget Visions.

Forget that Morales kid who was standing outside the door all that time while you were too frustrated to notice.

You slumped down onto an empty table as you tried to rid your mind of him.

The probability that he'd show up to class with his cool braids and coppery-green eyes again was too low for you to care anyway.

"Soy Miles. Miles Morales."

Calc-wiz, or Miles as you just found out, was also in your Spanish class, and was also sitting directly behind you. It seemed like he was coming into more classes than he had been all semester — good for him?

"Morales… ¿Eres hispano, Miles?" (Are you Hispanic, Miles?) Miles simply nodded while Mrs Hernández flicked through the worksheets, licking her finger to set them down on individual desks. Spanish was one of the classes you actually liked. Apart from your classmates, Mrs Hernández was funny, and a good teacher, even if she was a little strict.

She paused for a moment to look at Miles again, eyebrow raised. "¿Guatemala?"

"Puerto Rico." The woman's raised eyebrow fell along with the rest of her expression, eyes narrowing in disappointment. She was always talking about where she was from, Guatemala. You found it kind of endearing, though you weren't sure if she'd get any teaching done if there was another kid from there.

"All these years y nadie de Guatemala..." (and nobody from Guatemala...) She simply frowned, cracking her knuckles while making her way back to the front. Most of the people taking AP Spanish were Hispanic, just trying to get extra credits, but it seemed like Mrs. Hernández was out of luck when it came to finding her natural favourite. "Vale clase, quiero que miren este articulo sobre―" (Okay class, I want you to look at this article about―)

All that class you felt like Miles was staring at the back of your head, of course. If he wasn't uncomfortably silent, he was conversing with Mrs Hernández, and she came over more than once to talk to him behind you. As much as you wanted to overhear, they were talking too quietly and quickly — and in Spanish. What they were talking about wasn't your business — most likely about his absence. You had also no idea what this article was talking about. It was something about art, but most of the words you were reading were unfamiliar as your highlighter hovered uselessly over the paper.

It had almost been a week since Miles first came in. You constantly saw him get pulled out of class or talking to teachers — except in AP Calc; it seemed like he was doing just fine there. He could speak Spanish fine too, but was behind on everything else. Other than teachers, he never really talked to anyone. You occasionally saw him with his earbuds on in the hallways, but more often his jacket was what got him chased down by teachers; the kid didn’t really seem to care. Good for him. He was probably more ahead of you anyway given the way your studies were going.

“Oye, look a little alive!” You noticed Mrs Hernandéz standing over you, and that your highlighter bleeding through the paper from pressing too long. A half-hearted “lo siento” (sorry) is all you could offer. “Extraño (strange) — What's different today, chicos? Is it because you’ve got a new friend here?” She crossed her arms, eyeing everyone with her brows knitted together.

The atmosphere around Miles was strange. Not only was he known for being missing since freshman year, but also for his late father. It wasn’t a secret, as much as he didn’t talk about it. Everyone could tell from the way teachers whispered to him and how he disappeared to the counsellor’s office that he wasn’t treated like any other student here. In fact, he didn’t even live in the dorms according to what you’d heard. He was quiet, but the rumours were undeniably loud. You tried not to involve yourself — you hadn’t even spoken to him yourself, anyway.

“He’s not the only Puerto Rican. You gonna forget about us, Señora?” The voice made you hold back a sigh. When Rafael started speaking there was no stopping him. You figured it was time; no matter how far he was moved from his friends, he always found a way to talk to them from the other side of the classroom. He was also right next to you. You had a few reasons to want to drop this class, and each of them were all going “yeah” in agreement to what Rafael had to say.

“I think you’ve forgotten that you have an article in front of you, Rafa.” You couldn’t help but crack a smile at your teacher’s words, and nickname. To your dismay, Rafael noticed you immediately.

“You makin’ fun of me, bro?” He turned his head to stare at you.

“Rafael,” Hernandéz warned.

“Nah, Señora, you don’t get it, I should be sitting over there.”

She wasn’t amused by the way he was gesturing to his friends. “I’ll kick you out.”

“Come on man��” He just threw up his hands and sunk into his far too tiny chair. You prayed he wouldn't start rocking on it and make that god-awful creaking sound. Mrs. Hernández simply turned to ignore him and continue with class.

“Why’s he special anyway?” Rafael mumbled to himself. “Famous cause of his dad?”

Tension – it was so thick you could cut it. The only thing that was cutting through it, apart from your Spanish teacher’s rant, was Miles’ gaze. You could feel it burning right through you. It seemed like Rafael, the moron, for some twisted reason, wanted Miles to hear that.

If you had anything to say at all, it was too late to give Rafael a piece of your mind. Considering how quickly he'd shut you down, it would be useless to stick up for some kid you barely knew. Nobody else heard Rafael anyway; it'd just pit everyone against you. Still, a part of you felt bad. Even though you didn’t really know Miles, he was in a lot of your classes. You’d gotten used to his presence over the past week: moving out of the way so he could get to his seat, occasionally picking up each other’s fallen pens, giving unshared glances to see how the other was doing on the work.

He seemed nice enough despite the lack of words you'd exchanged, but when you turned a little to fix your chair, the expression you caught was anything but. It was almost scary, if you could make out anything from his darkened features. There was a strange sense of focus in his eyes, like he was calculating something – deliberating. You didn't try to guess what, keeping silent and trying to listen to Mrs. Hernández talk about the article while ignoring the deadly gaze simmering behind you.

If you were stronger, scarier, more influential, maybe you’d punch one through Rafael right now. Just looking at him was irritating, and it's not like you hadn't thought of it before. Maybe you wouldn’t have to, though, because it seemed like Miles was thinking the exact same thing. As much as you wanted to learn Spanish and not have a fight happen right next to you, it’d be nice if he was able to teach Rafael to shut up instead of the material he didn't seem to care about.

Miles didn’t look particularly strong — he was kind of scary-looking right now, but that didn’t mean he could take on a 6ft tall football player, no matter how pissed off said football player made him. You couldn't tell what he was thinking, but Miles stayed put for the rest of class; it felt like a sniper was right behind you.

The all-too-familiar creak of the chair made you automatically grit your teeth.

“Oy, mi pana, you got gum?” Rafael murmured to you in his worst friendly voice. It was 10 minutes till the end of class, and he was asking now? You still had no idea what pana meant since he moved next to you, but the way he said it always made you feel icky regardless.

You quickly shook your head, getting a sigh out of him. You hoped he’d give up, but he just leaned over to whisper to you. “What do you think of that dude, huh?

“What?”

“Strange, yeah?”

“He’s okay.” Your defence was quiet, but it was the most you could do as you heard Miles scribbling right behind you.

“He’s drawing, dude.”

You looked at him almost incredulously. Rafael just rolled his eyes.

“Why do you care?” Your voice came out louder than you wanted.

“¡Silencio!” You gave Mrs. Fernandez, another one of your muffled “lo siento”s, shrinking into your seat as her eyes locked onto you. Snickering from Rafael’s friends only fuelled the embarrassment surging through your cheeks. Miles shuffled in his seat behind you, followed by the sound of paper being crumpled up. You wanted to crumple up the smug expression plastered on Rafael's face right now.

Class ended with another stack of homework in your backpack, and you were more than happy to leave. Free period — you could get a start on the homework. Or talk to Wellston about that extra class. The thought made you wince, but you didn’t exactly have a choice. You had to see him by the end of the day.

“Ay, Milo!” You turned to see Rafael and his little group approaching Miles’ desk. “What’s good?”

“Nothing.” He kept his voice low, pushing his chair under the desk. The boys just laughed as he got up, a grating mix of malice and mirth.

“Right, right. Puerto Rican, eh?” It sounded like Rafael was just talking for the sake of talking. You were also standing for the sake of standing too, of course.

Miles let out a mumble as a confirmation of sorts. Heading for the door, he was blocked by Rafael.

“Ay, where you goin’? Let’s talk, huh? Got a free period?” You could see Miles’ eyes narrow, a flash of impatience in his demeanour before he let out a breath. Rafael was trying to get a kick out of this. A kick out of some kid with a dead dad.

“Someone’s waiting for me.”

“Huh? What’d you say? You got friends?” The start of more laughs were already forming around Miles.

You didn’t know what came over you. Maybe it was the regret of not saying anything earlier, or the strange intrigue you’d felt since a week ago. Peeking your head through the door, you took a step back into the classroom. “Miles, c’mon.”

The gnawing feeling only intensified as you felt four sets of eyes on you at the same time. You’d rather it be hunger than the anxiety coursing through you at that moment.

“Comin',” he murmured, shoving past the three boys towards the door.

The two of you left the classroom, hearing a faint “what the hell man?” as the door fell shut. Miles lingered behind you as you approached the next turn in the hallway.

“What’s your name?” He’d already stepped in front of you.

No thanks or anything? Well, he didn't really owe you anything. It was "the right thing to do", like the many anti-bullying posters around the school encouraged you to do. God damn Visions.

“You uh… know my name.”

“Wanna hear it from you.” His voice had a little twinge of an accent that you hadn’t noticed before. You tried not to think too hard on it. Too many details for too little of an interaction.

“You’ve gotta introduce yourself first — pretty sure that’s how it works,” you tried to joke, something like embarrassment replacing the lingering anxiety in your stomach.

“I did — in class.” Miles’ face was unreadable, but there was something like amusement in his voice.

“Not to me specifically, though.”

The two of you stood in the hallway as people ushered past you. A freshman almost hit you running past, making the two of you retreat to stand beside some lockers. Damn freshmen. You were a freshman only last year, but shoving past them in the cafeteria wasn’t exactly fun. Miles seemed unbothered, as he usually did.

“You seriously don’t know my name?” you continued, almost frowning a little.

“Let’s say I don’t.” He leaned back against the cold blue metal of the lockers, tilting his head at you. The tiny mannerism only made your embarrassment grow. “What’s your name, pana?”

“…I still don’t know what that means.” The frustrated sigh you let out made the corner of his mouth curl up.

“And I still don’t know your name, pana.” No wonder you didn’t bother to talk to anyone. It seemed like you never had the upper hand, first with Rafael and now with Miles. Truthfully, though, you knew which you’d rather talk to.

“Sounds like a food,” you continued, shrugging.

“Could be,” he pretended to muse. And to think you thought he was nice. You hadn’t decided to be annoyed yet, though.

“You know my name, Miles.” You must’ve looked funny the way you crossed your arms and furrowed your eyebrows, because that got an entertained breath out of him.

“Who’s Miles? Haven’t introduced myself yet.” His smirk wrote guilty all over his face.

“Milo, then?” It was a bit harsh, but his cockiness made you say it without much thought. The apology was written on your face already, and you unfolded your arms, deciding you couldn’t have Mrs. Hernandéz’s sass today.

“You wanna be called pana forever?” He slipped an earbud into one of his ears, the blue light flickering into life. At least you didn’t tick him off.

“Not like I care,” you murmured, trying to take a step away.

“Seems like you do.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” you asked, trying to keep your tone in check as you glanced down the hallway.

“Do you?” You felt like you were talking into a mirror, one that reflected back a person that got all the more mysterious and annoying when you did.

“Yeah, actually.” Mr. Wellston’s class. The thought made your eyes narrow, probably in exhaustion, most likely in irritation. “Need to speak to a teacher.”

His brow raised in mild interest. “You in trouble?”

“I wish. It’s about some extra class I have to take.”

“Calc?” You turned to look at him again, and his expression was more knowing than curious now.

“How’d you guess…?” It sounded more like a statement, your tone more disappointed than surprised. Were you really that bad at Calculus? Maybe you did need this class, especially if calc-wiz thought so.

“…You have lunch today?” he thought to ask instead. For a moment, you were confused, until you remembered calc last week.

“Shut up.” Your cheeks burned, hand balling up the fabric of your uniform. God. Damn it. All.

“Aight, sorry.”

More silence. You should’ve blamed the growling on him.

“Why the class though? You failing?”

“I’m not failing… Just need some help, I guess” Your shrug wasn’t very reassuring.

“Anyone else goin’?” The longer he kept inquiring, the more you figured Mr. Wellston’s attitude was building up.

“No clue. Bet everyone else is gonna join, though. He’ll probably tell everyone anyway.” The people in your class were quiet, but desperate to out-do each other. Maybe the problem wasn’t you, but the fact that everyone else was trying so hard.

“He didn’t ask me.” The corner of his mouth dimpled into his cheek in thought.

“You’re good at calc anyway.”

“Haven’t been here a while, so I gotta catch up, right? Lemme come with.”

You tried to think of what to say as your hand found the back of your neck, but he was already walking past you. Miles looked back at you to see if you were following.

If he had somewhere to be, it didn’t seem to matter. You noted the slight rhythm to his step, wondering what he was listening to, and if his eyes were green or brown. Ripping away your gaze from him before you could chase that thought, you tried to dodge all the freshmen running around as the bell went for next period.

You had more questions than answers so far — both in your backpack to do this period and in your mind. Aside from Miles, you wondered what that extra class would be like, and what Wellston would say. A part of you hoped that Miles would be in that class with you, despite your less than favourable introduction. Maybe you’d figure out why the answer was six litres an hour. Maybe you could be friends.

What was the probability of that? Some questions couldn’t be solved with a calculator. But Miles didn’t need one, after all.

thank you for reading. im so tired of looking at this but its okay part 1 !!! hooray !!! next chapter is miles pov .... need more Substances in my Bloodstream before i post that though LMAO

reblogs appreciated!!!! go back to the series masterlist here or to my atsv masterlist here :)

[taintedcigs]

GETAWAY CAR — rockstar!e.m. x f!reader

CHAPTER THREE: I’LL SWIM DOWN, WOULD YOU?

← prev chapter // next chapter →

✦ summary: in which eddie takes you for a trip down memory lane. (wc: 6.7k+)

✦ warnings — ANGSTANGSTANGST, fluff!, pining and slowburn, strong language!, mentions of alc*hol and drg use and a toxic/ab*sive relationship, reader is sad but also mad </3, mention of bruises from an ab*sive relationship (in the past)

✦ pairings — rockstar!eddie munson x fem!reader, past billy hargrove x fem!reader

✦ authors note — im so glad you guys are liking this series !! feel free to chat with me in the asks and sorry for the cliffhanger >:( also not proof-read pls ignore mistakes!! and sorry for the twisted sister slander eddie said it not me!

series masterlist | series playlist

It was late, really fucking late. Something you missed noticing while you were taking your supposed one hour sobbing nap. 

Your gaze gravitated toward the window, fingers fluttering to adjust the comfortable, frilly black dress you had casually slipped into moments earlier. But now, it made you feel stupid, like you were trying too hard, your mind was telling you that no matter which pretty dress you chose, he’d never want you. 

He wanted her now.

Your attention diverted toward the glove compartment, fighting the urge to yank it open, wishing those The Cure tapes could fall on your lap now. 

The uncomfortable silence between the two of you was starting to sink in now, accompanied by the Beastie Boys blasting through Eddie’s speakers. And you knew he was doing it on purpose because he knew you couldn’t resist, automatically making you hum along to it while he tapped his fingers rhythmically on the steering wheel, the two of you perfectly in sync with the beat, and it shouldn’t bring such a silly smile to your face, but it does. 

“So, uh…” He started off, eyes still on the road, he couldn’t afford to look at you, you looked breathtakingly pretty; the soft glow of the dashboard light highlighted your features, and with that goddamn black dress on you, Eddie was sure he was fully enamored by you.

“I’m–I’m sorry about the whole Chrissy thing,” He muttered, gaze avoiding yours. “It just kind of happened, but–she changed, she really changed.” 

“She–she told me how sorry she was about the whole Billy thing,” You gulped physically at the name, biting your lips nervously.

It didn’t fucking matter how sorry she was now, Chrissy was supposed to be your friend. You already had a hard time trusting people but you gave Chrissy that chance, you opened your heart to her, and you let her in, but she decided to stomp on it and chewed your trust in the cruelest way possible.

“I would’ve never talked to her if she hadn’t.” He avoided your gaze again.

“Cool… and you gathered that in what? A week?” You muttered angrily. 

Eddie fell silent at that, he didn’t know what to say next, he knew he was in the wrong, and he was desperate to fix it now.

“No, no I– just,” he sighed. “I don’t want to talk about this, Eddie,” you snapped, head turning towards the view of the window, lips pressed into a thin, bloodless line in an attempt to hold the words you wanted to say. 

You’re jealous—so incredibly jealous that it seeps through your skin. You wonder if he can tell, if he can see through you like he always did. 

“We’re not together,” He muttered embarrassedly. Chrissy seemed nice, but Eddie knew that she wasn’t you. Sure, Chrissy was pretty, but her face couldn’t make the gloomiest person in the world grin like yours did. And she was funny, but she could never make him nearly choke on his drink the way you always did. And he knew she could never, ever make him feel in a way you did. 

He was acutely aware of how awful that sounded, but he wasn’t trying to use her in any way; he was just trying to move on, but with you here, it was fucking impossible. You would always be his priority. No matter what happened between the two of you, if you even so much as glanced his way, he'd drop everything and come running. And that’s what scared him, that’s what made him act so unlike him toward you today because it was terrifying how much he truly wanted you.

You glared at him now, a second warning to shut him up, and he was quick to press his lips tight together. 

He huffed. “Look, how about we just… start over?” You finally plucked up the courage to face him again. With the warm breeze of summer nights in Hawkins having its full effect as it rustled through the open car windows, you could see his hopeful eyes.  

“Let’s just put it all behind us, you know… wipe the slate clean.” Your interest peaked with that; both of you had fucked up already, and if there was any way to survive the next five days with him and not be a burden to both Jonathan and Nancy, this was the perfect solution.

“Because I really don’t want us to have this weirdness over this whole wedding weekend- uhh… five day thing.” Shit. Was he actually reading your mind?

“Me neither.” You agreed in a mumble.

“Yeah?” Eddie asked with that pretty grin stuck on his lips. God, it was infectious, and his hopeful question fluttered your heart, you could feel yourself soften. Maybe this could work.

“So, uh- can we be… civil?” His voice was wavering, visibly nervous. 

You could put the whole Chrissy thing behind you for now, couldn’t you? At least until your next inevitable encounter with her. Maybe that was selfish, but you wanted to spend time with him; you wanted him all for yourself, just for a few hours, without any third person meddling their way in, so you nodded furiously. 

“Friends?” He offered, his hand extending to shake yours.

And even though that word fucking hurt, that’s all you could afford with him, too. You didn’t want to reopen the old wounds, at least not yet, and you were more than ready to settle for being friends with him for now. If it meant you could talk to him or be near him, you would do anything.

“Friends.” You agreed, hand harshly shaking his as you squinted your eyes jokingly. 

“They talked some sense into you, didn’t they?” You squinted.

“Nancy?” You asked with a slight smirk.

“Dustin and Jonathan, actually.”

“Dustin told me I was in the wrong with the whole Chrissy thing,” Eddie muttered as he stole a glance at you before he focused on the road again.  You fought hard to shrug off the smug smile on your lips; just the image of both Dustin and Jonathan telling Eddie off filled you with glee. “I swear that little shit is more mature than any of us.” You added.

“Don’t I know it?” He breathed, making you giggle. 

“So, where exactly are we headed to? Because I’m tired of seeing trees everywhere, and I’m starting to think you’re going to kidnap me.” You muttered with a narrowed gaze, attempting to ease the tension.

“You can’t tell?” He huffed, a little smile tugging at his lips at your joke. 

“Nuh-uh.” 

“You’re getting rusty, sweetheart.” You scoffed at that, eyeing the road quickly so you could tell him off. 

Once he passed by Mirkwood, you knew exactly where he was headed. A squeal escaped your lips childishly. “Oh my god!” 

The community pool. 

The two of you had snuck in at least a hundred times before. Even Chief Hopper had gotten tired of dragging both of your drunk asses off the pool. 

He couldn’t help the way his lips fully etched into a grin now, he had missed that genuine smile on your face and that childish squeal. 

“Eddie!” You squealed again when he finally neared, mouth stood agape. 

“Are we going in?” You asked excitedly. It was boggling your mind how quickly he melted your defenses. 

Before letting him nod, you spoke up again. “Ahh, shit! If I had known, I’d put on a bathing suit,” you huffed, causing Eddie to snort lightly. 

Your eyes drifted toward his features now; he looked… so happy, and that goddamn grin on his lips—why did he have to be so pretty? 

“What?” You muttered, feeling almost shy under his gaze now. 

He used to look at you like that a lot, like you meant something to him, like you were the most important thing in his life. And it felt so good to have that back, to see those deep brown eyes glimmer again.

There was another deep pause, as if he were debating whether or not he should let you know how much it truly meant that you were here. How much he had missed you. How much he missed that graceful curve of your lips as it stretched to a sugary smile, missed the way your eyes sparkled childishly when something excited you. 

“Nothing… uh- I just... I’m glad that-uhh you’re back,” he muttered, shaking his head, a strand of curly hair falling on his forehead.

He wanted nothing more than to feel just a graze of your touch, he had wanted to wrap his arms around your frame the whole day; he wanted you to sweep his curls off his forehead as you threw him a giggle, that angelic sound filling the space. 

And oh, how he missed your presence. He missed the way you filled the space around him, filling him with warmth and making him feel alive. But his thoughts remained unspoken; instead, he settled for a simple, “I missed you.” 

He held your gaze, tracing the contours of your face and memorizing every feature; he wanted each and every part of you etched into his brain, just because he didn’t know if you would leave again; he couldn’t handle forgetting your features, not again.

“I missed you, too,” you murmured, voice low when you could barely let the words out. There was a softness in his gaze, a vulnerability he only showed through it, and you returned it.

That impalpable silence was interrupted as he shook his head. “Let’s go, before you start getting in your head about getting in the pool with your clothes,” he teased, parking the car before he rushed off to your side. 

“M’lady,” He bowed dramatically when he opened the door for you, extending his hand, you took it with a giggle. “Such a gentleman!” You exclaimed, hands shaky when his grazed against yours. 

If Nancy and Jonathan could see the two of you now, their heads would probably explode, considering how both of you had been fluctuating between hot and cold the entire day.

“How are we even gonna get in?” You asked with a shrug, trying to keep up with him. 

He looked at you like he took offense to your question. “The old way, duh.” He shrugged carelessly, before he led the way. 

As you approached the silver metal fence, your heart skipped a beat, it had been so long since you had last done this, and when it loomed before you now, you had to physically gulp. “You scared or somethin’?” Eddie whispered in your ear with a sly grin, making you slightly jump. “N-no,” You muttered. 

"Then, do you wanna do the honors, sweetheart?” He asked with a wink, a mischievous glint sparkling in his eyes. With a deep inhale you nodded, placing your hands on the cold, textured metal of the fence. Once you fully braced yourself, Eddie hoisted you with a strong push, you probably would’ve been more anxious if you weren’t distracted by the fact that Eddie’s calloused hands were grazing against your waist. 

You cursed at the loss of touch when you made it to the top, and with a disappointed sigh, you swung your leg over the fence, carefully climbing down to the other side. 

You watched him almost jump over it with no hesitation, and now you were concerned with how much this had turned you on. Shit, shit, shit. Why did he have to be so fucking attractive in everything he did?

“Jesus Christ, you’d think they would’ve made this more secure by now,” you muttered with a giggle in an attempt to shut up your dirty thoughts about him, hands stretching out to dust your dress off before you followed him toward the pool. 

The poolside area was the first thing that caught your attention. Maybe it was the stupid deja-vu but you couldn’t help but be intrigued by everything. The pool lights created a cool ambiance that was kissed by the moonlight cascading on them. Each ripple of the water’s surface carried around the awful scent of sunscreen and chlorine; each sight of this goddamn place took you down memory lane. 

“You want one?” Eddie’s voice caught your attention when he plopped into an empty lounge chair, his hand fishing out a poorly rolled joint—which was probably just squished from being in his pocket all day.  

You nodded, mind still spiraling from the fact that you were here, with him. “Our spot, remember?” He muttered, hand signaling toward his side so you could sit down next to him. 

You hummed in agreement, before you shyly sat down next to him. “Here, let me.” You muttered, pulling the dragon lighter from the pocket of your jacket. 

His eyes almost widened again at the sight of that lighter, a tense silence overtook the space while you helped him light the joint sitting on his lips. “Uhh, t-thanks,” He muttered awkwardly. 

The two of you basked in that uncomfortable silence before Eddie finally turned toward you. “Is it just me or does this feel fuckin’ awkward again?” He took another long drag from the joint, breathing out before he turned to pass it to you, a nervous look crossing his features. 

And it makes you feel comfortable, that nervous breath you were holding in for so long finally slips out. “Thank god, because I thought I was goin’ crazy,” You murmured, happily accepting the joint as you placed it on your lips. 

“I-I just… I know a lot of shit happened between us, and I know we can’t fully pretend it never happened, but, this… this feels so nice.” You admit, gaze avoiding him. 

“It’s like, we used to have so much fun, we could do all this crazy shit and not give a single fuck. Do you even remember how many times Hopper escorted us out of here?” You asked with a slight smirk.

Eddie bit back on his tongue, he wanted to tell you that it was your fault. Wanted to remind you that the two of you could have been having fun all this time if you hadn’t just left him like that. 

But a clean slate is what he promised you, even though it was so fucking hard not to be bitter when he knew how much it hurt, because you had no clue how much you leaving him did a number on him. He had to pick on his own wounds, just so he wouldn’t reopen yours, just so you would talk to him again. 

He shook his head with a slight chuckle. “He really hated us, didn’t he?” 

“Oh, totally,” You muttered, head falling more toward his direction with a giggle. “Do you remember that time he chased us around here?” You almost gasped at the memory. 

“Shit!” He joined in on your laughter; his eyes met yours, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. “How could I fucking forget?” He coughed out the drag he was holding in. 

"His stupid hat fell in the water," He recalled with a mischievous glint in his eyes, you giggled again leaning in closer, shoulders brushed against his, and both of your chuckles intertwined now. Once you finally caught your breath, you spoke up again "and he tried to get it. And then, oh my god..." You paused for dramatic effect, biting your lip to hold back more laughter.

"He slipped," he continued, with another chuckle, "face first into the pool!" Your laughter erupted louder as the memory replayed in your minds. And it felt so nice to have that genuine bond again. It gave you this sort of hope that whatever the two of you had, maybe it could withstand you leaving him; maybe it could withstand Chrissy, and the time and distance spent apart. 

And you so wanted to believe it, because this had genuinely been the happiest the two of you had ever been in the last five years.

Once both of your laughter died off, you took a deep breath, hand reaching out for the joint as you tapped on his fingers to pass it to you. You sucked on it until it numbed your mind, causing you to break the comfortable silence with your train of thought. “I still can’t believe they are getting married,” You breathed.

“Hmmm?” Eddie responded carelessly.

"I mean, I know they're literally like soulmates," you continued, "and I always knew they'd eventually get married. But isn't it too soon? Aren't we still too young for all of this?"

Eddie turned his gaze toward you, looking at you with his brows pinched together. "Why wait?" He asked, curiosity took over his features as he studied your face.

“If you have met the ‘love of your life’ and all that bullshit, and you knew you’d want to spend the rest of your life with them…” You shifted your position, propping yourself up on one elbow to look at him more closely. “Wouldn’t you want to do that as soon as possible?” 

You considered his words for a moment before you spoke. “But how could anyone be… sure?” A hint of uncertainty was wavering in your tone. 

“What if they wake up one day and decide they're not in love anymore? Or they suddenly want completely different things in life? Or, oh god, what if they betray each other?"

His brows pinched together. “Oh, Pinky…” He shook his head.

“What?” You asked, your voice laced with curiosity.

“You still do that?” Eddie asked disapprovingly.

“Do what?” You retorted, sounding slightly defensive.

“You don’t trust anyone or anything, just so you don't get hurt,” he muttered.

“You nitpick every single part of something good... always trying to sabotage it because you’d rather ruin it than lose it,” Eddie explained with a concerned look on his face, and you hated it. You hated that he knew you so well, that he knew you by heart.  

“I do not do that!” You protested.

“Are you actually gonna tell me you never did that?” He gently prodded, tilting his head slightly as he regarded you with an all-knowing look.

You hesitated, your defenses crumbling just a bit. “Okay, maybe like one time, Munson,” you admitted with a reluctant squint of your eyes.

“You’re so afraid of losing something you love that you refuse to love anything,” He muttered, not realizing his concern had hit a nerve.

“But it doesn’t work like that. Love is not supposed to be that complicated.” He continued with a whisper, your gaze drifting away as you fiddled with your fingers, because he was right. 

“Why do you assume being loved by someone would ever be so hard?” Eddie realized he had truly hit a nerve and immediately regretted it. He could see the pain flash in your eyes—that familiar hurt you carried with you. You shook it off—a defense mechanism you had perfected over the years.

You found it too difficult to believe that someone could ever truly love you. And he knew that; he hated that he couldn’t tell you how much he loved every fucking part of you and how much he loved you for being you. You didn’t need to try for him; you didn’t need to do anything. You could just exist, and he’d still love you. But he couldn’t tell you that, not when you had left him. 

And he knew he couldn’t apologize for his words because you’d just brush it off, you’d just close off on him more and more, and he didn’t want to ruin this in any way. 

Desperate to shift the mood, Eddie changed the subject, opting for a game of questions just so he could distract you. By the time the two of you had started passing around the second joint and had gotten over thousands of questions, you were seated near the pool now, knees grazing each other as your feet dangled into the water.

With a mischievous glint in your eye, you initiated the next question, “Favorite color?” You asked with a soft giggle.

Eddie responded with a playful tilt of his head, "That has to be the lamest question, ever," he quipped.

You gasped animatedly, pretending to be offended by his comment. "Oh, really?"

"Well then, Munson, do you have a better one up your sleeve?" Your eyes squinted in a playful challenge.

Eddie, puffed out his cheeks as he wrestled with his thoughts to come up with a question. After a moment, a mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes. “I’ve got one,” He muttered playfully.  

 “Saddest song you’ve ever heard?” Eddie inquired.

You let out a groan of mock exasperation, your shoulders slumping dramatically. "Oh, come on! How am I supposed to answer that?"

Eddie leaned back casually on his elbows. "Well, I already have mine," he shrugged.

“Really?” You huffed, “I need like an hour,” You muttered, causing Eddie to give you a look.

“Okay, fine, fine!” You sighed audibly, racking your brain.

“Oh, oh!” You shot up quickly, splashing your feet in the water, when you finally thought of something, “can I name two?” Eddie raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Two? Now you've got my attention, princess." He winked teasingly.

You leaned back on your elbows. "Uhhh… Here Comes a Regular or… Wango Tango."

Eddie couldn't help but snort at the unexpected combination. "What?" he chuckled. “I can understand Here Comes a Regular, but Wango Tango? Really?” He gave you that puzzled look again. 

“Okay, okay, before you judge!” You squinted your eyes. “Hear me out, because it has a story.” You said. 

“I don’t know if I should tell you this,” you admitted, noticing Eddie's raised eyebrows and intensified curiosity.

“What? Why?” He questioned. “Because I never told you about this before, and I feel like it’s just gonna drag our mood down,” you murmured, biting your lip nervously, as Eddie’s eagerness peaked further.

“Are you kidding? You absolutely have to tell me now!” Eddie demanded softly.  

“I mean, are you sure? It’s just a stupid story, and I don’t even know if it matters now—” You began to waver, failing to notice the intensity of Eddie's interest.

“Pinky, please.” He interrupted with a tilt of his head, his voice filled with an urgency to know. You nodded hesitantly.

"So, uhh, you remember how he used to uhh- drove me and Max to school every week?" He nodded, his muscles tensing as he understood who you were referring to. “I think it was another tough week for him, and we had already been fighting a lot," you began, tone laced with a hint of exasperation.

"I think that’s why he was on the edge again, like he was ready to explode at any moment," you continued, gaze avoiding him and fixed on the shimmering water of the pool.  "W-we were in the car, and you- you were driving like two cars in front of us.” Your eyes squinted as you recalled the details animatedly, and Eddie listened curiously, his gaze fixed on you with a mixture of emotions.

“I think that like ticked him off or somethin’.” You shrugged, your voice wavering. “He started going on and on about you and he was already mad about us hanging out too much,” you stuttered and Eddie's jaw clenched as he listened, his eyes flashing with anger on your behalf.

“He threw me a look that I knew was nothing but trouble," you huffed with an ironic chuckle, but Eddie's expression remained stern, and you were starting to realize how dumb of a decision telling this story was, but it was too late now. 

“So then he, uhh- he started laughing all weirdly and following you, and I could just feel my blood boil, you know?” You went on, your eyes narrowing at the memory.

"I was telling him to stop, uhh, repeatedly, but he just… he just ignored me and sang that stupid song, tapping along to the rhythm.” Your lips curled with disgust at the thought.

“And oh god, Max just sunk into her seat, and that just made me go absolutely insane, Eddie!” 

“He was getting so close to you, like so close. And I-I knew you had no clue because I knew how loud you liked listening to your music in Aurora,” you muttered with a chuckle, attempting to lighten the mood, but Eddie didn’t focus on your joke; he could feel his insides burning with that familiar rage and the need to protect you.

“I don’t- I don’t even know what came over me, and I-I just drove the car off the road." You breathed. “And I know that’s… that’s horrible because Max was there too but I had no other idea and I was scared,” you admitted, biting your lips to hold all of your emotions inside of you as you took a deep breath.

“And I wanted to keep you safe,” you murmured, and Eddie’s heart almost stopped at that. The guilt of you being hurt because of him weighed in on him now. And he wanted nothing more than to go back in time and beat the shit out of that douchebag, again.  

“And I just remember that look on Max’s face… that pure terror, and while all of that was happening… fucking Wango Tango was playing.” You couldn’t help the exasperated chuckle that left your lips. 

You finally looked up at Eddie again, realizing how much you had unloaded on him. "What?" he asked, dumbfounded.

“H-he did what?” He stuttered in fury; you could see it in the way he scrunched his brows together.  

“Shit… I don’t know what I was thinking; I really shouldn’t have told you this when we were having a good time-” You shook your head, sighing. “I just… right before I left Nancy’s, I-I saw that Camaro and that song has been stuck in my mind and it’s the first thing I could think of." You rambled quickly; you had never opened up this much about Billy before, and you were starting to regret it because you didn’t want him to pity you. 

“God, I must sound so annoying but I swear I’m not saying any of this to make you pity me or anything-”

“No, no, that’s not it.” He interrupted with a shake of his head. “I would never think that, are you kidding?” His hand sat on your knee for reassurance.

“No… no, I just wish... Why didn’t you just tell me?” He spoke to you in a gentle tone, but you could see his jaw clench. 

“I-I don’t know, I was scared, Eddie, and I didn’t want to drag you into my bullshit,” You murmured, gulping when you looked down at his fingertips gently caressing your skin. Your emotions were all over the place, his one touch just calmed you down, all of your worries vanishing in mere seconds. 

“Are you kidding?” He asked softly. “I-If I had known, I would’ve done something a lot sooner, Pinky, I used to think he was just a shitty boyfriend, If I had known how he was-I swear, I swear, I would’ve never let him hurt you.” His voice was desperate as he leaned in closer, gaze never leaving yours. 

“I should’ve fuckin’ known,” he mumbled under his breath, he wanted to punch himself for not seeing it quicker, not seeing him sucking the light out of you, the way you flinched around him, and, oh god, the random bruises. 

He was stupid. So fucking stupid. 

“Don’t say that!” You protested. “I was the one who kept it a secret, it’s not your fault, in any way,” you muttered, your thigh grazing against his.

“Eddie, you quite literally saved me,” you whispered, a graceful smile adorning your lips.

His eyes drifted toward you again, gaze locking with yours.

“Look, I don’t give a shit what happens between us, you can always, always tell me anything, okay? Any fucking thing.” Eddie reassured, with a soft tone.

You nodded, the smile that formed on your face was genuine, you really appreciated each of his words. Whatever happened between the two of you didn’t matter—Chrissy, you leaving him in LA, the fight at Nancy's���none of it fucking mattered. Eddie was still here for you, and you were going to do everything you could to make sure you wouldn’t lose him ever again. 

"Anything?" you asked, seeking confirmation. Eddie didn't hesitate. He nodded in affirmation, his gaze soft and unwavering. "Anything."

“Oh, good! Because I’ve been dying to let you know how much of a dork you look like in your own band’s shirt,” you said with a slight smirk playing on your face.  

Eddie raised his brows gleefully, and a grin overtook his features once again. "Oh, I'm so getting you for that one," he muttered, his fingers quick to graze against your sides. Once you realized what he was up to, you tried to get away, but it was too late. 

He started tickling you relentlessly while you squirmed and wriggled under his touch, trying to catch your breath between giggles. 

"Okay, wait—stop, stop!" You managed to speak, your voice coming out in gasps as you pleaded for a momentary break. Eddie finally relented, his fingers retreating as you caught your breath.

"You still haven't told me yours!" you exclaimed between your chuckles, trying to catch your breath and eager to distract him from tickling you again.

“Ahh shit,” he muttered with a chuckle. “Now I really don’t want to tell you mine, because it’s gonna sound so petty and childish.”

“Nuh-uh!” You protested. “You absolutely have to after all the shit I told you!” You encouraged. 

“Fine,” he muttered. “Leader of the Pack by Twisted Sisters,” he huffed, his face souring.

“What? Why?” You asked with a baffled look.

“Because, I waited for that album for two years, and the moment I listened to that song, I wanted to die.” His hand daggered through his chest dramatically, making you huff.

“A bit dramatic, don't you think?” Your brows pinched together playfully.

“No, I'm serious Pinky. That album was pure garbage, I swear I got teary over it.” You giggled slightly.

“No, but I love that!” you exclaimed, your eyes lighting up immediately.

“Love what? That awful song?” He asked with a scoff.

“No, you dumbass,” you huffed, rolling your eyes dramatically at him.

“I love that a record can make you feel so many different emotions, you know?” you mused. “Anyone can listen to it, and they can have so many different stories, it’s super fascinating to me.”

Your gaze shifted toward the pool’s rippling water. “That’s one of the things I love about working in a record shop—people have so many different stories and feelings regarding music and it’s just..." You muttered. “I don’t know I think it’s great that just one thing can make everyone feel something different, it’s like a secret language that speaks uniquely to everyone, you know?”

Eddie nodded, leaning closer to you now. “That is kinda… inspiring,” Eddie hummed as he pondered for a minute, and that piqued your curiosity. “Hold on a second,” he said, holding up a finger as you watched him reach into his pocket.

A worn notebook was sprawled on his lap, and once you leaned closer, you realized it was the ‘promise’ notebook. Your eyes widened as you tried to catch a glimpse of what he was scribbling inside. "What are you doing?" you asked, a mischievous giggle escaping your lips, but he playfully blocked your view.

"That's going in the notebook!" he exclaimed, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. 

“Nuh-uh,” you disapproved. “That was so lame.” You shook your head embarrassedly.

"No, it was quite touching, actually," Eddie replied with his head still buried in the notebook.

“So you just write down everything like that?” You asked with your head tilted.

“Pretty much,” he shrugged. “I just scribble down anything that feels important to me.” A smile etched on your lips at that. 

“And then sometimes, if I’m lucky, and I mean very very lucky, these thousand notes can turn into a song,” he hummed excitedly.

“Can I see them?” You asked with a hopeful look.

“No way!” He chuckled.

“What?” You exclaimed. “I should be like the only person who has access to that!” You huffed with your arms crossed across your chest.

“And why would that be, princess?” He pinched his brows together, teasing you.

“Uh, maybe because I gave you that notebook, asshole?” You retorted animatedly, teasing him back. 

He contemplated for a moment before he spoke. “Okay, how about this…” He mocked a thinking face, piquing your curiosity. “You go in the water with me… and I’ll give you a note,” he offered. 

Your gaze drifted toward the cold water. You always hated going to the pool without your bathing suit, and he knew that, but you so wanted those notes. 

“Just one?” You squinted your gaze. 

Eddie sighed dramatically. "Fine, I can give you one paper with notes on both sides," he conceded. You nodded frantically. “Deal!” You exclaimed, holding out your hand for him to shake it. 

“But one more thing,” He spoke up again causing you to groan. “You can only read it once you get home,” he mute. 

“Fine, is that all of your conditions, Munson?” you quipped, arching an eyebrow.  He mocked a thinking face again. “Pretty much, yeah,” he replied with a sly smirk.

“Okay, okay. Then I’ll go in the pool with you.” 

“You promise?” 

“Yeah,” you muttered. 

“Pinky promise?” He asked with a grin, and you rolled your eyes. Elbowing him playfully at his joke “Jerk,” you muttered under your breath. 

“Close your eyes,” he said, his voice low. “What?” You inquired.

“Close your eyes so I can pick a note, and put it in your pocket.” He shrugged, and you obliged with a huff. 

You could hear him whipping through the notes, cursing as he debated which one he wanted you to see. 

“Your eyes still closed?” He asked, his voice still gentle. You nodded with a huff, trying to appear annoyed when your excitement was building with each passing second.

“‘Kay,” he mumbled, and you could feel his hands grazing you as he stuffed the note in the pocket of your jacket. 

“You can open them,” he said as soon as he was finished. 

“All done?” You muttered, cheeks still embarrassingly heating after you just felt a graze of his touch. He nodded with a grin. 

“Now it’s your turn,” he teased, fingers pointing toward the pool. 

Giving him an annoyed glare, you sucked in a shuddering breath. You glanced around at the pool again, the illuminating lights created a cosy atmosphere that truly warmed you, but you knew the chilly water would give you a rude awakening. 

Your trembling fingers slid your coat off your shoulders, tossing it aside as your feet splashed around the water. It was cold, and you looked back at Eddie with a pout. “We’re going to catch a cold,” you whined. 

Eddie huffed in mock annoyance, his impatience evident. "For the love of God, just go in," he exclaimed. You faced the pool again, feet still swishing around in the water. The more time you took, the closer you could feel Eddie’s silhouette behind you, and you knew if you didn’t go in soon, he was going to intervene. 

Your fingers fiddled nervously with the hem of your dress as you contemplated your decision once again. But before you could make up your mind, a sudden and unexpected push from Eddie left you in shock. Without warning, you were propelled dramatically into the pool, the water enveloping you with a cold, exhilarating rush. You emerged almost as soon as you fell in, sputtering and laughing, your dress clinging to your body and your hair plastered to your face.

“You asshole! I knew you would do that,” you exclaimed with a chuckle. 

You dived in once, fixing your hair after you emerged again. Your head tilting to see that sly smirk on his lips. “Jerk,” you muttered again. 

“Oh, you’ll live,” he mocked.

You extended your hand toward him with a pout, and he had a baffled look on his face. “Help me up, please,” you whined, shaking your hand further to convince him, but he could see that mischievous glint in your eyes.

Eddie squinted at you playfully, his head cocked in mock suspicion. “You think I’m fallin’ for that?” Your scoff only elicited a roll of his eyes. “You pushed me in, dumbass! The least you could do is pull me up." You protested, your hand waving in the air, waiting for him to fall into your trap. 

“Nah,” he shrugged nonchalantly, a smirk playing at his lips. You continued to whine, your hand still reaching out to him.

“Eddie, I’m serious, it’s super cold, and this dress is suffocating me!” You argued, the slight desperation in your voice making him feel for you. Eddie hesitated for a moment. That soft, innocent look in your eyes and the sweet pout on your lips were more than enough to convince him. If only he weren't as hopelessly infatuated with you, he might have resisted longer.

With a deep sigh, he extended his hand toward yours, taking it in a firm grip. “Fine, but if you try to pull me down, I swear to god-”

Before he could finish his threat, you swiftly pulled him toward you, yanking him off balance and into the water with a resounding splash.

Giggles erupted from your lips. “Too late!” you declared triumphantly, a wide grin adorning your face.

As you watched him resurface, he gave his head a good shake, water droplets flew around as his chuckles filled the air, and he couldn't help but praise you with a playful smirk. “You're good,” he admitted, the characteristic dimples on his cheeks making an appearance. You returned his compliment with a warm smile. “I know.”

Eddie felt dizzy; a flood of feelings hit him all at once when he looked at you again. He tried to divert his eyes away from you—from your smooth skin, from the sweet curve of your lips, from the way your brows pinched together when you giggled so sweetly. But he couldn’t.

Those innocent, big eyes that had a slight bit of mischievous glint in them—the way you fluttered your eyelashes at him whenever you teased him—it was all too fucking much for him.

Don’t look at her, Eddie. He tried to remind himself, but it was useless.

God, you really were beautiful. 

He shouldn’t be any closer to you, but he couldn’t fucking help it. 

When he swam closer, the laughter in the air had fully died down; there was only tension—so much tension that you could hear your own heart rate picking up. 

The water around you seemed to shimmer the closer he got to you, caging you between him and the edge of the pool. You gulped physically when you felt the concrete hit your back; he had you cornered. 

Each second stretched into hours now, and all the two of you did was gaze into each other's eyes, speaking a language without any words being spoken. 

He couldn’t help it when his gaze drooped down to your glossy lips, they looked so kissable that Eddie was about to lose his mind. You opened your mouth to speak but it was of no use, no words dared to come out of it. 

You watched in awe as his hands grazed against your cheek first, then he tucked that one strand of hair behind your ears. You could feel his breath fanning against your cheeks—that same speechless expression on his face that mirrored yours.  

Eddie was sure you had this unexplainable, tight hold on his heart. He had never, ever felt so completely possessed by someone before. You completely invaded his mind in a way that he struggled to put into words.

His calloused hands hooked behind your back as he inched you a little bit closer.  Your heart was pounding inside your ribcage, and your eyes were following his every movement. The second his forehead came to rest against yours, all you could do was squeeze your eyes shut. 

“Look at me.” He whispered all huskily, and you were sure you had never heard him filled with this much desire.  

You didn’t dare to open your eyes, standing still and even afraid to let out that gasp you’ve been holding on to for far too long. 

Was this all real?

Was he actually going to kiss you?

[itjazzbicch]

Safe Haven

Pairing: Tomas “Smoke” Vrbada x Reader

First time writing for Smoke so I hope I did well!

Summary: Originally brought into the Lin Kuei as the reader was arranged to marry Bi-Han, they learn that he is not the man they thought him to be and when he goes off the deep end, the reader seeks help from someone in the Lin Kuei that they have true feelings for…

Warnings: Arranged marriage situation, MK1 Spoilers obvi, reader has a break down

Word Count: 0.7k

Being arranged to marry Bi-Han of the Lin Kuei, I thought this new chapter of my life would be the beginning of many good ones.

That turned out to be far from what I expected. Bi-Han wasn’t exactly the lover that I was looking for.

Although he became grandmaster and I was soon to be his spouse, he had business to handle with Lord Lui Kang and I had no knowledge of what exactly was going on.

Not till Bi-Han returned, claiming his brothers Kuai Liang and Tomas were no longer a part of the Lin Kuei, and that he’d no longer be working with Lord Lui Kang.

Any question I had, he didn’t answer, told me that it was none of my concern.

Bi-Han wasn’t exactly the man I dreamed of being with my entire life. I already doubts in the past and this was my breaking point.

He must’ve forgotten that I was a highly skilled martial artist like himself. One night when he finally rested, I snuck out, needing to find Tomas.

I learned that he and Kuai were making their own clan, the Shirai Ryu, and looking to take down Bi-Han and restore the Lin Kuei.

There was so much I needed to get off my chest and I knew I could do so with Tomas. Out of their entire clan, I bonded with him the most and I knew that he’d help me.

It didn’t take me long to reach the Shirai Ryu’s minka, stumbling upon a beautiful garden full of red trees, lit in the night by lanterns.

“Y/N?” Tomas’s voice alone had me ready to burst into tears, running to him, “What are you doing here? How did you find this place?”

“I’ve been following you, but it’s not what you think,” I said quickly, fighting tears and running out of breath, “I can’t stand Bi-Han anymore. I can’t take it. I don’t want to marry him. I don’t want to be in his Lin Kuei anymore.”

“Y/N, breathe. Try to calm down,” Holding my shoulders, trying his best to comfort me, “Are you-“

I already knew what he was going to ask and cut him off with tears flowing down my face:

“I’m positive and mean every word I say, Tomas. You don’t know him like I do and just how terrible he is. I don’t want to go back. Please-“

“Shh, it’s okay,” He whispered, pulling me into a warm hug, “I believe you.”

His hug was everything I needed and more, my tears slowed and after some deep breaths, I didn’t feel so weak and brittle anymore, answering his question from before:

“I have been doing work of my own while Bi-Han has been gone. That’s how I found this place. So I could come talk to you.”

“Showing off your skill I see,” He smiled while rubbing my back, trying to raise my spirit, holding up my head some to connect a gaze, growing serious again as he asked, “I know you’re upset and dealing with a lot right now, but everything you said, you’re sure that you mean it?”

“Tomas,” I breathed in deeply, failing at fighting my tears as I confessed, “He’s never loved me. The only thing that kept me there was you, b-because, I love you.”

I didn’t realize at first how big his pupils expanded, my heart pouring and continuing to confess:

“You’re the one who always made sure that I was okay, spent time with me, made me feel special, instead of treating me like some object. I’m sorry I waited till now to tell you. I was just so scared of Bi-Han and now he’s completely lost it and I didn’t know who else to go to.”

“It’s okay,” He breathed, thinking and pulling back into his hug, his whisper making me cry silently, “Im so glad that you came to me.”

The tears wouldn’t stop coming, shaking as a chilled wind blew past us in the garden, but those shakes coming to halt as his embrace grew a bit tighter and warmer, his voice helping me ease down:

“You don’t have to worry about Bi-Han anymore. You never have to go back. Never.”

“I don’t know what I’d do with you,” I whispered, looking up from his shoulder as he whispered back:

“Don’t trouble yourself thinking about it. I love you too much to let you go back to that monster of a man.”

2023 © itjazzbicch — do not repost or translate my work. Likes, reblogs, and comments are always welcome

[toxic3mmy]

Star Struck

prompt: you get a message from alex on tumblr

hai lovely peeps <3

this is gonna be a short little book type thing with a few more chapters to come

i hope you guys enjoy!

ps- ill try my best to update this series at least once a week!!!

you mindlessly scrolled through tumblr. yes it wasn’t 2015 anymore but you still used the app religiously. you had a good number of followers, too.

you posted about all the emo and alternative music you were into and not to mention the youtubers who you loved.

your number one favorite youtuber was alexis quackity. you related to him in many different ways. he made you laugh on days you weren’t doing too well. he meant a lot to you, even if you didn’t know him personally and it was all most likely just an internet personality.

still, you found yourself talking about his latest let’s talk streams or even his random tweets. you loved having a community of online mutuals that felt the same way about quackity.

____

halfway across the country, alexis sat cross-legged on the floor of his cluttered apartment, surrounded by a sea of empty takeout boxes and energy drink cans. his eyes were glued to the computer screen, the glow from the monitor reflecting off his square-rimmed glasses. his mouse hand hovered over the keyboard, poised to respond to the endless stream of comments that flooded his youtube channel. his thumbs danced across his phone, scrolling through the notifications that seemed to never end.

it had been a wild ride for alexis since he started streaming games and posting videos under the moniker 'Quackity'. the fame had come quickly, and with it, the adoration of millions of fans around the globe.

sometimes alex would take the time and look through his community of devoted fans. he would use throwaway accounts to simply be unknown for once and just see what there was out there.

his fans were so unbelievably talented. many of them were amazing artists making portraits of him or even writing songs for him. some were even exceptional writers and the fanfiction stories he’d come across were actually pretty good.

amidst the digital chaos, one fan seemed to stand out from the rest. y/n, with her username 'Y/NIsNotHere', had caught his attention with her thoughtful comments and unyielding support. He clicked on her tumblr profile, and there it was: a fan account dedicated solely to him.

her profile was a shrine to his digital persona, filled with meticulously edited gifs, screenshots from his streams, and heartfelt notes about how his content had changed her life. Alexis felt a strange mix of flattery and curiosity. he hovered over the 'send message' button, his heart racing with excitement.

what did she look like? what was her voice like? would she be as amazing as she seemed? with a deep breath, he typed out a simple hello.

granted, he was using a secret throwaway tumblr account so he didn’t expect for an immediate response. and yet, the response still came rather quickly.

Y/Nisnothere: hi! whats up?

emoboy666_: nothing much, just surfin da web. so you’re a fan of quackity?

Y/Nisnothere: yeah im definitely a huge fan. there’s just something about him you know? he’s different, he makes me feel okay

alexis’ cheeks heated up after reading the compliment. he smiled softly as he continued to message you

emoboy666_: i totally get you! it’s nice to be distracted from things

Y/Nisnothere: for sure! so tell me about yourself

emoboy666_: well, im in my early 20s.. im mexican, i love video games and art….. oh and you can just call me A

Y/Nisnothere: well im 21, im also mexican, im also really into all things artsy and nerdy and well, emo lol, and you can just call me y/n :3

emoboy666_: i’m glad we have some things in common! your blog is really cool btw, it’s like a hidden gem amongst the cyber world

Y/Nisnothere: aw thanks! that’s really sweet of you to say <3

emoboy666_: no prob (: so, what are you doing right now?

Y/Nisnothere: oh not much, trying to do homework but getting distracted by tumblr and twitter lol. and u?

emoboy666_: oh same here, what do you study?

Y/Nisnothere: i’m studying art

emoboy666_: that’s awesome! maybe you should show me some of your work sometime

Y/Nisnothere: yeah! id love to (:

emoboy666: me too (:

Y/Nisnothere: (: <3

the two of you continued to message each other practically all night. you were happy to have made a new online friend and alexis was happy to get to know one of his fans.

neither of you truly knew who was on the other end of the phone but you still really enjoyed talking to one another. it was refreshing for the two of you.

you fell asleep with thoughts of your new friend, A

[beth20light]

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝟤

Jacob Black x Reader

A/N: Hello i made you guys wait im sorry i had some stuff. I decided to do 3 chapters last chapter might be long or i can make 4. I still didn’t decided 😭 anyway hope you guys enjoy it 💕

When you woke up, Jacob wasn’t there. Instead, you were in your dad’s car, driving back home. Your dad noticed you waking up and asked, “Hi honey, did you wake up?” You nodded. “You’re not cold anymore, right?” he continued. You nodded again, still not fully awake.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left you like that,” he said. “We came back right away when we couldn’t reach either of you. Thank God nothing happened.”

“Yeah, Dad, no worries. No one could’ve known,” you reassured him. “Where’s Jacob?” you asked, curious. It was all you could think about.

“He and Billy stayed with the car. They said they’d wait for the tow truck to pick it up. Don’t worry, they’ll figure it out,” your dad explained.

“Yeah, of course,” you murmured. The rest of the car ride was silent.

It had been a week since you last heard from Jacob. It felt like you were on one path, and he was on another. After that conversation in the car, you thought maybe you could let it go, but no, it weighted on you even more. You let it consumed your thoughts. You even asked Billy, but he said it was between you and Jacob, and if Jacob didn’t want to talk, there wasn’t much he could do. You agreed with him. Talking to Jacob’s dad wouldn’t solve anything.

As you were lost in thoughts again, you heard a knock on your door.

“Come in,” you said. Your dad stepped in and asked, “Hey, Y/N mind if I come in?”

“Yeah, of course, Dad.”

He walked in and sat on the edge of your bed. “How are you?” he asked.

“I’m fine, Dad,” you replied with a faint smile.

“Are you sure?” he asked, looking concerned. You looked down at your blanket. “This past week you seemed down”

Of course he could tell something was off. You’d been acting distant, always lost in thoughts and not wanting to do anything but sleep.

“Yeah, Dad, I’m fine. I just haven’t felt like doing much.”

He sighed. “I know it’s about Jacob.” You lifted your head and glanced at him. “Ever since we came back from the fishing trip, you haven’t seemed like yourself. I don’t know what happened between you and Jacob, but you’ve been friends for so long. I’m sure it’s something you two can talk about.”

“What if he doesn’t want to talk?” you said quickly.

“Well,” he replied, “maybe you should give him some time to think. He’ll come around and talk eventually.”

You didn’t seem convinced, and he took your hand, holding it gently as if to give you strength. “I’m sure your friendship is just as important to him as it is to you. He wouldn’t want to lose you. He’ll come around, trust me,” he said with a reassuring smile.

Your dad’s words comforted you, and you felt grateful to have him there. You smiled softly and squeezed his hand. “Thanks, Dad. I will hold on to that.”

“I’m glad,” he said, glancing out the window. “The weather looks decent today, at least for Forks. he smirked. “ Why don’t you take a walk and get some fresh air? It might do you good to get out of your room for a while.”

You nodded. A walk didn’t seem like such a bad idea—maybe it would help you to get it of your head.

“I’m heading downstairs, so you can get ready,” your dad said, getting up from the bed. “Be back before dinner. I’m making lasagna tonight.”

He smiled again before walking out of the door.

You got out of bed and tidied up your room a little before changing clothes. Thank God your dad hadn’t mentioned anything about the mess.

After letting your dad know you were going out, you started walking, with no particular destination in mind. Forks had a calm simplicity to it—quiet streets, surrounded by nature, offering a comforting sense of familiarity.As you walked, you tried to push thoughts of Jacob out of your mind and focus on other things: school, your future, your school friends. You had distanced yourself from them a bit this week, but they understood. They knew you needed time, and they hadn’t pushed you.

To make the time pass, you decided to call your other best friend, Janice. She was your high school friend, part of the little group you hang out with. Luckily, she picked up right away and didn’t mention your absence. She just started talking like no time had passed. She filled you in on the latest gossip, and you gave her advice on her boyfriend problems, hearing about what was going on with the other girls in the group.

Suddenly, her voice began to cut out. “Hey, Janice, I can’t hear you.”

"Y/N, you—ice—i-i-i can’t hea—" Then the signal was lost.

You stared at your phone, confused, and realized you were much farther from Forks than you'd intended. You were deep in the woods. Looking around, everything seemed the same—dense trees, no familiar landmarks. Checking your phone for a signal, your eyes caught the time. It had been almost an hour and forty minutes since you left the house. You couldn’t believe you had walked that far.

Talking to Janice had made the time fly, and now, you cursed yourself for not paying attention to where you were going. Panic began to creep in. Everywhere looked identical, and you had no idea how to get back. You decided to retrace your steps, hoping to find a signal and let your dad and Janice know where you were.

Holding your phone up to the sky, you muttered, “Come on, it was working just a minute ago…”

Then, you heard it—a sound, different from the birds. It was like a branch snapping under pressure. Your heart pounded as you spun around, but there was no one in sight.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” you called loudly.

Then it hit you—the noise might not be a person. It could be a wild animal. Fear surged through you. "Shit," you whispered, regretting that you had yelled. Why had you done that? You felt panic rise, tightening your chest. You decided to move, staying still made you more vulnerable. Slowly, carefully, you began to walk, each step calculated. Maybe it just a hiker, you thought. A friendly one.

But then, another snap—a branch breaking. This time, it was closer.

You turned and saw it—only five feet away. A cougar. It was approaching you, slowly, deliberately, its eyes locked onto yours.

The fear take all of your body.What were you gonna do now. ? Your hands were shaking from the adrenaline.

Your mind raced. You tried to recall the lessons you’d learned at school about what to do if you encountered a cougar. Growing up in Forks, surrounded by wilderness, they had taught you these things.

Don’t run. Running triggers their instinct to chase. You locked you eyes to his. Watched every step did he take.

The cougar moved closer, its gaze never leaving yours. It was as if it was waiting for you to make a mistake. You stood frozen, terrified, as your life flashed before your eyes. This is how it ends, you thought, tears welling up in your eyes. Please, God, save me you whispered.

As the cougar inched closer, your heart raced, every instinct screaming for you to run even though you knew it wouldn’t help. Suddenly, from the underbrush, a massive shape exploded onto the scene—a wolf, It was larger than anything you had ever pictured a wolf being, with fur that glimmered like a russet underneath the sunlight.

With a high, menacing growl, the wolf charged forward without hesitation. Before you could process what was happening, it launched itself at the cougar, catching it completely off guard. The sound of a fierce growl filled the air as the wolf crashed into the cougar, tackling it to the ground with surprising force.

You stood frozen, Fear and thrill filled you as the two creatures clashed. The cougar, momentarily stunned, struggled to regain its footing. You wanted to scream, to call for help, but you just stunned couldn’t speak watched two big creatures tearing each other apart.

The wolf was fierce and relentless, biting at the cougar's sides and neck with quick, precise movements. The cougar growled in surprise and tried to fight back, but the wolf was faster. It moved quickly, darting around and using its speed to overwhelm the cougar.

With one final leap, the wolf lunged at the cougar and clamped down on its throat. The cougar fought back for a moment, t moaning with pain and growling, but the wolf’s grip was too strong. Gradually, the cougar's struggles weakened until it went limp.

The wolf stood tall over its defeated prey, chest heaving, its breath coming in heavy pants. In the quiet of the forest, the only sounds were the rustle of leaves and the fading echoes of the fight. Then the wolf immediately turned to you.

Without fully processing the shock of the two large animals fighting in front of you, fear gripped your entire body again. Why hadn’t you run away during the fight? It had all happened so quickly that you couldn’t gather your thoughts.

The wolf was staring at you, taking slow steps closer. His teeth were bared, and he looked like he might attack at any moment. You took a few steps back each time he moved toward you. Tears streamed down your face, and you were trembling. Before long, your back hit a tree. There was no escape now. You looked at the wolf in fear, but he didn’t move to attack; he simply watched you. Its expression softened, and it stopped showing its teeth.

Confused, you wondered why he wasn’t attacking. This was stranger than more then it could be. When you locked eyes with the wolf, you felt an odd familiarity, as if you knew it somehow. You were more puzzled than ever. “Why aren’t you attacking me?” you asked, not expecting an answer. But as you spoke, he howled you with a non threatening voice at least this how you felt it was.

Did it just respond to me? You were more confused then before. “Did you just save me from him .”You glanced at the cougar lying behind him; he growled harshly, making you flinch. This was getting stranger by the moment—now you were talking to a wolf. “Can you understand me?” you asked, your voice shaking. The wolf didn’t howl this time; he just watched you. Maybe he can’t, you thought to yourself. “ I can’t believe all this happening.” you thought loudly again. He didn’t answer again he just watched as you self questioned yourself.

The wolf took a few steps back, glanced at the cougar he had just killed, then looked back at you. He took another step the direction you were going then he howled again. “Do you want me to follow you?” you asked, taking a step toward him. He didn’t howl again, but it started walking away at a pace you could keep up with. I guess that means yes, you thought.

You stepped away from the tree and followed. The wolf picked up speed, and you started to run to keep up. Occasionally, He glanced back, almost as if checking to see if you were still there.

You ran for a while, but he was getting faster, leaving you behind. Still, he stayed within your sight. Then he stopped, and you stopped too, a few yards apart. He howled again, louder than before. After the howl, he looked at you for a moment, then took off running faster than before. You started running again, shouting, “Wait!” but he didn’t hear you.

Breathless, you paused to catch your breath. Did he just leave you? Why now? Looking around, you noticed an exit point from the woods. You couldn’t believe what had just happened—he had shown you the way out.

You checked your phone again and noticed that the signal had finally returned. Three missed calls—two from your dad and one from your friend Janice. Without hesitation, you dialed your dad as you navigated the path leading out of the woods.

He picked up quickly. "Hey, where are you? I called twice! Why didn't you answer?" His voice was filled with concern.

You needed to come up with a lie—there was no way you could tell him the truth. "Sorry, Dad. I was with Janice. I saw her on the road, and she invited me over. We hung out for a bit." You prayed Janice would back up your story. "I didn’t realize how late it was, and my phone was in another room. I should’ve let you know. I’m sorry."

He let out a heavy sigh. "When you didn’t answer, I thought something had happened. Just give me a heads-up next time, okay?"

You smiled, relieved. "I promise, Dad."

"Alright, come home. I haven’t eaten yet, and if you’re not quick, I’ll eat it all. Oh, and you’re doing the dishes tonight—you're grounded."

"Dad!" you groaned. He chuckled, "Be quick, okay?"

After hanging up, you immediately called Janice, explaining the lost signal and your little lie, begging her to cover for you. She agreed, but was curious. “Why’d you lie to your dad she” asked.

You promised to tell her everything when you met up, though you still weren’t sure how to explain what you’d experienced.

As you walked home, your heart pounded in your chest, the adrenaline still coursing through you. The scene kept replaying in your mind—you couldn’t believe what you had witnessed. You wished Jacob had been there; he’d have been the only one to believe the strange story of yours. But thinking about him brought sadness again. No, you decided. You wouldn’t let thoughts of Jacob ruin this wild experience.

When you got home, your dad still hadn’t eaten. You both sat down and ate while talking about the usual stuff. Then you did the dishes, just like he said. But once you were back in your room, the images from earlier flooded your mind again—the cougar, the wolf, and you. How could such a massive wolf exist? You’d never seen anything like it. And why had it saved you instead of attacking?

Your thoughts were spinning, so you grabbed your laptop and began searching the internet for answers. But no matter what you typed, there was nothing—no mention of wolves as large as the one you had encountered. You felt a growing sense of frustration.

"How could there be nothing about a wolf that big?" you muttered to yourself. Then, a reckless idea formed in your mind. Maybe I should go back. I might see him again. But the thought of the cougar gave you pause, sending a shiver down your spine. Yet, whenever you pictured the majestic red wolf, your fear melted away. He had saved you. Maybe you could even take a picture next time it would helped you to find more about him.

That’s when you knew—you had to go back. The mystery of all the things that happened was too strong to ignore. Tomorrow, you’d return to the same spot, no matter the danger. The wolf had drawn you into himself, there should’ve be meaning of his help , and you were ready to find purpose behind it all.

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Longing

Pieces of My Heart - Chapter 10 Stray Kids OT8 x reader, Soulmate AU

Masterlist | Next Part

Chan Hey, just checking in. How’s your dad? Y/N He’s good, awake and lucid Doctors say everything went smoothly, he should make a full recovery Chan That’s good. Y/N How are the boys? Chan Missing you. Img.png Y/N Tell them I miss them too Chan I will. Give your dad our best wishes. Y/N Thanks

0o0o0

Sophie Hey, I just got your message Are you okay? Y/N Don’t worry, I’m fine. My dad’s okay too I didn’t get a chance to update you Had a lot on my mind Sophie No, yeah. I get it Y/N How was the day 2 concert? Sophie Just as amazing as day 1 Well, actually it was a bit weird I felt like the members weren’t as playful as the first time around. It seemed like they had a lot on their mind too … Maybe it was just one of those days Y/N Yeah, I guess Sophie Either way, it’s a shame we didn’t get to hang out more before you left I’m glad your dad’s okay Y/N Me too. If I’m ever back in the city, I’ll let you know Sophie Of course. In the meantime, want to see some videos from last night? Y/N Sure!

0o0o0

Y/N You sure you don’t want anything from the store? Mom I’m sure sweetie, thank you. Y/N Ok Mom Hey, while I have a chance to talk to you without your dad listening in. We need to talk about your soulmates. Y/N What about them? Mom Sweetheart, I remember when I met my soulmate. We were inseparable for weeks. I couldn’t even imagine how hard it is to be away from them right now. Y/N Mom … Mom I mean, even now, not being able to see her makes me uncomfortable. Why do you think we have our weekly Friday night meet ups? Y/N I thought that was just an excuse to go out and complain about Dan from finances Mom You and I both know I don’t need an excuse to complain about Dan. But that’s not the point. I can’t stand not being with Lucy. And we’re only platonic soulmates. From what I’ve heard, that’s definitely not the case with you. Y/N Mom! Mom You should be with your soulmates. Y/N Dad’s still in recovery, mom You can’t take care of him yourself, you have work and your health issues … You need help. They understand, we can make it work Besides, they’re on tour. I was going to have to be away from them for a while anyway It’s not like I could just go on tour with them Mom I’m sure that’s not true. Y/N Im almost back at the room. We can talk about this later

0o0o0

Soulmates

Y/N Hey Did you guys land yet? Seungmin Few minutes ago Felix Hi!!! How are you?! I’m good Felix, thank you ^^ Seungmin Img.png Img.png Img.png Felix YAH! Seungmin wtf!??! Seungmin Not my fault you all fell asleep on the plane Felix So you decided to photograph us?!!? Seungmin Blackmail material Minho I’m going to commit murder Y/N Awww, you guys look so cute I hope you guys get some rest … Guys? Wait he wasn’t serious about the murder was he? Hyunjin Hi baby I miss you Jisung I miss you too! Hyunjin I miss them more! Chan Guys, it’s not a competition Felix But if it is, I definitely miss them more >:) Y/N Guys, Minho wasn’t serious about killing Seungmin, was he? … Guys?

0o0o0

Jeongin Did you have breakfast yet? Y/N Shit, no I’ve been busy. I had to take my dad to his doctor’s appointment today and then I had to go do groceries Jeongin :( Y/N Sorry Innie. I’ll go get a snack rn Jeongin You haven’t been eating a lot lately … You know coffee doesn’t count as a meal, right? Y/N I know Sorry :( Jeongin You need to take care of yourself. I’m worried about you Y/N I will, I promise Jeongin I’ll remind you if you don’t. I swear, you’re worse than Channie-hyung Y/N D: I’m not that bad Jeogin … What did you just eat? It’s disgusting Please never eat that again Y/N You take that back Ham and Jelly toast is delicious and I refuse to accept this slander Plus its an easy snack Jeongin I will pay you to never eat that again Please Stop! DID YOU JUST ADD HOT SAUCE?!!!? Y/N Suffer

0o0o0

Mom I had a talk with my boss about work. He’s agreed to let me work from home for the next few months. Y/N Oh, that’s good. Now you can spend more time with dad during breaks and lunch … Mom It also means that I won’t need your help around the house anymore. Y/N Mom, we’ve talked about this. I’m not leaving you guys! Mom It’s been almost a month. Your soulmates are almost done with their tour You should go see them. Y/N I appreciate the effort mom, I really do. But can you just drop this? Mom No, I won’t. Why are you forcing yourself to be so unhappy? You think I don’t notice how stressed and upset you’ve been lately? You’re not eating well, you’re not getting a lot of sleep. Honey, I’m worried. Being away from your soulmates for so long so soon after meeting can’t be good for you. Or them! Y/N They have each other, they’ll be fine. Mom That’s not how this works, and you know it. Have you even talked to them about it? Y/N I don’t want to talk about it. Not right now. Mom You can’t run away from your problems forever.

0o0o0

Soulmates

Minho 커피 원해? (anyone want coffee?) Jisung ㅇㅇ (yup) Felix 내!!!! (yes!!!!) Chan 주세요. (please.) Seungmin 됐어요 (im good) Y/N I mean, if you’re offering It might be a bit cold by the time you get here though Minho Ahh, wrong chat Sorry Jisung Wait a minute! Since when do you read Korean?!! Y/N I don’t??!! I just used google translate Although I did recognize 내! That means yes :D Minho 귀엽다 (cute) Changbin Waa, our soulmate is so smart. Y/N :D Don’t drink too much coffee though. I’ve been told it is not a meal >:( Im talking to you, Chan Chan I have no idea what you’re talking about Y/N >:( Jeongin >:( Felix >:( Jisung >:( Chan It’s only my second cup today! And the first one was 3 hours ago! Y/N IT’S ONLY 9AM! Chan … Felix I’m going to kill you

0o0o0

Y/N Hey, can I ask for some advice? I need an unbiased opinion Sophie Well I’m not sure I’d consider myself unbiased. I’m definitely Han biased, that’s for sure. ;) Y/N It’s about my soulmate Sophie OH! I totally forgot about that, you haven’t talked about them at all! Y/N Yeah, between everything with my dad and then school and stuff … My mom has been on my ass these past few weeks about it Sophie About what? Y/N She thinks its unhealthy for me to be away from them She has this scary close bond with her soulmate, a childhood friend of hers. And she can’t imagine being away from her, so she thinks that I need to go be with my soulmate But I’ve been refusing, and now every time I see her it feels like she’s seconds away from starting another argument I’m just so tired of all the arguing, and wondering if maybe she’s right I have been having a harder time getting sleep Sophie Oh wow, that’s …. Wow. Y/N yeah Sophie I’m not sure you want my honest opinion right now. Y/N Please, I do. I need someone that isn’t my mom to be straight up with me. Am I being irrational? Sophie Well, first of all, being away from your soulmates is definitely not easy. But It’s also not a big deal, and long distance relationships work fine even between new soulmates. So maybe your mom is projecting a little bit. But I don’t think that’s the problem here. Y/N ??? Sophie Why does the idea of leaving to be with your soulmates bother you so much? I mean, when I found Alexis I was overjoyed, but I still didn’t have time to see him a lot. We both had school and work, and it was hard to find time to spend together. Honestly, I would have taken any opportunity I had to be with him. And yet here you are, turning down all of your mom’s offers. I feel like something else is at play here than just your mom’s pushiness. Y/N … Sophie I told you you wouldn’t like my opinion. Y/N No, you’re right Fuck, you’re right Sophie I usually am :) Y/N Thank’s Sophie, I really needed someone to knock some sense into me. Sophie Glad I could help. Want some memes? Y/N Yes, please!

0o0o0

Y/N Mom. I’m sorry You were right, I want to be with my soulmates. I really appreciate everything you’ve done to give me the opportunity to be with them. And I’m sorry I’ve been so stubborn about it. But Mom, I feel like you’re pushing me away. I feel like you don’t want me here. My soulmates will never be more important than you. You’re my mom, and I worry about you and dad. I worry about you guys being by yourselves, about being away from you. I’m scared and I just feel like everything is moving too fast. Can you call me when you get off work? I love you.

0o0o0

Y/N We need to talk Chan That doesn’t sound good Y/N It’s nothing bad, I promise Chan Okay? Y/N My dad has been getting better. He’s walking now. Chan That’s great! I’m glad your dad’s okay. Y/N Yeah Chan I have a feeling that’s not what you wanted to talk about, though. Y/N They managed to talk with a neighbor, and he agreed to drive my dad to his appointments if my mom can’t take him. And I started taking online classes. Chan Huh? Y/N Chris I think we need to talk about what happens when you guys are done with your tour.

[wa1kerbait4592]

planet of the apes 🦧

dude… i have now seen the new kingdom of the planet of the apes in cinema twice and the first time around i wasn’t all that impressed and i left the theatre kinda disappointed but the second time around i left a little more impressed and a little less disappointed.

the movie was still weak compared to the first three films, (the rise, dawn and war) but im glad it was made.

as a whole i believe this franchise is criminally underrated on multiple different levels. The poetic nature of the films is something i don’t think i would ever articulate or write on paper to perfectly capture how beautifully made these films are, they are just chefs kiss

proximus caesar was a funny villain that i think deserved more screen time and back story, it makes me kinda sad to think that we wont really see his character again.

the symbolism that links all four films together is incredibly well done and throughout the entire series there are crumbs of the films that came before them, which is a part of the reason why i love these films so much. i like how they made noa so similar to caesar, not only in his appearance but in his characteristics. i like to believe it was intentional that noa and caesar (particularly in dawn of the planet of the apes with malcolm) cautiously but willingly trusted a human. noa is so incredibly similar to caesar it would be criminal to suggest otherwise.

dude these films are so visually well done you almost forget you are watching cgi. the visual effects alone blow my mind but the accuracy and attention to detail when it comes to the mannerisms of the apes is out of this world and deserves more recognition. in terms of cinematography planet of the apes have always been amazing at beautifully capturing emotions from all the apes and even better at showing the wonders of a post-human run world. the forests and surroundings that the apes find themselves in continue to amaze me, especially in this newest film were we see a variety of different landscapes.

as much as i am growing to love kingdom of the planet of the apes, i feel as though we could have waited for noa and his story. i think cornelius and the others that were left behind after caesars death deserved a closing chapter. i would have loved to know how the community handled the loss of their leader and saviour and how they all moved on. also i feel as though we needed back story on how the apes separated and became different clans spread all across the continent. as an example i would have also loved to see how the misinterpretation of caesar and what he stood for became so strong and wide spread, as well as why noas clan and their elders knew nothing of caesar or chose to leave him out of their history. there were a lot of open ends and unfinished stories that deserved more screen time, but in saying that, that could mean an eternity of story telling that everyone may not want to see.

at the end of kingdom of the planet of the apes they left it open for another film which i am looking forward to seeing where they take story line. are they going to fully circle around to the original films were they capture more humans and start to use them as slaves or will the story begin to get repetitive? i hope repetition won’t sneak its way into these films like is has with so many other franchises, but we can only hope right?

anyways-

long live monkeys… i love monkeys and we need more monkey movies

also- i know i don’t really do this sort of this thing on this account but i was beginning to genuinely tweak if i didn’t word vomit my thoughts on these movies <3

[seokmn]

chapter XXXI : always and forever

wc: 1k words

lua’s note: this chapter happens a couple years after the last chapter

seokmin, who was resting between your legs, his head laying down on your stomach, sighed and closed the book before turning his head upwards to look at you

“so, what do you think? did you like it? give me a review like you’re reviewing a movie on letterboxd!” you said looking down at him, nervous and curious about his opinion on your book.

“okay, but can i be truly honest? youre not gonna get hurt?”

you nodded, “yes you can, bring it on, i can handle it”

“okay, but you asked for it!”, he said while sitting up to be able to talk to you face to face, “i loved it. i really did”

“really?”

“of course! i loved the way you showed how you started lacking confidence about not sharing a string with someone and how you got the confidence back. i think you really wrote it so well and really put your heart on it, this book shows your thoughts in such a transparent way and i think it shows your vulnerable side, but also your strong side as well, it made me feel like i was reading your journal and not a book, which can be a good or vad thing depending on who’s reading it.” he placed his hand on his chest and chuckled, “but i liked it. i also loved the way you wrote about how our string can be invisible for ourselves just like other people’s string is invisible for us and how you put in your book our conversation about our love being a secret that the universe doesnt know about. i really, really, really loved your book, yn. im proud of you”

you smiled, holding back your tears, “im so glad you loved my book, honestly it was such a crazy experience and journey writing this book and, since at some point the book tells about our story, your opinion is really important to me. at first, i thought you were going to say negative things about the book”, you chuckled.

he put a strand of your hair behind your ear before wiping away the single tear that was starting to run down your cheek, “youre so talented. im sure people are gonna love your book”. he hugged you, caressing your hair as a way of trying to soothe you since you began to cry, “they better be happy tears”, he said softly.

you chuckled, still crying, “yeah.. they’re happy tears. im really happy about my book, about my life in general and about us… i would never replace one single thing about my life, i couldnt be happier”.

he hummed softly while laying you down on his lap and holding your hand as you two began to watch the sea, the comfortable silence filling the air. you kept watching the sea, but seokmin’s eyes were glued to your hands, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

seokmin cleared his throat and spoke up, “uh.. yn?”

“yea, minnie?”, you said still watching the sea.

“i think the universe knows our secret now”, he spoke quietly.

“huh? what you mean?” you looked up at him, seeing his watery eyes and then followed his gaze, only to find your fingers intertwined with his and a string around your pinky fingers. your eyes widened, “what the hell?! how did- when did that happen?!?”

“i dont know,” he sniffed, “it wasn’t there when we were reading the book!”

“did we… did we just made each other our soulmates?”

“i think we did!” he chuckled between his sobs, “i didnt know this could happen”

“i guess we can choose our soulmate. come here,” you hugged him, letting him rest his head on your shoulder, “i would spend the rest of my life by your side regardless this happening or not. i already knew youre my one, but i guess the universe also knows that now. our love is not a secret anymore”

seokmin nodded, trying to calm down so he could speak without any problems, “i.. i dont know how, why or when did this happen, but im so happy it did. i love you so much, yn”

“i love you too, seokmin”, you leaned back to look at him, cupped his face and smiled at the sight of your loved one crying with a smile on his face, it was clear about how much love he has for you just by the way he looks at you, like youre a diamond, like you’re the only thing that really matters to him, “i love you so damn much”

you kissed him, placing your hands around his neck and he wrapping his arms around your waist. the kiss was slow, soft and full of love. once the kiss was broken and he rested his forehead against yours, looking down at your hands

“i cant stop looking at it. im totally mesmerized” he sniffed and smiled, caressing your hand, “cant believe now youre really my soulmate… people are never going to believe us”

“our friends will”, you said smiling.

“youre right, our friends will”

“you know, i think ill need to write another book now”, you chuckled, “another best seller? wow, my girl will become the best writer ever. not you arent the best writer ever already, you know”, he pinched your cheek and you rolled your eyes playfully.

“you spoil me way too much”

“maybe i do and ill probably spoil you even more since now i know its gonna be us always and forever”

“thats true.. its gonna be us always and forever ”, you said and kissed the back of his hand before laying your head back down on his stomach. you didn’t know how did that happen, maybe the universe was testing out you too or maybe you changed your destinies. you werent sure of anything but the fact that you love seokmin more than anyone could ever imagine, that his love is the most important thing in your life and that this love will last forever.

THE END

lua’s notes: and with that, invisible string comes to an end! i want to thank everyone who read it, interacted with it and enjoyed it. i really means the world to me!! im still thinking if i should post an epilogue or not so let me know if you would enjoy invisible string having an epilogue! also, let me know if you liked the smau, it can be as a comment or as an ask. your opinions about the history itself, the characters or the end are always welcomed 😁 thank you for supporting my work and i hope to see yall here again for my next projects. love you ❤️

prev - masterlist

INVISIBLE STRING

in a world where when you turn 18 you share an invisible string with your soulmate that only you and your respective soulmate can see it, seokmin, also known as dokyeom, is an actor in the musical theatre world that doesnt have a soulmate and keep it as a secret. meanwhile, yn works in a bookstore and doesnt seem bothered at all by the fact of not sharing a string with someone. is it possible to change the destiny and find your soulmate even tho you dont share the invisible string with anyone?

[mingiiwingii]

Masterlist. Chapter 1. Chapter 2.

SUMMARY | Hes your baby daddy but he’s also part of the mafia- the boss at that. He left you without saying anything but leaving a note explaining how it was the best for you guys and he would miss you. Then disappearing completely out of your life never being seen again a month before you found out you were pregnant.

PAIRINGS | mafia boss father!Bangchan x mother!female reader

RATING | 18+

WARNINGS | 1 suggestive line, Idek what else honestly SORRY.

NOW PLAYING | back to black: Amy Winwhouse

LENGTH | 1,072 words

It was nothing but a normal Saturday afternoon. You and your daughter were on your way to the ice cream shop. Your daughter gets happy as you guys get closer to the huge ice cream shop in the mall. You finally reached the entrance of the shop and asked her if she knew what she wanted already, you already knew what ice cream she had in mind since she got it all the time but you just wanted to see if it would be different, it wasn’t per usual.

You took her in the ice cream shop so she can get her ice cream. She begged for you to let her order it herself and let her put it under her own name. You didn’t see any reason not to so you let her put it in on her own. •Yerim Bang: 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream on a cone and 2 scoops of cookies and cream on a cone• is what the reader where you would order said.

You turnt around with your daughters hand in yours to go sit in the waiting area and as you turnt around, you couldn’t believe what you and your daughter were seeing the man you dreaded to ever see again. Christopher bang known as bang Chan A.K.A Yerims father. Still short as ever but still scary in a sexy way, black suited pants, a long sleeve white dressy button up shirt, and a black suited jacket buttoned over it with a black tie, his hair was styled completely different. It was blonde and boy did it complement his face so perfectly.

Of course he still wore the same Rolex from when you first ever met him, the Rolex that wrapped around his wrist like a snake everytime he put his hand around your neck as he fucked you. Oh what you’d do to go back to that time and take it all back but then again your glad that happened because you were blessed with your beautiful daughter.

You happened to finally look down at at the short mans hand and you happened to see him holding a little girls hand she looked about the same age as your daughter but she also looked very familiar. She looked like a child you have seen before but she also looked like your child’s father very similar to him. Same eyes, same nose, same lips worse of all, she shared the same features of Christopher’s that your daughter did and that made the two look almost like twins.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you seen the little girl charging towards you and your daughter and your daughter charged back towards her. The little girl yelled out her name as they hugged each other “Yerim what are you doing here” with a huge smile. Yerim smiled back and said “I’m getting ice cream with my mommy like every Saturday.”

The little girls smile became a little smaller as she put her head down and said softly “I sometimes wish I had a mommy to teach me how to be a good girlfriend and how to act as a women, but Im very glad that I have my daddy he says that ‘I should just wait to grow up and later worry about that stuff but that I should also be the type of girlfriend who knows how to let go and isn’t disobedient’ but he’s a man so what does he actually know.”

Those words broke you and and you daughters hearts. It then hit you she was the little girl to always get dropped off by this very beautiful woman. You only every caught a few glimpses of her and the little girl that’s why you didn’t know who it was right away.

You felt that the girl must’ve been Christopher’s current women since she was the one dropping off his other said daughter but you could also tell she wasn’t her biological mom because they didn’t share a single feature. You patted the little girls head and said “yeah your right your father is a man they wouldn’t know anything about that kid of stuff” as you then rolled your eyes at him.

Your daughter then put her head down and said “I wish I had a daddy to teach me about how boys should treat a girl and the right boy to and to not date.” She then raised her head and said “but my mom told me the exact man or boy to not date.” With a huge smile on her face.

The little girl lit up and said “what type of guys does she think are bad to date” your daughter snickered and laughed saying “the bad type-“ she starts to say as she put her hands on her hips. She then continues “the type of guy who does bad things because it will never last that’s what happened between her and my d-“ you were shocked at the little girls words but the only thing that stopped that last word from coming out of her mouth was her order being called.

“An order for yerim bang” the lady behind the desk yelled “well that’s me I’ll see you at school “ yerim said before hugging her bye before pulling you and running towards the desk to get the ice cream. Christopher stood there puzzled wondering was that his daughter but he already knew she was since the last names aligned and she looked like his twin flame.

As you guys were walking out past them the little girl tapped your arm making you stop and look down at her with a smile. The little girl then asked “how do you know those are the types of men to stay away from because I always wanted to date a man from the mafia because they seem super fun.”

You laugh at her words she reminded you of yourself “I know because I have great experience with them and trust me you don’t want to date one because one day they’ll say they love you and the next their leaving a not on your kitchen table saying how your not good for each other.”

You smile at the girl who is clearly listening to you then look at Christopher and your smile drops as you roll your eyes. Yerim waved the little girl and her dad a final goodbye.

[gingerlee-holds]

if it's ok with you I would love a part 3 of the letting of steam fics. i love the first two so far

oh of course!!!! thank you so much for the request heehee! i think there's gonna be one more chapter after this one before the story ends heehee, so if its requested ill begin working on that- i wanted alastor to be sweet with husker cuz husk's very clearly terrified of him so he's gentle with husk- anyways enjoy!! and thanku again for requesting <33333333

(also dont get mad but im not showing Angel's accent phonetically, that's just not my style so use your imagination)

Last Man Standing

Read the first one here! Read the previous one here!

Words: 1953 Pairing: Ler!Alastor, Lees!Niffty, Angel, and Husker Warnings: Alcohol and a panic attack, Angel being Angel, and also its unedited

Husker slightly trembled as he looked around. The radio demon could appear from any shadow, and Husk was never ready. The gambler hated that Alastor got to him so much, but he couldn’t help being afraid. That demon had his soul, and his grip on it was ceaseless. 

Mercifully, Husker wasn’t alone as he slunk through the hotel halls. He tightly held Angel Dust’s hand, who seemed completely unfazed by the situation. Behind them, trying to keep up, Niffty clapped her hands excitedly. Husker was at least glad she was enjoying herself. 

“Stay close, Niffty,” Husk looked behind him, motioning for the maid to hold his other hand. “You know how extra our boss can be.” He felt a little better holding their hands, but he knew that once Alastor tasted figurative blood in the water, it wouldn’t matter.

The shadow of the radio demon followed them down the dark hallway. Alastor may have been part-deer, but all that was going through his mind now was the instincts of a hunter. And if he wanted to be efficient about this - which he always did - he’d pick them off, one by one, starting with the weakest. 

Angel looked over. “Huskie, your hand is trembling. You afraid of the dark?” He said it with a light tone, but as soon as he saw the hotel bartender look back at him with eyes filled with terror, he softened. “Don’t worry, sugar. I’ll protect ya,” he said, affectionately rubbing Husker’s knuckle with his thumb. 

“And I’ll protect you, too!” Niffty giggled as she said it, squeezing Husker’s other hand.

Despite the fear, Husk grinned a little. “Thanks, you two,” he mumbled. He wrapped his tail around his waist like a hug, trying to level his breathing.

“Besides,” Angel continued, gesturing as he spoke, “I’m pretty sure Alastor’s just having fun with this. Nobody’s getting hurt. Just a little scared.”

“Cuz he’s a bad boy!” Niffty offered.

Angel snickered under his breath. “Yeah, sure. Besides, you’ve seen how agitated he looked this morning. He’s barely shown his face since the battle. Maybe he needs this.”

Niffty giggled again. “And when he finds us, he will tear our souls apart!”

Husker’s breath caught in his throat as he was reminded of Alastor’s threat. “What?!” 

“No, hun,” Angel chuckled and rubbed Husker’s shoulder. “She’s just fucking with you, Huskie. Our souls are fine.” He sighed a bit when he felt Husk tense up, silently wishing he could get some alone time with him to talk. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to wait for long. Angel spoke up again as they continued walking. “Niffty, no more jokes, got it?” 

Silence.

“Niffty?” Angel looked over, and Husker stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he held up his other hand for Angel to see: it was empty. “Niffty!” Both sinners looked around the hallway but found no trace of the neurotic little maid.

Husker’s breathing rate increased. “Oh, shit,” he whimpered. 

In an empty room, Alastor dropped Niffty on the bed, who was clapping enthusiastically. “You got me!”

The radio demon grinned and ruffled her hair. “That I did, little darling. I have two more targets, so I can’t tarry long, but I’ll leave you with this.” With a motion, Alastor summoned two tendrils, using one to hold up one of Niffty’s hands and the other to wiggle against her stomach. He fondly knew that it didn’t take much to unravel the little sinner, and as he predicted, she instantly began cackling like a lunatic. She was easy prey. “Now, don’t go anywhere!” Alastor giggled.

“YEhEHEheheHS SihIhIHihIR!” Niffty said through her laughter, giving him a salute. 

Husker was panicking. She was gone, and he was next. He heard Angel beside him, but his voice sounded distant.

“Maybe she just found a bug on the ground, hun! You know she loves cleaning pests.” Angel’s reasoning wasn’t heard as Husker began stumbling forward.

The radio demon momentarily opened the door just as Niffty uttered a loud shriek that echoed down the hall.

Angel stood straight upright, but before he could say anything, Husker took off like a shot, running as if his life depended on it. “No, Huskie, wait!” Angel ran after him, trying to keep up with the gambler. By the time Husker looked back again, the porn star was out of sight. Alastor got him, too. The bartender whimpered and took off running again.

“Alright, asshole!” Angel Dust yelped as he was unceremoniously pinned to a wall by Alastor’s magic. “First of all, how you’re holding me is all wrong. See, these hands over here are barely being held down at all. And you shouldn’t keep the arms completely stretched and extended like this; it’s always better to allow some give; that way, the muscles don’t get sore. Have you ever done this before?”

Alastor’s eye twitched in annoyance, but he took what Angel said into account and moved him a little. “An expert?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty much a pro regarding restraints. But secondly, and also most importantly, you’re scaring Husker. He’s having a panic attack, thanks to you.”

“I’ll attend to him shortly, don’t worry. As for you, my effeminate fellow, it’s time for your punishment after being found!”

“Do… do you hear yourself right now?” Angel raised an eyebrow. “That is some seriously kinky shit. I’ve heard that exact line a dozen times. It’s one of the classic amateur porn-writing lines. Like, you know what I’m gonna say to that, right?”

“Hm! Then don’t say anything,” the radio demon smiled wide. “Just laugh.”

“With the way you’re holding me down, I might just do thahAhahahahhat! WhaaHAt?!” Angel looked down and saw sets of claws extending from the wall, wriggling into his underarms.

“Four arms means four armpits! Now, excuse me,” Alastor turned and walked to the door. Angel Dust’s laugh was just as loud as his personality, and he wasn’t used to the gentle, teasy touch he was receiving. With a chuckle, Alastor left him to his tickling. 

Husker ran until he saw the bar, and with all the grace of a terrified cat, he leaped over the bar, knocking a bottle over, and curled up on the floor in a ball. He trembled and gripped his neck, practically feeling his chain tightening as the radio demon held his soul in a vice-like sadistic grip. 

Suddenly, Husker was jarred out of his thoughts by a single light turning on overhead. He held his breath and looked up to see enough light to fully illuminate the small bar. Then, there was a soft knocking on the countertop.

“I’d like a drink, please.” 

Husker peeked over the counter to see Alastor sitting on one of the barstools, legs crossed and hands neatly folded on his lap. His eyes were closed, and he smiled without teeth. He looked… completely unthreatening. “W-what?” the bartender asked, his voice still shaking. 

“A drink, friend.” Alastor’s voice was soft, almost soothing. Was he trying to comfort him?

“I- why?”

Alastor opened one eye. “Because I’m parched. Being a hunter is hard work, you know.”

“No, as a matter of fact, I don’t know.” Husker glared at his boss. “What did you do to the others?” 

“They’re all having fun, don’t worry.” Alastor tapped the counter again. “Now, gin and tonic, please.”

“That’s… not your usual order.” Husker looked at the radio demon suspiciously. Husker’s favorite drink was a gin and tonic, so why was Alastor ordering it? Regardless, Husker began making the drink and served it to his guest in a large glass. 

“Thank you.” Alastor politely nodded before pouring half of the drink into another glass and passing it back to the bartender. “Here, have some.”

Husker looked down at the glass and then back up at Alastor. He didn’t seem to be manipulating him. It looked like Alastor was genuinely just trying to calm him down. Hesitantly, the gambler picked up the glass.

“You’ve won.” Alastor held up the glass. “A toast! You were the last one I found.”

Husk held up his glass and took a big sip. The alcohol warmed the back of his throat, and he felt all his muscles loosen up a bit. Sighing, Husk leaned against the countertop and looked up at Alastor. He was warmly smiling as he drank from his glass.

“You should have seen the look on Angel’s face, Husker. It was absolutely to die for!” The radio demon laughed as he set the glass down, and thanks to the gin, Husker found himself chuckling along with him. 

“I bet he made a sex joke, didn’t he?” 

Alastor nodded, and the two laughed together. 

After a few minutes, both were filled with warmth and laughing at nothing in particular. The radio demon wiped a tear from his eye and sighed happily. “Now, you get a reward for lasting the longest.”

Husker tilted his head, smiling lopsidedly in confusion, before he felt Alastor’s tendrils from behind him, gently massaging his shoulders. The shock of the touch quickly melted, and the gambler slowly laid his head on the counter. Smiling wide, he yawned like a cat, and his ears twitched. 

Alastor smiled and used one hand to rub his ear, and to his surprise, he heard a low purring sound coming from his bartender. He knew Husker was starved for touch, but he had no idea it was to this extent. He couldn’t help letting a small “Awww…” out, smiling fondly at the grumble Husk made in reply. The feline sinner swatted at the radio demon, and Alastor gently grabbed the offending hand, tracing the heart on Husker’s paw with a single claw. 

“H-heeheehehee… C-cuhuhuhut ihihit ouhuhut…” Husker began giggling but didn’t pull away from the touch. As Alastor continued administering his reward tickles, Husker never once moved, only letting out sleepy giggles.

“You are far too precious to be so scared, Husker.”

“Sh-shuhuhuhut ihihihihit…”

“No, I don’t think so.” Alastor wiggled the claw a bit faster, and Husk’s giggling mixed with his purring made for an extraordinarily adorable sound. Without stopping the massaging, ear rubs, or palm tickles, Alastor gently led Husker out from the bar to the oversized couch in the lobby and sat him down. With a start, the radio demon realized he was still tickling the others, and he quickly stopped all his magic, releasing Lucifer, Vaggie, Charlie, Niffty, and Angel from their tickly punishment. 

The other hotel residents slowly stumbled into the lobby, wiping tears from their eyes and rubbing their still-tingling spots. All had blushes on their faces, and none wanted to talk to the others after being so thoroughly wrecked. Lucifer was practically gasping for air as he shuffled in, and without a word, he sat down on the far end of the couch and instantly fell asleep. Next to him sat Charlie, and next to her sat Vaggie, and the two girlfriends snuggled close to each other. Niffty hopped onto the armrest and conked out faster than you could say ‘stab,’ and Angel crept in beside Husker to wrap his four arms around the sleeping bartender.

Alastor sat in his recliner, took a deep breath, and smiled as the other residents slept. Finally, the Hazbin Hotel was quiet, and he could get some rest. He was shockingly tired, and as he lay his head back against the seat, he grinned at the fun he had had today. He hoped he could do it again soon because, as far as he could tell, nobody else disliked it either. Although maybe he’d have to go easy on the theatrics with Husker. 

The other residents were plotting revenge against the radio demon as he slept. But that would come after everyone was awake. For now, the hotel slept.

[littlemissmiller]

𝑆𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑠

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

Pairing: drug dealer!coriolanus snow x fem!reader

Summary: (au) with your graduation party around the corner, coriolanus is nervous to see you again. and with summer flying by, it’s doubtful he’ll get to have you as his own before college. after your party, your boyfriend throws a house party and you decide not to go. meanwhile, coriolanus sees something that involves your boyfriend and knows it might just be the end of your relationship…

Warning: 21+ (drinking, use of drugs, smoking) underage drinking, eventual smut, fluff, mentions of smut, boob groping (not done to MC), slight obsession, possession, toxic relationship, slight stalking

Word count: 4.1k

A/N: hi…… (•_____•) ok it’s finally here. i was trying to get this out sooner but now that billy is done (which ugh cant wait for the next season already 😩) i’ll have more time to delicate to this series. also i was getting a request done and still have another coming up. so chapter three…not much to say other than oh boy the plot is getting juicy and im so happy with this one! ok that’s it ummm sorry for the time length on these but i will be writing it all summer so enjoy ❣︎

Series Masterlist | Playlist

☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎

I

A few weeks had gone by and Coriolanus’s high hopes of having you to himself was dwindling. It’s not like he saw much of you anymore, and had no idea how to hang out with you alone without your boyfriend stirring up shit. He received your graduation party invitation and was mentally preparing to see you again. Each time he went to Sejanus’s house, he would check to see if you were home, and sometimes you’d be outside. He would awkwardly wave and you’d smile back. Something he noticed however, was the fact that he seems to see less and less of Devon’s car. Coriolanus would try not to get ahead of himself, but he could help but think maybe you and Devon were closer to breaking up. Still, that gave him little hope since he wasn’t sure what to do about it.

As he sits with Sejanus in his room, he slowly blows out the smoke from his joint, through his window. Sejanus coughs and turns his head.

“You know you could use this from time to time. You might be less anxious.”

“Maybe…”

The high flows through him, his mind going numb, his body feeling light and calm. He takes another hit before knocking off the ashes and settling it on his ashtray. Another euphoric wave washes over him again and he leans back in his chair and sighs. He takes a swig from his Red Bull and picks up his controller.

“Wanna do teams this time, kinda wanna get some online stats up.”

“Yeah”

As the two boys continue their game, Coriolanus is glad to not feel as pent up and angry. He finally feels like his mind isn’t obsessing over you for the first time all day. It has become a daily, if not hourly occurrence. His mind racing with thoughts. Thoughts of you, naked before him, your beautiful mouth agape and ready and you begging to suck him off. He would also imagine you on all fours, your perfect ass stuck up in the air, pussy on full display. What he would give to rub his face in it, bury his tongue deep inside you until you came.

Coriolanus shifts in his seat, his thoughts now fully back on you. Just as he thought he was doing better with his fantasies of you He takes another hit to drown out his feelings.

“Aw man these guys are good.” Sejanus exclaims

“We can beat them…”

The two boys finish the round, beating the other team. They play a few more rounds, then Tigris knocks on the door.

“Oh god, how can it still smell with the windows open.” She asks, face scrunching up

“I lit a candle” Coriolanus quips

“Still, anyways, I got you an outfit for tomorrow.”

“Oh you’re going too?” Sejanus questions

“Why wouldn’t I?” Coriolanus shrugs

“Because of Devon.”

Tigris leaves momentarily and comes back with a nice white button up, decorated with small red roses. Even with the design, it’s still masculine enough for Coriolanus liking. They were small enough to look like scattered polka dots and honestly it’s very sophisticated and sexy.

“It should fit. I borrowed your graduation shirt for measurements and I think that nice pair of your dad’s of black khakis will look perfect.”

“You made this?” He asks

Tigris nods with a big smile.

“Well I thought that she’d like it. Leave Devon for you. You’re far more handsome anyways.”

She, referring to you. Of course Tigris knows without him saying anything. He doesn’t mind. Coriolanus' heart skips and he smiles back at his cousin, appreciating the kind gesture.

“I appreciate it, Ty.” Of course

Tigris waits as he tries it on. He takes his shirt off and buttons up the new one. Coriolanus looks in the mirror. It fits him just right and he likes how it cuts into his figure.

“Yeah. It’s perfect.” He moves his arms around making sure it wasn’t too tight in any places.

Tigris smiles and leaves the room. Coriolanus hangs up the shirt and sits back down on the bed, putting his old, worn white shirt back on. The two boys continue playing their game.

“It looks nice.” Sejanus remarks

“Thanks man.”

“Oh guess what!” Sejanus perks up as he hits a combo attack

“What?”

“I uh think Devon and them might be done soon. “

“Why?” Coriolanus inquires

“I hardly see him anymore. And last night he stormed off big time. I could hear them yelling from my window. I think it might have been about you, but I wasn’t too sure.”

“Really. Like what?” The blonde leans in closer

“He was mad that someone was coming to the party tomorrow, and shouted at her that she needs to do something about him…”

Coriolanus’s mind fires up again. Through the fog of his high, he refocuses, and he feels sharp with this new found knowledge. He smirks to himself, satisfied that Devon feels pissed off by the very idea that Coriolanus Snow will be in attendance at his graduation party. He likes this feeling. The power he holds from afar and the fact that he seemingly lives rent free in Devon’s head. And maybe even in yours. Coriolanus would selfishly love to see you two break up. He would do anything to have you.

He smashes one of the other players off the map, winning the round. Feeling victorious, and not just from the video games, Coriolanus lights up his joint again. He places it in his mouth, inhales, and blows it out the window. He falls back into a dream-like state. He takes another hit, inhaling deeper this time.

“Fuck dude.” Coriolanus whispers, the smoke escaping his lips as he talks

“What?”

“You think I have a chance with her?”

“Maybe.” Sejanus shrugs

The next day comes fast and Coriolanus once again drives to pick up Sejanus. You are already gone, setting up for the party. Coriolanus feels confident, cocky even as he rolls past your house. He drums his fingers on the steering wheel. His favorite Cage the Elephant song, Back Against the Wall, was playing and he couldn’t be happier. With his new shirt and the new cologne Tigris got him for graduation, he felt irresistible.

“Hey man! Looking good!” Sejanus exclaims as he hops into Coriolanus’s truck.

The two boys ride off to the country club. Money, Power and Glory by Lana del Ray starts to play as they roll up and Coriolanus hums along. As they are parking, a man in a black polo waves them down and Coriolanus assumes he’s a valet. He rolls down his window.

“Hey! Are you maintenance? You gotta go around back there should be some signs…”

“I’m here for the graduation party!” Coriolanus quips sharply

The man looks stunned and gives an apologetic expression.

“I’m so sorry! You can park down that way umm the valet should be…” he looks around frantically

“Thanks!”

Coriolanus drives past him and huffs in frustration.

“That was rude.” Sejanus remarks and Coriolanus simply rolls his eyes. They park a little further from the rest of the cars and walk up the entrance. As they walk up Coriolanus notices Sejanus is carrying two little gift bags.

“Ma got them $200 for Bed Bath and Beyond…”

“Well I didn’t bring anything.” Coriolanus mumbles as they walk in.

The country club is huge. Wide windows looking out onto the golf course, with nearly polished mahogany wood floors, and the main entrance leading into several areas to sit and eat drinks. The furniture is equally as grand, with red chesterfield chairs and couches and sitting on top of Persian rugs. The walls were a crème white and the whole place smells of old money. Various waiters and waitresses are walking around with flutes of champagne and hors d’oeuvres.

“I’m surprised that guy outside didn’t recognize me. I’m sure he knows we are members here…”

“It’s hard to believe that people like you would run around with anyone like the likes of me and my family anymore.”

“What do you mean? Your dad used to come here too?”

“Used to…”

Coriolanus didn’t talk much about his dad and it wasn’t a subject Sejanus would bring up often. It was true, before both his parents died, they had been wealthy, but his dad had worked with Mr. Plinth as Vice President of marketing, but tragically both his parents had died in a plane crash on vacation with Tigris’s parents, leaving them both orphans and in the care of the grandparents. However, Coriolanus would learn growing up that his father had blown most of his money away on gambling, leaving the Snow family name in debt and broke.

Sejanus quiets down and takes a caramelized onion, cream cheese tart from a waiter. He takes water as well and nervously sips it.

“Sorry I don’t mean to mention him.”

“It’s fine man.”

Then you flow into the room. You’re wearing a delicate, pink, strapless dress that flows as you walk. Your hair is slightly curled, bouncy, and has a pink satin bow to match. You’re absolutely precious, his eyes practically undressing you. You turn and smile at him. Coriolanus waves and you come greet him and Sejanus.

“Hey boys, glad you could come!” You beam

“Hey, where can I put these?” Sejanus pipes up

“Oh there’s a table by the entrance.” You point

Sejanus smiles, leaving you alone with Coriolanus. He tempers his breath and you step closer to him.

“You look nice.” He nods

“Thanks. You do too. Did Tigris make that?”

“She did” he beams back at her

“That girl is gonna work for Gucci one day…you uh smell nice again too.”

“Thanks. This is a good color on you.” He states, rubbing the fabric between his forefinger and thumb. You giggle and look at his hand. He immediately pulls back, a rush of embarrassment washing over him. Coriolanus feels his face getting red and he runs his fingers through his blonde buzz cut. But you still just smile at him, finding it charming that he’s slightly embarrassed.

“So where is my graduation gift from you?” You perk up, teasing him

“Oh I feel stupid saying this but I didn’t bring one I guess…”

“It’s fine. I have enough things anyways.” You joke

“Well this is nice of you to invite the whole grade. This place is lovely.”

“Yeah it’s nice to be able to rent the space. And it was cheaper to do it with Devon, so I guess it worked out nice.”

“I guess so.” He chuckles

You and him stand in silence for a moment until Sejanus returns. The three of you make conversation, Sejanus informing you that his mom got you a gift card and you thank him. Coriolanus starts to ask what you are looking forward to the most about college and you light up. You start talking about how amazing the medical science program is and how you simply can’t wait for the biology labs. Coriolanus couldn’t understand how anyone would be truly interested in what you’re talking about, but he loves how much it interests you. He loves how passionate and smart you are on the subject, and clings to every word. You brush your hair to the side and Coriolanus can’t help but let his eyes trail your shoulders and collar bone. He would love to kiss the bare skin in front of him. Just in the divot of your bone and then, all the way up to your neck. Would you whine for him? Moan at his lips on you, as he shows you how beautiful you are. How much he loves you. He’s so lost in his thoughts he doesn’t even notice Devon making his way towards the group

Sejanus nudges Coriolanus who looks at him, then sees Devon. He calls to you and you spin around. You smile, but Coriolanus knows it’s a facade.

“Hey! Mom wants pictures so I’m stealing you away.”

Devon rubs your arm and pulls you to him. You start to trot away and follow him.

“Ok. Well I’ll see you boys around.” You call out

Devon glares at Coriolanus, before leaning down to whisper something in your ear.

“Prick…” Coriolanus mumbles

As the party continues, Coriolanus and Sejanus make their way around, catching up with a few classmates. The country club has a nice, spacious outdoor patio and a big lawn for yard games. Eventually the two boys find their way to a Bags game and play against each other. You see him and find one of you girls to join you and Sejanus.

“Need some more players?” You ask

“Of course!” Coriolanus smiles.

You opt to stand on the same side as Coriolanus, while your teammate stands next to Sejanus. Coriolanus looks around for Devon.

“Where’s Devon?” He asks, trying to sound casual

“I think his dad said him and his buddies are going to do a few holes on the golf course.”

“At his own graduation party?” Coriolanus jokes

You shrug your shoulders.

“I’m just happy to be able to talk to you without him being a vulture.”

“Yeah he can be a bit much”

“Besides, I like being able to actually talk to you.”

Coriolanus feels his face get hot again, and bites his lip. Fuck. His breath hitches as he tries to casually toss a bean bag across the lawn. It lands on the board with a fat smack.

“Nice!” Sejanus calls out

“So are you going to Devon’s house party tonight?” You ask

“He’s having another party tonight?”

“Yeah I guess his parents are going out of town like immediately after this so he wanted to throw a banger” she sighs, putting the last few words in air quotes, mocking him.

Coriolanus snickers as you toss a bag over. It hits the board and slides off. You frown.

“I was trying to knock you off!” You giggle

“Gonna have to try harder.” Coriolanus remarks then pauses “ But umm…I’m not sure about the party.”

“I’m not either, but I might go. I know I’ll be kinda tired after today.”

Coriolanus ponders the offer for a moment. The possibility of hanging out with you longer is tempting, but not guaranteed. He sighs as he tosses his last bag, making it in.

“Man you’re good!” You exclaim.

The game continues and the two boys win by a far margin. After, Coriolanus chats it up with you, feeling comfortable and relaxed knowing Devon is off playing golf. You and him walk around and he wishes he could hold your hand, kiss your forehead and tell you how stunning you look. Touching your dress would be the closest thing he thought he would ever get to touching you in that intimate way. And here he is, talking to you about something besides physics or biology. You’re currently telling him about your Pinterest board for your dorm decor, a conversation he would normally find mundane, but coming from you, he’s utterly captivated. Eventually you and him find yourself alone inside, mostly isolated from the other guests. You stand there and he can’t help but want to steal a kiss from you, but he knew you’d never cheat. And he wouldn’t try anything of course, but your face, your beautiful plump lips, they look so soft. You are like a siren to him and he feels mesmerized.

Around 4 o’clock, Sejanus and Coriolanus say their goodbyes and head out. In the car on the way back to Sejanus’s house, the two discuss if they should go to the party. As they pull up to the driveway, Coriolanus’s phone dings. It’s one of his classmates, texting him about the party.

Hey, you selling tonight

Wasn’t planning on going

Ah ok then

He stares at the text, contemplating the offer.

“Hey you know what, let’s go tonight…”

“You sure.”

“Someone wants to buy. You think you can steal a couple of Valiums from your ma?”

The evening rolls around, and Coriolanus has changed into a pair of jeans and a black shirt. He puts on one of his Cuban link chains and some more cologne, just in case you’re there. As he rolls back into Sejanus’s neighborhood, he checks his pockets. He’s got a few ounces of weed on him, a few pills of ecstasy, and some acid tablets. Hopefully, Sejanus got the Valium. Coriolanus rolls back up to the Plinth house and turns down his music. Sejanus comes out, hands stuffed into his pockets. By the way he is glancing over his shoulder and awkwardly moving, he got the pills.

“You got them?”

Sejanus looks around and hands Coriolanus a small bag with six blue pills.

“Oh nice! Good work Sejay.” He takes the bag from his hands, stuffing in next to his weed.

“Thanks I guess.”

“You could use one of these. Probably more than a nice solid hit of flower.” Coriolanus suggests

“You’d feel bad too if it was your grandma or something.”

“Yeah, but c’mon your mom needs to get off these anyways. They aren’t doing her much good.”

“I guess so.”

The two pull up to Devon’s house and the music from the basement is booming. He looks around for your car, but it’s nowhere to be found. A few girls head in and Coriolanus watches them. It’s a group of your friends, but you’re not with him. He hangs his head and sighs. You’re probably not coming, he concludes. He curses at the steering wheel, hitting it. A part of him feels like he’s wasting his time, but he would like to make a little extra cash. Fuck it. Sejanus looks at him with concern, but exits the car. They enter through the front door, and find the stairs to the basement. The music blares loudly and the main lighting is replaced with LED strips glowing all along the walls. It’s packed and smells like indica and beer. Coriolanus searches around for a solo cup and a bottle of Captain Morgan. He finds both next to the beer pong table and pours himself a drink. He takes a swig, loving how it warms his body.

“Are you gonna need me to drive home?” Sejanus inquires tentatively

“I’ll be fine. Here.” Coriolanus shoves a cup into Sejanus’s hands and pours him some rum. He takes a small sip and scrunches up his face. He lets out a heavy cough, causing Coriolanus to roll his eyes. He looks around and you're still nowhere to be found. He takes another drink. After a few more sips, he feels woozy and eventually a classmate of his approaches wanting some weed. He sells him an eighth of an ounce for $35 and then a few more people approach. He sells a few tabs of acid for $65 each and a Valium for $40.

“Fuck dude, you really know how to make money.”

“It’s a simple job if you’re not too uptight.” He eyes Sejanus.

They walk around, a few more people buy from Coriolanus and about an hour later, he had about $430 dollars. Eventually, one of your friends ask for a Valium.

“Here.” He hands it to her, taking the $40

“You drive a high price. Can't you give me a little discount?”

“Why.”

“Cause you like my friend.” She bats her eyes

“Yeah and if you were her, then maybe. Are you buying for her?”

“If I said yes would I get a discount?”

He shakes his head. She rolls her eyes and walks away. Coriolanus wasn’t sure if you had done a drug stronger than Tylenol. He wasn’t aware of any surgeries or injuries you had, so it was doubtful you had even taken morphine for pain. He imagined it though. Your little pink tongue sticking out, a tab of acid hanging from the end. How sexy would you look in nothing but your underwear like that too. Or maybe you’d be more sophisticated, and he thought of you naked in your bath, joint hanging loosely in between your fingers. He’d love to see you like that. All naked, clean and high.

He walks around to find Sejanus, who is trying his best to drunkenly flirt with one of his classmates. He walks past a back room in the basement, glances in for a moment and instead finds Devon. At first he stands back, hides, and scoffs quietly to himself. Then he hears a giggle, followed by a moan. He peeks his head in slightly and finds Devon making out with some girl. And it’s definitely not you. He’s slowly teasing the girl’s shirt down her body, and he reaches down to grope her breast harshly, kissing her neck.

“Fuck…” he whispers into her

Coriolanus is stunned, can he really believe his eyes. He’s not surprised given Devon’s reputation, but still. He thinks for a moment and then, silently pulls out his phone. He opens it and pulls up his camera. He hits record. Coriolanus angles it to hide the camera, but makes sure that he can still see the girl on top of Devon and his face. She moves on him, moaning his name and whispering about how “Miss perfect” couldn’t please him like this. Coriolanus’s blood boils at that remark. He slowly backs away and then when he finds a secluded corner and reviews the video on his phone. Coriolanus turns the volume down just enough so he can hear and leans in. He rewatches the video and can clearly see Devon’s face and can clearly hear the other girls voice. It’s perfect. But how to use it.

Coriolanus makes sure the video is saved on his phone, before rushing off to find Sejanus again. Coriolanus walks around, pushing past people, until he finds him awkwardly chatting it up with some girl.

“Hey” Coriolanus announces himself

“Hey Snow…” the girl says

“Dude c’mere! I gotta show you this” he demands, dragging Sejanus away.

“What! What’s up?”

Coriolanus whips out his phone and pulls up the video. Sejanus leans in, confused at first, but then, realizes. Eyes wide, he tilts his head in to hear the audio. He looks at Coriolanus in shock, mouth agape.

“Is that?”

“That’s Devon yeah…”

“Holy shit dude!” Sejanus laughs, stumbling into Coriolanus slightly

“Yeah. Hey are you ok?” You wanna get outta here?”

Sejanus shakes his head drunkenly and Coriolanus takes his arm.

“Come on dude, let’s go.”

“But I was talking to someone…” he slurs

“Yeah, she seems busy.” Coriolanus nudges

The girl Sejanus was talking to is now preoccupied with another man’s mouth, aggressively making out with the other guy. He frowns and walks to the stairs, Coriolanus dragging him along. When the two boys get into the car, Coriolanus doesn’t feel drunk and honestly feels fine to drive. Truthfully, seeing Devon cheating sobered him up and he was still thinking of what he was going to do with the video. He turns the key, starts up his truck, and rides back to Sejanus’s neighborhood. On the way back, he thinks about the best way to get it out without having his name tied to it. He drums his fingers on the steering wheel, looking over at a passed out Sejanus, he gets an idea. He’s not sure who will see it or if it will work but he’s sure it will be anonymous. A popular app used at school to spread gossip anonymously, Yik Yak, Coriolanus thought it might just work to post it there. They finally reach Sejanus’s neighborhood, and Coriolanus glances at your house, a plan now in mind. As he pulls into the Plinth’s driveway, he wakes Sejanus up.

“Hey…we're home”

“Oh that was fast.” Sejanus mumbles, yawing

“For you. I’ll walk you in if you need it.”

“Nah man, I’ll be good.” He opens the door, waves and heads inside.

Coriolanus takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment. He whips out his phone and pulls the video up again. The lewd sounds of Devon’s moans start up again and Coriolanus cringes. Then, the thing that really pissed him off.

“I bet Miss Perfect couldn’t please you like this.” The girl moans

Coriolanus glances at the mirror, gazing at your house. He spots your car parked in the driveway as expected and realizes your most likely sound asleep. Sound asleep as your good for nothing boyfriend is sticking it in another girl. Fuck it. He pulls the app up and impatiently waits for it to load. Coriolanus pulls up his school’s group. And He taps the green plus sign, watching the cursor as it blinks. He then hits the video button and pulls up the video. It uploads and then he waits, looks back at your house again and frowns. He knew you didn’t deserve him and you needed to know that Devon was an absolute ass. You deserve better. He hits the post button and it sends.

꧁🝮❤︎︎🝮꧂

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

[kacievvbbbb]

God what even do I do with this chapter 😭 but here are some of my thoughts.

SPOILERS FOR CH. 268

- what the fuck

-“Maybe it’s time to try living for someone else” okay the itafushi shippers really won with that one, I can’t lie. But at the same time it feels like Megumi’s always been living his life for someone else specifically Tsumiki. so it kind of feels like the stronger message would have been to decide to live for himself? Kind of how yuuji’s journey went from finding this greater purpose to live and fight to simply just living is okay as well. But that’s just me. Im interested in hearing other people’s take on the situation

- this is from last chapter but I so really like the parallel of yuuji in this fight for his life with Sukuna and Mahito and being so weighed down by everything that he has lost and everything he is still trying to save and then Kugasaki hits that resonance and Yuuji sees that he’s not alone and god something about it always being Nobara and her insanity breaking him from that sorrow and giving him that last push to fight like he's not alone.

- also I do think seeing Nobara’s resonance after having to be the one to break it to itadori that she wasn’t recovering, really solidified that there where things still worth living for.

- I don’t know something about Sukuna finally after all these chapters acknowledging itadori by finally saying his name is so very Sukuna off him. It’s like the inverse of him going into Jogo’s flashing life and telling him he’s strong. This time he’s the one dying and he’s finally acknowledging the boy that killed him. Say what you want about Sukuna but he ain’t no sore fucking loser.

- God how fucking Yuuji Itadori of the whole thing to after everything all the terror and the torture and the pain to still offer Sukuna a chance to live and live better. A chance to not be a slave to his nature to this curse in their blood. God Yuuji what do I even do with you.

- okay so not even a fucking frame of the Hakari/Uraume showdown. Really 😭😭. It looked like things were happening too. With that final parting it looked like they’d reached some kind of understanding and not even a fucking frame. Gege the way your mind works.

- really not even one punch? Not even one gambling shot. I’d have payed good fucking money to see Hakari explaining how a pachinko machine works to a 1000 year old curse servant.

- the little “you’re just lucky is the best compliment for a guy like me” and the “yeah I guess it is” was a great exchange tho. Which is is why I wonder. Really not one fucking frame😭. I wonder if mappa will just ignore this and give them a fight scene anyway like they elongated the Sukuna vs Mahagora fight.

- and now finally, some good fucking food.

- Gojo’s little I killed your daddy note is so funny. What the fuck is wrong with him

- again. What the fuck.

- Nobara being as rude as fucking always god I love her. She is taking no prisoners. Fuck you mean you aren’t weeping at her feet at her return.

-Them trying to do the whole box suprise for Megumi and him catching them in the act is so stupid I actually can’t 😭. They really only have one braincell

- Nobara not giving a single fuck about her mom like what. Also what did she mean by “Special grade authority”

- crazy that they all got face scars now. They’re a matching set.

- I wonder what Yuuji’s talk with gojo was. I wonder what parental figure gojo exposed for him.

- I dunno this chapter making me feel like he might come back. Gojo Satoru just might make a come back.

- I’m glad that atleast after everything it’s gunna end with the three of them. Maybe a little damaged and worse for wear but together and that counts for something.

-lastly…..what the fuck m.

[neos127]

DIE FOR YOU �� SIM JAEYUN (chapter ten)

spider-man!jake x fem!reader; synopsis. university student and daily bugle intern jake sim does his best to juggle having two separate lives. unfortunately y/n, who also interns at the daily bugle, is obsessed with finding out who the popular vigilante ‘spider-man’ is. with their constant close proximity and jake’s new found crush, y/n is closer to figuring out his secret identity by the day.

jake couldn’t face you the next day and explained that he had to skip out on finishing the article so he could check up on riki. the two of you had plenty of time so he wasn’t compromising anything— well maybe your relationship.

you never replied after jake’s pathetic text and he felt mortified, barely getting any sleep as he stared up at his ceiling the whole night. between the two hours and sleep and excessive amount of sirens blaring outside his window, jake was a zombie throughout the whole school day.

but as he promised, he still hopped on the subway and trudged over to the upper east side to visit his friend.

as soon as the elevator door opened, jake froze. he forgot how insane the nishimura residence was. he hadn’t been there since he was about ten. when the two approached their teens, riki had wanted to hang out everywhere else but home. jake assumed it was because of riki’s issues with his father but he also had the sneaking suspicion that the younger boy felt bad about having jake over. riki hated to show off and the penthouse he lived in was way more luxurious than the flat jake grew up with in queens.

jake never minded, he always thought the place was cool anyways.

stepping into the giant living room, jake looked over to the tall windows, finding riki sitting in front of them. he smiled, knowing how much the boy liked to watch the city ever since he was little.

“riki…hey.” jake called out, walking over to him. the boy smiled, a genuine smile that made jake’s lips turn upward. he always had a soft spot for the younger boy, and seeing him happy made him happy.

“how are you feeling?” jake asked after a while, once the two had finished catching up. they were now sitting outside, enjoying the last of the nice weather before it got cold. jake concluded that the balcony was bigger than his whole apartment (he hadn’t remembered it that way), but it was cool to have a view of the whole city below.

“i’m great. never been better actually.” riki replied, his tone light. jake eyed him wearily, wondering what exactly his dad gave him. he didn’t want to be invasive and ask, but ultimately he was worried for his friend’s health.

“so um— what exactly did your dad do to cure you?” jake asked hesitantly, not being able to meet riki’s eyes. the younger boy laughed at his shyness and shook his head.

“jake, you’re my best friend, you don’t have to be afraid to ask me stuff. but uhm, my dad and his team at muracorp had been studying something otherworldly. they had been studying it for years, doing some trials and figuring out what its use could be for.” riki began to explain, making jake’s eyebrows shoot upwards when he said ‘otherworldly’.

“i’m sorry— as in not from earth? something alien?” he asked in disbelief.

“yeah, definitely alien. one of team members tested it, but it didn’t seem as attracted to him. the alien attaches itself to people, but it has to want to. although with the short time that it was attached, it made the guy stronger and faster and overall just better. it improved his health significantly even though he is perfectly healthy. they concluded that it could be a cure so my dad asked me if i wanted to try. i was a bit hesitant at first, but im glad i did.” riki replied, a small smile on his face.

jake was at a loss for words, his head starting to hurt a bit. his spider sense began to tingle, but he wasn’t sure why. jake had many false alarms before due to anxiety, but this felt different.

“is it safe…?” jake asked, his form becoming rigid. he suddenly noticed the black goo crawling up riki’s arms which explained the reason for his spider sense going off. jake backed up a bit when he noticed it extending towards him, feeling a sense of danger.

“it’s ok, jake. my dad personally tested the symbiote for years. he made sure it was safe enough. it seems to like me too, apparently the last guy who tested it became a little violent. my dad felt weary because of that, but there haven’t been any issues.” riki replied, turning the black goo into an arm and extending it into the air. jake jumped back in surprise, watching his friend curiously.

“so, you were that hero at coney island the other night?” jake asked, wanting to confirm his suspicions. riki nodded with a smile on his face, looking as proud as ever.

“yup, that was me. i’m sure our friendly neighborhood spider-man gets tired sometimes, i wanted to help my friend out.” riki shrugged. jake froze, his mouth drying up.

“oh…um…you know spider-man?” he asked dumbly, already knowing that he had been caught.

“dude, it’s okay. i found out before i left.” riki scoffed, patting his friend on the shoulder reassuringly. jake jumped in surprise once again before he noticed that the goo was gone. the alien was giving him a feeling that he did not like.

“was i too obvious?” he groaned, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“kind of…you’ve definitely gotten better over the years. but i also did a lot of investing. sorry bro, i just wanted to know where you ran off to all the time.” riki said, making jake smile. even though he often kept his secret for safety reasons, it was nice to have his best friends in on it.

“what do you think about us saving the city together?” riki asked timidly, playing with the rings on his hands as he awaited jake’s response.

the older boy pondered the question for a few seconds, not wanting to put riki in danger. but it seemed as if he could handle himself, especially with the symbiote attached to him.

the city was getting a bit harder to handle on his own anyways, it would be nice to have a friend tag along.

“alright…i’m down.”

previous | masterlist | next

taglist; @odxrilove @junityy @hittoki @jaklvbub @fariest @besuqueos @n1k1mura @k1ttylvr @francinethings23 @sakiimeo @serafilms @riksaes @dreamiestay @iluvkyo @wonunuwoo @jentlecoeur @greyminyoon1 @sincerelyrki @ilovejungwonandhaechan @vousty @frickyratz @supportstudies @roastandtoast @letwiiparkjay @jakeyverse @cafeyuns @keilovr @rosas-in-the-garden @wonxlvr @ilyjxdz @mitchii @ahnneyong @noobgod1269 @iheartjayke @l2vedive

— ky’s notes; SORRY for the long wait :/ i was feeling super unmotivated with this smau so i took a small break from working on it

[playboysaleen]

Metanoia (or not?...)

Metanoia:(n) meta·​noia - a transformative change of heart...especially : a spiritual conversion

Part 1. - Part 2. - Part 3. - Part 4. - Part 5.

Parings: Wednesday x Dracula!Reader (GN)

(Im doing the gif based on what the chapter reflects bare with me)

Warnings: they are a little older(19, lets say nevermore is a college), Blood, swearing, fighting, near death experience, light mention of death, and a tiny (maybe lot) angst.

WordCount: 5.5k

this is literally Soft Wednesday for sure. (Reader is Masc)

Bold italics are flashbacks.

A/n: Yes, I am almost to the crazy part of this book lol. You all will get the juicy parts in the upcoming chapter...maybe lol depends on how i feel. There is some Serbian in here but i done forgot what it meant oops- but use ya context clues cause i know google translate works one way and one way only lol Enjoy :) (how do you make these words small.. i wanna be experienced with this app too)

____________________________________-

Blurring to the house you felt the hairs on your arms raise when a hand wrapped around your arm sending you into the ground. The wind was knocked out of you, coughing loudly looking around to find Alek hovering over you, 

“Okay, before we go in there I need you to try and gather yourself now. We have two huge problems on our hands.” He started, 

“Huge? What could be more bigger than the Council-” A body collided with yours sending you deeper into the ground. D hopped off your body dusting off the dirt on her shirt. 

“Hey newbie, glad you can join us. Would you be so kind in helping us calm this woman down?” D sarcastically sang out when another body slid next to the three of you. Sofi hopped up growling loudly smacking the decomposed hand that attempted to clean the dirt from her jeans. Catching your eyes, she sent you a bright smile blurring back into the house. 

“The hell is going on?” You yelled out when the sound of thunder drummed around you. Cupping your hands onto your ears the sound became louder as you squeezed your eyes shut. 

“It’s…Marija! Only you can stop her!” D yelled out mirroring your actions but you being an Ascendent the sound was nothing compared to what they felt. Wobbling onto your feet, you made way into the house. You planted your feet when a gust of wind smacked you in the face. Squinting your eyes, Bora's figure was seen being thrown from up stairs to your feet. You were quick to help her up. 

“The fuck is going on?” You asked Bora as she wiped the blood that dripped from her forehead.(You have yet to ask them why they bleed.) 

“Marjia is going through a painful time accepting the damn truth.” She growled out, blurring back upstairs. You followed behind her when you heard Raina yelling at Marija. 

“You need to calm down before you draw attention to us and the damn Council finds the Ascendent and kills them!” After those words flew out her mouth a loud thud was heard in the room. You bursted through the door to find Raina on the floor unconscious and Bora running to her side checking for any signs of life(?) The loud ringing in your ears went silent and the wind came to a halt when her eyes locked with yours. 

“Hey, I’m going to need you to calm down.” You ordered, the girl in front of you could only shake her head as tears brimmed her eyes. Confusion swarmed around you when Marija ran out the balcony window, you turned to face Bora helping up a very weak Raina. “Go.” she shooed you off, you nodded blurring out the window vaulting over the balcony rails landing behind the girl looking up at the sky. 

“You don’t understand what I feel right now so I need you to stand back before I kill you.” She whispered, her chest falling and rising faster by the second. If the sky wasn’t dark before it sure was now, you inched forward reaching your arm to grab her shoulder when a lightning bolt struck you both. Feeling the shock run through your body as you fall to your knees you groan at the overwhelming feeling bubbling in your chest. Bora and Raina blurred with the rest of the OB watching the scene in front of them off in the field. 

“She’s going to kill them!” Raina yelled out, taking a step forward when Bora held her back. “No.” Bora shook her head, turning Raina to face her. “You are not like them. You’ll be burned to a crisp if you take a few more steps. OB or not.” She warned the girl who could only huff a breath turning back to the two of you in the open. Rein appeared next to the crew fixing his tie. 

“What a lovely light show you got going on for the Ascendent!” He cheered out when D patted his back shaking her head. “More like the Newbie is basically a spitting image of Marija’s deceased mate.” Reins eyes widened snapping his head to the OB. 

“Oh. I thought I mentioned that.” Rein thought out loud when multiple groans were heard around him. Bora sighed, watching for an opening to stop her. A cry strangled out your mouth when heat started to plant against your skin. 

“Marija…I need you to come back to me please. It hurts.” You mumbled out as your head hung. The girl glanced back, noticing your grip loosening from her arm but the shocks kept coming in. 

“D, show them.” Bora whispered. Raina sighed, placing a small peck on her lover's shoulder, stepping back. D nodded, locking her eyes on the two of you. Once her eyes turned white so did yours and once Marija’s eyes turned the shocks stopped. Rein took a step forward but Raina and Bora were quick to stop him. 

“Let them see.”

“Moja ljubav, did you move my tool box?” your voice rang through the spacious house. Walking down the hallway into the kitchen a small tune was heard. Peeking your head from the corner, your eyes caught the woman humming as she washed the dishes. Your heart skipped a beat when you noticed the smile you fell for centuries ago. Tip-toeing behind the woman, you snaked your arms around her waist placing your chin down on her shoulder. 

“You finally came back in, how is the project coming along?” she whispered as you planted a kiss on her neck. Her smile was contagious when all you could do is hum and lean more into her. 

“It's coming. I think someone moved my tools so it seems like I can’t work today.” you sang out, rocking you both back and forth. She let out a small scoff, shrugging her shoulders, turning off the faucet, facing you. 

“I wonder where those tools went.” you sent her a look catching on to her little game, sighing loudly you placed your forehead against hers smiling softly. 

“I think my wife would know ... .hmm” You squint your eyes digging your fingers into her sides pulling a laugh from her as she moved away. You scooped her into your arms carrying her to the couch as you dived into the huge cushion. Giggling was heard around the house when all you could do was smile. 

“I love you.” You whispered after a beat of silence. Locking her eyes onto yours she leaned in kissing you softly. “And I love you.” wrapping your arm around her waist you brought her closer deepening the kiss. You pulled away looking at the clock displayed on the wall. 

“I need to go meet Alek when the sun sets.” you spoke moving away from her grabbing your shades from the island. She sat up on her elbows, sending you a look. You waved your hand placing on your ring then glancing at the huge window that displayed the ocean. 

“Stop overthinking, I thought once we die the anxiety goes away.” She scoffed at your gift, chunking a pillow your way which you swiftly caught. Reading her mind a bit more, a goofy smile smacked across your face. 

“I’ll buy the wine if you make- oh now that's what i'm talking about!” You laughed out grabbing your keys. She blurred into your arms pressing her lips into yours. 

“Hurry back, Bora needs us at the OBH in the morning.” She whispered against your lips unlocking the door with her free hand as you were too busy trying to sneak in one more kiss. When the door opened you pulled away, placing a kiss onto her forehead. 

“I love you Y/n” smiling you walked out but before you closed the door you looked back sending her a smile. 

“And I love you Marija. Za Veconst.” 

A scream rang through your ears when the horrid images flashed in your mind as the white still clouded your vision. Marija still stood in front of you now with her hand clutched in yours as her eyes glowed. 

Your eyes fluttered open, noticing your parents sitting in front of you. The slight shaking around you indicated that you were in your family's limo. Your parents whispered amongst themselves but you could clearly hear what they were talking about. 

“It’s a shame that killing me off would save your ass from the council.” You whispered as the veins darkened under your eyes and your fangs poked out your lip. Your mother glanced your way, fear seeping from her pores. You could smell the fear and you couldn't lie…you loved the way they were terrified of you. 

“We are not going to kill you.” Your father spoke out closing the privacy screen behind him but the slight turn the car made caused the hairs on your skin to rise. Glancing at the opening in the window a light caught your attention. You blurred out of your seat dashing out the back window tumbling into the woods. A force caused your back to hit the ground when a pair of dark eyes locked with yours. 

“The Council would be glad that we saved them a fight.” he spoke, weaving his fingers through your hair dragging you to the road. You struggled against his hold trying to free yourself but with the strength he held it was easy for you just to give in. Tossing you onto the wet road your eyes caught your family talking to a man in a large trench coat. 

“I can give you two days to get out of here before I contact the Council on our location.” Your father nodded, sparing you one last glance then walking back to the limo. You called out for them but not one of them stopped. A pair of strong arms wrapped around your torso lifting you onto the back of the truck. Rain began to fall clinging the mud onto your clothes, your tears began to fall along with the droplets that settled onto your varsity jacket. Laughter was heard around when a man leaned forward sending you a sinister smile. 

“So much for a dangerous being, she’s crying!” You could hear your brother's cries from when he was dragged out of your home when you were younger. You locked your eyes with the man growling, 

“Get me out of these chains and I can show you dangerous.” 

His laughter locked in his throat when his hands went to break the chains around your hands and feet. The dark eyes he displayed now seemed hollow when you stood to your feet ignoring the protest from the other two behind you. Glancing back, you caught eyes with the taller man. 

“Kill them.” 

Hopping off the back of the truck, the cries from the men were heard. Ripping of flesh and breaking of bones echoed around the forest when you walked to the limo but stopped at the man in the trench coat. He stood almost eight feet tall but the look in his eyes made him seem small when you whispered, 

“You were the one who took my brother from me. I remember you.” You started sending him a smile that made the man whimper once he saw the pool of blood that dripped from the tailgate behind you. Stopping in front of the man, you locked eyes and sent him a look causing him to wail out a bunch of pleas. 

“You are going to go back to the Council and tell them I will kill each and every one of them for the death of my brother. Send them a visual reminder as well.” You stopped grabbing a fistful of his shirt bringing his ear to your lips. 

“I want you to rip out everything that gives you life.” 

Letting go of the man, his eyes were empty. Making his way into the truck, he drove off as you opened the door to the limo taking a seat facing your petrified parents. 

“This is what’s going to happen. You are going to take me somewhere safe and you can continue your life. We can forget this ever happened. Okay?” Your parents nod eyes now draining the gold that you once loved into a dark gray of emptiness. Your father whispered to the driver the destination and once the limo started its way, you leaned your head against the window. The gold in your parents eyes were now back and your father handed you a water bottle. 

“This will be a good school for you to study more about your ascension. Your mother and I will be on a business trip in Amsterdam but we will come down during your graduation!” He beamed wrapped his arm around your mother. She could only nod, sending you a tight lipped smile. 

“You might even find a husband for a mate down here.” She mumbled out, causing your father to nod his head. 

“Do not disappoint us Y/n.” Your father spoke when you leaned back looking out the window once again. Your golden eyes flashed the hollow color your parents once had as you closed your eyes letting the gut feeling send you into a deep slumber. 

Your hand fell limp when your body collided into the ground. You groaned at the pain now subsiding, Marija dropped to her feet pulling you into her arms. 

“Hey, I need you to look at me.” She pleaded, grabbing your jaw to face her, your eyes rolled to the back of your head and your body went numb. Marjias head lifted to lock eyes with Bora, tears beginning to swarm. Raina was the first to blur to your side holding your head in her lap. “Hey Newbie, I need you to wake up.” She spoke tapping your pale cheeks that seemed to hue a darker color by the second. Bora made way next to Marija placing a hand on her shoulder, 

“Now you can see they are not your past lover.” Bora whispered in her ear but what shocked the two OB’s was the words Marija whispered, 

“No, but they are the answer to ending the Council.” Bora nodded but Marija shook her head, grabbing Bora's wrist. “No Bora you don’t understand…They used the power of a deceased Ascendant.” Raina gasped, snapping her head to you pressing her hand against your chest, waking you instantly. You jumped up, blurring to the house, Alek ran after you as fear filled all over your body. Tripping over the last step you fell on your back sliding into the living room ramming into the back of the couch. Alek stopped holding his hands up slowly inching his way towards you. 

“I need you to relax, why don’t we grab you a bag and we get you out those clothes.” you looked down to see most of your shirt was burnt and blood coated your arms. The rest of the OB and Rein appeared in the house when tears began to brim your eyes. 

“Why can’t I remember the ride to Nevermore?”  You croaked out standing onto your feet but moving away from everyone. Rein took a step forward clearing his throat, 

“You used your brother's gift to forget.” You shook your head running a hand through your hair. 

“No. He’s dead. That is not possible.” You protested looking around to find some sort of answer but the look on everyone's face around you showed that they were as shocked as you were. Bora sighed nodding her way to the Med bay which answered your questions. Slouching over you dragged your feet to the room sitting on the chair with your eyes glued to the ceiling. Bora walked in and your eyes widened at the state Marija left her in. Hopping off the chair, you sat her down grabbing a washcloth and the bowl of warm water that sat on the counter. 

“I’ll heal, don’t worry about it.” You shook your head, dabbing the damp cloth on the open wound on her shoulder. You both sat in silence as you tended to her injuries while the rain picked up again. 

“Must be Marija.” You whispered as your chest tightened when a clash of soft thunder bounced through the house. Bora hummed looking down at her wounds, now healing a lot faster than she thought. 

“You’re healing me. Sofis gift.” Bora spoke, running her fingers over the scar that was fading away. You hummed back, shrugging your shoulders, 

“I just thought of the stories my parents told my brother and I about the Death Summoner. Not only can she summon the dead but heal the wounded.” Bora scoffed softly looking at the door seeing Raina pass by with D following behind giggling. 

“Even though you are not Marija’s mate…you will still feel as if you both are connected in some way.” Bora started catching the slight huff you released dropping the cloth in the bowl. 

“I feel…upset that I can’t help her, the pain she feels having to be in the same room is a spitting image of someone she loved for centuries.” You started standing from your seat grabbing the stack of clothes Bora placed on the end of the chair when she walked in, removing your ripped shirt and changing into the new one. 

“I saw the last memories of her mate. I could feel the Council ripping their head from their body. The teeth sinking into their neck- Bora I could feel it all.” Bora huffed sending you a sympathetic look as you shook your head hearing the muffled sobs with your enhanced hearing. 

You walked to the door, sending Bora one last look then made your way to your room. You hopped on your bed with your eyes trained on the pig tailed girl's balcony with a million thoughts running through your head. 

The night covered the small village just a few hundreds miles away from Nevermore as horrid screams were heard around. The tall man sat in a tent keeping his eyes trained on the entrance with a sinister smile on his face. 

“Bring him in.” He boomed. A boy was tossed into the tent with blood running from his nose. The man tilted his head examining the frightened child in front of him, almost like a predator inspecting his meal before feasting. 

“Child, what info do you have on the ascendent?” He asked, the boy whimpered looking at the man through his lashes. 

“They are no longer staying on Campus. They are staying with a group of people and I think their chosen one is Wednesday.” He whimpered out when snarling was heard from outside. Alucard hummed, taking in the boy's posture. 

“So the Ascendant has already found their mate…hmmm very well. I will have my right hand have you back before breakfast.” he spoke, waving his hand as a very slender man walked into the tent grabbing a fist full of the boy's jacket dragging him out the tent. “Thank you Rowan. Your honesty and loyalty will be paid soon. Till we meet in Jericho.” And with that the boy was no longer seen. Alucard growled softly when a man walked into the tent. 

“How far are they?” The man in front of him kneeled to his feet extending his hand letting Alucard grasp letting the vision play in his mind. He hummed letting go grabbing his ax that sat next to his seat walking out the tent. Blood was painted everywhere as a fanged smile plastered his face. 

“My children!” He roared as all heads turned to the man, “Drink what you can, the Council will be arriving tomorrow night. Please leave a message and let them know…THE Alucard is alive and well..killing.” He spoke nodding his way to the man next to him who lifted his staff that sent the rest of the ferals wild. Alucard started his walk down the village with the man by his side. 

“Grim ... .would you please remind my children that when we arrive to remain casual; in the dark. We are not a threat to the Ascendant. We will monitor the Ascendent for a day till we make ourselves visible. No one harms their mate, understand?” Grim nodded at his request. Alucard nodded, making his way down the village with a bloodied smile. 

“Matter of fact, get ready…we will go tonight.” 

Ever since you ascended, sleep was not your best friend anymore. Screams and cries drummed in your ears when you closed your eyes. Once you ascend, sleep is not a priority but to fight the strongest beings in the world? You need all the sleep you can get. You hummed at the silence when you kept your eyes shut but the front door opening and a whiff of Vanilla scent sent you blurring to the top of the stairs, 

“Thank you Principal Weems for accepting our terms, I will be sure that Wednesday gets her classes completed and will be under our supervision.” Bora spoke, sending Weems a small smile. You kept your eyes glued to the girl standing next to the tall woman. You knew that she knew you were watching when her head looked up to meet your eyes. 

“You’re gonna burn a hole through the ground if you don’t control your venom.” A voice spoke next to you as you shut your mouth looking over. Raina sent you a teasing smile, you rolled your eyes mirroring her actions. 

“How come when I am near her it's like it doesn't happen, but when i feel…” you paused trying to find the right word- 

“Excited? Protective? Horn-” 

“Alerted.” You cut off Raina’s amusement by sending her a look then looking back down at the girl. “What will happen if I turn her before the Council arrives? I remember my mother telling me stories about needing a certain ceremony to turn your mate.” You mindlessly spoke keeping your eyes on Wednesday when Raina snickered. 

“You were young Y/n. I think your mother meant something else other than a ‘ceremony’.” Raina added. Your neutral expression now displaced grimace when you now knew what she meant. “No, I- no.” Raina snickered softly patting your back walking back into her room. Bora pointed at you when both pairs of eyes caught yours, you sent them a small smile blurring next to Bora. 

“Thank you Principal Weems.” The lady in front of you nodded, handing the rest of Wednesday's luggage to Alek who appeared out of nowhere. The boy blurred to your room then in a matter of seconds blurred past you all into the living room. “Well, I will make my way back to campus to arrange the lockdown for when the Council arrives.” She spoke looking between you and Wednesday. “If you’ll excuse me.” You send her a nod as Bora walks her out. 

“I can not lie, the house is alot bigger than I imagined.” Wednesday started. You chuckled, grabbing her hand guiding her up the stairs to your room. Once you both were settled you sat on the window seal with your eyes glued to Wednesday typing on her laptop. 

“If you stare a little harder, you might be able to read my thoughts.” Wednesday mumbled with her eyes still glued to her screen. Your eyes widen, “Was that a joke Wednesday?” You teased and laughed when you caught a small smile on her lips. You stood up casually strolling to the other side of the bed. 

“Don’t tempt me, I might.” You spoke that sent a scoff out her mouth sparing you a small glance. For some odd reason the voice in your head wanted to hold her close. The thought of pressing your lips against her neck sent your knees buckling before you. You gripped the shelf but the strength you held knocked the books on top of you. Wednesday rushed to your side placing a hand on the back of your neck that sent your vision spirling. Bad idea. The urge to pin her against the way and sink your teeth into her skin…but not in a blood draining way-

“I uh- I need some fresh air.” You spoke back pedaling away from her. Once you made contact with the door you blurred downstairs and out into the kitchen grabbing a bag of blood from the fridge, you almost slurped the bag with how fast you drank. Letting out a loud sigh ringing throughout the kitchen, you leaned your head against the fridge door clamping your eyes shut. After a few moments of attempting to rid the visions/thoughts in your head, you walked out the back door onto the patio that displayed your view from your room of Nevermore. 

“Don’t tell me you already have trouble in Paradise?” You looked over your shoulder to see Alek walking your way and mirroring your actions, leaning against the balcony rail. You scoffed shaking your head, 

“More like the opposite.” You sighed running your fingers through your hair. Aleks eyes widened and stifled a laugh. “I guess we are a pack now.” You narrowed your eyes at his response but rolled them when realization dawned on you. 

“Don’t worry, it was a direct thought so I heard it.” Blowing out a breath, you hung your head low. “I don’t know why I feel like this all of a sudden, it's only been a few weeks of knowing her.” 

“But it feels like years huh,” Alek sighed out taking a seat on the patio chair keeping his eyes on the clear skies. “It will get better, Newbie, don’t worry.” You turned his way leaning your back against the patio rail eyeing him. 

“How come you know a lot of this?” You mentioned, motioning your hand to your balcony. He smiled shaking his head, “I had a mate too y’know” 

You nodded looking back at the campus, sighing softly. Alek came a bit closer placing a hand on your shoulder, 

“I lost her during the Civil War. We came to an agreement that she will stay human. A stray bullet struck her as she was coming in from the bath into our room. Ever since then, I could not bring myself to move on. Same with Bora.” Alek spoke but hearing that Bora lost her mate too was something that turned your insides. 

“Bora was the first Original right?” Alek shook his head leaning more onto the rail as you both heard laughter coming from the living room. 

“Bora was the mate of the first Original. She was actually the first from the native tribe to turn. Her blood was from the ‘Supernatural Chief’ so when she became one of us she developed a gift and from there I guess the stories on the first OB spree is how it all developed to be OB’s too. Dude it's really complicated to explain but Rein was there.” You nodded looking back once more to see Bora walking to the kitchen. She caught your eyes, sending you a warm smile. Alek patted your back taking a seat onto the lawn chair chuckling, 

“Come sit, you look so tense. Plus, the girls got Wednesday. You might not want to go in there right now.” You chuckled at his response, taking a seat next to him as he handed you a blood bag. “Definitely not going in right now.” 

Bora came from around the corner of the kitchen handing everyone a blood bag and Wednesday a water bottle. She took a seat onto the couch near Sofi who was playing chess with D who was indeed throwing a whole tantrum. 

“This is so not fair Soph. You know I suck at this game.” D muttered out moving her pawn as Sophie giggled, moving her knight knocking off D’s piece from the board. D looked up sending her a glare when a hand was placed on her head patting lightly, 

“My love, be a wonderful girlfriend and keep Alek and the Ascendant some company.” Raina whispered. D grumbled hopping onto her feet heading out the back door. Raina sighed, taking a seat next to Wednesday. 

“So how are things going with your mate?” Raina asked the girl who only shrugged her shoulders, “I do not know, one minute we are in each other's arms and it feels like home then the next, they’re standing almost a hundred feet away and ignoring me like a plague.” Wednesday explained what caused Bora and Raina to giggle. 

“Oh Wednesday,” Bora sighed out, “They are fighting the urge to not turn you.” Raina finished Bora's sentence as they both turned to Sophie who caught their gaze grabbing her headphones walking upstairs.

“When it comes to a Mate who is not one of us comes with a ceremony that we use to change them and have them bonded to us for eternity.” Bora spoke out. 

“Ceremony?” Wednesday quivered her eyebrow as Raina giggled once more, shaking her head. Bora sent a small smile towards the girl, “Don’t worry, it is not what you think but it is what you will not expect-” 

D slid the door open throwing herself onto the free lawn chair tossing the whiskey bottle towards you which you quickly caught. Alek turned to face D and the look she gave the both of you sent Alek howling in laughter. You looked between them till D’s voice was heard in your head. 

“They’re giving Newbies mate here ‘the talk’.” 

“The talk?” You spoke aloud, confusion swarming in your iris. D opened her mouth to speak when Wednesday's voice boomed through the house. Your eyes widened when the door swiped open and her face came into view. Her hand wrapped around your wrist dragging you inside. A yelp slipped out your mouth when Alek sent you a small telepathic message. 

“Good luck, let's hope your fangs don’t fall off” 

You sent the girls a look once you passed them when all they could do is giggle and wave your way. A whimper was heard from you when the girl literally dragged you up the stairs and sat you onto the bed as she towered over you. 

“Why did you not mention that if you do not turn me, Marija could end up being your mate?” Your eyes widen at this new information. Shaking your head, you stood up to protest but her hand rammed against your chest sitting you back down. 

“No. Sit down.” 

You stood quiet with your head hung low, waiting for what she had to say but once her hand gripped your jaw, you could have sworn you lost function in your body. 

“For being the most dangerously powerful being on the planet, you seem so weak as of right now.” You looked up to defend yourself but the look in her eyes seemed to answer your question to why she is acting this way. You stood up wrapping your arms around her waist, blurring her to the wall. 

“I could be your worst nightmare Wednesday, do not tempt me.” You whispered, your fangs peeked out your lips as your breath mixed with the girl trapped in front of you. 

“Nightmares are my favorite part of sleeping.” She whispered back leaning up causing her lip to brush against yours. 

“If you are a nightmare…” 

Your body buzzed with a new found feeling that made you feel as if you could destroy anything in your way. Rip apart the council to feel what you feel. Break through into the center of the earth to feel the heat you were feeling at the moment throughout your body. You’d steal all the burning gasses in the dark sky but for what cause…the light that could guide you to where you belong is in the eyes staring back into your soul. 

“...then make me sleep for eternity.” 

You smashed your lips into hers as her hand gripped your jaw bringing you in, deepening the kiss. You were stupid for not kissing her sooner, the energy that coursed through your body caused you to blur the both of you onto the dresser that shattered the mirror behind Wednesday. A small moan slipped the girls mouth that sent you onto cloud 9. Hands were felt underneath your shirt that was discarded in a matter of milliseconds. Another blur and you had her against the door quickly locking the door but your lips never left hers. Her kiss is something you could feel for as long as you roam this earth. Her heartbeat was drumming in your ears that caused your head to turn but with the speed, you ended up on the other side of the room with her on top of you. 

“How did you control my speed?” You whispered, attempting to speak with her lips still glued onto yours. She only shook her head leaning back removing her top, 

“Shut up and kiss me.” 

______________________________________

A/n: Yes, I left yall hanging like that. I, myself am not ready to write that JUST yet but be ready for the next chap dropping maybe this weekend or next week! (this for that one person lol) but i am thinking of making a 2-3 story series....maybe. (this is actually a book i am looking to get published...my music manager wants me to start publishing my books)

But i hope you all like it and stick around for more on Jenna! <3

[beefrobeefcal]

Catfish to BigFish feat. Dark!Frankie Morales

Summary: Boston. The Frontiersmen is a crime syndicate that deals in drugs, arms, and anything else they can to keep themselves on top. But how did Frankie 'Catfish' Morales, the coke-addicted, lanky mess of a man become its leader? And where did the moniker 'BigFish' come from?

Rating: Explicit 18+ (MDNI) | Word Count: 2,283 | 3+/- years before OTWF begins

Content Warning: threats of violence, crime, violence, betrayal, Big Fish is a bad man in the making, character death, allusions to drug use, swearing, choking, punching, eating, comments on body, weight gain, friendship but at what cost?, Tom is a bag of smashed assholes

Author's Notes: this is a prequel showing us the how, what, why, and where roughly three years before Honey comes into the picture in Chapter One: Signed and Sealed. The biggest, juiciest, wettest thank you to @neverwheremoonchild for brainstorming this with me and to @strang3lov3 and @noxturnalpascal for their love and eyes. Pour one out for @xdaddysprincessxx - she will need all the hydration she can get.

On the Waterfront Masterlist

“If it were anyone else…”, Tom warned. 

“Yeah, we know. But it’s not. It’s Fish. He’s one of us.”

Pope sat back and watched Will do something none of them thought they’d have to do – convince Tom to give a shit.

“He’s a fuckin’ coke head! Snortin’ our own shit and lyin’ about it!”, Tom boomed, standing over Will. “You ran the fuckin’ numbers, you can see how much money we lost up his fuckin’ nose! And now you wanna spend more money tryin’ to get that fucker clean again?”

Will didn’t bend. He didn’t shrink and he didn’t back down. “It’s Frankie. Catfish. Our Catfish. And he needs help.”

Tom huffed harshly enough in Will’s face that his hair moved, then turned his ire to Pope. 

“You think Fish’s worth it? Already cost us a shit load of money and Will wants to blow more on that fuckhead.”

Pope slipped into his smooth and nonchalant voice and crossed his arms. He’d hoped this would give Tom the impression that he was just as unnerved and steadfast as Will.

“You know he’d do the same thing for any of us.”

“Fuckin’ altruistic bullshit!”, Tom barked, slamming his fist on the table. 

Pope felt his blood heating up and his jaw tightening. Will looked over at him quickly, his blue eyes ice cold and angry, and then back to Tom. 

“I disagree. He’s just as much my brother as Benny is. Or you, or Santi. He’s family and I’ll get’m help as many times as possible. And you know what you’re sayin’s bullshit-“

“Fuck you and your fuckin’ family values dog shit! You and I both know that he’s gonna get clean, last a week or two, then shit’s gonna start goin’ missing again and he’s gonna be right back to bein’ the fuckin’ crypt keeper he looks like now! He’s not gonna change. We need to cut him loose and let him kill himself. He made his choice, Will! Admit it - Fish ain’t worth it!”

Will stood up and moved close to Tom, almost nose to nose. Yeah, Tom was bigger, stronger even, but Will was precise and skilled in a way that seeing him square up like that scared Pope. He unfolded his arms and stepped forward. 

“Hey! Hold up! We’re not gonna do th-“

“You’re supposed to be our leader – our fuckin’ captain.”, Will seethed lowly. “I’m not gonna take orders from some mother fucker who decides to ‘cut loose’ one of our own. Fish needs our help and fuck you for turnin’ your back on’ im.”

Tom glared at Will. “Fine.”, he spat, then dug his index finger in Will’s chest. “But when he he fuckin’ OD’s, it’s on you!”

*****

It felt like more than 90 days when Pope rolled up in front of the rehab centre to pick up Frankie, and when he saw him standing outside, waiting for him, he frowned. Not because he wasn’t glad to see him looking better and fuller, but because this was the third time he had picked Frankie up from a stint in rehab. 

Frankie pulled open the passenger door and slid in, not daring to look up. 

“Fish…”, Pope broke the silence as he put the car in drive. “You look good - ”

“How mad is he this time?”, Frankie interjected.

Pope sighed, knowing exactly how mad Tom was that the Frontiersmen funded another one of Frankie’s stays in an expensive treatment centre. The fact that Tom could be mad at Frankie for this used to baffle him, but by this time - the third time – he could at least see where Tom was coming from. It didn’t sway his growing dislike of their leader though. 

“You keep clean, and he won’t have a reason to be pissed.”

“Fuck… Santi… I try, and – “

“Just shut the fuck up and keep clean, Frank.” Pope snapped, cutting Frankie off in turn. “Besides, I have something in mind to keep you motivated.”

All Frankie could do was nod, despite not knowing what Pope could offer as motivation. He never wanted to relapse, but the call was too sweet, too enticing, for him to stay away too long. He’d said this the day before while he was going through the exit procedure and the facilitator just shrugged and said, “Find something else to get high on then.” 

*****

Less than two months after Frankie came back to the compound, Tom was dead. 

Pope had walked down the hallway to the office where Will waited, and he pushed open the door. Will had looked up, expecting to see Tom, and when he saw Pope instead, blood on his hands and splattered on his body and face, and wide eyed, he stood up, confusion etched on his face.

“Santiago… what the fuck is goin’-“

“He’s dead.”

Will dropped the file folder he held precariously and moved quickly to Pope’s side as he sat heavily in one of the armchairs. He wiped his hand over his face, smudging the semi-dried blood, and he sighed.

“Who’s dea- “

“Tom… Tom’s dead. He’s fuckin’ dead, Will.”

“Santi.”, Will said in a low, controlled voice that just barely masked the panic writhing below. “What happened?”

“I… I was… I didn’t…”, Pope paused, trying to find a way to confess. Instead, his conscience was silenced by his ego, and he found himself lying without even really thinking. “He was… taken out by… by the Gutierrez gang… those fuckers… they ambushed him, Will.”

Pope looked up at Will, daring to see if what he said even sounded feasible. To Will, Pope’s wide, frightened eyes convinced him to ignore the itch at the back of his brain, needling him to probe further.

“I was… I was with him when he… I found him before he died. He was fuckin’ babbling some shit… who was supposed to take over…”

Will’s eyes narrowed subtly, but enough for Pope to register. He knew he couldn’t say he was the one Tom wanted; it would be too suspicious. And he couldn’t say Will because that would give him full control - something Pope truly believed would be his own downfall. 

“He wanted Fish…”

*****

Frankie was a half a year sober – actually, really, fully, no-word-of-a-lie sober – and had been the head of the Frontiersmen for just shy of four months. He’d spent the last six months trying to find a new vice that wouldn’t render him a liability and bankrupt the organization. He was just barely making an impact as the new leader; no one took him seriously. He was skinny and quiet. Only his inner circle knew how violent and dangerous he could be, but even then, they knew he really had to be provoked to get him to that point.

Pope decided he had to do something. His plan to put Frankie in the captain’s chair was failing miserably, and he knew if he couldn’t land this, he would be sussed out. 

“Fish… come on… we’re going out for dinner.”, he said, slapping Frankie’s back.

He looked up at Pope, tired and miserable. “Why?”

“Because you need to eat. You’re skin and bones and no one wants to be led by a corpse.”

Frankie’s expression turned from confused to hurt as his shoulders dropped, feeling the weight of everyone’s expectations gnaw at his sobriety. He carried this somber aura all the way to the restaurant. 

*****

The dingy little Italian restaurant had a name – Marcello’s - and it became Frankie’s haven. It was nowhere near as festive or amazing as Benny had indicated. The way he raved about the place, Pope thought he was taking Frankie to a pasta titty bar paradise, and instead he found them in a mid-century dive with carpet and wood paneling on the walls. 

It wasn’t until the hostess came out from the bar to greet them that Pope understood exactly why Benny loved this place, and he understood it even more when they had their food served.  It had started out as once a week, then turned into almost every night. The effects of pasta, heavy cream sauces, and garlic bread we’re beginning to show on Frankie. Gone were the feeling of his ribs when Pope patted him on his back and gone were his sunken cheeks. Frankie had filled out and he was glad to see his friend looking better. 

That was, until he noticed something. Yeah, Frankie was clean from coke, but he seemed to have turned that same veracity that he’d once carried for the narcotic on to food. It used to be that Frankie could barely finish a frozen TV dinner, being able to stretch one over two meals. As Pope sat across from him at Marcello’s one Tuesday evening, he watched his friend plow through two whole plates of pasta in one sitting. Pope noticed that while Frankie ate, he seemed almost tranquil, serene.

He’d found something else to get high on.

There was a notable change in Frankie as he gained weight. The soft spoken, always amenable Frankie was slowly being enveloped by a bigger, meaner, and more vicious version of him. 

When he was thinner, Frankie could get lucky with women if he tried, but he wasn’t the most confident and rarely put himself out there. But as he grew, so did his self-esteem. He no longer sat back and accepted things as they were said to him – he questioned and even demanded answers, using his newfound size to intimidate if need be. If he saw something he liked, be it clothing, electronics, cars, he took it and gave no one a chance to say otherwise.

The legacy Tom left behind began to fade within the Frontiersmen as Frankie’s violence took centre stage. His quick temper and fists built a reputation; he was still quiet, but the silence he offered was no longer one of contemplation, it was one of simmering rage, liable to explode into violence at any moment. But this was within their group alone. No one outside of their crew took him seriously enough to even warrant giving him a foot in the door.

All of that changed one evening and Pope got a front seat to watch his plan to hide behind Frankie finally bear fruit. Catfish’s temper finally exploded on the right person to get the message out. 

Chuck, the leader of another group called the Golden Kings, had sat across from Frankie at a roundtable, hosted by one of the other gangs to broker agreements and territories. Chuck had taken every opportunity to remind everyone that Frankie was a junkie who used to pilfer his group’s own product to get high. When he stopped getting the reaction he wanted, Chuck moved onto Frankie’s weight, which had pretty well doubled since Tom’s death. 

Will, seated on the other side of Frankie, quietly said, “Let it go, Catfish.”

“Catfish?”, Chuck laughed cruelly. “Fuckin’ Catfish? Really? Fatfish is more like it. What happened, Morales? You eat your feelings ‘cause you can’t get high no more?”

Pope caught a glance at Frankie’s face which only could be described as dark and malevolent as a thunderclap. It unnerved him to see Frankie looking so dangerous around other people. It was one thing for him to beat one of their own for being a dipshit, but this was someone who wasn't below Frankie – he was ranks above him. Frankie sat, glaring across the table at Chuck, his elbows on the armrests and his hands tensely tenting his fingers.

It seemed that the rest of the men at the table could sense the electric tension between Frankie and Chuck. Dan Connor, leader of the Dead Rabbits and host for the evening, motioned to Frankie with a head nod. 

“Get it out, Morales. Can’t move on with you having a bitchfit at some name callin’.”

Pope knew none of these men took his friend seriously and it was either going to be Frankie using his keen negotiation tactics or Frankie showing off his newfound rage. 

The latter won. Frankie sat in silence as Chuck beat his mouth off at him, trying to get Frankie to react, to no avail. He didn’t speak; he just watched, letting Chuck keep talking, letting him fuel his violent rage even more, until it reached a tipping point. 

“You may be a big fish now, you fuckin’ goof, but you’re still a rat-faced junkie.”

It happened quickly. Frankie stood up and grabbed Chuck from across the table by his suit jacket lapel and pulled him to his side as his fist began beating into the man’s face over and over.

Chuck’s men stood up, but Dan Connor’s hand came out, motioning for them to sit. His own men waited for their cue to remove Frankie from Chuck, but Dan just watched in reverence.

The punching stopped and Chuck gurgled in pain, and Frankie wrapped his huge hands around Chuck’s throat and squeezed. 

“I am Big Fish, you fuckin’ cunt.”, he growled in a calm and low tone, then he spat on Chuck’s face.

Will looked at Frankie horrified, and Pope couldn’t help the grin that forced its way to his face. Dan finally motioned for his men to intervene, and it took all four to pry Frankie’s hands off the bloody, gasping mess that was Chuck. 

Chuck’s men moved to get their boss away from Frankie as he sat back in his chair, and nodded at Dan, signaling for him to continue. The room remained silent, save for the pathetic whining of Chuck in the hallway. Dan looked at Frankie, eyes narrowed, then finally he started laughing – hard.

“Fuckin’ BigFish Morales! Welcome to the table, asshole.”

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