#you try living with all that while also looking at fish ads too

[slimyenemy]

i'm not doing any nightmares i'm being nice to you in case you care to some extent for as long as needed before it turns into an abuse apologism circus and then if it does i'm doing curses! like i said!

[cyberl6ve]

𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒! 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒 — 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌

CHECK 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 FOR MORE!! (NSFW!!)

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

── .✦ : Chris and Nick Sturniolo, along with Y/N L/N, attend Tara Yummy's lavish 1 million subscribers party in LA. Chris, usually easygoing, feels an unexpected surge of jealousy when another guy starts dancing closely with Y/N. Unable to watch, Chris intervenes, pulling Y/N into a quiet corner. There, emotions ignite, leading to a passionate and revealing moment that changes everything between them.

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · · 𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 !! · · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

⋆˙⟡ STORY CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT !! ⋆˙⟡

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ : 𝐀𝐬 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, my heart flutters with a mix of excitement and anticipation. This night feels special, a chance to celebrate Tara's achievement while surrounded by the bustling energy of LA. The sounds of laughter and music spill out from within, adding to the lively atmosphere.

As we step inside, the opulence of the venue becomes immediately evident. The air is filled with the scent of expensive cologne and champagne, and the room is ablaze with vibrant colors from the twinkling lights hanging overhead.

I scan the crowd, taking in the sea of strangers mingling around us. People chat and laugh, sipping their drinks and enjoying the party. Nick spots a group of people he knows nearby, and he signals us to follow him as he heads over to greet them.

We follow Nick through the vibrant room until we reach a small group of familiar faces standing together. Tara, smiling widely, spots us and waves us over. Her two friends, Jake and Johnnie, turn to greet us as well.

“Hey guys!” Tara greets us, her eyes shining with excitement. “I'm so glad you made it!”

“We wouldn't miss it for the world,” Nick replies, giving her a friendly hug.

My heart is beating a little faster as I stand there, trying to act casual but feeling a bit overwhelmed by the energy in the room.

Chris greets Tara with a casual hug before she turns to me, her eyes widening with curiosity. “I don't think we’ve met?” she says, smiling warmly. “I’m Tara! Are you Chris's girlfriend or something?”

I laugh at her comment, feeling a bit embarrassed but also amused. “No, no, he wishes though” I assure her, shaking my head. “I'm Y/N! I just moved here not too long ago!”

Tara nods, seemingly intrigued by our connection. “Oh, okay,” she says. “How do you know the triplets?”

I smile, happy to share our history. “Well, I've actually known them my whole life,” I explain. “We've been friends since we were kids.”

“Really?” Tara exclaims, looking genuinely surprised. “That’s so cool! It must be nice to have known each other for so long.”

I chuckle and agree. “It's definitely tiring hearing them argue all the time,” I admit, rolling my eyes jokingly. “But there are some moments of peace too.”

I nod, my expression softening. “They're amazing though,” I add. “They've always been there for me, through thick and thin.”

Tara smiles warmly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “That's so sweet,” she says, gently placing a hand on my arm. “Can I ask you something?”

I smile at her question, interested in what she has to ask. “Of course, what's up?” I reply, giving her my full attention.

Tara leans closer, her voice low and conspiratorial as she asks her question: “Between Matt and Chris, since I know Nick is gay, have you ever slept with one of them?” Her words hang in the air, creating an intimate bubble between us amidst the raucous noise of the party.

Before I can respond to Tara's question, I feel Chris's hand reach for mine. His grip is firm, sending a shiver down my spine. I turn to see Chris suddenly beside me, his hand firmly holding onto mine.

I shake my head and answer Tara's question: “No, never.” She seems surprised, her eyes widening as she responds, “Never?” I laugh and confirm again, “Never.”

Tara then points between Chris and me, a curious gleam in her eyes. “There must be something going on between you two at least,” she says, arching an eyebrow.

I nod, a playful smile on my face, amused by Chris's behavior. “He gets a little overprotective sometimes,” I admit, looking at Chris's hand still holding onto mine. “That's why.”

Tara's eyes widen even further, her curiosity piqued. “Overprotective, huh?” she says, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “That definitely means something is there.”

I chuckled lightly, shrugging my shoulders as I reply, “Maybe so,” I say, my voice teasing. “We have our moments, you know, a little flirting here and there, but it's all just banter and jokes.”

Tara's smile widens, clearly intrigued by our relationship. “Oh, so there's some chemistry there,” she says, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

I laugh, feeling a bit flustered by her insistence. “I wouldn’t go that far,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant. “It’s mostly just harmless fun.”

Before she can say anything further, Chris leans closer to me, his breath warm against my ear. He murmurs softly, “We gotta move, Nick wants to go say hi to Larray, Ma.”

I nod, my attention momentarily shifted towards the direction Nick is in. I turn back to Tara with a warm smile, saying, “I was informed that we gotta go, but it was nice knowing you! You're such a lovely person.”

Tara smiles back, looking happy to have made a new connection. “It was nice knowing you too!” she says excitedly. “Here's my number, in case you ever want to hang out or chat.”

I beam, genuinely impressed and excited to have made friends with the group. “I'll definitely hit you up!” I say to Tara, and then add, pointing to her, Jake, and Johnnie, “Also, I'm such a big fan of all of you guys!”

We make our way through the crowd, Chris still holding onto my hand. When we reach Larray, Nick says hi and embraces him. Chris then steps forward and gives Larray a friendly hug, still keeping his grip on my hand.

I watch the scene unfold, my heart rate slightly elevated from the thrill of the moment and Chris's firm hold.

Larray catches sight of me and his face lights up, breaking into a wide grin. “How you been, girl?! I'm so excited to see you again!” he exclaims, immediately moving in for a enthusiastic hug.

I laugh and return his hug warmly, feeling the warmth of his welcoming embrace. “I've been good, just settling in,” I say, pulling back slightly to look at him. “How have you been?”

Larray beams, his energy contagious as always. “Couldn’t be better, you know me, always having a good time,” he says, his usual enthusiasm and positivity shining through. “It’s great to have you here. We need to catch up properly soon.”

I nod, eager to spend more time with him. “Definitely,” I agree. “Catch up soon, I’ve missed you.”

Larray smiles widely, his eyes raking over my dress appreciatively. “You look so good!” he exclaims, his voice full of admiration.

“Ugh, that black dress is everything!” He then turns to Chris, hitting him playfully on the shoulder. “Have you complemented your girl yet?”

Chris chuckles, his eyes flickering towards me before he responds, “What do you mean? She looks good every day.”

I feel a warm blush spread across my cheeks at their exchange, feeling both flattered and amused. Larray lets out a hearty laugh, clearly enjoying himself.

Larray takes Nick to the side, leaving Chris and I momentarily alone. We take a seat on a nearby couch, waiting for them to return. The music and chatter around us continues, but it's as if a bubble forms around us, enclosing us in our own little world.

Tara approaches our group and smiles, asking, “Can we get a picture?” We all nod excitedly, happy to commemorate the moment. Chris then chimes in, inquiring, “Can I get one of those stickers?” He points to the “I love Tara Yummy” sticker that she had in her hand.

Tara hands each of us a sticker, and then takes her place between Nick and me. We all hold up the stickers, a testament to our adoration for Tara. She plops down on the couch, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her palms, posing with a sly grin.

We take a few more photos, capturing the moment in an array of smiles and poses. Once they are done, Tara turns to us, her smile radiating gratitude.

“Thank you, guys!” she says, her voice filled with appreciation. Then, she moves on to take pictures with other people in the room, leaving us to chat amongst ourselves.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

The night continues, and Tara returns to the group, joining in on our conversation. Suddenly, a camera approaches, and we all break into dance, letting loose amongst other party-goers. Chris moves his arms swaying gracefully in a back-and-forth motion, his gaze fixed on the camera. He looks absolutely good, exuding confidence and charm with every move.

Everyone takes a break and sits down, but Tara excuses herself to get another drink. Nick follows after her, heading towards the bar. Sitting next to Chris, I try to pull him up to dance with me, tugging on his arm playfully. However, he refuses to budge, playing along and keeping himself firmly seated.

“Come on, Chris,” I say, my voice filled with a mix of persuasion and lighthearted entreaty. “Dance with me.” I continue pulling his arm, my eyes fixed on his face, silently pleading for him to join me.

Chris laughs at my attempt to pull him up, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous gleam. “I’m comfortable where I am,” he replies, his tone playful. He leans back, making himself at home in his seat, enjoying my futile efforts to get him to dance.

With a resigned sigh, I reluctantly let go of his arm, realizing that he’s not budging. I start to dance, swaying to the music, but I do it in a way that is aimed at him, as if I’m trying to tease and tempt him to join me.

I dance, making myself seen, while Chris grins from his spot, his head bobbing slightly to the music in acknowledgment. He clearly has no intention of moving from his seat. He watches me with a glint in his eyes, enjoying the show I’m putting on solely for him.

My moves get a bit bolder, my body moving gracefully as I continue to dance in front of him. I try different spins and twirls, trying to get him to react. However, Chris remains unmoved, only watching me with a small smile on his face, relishing in my efforts to make him dance.

As I dance, a random guy approaches and invites me to dance with him. Seeing this as an opportunity, I decide to go along with it, plotting to make Chris jealous. I dance with the stranger, laughing and enjoying myself, all the while keeping my eyes on Chris to see how he reacts.

The moment I had been waiting for finally unfolds. As I dance with the stranger, feeling his hands touch me lightly, I see Chris’s expression harden. He leans forward, a possessive glint in his eyes, watching me closely.

The stranger’s hands move with me as we dance, his touch making me feel a mix of excitement and anticipation. I keep my gaze fixed on Chris, noticing the way his body tenses up and his jaw clenches. He’s clearly getting jealous.

The dance continues, the stranger’s hands roaming a bit more, but not crossing any lines. I maintain my gaze on Chris, relishing the effect my actions are having on him. His eyes are locked on me, a storm of jealousy and frustration brewing within them.

As the stranger’s hands linger a bit too long on my hips, I can see the anger building in Chris’s eyes. His body is tense, restraining himself from intervening. I know he’s at his limit, about to burst.

Chris had clearly reached his limit. His hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist firmly, his grip unyielding. He swiftly pulls me away from the stranger, his eyes filled with burning possessiveness. Without a word, he tows me through the crowd, his stride purposeful as he leads me towards the bathroom.

I follow behind him, slightly flustered by his sudden actions, struggling to keep up with his determined pace.

He opens the bathroom door and pulls me inside, locking it behind us. In the enclosed space, we’re alone, the noise of the party muffled by the door. He turns to me, his breathing slightly labored, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and desire.

Chris leans against the edge of the sink, the cool surface providing a stark contrast to his heated demeanor. His gaze remains fixed on me, his body tense, as if he’s barely holding himself back.

Chris’ voice is low and strained as he speaks, his eyes locked on mine, his words seething with jealousy. “You just don’t know when to stop,” he says, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“What was all that dancing with that guy?” he continues, his voice laced with frustration. “You’re trying to make me crazy, aren’t you?”

He pushes himself off the sink, his movements sharp and restless. He takes a step closer to me, his presence filling the small space. “You just loved the way he was touching you, didn’t you?”

I take a deep breath, a mixture of guilt and defensiveness swirling inside me. “Chris, c’mon don’t be like that.” My voice is soft yet firm, trying to diffuse the tension.

He lets out a scoff, his eyes darkening with jealousy and irritation. “Don’t be like what? You were trying to make me jealous, weren’t you? And you succeeded.”

I start to speak, my words coming out in a rush. “Chris...” but he cuts me off, his voice filled with possessive determination. “Nobody should be allowed to touch you if it’s not me.” His body is suddenly much closer, his towering form hovering over me, overwhelming in his intensity.

The tension in the bathroom reaches a boiling point. Chris’s eyes are dark, filled with a mix of anger and desire. He closes the remaining distance between us, his body pressing against mine, effectively trapping me against the wall.

His hand comes up to cup my face, his touch possessive and demanding. He leans in close, his breath warm against my skin as he speaks, his voice a low rumble.

“You’re mine. You got that?”

I can feel the heat radiating off him, the hard planes of his body against me. My breath catches in my throat, his words and actions igniting a spark of desire deep within me. I can only nod in reply, my own hands coming up to rest lightly on his chest, feeling the rapid thrum of his heartbeat.

His hand moves from my face, his fingers encircling my neck, the slight pressure a silent command. His voice is a rough growl as he speaks, his eyes locked on mine. “Use your words, ma.” The possessive nickname sending shivers down my spine.

I swallow the lump in my throat, my eyes locked on his, feeling his grip on my neck and his body pinning me against the wall. My voice comes out in a hoarse whisper, my own desire coloring my words.

“I’m yours, Chris. Only yours.”

A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips, the possessiveness in his eyes darkening at my words. He leans in closer, his face inches from mine, his breath hot on my skin.

“Damn right you are,”

He growls, his grip on my neck tightening ever so slightly. The air between us heats up, the tension crackling like electricity. Chris’s body presses even closer, his hips pinning me against the wall, his fingers flexing against my neck.

His words are a low rumble, his voice filled with a mix of possessiveness and desire. “I want you, ma. Right here, right now.”

Heat surges through my body at his words, a wave of desire crashing over me, drowning out any rational thought. Chris’s hand moves from my neck, sliding down to grip my hip, his touch firm and possessive. He crowds even closer, his body molding against mine, a heady mix of need and frustration in his eyes.

“I need you,” he growls, his voice a low rumble. “Now.”

With a low growl, Chris’s lips crush against mine, claiming my mouth in a fiery kiss. It’s a mixture of passion and possession, his tongue demanding entry, his fingers digging into my hip. I melt into the kiss, returning his fervor, my hands clutching at his hoodie, trying to pull him closer.

The kiss deepens, becoming more intense as our bodies press together, the bathroom seemingly shrinking around us. My fingers bunch the fabric of his hoodie, my body arching into him, seeking more contact, more of him. His other hand comes up to cup my jaw, tilting my head back to better plunder my mouth, his tongue exploring me with a possessive fervor.

I kiss him back with a fervor of my own, fueled by the heat and desire coiled tight in my gut. Every touch, every stroke of his tongue, sends a jolt of pleasure through me, and I can't help but press closer, seeking more of his touch, more of him. Our breaths mingle, our bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces, as the kiss deepens to a level of near desperation.

He moves his body against mine, pressing me further into the wall, the kiss growing even more intense as a low moan escapes his throat. I tangle my hands in his hair, pulling him closer still, losing myself in the sensation and the desperate need coursing through me.

Chris’s lips move from my mouth, trailing down my jaw to my neck, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine. He presses open-mouthed kisses along the sensitive skin, his tongue flicking out to taste me. A low, guttural moan escapes him, the sound vibrating against my skin as he continues his assault on my neck. His teeth graze my flesh, nipping and sucking at my skin, leaving behind a trail of fire.

The sensations of his mouth on my neck coupled with the heat of his body against mine is almost too much to bear. A soft, needy moan escapes my lips, the sound filled with pleasure and desire. My fingers tighten in his hair, my hips arching against his, seeking more of the friction as he continues to kiss and suck at my skin.

Chris pulls away for a moment, his lips glistening and eyes dark with desire. His voice is a low, rough timber as he speaks. “Jump,” he commands. Without hesitation, I do as he says, leaping up and trusting that he’ll catch me. True to his word, his arms come around me, effortlessly lifting me up and setting me down on the edge of the sink.

Chris's intense gaze rakes over my curves, his hands roaming across my hips as he steps between my thighs, pinning me to the sink. “You're so responsive,”he growls, voice thick with lust. “It's like you're made for me, molded to fit perfectly in my arms.”

Chris leans in close, his breath hot against my ear as he whispers, “Do you trust me?” I can feel the tension between us, the anticipation building to a fever pitch. With a nod, I place my hands on his shoulders and close my eyes, surrendering myself to him.

With a low growl, Chris wastes no time as he claims my lips in a bruising, passionate kiss. His hands roam over every inch of my body, possessive and dominant as he stakes his claim on me.

Chris's fingers hook into the hem of my black dress, pulling it up to reveal my thighs and the scrap of lace that I wear beneath. In one swift motion, he tears them away, leaving me bared to him in a way that I've never experienced before.

Chris's lips trail a fiery path down the column of my throat, pausing to nibble and suck at the sensitive skin there. His hot breath fans over my pulse point as he continues his descent, eventually kneeling before me. His hands grip my hips, pulling me forward until my thighs straddle his shoulders.

I can feel Chris's warm breath against my most intimate parts, causing a shiver to run down my spine. He looks up at me with those intense pearly blue eyes, his gaze searing into my very soul as he leans forward and presses a tender kiss to my clit. “Oh, god,”

Chris's tongue darts out, licking a slow, deliberate path through my slick folds. A low moan escapes my lips as he explores every inch of me, his hands gripping my thighs to hold me in place. He sucks gently on my clit, sending shockwaves of pleasure through my body.

Chris's eyes flick up to meet mine, dark with lust and adoration. I run my fingers through his hair, tangles the strands around my fist as he continues his ministrations. His breath hitches against my pussy, sending vibrations through my entire being.

Chris complies, his piercing gaze locking onto mine as I tighten my grip in his hair. His tongue circles my clit once more before he takes it between his lips, suckling gently. The dual sensations of his mouth on me and his eyes burning into mine are almost too much to bear.

Chris releases my clit with a pop, his fingers replacing his mouth as he begins to pump them into me. He curls them just right, hitting that sweet spot that makes my vision blur and my moans crescendo. I grind down onto his hand, desperate for more friction, more pleasure.

“You're so fucking tight,” Chris groans, his fingers plunging deeper into my heat. “I can't get enough of you.” He adds a third digit, stretching me further as he fucks into me with relentless abandon.

“Cum for me, Ma,” Chris commands, his voice husky and dripping with dominance. “Squeeze my fingers with your tight little pussy, let me feel you come apart.”

“Chris, oh god, yes!” I cry out, my nails digging into his wrist as he drives his fingers deeper, faster into my throbbing pussy. “Don't stop, please don't stop!”

Chris's fingers curl inside me, hitting that secret spot that makes stars explode behind my eyelids. My hips buck wildly, grinding against his hand as my orgasm crashes over me in waves. “Cum for me, Ma, cum all over my fingers!”

My walls clench around Chris's fingers, pulsing as I ride out the aftershocks of my climax. I collapse back against the bed, panting, his hand still buried deep within me. Chris slowly withdraws his fingers, bringing them to his lips and sucking off my essence. “Delicious,”

I scramble off the counter, my legs still shaky from my orgasm. I spin Chris around and push him back against the counter, his chest heaving. “Your turn now,” I growl, tugging at his belt.

Chris's belt comes undone, clattering to the floor. I slowly unzip his jeans, revealing a hard, throbbing cock. I grip it in my hand, stroking slowly, teasing him with my fingers. “Fuck, Y/N,” he moans.

I look up at Chris, our eyes locking, and he groans at the raw desire in my gaze. I sink to my knees, never breaking eye contact as I guide his cock to my lips. I take him into my mouth, savoring the taste of him on my tongue.

I take him deep, feeling him hit the back of my throat. Chris's hips twitch, his fingers tangling in my hair. “Fuck, Ma...” I bob my head, sucking him harder, swirling my tongue around his shaft.

Chris's breathing becomes ragged as I continue to pleasure him. He lets out a low groan, his grip on my hair tightening. “I'm gonna fucking cum if you don't stop, Ma...” I ignore his warning, sucking harder, ready for him to release everything he has.

Chris's cock pulses in my mouth as he comes hard, spilling his hot seed down my throat. I swallow every drop, milking him for all he's worth. He collapses against the counter, panting heavily, while I sit back on my heels, a satisfied smile on my face.

Chris pulls me up to the counter, my legs wrapping around his waist. He positions himself at my entrance, gazing into my eyes, full of raw desire. He thrusts in slowly, stretching me to my limits. “Shit” he groans, his head falling to my shoulder.

My breath hitches as I take in his size. He is definitely bigger than any other man I have ever been with. Each movement he makes sends a shockwave of pleasure through my body. I wrap my legs tighter around him, wanting to take him in deeper. “Fuck, Chris...”

Chris starts moving faster, his hips slapping against mine. “You feel so fucking tight, Ma,” he growls, his voice low and husky. I moan, my nails digging into his biceps as he pounds into me. The counter creaks beneath us, the sound echoing through the bathroom.

Chris pistons in and out of me, each thrust sending jolts of electricity through my body. “You like that, Baby? You like my big dick in your tight little cunt?” he grunts, his dirty talk only heightening my arousal.

Chris's thrusts become more erratic as he nears his climax. “Gonna fill you up, Ma,” he pants, his eyes dark with lust. “Gonna pump you so full of cum, you'll be dripping for days.” I whimper at his words, feeling the pressure building inside me.

“Yes, yes! Harder, Chris!” I moan, my voice barely above a whisper. Chris complies, his thrusts becoming faster and more intense. The room is filled with the sound of our panting breaths and the slapping of skin on skin.

Without hesitation, Chris pulls out and takes hold of my hips, spinning me around and bending me over the bathroom counter. He enters me again from behind, his thrusts becoming more forceful as he grips my hips tightly. I look at him through the mirror, his eyes dark and full of desire.

Chris pounds into me relentlessly, his pace unrelenting. “Oh, shit” he grunts, his voice strained with pleasure. “Do you love it when my cock is splitting you open?” I moan, my hands braced against the counter as he takes me harder.

Chris reaches for his phone, quickly starting the video recording. Chris's movements become more urgent as he records our intimate moment through the mirror. He leans down, his hot breath on my neck as he whispers dirty promises. “You're such a dirty slut. Getting fucked so hard in the bathroom, all for my eyes only.”

The sound of our wet bodies slapping together fills the room as Chris continues to take me from behind. “You like me fucking you like this, Ma?” He taunts as he films us in the mirror. “Like being my little cumslut?”

Chris grips my hair tightly in his hand, pulling my head back so I'm forced to look at him in the mirror. “Look at me while I fuck you, slut.” He growls, his thrusts becoming even rougher as he continues to record us.

Chris's hand tightens in my hair, yanking my head back further as he speaks into my ear. “You love it when other guys touch your body, don't you? Love feeling their hands all over you, making you feel good.” He thrusts harder, hitting a particularly sensitive spot inside me.

“Only I can make you feel this good, baby.” Chris growls. “Only I can fuck you this hard, make your pretty little pussy sore for days.” He's relentless in his dirty talk, driving me wild as he continues to take me from behind.

“God, you look so fucking hot like this, Ma.” Chris pants as he continues to fuck me, the wet sound of our bodies slapping together echoing in the bathroom. “You're mine, all mine, and I'm going to prove it every single day.”

As Chris's thrusts become more forceful, I see stars behind my eyes. My moans escalate into high-pitched whimpers of pleasure. “Oh god, oh god, oh god!” I chant, my body trembling as he hits that spot inside me again and again.

I can barely form coherent sentences as wave after wave of pleasure crashes over me. “Y-yes, yes, yes!” I gasp, my eyes rolling back as Chris continues to ravage my body. “You-you're making me…I'm going to…!”

I don't get a chance to finish my thought before Chris's fingers find my clit, rubbing in slow circles as he continues to fuck me. That's all it takes for me to shatter into a million pieces, stars bursting behind my eyelids as I scream his name.

“CHRIS!” I collapse against the sink, gasping for air as the aftershocks of my orgasm wrack my body. Chris's hot breath is against my neck, his fingers still pressed against my sensitive clit. “Look at you,” he whispers, “completely undone for me.”

Chris pulls out, his cum splattering across my ass and thighs as he comes. He steps back, a cocky grin spreading across his face as he looks at the video on his phone. “That's a wrap, Ma. You were perfect.”

Chris gently cleans me up toilet paper, his eyes softening as he looks at me. He holds me close, kissing me deeply. “You okay, Ma? I didn't hurt you, did I?” he murmurs, concern etched onto every line of his face.

I smile and nod, wrapping my arms around his neck. “No, I'm okay,” I reassure him. “That was amazing and you were amazing and now my legs are jelly but other than that I'm good.” I kiss him again before pulling away and smirking

“Didn't know you were that big though,” I say, giving him a teasing look. Chris raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You didn't think I had it in me, hm?”

I chuckle, shaking my head as I lean into Chris. “I mean, I knew you were hung, but damn. That was a surprise.” I nuzzle his neck, enjoying the closeness after our intense encounter. “You really know how to make a girl feel full.”

Chris laughs, his chest rumbling beneath my ear. “What, so you thought about my dick size before, huh?” he says, a smug note of satisfaction in her voice. I pull away from him and raise an eyebrow, a sly smile playing at the corner of my lips.

“I mean, all those times you caught me staring while I was sitting on your bed right after you got out of the shower was for nothing, right?” I tease, giving him a playful wink. Chris's eyes widen in mock shock before he throws his head back and laughs.

Chris leans in and captures my lips in a slow, savoring kiss. I melt against him, my hands trailing over his chest while he deepens the kiss.

He pulls back from the kiss, his thumb brushing over my lower lip in a gentle caress. His eyes are dark with desire, but there's a satisfied gleam there as well, like a lion who just had his fill of prey. “We should head back to the party,” he says, his voice a low rumble. “Nick's probably lookin' for us.”

I nod mutely, still trying to catch my breath and compose myself after that kiss. Chris steps back, a smirk playing on his lips as he takes in the sight of me, flushed and disheveled. He offers his hand to me, a silent invitation to follow him back out to the party.

We exit the bathroom, the hum of the party music hitting us like a wave of noise after the quiet seclusion of the bathroom. Chris keeps my hand in his as we make our way through the crowd, back towards where we were sitting. When we reach the group, we find Nick and Tara having a conversation, both looking up at our return.

Nick grins at us, his eyes flickering between Chris's grasp on my hand and my flushed appearance. “There you are,” he says . “We were starting to think you two had vanished into thin air.”

Chris raises his voice above the music, a casual tone to his words. “Yeah, we were just grabbing some drinks and then Y/N needed some air, so we stepped outside for a bit.” He flashes a charming smile, his hand still casually holding mine, like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Nick nods, buying the lie, and continues his conversation with Tara, seemingly not giving it a second thought. Chris gives my hand a slight squeeze, a subtle reassurance that our secret is still safe.

I glance around to make sure nobody is looking, then discreetly take my phone out of my purse, hiding it from Chris's view. I quickly send a text to Tara:

“Yeah, I think I might have to reconsider my answer to that question you asked earlier…”

Authors note: this took forever!! but thank you for 200 followers!! this story wouldn’t have been possible without @st6rify’s brain!! she thought of it and i made it become reality!

hope you all enjoyed it thank you once again! super grateful for each one of you! i love you and you’re appreciated!!

© CYBERL6VE

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒 (⭑.ᐟ) — @st6rify @lovekaiya @b2cute



[lyjen]

Behind Closed Doors | Eddie Diaz

Summary: Two years ago, (Y/n) managed to escape her abusive, bad, drug business ex-boyfriend by snitching him. But now, after all she’s been through, he found her. He’s back and filled with rage. He decides to shoot his shot when (Y/n) is babysitting Chris as Eddie’s at work.

Request: @megafandomsxassemble

9-1-1 Masterlist

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

(Y/n) smiled at the sight of Chris fastening towards the shelter where the jaguar lives in the Los Angeles zoo. Eddie’s fingers were intertwined with (Y/n)’s as they walked through the zoo, Eddie pressed his lips against the side of (Y/n)’s head. “It’s nice, seeing Chris happy” (Y/n) said as she glanced over at Eddie, who had his eyes locked on Chris.

“I haven’t seen him this happy in a while.” Eddie said without letting Chris out of his sight. “What about you? You’re happy to be back at work?” (Y/n) couldn’t help but ask.

Since Metro dispatch had been caught fire, Eddie finally got the chance to put on the turnout gear again, and he finally got back to the 118, he seemed happier. But it still would be nice to hear it from himself. “I’m not made for sitting behind a desk, making tweets and calling with journalists. The one eighteen is where I belong.” Eddie started as he now finally glanced back at her.

“I have a job that I love, a kid that I love, and an amazing girlfriend who I also love. So to answer your question: yes. I’m happy.” he continued as he ended his words with a smile he sent her.

They slowly walked closer to Chris, as the sound of a vibrating phone mixed with a ringtone started to fill her eardrums. She let her free hand open her bag, and fish out her phone while Eddie waited for her to decide if she wanted to answer or not.

“It’s Buck” she said as she looked over at Eddie, “Do you mind if I-?” she added as she motioned her head towards the phone. He shook his head, “No, sure.. go ahead. I’ll go and keep Chris some company.” Eddie said as the grip of his hand got looser, and their hands disconnected.

Not even a few seconds later Eddie was going towards Chris, and (Y/n)’s thumb clicked the green button to accept the call. She held her phone against her ear as she greeted her brother.

“Hey sis, I feel like this is a bad time to call, is it?” Buck sounded through the phone, she laughed at his sudden reaction. “No it isn’t, but it’s nice you’re still trying to use your twin abilities. Even though it never worked.” she answered her twin brother through the phone.

The Buckley family didn’t really count on two babies after they tried to save Daniel. But when the doctor checked, they found baby A and B. Another chance to save Daniel, that’s what they thought. But even though Buck was a match to his older brother, the bone marrow cells failed to graft causing a relapse of symptoms one year after the two were born.

“I was just calling to check on you, what are you up to today?” He asked, it was sweet of him to keep on checking on his sister every now and then. Even though they saw each other almost everyday. “Um, Eddie and I took Chris to the zoo. Ever since they’ve renovated it and fixed everything after the black out, he has been begging us to go.” she explained as she slowly scanned the environment she was in and paced back and forth.

“Can’t say no to the boy, can you?” Buck chuckled through the phone, making her laugh again. He knew his twin too well. “Yeah, it’s the puppy eyes he makes that wins me over. I don’t know about Eddie, I think he can handle it better than me.” she explained, as she looked at her feet and back into the scene she was in.

“You okay though? I mean it has been a while since you’ve been with someone since..” Buck stopped finishing his sentence. “You know who..” he added, he wasn’t going to say the name of her ex-boyfriend, it was like his name was cursed. It made her stop pacing around, and close her eyes for a second.

Blake.

That was the name he didn’t want to say or use.

Blake seemed like a good guy, and he was… at least until he had (Y/n) wrapped around his finger. No one knew what happened behind closed doors until (Y/n) managed to get out, and told the truth.

*

Arlington, Texas, US

“I’m sorry we barged into your house like that.” A male voice filled the interrogation room she was in, as he placed a cup of water in front of her. (Y/n) just looked at the man who was standing across from her, while she was sitting in a chair made of metal. Her hair was messy, she was wearing her oversized flannel, she basically looked like shit.

When the silence in the room became louder than the two persons, the man decided to break it, continuing his story. “We’re trying to locate your boyfriend, Blake Dyer.” he continued his last sentence.

Only hearing his name sent a shiver down her spine and her blood ran cold. Of course they were looking for him. Her mind screamed: red flags, red flags when she ever laid eyes on him. But something about him made her heart beat faster. Can you even call that a boyfriend? A guy that abuses you and hits you for every small thing you do wrong?

She swallowed as she looked down to her hands, pushing the fabric of the flannel sleeve over her fingers, hiding her skin, her anxiousness, her being scared for what was going to happen if he would’ve found out if she started talking to cops. What if Blake found out she was here instead of at home? He’d hurt her, not only with words.

She wanted to leave, but part of her desperately wanted to call out for help.

“(Y/n), do you have any idea where we can find him? Did he say anything? Talk to someone? Every little detail could help us.” The man leaned his back against the wall, as he tried to get something out of her.

“I don’t know” she whispered, barely audible. Her eyes were locked on her hands as she fidgeted the flannel fabric between her hands and fingers, everything to avoid eye contact with the man that was across from her. Making the man sigh, she wasn’t saying much, but at least he got something out of her.

“He’s hurting you, isn’t he?” he asked her, and that was the moment she locked eyes with the man immediately. She shook her head as if her life depended on it. Slowly, he stepped closer, “The bruises on your arms and the wound on the side of your head are telling me a different story.” he said, looking into her eyes. The fast reaction to his question, and the fear in her eyes spoke volumes.

She wanted to nod, so badly to the question he asked before, tell him everything she knew about him. But, what if they couldn’t find him and he found her instead?

“We can help you, (Y/n). Get you out of the city, state, anywhere, somewhere safe.” he said, as he couldn’t step any further forward because of the table. She didn’t know where to look, but when he told her that, she was intrigued.

This was it, this was her ticket out of the shit hole she had been in for months, unable to escape. Blake had been telling her she couldn’t leave, despite that, she had tried. Multiple times, but somehow every attempt, he found her. At some point he even broke her arm, and completely knocked her out.

“But we can only do that, if you help us.” he added as he moved past the table and crouched down to be on the same height as her. He could see she was thinking, weighing the pro’s and con’s, the thousand scenarios in her head.

“I can give you some time to think about it.” he offered, but when he said that she shook her head like she was trying to give herself a concussion. “No-” she said a bit too loud, as she cleared her throat. “I’ll help, but you have to promise me that he can never find me.” she answered.

The man pressed his lips into a thin line, trying to tell her without any words that she was doing the right thing. “You help us, and we’ll help you. I promise.” the man held out a hand. For a second she hesitated, but she pushed her arm through the sleeve from the flannel, and gave the man a hand.

He gave her a small nod, “So what can you tell us about Blake Dyer?”

She told them everything.

*

It wasn’t until a loud sigh left her mouth, when she remembered that name. “I’m.. okay” she told Buck through the phone. She had been going to therapy a lot since she fled from Texas and came to California. The police had helped her get out of Arlington, and out of Texas. This whole entire story about Blake ended about two years ago.

And that’s how she ended up in Los Angeles, luckily she didn’t end up living on the couch at her brother’s place. But a small home she rents with help from the Texas police.

“Are you sure?” Buck’s voice sounded concerned as he heard her voice through the phone. She was happy her brother was checking on her and her feelings, something they both had missed when she was with her ex in Texas.

“Yes.. Buck, it’s not like you have to check up on me every time you drop that name. He’s in the past, I’m not in Texas anymore.” She told him she was okay and she didn’t lie, but that weird tingly feeling inside of her stomach every now and then when someone dropped that name, wouldn’t go away.

“Okay, okay.. excuse me for being actually concerned about my sister.” Buck reacted at her words. “But tell me, things between you and Eddie..?” he continued, he wanted to make sure she wouldn’t over step her own boundaries, not that he didn’t trust Eddie, but she was wounded, hurt. And she took the time to heal, but it was scary for her to just step back into something new, when she didn’t really know what true love was. How do you know if you can truly trust someone? How do you know if he’s the one, when someone before him completely broke you mentally and physically?

“We are fine, we talked together, and both agreed we are going to take things my speed.” she said softly, as she nodded to herself that she was doing good. “Baby steps” she added to the sentence. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Chris and Eddie being together, looking at the information sign of the animal.

“Oh he better, because I swear if he pushes you, making you go over boundaries, I’ll beat his ass, maybe even kill him.” She laughed at her brother’s words, he was determined to keep his sister safe now. He missed the signs back then, and he wasn’t going to let anything happen to her now that they had found each other again. Her eyes were now focussed on her feet as she turned on her heels, continuing pacing through the small part of the zoo she was.

Her eyes wandered from her feet, up to the connected paths of the zoo. But instantly, her stomach turned at the sight of one of the ten maybe hundreds of people walking through the zoo. It was like when you suddenly hear your name being called by a teacher to speak in front of the class, when you’re incredibly shy.

Know that feeling? That’s exactly the one she had at this point.

Maybe she was starting to hallucinate after he was brought up again, and this was all playing in her head. A guy, who looked just like Blake, walked by. Maybe it was Blake? No, it couldn’t be. Maybe some kind of döppleganger? Blake couldn’t be here, he was in prison for at least seven years with all the evidence they found back then.

Only two years had passed. This wasn’t possible. This had to be a look alike.

The questions were instantly running through her mind as her brother kept on talking to her on the phone.

The shock of seeing some döppleganger, made her instantly look in another direction. But when all of those questions were running through her mind, and she tried to answer part of them, being sure that it wasn’t him, she looked back to double check.

But he wasn’t there. He was gone. Was she imagining things?

Panic was starting to creep into her chest and mind, as she looked around to see if she could find the guy again.

“You should see Chris-” Buck was telling his sister about how Chris is starting to become a real architect because of one of the projects he needed to make for school. But (Y/n) wasn’t listening anymore. “Hey Buck, I’ll call you back okay?” she said, and lowered the phone in her hand. “What? oh yeah, sure-” His voice was audible as the phone made its way down. Before Buck could end his sentence, he got hung up.

She shoved her phone back into her purse not even a second after she ended the call as she fastened her steps towards Eddie who was still with Chris.

“Eddie?” The sound of (Y/n)’s voice sounded through his eardrums. Eddie could tell only by hearing her voice that something was up, her breathing was fastened. He glanced at her as he looked to his side, she seemed upset.

Eddie turned himself towards her, fully facing her now as he had his right hand on the shoulder of his son.

“Hey, is something wrong? Who called-” A worried look was spread over Eddie’s face as he looked at the girl, trying to keep her cool, but it almost looked like she could have a panic attack any moment now. “Can I borrow you for a second?” she asked, as loud as a whisper.

She didn’t want to start spilling her guts when Chris was next to them, trying to enjoy the zoo animals in the area. Eddie nodded, “Sure.. just one second.” he said as he held up his index finger. He turned to Chris who was still fascinated by the animal on the other side. “Hey bud, we’ll be right there if you need us. Stay here for me, okay?” he said as he leaned his head next to Chris’.

“Okay” Chris simply said as his eyes were focussed on the animal, practically drowning in the sight or maybe drowning in fascination. Eddie gave his son a small pat on his shoulder as they took a few steps back, not too far away from Chris, but far enough so he wouldn’t hear the conversation.

She stopped as she placed her face in the palm of her hands and sighed. Eddie stopped in front of her, as he waited for her to start the conversation she wanted to have so badly. After a few counts she disconnected her hands from her face. “Maybe I’m hallucinating, or maybe I am not and.. ” she gasped as she avoided eye contact with him.

“And you’re probably going to say I sound insane.” she rattled as her mouth was moving faster than her mind. “I’ll decide for myself if you sound insane. Now, what’s wrong?” He asked softly, as he grabbed one of her hands and rubbed his thumb on the inside of her hand, trying to calm her down.

“I was on the phone with Buck, he was checking in on me like almost every other day. But then, his name popped up again. And I… thought I saw him.” she didn’t rattle this time, it was still a little bit faster than a usual sentence, but the touch of Eddie helped her calm her nerves a bit.

His eyebrows furrowed at her words, “Who?” She kept referring to “him”, Eddie knew all about her story from the beginning to the end and all the details in between. “Blake” she whispered, as she suddenly looked around like somebody was going to shoot her at any second now. “What? I thought he was in jail? And in another state, right?” He said.

“But I swear I saw him standing right there.” (t/n) said and pointed at the exact same location she saw him earlier. Eddie’s eyes follow her finger as he scans the entire scene they were in, it was like he was hunting for monsters in Chris’ room when he was younger. “(Y/n)..” her name fell off his lips, as he looked back at her, his thumb still tracing over the palm of her hand.

“You think I'm insane don’t you?” She concluded before he could say anything else, as she pulled her hand from his touch.

“No, no, no that isn’t what I’m saying.” Eddie Saïd as soon as she turned her back to him and placed her hand on her forehead. “I just-..” Eddie continued, stumbling. How was he going to say this? He needed her to get out of her own head.

She turned back around, facing her boyfriend again. “Listen, he’s behind bars for at least seven years, that’s what the officer told you back then. Only two years have passed now, and besides that, he’s not going to be able to find you. They covered your tracks back there and they knew what they were doing.” He told her as she was still a bit overwhelmed and stressed.

She wasn't focussed on anything he told her, at least that's what it looked like. But she was listening. Eddie’s hands reached out for her shoulders, as he placed both his hands on it.

“You’re still processing your trauma, and you will be maybe for your entire life. Hallucinations are part of that too. Believe me, I still have them too from the army and it sucks.” Her eyes were locked onto his as his words entered her ears. One of the hands that was on her shoulders, moved from her shoulder to her own hand.

He gently grabbed her hand, “But I’m here with you. I’m real.” He said, and placed her hand onto his own chest, as one last attempt to calm her down.

It's quiet for a moment as (Y/n) didn’t know what to do. “Eddie.. I-” she stumbled as Eddie stopped her mid sentence. “Just focus on my heartbeat okay?” He said as she nodded.

It looked weird for every single person passing by, but yet it did something calming to her. Her breathing became slowly normal, and the panic that was rushing through her veins left her body. “Good?” Eddie softly asked as he noticed her body became less and less tense.

She let out one last loud sigh, with her eyes closed as the sound of Eddie’s voice entered her ears, “You’re safe.”

______

(Y/n) pressed the freshly washed shirt to her chest as she folded it and placed the t-shirt in the laundry basket. The tv was playing in the background as she continued folding the other pieces of just washed and dried laundry, that was on one big pile lying next to her on the couch.

She glanced at the clock in the living room. It was getting late, Eddie was on shift since early in the morning, and wasn’t coming home until the next morning: he was on a twenty four hour shift.

While Eddie was on shift, (Y/n) agreed to stay over at Eddie’s place to look after Chris. (Y/n) didn’t mind, it gave her the time and place to get to know his son when he wasn’t around. Sometimes Chris and (Y/n) would play video games together, and other times they would have a movie night.

But that wasn’t the case right now, Chris was upstairs doing his homework as (Y/n) was doing some chores. It made her feel useful, she didn’t just want to sit her ass down and scroll through her phone or watch trash television.

(Y/n) fished a navy blue t-shirt from the pile, as she tried to undo the shirt from the ball form. But the second she wanted to fold the t-shirt, a loud sound sounded from what she guessed was the kitchen. She was startled by the sudden sound and she was standing upright, old habits.

She had spent years being wary of every little sound from outside. That’s why she had cameras installed outside her home, and a 360 camera inside her home. Just to give her a feeling of security.

She scanned the entire scene she was in, and her eyebrows furrowed as another sound was coming from the exact same location. It couldn’t be Chris, right? If he came down stairs she should’ve noticed it. Cautiously she made her way towards the staircase, with every step she took, she scanned the environment, so she could see any changes if there were any.

When she reached the start of the stairs, she cleared her throat, “Chris you’re doing okay?” she asked not too loudly, she needed to know if he was upstairs or not. Her soft voice sounded through the house.

“I just started with math homework” Chris answered her question. She felt the anxiety rising on the inside of her body, Chris wasn’t the one she was hearing. It was something else. It made her stumble over her words as she tried to stay calm towards Chris. “Oh okay, If you need any help, just ask.” She told him as she felt her hands starting to sweat. “I will, thank you.”

She let out a deep breath as she made her way towards the kitchen, trying to find the source of the sound. (Y/n) stopped at one of the walls that were connected to the kitchen, placing her shoulder against the wall as she peeked along the wall, into the kitchen.

All of the curtains were closed in the kitchen, and the doors and windows were closed and locked. But her eye fell on the shadow that was visible on the backdoor of Eddie’s house. The curtain was right in front of it, but it looked like someone was trying to break into the house. Someone was trying to pick the lock.

(Y/n) fished her phone from her pocket, as she started searching for the app to see the live feed of the camera in the backyard Eddie had installed. He might not have been a fan of camera’s, and smart equipment, but it was important for him that his girlfriend felt safe in his house. And if that meant that Eddie had to install one or two camera’s around the house, he’d push his own feelings aside and did that for her.

She selected the app and waited for it to get the feed. The sound of someone trying to pick the lock was still continuing as she opened the live feed of the camera. At first, she couldn’t see anything since the person was wearing a black hood. But then the person turned around and for one quick second.

(Y/n) paused the infra red camera and quickly started to investigate the person that was in the backyard. She zoomed in, but her heart dropped as soon as she saw the tattoo’s on the guy’s hand. The hand was covered in some weird wave tattoo, and the other hand were a compilation of multiple smaller tattoos.

Blake. He had found her, and was here to get his revenge.

Her hand immediately was placed on her mouth as she tried so hard not to make any sound. She had to get to Chris, and get him to hide. She had to call for help. She didn’t even think, and sprinted towards the staircase she was just a minute ago. She had to multitask at this point.

Just as she stepped onto the first step of the stairs, she tapped Eddie’s contact and placed the phone against her ear. She rushed up the stairs as she impatiently waited for Eddie to pick up his phone. But she gets send to voicemail. “Hey this is Eddie-” a grunt left her mouth as she clicked the red button to stop the call. “Fuck” she muttered under her breath.

He must be on a call, that’s why he wasn’t answering her.

She looked to her left as she saw Chris, his bedroom light shining into the hallway. Soundless as possible she tried to make her way to his room. She stepped into his room and closed the door behind her. Making Chris look confused at her as he dropped his pencil. “Chris, I need you to do something for me.” she said as softly as she could.

“What is it?” he asked her as he watched her move through his room looking for a good place to hide. “I need you to hide with me.” she said, as she opened the folding doors in his room, opening his closet where his clothes hung.

“What?” Chris asked then, looking like she had gone insane. “Listen, I don’t have much time to explain. But someone is breaking into the house.” (Y/n) explained as she came closer to him and lowered herself to his height. “I know it sounds scary, but I’ll be with you the entire time.” she continued.

Chris nodded, “Okay” he said as he stood up from the chair and (Y/n) assisted him to get into the closet. Chris sat down in the corner of the closet as (Y/n) quickly, but soundless tried to turn off the lights. Like a jumpscare, her heart dropped when she heard the door downstairs click open.

When she managed to turn off the lights, she unlocked her phone that was still in her hand, and she tapped on Buck’s contact. Pressing the phone against her ear as she took place next to Chris, and closed the folding doors.

“Come on.. Pick up.” she mumbled as she grabbed a dark blanket out of one of the bags that were on the ground next to (Y/n) and placed it one handedly over Chris.

Eddie grabbed his phone from his pocket, as he let his turnout coat slide off his shoulders. and placed it back on the rack where he just had placed his helmet in too. “That fire was a beast” Eddie said as Buck finally made his way to the rack too and placed his helmet on it. “Another reminder why you should not infact store fireworks in your garage.” Buck laughed as a ringtone filled their ears.

Making Eddie check his phone, to see if anyone was trying to contact him. “Oh- (Y/n) tried to call me a few minutes ago.” he said as he waited for Buck to get his phone.

Buck immediately fished his phone out of his pocket as he felt the vibration in his right pocket where his phone was. He held his phone in his hand as he looked at the name who was trying to reach him. “Speaking of the devil” Buck laughed as he accepted the call and placed his phone to his ear.

“Buck. He found me. He’s here.” she blurted out in a whisper as softly as possible, hoping that the tv downstairs would compensate for the soft voice that came from the closet.

“Wow, wow, wow, slow down. What’s happening?” Buck asked as he tried to focus on his sister’s soft voice through the phone. The sobs through the words weren’t helping either. But the sound of her voice, and the cries, gave him a bad feeling the second he placed his phone to his ear.

“Blake is in the house. I’ve got Chris. Please. Get here now. I don't-” she sobbed as she placed her own hand in front of her mouth, trying to suppress the sound of her sobs.

The name he hoped to never hear ever again, fell off her lips, and that’s when he realized. He had found her. The back of Buck’s hand immediately flew against Eddie’s chest as he just looked confused. “Blake is in the house?” Buck repeated his name as he wanted some kind of confirmation. But he could only hear her muffled, quiet sobs and cries.

Buck’s mind was running a thousand miles an hour as he thought of all the kinds of scenarios that were going down right now. “Okay, (Y/n) I need you to hide and stay on the line until we get there okay?” He said, looking at Eddie as he nodded.

Eddie had a fire burning in his eyes as soon as he heard the name Blake and his location. She had been right about one week ago when they were in the Los Angeles zoo and she almost had a panic attack. Her abusive ex-boyfriend was back, and from what Eddie knew, about her telling the truth to the cops. He was sure Blake was back to get revenge.

His hands balled into fists as he squeezed them so tight together, his nails actually almost punctured through the skin on the inside of his hands as he made a sprint down the lower level of the station. He immediately aimed for Bobby, “Bobby I need to borrow the BC.” he said while thunder was projected onto his face.

Bobby was just looking at his phone, checking for any messages as Eddie stood right in front of him and dropped those words. And Eddie wasn’t asking. “Eddie what’s going on?” Bobby asked him as a frown appeared on his face. What ever just happened in those one or two minutes of time that he didn’t see the much younger firefighter, he went from neutral, to all worked up.

“Family emergency” he just answered, not getting into the details too much. Because even Eddie didn’t know what he was going to do if he’d get the chance to get his hands on Blake. But there was this fire burning on the inside of him, why was Blake back? Why couldn’t he just move on? Hell, why was he even out in the first place?

When Buck came rushing towards the two, Bobby could see the panic in his eyes. The kind he had never seen before. Sure he had seen Buck scared before, but this was different. Bobby switched looks between Buck and Eddie, “fine take the BC” he said, and not even a second after he finished his answer, they were already running towards the car.

“(Y/n) Hold on okay! We’re on our way!” Buck’s voice sounded through the phone as she pressed the phone closer to her ear, she pressed her lips tighter on each other as she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she felt her heart trying to jump free from her chest.

She had to calm herself down, she didn’t want him to give away their hiding spot. And she certainly didn’t want to be the reason he found them, if something were to happen to Chris, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to forgive herself. A warm hand was connected to hers as she closed her eyes for a second and looked down to her lap, trying to focus on her breathing.

(Y/n) glanced to her side, it was too dark to see, but she was sure Chris his hand was placed on hers, he was trying to help her. She couldn’t help but smile weakly through her tears, her phone was still connected to her ear and she heard Eddie was calling 9-1-1 while Buck was still on the phone with her. He knew she couldn’t talk back, but every now and then he told her their location, or to hold on, anything to soothe her.

She muted the audio from Buck and Eddie and placed the phone onto the floor in between Chris and herself. (Y/n) let her hand slide through Chris’ hair and pressed a kiss onto the top of his head, trying to soothe him and herself. She didn’t dare to say anything.

It was too quiet on the first floor they were on. But the second she thought that, she could hear the door of Eddie’s room next door open harshly, making the doorknob bouncing into the door. Followed by something made of glass falling down to the ground. She guessed that were the photo’s Eddie had in his room.

Every frame that fell into pieces made her flinch at the sound. The photo’s probably made him even more angrier. He had been in prison for the last two years, while she was just continuïng with her life, trying to rebuild it. While he had been suffering.

“(Y/n)!” Blake’s voice called out, “I know you’re here!” he added, he sounded aggressive as his words were being followed by another shatter of glass and a loud bang. The way her name left his mouth made a shiver roll down her spine, and made her even more terrified. She hadn’t heard his voice for months, years, but him screaming, made it even more real.

Secretly, she hoped this all was a terrible nightmare and she’d wake up any second by now. But no matter how hard she tried, the dream, or nightmare wouldn’t end. “You really think you can hide from me?” he laughed as (Y/n) heard the door open even more closer to them. He had opened Chris’ door. He was in his room.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” he continued calling out as (y/n) could hear the heavy footsteps walking over the creaking wood. Her hand was pressed over her mouth as she soundless helped chris underneath the blanket. Tears were blurring her vision, as she heard the footsteps coming closer and closer.

Just when the footsteps seemed to leave the side of the closet they were in, she inaudibly let out her breath she was holding. She looked at the small ball Chris was, almost morphing into the wall. He was doing so good, he was such a brave kid.

But she felt her heart drop as soon as she felt a grip around her ankle, and before she knew what was going on, she got dragged from the closet. A high pitched yelp left her mouth as she got dragged through Chris' room. “Missed me? Bitch.” he groaned as he kept on pulling her leg. (Y/n) tried to kick her free foot against his body to let her ankle go.

They left the room and the second she saw where he was heading, she grabbed the first wooden baluster from the staircase to stop him from pulling her down the stairs. She held on like this was her lifeline, as she felt her body almost split into two as Blake kept on pulling on her leg.

She screamed as she used all of her strength to keep a hold on the wooden baluster. But then, Blake dropped her body by letting go of her ankle.

The second he did this, she tried to get up. With emphasis on tried, because the moment she got onto her knees, a fist full of hair was being grabbed. The tears welled up spontaneously in her eyes as she felt the pain on her head. “Look at you now with your oh so perfect little life.” He said, as he slowly came closer to her face.

He glanced at the photos that were hanging on the walls of the small hallway. “I see you got yourself a new boyfriend, but I got some news for you.” he laughed as he yanked her hair down even more down, so had to look at the pictures on the wall and was facing Blake at the same time.

(Y/n)’s eyes watched Blake’s hand reach down to his pocket. Further than that, she couldn’t see since he was forcing her to look at his face. But a fast high pitched sound filled her ears. The sound of something metal.

“You’re leaving him.” he continued his sentence as he admired the object in his hand for a moment, keeping it out of her line of sight just a little bit longer. Tears were streaming down her face, mixed emotions, the feeling of her hair being pulled from her skull, the fact that she was facing her ex that she had betrayed by snitching him to the cops.

She was gasping for a breath as she tried to keep her emotions under control. She could smell his awful breath, as his face came close enough. He hushed her cries, “Ssh, it’s okay. I don’t want to end this right away. I just want to enjoy this moment a little bit more.” he said with a smile and a laugh. Blake placed the sharp metal he just fished from his pocket underneath her eye.

It was a knife.

Blake used the blade of the knife to wipe away one of her tears that were tracing down her cheeks. Making her heartbeat in her chest even more. “You took everything from me.” he started as he investigated the tear on his blade, mixed with some small hairs from her skin you’d be barely able to see with the naked eye.

“And now.. It’s time you pay it back.” he added as he scanned her entire body once more. “Only better..” Blake ended his words with a whisper and folded the knife again and placed into his pocket. He wanted to let her suffer even more than she already had now and he wasn’t just going to kill her off right here and now. Not when the party was just getting started.

Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she looked at Blake full with anger. She didn’t answer his words. But she couldn’t help but spit into his face, she had to get out of his grip. The hairs were starting to hurt even more and more. The spit splashed onto his face, and without saying anything, he forced her onto her legs, and yanked her head into one of the photo frames that were hanging on the wall.

His hands were still tangled into her hair as he banged her another time into a second photoframe. Blood was now dripping from her nose as the second time her nose touched the glass first instead of her forehead. “You thought you could run from me hm? You dirty snitch.” he groaned, as he grabbed her chin and cheeks with his free hand. Squeezing it like she was a little baby.

The blood from her nose was making its way down to her lips. She could taste the iron as she felt her entire world spinning in front of her eyes. He roughly pulled her on her hair once more and gave her a hard push, making her lose her balance.

(Y/n) tried to get a grip of the balustrade of the staircase, to stop herself from falling down. But she couldn’t. It felt like she was free falling for a second, but then, her back connected with the wooden stairs harshly. The moment she felt herself falling down the stairs, all she could think of, was protecting her face.

She held her lower arms in front of her face, trying to keep it from getting hurt even more. Her body harshly fell down every single step of the staircase. She could practically feel the bruises start to form themselves onto her body as gravity finally let go of her body.

Face down to the ground, belly touching the ground, she opened her eyes. It felt like she just got out of a merry-go-around from the playground when she was younger. Her entire world was spinning, and it almost made her vomit. She groaned as she slowly tried to pushed herself into the table pose like yoga.

Her ears were ringing but she could hear slowly, harsh, loud footsteps that were approaching her. Just when she thought she had the energy to stand into the table pose, a heavy foot was placed onto her back, pushing her right back where she was. Almost like she was in the army and the trainer wasn’t having it. Except, this wasn’t the army, this was Blake. The ex boyfriend who wanted her dead.

She gasped as her body fell flat onto the floor again. She just felt him making a small circle around her. But then, the side of her body was hit by a sharp, deep, pain. He kicked his foot into her side like she was a football. Making (Y/n) start coughing, and rolling automatically onto her side. (Y/n) let out an ear deafening scream as she tried to soothe the pain by pressing her hand onto the spot.

Nothing else left her mouth but groans of pain. Blake just let her suffer for a few more seconds as he kicked her once more, this time hitting her entire lower torso. “I hope snitching on me was worth it.” he said as he pushed her weakly, in pain body, so she was now on her back.

It felt like her head could pop off her body within a snap of a finger. Her eyelids were heavy, as she looked through a small gap to keep her eyes open. He stepped over her body, standing over her with one foot on each side of her body.

Blake crouched down above her as he grabbed a fist full of her shirt, pulling her partly up from the ground. When her eyes were met by his face again, she felt a raging fire inside of her, an instinct of survival.

She started to push and kick her way out of the position, she was so close to giving up. But felt like she didn’t do enough. She wanted to badly to poke her fingers into his eyes, but before she even touched his face, he roughly grabbed both her arms and pinned them down to the wooden floor.

She was too weak for this, why was it that she was so afraid to fight back? Everytime she heard his voice, it made her froze into her position wherever she was. She couldn’t say anything, couldn’t move. She just froze.

Blake let go of one of her arms as he moved from her arm to her neck, and squeezed her airway shut with every single piece of energy he had left in his hand. “You put me in jail..” he mumbled as his fist turned red around her neck.

The second hand left her other arm, and assisted in blocking her airway. “I’ll put you in your coffin.” he added. (Y/n)’s hands were trying to get between the skin of her neck and his hands. But he was way too strong.

Dots were dancing around her eyes as she gasped for a single breath. She was kicking her feet in agony and her face was slowly turning red, and going from red towards blue. She could feel herself fading away.

But then, the grip around her throat loosened as she saw through the little space of her eye lids, Buck and Eddie pushing him stomach first down to the ground. She didn’t have a clue what was happening as her senses almost shut down.

She couldn’t hear anything clearly as she was gasping for a breath, and this time it did enter her lungs. (Y/n) coughed at the dry air entering her airway as she rolled onto her side tightening her arms around her stomach. Everything in her body hurted.

(Y/n) was in so much pain, she didn’t even see Athena enter the room as she arrested Blake. The only thing she could hear vaguely was her name falling off Eddie’s lips. She saw his black work shoes and the blue trousers coming closer to her as she just kept on crying out in pain.

Eddie felt her screams and cries go through his marrow and bones. It made shiver roll down his spine as he turned on his heels and looked at his girl, all curled up on the ground.

He didn’t know where to look. Her head was full with little scratches and blood, and her nose looked like it was broken. Those were the visible details he could see as he stood there, frozen.

Everything was happening in slow motion, her cries, Athena escorting Blake out as he noticed Buck running up the stairs.

Something happened inside of Eddie’s brain, making him get out of his own brain he was locked in for a minute, and he placed his knees on the ground, next to (Y/n). “(Y/n)?” Eddie’s words came out of his mouth like he was on the edge of crying. He never wanted this to happen to her. To anyone.

It was a horrible sight to witness. He pressed his lips into a thin line to suppress the emotions he felt as he looked at her.

(Y/n) didn’t want to let go of her stomach, it did give her some kind of pain relief. But the second Eddie kneeled next to her, not knowing what to do with his hand, he grabbed one of her hands as the other one remained on her stomach.

“I-I couldn’t..” she stumbled through her sobs.

Eddie was afraid to even touch her, hell, he was even afraid to move her at this point. It was like the medic inside of Eddie had left his body, he didn’t know what to do.

Maybe this is what Bobby usually meant on scene by: you can’t work on your family. He never felt this before, not even with Shannon when she basically died in his arms.

A small sob left his lips as he placed one hand on (Y/n)’s forehead, “It’s okay..” he whispered, he didn’t mean it to come out like a whisper. But he couldn’t control it. “You did.. so good.” he added, he had to push out the words.

A feeling of guilt spread itself through Eddie’s body as he took in the picture right in front of him, once more. What if he stayed home? Maybe this wouldn’t have happened, or maybe it still did, but then he’d be there to protect the both of them, the people he loved.

He pressed a kiss on the back of her hand, trying to soothe her. “I-I..” she continued to stumble, but when Eddie let his eyes wander from their hands to her face, he could see (Y/n) was fading away.

Her eyes were trying to shut down, like she was falling asleep in front of the tv. “No, no, no. Hey, (Y/n) I know you’re tired.. but you have to stay awake.” he said as he gently tapped her on her cheek to keep her awake. Her eyes just slowly opened again.

He could tell she was having trouble with keeping herself conscious. Quick enough, her eyes were trying to close again, she nodded “I know” she mumbled under her breath. “I’m just..-” she continued mumbling, “tired? I know mi amor.. I know.” Eddie finished her words, the voice of him sounded in the back of her head. But Eddie could feel his heart skip a beat when he saw her head tilt to the side.

“(Y/n)?” Eddie’s voice was filled with terror and fear as he watched his girlfriend’s head tilt to the side, losing consciousness. Her name fell off his lips multiple times as he tried gently to wake her up again. His hands moved to her face, tapping against her skin. But there was no movement.

“Don’t do this to me!” words fell off his lips, more like a yell. He pressed his fingers against her neck to feel her pulse. It was racing like she had run a marathon and dropped to the ground. But that wasn’t the case.

Placed his face next to her mouth, he felt oxygen entering and leaving her mouth. She was still breathing.. for now. The medic inside of Eddie had to come back to think clearly. He needed to help her now that the paramedics weren’t here yet.

He could still hear her voice in his head, complaining about her abdomen. And with that thought in his head, he grabbed the lower part of her t-shirt and lifted it. Eddie’s eyes were locked onto the swollen abdomen mixed with a bloody red spot.

She was bleeding internally.

The shock was written all over his face as he felt a piece on the inside of him break down. “No, no, no..” he mumbled as he pulled the shirt even higher, to examine her even further. Her chest wasn’t as bad as her lower part. But when Eddie pushed her gently to her side, to catch a glimpse of her back, he stopped breathing for a second.

Her back was filled with bruises. “Where is that ambulance for fuck sake!” Eddie’s voice sounded through the hallway as he didn’t even dare to get his eyes off (Y/n).

“Come on (Y/n), don’t do this to me..” he mumbled as he looked at the unconscious face of his girl. “We didn’t have enough time.”

______

Eddie felt uncomfortable walking down the stark hospital hallway. He could hear his own shoes clapping faintly against the white perfect polished floor. He hated hospitals with his entire heart, they were full of memories he’d rather forget. (Y/n) was in the same hospital where Shannon passed away a few years back.

He opened the door to her room, as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Eddie paused for a second, taking in the environment around him, scanning the room. His eyes fell on (Y/n), motionless on the hospital bed. The only thing that was sounding through the room were the machines beeping softly, monitoring her vitals.

She was still alive, even though she barely made it to the hospital in time.

Eddie cleared his throat and took in a deep breath as he stepped closer. She had fought so hard, for herself but even more to keep Chris safe.

Eventually he sat down in the chair by her bed, his fingers gripping the armrests like they were the only things holding him together. He had so many things to say, but yet, no words were leaving his mouth.

He sighed loudly, “Mi amor, it’s me.” he said softly. He wanted to be strong, but the second he started talking his entire voice broke down. “I’m so sorry.” he added, as he placed one hand on his mouth, trying to keep himself from sobbing even more.

“I'm sorry I couldn’t protect you.” he continued his words. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “You have to wake up.” he sobbed as tears were starting to run down his face. “You can't leave, not now. Not like this.”

His mind replayed everything, from the moment he barged into the house together with Buck, tackling Blake. To the moment where he held her hand in the ambulance, almost losing her.

She coded in the ambulance. Her heart stopped, and Eddie couldn’t do anything. He just sat there, crying, on the small bench of the ambulance, looking at someone else to try and get her rhythm back.

The compressions went on and on, it felt like hours. They were still doing compressions on her when they rolled her into the ER, leaving Eddie with so many unanswered questions.

But they got her rhythm back, eventually. The doctors told him that she had an emergency surgery, that she was in critical condition. Leaving a hole inside of him.

Even though every single person in the room told him to go home, get a shower, get something to eat, he refused. He needed to be here when she woke up.

It has been days after the accident, her vitals were good, so the doctors decided to take her off the ventilator. He hasn’t been home in days, while Chris was staying with his abuela switching every now and then with Buck.

Even the nurses couldn’t get Eddie out of the room. The only reason he’d leave the room is to go to the toilet or get some food in the awful hospital cafeteria.

Eddie reached out for her hand, carefully he grabbed her hand, avoiding the IV line that was taped to her wrist. “There’s so much I haven’t said.” He started, “so many things I want to do with you.” He stayed focussed on their hands, desperate to feel some kind of reaction. Even if it was just a small squeeze.

His voice cracked as he shut his eyes tightly. Trying to get rid of the tears. “Chris needs you. Buck needs you. I need you.” his voice choked with emotion as he pressed her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss onto her skin.

“Chris has been asking about you..” “You promised him last week to take him to the cinema, remember? To see that new Marvel movie. You’re not going to break that promise, are you?”

“Because I think Chris would get upset when I go with him, I still don’t understand what happened to Captain America.” he let out a shaky breath as a small laugh left his mouth. The marvel movies was their thing, Chris and (Y/n).

Eddie let go of her hand as he leaned back, running a hand over his face again. The room was too quiet, the beeping of the monitors too loud in his ears.

He let out a shaky breath and stood up, starting to pace through the small room. He wasn’t used to this, standing by, powerless.

The soft creak of the door made Eddie come out of his own mind. He glanced over his shoulder, and that’s when he saw Christopher standing there with Buck on his side. Buck’s hand was placed on Chris’ shoulder as they stood in the doorframe.

"Chris?" Eddie said his name filled with confusion. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be with Buck, at home, gaming or doing his homework. "What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at home." He asked as he switched looks between Buck and Chris.

Chris entered the room with Buck slowly following behind him. “I had to come. I need to see her.” He said, determined as he passed his dad. Eddie followed his son, as he made his way to the bedside of (Y/n).

Eddie’s expression was filled with confusion as he looked at Buck. “I’m sorry. I couldn't stop him.” Buck apologized. As they looked at Chris who was looking at (Y/n), lying unconscious in the bed.

Buck had been here everyday just like Maddie, checking on (Y/n), but also checking on their brother in law.

“Chris, you're not supposed to be in here. There aren’t kids allowed on the ICU.” Eddie told him as he folded his arms over each other.

“I don’t care.” Chris said as he switched looks from his dad to (Y/n). “She’s my friend too, dad. And I need to tell her something” he continued determined as he looked at her lifeless in the hospital bed he was standing next to.

Eddie wanted to argue, but when he saw the look in his son’s eyes made him sigh. He shrugged as he shook his head, he wasn’t going to be able to change his mind either. “Fine, but just for a minute.” He said as he kept his arms crossed.

Chris nodded as he looked at (Y/n) for a second, “(Y/n), it’s me. Christopher.” He said as he placed his hand onto her hand.

It was hard seeing and hearing his own son talking to her, but he used one hand to cover his mouth.

“I know you’re really hurt right now, but… you have to get better. You promised me you’d teach me how to make those brownies you always make. And you don’t break promises.” Chris said, making Eddie pressing his lips together into a thin line. Fighting the tears that were already streaming down his face.

“And.. because you make my dad smile, he doesn’t smile like that for anyone. You make him happy, so you have to come back.” Christopher continued, as slowly his voice grew more quiet by the word.

“You can’t leave.” He ended his words as he gave her hand a slight squeeze. He didn’t want to hurt her any more than she already had.

The room was quiet again when Chris had left the room and Buck took Eddie’s son back home. Eddie sat in the chair next to her bed, his head resting on his hand. As his eyes were heavy, like he could fall asleep any moment.

The constant beeps of the machines that were monitoring (Y/n)’s vitals were sounding through his ears. Eddie hadn’t slept in days, except for some power naps, but you really couldn’t call those a goodnight sleep.

“Chris has been making you drawings, he said he’s going to bring you one tomorrow.” Eddie said as a small smile appeared on his face at the thought. His voice sounded rough, must been the lack of sleep.

Eddie pushed himself forward, brushing his fingers across her hand. “I’m sure he will not stop making new drawings until you wake up. So you better wake up soon or he’ll use them to wallpaper your room.” He added as a small laugh left his mouth.

He stared at the monitors, that was the only response he got. He sighed as he leaned back into the chair again, this was going to be just another day like the past ones.

But then, there was movement.

It was so silent in the room, Eddie could hear the change in ambience. (Y/n)’s fingers twitched against the blanket. The sound of her skin moving over the fabric made him stand up next to her bedside immediately.

“(Y/n)?” He breathed as he wrapped his hand around hers. Her eyelids fluttered open weakly.

“Hey, (Y/n) it’s me.” He whispered with a trembling voice. “I’m right here baby”

Her eyes opened, unfocused, but then her eyes locked on him. Confusion written all over her face, her lips parting slightly as she wanted to talk.

"Hey," he said gently, leaning closer. "You’re safe." He continued as he tried to read her face.

“Chris?” her voice barely above a whisper.

Relief was written over his face, as he couldn’t help to let out a small laugh. Of course, that was the one person she immediately thought of. She kept him safe at all costs. “He’s safe. Blake’s back where he belongs.”

Tears were pouring down his cheeks, but this time it wasn’t sadness. Pure happiness. Relieve. “Jesus, (Y/n), you scared the hell out of me."

She swallowed loudly, “Sorry..” she mumbled.

“No, no, no. Don’t apologize. Just.. don’t ever scare me like that again.” Eddie said as he squeezed her hand.

She groaned at the pain she felt in her entire body, mostly at her stomach. A small ouch, falling off her lips as she touched her stomach. “What-?” she stumbled.

“Internal bleeding, your heart stopped for like three minutes. They had to rush you into an emergency surgery,”Eddie explained.

“You stayed here?” She then asked as she scanned the room and spotted multiple bags in the room. He nodded. “Of course I did.” He said as he brushed a strand of hair from her face and pushed it behind her ear.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me (Y/n)” he told her, with a small smile on his face. She let out a breathy chuckle, barely audible but enough to make Eddie’s heart make a jump of happiness.

“I love you.” The words left her mouth weakly and slow. Eddie couldn’t help but let the smile grow bigger on his face, “Te amo, mi amor.”

[clockwayswrites]

Like Betta Fish Do- Final Part

WC: 3359, Masterpost

“The response to the article has been great— better even than we had predicted,” Tim informed the various family members as he joined them at the breakfast table, tablet in hand.

Jason glanced up from his porridge to look his little brother over. The eye bags were a little dark, but not to the point of concerning yet, at least not on Tim. Still… “You weren’t up all night running numbers, were you?”

“I slept, I just woke up early.” Tim said defensively. “Besides, it’s best to get data like this when it’s new. It allows me to compare the first reaction to the long term response and see if there are any shifts.”

“Good data gathering is important,” Jazz agreed, “but so is taking care of yourself.”

She set the bowl of porridge that she had just finished adding toppings to in front of Tim and blatantly stuck a spoon in his hand. Tim blinked down at the food for a moment before shrugging and taking a bite. Cass, smiling in amusement, handed Jazz a fresh bowl.

“Best news is,” Tim continued after he had swallowed, “that everyone thinks Danny is, and I quote, a ‘Beautiful Cinnamon Roll Too Good For This World, Too Pure’. I mean, that’s not really a new opinion, but the new article really cemented it.”

“I don’t know how to take that,” Danny said after a pause.

“I mean, I’d just be glad to not be a poor little meow meow,” Duke said as he leaned over to look at Tim’s screen.

“The big change,” Tim continued and tilted his screen for Duke to see better, “is that public opinion of Jason has recovered. It was always solid in Gotham, we get it here, but outside of Gotham people were really having some issues with how quickly Jason pressed the button. Danny going on record to say that he asked Jason to press it— that he knew that’s what he was saying— has made a real difference.”

That was good news, but something about the way that Tim was presenting it made Jason tense and he had to purposefully relax his grip around his spoon. “What’s the bad news?”

Tim glanced over at Jason for a moment before looking back down at his tablet. The way he chewed on his lip pretty much assured there was bad news.

“Tim,” Jason pleaded. He got they were all trying to protect them while Danny was still recovering, but he needed to know, “just tell me. I’d rather hear it here from you than out there on the street.”

“There’s a small, and I mean really small, group that claims we made Danny say those things,” Tim explained with a grimace. “It got dug up that Danny’s on a Wayne Inventors’ Scholarship. They’re saying that we threatened to pull the scholarship if he didn’t clear Jason.”

Maybe it was best just to set the spoon down before he bent it in half.

“We don’t publish those names,” Bruce commented, a heavy frown in place as he joined the breakfast table, own tablet in hand.

Tim nodded. “I know.”

“I’ll look into who at the school may have leaked that information.”

“I mean, it could have just been a classmate?” Danny pointed out. “It’s not like I’ve gone around shouting it to the heavens or anything, but, like, I haven’t kept it a secret how I ended up suddenly mid degree in the program.”

“It could have been,” Bruce acquiesced, “but it still bears looking into. Even if nothing comes of it, reminding the school of how they’re bound by FERPA hardly hurts, not with you returning to classes in a week.”

“Yeah that’s going to be… yeah,” Danny said with a sigh.

Jason leaned over to wrap his arm around Danny’s shoulder and brush a kiss against his temple.

“I’ve got to leave in a few days too,” Jazz said apologetically.

Danny nodded and leaned further into Jason. “You’ll be careful?”

“I will.”

“She will also have assistance in that matter,” Alfred said. The clink of the fresh plate of hot cross buns was a firm period on his declaration.

“That’s a sweet thought,” Jazz managed after a moment, “but I do live in a different state.”

“That is hardly an issue, Miss Jasmine. Master Richard will accompany you for the first week to simply make sure that everything is both secure and calm. When he is certain you will be well, he can make his way back easily enough,” Alfred explained. When Jazz opened her mouth to protest, Alfred held up a staying hand. “Miss Jasmine, I assure you it is not a hardship. You are family now and we very much look after our family. It would do all of us well to know that you are safe and sound.”

“Yes, family now,” Cass agreed as she made a grabbing motion at the plate until Tim passed her one of the buns.

“I, well…” A faint blush spread across Jazz’s cheeks. “I guess if it wouldn’t be a problem? And if you’re okay sleeping on the couch, Dick? We’ve only got one actual bedroom in the place, we use the other as an office for us both.”

“Hey, a couch isn’t the worst place I’ve slept by a long run,” Dick chirped. “But if you’re feeling guilty, I’ll taking getting to pick the tunes on the drive.”

“Don’t do it,” Jason said, an attempt to save Jazz that hell. “Seriously, not worth giving him that power. His music tastes are atrocious.”

Dick pouted. “They’re fabulous.”

“No, Jason’s right on this one,” Tim said.

“If Drake is agreeing with Todd, I am afraid that one has to accept there is some truth in the statement,” Damian interjected.

“Baby bat, no,” Dick whined.

From the look he aimed Dick, Damian was unmoved by the plea. “While you have a great many skills, Grayson—”

“Thank you.”

“—your taste in music, fashion, and other matters of culture is not one of those skills.”

“I’m wounded. You wounded me Damian, my baby bat, so cruel… so callous,” Dick said as he basically melted down into his chair.

“Keep up such antics and you will have a true wound to worry about, Grayson,” Damian said with a sniff.

Jason chuckled. “Ah, it’s not breakfast at the Manor without a threat of violence.”

Duke leaned around Tim to look at Jazz. “You still have time to run, Jazz, you don’t have to be part of this family. You can still get out.”

“Hum, I don’t know. Give me a Creep Stick—”

Multiple people looked at Danny and mouthed ‘creep stick?’.

“—and I think I can manage. Besides, none of the food has come back to life yet so it’s a better breakfast than I had most of my childhood.”

In the following silence, Bruce very carefully set his tablet down and folded his hands on top of it. “Food that came back to life?”

“Lab safety was just sort of an ignored suggestion in our childhood home,” Danny said.

“They kept samples in the fridge,” Jazz continued. “It sometimes had… unexpected results.”

“I don’t know, I think after the tenth time the hotdogs come ‘alive’ it’s an expected result,” Danny argued dryly.

“Good heavens,” Alfred declared softly. “And… the Dr. Fentons did nothing?”

Danny just shrugged. “I ate at school or out with my friends a lot.”

“No wonder you’re so pint sized,” Dick cooed.

“Hey!”

“You are, fish. Just a little guppy,” Jason teased. When Danny grumbled, Jason only pulled him closer.

“It really was just the way things were,” Jazz said, apparently still trying to soothe the table. “We know it’s not normal now, but that was just life at the time. It almost made more sense when there were actual ghosts around haunting Amity Park— and I don’t just mean Danny.”

“Boo.”

“Oh, yeah! You still haven’t shown us your ghost form,” Steph pointed out.

“But only if you’re up for it, dude, like… physically and emotionally,” Duke cut in quickly. “You don’t have to show us if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. I mean, it was strange showing Jason the first time— showing someone who knew me as Danny first,” Danny said, “but, like, there are times when I want to be in that form. I even get restless if I go too long without changing over.”

“Or sometimes he just needs something off the top shel-oof,” Jason winced as Danny elbowed him hard. “Hey, I’m just speaking the truth here.”

“You’re the one who used me instead of a step stool to hang cameras,” Danny said with a perfectly sweet smile. “But anyways, yeah, it’s no issue to show you all! You might want to cover your eyes though, it’s a bit bright.”

“Bright?” Dick asked, right as Danny transformed.

It served him right if he was left blinking away spots.

“Oh wow, your lights are totally different like this,” Duke said, leaning forward to peer at Danny.

Danny peered back. “Lights?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m a meta, I see… like, after images of stuff, kinda You’re all sorts of wild like this,” Duke said, waving a hand at Danny.

“And inverted,” Tim pointed out.

“Oh, yeah, it seems to be a thing with halfas? Like, I was wearing a white with black hazmat suit when I died and the inverted version was what my ghost form was in for ages. I’ve learned to make changes to it since, but it’s easier to stay close to that original form.”

“Easier, how?” Bruce asked. He was clearly brimming with questions now that Danny was talking about ghostly matters, but he was obviously trying not to ask everything at once.

Tim didn’t seem much better in his eagerness.

“Oh, hum, there’s this resistance? Think of it like trying to pull apart two things that have been glued together. If you have the right solvent or heat or tools you can do it, but you have to have that and you still risk damage if you don’t go carefully. So small changes are easier. Also what um, role I’m in changes things.”

“Fascinating,” Bruce murmured.

“Wait, hold up,” Dick interrupted before Bruce could ask a follow up. “If you’re a halfa and Jason is a halfa, does this mean that Jason has a ghost form too?”

Jason had to resist pushing his chair back as all eyes spun to him. Sure this was his family, but that single minded Bat focus was still intimidating.

Cass tilted her head. “Like Duke said, only if up for it.”

“It’s just, I haven’t… transformed yet,” Jason said. He tried for a casual shrug and felt like he had missed by a mile. “We had to wait for my core and everything to form first.”

“But you could transform now?” Tim asked curiously.

Jason glanced at Danny.

“I think you could,” Danny said. He was floating a little above his chair now. Casually, as if it was odd, he crossed his legs and leaned forward onto them. “Your core is strong. You aren’t having the power issues I did, but you aren’t trying to go through this when a teen either. Question mostly is if you’re ready to try.”

Did he want to try?

Jason didn’t know. Part of him wanted to. Part of him wanted to be able to experience this aspect of being that Danny experienced— to experience it with Danny. Another part of Jason was still afraid. It still felt like the final period on everything that had happened with the Joker all of those years ago.

But maybe it was time to put that period on it.

Maybe it was time to let go.

Maybe it was time to live.

“I’d… I’d like to try.” At least if the worst happened he’d have his family here with him. One of them would be able to talk him down from a panic if he came back as Robin.

“After breakfast, Master Jason,” Alfred said firmly.

“Yes Alfie.”

-

“So… how does this work?” Dick asked.

They were gathered in the gym— originally a room converted for Dick’s gymnastics and since expanded to have various workout gear— on the bright blue mats. Danny was still in his ghost form and drifted in a lazy circle around the group. Jason and Jazz paid him no mind, but Duke and Steph kept glancing at the ghost.

“Well, I mean, when I was a teen I had to say a catchphrase and everything, but I was a lot more in flux at that age so it was all harder. Now it’s much more like just… taking a breath and jumping.”

“Yeah, fish, I’m going to need you to be a little more specific than that,” Jason drawled, his attitude a thin veil over his nerves.

Danny stopped, hovered in front of Jason, and gave him a chaste kiss. “You’ll be okay,” he whispered.

Jason gave a terse little nod.

“Really,” Danny continued, “you’ll be okay. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.”

Breathing slowly through his nose, Jason focused on the feeling of Danny’s cold fingers against his cheeks.

“Now feel for your core. Think of what we saw with Frostbite— the fire, the ash, the movement of it. The light of it. Think about how warm it is there under your sternum. Even in this form, it’s part of you.”

Jason let out a breath slowly, feeling his chest fall with it. He focused on that warmth that nestled itself just under skin and bone. He thought about how it had looked in his hands, destructive but full of the promise of life.

“Keep a focus on your core, but think about how it feels to fly through the air as Red Hood. Think about that moment when you’re at the height of a swing and gravity doesn’t seem to matter. Now let go of all of that and fall. Your core will catch you. I’ll catch you.”

Jason gasped. His knees went out under him. He couldn’t breathe.

No…

He didn’t need to breathe. There simply wasn’t that demand on his body. Everything was just… calm. Static. Still. And he felt so warm. He hadn’t been this warm since before he had died only to wake up cold and alone in his own grave.

Jason looked down at his own hands. They were a dark ashen grey and when he flexed them, soot flaked off and scattered. The bat symbol— his bat symbol— glowed molten orange on his chest. He wasn’t in his Robin costume.

His knees felt weak for a second time, but he still didn’t fall. He looked up into Danny’s fanged grin. The other was holding him up by the elbows. Danny had caught him, just like he promised.

Danny's slow grin only uncurled further. “Hey there, hot stuff.”

Jason let his head fall back as he groaned at the joke.

“Nope, you’ve gotta deal with my puns because wow you really took the whole lava core thing to heart, didn’t you?” Danny said, looking Jason over. “Not that you aren’t totally rocking the look.”

“Really?” Jason asked. It was odd to hear his own voice come out modified from the black mask, deep but without the mechanical edge his Red Hood mask did. Steam escaped from the mask at the filters, swirling up into the still air.

“Payback for months of fish jokes,” Danny said and met the glowing red eyes without an ounce of shame. He drew his hands back along Jason’s arms from where he was holding onto his elbows. Jason could feel cold run along his arms and he held back a shiver. “You good to stand?”

Jason nodded. He felt fine now, weird, but fine. “Yeah, I am. Just… this is a lot different.”

“I know,” Danny said easily and a little sadly. He squeezed Jason’s wrists before letting go and drifting back. Without warning, he plunged his hand into his chest to find his Tucker™ phone.

“What the fuck,” Steph whispered from the sidelines.

“Hey, it’s an easy way not to lose things,” Danny said, “and you need a special phone to be able to handle stuff in the ghost zone so I just keep it on me.”

“In you.”

“Same diff,” Danny said with a shrug. He floated back enough to get all of Jason in the frame and snap a photo.

Jason took the phone carefully as it was passed over to him. That was him. He didn’t know what to think of it all yet, but that was him— as much him as Jason or Red Hood were him. This form certainly drew from his current Red Hood uniform, there was no question of that, not with the face mask and hood, but the coat was longer. The end of the coat ended mid thigh in drips and drops of bright red lava that turned to rick black ash and drifted away. The drips gave a clue to the make up of the rest of the coat, an oddly, roughly iridescent black that glowed bright on edges and seems. Inside the hood was almost blindingly bright.

“It’s definitely a look,” Tim said.

“I like it,” Steph interrupted. “You’re going to make the bad guys shit themselves.”

“Miss Stephenie,” Alfred sighed.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it!” Tim grumbled. “I guess I just didn’t expect it to be so… otherworldly after Danny’s form.”

Danny shrugged and tucked himself into Jason’s side. The coat sizzled where Danny touched it. “I’m really the odd ghost out. Most of them are much more dramatic and themed to their obsession or core.”

“I think it is impractical. There will be no ambushing anyone when you glow in such a manner,” Damian sniffed.

“Jason’s ghost form isn’t for taking on criminals, Damian,” Bruce said. Jason knew B was thinking it through though from the slightly constipated look on his face.

“I guess with that coat you could totally say that look is dripping,” Duke said and then reached over to high five Dick as Cass signed ‘fire’ dramatically.

“This is your fault,” Jason let Danny know, “the puns.”

“They were like this when I got here,” Danny said, repentantly. “Come on though, open up.”

“Open up?”

“Your mask,” Danny said, tapping on the hard black surface. “I bet you can retract it. Just think about it pulling back and tucking away.”

Jason frowned under the mask but Danny was right before, so he took a breath and tried to picture the mask collapsing on itself and pulling back behind his neck.

The air of the room felt cold on his face.

“Oh, wow, your hair’s inverted,” Dick said, “just like Danny thought it would be. That’s almost more wild than the outfit.”

Jason reached up self consciously to tug at what must now be a black lock only for Danny to catch his hand and kiss it lightly.

“There you are. It took me a long time, but I finally found you,” Danny said.

“Found me?”

Danny gave a little hum. “Yep. Found that ghost whose haunt I crashed into all that time ago. Who would have thought I’d go from being worried about how angry your haunt felt to actually getting to know you like this— getting to know all of you. Getting to see you.”

Danny drifted up just a little more, just enough to press their lips together into a kiss. Icy cold met magma hot and Jason closed his eyes to sounds of cat calls and ‘steamy’. His siblings might be damn annoying, but they weren’t wrong, the kiss was literally steaming.

“Careful or you’ll be smoked salmon before you know it, fish.”

“I don’t know, I think I’d put up with it for you. You know why? Because I lava you,” Danny said with a cackle of laughter.

Jason rolled his eyes, but pulled Danny into another kiss. He had better get used to the puns, he supposed, but somehow he thought he would manage. He thought he would manage because he was no longer just a dead boy, because he had his family around him supporting him, because he also loved Danny. They had not only their afterlives, but their whole lives ahead of them.

And Jason… Jason was determined to live.

---

AN: And here we are... done! I hope you all enjoyed every moment of this fish's adventure, the love he found, and the life he helped give back! It was a journey for sure, and it took me longer than I expected, but I am ever so grateful for you all being along for it! I'll update ao3 tomorrow!

Stay delightful, darlings!

[ohburgee]

𝐃𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞

yandere!lover-monster x fem-softhunter!reader

tw: yandere themes, obsession, murder, gore, slight sexual assault / soft yandere an: I'm typing this while watching Coryxkenshin's video, also the reader hunter is not an aggressive hunter, you are all a softer type hunter.

You were a monster hunter who was been offered to hunt this monster on this mysterious island but when you and the monster you're going to hunt become your lover, after knowing that the monster was just a victim of this cultist and he was just protecting the island and this people made him into a monster.

After that he made those cultists vanish in this world.

And now you're here living peacefully as your monster lover took you and became his and now you two living here on the island full of terrifying things and horrors, but you are feel protected and peaceful.

You are sitting behind the tree in front of the swamp and someone is fishing behind you and you just want to take some fresh air after that tiring night.

You keep playing with the leaves you took from the tree it was bit raining but it's just small drops and the sky is bit bright grey.

While making yourself peace you hear dirt footsteps and you turn your head to see the person who was fishing and you look at him confused.

"It's really bit a bad weather right now," he said as he threw the bait of his fishing rod and sighed, "You know it's really nice going fishing here, it's just nice and good" he added and keeps saying useless words that you don't even understand it.

You are annoyed and want this person to go and mind his business but after a minute it gets worse, he starts speaking about those women walking in his house seeing them as nice and beautiful but it can clearly be seen he is saying creepily.

"You lady you look more beautiful, are you single? Might be to try yo-" Before he finishes his words you get up from the ground and look at the man furious.

"Excuse me! You have enough you are giving creepy words do you know how to respect some privacy!?" You confront him as you raise your voice.

"What the hell is wrong with you lady I'm just-" "No you are not respecting women's life you mentioned them as like an object!" You raised your voice even more and you heard footsteps coming and you looked and saw your lover and his friend's supporter and two people.

He looked serious and you immediately walked toward your lover and you went behind him as he put his hand to your back caressing.

"I'm very sorry my lady it's just my friend is having some mental issue," one of them said and you didn't even look at them and look away, that excuse is not right.

"We'll be going now," your lover said and the two people lowered their heads and nodded, you forgot your lover is a monster so people are feared of him.

As you both walked with his supporter behind you, when you all reached the cabin your lover let you in first then he told his supporter to check the main village and his supporter nodded his head and got out leaving you two inside.

Your lover walks towards you with his worried eyes, "You alright my love?" He asked you and you looked at him and smiled "Yeah I'm fine that person just ruined my peace" you said with an annoyed tone and he chuckled and lifted your chin up to see your face.

"I'm sorry if being too rough" "No it's fine!" You said and you quickly felt your cheek warm as he saw your blushes and kissed your forehead.

"You know I hate seeing you with someone," he said and you looked at him "I should told my supporter to be with you when I'm not around you" he added slowly caressing your face.

"I saw how that man almost assaulted you, do you want me to teach him a lesson?" He said as his finger lingered on your lips you stopped him and brought his hands to yours.

"No, no bloodthirsty kill," you said looking at him worried you don't want to have some mass kill again, "It's your people you have to protect them not kill them, you stopped before and now you're not going to do it again" you added and he nodded his head and kissed your forehead once again.

"Go take some rest my love I'll fix some problem in the village then I'll go back here to join you," your lover said he kissed your head walked towards the door, and got out closing the door behind you.

You go to the bed and lay yourself comfortably and let your tiring feeling consume you and you slowly close your eyes, then sleep.

...

He was looking at you sitting behind the tree peacefully he admired you like staring at a majestic, unique painting he had found.

Before you both fight each other for nothing and then find out that he was just been used by the cultists to kill people, he slaughters those filthy cultists and makes himself the lord of the island and the ruler.

And you the hunter, you became his lover. How did that happen? Well, you were on worse wounded and he helped you and healed you, you also don't want to go back to your home place since the people who offer you to hunt him are lies.

You helped him to fix and change the island to normal then you both grow affection and become lovers...

His smile fades when someone approaches you and starts talking he thinks you are being nice to other guys again, like last time when someone wanted to ask you but he ended up killing the guy, he was a monster you can't change that, and you are his. You know he is very territorial when it comes to what he owns.

But he noticed you were getting uncomfortable he could sense it and he told his supporter to stop the conversation and he started to walk towards where you were, and the guy stopped harassing you and he noticed you walking towards him.

He looked at you when you walked behind him close, Do they bother you, my love. He said on his head then he put his hand on your back and started caressing it to make you comfortable.

You both walked away and after taking her to the cabin he proceeded to visit the two humans he was with earlier and went to their house.

Suddenly he burst inside and took the guy who almost assaulted you, "You touched what's mine, and you ruined her time" he raised the guy up by grabbing his collar, and his friend confused and worried kept pleading.

Even though he doesn't want to do this but his anger inside him wants to do it, he is a mixture of thinking, as the guy who is on his hand starts to cry and plead for mercy.

After a second of thinking he turned his eyes red and ripped the guy's body into pieces and that made his friend shocked and scared to death and cut the head from the body by the long nail on his hand.

He took the head looking amused at what he did, "Such a pathetic human" he said and put two fingers to its eyes, "These eyes are disgusting" he dug his fingers deep into both eyes as the blood was bleeding and dropped on the floor.

After that, he slowly looked at the friend behind and he looked at him with fear before he could get out, he grabbed him and smashed his body on the ground, the monster looked serious about his surroundings.

He doesn't care about the lives of other people, he is a monster he wants to slaughter and scatter blood in his world but, that changes because of you.

After that killing he went back to the cabin and saw you peacefully asleep as he slowly joined you on the bed, I will kill every person who touches you, no one can't allow it but only me.

- After one week -

You are now again in the swamp, looking at the grey, bright sky, but there's no rain, as you sketch something in your small book.

You sketch the swamp as you shade the waters in your pencil, and suddenly, rain starts to drop. You quickly get up and run to the cabin, not too far away.

You reached the cabin, opened the door, and saw your lover sitting in front of the fireplace, noticing you.

"Rain just dropped thank God I didn't get wet," you said and he chuckled, he got up from his seat and walked towards you.

"I notice the guy who often fishing in the swamp not visiting?" You ask and he looks at you seriously, why are you mentioning that man you don't remember how he almost assaulted you.

"Why do you care about those disgusting humans," he said his voice becoming deep huskier as he mentioned that man, "It's just something not go-" Before you could finish your words, he kissed your lips.

"Please my love don't mention those humans again," he said as he hugged you "Let's just take a seat and enjoy the rain then I'll cook dinner later" he added and you smiled at him and nodded.

He grabbed you and sat on the armchair and he let you sit on his lap and he took a blanket behind you and wrapped it around you both, you lay your head to his chest feeling the monster's heart beating.

Your lover look at your innocent self, my precious human you are the only human I'll care about, as much I want to slaughter people who touch you but I want to promise your words. But you can't change me, I'm the monster I don't feel pity for those humans but for you, I feel loved...

[yourdeepestfathoms]

hiii !!!! I've been LOVING your yaelokre headcannons since I joined the fandom :)) if I may, I'd like to share two requests I have for them !!

× the larks first show

× the larks and cooking

They're very few, but it's been lingering in my mind for quite a while !! Absolutely no pressure tho :))

hi! i’m glad you’re enjoying the hcs! 🥰

yeah, i can do those!

The Lark’s First Show

It was a mess beforehand.

Cole was basically pulling out their hair and making a nest, pacing back and forth, stressing over every little detail- “What if my voice cracks? What if I forget every lyric? What if I drop my instrument? WHAT IF I PEE MY PANTS ONSTAGE?!”

“Okay, you need to calm down,” Perrine said.

“Calm down? CALM DOWN?! How can I possibly CALM DOWN when we’re about to do the biggest thing any of us have ever done before?!” Cole squawked back. “How are YOU so calm?!”

“Oh, she’s not!” Kingsley piped up. “She’s shaking! I also heard her giving herself a pep talk beforehand we got here!”

“KINGSLEY!” Perrine yawped.

Clémentine had to step in from there. They were almost eerily calm, with a serene smile on their face. It was daunting. Even though Cole’s anxiety was blowing things a bit out of proportion, they were right- this was a huge event for all of them.

And yet, Clémentine was calm.

Cole, bewildered, asked them how that can be possible.

Laughing, Clémentine responded, “Oh, I am nervous! Very much so! Look at my hands, they’re shaking! But freaking out won’t do anything but make it worse.”

They then get the others to do some breathing exercises, and as silly as they were, it helped.

“We’re gonna do amazing. We’ll make the Harkers proud.”

And they did!

It was a bit of a rocky start- Cole’s voice did crack, but no peeing of the pants happened, so that was good! And there were a few slip ups, but as the performance went on, they all found their rhythm, and it proceeded smoothly!

Getting a standing ovation at the end was like a dream come true. (They all cried)

The Lark and Cooking

Perrine does most of the cooking for the group. She has a few cookbooks that she uses! I feel like the kids would have their own garden to grow fruits and vegetables, so she would get most ingredients from there, but for meats, she’ll fish and hunt.

When it comes to hunting, none of the others want to even TRY. Cole will cry if they have to kill an animal, Clémentine feels too bad, and Kingsley simply isn’t trusted with a weapon. Fishing, however, is different, and they all like having fishing days! Even if Kingsley does get bored after a few minutes.

Perrine doesn’t even necessarily like hunting herself, but it needs to be done. I feel like they don’t get paid that much for their performances, if they get paid at all, so it’s easier to live off the land, and that means hunting. Money needs to be saved for things like medicine, clothing, and things they can’t get from foraging. So, it’s Perrine who bites her tongue and goes out to hunt.

This is getting off topic, but I have more hunting-related headcanons, so if anyone is interested, let me know!

Anyway, yeah, Perrine does most of the cooking, and she’s very good at it! It relaxes her.

Clémentine also helps cook, and they’re also good! However, they don’t like handling meat because they always worry that they’re gonna undercook it, and the last thing anyone needs is all four of them getting food poisoning at the same time in their little house.

They’re very good at baking, though! They LOVE to make all kinds of baked goods, such as cookies or cakes or little pastries with berry filling. Everyone loves their treats!

Cole can do the bare bones cooking- soup and sandwiches. Everything beyond that somehow always gets messed up, whether that be because they added too much or too little of something or they forgot to grease the pan and the food is sticking to the bottom of it.

However, they love to bake with Clémentine! They can make a few baked goods on their own, but those are all recipes they’ve learned from watching Clémentine.

They also make really good tea!

Kingsley is not allowed near the stove.

[silentcryracha]

❍ ‗ Cooking with Felix ‗ ❍

Pairing : Felix x f reader

Summary : chapter six of a cute standalone miniseries. It's what it says in the title

Genre/ Warnings : scenario/imagine/headcanon, drabble, fluff, crack lol, disasters in the kitchen but that's it

Word count : 990 words (longest yet)

A/n : Just got the news that him and Seungmin are living together...they'll live off brownies and cookies I fear. Also the green muffins story it's true, that's me I'm bitches

ps: There could be grammar errors. Do NOT repost on other socials. Leave feedback if you feel like it, otherwise enjoy! ♡︎

masterlist

series masterpost

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You and Felix both had a thing for the kitchen. Wether this was good or bad, well, it depended on the situation.

Felix had an extraordinary gift for baking sweets, specifically. His cookies, banana bread and brownies were renowned for being amazing. And that's honestly impressive, it does take a certain type of precision to bake.

On the other hand, when it came to actual cooking...like salty meals...well!

He tried. He really tried. He just didn't have the same gift at handling salt as he had with sugar. Like than one time he wanted to surprise you and tried key word tried to cook seafood pasta...

"Hi Lixie" you called out as soon as you arrived home.

"Hi angel, I'm in here!" he replied, and when you understood that his voice was coming from the kitchen, as well a certain smell, you just had to take a deep breath before walking in.

"Oh wow! Did you make something nice?" the sweetness in your tone along with a kiss on his cheek covered a bit of the fear.

He smiled widely, making a funny excited noise as he kept stirring the spaghetti and sauce in the pan. To be fair the smell was not bad per se, it was just a bit strong since it was seafood. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad?

"So how is it? I actually added a bit of spices because I didn't think the color of the sauce was quite right." he talked casually, as you sucked in the inside of your cheeks to try and desperately activate some salivation as well as sedate the sting caused from the pepper.

"Mmh", you took a generous sip of water nodding, more to try and not disappoint him too much than to agree.

"It's certainly...savory" you smiled, clearing your throat, "Maybe a bit too spicy for me you know? I'm a bit weak ahah"

His face drops a bit, in confusion at first, since he knows that's a lie and you handle spice well. Or better than him, regardless.

So he reaches for his fork, rolling some of the spaghetti on it, then putting it into his mouth.

As soon as he chomps down, his jaw freezes. His brown eyes glaring at you like you cooked the damn pasta.

"How is-"

"Shut up" he interrupts while spitting the bite out in a piece of paper.

But thankfully he barely, if ever, got baking wrong. It had become almost a 'saving grace' for Felix. He had to bring a housewarming or dinner gift? Cake or sweet bread. He wanted to make a snack for you or the members? Brownies or cookies. He needed to ask forgiveness? Pick either of the previous options.

On the other hand, if that was his strong point, it definitely wasn't yours. The most you could do was have pre-packed and measured ingredients, maybe then you could avoid fucking it up.

Lord knows you became as much as a liability as he did when you tried to use the oven.

As soon as the boys finally got a break, Felix walked back to his bag, fishing out his phone, actually meaning to write to you.

But you wrote first! And what he saw made him a little worried but mainly smile, endeared. It's just his nature to always be positive after all.

hi bub <3 how's practice going?

I saw this recipe on tiktok and I kinda tried to make it with what we had at home lol

It's still in the oven tho so I think they'll be ready just in time when you get home

say hi from me, laters <3

Felix smiled and responded with a selfie of himself pouting, saying he can't wait to be home and wash up. And was also looking forward to this treat!

Famous last words...

"Okay I need you to be a bit open minded right now"

"Right" he nodded, still in his practice clothes. He had just stepped foot into the apartment and already smelled something burning.

"They- uh- listen they're a bit ugly, a bit melted let's say...but it doesn't mean they'll taste bad!" he was genuinely trying not to laugh with all his might, seeing you so flustered.

"Let's see the creatures, then"

"Oh my God don't call them that" you yelled, effectively making him lose his shit and start laughing. He raised his hands in defeat.

"I'm just saying! I don't even know what you made, you keep calling them 'them'!" he explained. You waved him off with one hand.

"Yeah yeah, okay", you bent down a bit to open the oven, which actually didn't exactly smell bad, it just smelled a bit intense. You probably overcooked whatever it was, he thought.

Nothing could've prepared him for the absolute failed laboratory experiments that you put on the table. He truly couldn't even tell what they were supposed to be. Mini cakes? Muffins?

The only indication was the paper wrappers that, fortunately, contained the -most certainly- radioactive results.

He bit his bottom lip, slowly walking closer to inspect the situation.

"So...what were they supposed to be, angel?"

"Uh...blueberry muffins?" you responded sheepishly. He nodded slowly, closing his eyes to try and contain himself.

"I see." he courageously reached to take a tiny piece of dugh -the one that didn't explode, that is- and tasted it.

He chewed, genuinely trying to savor it and see if it was any good. He sighed.

"I think that something was wrong in the main dough, angel. That's why it kinda exploded and didn't rise properly." he explained sweetly, pulling you closer by the waist.

"How about we set aside these green hulk babies and tomorrow, since I've got the day off, we don't try again together?" he smiled when he say you smile behind the hand covering your face.

"Okay" your voice sounded small, like a scolded kid. He chuckled, kissing your forehead at your cuteness.

"Okay."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

[yoitsjay]

Heard you were looking for requests. *places down manilla folder* If you're comfortable with it. Male Reader x Crosshair on Pabu before the timeskip after Crosshair lost his hand, trying to have a "normal" day out going to the farmers market or whatever the star wars equivalent of them are.

Have a good day *slides off while shooting finger guns*

I love you.

A Little Bit Of Normal

Pairings: Crosshair x Male!Reader

Summary: trying to live normally now was harder for Crosshair after all that happened... at least he has you by his side, the only normal thing he needs.

Warnings: a bit of angst, ptsd probably, crosshair loves you and won't admit it. Gay

Word count: 1,271

It had only been two days

Two days of nightmares, seemingly endless.

Two days of crosshair waking up in bed with bloodshot eyes and deep bags underneath, showing the signs of zero sleep.

Two days of Crosshair leaving his room in your hut, slinking into your bed to find comfort in your warmth.

He hadn’t left your bed since the middle of the night last night, and now it was edging on the afternoon of the third day. But he was sleeping, that much you counted. Hunter, and the rest of his brothers were worried.

Echo had sent you messages asking about Crosshair because he had left again to do missions with Rex, and Tech (who’s thankfully alive in all our minds) was doing research on what could be the issue.

However, you and Hunter settled on one thing. So after making something to eat for yourself and Crosshair, you bring it into your bedroom, setting the meal on the table before you gently tug the blankets, which stirred Crosshair awake. Waking a man with what Tech diagnosed to be PTSD was a difficult task, and when you did wake up Cross you would always take two steps back, waiting until he registered where he was before you took two steps forward and sat beside him on the bed.

“You slept for longer today Cross, I'm proud of you.” You spoke softly, offering him a glass of orange juice. He reached out for it with his right arm, quickly realizing that he had no hand to grab it with. Crosshair frowned for a moment, using his left hand instead to grab hold of the glass. “I have a little plan for us today.” You started, standing from the bed to open the curtains in that room, turning your head to look at Crosshair, who was now picking at the food on the breakfast tray you brought him.

“Oh yeah?” he drawled out, sounding unimpressed but you knew better. “Yeah, you're going to accompany me to the market today. I just noticed that I'm out of fruit, and I should also pick up some fish while we’re there too.” You replied, turning to look at him fully now.

“So get dressed, and if you need my help-”

“I don't.” Crosshair cut you off with a firm tone in his voice, before offering you a silent apology. You smiled, and cleared your throat. “IF you need help Crosshair, I'll be in the kitchen.” You finished, walking towards your bedroom door. “Enjoy your breakfast.” You added before walking out.

It didn’t take crosshair long to emerge with the empty breakfast tray, however his shirt was hiked up to his chest, and he stared at you expectedly. “I uh… couldn’t get it down all the way.” He muttered as you approached him, staring anywhere but at you as you swiftly tugged the shirt down the rest of the way.

“Don’t worry hun, Tech got the last piece he needed to build you a metal hand, so you’ll be handless no longer in a week or so.” You encouraged, moving to stand on your tippy toes as you gave Crosshair a light kiss on his chin, since he was unfairly taller than you, considering you were taller than Hunter and Echo.

“Now, to the market we go. I’ll need your help with carrying some of the bags I'm sure.” You grinned, lacing your right hand with Crosshair’s left one, giving it a gentle squeeze when you felt him flinch back just ever so slightly.

“You’re going to be okay.” You whispered, before leading him out of your house, and up to upper Pabu where the market stalls were. Taking these little trips to the market was always fun, and you’d typically always go with one of the bad batch if they were around.

When you had first met them you were the only one to offer up your entire house for them all to stay in. And when they got Crosshair back from the Empire, you were again, the only one who gave him a temporary home until they built one for him… But he eventually settled on just living with you, especially when your relationship began… Now that was a day you wouldn’t forget.

After the imperial attack on Pabu, you had gotten hurt, not severely but hurt enough to where you needed assistance walking for a couple weeks, so that's when the bad batch started coming with you on your market trips. And then Crosshair fully took over that duty.

Eventually, you and Crosshair arrived at the markets, which were quite busy with the influx of all the new residents. You hummed, scanning the area as if you were setting a course to take. “Alright this way my love.” You spoke softly, your words catching Crosshair off guard for a moment, but it wasn’t unwelcome. He squeezed your hand and then followed close behind as you led him through the stalls.

You knew exactly where you needed to go, and at every stall you would have crosshair hold open the bag with his hand and arm as you put in whatever produce or meats you bought. You never mentioned if he needed a hand with the bags, you just treated him like you would with a hand, and if he needed a bit of help he would gently tap your shoulder and you’d take one handle while he had the other.

Your actions, they made him feel… normal… as normal as he could be anyway. You were his normal. His perfect, normal boyfriend that didn’t judge, or say anything harsh or teasing. You made Crosshair feel stronger than how he felt about himself on a regular basis… and he wouldn’t ever tell you in public, but he was grateful for everything you did for him, even though he felt as if he didn’t deserve it.

“Alright Cross, I think we got everything we needed. You got all the bags? are they too heavy?” You asked, worried about the weight, not if he could actually carry them… again, another small thing he was grateful for.

“I’ve got it, doll, let's go home.” He replied, carrying the bags in the crook of his elbow, using his left hand to hold yours as you both made your way out of the crowded market, and back down to your home.

You and Crosshair maneuvered around the kitchen like a well oiled machine, putting away the produce and meats in their designated places. And soon all the bags were empty, and you were tucking them away in their designated drawer.

As you were turned away, Crosshair took the chance to sneak up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist which caught you by surprise. “Oh! you startled me, love.” You chuckled, leaning into his chest as you looked up at him.

“Thank you.” He whispered, and you almost didn’t catch it. “For what?” You asked, resting your hand on his forearm, rubbing your thumb along the bare skin. “For making me feel… normal… despite it all.” He replied hesitantly, staring down into your eyes. “You’re perfect.” He muttered, kissing your forehead gently as you chuckled again.

“I’m nowhere near perfect Cross… but if I'm what you need to get better, then I will always be right here.” You muttered, reaching up to his cheek, pulling him down a bit as you pressed your lips to his, feeling him smile against you before he pulled away.

“Now… I say we should go to the beach.” He spoke up, making you laugh, but agree nonetheless.

“To the beach we go.”

[rollinouttahere-writes]

The Searing Pain part 2 ad Merfolk AU part 2 WAS FIRE🔥. Especially the emotions in Searing Pain, I swear I felt my heart ache when Luffy cried there.

About the request , It's more about the Merfolk AU but feel to make it with regular Strawhats pirates!

So , what if the Merfolk AU Strawhats meet Y/n who lives alone in the island and actually doesn't mind them hanging around as long as they won't bother them. Y/n don't hate them or scared of them but doesn't like them.

Happy birthday @emtynessinmyworld ! I hope you like this! Sorry if it feels rushed, but I wanted to get it done in time for your b-day!

What's the harm?

Yandere Merfolk Straw Hats x GN!Reader

2.1k words

“They’re back again,” you muttered while peering out the window. 

The “they” in question was some pod of merfolk that have decided to make your island their favorite hangout. It started with them stopping here to get some fruit off of the trees near the shore. You didn’t particularly care that they were here. There was more than enough fruit to go around, so you decided to just leave them be.

However, they were not content to leave you be.

Once they realized that you weren’t going to chase them off, they became enamored with you. It makes sense, you suppose. When the usual reaction they get from humans is either a fearful or violent one, it’s understandable that they might become fond of someone who was simply indifferent to them. If they want to chill here where they won’t be harassed by humans, then you’ll let them.

You just wish they would stop trying to bother you. When you chose to make a small abandoned island your home, it wasn’t because you were dying for social interaction. Quite the opposite. All you wanted was to be left alone, and for years you were. Now? You were lucky to go more than a week without seeing those people.

Taking a deep breath, you mentally prepare for what’s to come. There were lots of things for you to do today. A storm passed through last night and took a heavy toll on your roof, so you’ll need to patch that up. Your garden probably also isn’t faring too well. Fortunately, you were able to drag the potted plants inside, but everything in the ground is probably dead. You need to do some fishing too, but you’ll wait until they leave to do that. Being that close to the water when they’re here is a hassle. 

Steeling yourself, you push open the door and slip outside as quietly as possible. These efforts were all in vain, as it seems they were waiting for you.

There’s a call of your name behind you. A look over your shoulder revealed it to be who you assume is their leader, Luffy. The bull shark merman flashed you a wide, sharp toothed smile and waved frantically at you. 

You had to fight the urge to go back inside, he was the worst offender out of them all. This guy genuinely did not seem to understand the concept of personal space. He also didn’t know how to stop talking, much to your chagrin. There’s also the issue of him being able to go into freshwater, something you learned about him while trying to fetch some drinking water from a river flowing through the island. Not only did he scare the hell out of you with his sudden appearance, he also launched himself out of the water to tackle you in a hug. You don’t like hugs at the best of times, but you especially don’t like them when they result in your water being spilled and getting soaking wet.

“Hey! Do you wanna come swim with us?!” Luffy shouted.

He asks that every time that they’re here, regardless of the fact that you’ve refused every single time. Apparently he wasn’t getting the hint.

“No, Luffy. I’m busy and have lots to do today, I don’t have time for that,” you answered. Not giving him a chance to ask more questions, you sped off towards your garden, praying that no one tries to follow you. You’ve had to drag Luffy back into the water on multiple occasions when he attempted to come after you and got too dried out from being out of the water. Much to your dismay, he took this as a sign of friendship and not just basic human decency.

As expected, the garden was in ruins. Your heart sank at the unfortunate sight. After removing all the debris thrown onto it by the storm, you saw that nothing had survived. Everything was ripped up and destroyed. You felt sick to your stomach knowing how dangerous it was to lose this many crops. It was early enough into the season that you could replant it and still harvest them in time before winter, but that would require you going back to the mainland for more seeds.

You hated having to go back and be around so many people, but it had to be done. Maybe you could set sail tomorrow? If the merfolk were gone by then, of course. You don’t want them following you for the entire two day journey.

Since the garden is done for, looks like you’ll be doing some foraging today. After the roof repairs. Those definitely take precedent here. Sighing, you turn and make your way back to your home. It’ll probably take most of the day to finish it based on how bad it was leaking last night. Your home was within eyesight of the shore, which meant that the merfolk were going to be trying to talk to you the whole time. How annoying.

As you get closer, you’re confused to hear what sounds like hammering. Where is that noise coming from? Picking up the pace, you hurry to the source and see that it’s coming from your house. Looking up, you see the colorful form of Franky crawling over what once was your roof and hammering on new planks of wood. Beside your home was a pile of discarded roofing tiles and wood.

All you can do is gawk at him while your brain tries to process what he’s doing. The large mantis shrimp notices your presence and stops what he’s doing to wave at you, “Oh hey! I saw that your roof was all messed up so I thought I’d fix it for you! At first I was just going to retile it, but then I saw that the rafters were damaged too, so I’m rebuilding all of it. Don’t worry, I’ll have this finished before it’s night.”

With that said, he went back to work. You didn’t know what to do or say about this. Given that your entire roof was now ripped off, you didn’t exactly want to tell him to stop. As much as you don’t want him to be doing this, it felt too late to keep him from it now. You’ll just have to let it go. Also where in the same hell did he get lumber and roofing tiles from? You doubt you’ll ever know.

Hazarding a glance to the shore, you can see the rest of them relaxing. Nami is currently laying on the shore and sunbathing with Robin reading a book next to her. Luffy is dangling from a tree hanging over the ocean trying to grab some fruit from the higher branches while Usopp and Chopper egg him on. 

Oh good, he’s occupied and hasn’t noticed you. Grabbing a basket from outside your house, you run into the forested area of the island to forage. You’re hoping that if you stay out long enough that they’ll be gone by the time you get back. You’ll need to gather at least enough food to last you on your voyage to get seeds.

Lucky for you, the food on this island was plentiful. Between you being the only person on the island and the minimal animal life, there were plenty of fruits and root vegetables to choose from. You could hunt for birds too, but usually you got your protein from fish.

The foraging was going well, but the heat was starting to get to you. Today was not only hot, but also humid and you felt like you were suffocating. Sweat was pouring down your back as you pulled yourself up the tree to grab some fruit. You wanted it to be a little under ripe so that it would ripen up during your journey. Your basket was hung up on a lower branch for you to drop your findings into.

After dropping the last of the fruit you found into it, you slumped against the trunk of the tree. You wanted to do more foraging, but this heat was becoming too much for you. All of the sweating had made you dehydrated, too. If you don’t head back soon you’ll be putting yourself at risk of a heat stroke. 

Nodding to yourself, you climb down and grab the fruit basket. It’s full enough that you’re content to call it a day. You can only hope that the merfolk have left by now, but at this point you don’t care. You just want to drink something.

Your house comes into view and you’re pleasantly surprised to see the roof is finished and Franky is nowhere to be seen. Despite your annoyance at him inviting himself to work on it without your permission, you have to admit that his handiwork is impeccable. The roof looks noticeably nicer than the rest of the house, and there is a large blue star painted onto the front of it.

Where he got the paint from is beyond you. Probably from wherever he pulled the lumber out of if you had to guess.

Before you could go inside to get something to drink, someone calls for you. Your head hangs and you groan. You’re in no mood to deal with any of them right now. Why must they insist on bothering you again?

Looking to where the voice came from, you see Sanji pulling himself across the sand with one hand while holding a coconut in the other. Admittedly, you’re impressed at how well he’s able to do that. As he pulls himself closer, you see that the coconut is open on the top. 

“I’ve been looking for you! I made everyone some drinks and wanted to give you one too!” Sanji thrust the coconut towards you and watched expectantly.

Setting down your basket, you hesitantly eye up the drink. It looks like a mixture of various fruit juices mixed together in the coconut. Normally, you would never even consider taking anything from these people, and have turned down food from them on multiple occasions.

Right now, though? That looked like the most refreshing thing in the world and your throat was screaming for something to drink. It couldn’t hurt to accept it just this one time, right? What’s the worst that can happen?

Reaching out, you take it from Sanji’s hand, “Thank you, this looks really good.”

Sanji beams at you while you take your first sip. It’s delicious, and the one sip turns into you gulping down the rest of it in a matter of seconds. The tropical fruity drink felt like heaven going down your parched throat. 

Sanji is still laying in the sand by your feet. His chin is propped up on his hands and he’s smiling at you while his long tail swishes behind him. Oh, he must be waiting to hear your opinion on it. It would be rude to ignore him after accepting the offering. “That was really good, thanks for that,” you answered simply.

“Do you want more? I made plenty! If you come with me to the shore I’ll refill it for you,” his hopeful smile almost made you cave, but no. You couldn’t give them an inch because you know they’ll take a mile if you do.

“That’s alright, I’ve got to get some things done around the house. Thanks, though,” you tried your best to let him down gently. 

Instantly, his whole demeanor drooped, but he didn’t move to leave. Maybe he was hoping to make you sway if he looked at you with his kicked puppy face long enough. Guess that means you’ll have to leave first. Fine by you.

You spin on your heel to do just that, but stumble. That’s weird. All you did was turn around but you’re so dizzy that you’d think that you just spun in circles for a minute straight. Your vision started to blur as a horrifying realization dawned on you. 

He drugged your drink, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. 

In a last ditch effort to get away, you attempt to get into your home and lock the door. This amounts to nothing because you collapse after the first step. Your fingers dig into the sand uselessly, your arms didn’t have the strength to pull you forward. You weren’t even that far from the door, it was just barely out of reach. What a cruel joke.

Vaguely, you can hear motion behind you and feel someone pulling on your ankle. You can make out several voices, but your mind is too hazy to put any names to them. Boisterous laughter is the last thing you hear before everything fades to black.

Apparently, this was the worst thing that could happen.

[haikyu-mp4]

Sharing a home

word count; 1044 – gn!reader, request from @cosmiicdust <3

You work in a small office managing a growing company’s finances. Your coworkers are all gossip lovers, and you had updated them lately of the process of moving in with your boyfriend, Akagi Michinari, which had spanned over the last few weeks before finally finishing yesterday. Because the company was so small, you all took time to chatter and create a nice environment throughout your workday, which of course often steered onto the topic of romantic partners. And no one was prouder of theirs than you.

While packing up your bags for the day, finished with all your tasks, one of your older coworkers walked through the door, announcing for everyone that “someone’s lovely boyfriend is outside and making us reconsider the quality of our own love lives,” as an affectionate complaint. It caught your attention how she was clearly aiming at you.

With a growing grin on your face, you sped up and slung your bag over your shoulder before waving goodbye to everyone as you made your way outside. There he stood, your lovely long-term boyfriend holding a fresh bouquet of your favourite flowers. He waved at you shortly, a bit shy as he had stood there for a little while.

“Michinari!” you cooed, embracing him in a hug before leaning back to kiss his lips. “I didn’t know you would be here!”

Akagi shrugged his shoulders, cheeks flushed with something sweet as he put his free arm around you. “I just thought we should walk home together,” he said, making you purse your lips and nod in agreement. Your shared apartment that already felt like home, simply because it had both of you in it.

This was your first day back at work after taking a few days off to move the last load of furniture, and Akagi decided it was only right for you to walk home together. As if you didn’t already love him enough, he gave you another reason to make your coworkers jealous, even though they were endlessly happy for you.

So the two of you strolled home, flowers in your arms and your bag on his shoulder as your intertwined hands swung between you. The both of you took turns telling the other about your day, also trying to figure out what you wanted to have for dinner.

“I’ve been craving fish,” he told you, a small pout on his lips as he looked at you. You sighed and thought about it.

“I really wanted chicken, though,” you said, mostly just thinking out loud. Fish is good too, it just wasn’t what you craved today. Akagi lifted your intertwined hands to press a kiss to the back of yours before letting them fall back down between you.

“You know, we will have to make dinner together every day now,” he said, and it made you straighten up your shoulders. Right, you lived together now. Every time you remembered, your heart seemed to skip a beat to make space for him, because your heart was his heart and vice versa. “So we can have fish today…” he started, playfully hinting for you to finish his thought so that he would get his desired meal today.

“…and chicken next time,” you added, following his script even though you knew what he was doing. After picking you up from work, he deserved no less than exactly what he wanted, you suppose.

He did a small cheer, once again raising your connected hands to wave them around for a bit, making you laugh loudly and lean into his side. Part of you was embarrassed on behalf of the people passing by you, but the bigger part of you didn’t care. Screw it, let them see how lovestruck you are.

After dropping your stuff off at home and changing into more comfortable clothing, you walked back out the door together for some grocery shopping. You’d done this together before, of course, but now Akagi kept putting in random house stuff that you ‘definitely needed’ according to him.

You put a pizza cutter, which you already had two of at home but he swore this one was better, back on the shelf and then turned to him with a pointed look. “Baby, no more kitchen stuff unless it’s on our list, okay?” you said first, making him put his hands on his hips like he used to do while waiting on the volleyball court. “Stop standing like a pregnant lady and go get your freaking fish.”

He huffed and did a small pose before moving on to hopefully complete his mission. Meanwhile, you went on to complete the rest of your shopping list, thinking of what dish to make and getting the necessary elements. You were about to go to the line when your boyfriend rounded the corner and almost collided with your shopping cart. Your eyes zeroed in on what he had in his hand, which he noticed so he held up the brand new pan, which conveniently was in your favourite colour. “Come on, it’s perfect. You said we should get a new one because yours is so worn.”

It took some convincing, but finally, you agreed and laughed softly as he put it in the cart before moving to kiss your cheek, and then the two of you made your way to the till. You had a shared account for this stuff, so you swiped your card while he packed what you bought into bags, some reusable ones you had in your workbag and some plastic because there wasn’t enough space without crushing the vegetables or eggs.

You went back home, putting on some music as you both put away the groceries before starting to make dinner. “What fish did you get?”

The silence wasn’t loud, but there was enough time for you to slowly turn to your boyfriend with an accusing gaze. Your mind browsed through everything you put away in the fridge, not finding any image of fish filets.

“You did get the fish, right?”

Akagi pursed his lips and looked down, body shaking a bit as he tried to hold back his laughter. “I got distracted by the pots and pans.”

Oh, how lovely it will be to share moments like this with him every day.

masterlist

[slothquisitor]

To Be Seen

Summary: There's a coffee date and some wandering around Minrathous and Lucanis trying and failing to claw his way back to normalcy. Eventual Rook/Lucanis, 4.4k.

Read on AO3.

_____________________________________________________________

It’s late when Camina, Bellara, and Harding return from Arlathan Forest. Camina only knows that it’s late because it had been dark when they’d passed through the eluvian to come back. The Lighthouse is as it always is, bright and glowing in whatever approximation of day it is imitating. She knows she’s tired, but it’s hard to believe she should sleep when she’s greeted by the brightness here. She used to be better at ignoring her brain’s protestations about time having spent years in the eternal dimness of the Necropolis, but this feels like a different beast entirely.

She wanders into the kitchen, looking for something to eat. It had been lightly stocked when they’d gotten here, and over the last week or so they’ve been slowly adding food stuffs and taking turns cooking for each other. It’s still pretty bare though, and she stands staring at the shelves trying to convince herself that any of the options sound good.

The door to the pantry opens, and Lucanis drifts out towards the fire with a quiet, “Rook.” He moves confidently in the shadows like they were made for him. The shorter strands of his hair catch the light, but the shadows of his face are more pronounced, making him look more tired. He’s dressed far too formally for simply hanging around the Lighthouse, but she thinks this is what passes as casual for him. Like Neve, the clothing is just another part of his armor. In contrast, she looks down at her faded tunic and worn pants and does her best to suppress a snort at the marked difference in priorities. 

“Sorry, if I woke you…I realize it’s late,” she says. She’d sort of forgotten that he’s sleeping in the fucking pantry. That’s got to be hard when people also use the kitchen at all hours. 

“You didn’t,” he replies. “It’s easier for Spite to take control while I sleep, so I try not to do it much.”

Lucanis hides his possession well enough, and it’s not a true possession, is it? Not at least when he has control. “So you just don’t sleep?”

“Not unless I have to.”

“That seems dangerous.”

He flashes her a wry smile. “I know my limits.”

She settles for some salted meat and bread leftover from the latest culinary disaster Harding had made for them. It’s not a meal, but she’s not actually very picky about food. She takes a seat at the table and is surprised when Lucanis joins her. She hasn’t really known what to think of their newly acquired assassin. He’s polite enough and clearly grateful to her for rescuing him. There’s just something distant about him, like he can’t quite bring himself to really be around any of them. But that could also be the grief of losing his grandmother. She doesn’t know him well enough to say. 

“I’d offer to make you some food, but you don’t have much that’s edible here,” he says. 

She snorts. “You’ve only been here two days and you’re already criticizing the way we live?”

“Because the way you live is atrocious. Neve only eats fried fish, and whatever it was what Harding made for us…that was…it was…those ingredients should never be put together like that again.” He’s careful even in his criticism as if he’s not quite sure if he’s allowed to say any of this. 

Camina can’t help the laugh that escapes her. “Are you saying you could do better?”

“Yes,” he says, full of confidence.

“An assassin who cooks?” 

He shrugs. “What can I say, I’m a man of many talents, but even I cannot make something edible out of what you have in these cupboards.”

“Can’t say I really gave it that much thought. Food is food.”

He looks like she kicked his dog. “No, Rook. Just…no.”

“I grew up on the streets, and I didn’t always know where the next meal was coming from, so I’m usually just glad there is food at all,” she explains before tearing off a piece of bread. She’s not ashamed of her past, though other Watcher’s faces would tighten when she’d bring up her childhood. 

And maybe it’s a little bit shitty to drop a tidbit of her life casually like that, but she’s still trying to gauge the type of person Lucanis is. He surprises her by not looking sorry or full of pity or like she’s managed to make him uncomfortable. “How did you come to be in the Mourn Watch?”

She doesn’t expect the question, but it’s not unwelcome. “My magic found me when I was nine. As kids we’d swap stories, you know? Of other kids who’d turned out to be mages getting off the streets, making it rich…they were probably embellished, but even the Circles didn’t sound that bad. Not when you were promised three meals a day and a chance of being something. When my magic manifested, it felt like something out of a fairy story. I could have gone to Cumberland or Perendale, but the Mourn Watch wanted me, and I wanted to be in the Necropolis.”

“Even as a child?” he asks, clearly incredulous. 

She smiles. “Oh, the Necropolis is the best, besides, I love dead things.” She doesn’t tell him that the Necropolis had called to her, that she’d dreamed of it even when she wasn’t there. She doesn’t tell him that hearing the Mourn Watch had wanted to be informed if she turned out to be a mage had felt Maker sent. She might not really be a Watcher anymore, but she’ll always love the order. Love what they stood for and what they saved her from, even if she didn’t understand it at the time. 

The admission startles a chuckle out of him. “Says the necromancer.”

“We’re not the worst, allies. You kill them, I raise them,” she jokes. “That’s not going to be a problem, is it? With you being the famous mage-killer and all that?”

“Not unless you’re secretly a racist blood mage,” he says, voice deadpan. 

She grins and then gestures at her ears. “I tried to apply, but they wouldn’t let me in.” That earns a true laugh from him, and she is especially pleased about it. “What about you? Did you always grow up wanting to be a Crow?”

“My grandmother is…was First Talon. I didn’t have a choice,” he replies. “But yes, of course, everyone in Antiva wants to be a Crow.”

She frowns. It’s not a real answer, and it certainly doesn’t feel like the most honest one, but she barely knows him so she won’t press. “Or at least dress like one.” 

He taps his fingers against the wooden table. “Even before the Ossuary, so much of my life was decided for me. It’s…strange to have it back again. Sort of.”

Ah yes, the demon in the room. He’d seemed rather uncomfortable when she’d spoken to Spite before, so she decides to steer the conversation in a different direction. “Well, I know that the world’s ending and there are two ancient elven gods on the loose, but is there something you’re simply dying to do?”

He glances around their threadbare kitchen and smiles. “I would like to go grocery shopping.”

A year locked away, and this is what he asks for? “Just name the time and place.”

The time and place come a mere day later, an evening in Treviso, wandering the market and watching the master assassin buy groceries and strangely enough, little gifts for everyone. Some part of her brain keeps telling her that she should be careful with him, but there’s no denying just how endearing it is watching him pick out the perfect spearmint plant for Harding or remembering that Bellara wanted to try a certain recipe, so she decides to like him anyway. He’s being so nice that she almost doesn’t have the heart to tell him she doesn’t like coffee and prefers tea when they get to the cafe. He makes a small disgusted sound but goes to order anyway, leaving her alone with his cousin. 

“So, Rook,” Illario says, leaning across the table and lowering his voice to something some might be best described as a purr. “How is my cousin, really?”

She’s not sure what’s happening here. He’s wearing an expression of concern, but there’s something too sharp about it. Illario strikes her as a person accustomed to getting his way when it comes to people, and though she’s sitting in a lovely cafe in a beautiful city, she reminds herself she’s surrounded by assassins. “Well, he was trapped in a weird underwater prison for a year. How would you be doing?”

If he is annoyed at her nonanswer he hides it well. “My cousin isn’t the best at being open, and I know what he has been through must have been terrible. But are there…any changes to him? Zara is known for her terrible blood magic experiments.”

So he doesn’t know that Lucanis is an abomination. Interesting. Well, she’s not about to be the one to let the demon out of the bag. “I only met Lucanis a few days ago, so you’re probably a better judge than me on that front.”

“True,” Illario smiles. “But you will tell me if there’s anything I should know? I worry for him.”

There’s something happening here, some play being made, and she knows she doesn’t have the whole picture, but she doesn’t quite trust Illario. He wants something from her, but she’s not sure it’s his cousin’s safety. But she can let him think she’ll play whatever game he’s playing, and maybe she’ll bring it up to Lucanis later. “Of course. What’s more important than family, after all?”

He leans back in his chair, seemingly content. “Too true.”

Lucanis returns with his coffee and her tea. “So Illario, you have something?”

“The Crows I have sent after Zara have picked up her trail. They say she’s gone to Vyrantium,” Illario says. He seems confident, but that doesn’t make any sense. Vyrantium is not a small distance from Treviso. Too far for Zara to already be there if she’d just killed Caterina. 

Something about all this doesn’t sit right with her. Is Illario so desperate for revenge that he’s putting trust in obviously false leads? Is that what this is? “Vyrantium is far. There’s no way she could already be there.”

Lucanis nods in agreement. “Rook’s right. Zara’s given you a false lead, cousin.”

Illario dips his head. “You have better information?”

“We’re compromised. There’s no other way Zara could even touch Caterina. You need your eyes here in Antiva.”

She spends the rest of the conversation watching the two Crows, trying to figure out what’s going unsaid. Lucanis believes there’s someone in the Crows protecting Zara, and Camina has no reason to believe he’d be wrong, only that all his information about the Crows is a year out of date. In the back of her mind, she’s got Varric’s voice telling her that if she doesn’t have enough of the players on the board not to make any sort of bets and play her own cards close to the chest. 

It is only after Illario leaves in a huff, and Lucanis gives her a slightly embarrassed look that she is able to actually enjoy a sip of her tea. It’s nice, bright and citrusy. “He was asking about you, while you were gone.”

“Of course he was,” Lucanis sighs. “And?”

She shrugs. “Didn’t see any reason for me to tell him anything you hadn’t.”

Lucanis looks grateful but says nothing else about it. “I’d prefer not to worry him. He’s got enough on his plate with everything here in Treviso and getting everything he ever wanted.”

“And what’s that?”

“The seat of First Talon. With Caterina dead, he’s the obvious choice,” Lucanis explains. “The Crows thought I was dead until you broke me out of the Ossuary, and I’ve been gone for a year. Besides, I may have been Caterina’s favorite, but I never wanted her seat.”

“Why not?” She hates nepotism as much as the next person who could never benefit from it, but at least in what she’s seen, Lucanis seems to be the more obvious choice unless she missed the part where Illario also had a badass nickname and a reputation for killing Venatori.

“Probably because it was just another thing decided for me.” He takes a deep inhale over his coffee cup before taking a drink. It’s the most at ease she’s seen him since the boat ride back to Treviso when he’d closed his eyes and turned his face into the breeze. 

“You called that blend bitter and sweet like ‘a kiss goodbye’.” She’s teasing him just a little, but there’s such a clear obvious opening there. She’s curious about what happens if she takes it. “So what would a first kiss be?” 

No hesitation. “Honey and lavender cream…sweet, intriguing. And you? How would you describe it?”

He’s flirting back, and that delights her. “Been a while. Might need a refresher.” The Necropolis is large, but the Mourn Watch is not. When she’d been younger it hadn’t mattered, but she’d learned quickly the importance of only pursuing something she was serious about lest she spend the foreseeable future perpetually running into them. 

He chuckles. “I see. You lead an adventurous life.”

She smiles. “Just the one, really.”

“How’s your tea?” he asks, head tilted and dark brown eyes watching her in interest. 

It feels good to sit and flirt and feel like a person after the events of the last few weeks. To not have Lucanis look at her like she’s the only person in the world with all of the answers or that he expects her to know what happens next. “Unexpected and surprising, but in a good way.”

***

This part of Minrathous isn’t familiar to Lucanis. In fairness, most of Dock Town isn’t, but it feels familiar enough. At their hearts, all cities behave the same, contain the same people, or the same sorts of people anyway, and move to the same rhythms. Because cities are just people and people are predictable. He’s happy to defer to Neve for the nuances of this place because he’s not interested in those, he’s interested in the patterns. And how people break them. 

Which is how he notices that they have a tail. The man looks pretty ordinary and isn’t wearing anything that immediately identifies him as any of his usual enemies. They’d picked up the tail in the market outside the Shadow Dragon’s hideout, and he’s been following them through their winding route as Neve tracks down leads on a Venatori deal. Neve’s used to being followed, she points out the tail almost as soon as he notices it. Which makes sense, Neve doesn’t exactly try to blend in. Even if she wasn’t wearing her trademark fascinator, there’s the sharp metallic clank of her prosthetic on stones as they walk. 

“Let’s split up,” Neve murmurs. “Take Rook with you. I’ll be able to lose them more easily by myself, but maybe they’ll follow you. Buy me twenty minutes?”

He gives her a nod and falls back a step so he’s beside Rook. “Stay close.”

Lucanis can see Neve’s plan even before she implements it. At the next corner, Neve makes two hard lefts to double-back the way they came, so he takes Rook right. He’s hoping it doesn’t come to a fight, fighting mages in crowded spaces almost always leads to collateral damage. Rook is damn useful in a fight, but it’s clear she learned by doing not through training, her style mostly relies on being cleverer than her opponents versus winning by brute force. 

And she might be the leader of their group, but she knows when to defer to others’ expertise. Like now, as she quietly keeps up with him. The street curves, and he glances over his shoulder. Good, the tail followed them and not Neve. 

“What’s our plan?” Rook asks. 

He grins and looks over at her. “Neve asked for twenty minutes, so we’re going to lead them on a wild nug-chase.” There’s something familiar about this, something that feels so much like before it’s like an ache in his chest.

Rook’s eyes light up. “How wild are we talking?” 

Their tail followed him and Rook, so there’s a chance they weren’t out for Neve at all. They have a few options: pretend like they don’t know they’re being followed, try to lose them, or try to catch them. 

Spite hovers near his ear. “Or we could. Kill them.” 

Lucanis ignores the lilting sing-song of Spite’s voice. “That depends, how important is it that we know who they work for?” 

Rook shrugs. “That’s a better question for Neve, but maybe they’re connected to her investigation? I’ll never turn down more information.”

So catch them it is. “We’re going to go to that one square, by the Cobbled Swan. You remember it?”

Rook nods. “Yeah.”

“How do you feel about playing bait?” 

“Well, it doesn’t exactly fill me with warm fuzzy feelings. But sure. What do you need me to do?” 

Her job won’t be difficult, and he carefully explains what he needs from her in quick snatches as they approach the square. There’s a bit of concern in Rook’s amethyst eyes, but she doesn’t question him. There’s a trust she’s putting in him, and he desperately wants to deserve it. 

Once they arrive at the busy square, Rook breaks away, slowly and obviously wandering over to the nearest vendor. Lucanis carefully slips into the press of the crowd. He intends to skulk between people, arching back around to catch their tail unaware and pull him into a nearby alley so they can question them. All Crows are trained for this, he barely has to think about the plan. 

He slides between groups of people without a second thought, the movement smooth and practiced. It’s strange, it’s the smallest thing that does it too, someone’s shoulder knocking him into another person, and suddenly the press of people is too much. He had forgotten during his year in that pit just how many people can be contained in a city, in a square. The crowd is loud, but the rushing sound in his ears is louder. Their hands are everywhere and there’s magic in the air, and he feels as though he’s being held down and Dock Town fades away as his vision swims. When it clears he has the lurching feeling that he’s lost time. He’s somehow across the square, tucked into a dark corner. Mierda. Did Spite do this? Did he lose control somehow? 

“Too. Much.” Spite snarls. 

Too much what? He has a job to do. A plan to follow through on; he’s a professional. Where’s Rook? He’s left her unprotected as bait for their tail. He presses onto tiptoes and frantically searches the crowd for her. There’s no sign of her from here, so he skirts around the edge of the market until he sees her. She’s fine. She’s doing a good job of looking casual, but there’s a tension in her shoulders that wasn’t there before he’d proposed this plan. There’s no sign of their tail, must’ve gotten spooked or given up on them. It’s his fault. 

He feels the anger building within him, but he pushes it down and tries to make it something useful. Since he can’t catch their tail, he’ll ensure that he loses them. He watches Rook’s movements, guesses where she’s going to end up, and gets moving. He’s able to duck behind one of the stalls into an alley that cuts into another one where he can wait until Rook passes near enough for him to grab her. 

He closes his eyes and listens. The city is loud, so very loud. For a moment, he feels that same sense of overwhelm he’d felt in the square, but he’s prepared for it now. He shoves it down, pushes through it and sifts through a deluge of sound to listen for her footfalls. Time passes, it could be seconds or hours, but he hears her, hears when she’s near enough for him to reach out and snatch her, quick as an adder. 

He pulls her by the arm, a hand covering her mouth to muffle her exclamation of surprise. It is something to see the fear and terror in her eyes fade immediately when she realizes it’s him. Most people wouldn’t find themselves comforted by realizing the person pulling them into an alley is an assassin. The second there is the spark of recognition in her eyes, he releases her and puts as much space between them as possible. “I apologize.”

She waves off his concern and looks around the alley. “You didn’t get him?”

“Change of plan,” he replies, already moving deeper down the narrow alley.

“What happened? Did I mess it up somehow?” she asks. 

He watches the entrance to see if anyone has noticed her if somehow he’d missed their tail and they are still being followed. But there’s nothing, so he turns his attention back to her. She looks so concerned, so clearly sure she hadn’t done what he’d asked her to. He sighs and doesn’t bother hiding his frustration. “No, it was my fault…I…it’s been a while since I was around this many people.”

“Too. Loud.” Spite agrees.

He hates admitting this, but hiding the mistake feels worse. Feels like maybe it makes him everything he fears he is. 

Rook’s eyes do that thing where they go wide in understanding and her eyebrows bunch together in concern. It’s not what he wants. “Do we need to go?”

“No, I’m fine. I can handle it. I just…I didn’t want you to think it was you when it was my fault.”

She nods. “Okay. So what now?”

He wants to fix this. Fix him. It’s not supposed to be this way. He told her he could work, and he meant it. “Neve asked for twenty minutes. Hopefully, we bought her that. We can probably try to link back up.”

“Alright.”

He’s expecting frustration or disappointment or something that never comes from her. She’s in charge, so she should be angry at him. He’d taken initiative, told her what to do, and he’d failed. He could’ve gotten her killed today, and she’s acting like there’s nothing wrong. Like there shouldn’t be consequences. She should be upset with him. 

“You don’t have to let me off easy like that.”

She looks utterly confused. “I’m sorry, did I miss where this was a life or death situation?”

She’s not understanding. In the Crows, there would be consequences for this. “My plan lost our tail.”

Rook shrugs. “It’s not every day I’m important enough to get followed, but maybe you’ll get another chance soon.”

Is she capable of being serious about anything? “Rook…”

“Should we go find Neve?” she asks lightly. 

This close to her he can see the flecks of gold in her eyes, the scar across her nose. He’s not often taller than people, but he’s got a good two or three inches on her. “I’ll follow you.”

He’s hypervigilant as they retrace their steps back towards where they’d broken away from Neve, but even so, he feels the cold trickle of fear sinking in. He wonders, not for the first time, just how much Zara has taken from him and if he’ll ever feel like himself again. 

He has tried to take comfort in the routines and rituals that he had shaped his life with before the Ossuary. Exerting a rigid control over what little he can. And there is some comfort in it, some ways in which he feels like his old self: same clothes, same blade sharpening ritual, cooking the same foods. He’d made dinner for the group last night, and Spite had been quieter than ever before. It had been a relief to find something that felt exactly the same as before.

He snaps back to attention when Rook bends to drop a few coins on a beggar’s plate. He very nearly yanks her back. Does she not realize how vulnerable she makes herself? How likely it is for the gratitude she’s met with to just as easily be a knife? 

Somewhere in his mind, he hears Illario taunting him about being paranoid.

But then the moment is over, Rook has dropped her coins, offered a smile, and moved on. Helping seems reflexive for Rook. Casual even. He’d been surprised at it the other night in Treviso too, when she had tossed him a wyvern tooth dagger she’d purchased him with a grin and a tease to buy himself something too. She’d had no way of knowing the hole her kindness had filled and hadn’t sought gratitude or praise or any of the things he might have expected. The gesture had caught him by surprise, had come so unexpectedly he hadn’t been able to smother it down, hide it. He’d told her something true, something vulnerable, something dangerous. 

Wanting things is dangerous in his line of work. Worse even if anyone sees you do it because then they know a weak point. He’s spent most of his life keeping his list of things he’s allowed to want slim, and he has seen enough of the world to know that it being a choice is a privilege in itself. A good cup of coffee. Well-made food. Tailored clothes. These are the things he’s allowed to want, simple, inviolate. The problem with wanting things is that they can always be taken away. 

He knows this. And yet. 

He finds himself wanting. Simple things really: Neve’s gratitude when there’s hot coffee in the early morning hours, Bellara asking for advice on a recipe, Harding making a joke with him instead of a threat, and the easy approval in Rook’s gaze all the while. As if bonding with these people, enjoying their company…was all she wanted of him to begin with. Those things are probably fine, so long as no one else sees him wanting them. 

He hangs close to Rook and hopes he won’t have to do much more to keep her safe. And then Neve is there looking smug enough to tell him that she’s got a lead, and they’re off again and when she asks about their tail he lets Rook respond. 

“We lost them in the square.”

He can’t decide if he’s more grateful or insulted by the omission. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.

[bwabys-scenarios]

Reunited

Part 26

Illumi x Reader x Feitan

part 25

part 27

warnings: feitan is still rude, but he’s getting a lil better… just a lil tho. Also mentions of human trafficking and cleaning/cooking a fish, and uvogin eating roosters alive(he was just hungry ok)

A/N: I refuse to contribute to the “uvogin is dumb” stereotype because he’s canonically intelligent.

taglist: @tsukilover11 @mercyboluthecrazychicken @sxyriii @shidoni-san @living4tomrua @lemonslut @honeylunalove @sugarrushdaydream @canthebest1

if you’d like to be ADDED to the taglist, please comment a red heart ❤️, make sure you’re able to be tagged/mentioned, and have your age in your bio(IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TAGLIST, YOU DON’T NEED TO ASK TO BE ADDED AGAIN!!)

“I’m headed to town, I’ll be back before dark.”

Feitan watched as (Name) pulled on her second shoe. She wore a pair of overalls over a tshirt, the outfit making Feitan frown.

She was still acting strange, even 2 days later. He’d thought her little mood change would end quickly, but her nervous fidgeting and refusal to eat around him stuck around.

She also wouldn’t wear anything that was slightly revealing, even when the heat was too much to bear. He would catch her pulling off her long sleeves as soon as she thought he wasn’t looking, sighing in relief.

For some reason, this pissed him off.

He didn’t reply to her, focusing on slowly moving his fingers. Over the past day, he’d started getting feeling back in his fingers, so he’d been trying to get them to move as much as possible.

“… bye Feitan.”

——————

(Name) unloaded her goods onto the shelves, making sure the labels were facing the street. A tired sigh left her lips, the girl pulling at her overalls with a huff.

Feitan’s insult had been a hit to her self esteem. She had heard that word a lot growing up, having to hide her body in some vain attempt to keep attention away from her.

After moving out and living alone, she’d grown much more comfortable with herself, wearing tank tops and shorts that barely covered her ass.

Maybe she’d been a bit too comfortable.

Feitan’s presence did make her a bit nervous, but she’d been able to keep her confidence up due to his disinterest in her appearance. He hadn’t seemed to care what she looked like, only ever insulting her intelligence or handiwork, but never saying anything about her physical appearance.

So she was shocked when he said what he did. (Name) didn’t know what to do or say, the memories of a lifetime of bullying and harassment surfacing in her mind.

Usually, the best thing to do was to diffuse the situation by agreeing then distancing yourself, so that’s what she did.

But it was hard to distance herself from someone she was taking care of.

(Name) hadn’t cared what he thought of her before. She didn’t mind if he didn’t find her pretty, not many people did, but the thought of him possibly finding her repulsive HURT.

Over the past 3 weeks she’d come to care for him, maybe not as a friend but as a fellow human being. He’d been hurt, both physically and mentally, and she wanted to try her best to help him.

Although she didn’t expect anything in return for her help, she had at least hoped he would be nicer to her after a while, but it seemed he wasn’t warming up to her. It was a bit depressing. (Name) had thought they could become friends…

She was stirred from her thoughts by the vibration of her cellphone. She reached into her pocket and pulled the device out, seeing Chrollo was calling her.

“Hello, (Name).”

He talked as soon as she’d answered. “Hi Chrollo! Not to be rude, but is there a reason you’re calling?”

“That’s not rude to ask at all. I am calling to inform you that my comrade will be arriving at your stand in…”

He paused for a moment, possibly looking down at his watch or phone screen.

“5 minutes. I tried to call you earlier, but the call wouldn’t go through. I assume it was because of the signal issue you told me about last time.”

“Yes, most likely. Thank you for telling me. Can you tell me your comrades name?”

“His name is uvogin. Don’t worry, you won’t miss him. He’s… large.”

(Name) raised an eyebrow at this. “Alright… thank you again. Is there anything else?”

“Mmm, no. Goodbye (Name). I wish you good luck.”

“Good luck? What do y-“

He hung up before she could finish her sentence.

—————

Chrollo hadn’t lied about him being huge.

(Name) watched as a beast of a man went from stall to stall, asking for her. She stepped out from behind the counter and waved. “Hi, I’m (Name).”

Uvogin stopped in his tracks, taking in her appearance.

She was short, but taller than Feitan. Her face was pretty, and appearance soft. He hummed as he gave her a once over, nodding approvingly. She was definitely someone he could see Feitan being interested in.

“Hey there, doll face. Name’s Uvogin.”

(Name) shrunk under his gaze, peeking at him shyly. “Nice to meet you, Uvogin. You’re a friend of Feitan, right? Come in!”

The man had to crouch to enter her booth, sitting on a chair in the corner. “I have to work for a bit longer, then we can go home. If you get bored you can explore the town, just meet back up with me a-“

“I’ll stay here.”

The girl only nodded, turning her attention to a customer.

Uvogin watched her work, taking in every small detail of her behavior. She was kind, always thanking each customer and smiling even after they left. (Name) rummaged around under her counter and pulled out a box.

“There’s some pastries in here if you’re hungry. The old lady that runs the booth across from me traded some for a few jars of jam. Just leave a few for Feitan, he has a huge sweet tooth.”

Uvogin opened the box, seeing rows of pastries of differing types. “You gonna eat any?”

She paused, looking from the box of pastries then back to the street. “No, I’m not hungry. Please, help yourself.”

He shrugged and complied, eating as many as he wanted.

An hour later and (Name) started packing up her basket, humming to herself as she lifted the leftover jars. Uvogin picked up her basket once she was done, not listening to her protests.

“Can’t let a pretty lady like you carry everything, can I?”

She couldn’t argue with that.

———————

(Name) walked through town with Uvogin, picking up a few things off her grocery list before they made their way to where she parked her bike.

“Oh. We can just walk home, I wouldn’t want to-“

Before she could finish her sentence, Uvogin lifted the girl up and threw her over her shoulder, then grabbed the bike with the hand he held the basket with.

“H-hey! Put me down!”

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. He smacked her leg gently to stop her from squirming.

“Quit wiggling, this way will be way faster. Trust me.”

Although (Name) didn’t like it, she complied. “… alright, but don’t drop me.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

(Name) had never gone so fast in her life. The man moved at a speed she didn’t think was humanly possible. If she didn’t close her eyes, she’d get motion sickness.

“U-Uvogin, you’re so fast! Are you like… a track star?”

He laughed again. “No, nothing like that. I do have a lot of experience running away, but never from a fight.”

(Name) gasped. “Oh, you must be very brave then! I dislike fighting myself.”

“Hmm, is that so? I woulda pegged you for a little brawler.” He teased. (Name) giggled at that.

“Oh, you’re funny. It’s strange, you’re nothing like I imagined you would be. Feitan’s so…”

“Unsociable?”

“Yeah!”

They reached her home way quicker than (Name) thought possible, the usually 45 minute bike ride cut down to a 10 minute run.

He dropped her off onto the ground gently, helping her stand. “Yeah, he’s always been like that. Don’t take it personally.”

He patted her butt affectionately, the girl jumping at the contact.

Feitan kicked open the front door, staring at the two.

“… Uvogin.” He said in a greeting.

The man grinned down at him, his hand still on her butt. “Now who got you looking all fucked up?”

Feitan scowled, leaning against the doorway. His eyes drifted from Uvogin’s face to his arm.

Uvogin caught him staring at his hand on her butt and got a mischievous look in his eye.

“You got yourself a cute little nurse taking care of you here, don’t you?”

He pulled the girl closer to him, (Name) stiffening.

Feitan didn’t say anything, instead walking back inside with a huff. Uvogin held back a laugh, letting the girl go and entering her house.

“Um… welcome to my home…”

She followed the two in, wondering if inviting him into her home was the right choice.

“So… Uvogin, what do you want for dinner?”

(Name) sat between the two on the couch. Uvogin took up a majority of it, forcing (Name) to lean her leg against Feitan. For once, he didn’t seem to mind her physical contact.

“How about some roasted chicken?”

“Sure! Any specific sides you want?”

“Whatever you think is best, sweetheart.”

Feitan shot the man a look, (Name) getting up to prepare dinner.

“Feitan, is there anything you’d like?”

“… rice.”

(Name) leaned over the back of the couch, peeking at him. Her face was dangerously close to his.

“What was that Feitan?”

He turned his face away quickly. “Said rice. You deaf?”

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the kitchen.

“Man, Fei, what’s got you all worked up?”

Not many people would be able to notice his stiff posture being a sign he was uncomfortable, but Uvogin did. The shorter man sighed.

“Nothing. What boss sent you for?”

Uvogin grinned, leaning against the couch. “Boss was worried about you.”

Feitan’s eyes were on (Name)’s figure again. “I see. Anything else?”

Uvogin pulled out a cell phone and tossed it to Feitan. The man blinked at Uvogin, the cell phone falling into his lap. “Ah, forgot you can’t move your arms. Boss asked me to give you this. It’s a cellphone that can get signal anywhere, he had Shalnark work on it for you.”

He picked the phone back up and turned it on, showing feitan the screen. It only had the options to call, take pictures, and text.

“It’s simple, but it’ll get the job done.”

Uvogin sniffed the air and raised an eyebrow in Feitan’s direction. “Why do you smell like a chick?”

Feitan groaned. “Shut up.”

——————

“Uvogin, could I ask you for a favor?”

(Name) stood behind the couch, wearing a frilly pink apron over her overalls.

“Sure, you’ve been taking care of this piece of work for a few weeks now, what can I do for you, sugar?”

Feitan shot him a glare, glancing between him and (Name). He wasn’t sure why, but the way Uvogin acted so flirtatiously with her was getting on his nerves.

“I have my hands full in the kitchen, could you go gather some eggs from the chicken coop?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

The large man stood, towering over (Name). “I’ll be right back.”

(Name) waved as he left out the door, calling out a sweet thanks before returning to the kitchen. “Hey, Feitan?”

The man didn’t reply, but turned to look at her.

“Since you’re able to move your fingers, do you want to flatten out this pie crust? It might help loosen them up!”

She set the pie crust on the table, smiling at him. Feitan stood up and approached the table, plopping into the chair. (Name) helped to lift his arms, placing his hands in the pan.

She stood behind him and held his hands, showing him how to press down correctly. “Here, like this.”

The feeling of her chest pressed against his back as she helped him only caused Feitan to stiffen. He struggled to concentrate when she was so close that he was able to smell her perfume.

“Oh, you’re getting it! Okay I have to work on dinner, just keep at it and tell me when you’re done.”

She leaned back and walked away, checking on the chicken before pulling out a cutting board.

Feitan tried to steady his breathing. She was always so warm, every time she touched him it was difficult to think.

He watched her from the corner of his eye as he pressed the pie crust down with his fingers. There was a strange warm feeling bubbling in his stomach.

BAWK BAWK!!

(Name) lifted her head at the sound of her chickens panicked calls. She raised an eyebrow in Feitan’s direction before stepping into her flip flops and sprinting out the door. Feitan was quick to follow after her, the man having a hunch to what was happening.

“Uvogin WHAT THE HELL!?”

(Name) threw open the coop to see the remains of two of her roosters lying on the ground, Uvogin having another one in his mouth.

The man looked up nonchalantly, blood dribbling down his chin. “Hey, your chickens attacked me, so technically this is self defense.”

(Name) wasn’t hearing any of this. The girl had taken off her flip flop, smacking him on the back repeatedly. “DROP IT!”

The man did little to protect himself, not even feeling the impact of her blows. He simply caught her wrist.

“Why, it’s already dead. Does it matter?”

He was right, the first thing he did was break the roosters neck, but (Name) used her other hand to tear the chicken from his grasp.

“I know that, but if you eat raw chicken you’ll get sick! At least wait until dinner!”

The girl wrenched her hand free and stormed off, brushing past Feitan. The shorter man blinked, looking between her and Uvogin.

Feitan didn’t often see THAT look on Uvogin’s face, but it never meant anything good.

“Oh ho ho, I like her. She’s feisty.”

He brushed the blood from his mouth, kicking the chickens corpse out of his way. Feitan didn’t like the way Uvogin’s eyes followed (Name)’s hips.

“Uvogin.”

Feitan gripped the man’s arm, his eyes narrowed. “Control yourself.”

Uvogin glanced at Feitan’s hand before brushing it away. “Why? Not like you own her.”

Feitan didn’t answer. Uvogin wasn’t wrong, she wasn’t his, and he didn’t even want her. So why did the thought of Uvogin wanting her in a not-so-friendly way make him seethe?

Feitan knew he found her somewhat attractive, but that’s where his connection to her ended. She meant nothing to him other than being a means to an end.

The black haired man turned on his heels, walking back inside behind (Name).

——————

Feitan couldn’t help but feel annoyed with the current situation.

(Name) sat a plate in front of Uvogin, giving him a smile. “Here you are! I hope the food is to your liking.”

She smiled a bit too sweetly in the man’s direction for Feitan’s liking.

Again, (Name) sat down next to Feitan without a plate of her own, feeding him as Uvogin watched. It was a little embarrassing for Uvogin to see him like this, only worsening his mood.

“There, all done. Would you like some dessert-“

“No.”

(Name) tilted her head. “Are you sure, you always w-“

“I said no.”

(Name) stopped, suddenly standing up and pushing her chair in. “Goodnight Uvogin, I hope the pull out couch will suffice.”

Uvogin nodded through a mouthful of food. “Yeah, should be alright.”

The girl began to walk away.

“(Name)?”

She turned back to look at Uvogin. “Yes?”

“You gonna eat?”

She paused, looking between him and Feitan before pulling at the fabric of her shirt. “Maybe later.”

Then she was gone, shutting her bedroom door behind her. Uvogin glanced at Feitan between bites of food. “What’s up with her?”

The shorter man shrugged, huffing. “Been like that for a few days. Maybe started period.”

Uvogin shook her head. “Doesn’t smell like blood. Would’ve thought you’d known that, Fei.”

“Was joking.”

The muscular man let out a laugh. “I see.”

The two sat in silence for a moment, the only sound being Uvogin’s chewing.

“She acts strange lately. Unnerving.”

Feitan broke the silence with his statement, leaning back against his chair. Uvogin raised an eyebrow. Feitan wasn’t usually the type to care about how others acted if it didn’t affect him, so obviously it was affecting him somewhat.

“Did something happen to make her… upset?”

Neither of the two men were that informed on women, with Uvogin having a bit more knowledge that Feitan.

“Don’t know. Just started acting like that one day.”

“Think back to that day. Did anything happen that was unusual?”

Feitan tried to think back to it, remembering her in her bathing suit and being slapped by a fish.

“She got slapped by fish?”

Uvogin chuckled. “That’s not exactly fun, but she doesn’t seem the type to be mad over that. By the way she’s been acting, maybe you said something to upset her?”

Feitan kept thinking. “Called her idiot, but never got upset with that before.”

He hummed in thought, and then it hit him.

“Called her… something different.”

Uvogin put his elbows on the table, leaning into his hands. “And what exactly did you call her?”

Feitan thought back to all the signs he should have noticed. Wearing less revealing clothes, not eating in front of him, struggling to keep up her happy face in his presence…

“Fatty.”

Uvogin physically recoiled, giving his friend a ‘holy shit’ look before hissing out a low yikes.

“That’s possibly the worst thing you could call a woman. You’ve really outdone yourself, Fei.”

Feitan groaned. “So what? Called her fat, not like it’s untrue.”

Uvogin sighed. “Buddy, it doesn’t matter. Have you commented on her appearance before that?”

“… no? Why matter?”

Uvogin clicked his tongue. “It matters because she probably didn’t think you cared what she looked like, and after you called her that it solidified in her mind that you see her as fat. Probably made her think that’s all you see her as.”

Feitan scrunched his eyebrows together. “But I don’t?”

“Yeah but she can’t read your mind, Fei. Why don’t you try talking to her about it?”

Feitan made an uncomfortable sound, tapping on the table nervously. He didn’t want her to know that he cared about her, even if slightly. “Don’t want to. She’ll get over it.”

With that, Feitan stood and walked to his room. “Gonna sleep. Goodnight.”

Uvogin watched the man leave, a frown on his lips.

He wasn’t an idiot, Uvogin could tell Feitan had at least some kind of affection for the girl. And from his brief time spent with (Name), he could tell this was really affecting her.

‘Guess I’ll have to be a villain in this story. You’ll thank me for it later, Fei.’

——————

“How long will you be staying?” (Name) asked as she placed a stack of pancakes in front of the large man. Uvogin stabbed the top pancake and shoved it into his mouth, chewing for a moment before answering.

“About two days. My ride will be here either Wednesday or Thursday. Depends on how fast he finishes his job.”

Feitan hummed. “Nobunaga?”

Uvogin nodded in response.

“Figured.”

After breakfast, Uvogin and Feitan followed (Name) outside. She had requested the two help with her work, neither able to complain. After all, she was feeding and housing them, did they have the right to?

“Feitan, how are your arms feeling?”

He replied by making his hands into fists, only grimacing slightly. “Can move hands now.”

(Name) gasped, patting his back. “Oh wow, that was quick! You can pick up fruit and drop them into this basket! That way, you don’t need to lift your arms!”

She demonstrated by squatting down and picking up a fallen apple and dropping it into the basket.

He only grumbled at her touch, moving away. Feitan didn’t want to admit to her that he had gained movement in his hand because he had gotten angry Uvogin was leering at her, so he remained silent.

(Name) ignored his attitude, moving onto Uvogin.

“You task is catching some fish for dinner. There’s a fishing pole I-“

“I won’t be needing a pole, sweetheart.”

(Name) followed Uvogin to the river, Feitan only able to watch as he picked up apples. “I’ll be back and forth. I like to use the river water when watering my garden.”

In her hands was a large, elephant shaped watering can. It was cute, something Feitan could picture her using.

She seemed to like the softer things in life, like stuffed animals, magical girl anime, and romance novels. These were all things he’d noticed during his observations.

During the few times he’d entered her room while she was sleeping(to wake her up of course, definitely not to watch her sleep), he’d seen at least a dozen plushies littering her bed, and anime posters taped to her walls.

Her interests were endearing, and he hated how cute he found it. He hated that he LIKED when she’d ramble out her newest interest as she washed his hair.

(Name) was carrying the now full watering can with both hands, the weight of it causing her to groan. Before Feitan could (grumpily) offer his help, Uvogin appeared next to her and grabbed it from her hands.

“I got this, beautiful. Why don’t you rest your pretty little head?”

(Name) blushed at the compliment, quickly hurrying inside. Feitan gave Uvogin a dirty look, his hands gripping the fabric of his pants.

She never shied away with a blush like that with him. What was it about Uvogin that made her react that way? Did she find him handsome, more handsome than HIM? Was it that he was taller, more muscular?

Feitan shook those thoughts from his head.

‘Don’t care. Don’t care what she thinks at all. Just a stupid girl.’

Uvogin wasn’t used to being able to see Feitan’s entire face. Now, he could see every subtle emotion cross over his friends face. Jealousy, self consciousness, embarrassment. Most people wouldn’t be able to pick up on this, but Uvogin knew Feitan better than most.

That meant his plan was working.

The large man had decided that if he wouldn’t admit to his feelings or talk with (Name), he’s flirt with her until Feitan had no choice but to act. After all, they were thieves, and were very possessive of what they viewed as THEIRS.

————————

Around lunch time, (Name) exited the house carrying a tray of sandwiches and drinks. “Hey boys, I made lunch!”

She settled the tray onto the table on her porch, waiting for the two to arrive. Feitan was the first one to walk up, plopping down onto the cushioned chair with a huff.

“Lemonade?”

(Name) nodded, setting his food and drink in front of him. “Yep! Made just how you like it?”

Oh. She’d made it with his taste in mind. Feitan sipped on his lemonade as Uvogin plopped down next to him.

“This is delicious. You know, you’d make a good wife (Name).”

(Name) waved her hand dismissively as her cheeks heated up. “Oh no, I don’t think I’m fit to be a wife. Men have never really been interested in me.”

Uvogin raised an eyebrow as his eyes dragged down her figure and back up to her pretty face. “I don’t see why, you’re easy on the eyes.”

Feitan could tell (Name) wasn’t used to this type of attention by the way she quickly covered her face and ran away. It was confusing to him too, had no one ever told her that she was attractive before? Was it not glaringly obvious?

“Ain’t she just a cutie? I might just have to snatch her up when I leave.”

Feitan sends him a dirty look, gritting his teeth. “No. Need her assistance.”

Uvogin hums. “Ah I see. I won’t take her then.”

Feitan visibly relaxed when he stated this, but Uvogin leaned forward, meeting Feitan’s eyes as a wicked grin spread across his face.

“You wouldn’t mind me just fucking her then, right?”

——————

(Name) jumped at the sound of something crashing on her porch. She left the jars she’d been cleaning in the sink as she raced out the door to see what the commotion was.

Feitan stood over Uvogin, his umbrella pressed against the man’s throat.

“You push your luck,” feitan said through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowed and angry.

Uvogin didn’t seem fazed at all, he even looked… excited.

“If I knew all it would take is a little teasing to get you so riled up, I would’ve done so long ago.”

The man easily pushed the umbrella away and jumped into a standing position. He leaned down to whisper something in Feitan’s ear (Name) couldn’t hear, but the shorter man’s enraged expression relaxed slightly, his uneven breathing slowing down.

He grunted in response, shrugging the man off and walking past (Name). Feitan began walking alongside the river, kicking rocks as he disappeared from view.

(Name) turned to Uvogin, perplexed on how Feitan was able to take down such a large man so easily. “… what happened?”

Uvogin shrugged, leaning against the porch railing as he continued eating his 3rd sandwich.

“Just some teasing. Fei’s a bit on the dense side, so I’m just helping him out.”

(Name) didn’t understand how teasing would help him figure out anything, but didn’t question it. It wasn’t her business, but a part of her worried for Feitan. He’d been in an even worse mood than usual.

“Well… go easy on him. He’s…” she stopped before she could call feitan her friend.

“He’s sensitive.”

Uvogin noticed this. It wasn’t often that people stuck up for his unsocial friend, the last time he could remember being in childhood.

(Name) grabbed a sandwich and took a big bite before stepping off the porch and running down the riverside.

Uvogin watched, smirking to himself.

‘Boss will be happy to know Feitan is in good hands after all. She might just be the one.’

He looked down to her half eaten sandwich.

“Can’t let this go to waste.”

——————

(Name) jogged along the rocky terrain until she could see Feitan’s silhouette sitting with his feet in the cold water.

Feitan spared her a glance before continuing to stare into the water, his hands gripping the fabric of his shirt.

“Hey. You doing alright?”

(Name) plopped down beside him and pulled her knees to her chest, joining him in staring at the flowing river.

“… yes.”

(Name) thought about the what to do next for a moment, weighing her options. She took a deep breath and leaned her head against his shoulder, her hair ticking his cheek.

“You’re a bad liar.”

The man didn’t know how to react, his shoulders stiffening to the point she could feel the tension. He didn’t yell or shy away from her touch, staying silent next to her.

(Name) stayed like that for a few more seconds before pulling away and standing up, offering him her hand.

“Come on. I’m gonna show you something cool.”

He looked from her face to her hand, before hesitantly taking it.

———————

(Name) led him by the hand further down the river. Although he wasn’t the biggest fan of physical contact, his hand in hers didn’t bother him, much to his chagrin.

The pads of her fingers rubbed against the back of his hand gently, causing him to tighten his grip. The feeling of her soft, unscarred palm against his calloused one was a nice contrast.

He let himself enjoy the feeling of comfort, silently following her like a loyal dog.

“Just a little further. I think you’ll really like it!”

Their journey continued for a few more minutes before (Name) let go of his hand, jogging toward a forest tree line. Feitan looked down at his hand, the warmth (Name) had provided slowly fading away. He rushed toward suddenly, grabbing her hand again before his mind could stop him.

(Name) continued jogging, only looking back for a second to give him a confused smile.

The two entered the forest, (Name) leading him between trees and over a small stream before she finally stopped.

“Here we are.”

Feitan stepped forward, not daring to let go of her hand as he took in the sight before him.

Wisteria trees created a circle, the center holding a small shack. It had a tinfoil roof and solid wooden walls.

“This is my hideout! I come here when my family visits and I need a break.”

She let go of his hand after giving it a gentle squeeze, opening the door to the shack. “Come on in!”

There was enough room for the two to stand inside comfortably, a few pillows on the ground serving as cushioning. There we a bookshelf full of manga and fantasy novels, the girl pulling a few off the shelf and stuffing them into her bag.

“My parents send me manga and books every month. They have a friend that works at a library so whenever they retire old books they’re sent my way. Is there any that interest you?”

Feitan crouched down next to her, perusing the collection of manga. It wasn’t much, only having a few different series, but Feitan spotted something he’d read before.

It was a dark sci-fi, a manga Chrollo had gifted him after they’d raided an abandoned library.

“This manga doesn’t have a lot of dialogue. I think you’ll like it, Feitan.”

Feitan pulled the first two volumes out of their place, flipping through the pages before nodding. “This one.”

(Name) grinned, stuffing them into her bag. “Alright, anything else?”

He picked a random romance manga, feeling drawn to it for some reason. After filling her bag, the girl sat on the cushion and pushed her hair out of her face.

“So, how are you feeling?”

“Why you ask?”

(Name) poked her lip out in a pout. “Hey, at least answer my question before asking one of your own.”

A ghost of a smile graced his lips. “I’m… okay. Tired.”

She nodded, lying on her back. “Yeah. Uvogin said he was teasing you earlier.”

Feitan scowled. What all did that oaf tell her?

“Really? That all? Didn’t try anything else?”

“No, just ate your sandwich.”

He grumbled at that, crossing his legs. “Always does that.”

(Name) giggled. “You two must be good friends. He seems to care about you a lot.”

Feitan glanced at her, pulling the hood of his jacket over his head. “Yeah. Could say that.”

(Name) didn’t ask anymore questions, instead deciding to chat about his recovery and show him her favorite manga. He didn’t reply much, but he was way less hostile.

An hour passed, the two now quiet. (Name) suddenly stretched, standing up and offering her hand once again.

“Let’s head back, I need to get started on dinner or Uvogin will eat my chickens again.”

Feitan snickered, allowing her to pull him to his feet. His hand remained in hers the entire way back, the man only letting go when the house was in sight.

—————

“Oh wow!”

(Name) peered over the edge of the bucket, several fish staring right back out her. “How many did you catch?”

“13. Already ate some though, so there’s 9 left.”

(Name) didn’t question him on how he ate the fish, instead getting to work descaling and deboning them.

Feitan watched in mild surprise as she worked. He hadn’t expected a soft girl like her to be able to kill an animal and skin it without so much as a squeal.

“Wow pretty lady, you’re good with your hands. How many times have you done this?”

Uvogin sat at the counter, Feitan next to him. They had been watching her work quietly, following every movement she made with curious eyes.

“Oh, I’m the oldest child of a family of six. For a while my family didn’t have much money, so we relied on fishing and hunting to feed ourselves. My momma had her work cut out for her raising my youngest sister, so I ended being the one to clean up any game my dad would bring home.”

She placed the cleaned and battered fillets into a skillet, the sound of them frying echoing through the kitchen. “Although, they’re not my real family, I still love them a lot.”

“Real family? So you’re not their kid?” Uvogin asked, curious. (Name) nodded.

“Yeah, I was adopted when I was four years old. My mom and dad used to participate in an organization called “Bakers for the Broken”. They’d bake bread and pastries and hand them out the homeless kids where I came from. I think the place was called…”

She dropped another fillet into the skillet, humming in thought.

“Oh! It was called Meteor City. Apparently that’s where I was born.”

The two made eye contact, their expressions softening ever so slightly.

“Meteor City, huh? You remember anything about it?”

(Name) paused, her hand instinctively moving towards the left side of her lower back.

“No, not really. Mom and Dad found me wandering around, wearing nothing but an oversized tshirt and shorts. I kept saying that ‘they’re coming for me’. I can’t remember who they are or what they did to me, but apparently it was too awful to tell me, even as an adult.”

She lifted up the back of her shirt, showing a small scar. It was a simple star, with an eye in the middle.

“Apparently they were human traffickers. They cut this into my skin to brand me as their merchandise.”

Feitan’s eyes bore into the mark, his grip on the table tightening. Uvogin wasn’t doing much better.

The memories of their deceased childhood friend flooded their mind. Would (Name) have suffered a similar fate if she hadn’t been saved by her parents?

“I’m getting the mark removed this winter. It’s for the best, considering they could still be looking for me.”

(Name) pulled her shirt back down, taking the finished fish fillets out of the pan and onto a piece of paper towel.

“Sorry, that was a lot to dump on you two. Sometimes when I start talking I just can’t stop.”

She turned to the two, her eyes widening.

They were angry, but she could tell it wasn’t at her. Feitan stood up and approached her, grabbing her wrist. “No. Don’t say sorry. Didn’t deserve that.”

She slipped her hand into his, smiling down at him. “Thanks. I don’t know if I have the right to be upset, since I can’t remember it. There’s a lot of people out there that aren’t so lucky.”

Feitan looked away, squeezing her hand before letting go.

There seemed to be an unsaid agreement between the two. This girl wasn’t their enemy, and although Feitan would continue to be guarded, just knowing she was raised in meteor city created an almost kinship with her in his and Uvogin’s heart.

She may not remember the city, but it would always live on within her. The residents of the dumping city never truly left, their nonexistent birth certificates being the only evidence they’d ever been abandoned there.

Feitan wondered how she’d react to knowing him, Chrollo, and Uvogin hailed from the same city. Uvogin didn’t mention it, so decided to keep quiet on the information as well.

Dinner was more peaceful than usual, Feitan gladly taking dessert this time. (Name) and Uvogin chatted as she fed him his dessert, the air relaxed.

(Name) actually ate with the two this time, laughing at Uvogin’s jokes and poking Feitan’s cheek when he groaned at her puns. He only narrowed his eyes and frowned, when before he would have lashed out with his teeth or words.

She was the first to head to bed, her eyes sleepy. Feitan watched her leave, knowing that Uvogin would want to speak alone.

“So she’s from Meteor City. Ain’t that crazy?”

The large man tossed another pastry into his mouth, his eyebrows drawn together in thought.

“Isn’t unusual for kids to be taken. Must of wandered from residential area.” Feitan stated, staring at her closed door. There was still some residual anger that bubbled in his stomach. What had happened to her, and who had left that mark on her soft skin?

“I got a picture of the mark. When I get into town I’ll send it to the boss. He’ll want to make sure the organization isn’t still active and hunting in that old dump.”

Feitan nodded. He couldn’t stop thinking about her sad expression. Was she telling the complete truth when she said she didn’t remember anything? He wouldn’t press on that, Feitan knew better than most that some memories were better left buried in the dirt.

“He might want to meet her. Pakunoda could be able to see into her memories and get more details about the people that took her.” Uvogin cleared his throat.

“Maybe. This girl more useful than first thought.”

Uvogin shook his head. “Oh stop beating around the bush. You’re interested in that girl aren’t you?”

Feitan paused, his expression unreadable. “Interested? In what way?”

Uvogin groaned, his chair squeaking loudly as he leaned back. “You like her. It’s so obvious that it’s annoying. Every time I flirt with her you look at me like you’ll actually kill me.”

Feitan scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t feel that way.”

The larger man rolled his eyes, pushing back his long hair. “Whatever you say, man. Just try to be nicer to her, huh? Seems like she wants to be your friend.”

The black haired man looked up at that, his eyes widening ever so slightly. “Friends? Why?”

Uvogin shrugged. “Dunno, if we hadn’t been friends for years I wouldn’t be able to stand your cranky ass.”

Feitan glanced back at her door, his heart beating faster. He hadn’t made a new friend in years. Sure he met new spiders and wasn’t hostile towards them, but he wouldn’t call them friends.

“I’m leaving early tomorrow. My job here is done.”

Feitan raised an eyebrow at this. “Your job?”

Uvogin pressed a finger to his lips. “That’s a secret, Fei. I’m going to bed.”

Feitan rolled his eyes and left, closing his bedroom door behind him. As he slipped under his covers, he wondered if (Name) would really ever consider him a friend…

Or maybe even something more.

[oddballwriter]

i have a request for Steven Grant x Witch!Reader. They live in the same floor and never saw each other, but her cat decides one day to go out the window and sneak into Steven's apartment, the poor man was terrified when he got home and found a cat trying to eat Gus...

After he returns the cat, the reader its so grateful that starts baking him cookies, giving him "special" teas so he can manage to sleep some nights. I don't have more ideas for this, but i wanted lots of fluff:(

xoxoxo

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Summary: Coming home to a random cat trying to eat his fish is something, for sure. And it turns out their owner is something too, but he actually kind of likes it.  

Warnings: One use of Y/N. Reader has a collection of little bones and other stuff. None that I actually know of. 

Author’s Snip: This request was nice but for some reason my brain just couldn't find the confidence and energy. If this sucks, anon, I'm sorry. And also this is not proof read.

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

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Coming home to a cat swashing it's paw around in Gus' tank it the last thing Steven wanted to come across after a rough day at the gift shop caused by both Donna and his lack of proper sleep the night before. But it did startle him out of his groggy state as he rushed over to the tank to keep the animal from making his fish its dinner.

After a moment of wrestling it into his arms and getting a few scratches from the feline, he managed to get them tucked safely under his arm. Now Steven had time to think, "How did you get in here, huh?" he asked looking towards the cat and around his flat.

He noticed that his window was open, most likely having left it open for the sake of fresh air and he just forgot to close it when he left for work. Steven defiantly didn't live on the ground floor so it wouldn't cross his mind that someone could come in through it, but he guesses that a wandering cat could get to it just fine.

"Alright, you little burglar. How about we find out how to get you home. Wherever that is." Steven said as he held the cat in front of him to look at them.

They were a black cat with yellow eyes that didn't look all too pleased with having been caught. They were actually very lovely looking with how sleek their fur looked and the vibrant yellow in their eyes. Steven noticed a collar that blended in with the darkness of their fur that had the standard little tag. The name Sabrina was carved into the metal on one side, the other said the name of the same apartment complex that they were in.

"Okay, Sabrina -lovely name for you by the say- finding your home should be easy since you live here." Steven said to the cat before thinking a bit longer, "Somewhere." he added.

Steven's first thought was that if Sabrina managed to get into his flat then her owner lived on the same floor since she could have walked along the rim of the building till she came across Steven's window. So he went door to door knocking on each of the tenants' door and asking "Is this your cat?".

It took quite a while and a few faces, with them all saying no.

It wasn't until he got to the door closest to the end of the fall on the other side that he finally got something. He knocked on your door and saw you on the other end. "I'm sorry to bother you, Ms. But by any chance is this your cat?" Steven asks as he holds up the fur ball.

Your eyes widen a bit before you speak. "That is my cat, yes. That I have been looking for for fifteen minutes." you confirm as you hold out your arms to take the cat from him. "I came home earlier and found her trying to catch my fish. She must've came through my window." Steven explains. You sigh, "I am so sorry about that. I have a little window open in my apartment that I thought she couldn't get through. Turns out she's an escape artist." you explain for your end.

"I used to let her roam around the block but she's been naughty recently and been brining back dead birds she caught." you say.

You catch a glance at Steven's hands and notice the scratches. "Oh no. Looks like she wasn't easy to catch either." you worry. "Here. Come in. Let me get you something as a thank you." you invite as you move deeper into your flat. "Oh. No no. It's nothing really. It wasn't too much trouble." Steven politely declined, not wanting to intrude on being in your space. "I insist. You look like you could need something." you remark. Steven, for whatever reason, took you up on your offer and came inside, closing the door behind him. That's when he actually managed to drink in the look of your home.

Steven always figured that the flats looked like each other and had the same layout with the differences in their looks being their owners and how they decorated. And you have made your flat really look like something. The whole place spelt of nice herbs and incense, not strong and over powering, but just enough that it still had that earthy smell that soothed. You have shelves and stands that had a plethora of things like crystals, books, candles, and trinkets, and the occasional jar of... something. One was full of little bones. There were even a few filled with various things like herbs, charms, and other things, all seals with wax. There were some plants strewn about, mostly vine-like or more herbs. On the walls were various tapestries that showed different thinks like whimsical symbols, runes, circles, and cosmic thinks like stars, the sun, the moon, and consolations along with dried flowers. Of course there was furniture, he took a seat on your couch in the living room which was full of things that also matched that look and feel of the place. A lot of patchwork and quilted designs with throw pillows and blankets.

He was busy taking in so much of your place that he hadn't noticed you moving about in your kitchen. It wasn't until you spoke up that he snapped out of it.

"I don't have any coffee so I hope you like tea." you say. "Tea's perfectly fine." Steven smiles. "Is there anything you like specifically?" you ask as you grab a kettle and some mugs. "Um... I could go for something citrusy. If that's not too much to ask." he sheepishly requests. You nod in understanding and get to making the tea. In the mean time Steven looks around from his spot a little more. He notices on the coffee table that theres some more candles and little pieces of decor.

"You have a lovely place." Steven compliments, earning a thank you from you. "How long have you lived here?" Steven asks. "A few years now." you answer as you walk over towards the living room and set down a few things like a container of sugar and a plate of treats.

"I'm surprised I've never seen you. I met a good bunch of the people on this floor." you comments. "Guess we just never crossed path until now." you shrug. "Bit unfortunate that it had to be through my cat almost eating your fish." you add. "I'm Y/N, by the way." you state with Steven telling you his name in return.

The rest of the evening was spent talking about each other. Like hobbies and work. Of course Steven just had to ask about all your things, which lead to a tea leaf and tarot reading. The tarot was something about him getting bored with his day to day life but that things will become eventful soon and his life will change. As for the tea leaves, according to you, signaled that he had a big journey ahead of him.

Somehow, his sleep issues came up, to which you got all excited and told him "I have just that thing." and rushed back into your kitchen. When you came bake you had a little bag full of tea and told him that it was a homemade tea that helps with sleep and to just make a cup or two in the case that he can't sleep. If it were anyone else, Steven would have, politely, refused a bag of mystery herb that was claimed to be tea, he also wouldn't have just gone into a strangers house, but you were nice and didn't seem to have any ill intent in your actions.

After that, you and Steven were somewhat close friends and had begun to see each other in passing more frequently. Maybe Steven's even thought of asking you out to lunch sometime.

[poisonheiress]

Since there are no Glitz and Glam head canons or reader inserts yet, I've decided to make my own and share them with you. These are romantic in nature and reader focused so be prepared for that.

Warning: Some head canons suggest a shared S/O while others are for a specific sister.

◆ To begin, I believe that Glitz and Glam are rather jealous lovers, regardless if the partner is shared or not. The jealousy spawns from their connection to Envy and their hellborne status. Low born demons are used to fighting for everything they have, and even with the social boost from their position as Mammon's new figures, Glitz and Glam can only go so far. Adding in their natural leaning for Envy due their birth in the 6th ring, jealousy can come on quick and heavy. As a result, Glitz and Glam worry about their partner's focus falling away from them especially in public, always trying to bring their attention back to them at all costs. While their jealousy normally doesn't extend to the other sister, a shared partner can cause a few spats between the sisters every now and again.

◆ While the Glam sisters are as harsh as Envy demons come, that same bite and vitriol is never extended to their partners even in earlier stages of their relationships. They may keep the same snark in teasing their partner, but they will never insult or degrade their partners. This rule extends to those outside the relationship too. Neither sister responds well to some no-name or paparazzi looking down on their partner as a joke or otherwise. After all, demons aren't kind beings, especially those who spent the beginning of their lives crawling out of the Envy ring's Abyss.

◆ Speaking of rank, Glitz and Glam would definitely spend massive amounts of money on their s/o once they become Mammon’s new figures. While they obviously aren’t getting as big of a cut as they should, it’s much better than what their payments used to be, and as part of their life, their wealth extends to you too. From new clothing and jewelry to elaborate dates, they relish in spoiling their partners as long as they are the only ones doing it.

◆ Their personal life with their partner is never going to be publicized for people’s entertainment if Glitz or Glam have a say in it. They made their peace with the sexualization and objectification that comes with surviving in Hell show business a long time ago, and they don’t want their partner to ever experience the same fate. Attempting to break into their partner’s home or extort their partner either ends in a new corpse for the cleaners or a one way trip to Sloth’s hospitals. Because of this, I don’t see them dating another performer especially one under Mammon’s domain. Neither will risk their one freedom in hell becoming Greed’s newest commodity no matter how much they care about the other person.

◆ For every outfit the Glam sisters buy you, they will steal some of your wardrobe in return. No matter how big or small your clothes are on them, they’ll find a way to make it work. It gets to the point where half your wardrobe has found itself way into their shared closet. Glitz favors hoodies and sweaters, especially cropped ones while Glam prefers taking jackets and shirts. Wearing your lover's clothing is seen as a passive form of marking in Hell, even more so if the clothing has their scent on it, and Glitz and Glam take full advantage of that.

◆ A lot of dates for you on both sides would occur in the Envy ring, specifically in its seas. Since a lot of Glitz and Glam’s early life spent constantly moving about the Abyssal zones, they know all the best spots and love sharing that part of their life with their partners. They also love these dates because it's a lot easier to run from paparazzi underwater and disappear into the depths of the sea. Glitz and Glam also like to bring back souvenirs from their visits to the Envy Ring like pieces of coral and pearls. Glitz has even tried to bring a devil-fish back over the border once, but customs wasn’t found of that idea. Sure, they could bring back other commercial goods, but when it come to Envy, they prefer giving their partners something they found or killed with their own hands, not something that can be bought anywhere else.

◆ Speaking of dates, Glitz and Glam do vary in their preferred activities. Glitz prefers more high stakes, wild kinds of dates like hell’s version of bungee jumping or sky diving. She’ll even take you to swim through the riptides if you want. Glam, on the other hand, prefers more lowkey events like hunting or adventuring into deep sea caves where you two would have more alone time. Of course, they enjoy the traditional dinner dates and events, but they’ll always prefer something exiting with you alone.

◆ Last but not least, physical affection. Neither sister goes beyond hand holding or a few hidden make-outs in public. If they're feeling bold, they may even pull you onto their lap or sit on your lap. At home, they are a lot more hands on. Being Glam’s partner means that she’d gonna be wrapped around you like a second skin. She likes to have her hands on you at all times if possible. Cuddling with her is similar to being a straight jacket with the grip she has. It gets to the point where she’d rather pick you up to move then let you move around at all. On the plus side, cuddling with her means gossiping for hours straight on anyone and everyone, and her connection to stardom means that she's never out of thing to talk about.

◆ While Glitz likes affection just as much as her sister, she doesn't need to be touching her partner all the time, choosing to stay and sit close to you to fill her urge in public. Cuddling wise, I think Glitz is the kind of partner who lays on top of you, putting all her weight on you, and the only way to get her off is to move her yourself. With you captive under her, she will tell every bad joke her sister keeps from entering their act and she won't stop until you laugh. Glitz also loves her sticking her cold, webbed hands under your shirt to warm them up, laughing like a banshee when you jump at the touch.

◆ In the end, the Glam sisters fall slow but love hard. They may have each other, but they crave another person to share their lives with that will see them as something more then Greed's newest product. You have to hang on to what makes you happy in hell, and they'll cling to you till the end of their lives if you let them.

[blobmanwhotries]

I wanted to reblog the og post and add the speedpaint there but ig Tumblr doesn't let you do that

It's here instead now ig, for those who want to watch (3 min.)

Notes, ramble, and fanfic updates under the cut

Video time: 3 minutes.

Total time: ~5 hours, 17 minutes.

App: IbisPaintX (ugly ass water mark in the corner).

Device/Tool: My phone and finger.

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I like this speedpaint a lot. You can see how I improve and change things throughout the piece. I wish you could see just how much I use that undo button though - that button is my savior.

The starting sketch DOES belong to me. I want to make that abundantly clear (I use a lot of outside references sometimes). If I use an outside reference and it is in the final product (as in I use other art as reference), I will give credit if I can. The reaper picture next to it is not mine and belongs to the Subnautica devs.

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Process (kinda):

1) Using a sketch makes this SO MUCH EASIER. It's a pain in the ass but jfc it's faster than trying to digitally sketch with your finger

2) Blah blah blah rough outline whatever

3) I swear I know how to use the paint bucket tool yall, that would've made shit so much easier, but there were gaps and i couldn't figure out where they were so my background kept turning fucking blue

4) SO PROUD OF THE BLUE TO RED FADE MARKINGS ON THE ARMS. I USED THE ERASER TOOL FOR THAT.

5) Realized the blue was too bright and i need to tone it down - tried to keep it from looking like the blue water was making him (the character) blue

6) i cant remember when the reaper reference is added it just lowkey appears

7) i wasn't trying to shade but i kinda did with the way i outlined some of his torso

8) color gradient for texture

9) scars. Tried to add more texture to the scars by adding color but i hated it.

face: his dad

(right) arm: small fish (biter? bleeder? unsure)

(right) axillary zone: prolly another reaper

(left) hip area: small fish (unsure)

front of the pelvis (kinda): scratch (prolly a claw)

(right) lower than hip zone: small fish (unsure)

10) at some point i added texture to the dorsal fin???

11) adjusting the face

12) turn off the lineart layer

13) While working on the lighting and shading (that wack white box and purple shit? yeah) I realized that I'm gonna need help figuring it out - I got on the floor behind one of the couches in my living room and tried mimicking the pose and realized that the anatomy was all fucked up and I had to fix it 💀💀💀

14) properly work on shading (kinda, still looks wack)

15) blend that shit (lowkey liked it better before) but thats fine

And there we go, you got urself a reaper Jeremy

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I plan on working on Viktor next - might do chris first tho. I'm not sure yet. I still have other things to draw (and write, for that matter).

I'm currently working on getting a lot of my lore straightened out. I'm also trying to make character sheets for me to reference and use to write headcanon drabbles n whatnot. The world-buliding is genuinely crazy -

I mean, I made three OCs just so I could build up Chris' experience in the mafia, and that's not including Jubi. There's about 20 characters I have to write things for, and that's not taking the missing children (which is ALSO about 20) into consideration. I also have other AUs which really messes with the timeline.

All in all, I've been slowly working on more stuff to post in my oneshot book. Since I've thought about him the most, Scott's almost done. I believe Viktor will be done soon too.

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Anywho, if you've made it to the end lf this, thanks. I like being able to post random thoughts and ideas I have, even if I know not everyone will read or engage with it.

As always, ask box is open - feel free to drop a note or smth in there. Have a fantastic day/night.

[otterloreart]

Art Prompts: 

1-TV Headed Men

2-Moth Dolls

3-Planet Themed Mermaids

4-Milkshake Dragons

5-Ice Cream Themed Superheroes

6-More Magical Pony Art (I Love Them!!)

7-Ocean Themed Space Aliens

8- Sea Snakes (They’re awesome! Here’s a link to an article about them: https://blog.padi.com/sea-snake-facts/) 

9-Snakes With Prosthetic Arms

10-An Otter With A Cute Little Bow In Her Head

I got way inspired by the sea snake prompt apparently and spent way more time than I meant to on them! I included the whip snake (highly stylized) as an example of a "land snake" (opened up one of my herp books to a random page).

If they were toys like the other snake designs they would include stands to represent the fact theyre "swimming" whereas the land snakes would have slightly more flat bottoms so they can "stand". The sea kraits have round bodies with flatter tails while the seasnakes have vertically oval bodies.

These designs are not 100% accurate to real snakes, obvi, they're artistic reinterpretations of the snakes design. For ex: the whip snake has a stripe, but also has very distinct scales, so I made them diamonds. And the eyelash shapes are just for cuteness.

ok facts about sea snakes I want to add to clarify some things stated in that article (just adding my own knowledge/clarifying things (PLEASE do not take offense to this i am glad to read facts about snakes i just have brain worms when it comes to snakes))

put under cut because it was getting too long

"to keep things simple" isn't... right: theyre split into different categories because they're separate evolutionary lines! And there are a handful of other differences (although the article does go into those later, but ngl thats why i dont like lists organized this way). Anyways, it makes it sound like these categories are not relevant to the evolutionary history imo

I would have clarified that while they all do have paddle like tails, the kraits actually have bodies more similar to land snakes, whereas the true sea snakes have vertically elongated bodies to make swimming easier and are bad at being on land.

Okay so this is true mostly EXCEPT we built a huge canal through panama and there have been sightings of sea snakes on the "wrong" side of the panama canal, specifically yellow-bellied sea snakes which live on the pacific side. There are no breeding populations, but due to human intervention there's potential risk of them being introduced.

See this is why I was like the categories aren't for "simplicity", the sea kraits are separated from the other sea snakes because of their many differences: a major one being that they come on land to lay eggs! A number of snakes all over the world give birth (though yes, not in the ocean) to fully formed (not "nearly") babies!

I would just add that this is part of why they can't cross over to the Atlantic! here's a paper!

...all snakes are carnivores (hence, weird thing to say)? unless you count eating eggs as being "not a carnivore". in which case this would be untrue because the turtle-headed seasnakes (genus Emydocephalus) eat primarily fish eggs!

and this one isn't quite right because of turtle-headed seasnakes again! They have almost no teeth except tiny fangs and as far as I can find are either mildly venomous or nonvenomous. since they dont hunt their venom glands are vestigial.

Sea snakes and kraits are elapids, which include other highly venomous snakes like cobras, coral snakes, and all of the highly venomous Australian species!

While doing research on realistic snake plushies, sea snakes made by WildRepublic were one of the major clear attempts at a retailer trying to be scientifically accurate.

Kraits DO actually look like cartoon animals

and yeah the olive sea snake does really look like that:

(although the olive one has apparently been taken off their website?)

although the way they title and tag their products continues to piss me off to no end, like this is an EEL not a SNAKE, they're just out here spreading misinformation and confusing things.

they completely rebranded in like 1999 because their wildlife plushies took off so personally I think they have a responsibility now to scientific accuracy since they took on that mantle. but i digress.