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sacredthethreadgvf · 2 months

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Limelight | Jake Kiszka x Reader | Part 1.

Word Count: 13.7k

Prologue

Chapter Warnings: Smoking the herb, Jakes kind of an asshole, kissing and making out. Slight mentions of poor mental health that could be triggering for some. Mentions of self pleasure (f).

A/N: Thank you for being patient with me while I put this story together for you meticulously. I cannot wait to continue to share this story with everyone and I truly hope you all enjoy the slow burn that is only part 1 of our dear series. Buckle up, we have quite the journey together. I have to give the biggest shout out to @joshym, my dear Elisabeth, this story would truly be nothing without your insight. Thank you for your undying support while I navigate this story and for helping me button it up to share with everyone.

Dear readers, as always, if I have forgotten to add something to my warnings or if there is anything that is triggering, please mention it so I can add such to my warning label.

Enough of me rambling, I hope you enjoy!

****

July 28th

STARCATCHER

Houston, TX.

Your alarm blared wildly at 3 am on a Monday morning to your dismay. You had barely slept unfortunately due to the dread of getting on a plane and meeting your new boss in about 13+ hours. Normally, when you are contracted with a new artist there’s a meet and greet between you to see how you would mesh together, to understand what your new boss is looking for in their assistant, what was a big no and what was a necessity. You took this part of your job very seriously.

When Brian informed you that the boys were already on the road and you could not meet in the safe haven of the office with Brian one seat away from you, your heart sank.

You were going into this new job knowing nothing about your boss other than what you were able to research on your own.

Jake Kiszka. A young guitarist seemingly at the height of his career with his brothers and his friend.

Your flight to Houston had ultimately gone faster than you wanted it to. Your anxiety grows more and more as you watch the time tick by on your phone screen. You tried your best to distract yourself with music and reading but found that trying to force your brain to not think about something only made it mock you and remind you about it more. Once you landed, you were immediately meeting with the band's current assistant Rose, who was coming to pick you up from the airport with a “runner”. You were going to be thrown to the wolves quite literally tonight. There was a show and you were told to be ready to go to the best of your ability.

Grabbing your bags off the carousel you walked to the doors in the busy airport, your lungs begging for fresh air after sitting in a stuffy plane for a few hours now. Stepping out you felt the Houston heat invade all your senses and looked to your left to see a short brown hair girl waving you down with a big smile in front of a white van. That must be Rose.

As you approached closer you got a good look at her features. You could describe her as a cute “mousey” looking girl. Small nose, adorable little smile, and a short bob with bangs which she tried her best to tie up and away from her neck.

“You must be Y/N!” She said, greeting you with a wider smile.

“That would be me!” You smiled back at her.

“Here let me help you with your bags.” You helped her pick up your very full suitcase and lay it in the van. You followed her into it shortly after you got your luggage situated. “Alright Chris, were ready to go!” She said, patting the headrest of the driver's seat. She turned to you and gave you a soft smile.

“So, Y/N! Tell me about yourself. I already know a bit from what Nick told me about you after connecting with your agency but tell me more!”

You softly giggled at the energy Rose was giving off. You knew you two would be fast friends.

“There's not much to tell honestly!” You really hated questions like this.

“Oh cmon, how did you get into the industry!” She sat a little closer to you as the van made a sharp turn.

“Let's just say my love for music really attracted me to this career choice. I have zero musical talent but I do love being around it. So I figured I would settle for the fun life of knowing what goes on backstage and working with artists one on one.”

“Ah, you're chasing after the limelight huh?” Rose grinned at you.

“The limelight scares me.” You both laugh.

After a few beats of silence and a quiet moment of watching the bustling city streets from your window Rose spoke up again. “You'll love the boys. They really are the most genuine down to earth men I have ever had the pleasure of working with. And you'll love Jake,” She winked at you once she had your attention. “He's a looker and a sweetheart.”

You blushed a bit thinking back to your wine fueled night when you went down a spiral into Greta Van Fleet on the internet.

“So,” Rose pulled out a little notebook. “Your main focus is Jake tonight, don't let any of the other boys try and con you into helping them out, they're probably going to ask you to do some ridiculous favors just to test you and get under your skin. Especially Joshua.” She rolled her eyes and smirked.

“I thought you said they were all sweethearts.” You snorted.

“They are, but they also all have an affinity for trouble. It seems to follow them everywhere.” She giggled. “I'll try to introduce you to Jake when we get to the venue and he can take it from there. I do apologize I cannot show you around much, we are a couple of hours away from the show now and my attention needs to be on Joshua as he can be quite the diva.”

You raised your eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes. “Don't ask.”

***

You had a brief moment to drop your bags off at one of the tour buses, which you watched immediately get placed into one of the compartment bins on the side. ‘There goes the promise of a shower and a comfy bed tonight’ You thought to yourself. You were running behind Rose attempting to keep up with her speed walking through the back doors of the venue into the noisy white brick halls, clearly on a mission.

“Were later than expected,” Rose said, her tone alarming as she glanced at her phone. “Were already past soundcheck, gosh I hope it went okay.” She muttered to herself.

“Here I got you a pass so you don't get thrown out of the venue.” Her tone lightened a bit but you could still see a hint of anxiety in her eyes. “You could easily pass off as one of the boys’ fans and we cant have security throwing out a newbie on day one.”

You took the little lithograph pass and hung the lanyard from your neck observing its intricate details in the picture. Rose had then given you her phone number and directed you to sit in a dressing room and wait to meet Jake, she apologized profusely that she had to go run off to tend to Josh and you waved her off, understanding that you were the one that was in the way today.

Sitting on the little loveseat in the room you took your time to observe your surroundings. The typical food and drink set up in an artist's dressing room caught your eye. So he likes wine, you noted that to yourself for future reference. You noted the neatly placed hairbrush, dyson air wrap, little make up bag. Your eyes finally settled on the silver suit hanging from the back of one of the doors in the room. You pulled your phone out of your little bag and sent a text to your roommate and parents letting them know you at least made it to the venue and you would catch up with them at a later time as you now had to prepare yourself for work mode.

Your silent moment was interrupted as a tall gentleman who you recognized as the boys’ manager Nick, walked through the door followed by the young guitarist himself. They clearly were in the middle of cracking a joke back and forth as the sound of laughter filled up the once peaceful room.

“Miss Y/N!” Nick waved towards you with a gesture. “Glad to see you made it here in one piece! Thank you for coming on such short notice, I understand this is moving quite quickly for you. Probably more than you're used to, no?”

You stood from your spot and extended your hand to shake Nicks. “It's no problem at all. I am a fast learner.”

“Love to hear that!” He stepped aside briefly and gestured towards the other man occupying the room. “And here is Jake!”

Jake. Everything you didn't expect and more, although you shouldn't have been surprised. You had only seen photos of Jake on stage when you were doing your “homework”. As you two got closer to one another, his bergamot cologne overpowered your senses but not in an unpleasant way. He was dressed casually. Almost too casually. A cut off shirt with another button down and jacket laid on top and a pair of way too baggy slacks hanging off of him and a pair of sunglasses hiding his eyes from your view. His hair having a slight wave to it hung from his head.

“Hello Y/N.” He smiled softly at you and extended his hand out for you to shake. You just met the man and yet you already loved the way your name sounded coming from his mouth.

“Hi.” You heard your own voice squeak in your ears. Why am I like this? You internally rolled your eyes at yourself.

“Well,” Nick said. “I will leave you both to it. Show time soon Jake. Be ready.”

Jake nodded and saluted Nick as he walked out the door leaving you both alone. Timidly you watched as Jake waltzed around the dressing room comfortably, grabbing a corkscrew and picking up a bottle of wine from the selection displayed on a table in front of him.

“You drink?” He asked as he began to pour himself a gracious cup of the red liquid.

“Uh, yeah I do sometimes.”

“Would you like a glass?” He reached across the table in front of him to grab another plastic cup and gestured to you.

You waved him off immediately, “Oh no, no I'm okay thank you.”

“Cmon, have a bit of wine with me. It's customary when I meet someone to break into a bottle.” His sunglasses still hide his full face from your view.

“Maybe another time,” You sat down on the couch in the room and pulled a notepad out from your back pocket with a pen. “What do you need me to do for you tonight?”

Jake's eyebrows raised. “Suit yourself I guess.” He approached the vanity opposite where you were sitting and leaned back against it, one ankle crossing over the other.

“I suppose since we don't have much time I will get myself ready tonight as usual.” You could almost hear the hint of distaste in his mouth.

You watched his Adam's apple bob as he took a big gulp of wine. “I'll just need help with side stage stuff.” His eyebrows furrowed. “Why are you writing that down?”

While his tone had a hint of curiosity you easily picked up on the scoff that passed his lips. What a prick..

“Just want to make sure I dont forget anything important is all. That a problem?” You challenged.

You watched as his eyebrows rose slightly over his sunglasses. “No.”

“So what is it that you need assistance with at the side stage this evening Mr.Kiszka.”

He smirked slightly. “Just need to make sure my towels are swapped out every few songs, make sure I have water nearby, and make sure this,” He gestured across the room to the display of wine. “To stay pretty full at all times.”

“Seems simple enough.” Your pen lifted off of the paper. “Anything else?”

Jake shook his head no and smirked at you. “Wanna read that list back to me or what?”

What a douche..

“I'm good thanks. Hey, you good here for a moment? I want to go grab something from my bag on the bus.”

He took another gulp of wine and you watched as his demeanor changed. “All good.”

You felt like you couldn't get out of that room fast enough, your anxiety taking over. But for what? Why exactly were you feeling like this? Was it the fact that you felt like you couldn't handle the workload given to you? The very minimal workload at that. That couldn't be the case. You had done so much more before this job, juggling multiple members of bands before as a stagehand. Maybe it had something to do with the rather attractive guitarist that you were now working for.

No no, stop thinking like that you just met him

He definitely was not what you had expected to be in person.

***

The countdown for show time came faster than you really wanted it to. You felt like you weren't even close to being prepared for what was ahead of you for the evening. Rose met back up with you again and pulled you along with her to the greenroom where the rest of the band had gathered to say a little prayer before walking to the stage. You picked up on a few things that were said, “May Josh's vocals shine bright, may Jake's guitar never fail, may Danny's drums not break, and let's pray that Sam's bass and mellotron carry us along for a journey.”

“Alright boys!” Rose said rather loudly next to you. “Time for stage!”

You were not yet prepared for all eyes landing on you at once and for some reason it made you feel rather small all at once.

“Boys, this is Y/N! Jake's new assistant. Be nice, we want to keep her around.” Rose gestured to you. You watched as chocolate eyes all were focused on you.

“Hey Y/N!” Everyone but Jake said in unison.

“This is Josh, Danny and Sam. You will have more time to chit chat and get to know them later on,” Rose said. “For right now, we are cutting it a bit too close for comfort so lets get a move on!”

Following the boys, security and Rose through the hallway that led to the venue you could hear the screams of anticipation in the background mixed in with the sound of classical music. You could feel a hint of nervousness and tension fill the air as the boys got their cue to enter the stage. This venue was huge, bigger than the ones you were used to seeing. The sound of screams from loyal fans going up an octave once they saw the boys enter the stage which prompted the rest of the venue to follow suit.

Nothing at all could have mentally prepared you for this moment, nor the events that followed.

***

Everything had gone terribly wrong.

You had managed to miss every one of Jake's stage cues. To your defense though, you didn't even know what those cues even were or what he had wanted. To further your frustration and embarrassment, you even had a roadie get mad at you and take over grabbing Jake a fresh towel and placing it within reach for Jake. By the time Jake had come off the main stage to go to B Stage in the back of the venue, he was glaring at you.

“Why don't you just go sit in the dressing room, you're clearly just in the way!”

You wanted nothing more than to hide away but Rose had come up to you after watching the little incident between you and Jake and encouraged you to stay, just stand stage side on the main stage and let Jake breathe it out. Your heart had been beating wildly in your chest and you couldn't wait for the show to finish to have a moment to yourself.

Rounding the corner your mind felt like it was a mess, buzzing away at a rapid pace with anxious thoughts. Were you made out for this? Smaller bands it was a breeze helping out and working for them, but this felt bigger than you anticipated. Jake seemed to get more and more frustrated with you as the show went on until that moment before the encore. You're praying to the heavens that your face doesn't give away the fact that you were crying, thankful you had packed your mascara into your little purse you had.

Backstage was buzzing with people. Everyone was currently packing up bins and rolling them to the buses, others shouting orders to one another and pointing in many different directions. The chaos was unnerving compared to earlier before the show. Walking down a long hallway you passed through a few curtains hung up for privacy between the dressing rooms when you heard him.

“This might have been a mistake.” Jake softly spoke to someone. “She managed to ruin every single thing that I needed tonight.”

Just let it go, you thought to yourself. It’s not worth getting upset over. He just had a long night.

You just tried to keep yourself busy, helping out in any way you could that didn’t leave you in everyone’s way.

But just as you had decided to pretend as though you were oblivious to his harsh words, it was what he said next that had you throwing that sentiment clear out of the window.

“I mean, Jesus. You’d have to be some kind of an idiot to not be able to handle something so simple.”

Idiot?

That was most definitely not going to sit comfortably with you. At that point, it wasn’t about “letting it go,” it suddenly became necessary to defend yourself to your new boss who felt the need to say such horrid things about you on your first fucking night.

Your eyes burned with tears of frustration and exhaustion after your long day. You burst through the black curtain and marched up to Jake.

“First of all, I just fucking got here and had no time to adjust to anything or learn anything about you or what you needed or where to find it.” Your arms crossed in front of your chest. “Second off we don't even know each other and you expect me to know you like the back of your hand? New flash Jake, I dont. So don't just blow me away and throw me to the curb because of one bad night and give me a damn chance.” Your chest was practically heaving by the time you were done speaking. Both Jake and the roadies eyes were wide as saucers staring at you.

Jake's mouth opened a few times but no words came out.

“How about instead of undermining me we sit down and actually talk about what you need from me and how I can actually do my job and in a week if I dont ‘have a grasp’ on anything and Im still fucking up? I'll leave you without a word and you won't have to hear from me again. Deal?”

The roadie Jake was speaking to failed to cover up a laugh with a fake cough and you shot him a glare. He glanced briefly at Jake whose eyes were locked on you with an unreadable expression and then turned away and left you two alone.

“Y/N, I-” Jake seemed to find his voice just as you started to walk away.

“Save it.” You shot back at him over your shoulder and muttered under your breath. “Fucking prick.”

Walking through the same black curtain you had burst through not moments ago you collided with someone who must've been standing close by. “Oh my god Im so sor-”

“That, that was fucking awesome.” Frontman Josh Kiszka himself was grinning wildly at you.

Your heart leapt out of your throat. “Jesus! Eavesdropping much?” You clenched a hand to your chest.

Josh laughed and wrapped an arm around your shoulder and began to lead you down the hallway, far away from Jake. “No one other than myself or my other brothers really stand up to Jakey boy. You're really giving him a run for his money. I like you!” He flashed you a wide grin.

“Im s-so sorry,” You stuttered. “That was so unprofessional of me to say-”

“No! It was not unprofessional, dont worry about it.” Josh's arm dropped from your shoulder. “Trust me, he's been such a prick these last few weeks he really needed someone to stick it to him other than his own family.”

You weren't listening to Josh and you were letting your anxiety get the best of you for the second time tonight. You could not lose another client due to a complication. As much as your boss stuck it out for you, you knew he was also not thrilled with your recent issues with the last band you worked with.

You broke away from Josh and sat in a rouge chair in one of the hallways and held your head in your hands to shield the tears that were beginning to bubble up again in your throat.

“Hey, Y/N right? That's your name?” Josh asked, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. You nodded but refused to look up at him until he pulled your hands back from your face. “Give him some time. Like you suggested, just have the sit down with him and figure out what the hell he needs from you. But maybe save it for tomorrow? No offense, but you look like shit.”

You huffed a laugh and wiped the rouge tear that slipped down your cheek. “Gee, thanks.”

“Just trying to lighten the mood,” Josh's voice rang like a song and you felt him reach for your hands. “You seem like you've had quite the day my dear. Here, let me show you to the tour bus and your bunk! I'm assuming you will be riding with us since you're going to be hitched to Jake.”

“Your assumptions are correct, unfortunately.” You gave him a soft smile to which he returned.

“My twin definitely has quite the temper sometimes, let me tell you.” Josh sucked a breath between his teeth. “But I promise he's nice. Underneath all the mystery he likes to pretend he holds, he's easy going.”

“You're twins?” You were surprised.

“I'm five minutes older so I'm superior.” He threw you a wink.

“A superior pain in the ass.” Jake's voice rang out behind the two of you. Your breath caught in your throat again as you took a glance at the man who you had raised your voice at not nearly 15 minutes prior.

He had apparently showered in a short span of time and his hair was dripping onto his soft beige button up he was now sporting. His eyes were hidden by the same pair of sunglasses from earlier and you watched as he slung the backpack he was carrying over his shoulder.

“Don't you have somewhere else to be?” Josh rolled his eyes. “Come now Y/N, were almost there.”

“Don't go stealing my assistant now.” Jake shot back at his twin and Josh just shook his head. Clearly there was some twin telepathy that you were missing as you felt the tension between the two rise.

For a moment there was uncomfortable silence held between the three of you and you did not have the heart to speak up. That silence was quickly broken by the sound of diesel engines roaring in the distance and the footsteps of the twins as you walked in between them. Your arms crossed against your chest again, a sign of defensiveness and protection around the strangers you had just met only hours prior. You three walked through a wide entrance into a huge garage lined with at least 8 buses. Chaos was ahead as you watched workers and roadies buzz about getting things packed into different compartments and wheeled to their respective places.

Jake's pace sped up and he weaseled his way around you and Josh who were now walking side by side. You watched as Jake got on one of the tour buses and disappeared deeper into it without another word to either of you or the workers around.

Josh sighed next to you and grabbed your hand briefly and you both stopped walking. “Listen, if he gives you a lot of trouble, come find me. Or Sam. Or Danny. We will keep Jake in check. You seem like a really nice girl and already a great addition to the team. Don't let him get under your skin. He will come around.”

“But Josh, you barely know me. I feel like I messed up big tonight and-”

Josh held a hand up to stop you from talking which you obeyed. “I don't believe that. Give yourself a chance. I can tell you have the vigor and the right attitude to do this job and I expect we will see great things from you. Plus we have all the time in the world to get to know each other” He winked at you and bumped you with his elbow.

“Thank you Josh.” You smiled softly.

“Anytime.” He held his arms open for a hug which you graciously accepted. “Now let's get you settled on the bus yeah?”

***

July 29th.

Denver, CO.

You awoke to the sound of multiple voices talking back and forth and the sound of shuffling feet and bags. The clear ring of Josh's laugh falling through the tight hallway of the tour bus bunks. You rubbed your eyes and reached for your phone out of the side pocket of the bunk.

10:44 AM

Your moment of peace in your secluded bunk was disrupted by a small pull on the drapes of your bunk and you shielded your eyes from the bright light coming from the overhead lights.

“Rise and shine sleepy head,” Rose smiled at you softly. “Duty awaits.”

Rose was gracious enough to re-close the drapes to your bunk to shield you from the prying eyes of anyone walking past to exit the bus. You quickly gathered your water bottle phone and charger and pulled the curtains back, still feeling groggy and not processing your surroundings. You realized pretty quickly that having a moment to sit in peace and quiet was not an option as you made eye contact with Jake's reflective sunglasses lenses and Danny's smirk, the aisle of people sitting at a stand still similar to the aisle of a plane.

“Well well, looks like someone got a good night's sleep.” Danny said, smiling at you and gesturing to your head.

You felt your hair with your hands, a clear rat's nest on one side of your head and then noticed the feeling of drool on the side of your mouth. Your eyes widened, horrified and you pulled the curtain closed again to hide from the men standing eye level right next to you. An absolutely horrifying experience as you heard the two giggle and mutter something along the lines of ‘I remember when I used to crash in bus bunks like that.’ ‘I remember when I had my first real night's sleep.’

You wished at that moment that you could curl up and cease to exist.

What a way to start a day.

Voices and the sound of feet got further away in a few moments and you peeked your head out of the curtain and saw the coast was clear enough for you to finally crawl out of your tour bus coffin and seize the day ahead of you.

After gathering your necessities and locating your bookbag tucked away in a random corner on a couch, you walked off the bus which was located in a back parking lot of a hotel and you were met with Rose once again awaiting your arrival. “Here, I grabbed your suitcase for you. I'm sorry, I should've told you to keep your book bag stocked last night, at least for small items like your hairbrush for the bus. That was my fault.”

You grimaced as you were trying to work out the knots in your hair with your fingers. “It's no worries, I think I was too tired to properly function anyways yesterday to even consider it.”

“Get used to it kiddo,” She began walking towards the hotel. “You will have to learn how to thrive on no sleep with these hooligans. They will surely give you a run for your money.”

“Were not all that terrible!” Danny had caught up with you and Rose.

“That might be the best joke I have heard all week!” Rose said.

Danny covered his heart with his hand. “I'm wounded Rose, I'm wounded real deep.”

Rose rolled her eyes and looked back at you as she approached the front doors of the hotel. “I already gathered everyone's room keys and checked the team in, something one day you and I will hopefully switch off on because it can be a lot of work.” You watched Danny grab a hotel key from Rose's hand, you weren't even sure where she pulled it from.

“You will be rooming with me for most of this tour so we can assist each other with duties. Even though you primarily work with Jake it will be easier for me to help you with things from time to time to make sure we are all on the same page with the band.”

You nodded at her in agreement and followed her into the hotel elevator.

“I wanted to apologize for last night. I really did throw you to the wolves and that was my fault. I told Jake to come by our room in about an hour so we can sit down and discuss your duties in further detail so what happened last night doesn't happen again.” She threw you an apologetic look as you grimaced.

“I feel bad about last night.” The elevator dinged announcing your arrival onto your designated floor.

“Seriously Y/N, don’t. Shit was all whacky and all over the place and you had no clue what to expect. I should've had you shadowing someone, I should've had you shadowing me for the night so you could see how the boys work. I blame myself for this one.”

You arrived at your room and Rose swiped the keycard for entry. The room was modest, two queen beds, tv, little desk and table in the corner and bathroom. The beds white linens looked rather inviting for a nap later on if you had the time to take it. Just as both of you were getting settled into the room, you for a shower and Rose unpacking a few of her personal items you heard her sigh rather loudly.

You paused what you were doing, “What's up?”

“Hmm? Oh nothing,” Her head softly shook. “Just Josh needing a multitude of things. I will be back shortly, I must go tend to the king of vocals.”

You both laughed. “Enjoy your shower!” She said, and with that she was out the door and you were left alone in peace.

Your shower was not living up to your standards with the dang water pressure being practically nothing but the warmth of the water, the smell of your favorite soap, and the normalcy of your shower routine put a satisfied smile on your face.

Hopping out, you wiped some of the steam that had collected on the mirror and stared at yourself. Thank goodness for showers giving you and your hair a fresh start. That rat's nest had been worse than you expected this morning on the side of your head, understandable why the boys smirked at you.

You heard a soft knock at the door, assuming it was Rose you didn't bother to put on any clothes and just clung the towel closer to your body. Unfortunately for you, when the door swung open you were met with the young guitarist whose eyes seemed to bug out of his head at the sight of you wrapped in a skimpy white towel.

“Oh my god I am so sorry,” You panicked and pulled the towel tighter around yourself. “I thought you were Rose.”

Jake cleared his throat and attempted to maintain eye contact with you. “It's, uh, its not a problem.”

“Uh, come on in, I just need to grab some clothes really quick.”

You stepped aside to let Jake into your room, heart in your throat out of embarrassment that your new boss has seen you in your current state. You quickly grabbed a tshirt and leggings from your bag while Jake made himself comfortable at a little table that was in the room, pulling out a notebook and setting it in front of himself. You locked yourself back in the bathroom and took a deep breath to ground yourself.

You made your way out of the bathroom to find Jake now across the room looking out of the window at the view of Denver, Colorado and its bustling streets below. His damn outfit makes your head feel fuzzy. His half unbuttoned shirt half tucked in his pants.

“Hey.” You said softly.

Jake turned around and you watched as his wandering eyes traveled across your now fully clothed body, briefly meeting yours as his lips curled in the smallest, barely there smirk. “Hello,” he uttered, the corner of his mouth still upturned.

“Listen, I want to apologize for raising my voice at you yesterday. I totally understand if you want to drop me as your assistant, that was highly unprofessional of me .”

Jake waved you off quickly. “No, it was unprofessional of me to even be talking that way about you. If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry. You were right, I haven't even given you a chance.” He gave you a soft smile, his chestnut eyes glimmering as they peered into yours. “How about we start over. Forget about last night, yeah?”

“I think I’d be okay with that.” You gave him a soft smile back, finding it hard not to at his contagious charm.

“Great,” he says, offering you a firm hand for a more professional greeting.“Hello I am Jake,”

“Hi Jake, Im Y/N.” You took his hand in yours, fighting back a giggle as the blush began to rise on your cheeks. The goosebumps instantly began to prickle your skin at the feeling of his touch. You gasped softly at your own body's reaction and tried to cover it up. You were unsure if you were successful or not but Jake did not acknowledge it so you were hopeful.

“Y/N, it is nice to meet you. I look forward to working together.” He gave you a wide toothy grin now which naturally, you should've guessed, was breathtaking.

No wait, stop. Don't think like that. This is your boss, your job. Remain professional dammit..

Jake gestured to the table behind you, “Why don't we get started.”

You nodded and grabbed your own notebook, pen and planner from your bookbag and joined Jake at the little table.

“I'll go easy on you I swear.” He flashed you another dazzling smile, this time with an added wink and a sweet chuckle under his breath. Why God..why..

“Rose might have some more things for you, I know she's excited there will be someone else around to assist but you are first and foremost my assistant so you'll be handling my things primarily and then I may share you with the rest of the crew as needed. You okay with that?”

You clicked your pen, “Of course!”

“Fantastic.” He opened up his little notebook which had a little bullet point list written down. You glanced at it and were able to read out most of it but averted your eyes out of respect. You didn't want him to think you were nosey. At least not yet.

“I know we already talked about most of this last night so it may be repetitive, my apologies for that. I'll keep things pretty simple for you and just reiterate some things,” Jake wiped the corner of his mouth. “Pre shows Im just looking for help with getting ready. Making sure my suits are ready to go, my boots that I need are clean of scuffs. Might need help with make up here and there,” He cleared his throat. “Just some eyeliner nothing fancy like Josh. Maybe some things with my hair but I'm not sure.”

“I can definitely help you explore some ideas.” You gave him a soft smile that he returned.

“Rose usually handles the food and drinks and making sure the venues have everything we need, I'm not sure if she wants to keep it that way or not but we will have to ask her.”

“Might be easier for her too but yes, we will discuss.” You said.

Jake turned a page in his little book, “Okay now on stage stuff, I know you also got a brief idea of what that would be for me.”

You grimaced slightly at the memory of Jakes harsh tone at last nights show telling you to ‘fuck off’ when you were so clearly in his way and not helping. At least now that you're sitting down, hopefully that won't happen again.

“Basically I just need those fresh towels ready, need my drinks to stay topped off like I mentioned, making sure the roadies follow the schedule for which guitar for which song, yada yada. Making sure I have guitar picks ready to go.” He paused to turn the page again and read down the list. “Then I guess just tending to my basic requests throughout the tour. I promise I'm really not that high on maintenance even if it didn't seem that way last night.” He gave you another soft smile.

“This is all very doable for me. My only request is to keep an open communication with me and work with me, not against me if things go a little haywire while I get used to the flow of your tour.”

Jake nodded. “Deal.”

“So I guess Rose is not making this little meeting of ours.” You giggled softly and began packing up your notebook and pen.

“I'm not surprised,” Jake said, mirroring your actions. “Josh can be very demanding of attention you'll learn that pretty quickly.”

You giggled. “I think I already have.”

***

August 4th.

STARCATCHER

Seattle, WA.

“Damn, you really have some dedicated fans.” You said, looking out the van window at the fans lined up on the street along the venue.

Jake pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. “We really do, they're awesome.”

You subconsciously twisted the rings on your fingers in your lap from the feeling of anxiety creeping up in your throat. Jake was the biggest artist that you have worked for so far. Even after your conversation with him the other day where he laid out everything he needed from you in detail once again, you still felt unsure about how tonight would go.

You felt Jake's hand on your shoulder pulling you back to reality. “You okay over there? You're a million miles away.”

You glanced over at him and smiled softly, “Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just a little nervous I guess.”

“No need to be Y/N, things will go smoothly! I promise not to be an asshole tonight.” You both shared a soft laugh.

Things did not in fact go smoothly…

When you and Jake had initially arrived at the venue you were met with a very frazzled looking Rose and others bustling around.

“Rose, what the fuck is going on?” Jake had sat her down on the couch in one of the green rooms. Josh on the opposite end of the couch, threw his arm around her for comfort as tears streamed down her face. Across the room Sam and Danny stood unusually quiet and still.

“One of the runners,” She blew her nose. “Dropped off your stage outfits at the dry cleaners too late and I don't know if we will even have your stage outfits ready to go, let alone everything else adding up. Were missing mic packs somewhere and-and..” She hiccuped. Across the room you saw Danny give Sam a slight nudge with his elbow.

“Okay deep breaths Rose Bud, remember like we practiced the other day?” Josh said, pulling her closer to him. “We will get this figured out. Don't forget Y/N is here, maybe she can help out a bit.”

“Yeah, Y/N can help out.” Jake spoke up, volunteering you. “I don't really have much on my list today and I don't need her until later.”

Rose sniffled and looked up at you. “Would you be able to help?”

All eyes were on you and the panic you felt in the van crept back up in your throat. “Yeah, uh yes I can see what I can do.”

Rose jumped up off the couch and gave you a tight hug, “Oh thank the heavens!”

Shortly after Rose had calmed down a bit, everyone dispersed for the most part. You followed closely behind Sam and Danny as they exited the green room. You picked up on their quiet whispers shared between each other as you turned the corner, your presence apparently going unnoticed.

“Dude, you gotta go get those mic packs.” Danny whispered, bumping Sam with his elbow like he did in the green room.

“I know, I know!” Sam responded, squeezing past a few dolly boxes. “I have to go dig them out from my case.”

“Okay,” You spoke up. “So am I to assume that you two had something to do with the disappearance of those mic packs?” Both of the boys' heads turned quickly in your direction and their eyes grew wide. They had been caught.

“I do not know what you are talking about Y/N.” Danny gave you a sly grin, turning around to face you.

You rolled your eyes, “Of course not. You know, you two have some impeccable timing it seems.”

“Well it's not like we knew everything would go to shit today!” Sam threw his hands up defensively. You couldn't contain your giggle as a smile broke across both of their faces.

“You two are terrible and you're officially on my radar,” You pushed on both of their shoulders lightly. “Lets go get them. At least then maybe Rose will stop crying.”

To your luck, the boys had not so sneakily hid the mic packs in plain sight in Sam's wardrobe case and you had them returned to Rose who swore up and down that you were a good luck charm. She had directed you to give them to Dale who was managing sound and tech for the shows. Walking through a little passageway you made your way into the arena where the beeping sounds of heavy machinery seemed to bounce off the ceilings. Techies and roadies alike were bustling around hanging lights, hooking up mechanicals and wires. The stage was being built and even chairs were already being set up on the floor. You had found Dale pretty quickly who seemed relieved to see the mic packs in your hands and thanked you before turning back to a few other workers and continuing directing them on where things will be going.

You took a moment before reentering the winding halls of Denver's Ball Arena to admire how big the venue was from where you stood on the floor. You couldn't begin to imagine playing to an arena packed full of people like this night after night. The empty seats reaching as high as the ceiling made your stomach churn at the thought of sitting up that high. You wondered how many people would pack in tonight to see the boys play their music. You then noticed a small movement out of the corner of your eye as you panned the rest of the arena in awe.

Was that? No..

Your lips separated with a low gasp. Jake was running. He must've been doing laps around the arena. You stood frozen in your spot watching him closely as he rounded the corner of the venue furthest away from you. His hair was tied back in a low bun against his neck, he had abandoned his usual attire and was sporting a pair of running shorts (something you couldn't picture him wearing) and the skin of his bare torso so clearly glistening in the lighting from the sweat on his body.

You hadn't realized how hard you had been staring until he rounded the corner and was running towards you. He smirked at you as you locked eyes and your heart leapt in your chest at the realization that you had been caught ogling him. You quickly turned on your heel before he got any closer and booked it down the hall.

What the hell is wrong with me..snap out of it..

“See something you like?” You heard his voice ring out behind you. Cocky bastard.

You turned around and looked at Jake, it was even worse having him up close to you now. Subconsciously you waited until he caught up to you to continue walking down the hall.

“Cat got your tongue or something?” He smirked at you as he wiped his sweaty face with a towel. His cologne became ever more powerful as it was radiating off of his hot skin. It was intoxicating. The scents of bergamot and vanilla create a sensual aroma that clouded your mind. Your mouth ran dry and you tried so hard not to steal glances at his sweaty chest. You probably looked like an idiot screaming at yourself mentally to respond to him.

“What would you like for lunch Jake?” You cleared your throat finally. “Anything specific you like for your post run ritual?”

“Mmm, a hot shower.”His tone caught you off guard.

Was he doing this on purpose?

You took a chance and looked his way and you caught what you thought was the tail end of a wink sent towards you. Was he fucking flirting with me? No, no…no way.

He let out a booming laugh, “I just usually have some sort of chicken wrap. Rose should have it already somewhere if you don't mind grabbing that for me.” He wiped the back of his neck and let his hair down as you two got closer to his designated dressing room.

“Sure.”

His fingers grazed your lower back as you cut the corner to the dressing room and your skin felt like it was on fire.

***

The rest of the day ended up running a lot more smoothly than the morning did. Rose was able to get the dry cleaners to expedite the cleaning of the stage outfits and they were back at the venue right as the boys finished their soundcheck and you and Rose hastily worked together to get Josh's jumpsuits laid out for the evening after hanging up suits in other dressing rooms. You had written down a small list in your phone of everything you needed for Jake to have a smooth show tonight.

Towels by his guitar case. Check.

One towel on the amp. Check.

Check with Tim to make sure Jakes guitars are all tuned and ready. Check.

Snacks and drinks in the dressing room. Check.

Wine bottles in guitar case. Check.

Water. Big check.

You felt really prepared for tonight and mentally ready for his cues on stage. Luckily for you, Jake said he had a handle on getting himself ready for tonight and you found him laughing along with something Danny and Sam had apparently said as you walked into the green room for final checks before the walk to the stage.

“Alright boys!” Rose clapped her hands together. “Everyone has their wireless packs all charged and ready to go?”

Everyone nodded collectively.

“Let's have a show!”

***

August 10th

STARCATCHER

Los Angeles, CA.

The morning had gone smoothly thanks to your multiple alarms set to ring every 5 minutes no matter how many times you snoozed them. You were exhausted. Everyone was exhausted actually. The last week of what felt like back to back shows, sleeping in tour bus bunks and arriving at venues, the first thing at the crack of dawn was catching up to everyone. You wanted nothing more than to keep your head buried underneath the soft white linens of the hotel bed sheets with the AC blasting on full, but duty calls and you had to get your adult child to the venue sooner rather than later. Rose of course was up at the crack of dawn and out of the room already tending to the frontman of the band who unfortunately for her, was an early riser regardless of the time he went to bed the night before.

As you did your morning routine and applied some concealer underneath your eyes you were thanking the universe that you were heading home tomorrow. Just one more day, you thought. One more show after this and I can sleep in my own bed and shower in my own home.

Getting yourself moving in the morning was not bad after you had a few sips of your favorite caffeinated drink, however, getting Jake moving in the morning was another thing. He had a tendency to sleep in until the last moment possible. Not to mention actually getting him ready and out of the hotel room on time was like trying to put a coat on a toddler, near to impossible without some sort of fight. Yet, to your surprise today, he was already up and waiting for you to meet him. He had even called a runner for you two already and was waiting with a breakfast sandwich ready to go.

“When the hell did you get this?” You asked Jake as you buckled up in the white van.

“Shortly after I woke up and decided I was hungry.” He smirked.

You rolled your eyes and decided not to press any further. Thankfully, it seemed as if everything at the venue was in working order. You and Rose caught up on administrative things for the band throughout the day, made sure everyone had their plane tickets booked and ready to go for a quick and easy trip home to Nashville tomorrow. Naturally of course, just because the morning and afternoon had gone smoothly, this meant something had to go haywire before the show.

Rose had finished Josh and Sams make up for the night. You had been giggling to yourself listening to Josh and Sam. You officially learned what a “Rhinestone Diary” was as the bands social media manager, Kaiya, helped put it together. While the Rhinestone Diary offered a moment of fun for a few, for others, tensions were high after so many shows. Lack of sleep and being cooped up together for a period of time was really taking a toll on everyone's emotions.

You were typing away on your computer next to the main green room meant for the band to hang out when raised voices pulled you out of your focus.

“Thats fucking stupid!”

“Jake,” Josh raised his voice. “You cant just make changes like that last fucking minute because you dont want to play Frozen Light.”

“Jake,” Rose spoke softly. “We already sent out the setlist to the sounds and light guys.”

“Okay and?” He snapped. “It's not the first time we've made a last minute change.” Your typing paused and you closed the lid on your laptop.

“Were not fucking playing Highway Tune!” Josh practically screamed. You had never heard Josh raise his voice that loud. You had heard stories of how bad fights between the Kiszkas could get before but nothing could have prepared you for witnessing it in real time.

You had abandoned your laptop and you leaned up against the door frame just as Jake seemed to be exiting the room.

“Fucking selfish prick you know that,” He turned around and looked at Josh. “You know this is just as much my band as it is yours, its called fucking compromise.”

“It's not much of a compromise when we completely change something that I do not want!” Josh's arms crossed and Jake glared at Josh, you and Rose.

Greaaat, now I'm caught in the crossfire.

“What fucking ever.” Jake threw his hands up and brushed past you in the door frame. He began walking down the short hallway towards his dressing room before turning to you. “You coming?”

Without a word you pushed off the door frame and walked over towards him. Your arms had been crossed against your chest in defense from the rising tensions between the boys. Following Jake closely you watched as he yanked his jacket off and set down on the chair in front of his mirror, he seemed defeated.

Your arms uncrossed, “Anything I can do for you Jake?”

“Uh, yeah, I could use some help with my eyeliner pencil,” He let out a breath. “Im shaking so damn bad I can't sharpen the thing.”

You nodded your head and dug through the little makeup bag that was set aside for Jake specifically and located the little black eyeliner pencil that was more than halfway used. The sound of you sharpening the little pencil was the only noise that you heard in the room as you felt Jake observing you.

Unfortunately for you, the soft tip of the pencil kept crumbling in the sharpener as you kept twisting it and twisting it.

“Fuck.” You muttered and felt Jake's eyes glance up at you. “God dammit.” You muttered again as the tip broke for the third time.

“That's the only one I have, stop sharpening it!” Jake snapped at you.

“It's fine Jake we're going home in a day or so, we can get another one.” You kept sharpening the pencil.

“Youre fucking wasting it!” He snapped at you again. This time, he had snatched the pencil and the sharpener out of your hand. “Just go fucking get my phone charger off the bus Y/N.”

“Huh?”

“Go fucking get my charger from the bus. Its not that fucking hard to follow directions.”

You instantly recoiled at his raised voice and your head dropped, you felt like you haad fucked up again. When you took a chance to glance at Jake his back was turned to you and your shoulders slumped. You watched as he examined the pencil in his hands and then threw it forcefully into the garbage can across the room.Great, there I go again. It was a usual occurrence for you to blame yourself for others emotions even if you were not consciously aware of it.

The walk to the tour bus gave you a breath of fresh air at least and allowed you to clear your mind.

By the time you got back into the arena it was already showtime and the boys had been walked to the stage by security. You plugged Jake's phone in and set it on the vanity in the green room, briefly glancing at his notifications but not trying to pay any real attention to them as you saw a list of texts and a few other notifications. Not my business….

Grabbing a bottle of Cabernet off of a nearby table you began your descent to the stage just as you heard the opening lines of what you quickly learned as The Falling Sky and slowed your stride. You knew Jake was angry but you hated that the anger was directed towards you. He had no right to take his frustrations out on something that you didn't cause and you made a mental note to put him in his place another time. Right now, your focus and your job was on Jake putting on a good show for his fans.

Walking up to the side of the stage you checked in with Brian, Jakes “right hand” roadie, that all of his guitars were ready along with additional strings and made a note to tell Rose that you needed more nylon strings for Jakes acoustic as he had already broke a few since the last few shows. Standing near the side stage you observed as the crowd went wild for any little movement the boys seemed to make. Josh's voice echoing like siren through the venue echoing off the same walls you had observed in other venues still made your heart stand still

These boys had talent, talent beyond comprehension, and though you had only known them for a short while you were mesmerized by the craft they created for as young as they were. You found your eyes closely following Jake and while you tried to convince yourself it was because of your job, having to know what he needed at all times, deep down you knew it was because he was the most mesmerizing of them all..

Watching Jake play guitar was like a drug, something you didn't think you needed until it was right in front of you. The raw talent and animalistic way that he played the guitar, the way he made it sing, the way he made it moan and bend to his every need..

Your thoughts were cut short as Rose came up beside you and signaled to the break in the setlist in front of you. Almost simultaneously Jake looked back side stage and signaled to his amp where his cup of wine lay hidden. That was your cue. Staying out of sight you twisted the cap and graciously poured his cup half full. He gave you a half smile and a small thumbs up as a thanks but you returned his gesture with a frown because fuck his attitude earlier. Even if he was feeling better from the energy from the fans in the room doesn't mean that you had forgotten how he had snapped at you.

You made your way back down the stairs side stage and stood by with your arms crossed thinking about how much you wanted this show to end so you could go lay in your hotel room bed and forget about today. You took a deep breath as you heard Jake's guitar wail again, You'll be in your own bed in a few days time, you'll be in the quiet of your apartment, just keep hanging on Y/N..

You watched in horror as Jake approached you, his red gibson swinging on his hips. He stepped down the back stairs with confidence and handed you the white rose he was carrying, “I'm sorry I was a dick to you tonight.”

Oh.

You stood frozen holding the long stem with the white flower delicately on top as Jake gave you a small smile and walked back up the stairs. This was definitely something you were not expecting.

***

August 20th

HOME SWEET HOME…

Nashville, TN.

It had been a little while since the day Jake presented you with his apology. You had accepted the rose willingly when he handed it to you, but you felt in utter shock over it. That evening after the show Jake had sat you down and told you he was really going to work on his attitude towards you, that it was unfair you were taking the brunt of it when his anger had been all towards his brothers. You had parted ways on good terms after coming home to Nashville and you were enjoying your quiet time away from the limelight, and the chaos. You had just sat down on your couch and cozied up for the night when your phone screen lit up next to you unexpectedly.

Jake Kiszka

Hey, you busy tomorrow?

Oh. This is unexpected.

You were snuggled up with a glass of your favorite beverage in hand and your roommate's cat, Beans, purring against your leg as you pet him softly. You had the tv on in the background but you were curled up with your favorite book at the moment, rereading it for the fourth time. Seeing Jake's name across your screen caused your heart to jump in your chest. You haven't heard from him in a few weeks, since the day you parted in the airport to head home when your roommate Addison came to pick you up.

You

Nothing planned, what's going on?

You laid your head against the couch pillow and felt as Beans stretched his paws against you, you smiled in content at the small animal. Your phone vibrated again.

Jake Kiszka

I could use your help cleaning out and re packing my cases for tour in a few weeks. We always make it into a party too with food and drinks and music too so I promise I won't work you too hard :)

You caught yourself smiling a bit. Even though this was going to be work related, the thought of seeing Jake again made your stomach fill with butterflies. Fuck no, stop smiling like that..this isnt right this is your boss for crying out loud…

Yet, you couldn't deny it anymore. You were so clearly lying to yourself.

You were crushing on Jake Kiszka whether you wanted to or not. You couldn't deny how your heart felt at the thought of him and to your demise, you couldn't help but think about him constantly since you ended the first part of the tour. Especially, it seems, at certain moments late at night when your vibrator had fully charged.

Okay, whatever, you were “down bad” according to Addison. You felt ashamed for feeling this way towards your boss but as long as you kept yourself professional around Jake what was the harm in a little crush..right?

****

August 21st

GVF, LLC OFFICE.

Nashville, TN.

You swore you didn't pick out this outfit because you were seeing Jake today. No definitely not the flowy powder blue sundress that was hanging in your closet begging to be worn. You had simply forgotten about it being in there and today was so hot, it was perfect weather for a dress, yeah.

You swiped on a little bit of your favorite lip gloss and fluffed your hair when you caught eyes with your roommate in the reflection of the mirror and yelped. “What the hell is a matter with your Addison?! Don't you know how to knock?” You clenched your heart over your heaving chest trying your best to calm your erratic heart.

Addison wore a proud smirk as she leaned against the door frame, steaming cup of coffee in hand. “Who are you getting all dolled up for? Is it your sweet Jaaake?”

“Mind your business” You turned towards your reflection one more time. One last look to make sure everything was in place. “Don't you have something to do today? Somewhere to be?”

Addison was barricading you in the bathroom. “Nope. Cmon, just admit that you have a crush on him already and I'll leave you be!”

You pushed past her not wanting to acknowledge the feelings growing in your heart and naturally, she followed you as you walked into your room to grab your purse to head out the door. “Keep denying it to yourself and it'll get worse.”

“Yeah well, there's nothing there to begin with, so I don't know what to tell you.” You slipped your favorite comfy shoes on near the front door of the apartment.

“Mhm, suuure.”

At that, you walked out of the door with a dramatic eye roll.

***

The Kiszkas sure knew how to throw a party it seemed.

What had started off as an innocent afternoon unpacking and repacking crates and boxes while listening to music, quickly turned into what Jake deemed “a shit fest” as soon as Sam had located a bottle of tequila hidden in one of his crates.

“Woah!” He had announced to the room, waving the bottle around like a prize. “Lookie what I have here. Who wants shots?!”

Rose stopped packing the box of Tide To-Go sticks in Josh's case. “Sam, were not even finished yet!”

“Why should that stop us? We just struck gold!”

You and Jake made eye contact as you were standing near his dolly box and you both smirked at one another. “Let's go Sammy boy!” He turned and yelled across the room.

“Yes! Jakes in! Now who else?”

One shot turned into, well, several in a short matter of time. You realize the energy had shifted from work to party mode once the music in the room had picked up in volume. To Rose's dismay, the tasks at hand had been long abandoned and swapped in for everyone mingling with each other. The glow of the afternoon sun had settled into darker hues of pink and orange as the sun began to set on the city of Nashville and you had a nice little buzz flowing through your veins. You felt yourself actually relax and let loose and have fun for once, without worrying about being too professional. You were growing quite comfortable around here. Around your little tour family.

You had been perched up against the pool table across the room watching the shenanigans of Jake and Sam fighting each other with plastic swords dramatically. Josh had taken it upon himself to be the ref and Jake had been on and off yelling about how Josh was terrible at his job. You smiled in content as you watched others scattered around the room, watching the childish display or talking amongst themselves.

“What are you smirking at?” Danny approached you.

“Oh, nothing, just uh, feeling happy for the first time in a little while. Grateful I'm here.”

“We're very grateful to have you. Jakes is very grateful, I know.” Danny shot you a small wink over the rim of his cup. Oh?

You were in the middle of talking with Danny about one of your favorite albums to listen to on your self dictated “Vinyl Sundays' in your apartment when you felt a nudge on your shoulder and heard a soft ‘hey’ in your ear. You turned around and were met with Jake, sunglasses on now of course even though the sun had just fully set and a playful smirk resting on his face. A hint of a British accent grazed past his lips when he spoke. “Cmere, wanna show you something.”

Your heart skipped a beat, did you mess something up? No, you couldn't have, not with his body language. You smiled softly at Danny. “Excuse me, it seems my attention is needed elsewhere.”

“Not a problem Y/N, it's been nice getting to know you. You'll have to bring me that vinyl so I can listen to it before the tour starts up again.” He smiled softly back at you.

“I will make sure that I do!”

You followed Jake through the hallways of their management office, both of you silent for a beat before Jake threw a smile over his shoulder at you.

“What were you and Danny talking about?”

“He was asking me about my vinyl collection actually.” You said proudly.

“Vinyl collection huh? Anything good?” He tipped his sunglasses down to throw you a quizzical look.

“Quite a bit actually,” You nodded. “Between my parents collection and my own I would say I have a couple hundred lying around. I try to listen to a new album every Sunday even if it's an album I know or have listened to on a streaming service.”

“Couple hundred?” You couldn't see it now that Jake's sunglasses found their rightful place once more on his nose, but his eyes practically bugged out of his head. You had caught him off guard and you didn't even know it. “Thats, that's quite impressive actually.”

You sighed, “I take pride in my collection but I really owe it to both of my parents, mostly my father, for having quite the exquisite rock and roll and folk collection.”

Jake hummed and flashed you a gut wrenching smile. “I might have to come and listen with you sometime.”

“I'd like that Jake.”

“Which one were you talking to Danny about?” You turned yet another corner in what seemed to be a maze of hallways.

“Oh, I was just going through another box in my parents basement the other day and found quite the gem. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll. One of my favorite songs is on there, Crimson and Clover.”

Jake smiled to himself, “Crimson and Clover, hmm.”

“What..” You were fully ready to defend yourself.

“Oh nothing, seems fitting. Seems very you, you remind me of a little clover. A little good luck clover. You've made my life so much easier on tour lately; it's like you're my little good luck charm. My little Clover.” Jake's fingers played with the stubble on his chin and you felt your cheeks grow warm with blood. “Ahh, and there's the Crimson to go along with it.”

You couldn't hide the smile any longer. The tension was so thick you felt as though you could cut through it with a dull knife.

“Jake?” You asked softly.

He turned towards you, eyes still hiding behind his RayBans. “Yeah?”

“Where are you taking me?” You couldn't help the infectious smile that broke across your face yet again. He was simply electric.

Jake stopped walking and you followed suit. “Ah fuck, Im sorry, I probably should’ve asked this before I pulled you away but do you smoke?”

“What?” You weren't sure you heard him correctly.

“You know.” He pinched his pointer finger to his thumb and raised it to his lips, eyebrows lifting simultaneously in question.

“Oh,” Your arms crossed against your chest. “Yeah uh, sometimes. Not often though.”

“Hmm,” He hummed and reached into the front pocket of his button down shirt. “Well, there's this secret room here that I like to hide away in sometimes and take the edge off after a meeting with the hooligans. Figured I could show you and we could, you know.” He trailed off and his head tipped down towards the ground.

“I'm down I think,” You smiled. “It's been awhile since I smoked though so I might not smoke all that much.”

Jake grinned at you, “Fantastic. No worries, we don't have to smoke it all. Cmon were not far.”

You followed Jake down yet another hallway towards a solid door with a bright exit sign hanging overhead. As he pushed through the door the August humidity engulfed you for a moment but it was short lived as Jake opened another side door from the outside of the white brick building and gestured to you to enter. You were surprised as you stepped into what looked like a, possibly still used, darkroom. Red lights were shining through the room, you could see bins on tables and clotheslines hung up along the walls. At the present moment though, no photos were hung up to dry.

“Woah.” You whispered as you heard Jake close the door behind you. “Is this?”

“A darkroom? Yeah,” He smiled at you softly, his sunglasses finally coming off of his face. “We like to come here and develop the film that we capture. Well, mostly Sam and Josh but I dabble with it sometimes as well.”

“This is really cool.” You said as you walked further into the room. “Kind of disappointed that there's no film developing right now, honestly.”

You heard the click of a lighter behind you and the sound of Jake inhaling. “Yeah, we wouldn't be able to do this though if there was.” He blew the smoke out of his mouth and you watched it engulf his face for a moment in the red light.

Damn these red lights, you thought. Jake somehow looked even sexier than he normally did in the low red lights. He looked like he was damned to steal your soul from you, like he was put on this earth to bewitch you into falling in love with him. He smirked as he blew out another big hit. “Are you just going to keep staring at me or would you like to take a hit of this?”

Your eyes widened with fear and you felt your face flush hot. Okay, thank god for these red lights actually…

You reached out to take the blunt from Jake and pulled it to your lips. You took in a generous hit, not aware of how much you had actually inhaled. But your lungs made sure to point that out to you pretty quickly though as a coughing fit began to wrack through your body.

“Woah Y/N, take a breath if you can.” Jake came up beside you and began rubbing your back, pulling the blunt from your fingers and holding it away from your body. Thankfully, you had carried a small water bottle with you and you were able to stop coughing enough to finally take a few deep breaths. You felt the instant head buzz from the high settling into your body. It wasn't alarming or anxiety inducing, you felt calm. Like your worries had no longer room in your mind.

“There we go.” Jake said softly, his strong hand still rubbing comforting circles along your back that definitely awoke a different type of feeling low in your stomach. “Ready for another?”

“Hell no.” You choked out a laugh and his throaty laugh followed suit. His laugh was music to your ears. How could it be possible that a damn laugh could sound sexy?

“Fair enough Y/N.”

You watched as he lifted the blunt to his soft looking lips that were glistening even in the red light. His eyes flicked to you again as the smoke began to leave his lungs and float through the air. Your eyes snapped to the ground out of embarrassment for being caught staring at him yet again. You hated how his lips tilted up in a little smirk as he realized, as well, that he had caught you again.

Clearing your throat you broke the silence, and the tension “What kind of film do you all usually produce here?”

Another cloud of smoke engulfed the space around you, the red lights showing that the room had a slight haze to it now. “Mostly pictures from the tour. I know Sammy boy is more into this than anything, surprisingly. He constantly carries his camera around with him.”

You hummed and pretended like the clotheslines with hooks were suddenly the most interesting thing in the room rather than the man who was dripping with sex appeal next to you.

“Want one last hit before it's done?” Jake asked, gesturing to the now very small blunt.

“Uh, I'm probably okay, I'd like to avoid another cough attack if possible.” You giggled softly as you waved him off.

“Hm,” His lips pressed into a tight line for a moment. “You ever shotgun before?”

“What?” Your eyes widened.

“You ever did a shotgun with someone while smoking?” He tilted his head at you.

“I uh, don't think so no.” You fidgeted with your fingers as nervousness crept up in your throat.

You watched as he moved a little closer to you, closing the space and making your throat constrict. “‘S pretty easy, I take a hit and then blow it in your mouth. It makes it so the smoke isn't as harsh.”

The spicy bergamot of his cologne rolling off of his skin began engulfing your senses and coaxing you into yet another intoxicating cloud of lust that was Jake. Now, of course, this sense was heightened with your current state of mind.

“Wanna try?” He whispered as he moved even closer to you again. You watched as he stepped in front of you so you two were facing each other head on now.

You slowly nodded your head in fear that your voice would fail you if you tried to speak. You bit your lip in anticipation of what was going to happen next. Jake sucked in a soft breath between his lips and brought his hand up to your chin.

“Don't do that,” He whispered. “Drives me crazy when you do.”

Your lips parted slightly as his calloused thumb swiped along your mouth, that very thumb catching the fullness of your bottom lip for just a moment as you released it from your teeth before he pulled away.

Your mouth was undeniably dry as he smiled down at you and you felt the buttons of his shirt graze softly against your skin. The heat coming off of his body was noticeable and by God did you suddenly wish he would just press himself fully against you.

“Okay, s’easy. Trust me yeah?” He brushed your hair away from one side of your face and your heart leapt out of your chest. You didn't have time to fully comprehend what was happening as you watched him bring the blunt to those perfectly soft looking lips and inhale a deep cloud of smoke. What happened next was simultaneously going too slow and too fast all at once. Your brain struggled to keep up with what was happening as his fingertips dipped into your hair and pulled you closer to him by the back of your neck. Holy shit.

You finally felt Jake's body meld with yours as best it could, the feeling of being pressed between the man you desired most and a shitty little table was instantly the most intoxicating feeling you had experienced in a long time. You didn't feel like you could have prepared yourself for the set of events that unfolded shortly after.

You felt that same thumb from earlier brush softly at the bottom of your ear as he tipped your head up towards him slightly. You wanted to close your eyes but your couldn't bring yourself to find the strength to do so. You watched as he leaned in and gasped softly as you felt his lip softly against yours. Your heart sank to your stomach at the feeling of finally being close to him in ways you only had wished for the last few weeks. You suddenly remembered what got you into this position in the first place as you felt Jakes nose nudge softly against yours. Your mouth parted slightly to accept the smoke tucked away in his lungs currently.At your acknowledgement that you were ready to accept what he was giving to you, you felt Jakes lips press a little harder against yours and you felt the hot smoke flood your mouth. You inhaled as best as you could but you also were frozen in place.

Instead of pulling away immediately as you exhaled the smoke from your own lungs, Jake took a chance and softly closed his lips against yours to which you softly reciprocated as well. This kiss was cautionary and you confirmed how both of you felt in the moment as Jake pulled slightly away, hand still tucked in your hair. You couldn't read his facial expression all too well but his eyes had a determined look.

You made the first move to fully kiss him at this point. You tipped your head up and pressed a more determined kiss to his lips. Jake welcomed the kiss. His lips engulfing your own in a soft, pillowy dream of lust. You felt goosebumps spread across your body as you melted further into him, wrapping your arms around the back of his head and you pulled him impossibly closer to you. As your mouths moved back and forth a little less cautiously at this point you made a mental note for yourself how Jake's bottom lip was most prominent in the kiss. His mouth was warm, and so soft but rough against your own as the sexual tension built up in the room. You felt his hands rubbing down the sides of your body and settling on your hips giving them a soft squeeze as you two deepened the kiss further and your tongues touched for the first time.

Inhibitions clearly out the window, you felt him lift you up onto the table behind you without breaking the heated make out that was now happening. As his tongue dipped further against yours, you couldn't help but moan softly. He seemed to appreciate your reaction as he squeezed your hips tighter and dragged you closer to the edge of the table, your clothed core making slight contact with the buckle of his belt. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing mattered other than Jake and how he felt. Your fingers found their way into his soft hair and you pulled slightly releasing a moan he had been hiding away from you. It didn't feel like enough. More. You needed more….

The shrill sound of an iPhone ringtone broke through the silence in the room making you both jump.

“Dammit Josh,” Jake swore as he looked at the screen of his phone and lifted it up to his ear. “What!” His body was still pressed up against yours and his fingertips were dragging along the exposed skin on your hip. From this position you were in, he looked fucked out and by God he looked delicious.

“I just ran out to my car to grab something dude,” Jake spoke angrily into his phone and rolled his eyes. “No im not in the fuckin, whatever man. Im coming back now anyways chill the fuck out.”

You heard the three beeps of a call ending and Jake sighed and glanced at you, “Sorry Clover”

His fingers grazed across your cheekbone. “Here, let me help you down.”

You felt his hands squeeze your hips again and you felt like you were out of breath. The weight of what happened between you and Jake now settling slowly into your consciousness. Before you could think much further, his fingertips tipped your chin up and he softly pressed his lips to yours one more time. As he pulled away he smiled softly at you and you couldn't help but reciprocate.

He was like a drug, and now that you've had a taste, you weren't sure you were going to be able to give it up. You pressed your fingertips softly to your tingling lips to hide your smile as Jake walked his way out the door, turning around to blow a kiss to you and wave his fingers. His sunglasses take their natural place sitting on his perfect nose once again. You followed shortly thereafter and giggled as you watched the remnants of the smoke pour out the door.

“Cmon darlin,” Jake wrapped an arm around your shoulder. “Let's go have ourselves a party, yeah?”

You smiled and wrapped an arm around Jake's torso, “Lets!” You'll deal with whatever just happened tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow is good.

Remember that harmless little crush you thought wouldn't get in the way of anything?

Yeah, well you might've been wrong but you definitely won't be telling anyone about it.

****

taglist: @brujamagik @anythingforjtk @jakesguitarsolo @do-it-jakey-baby @vanfleeter @violetstarcatcher @myownparadise96@ignite-my-fire @nina-23-45

A/N: If you would like to be added to the taglist let me know :)

#jake kiszka #jake gvf #jake kiszka series

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eldritch-nightmare · 8 months

Text

most to least likely move on if their s/o dies.

a short little something to post while i work on some stuff in my inbox. except i only explain the bolded ones and the rest you get to come up with your own reasons i guess.

most likely: jason the toymaker, jeff the killer, candypop, kagekao.

50/50: nina the killer, x-virus, the bloody painter, the puppeteer, homicidal liu, jane the killer, laughing jack, hobo heart, the doll maker, nathan, eyeless jack, jay, jessica, brian.

least likely: zalgo, sully, slenderman, toby, clockwork, nurse ann, emra, laughing jill, alex, tim.

JASON'S whole thing is finding the one for him, so if his lover were to die then he would move on rather quickly, to be honest. he's killed many of his past lovers after he realized that they failed his requirements and whatnot. i suppose, if he thought his current significant other was the one for him, and they died an untimely death, then maybe he'd be less likely to move on. but he moves on from people rather quickly once he's done with them.

NINA really depends on how close she was to her significant other before their death. if things were fresh and new, then she'd probably move on with relative ease but if they've been together for years or they have such a strong bond with each other then i think it would take her a good long while to move on from their death to even think about pursuing any other relationships.

ZALGO wants to literally destroy mortals so the fact that he managed to fall in love with one? and then they died? yeah, no. he's never going to fall in love with another. that mortal was special, and now they're gone, and that just gives zalgo even more reason to create chaos and destruction. what's the point of the world living if his lover isn't there to live in it?

SULLY, unlike liu, is not accustomed to loss. he's never lost anyone close to him before, so he doesn't know what it's like to grieve and move on. so, i think, if he were to enter a relationship with someone, and his partner were to die then the likelihood of him moving on from them is damn near non-existent. i also think he'd be very hesitant to let anyone close after losing his significant other because he understands what it's like to lose someone now, and he's not sure if that's a pain he'd be willing to experience again so... it would just be safer to never let anyone close ever again.

TOBY has already lost so much, and he's already hesitant enough to let people close to him so if he enters a relationship with someone and they die? well, he'd probably break more than he already has. he's only one man, a mere mortal. he can only take so much pain and loss before it all becomes too much for him to handle. honestly, he'd probably be... grateful for slender's control over him because at least when he's in a mindless state of obey, he doesn't have to think about anything.

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ectonurites · 2 months

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Sorry to bother you, but you seem to know a lot about the comics, and specifically about Tim Drake. I was wondering if you knew off the top of your head when Tim and Steph last canonically dated? Because I see people blaming Meghan Fitzmartin a lot, but I could've sworn that they last broke up before she became Tim's author.

So, the people 'blaming' Meghan Fitzmartin are correct—but I can understand some confusion happening because the breakup occurred off-panel. So like, if you weren't following things closely at the time these books were coming out, it might seem like the first Tim story Fitzmartin wrote was referencing a breakup that already happened somewhere else... but that is not the case.

The other possible confusion point would be that there was an earlier 'break up & get back together' storyline with them in the Rebirth era, a few years before she wrote Tim.

To briefly go over the Rebirth & onward Tim/Steph dating timeline just to clear things up (and I'll be using cover dates just for consistency, so if you want release date subtract two months):

Detective Comics #934-935 August 2016 [written by James Tynion IV] Tim & Steph are established to be dating in Rebirth continuity. We don't see the actual moment they start dating, we're just shown that this is now the situation.

Detective Comics #940 November 2016 [written by James Tynion IV] Tim is 'killed' (he's not really but everyone thinks he is, and he is out of the picture for a while) and thus that effectively pauses any relationship between he and Steph, obviously.

Detective Comics #969 January 2018 [written by James Tynion IV] Tim is back and reveals himself as alive to Steph, and the two of them resume their relationship. After a short timeskip, we then learn that in the aftermath of his return... Tim is not being honest with Steph about his plans (to not go to Ivy like he said he would, to instead continue hero-ing indefinitely).

Detective Comics #970 February 2018 [written by James Tynion IV] Tim & Steph start to have some tension here because of how he's overworking himself, how he's handling things with her, and there's a moment where she says she's leaving, he asks if she means 'The Belfrey, the team, or me?' and she says 'I'll get back to you on that.'

Detective Comics #974 April 2018 [written by James Tynion IV] In the aftermath of the team sort of exploding due to ~plot events~ Steph breaks up with Tim while he's throwing too much of himself into his work.

Detective Comics #981 July 2018 [written by James Tynion IV] More plot stuff happens (a whole big mess with Brother Eye) but once that's settled, the two reunite and rekindle their relationship as they head off ‘to Ivy University’ as they tell Bruce, but we know that’s not actually where they’re going.

Young Justice (2019) #5 July 2019 [written by Brian Michael Bendis] Flashbacks show us that after leaving Gotham, Tim & Steph had specifically gone to see the Justice League/Zatanna for help with timeline memory things rather than going to Ivy. Even though they’re in separate places at the main timeline of the book, this shows us that they're still together.

Young Justice (2019) #11-20 February 2020 - January 2021 [written by Brian Michael Bendis] Steph & Tim immediately try to get ahold of one another via text once Tim's back on the correct earth, and work on getting back in touch until eventually reuniting. They are shown together [and depicted as still dating] during the later parts of the book.

Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe #1 February 2021 [written by Joshua Williamson, James Tynion IV, and Scott Synder] Shows the two of them together within the larger group of former Titans/YJ members—specifically one panel towards the end shows us Tim with his arm around her while they talk with others [fun fact that’s the panel my icon is from I just had edited Steph’s head out of the way]. As I recall/as far as I'm aware, this issue is the last time we see them interacting together/together as a couple before Future State and then the Infinite Frontier relaunch. [disclaimer that there could be like... a splash page group shot or something that I'm forgetting elsewhere during the Dark Nights: Death Metal event but like, that's not actual interaction that's just physically being present in the same group shot].

NON-CANON BUT RELEVANT: Future State: Robin Eternal #1-2 March - April 2021 [written by Meghan Fitzmartin] During the Future State event which was used largely to tease/set up plotlines for the Infinite Frontier relaunch, in this potential future Tim & Steph are seemingly no longer together but still on okay terms—teaming up in the story, but with clear tension and history there.

Batman: Urban Legends #4 August 2021 [written by Meghan Fitzmartin] We learn that Tim & Steph broke up off-panel before the events of the issue. Steph appears in the following issue further reiterating that they recently broke up.

So yeah! They broke up off-panel and this was first referenced in Batman: Urban Legends #4, thus under Fitzmartin's pen.

#sam explains #i did briefly reread each of these issues im referencing here to confirm they had the content i thought they did but i was doing that #in a very Speedy way so. keep that in mind. but like the general events here im certain of. + i was keeping up with almost all of these #things as they originally were released. [except like. some of the later parts of the 'tec run. i was there at the start but checked out #for a while bc busy with college lmaoooo but i was back in and keeping up with stuff once later parts of YJ 2019 was coming out]#<- though to be clear i have READ all of these. i just mean the later parts of 'tec i read like a while after their release

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deepsix-writing · 3 months

Text

Fix You. Chapter 1 of 5. (BEGINNING)

After the events of Marble Hornets, Tim is left to pick up the pieces of what is left of his old life. One piece in particular has him haunted.

(NEXT CHAPTER)

When Tim had first seen the hooded figure lying motionless on its back after falling off the balcony, he'd thought, good. Another puppet of the Operator down… one step closer to putting an end to this nightmare. He hadn't realized it was, instead, the beginning of an entirely new one.

'Hey. It's Brian. Leave a message… or don't. Here's the beep.'

Never had Tim known the sound of a dial tone so well. His devotion to that voicemail inbox was as a priest to his god; He knelt in prayer morning, noon, and night, begging and pleading with whatever force it was that looked down on him from heaven to let him hear his best friend's voice just one more time. Steadfast in faith, he never stopped calling, never stopped hoping, even as the seasons changed and he did too. Even as the police came in search of missing persons, and went when they found nothing, Tim remained. His razor collected dust in his bathroom. A beard as thick as his misplaced hope had cropped up on his face.

The investigations had been particularly difficult for Tim, especially when detectives had shown up on his doorstep. For Brian's, he'd easily been able to shrug them off and convince both them and himself that the college student must have been off visiting family out in the west, or enjoying a break from classes by the coast. It was summer, and the benefit of the doubt was his seldom hope. He called Brian's number and let the voicemail play for the police once, then a million times more for himself after they were long gone.

'Hey. It's Brian. Leave a message… or don't. Here's the beep.'

Then came Alex's. The film student had worked up a track record of unexplained disappearances already (something Tim relayed to the cops word for word), but Tim didn't have much else to say about him. The man had already painted the walls of Tim's mind with a noxious crimson; he couldn't bear to lose another shred of his regards to him. The detectives said they would keep in touch with Tim if they discovered anything new, and they went on their way. Tim let the sound of Brian's canned voicemail message fill the empty space in the meantime.

'Hey. It's Brian. Leave a message… or don't.'

Time marched on. Tim marched on. In the mornings, he took his medicine, listened to the voicemail, and afterwards he went to work. Admittedly, the job he worked was a crappy one, but it was the first he'd managed to hold down in years. It would do. Tim would keep to himself and do just enough to get by until he was let off in the evening. Stopping by a gas station for cheap junk food on the way home was a mandatory part of the routine; he would do anything to prolong the inevitable sight awaiting him in his apartment.

He wades through the garbage of his overgrown and messy apartment after he wedges the door open and carefully locks it back up again. It is welcome procrastination for when he makes it to his bathroom and looks in the mirror. When he looks at himself, all he sees is blood.

'Hey. It's Brian. Leave a message…'

His god is dead. Tim isn't sure how long he's been praying to a corpse, but now he's able to smell the rot. It fills his nose and makes it hard to think. When he looks in the mirror, all he sees is death.

A tidal wave of blood replaces the ringing in his ears. He grips the edges of his sink. He stares down a murderer. A brutal killer that single-handedly delivered the end to all of his closest friends. People who'd had rich lives and bright futures ahead of them.

Alex's last moments replay in his mind. His hands, the same ones that had gone white with how tightly he gripped the countertop, were the ones he had used to stab the film student in the throat and the image would never ever fucking leave him. Over and over, again and again until Alex was coughing and hacking and drowning in his own blood. The sound of a punctured windpipe was not one he would ever forget. The scene had smelled like metal and victory at an impossible cost. His hands had been stained red ever since.

It was a microscopic change, one Tim hadn't noticed at first, but he was certain the skin on his hands was a shade redder than the rest of his body. No amount of hand-washing or showers or even bleach would fix it, and no one at his crappy job had known him long enough to see the change like he did. But Tim knew. Tim could hold up his hand against his face and be able to tell. His hands were cursed by a near-transparent shade of crimson, and any time he looked at them, guilt burnt a hole in his stomach. His anxiety would be remedied with another replay of the voicemail that never changed.

It had taken Tim longer than he could proudly admit to figure out what that had meant for his former friend. Combing through Jay's online archive of footage to find out exactly who the hooded man was had taken even longer. It was like watching his brother's last moments on video after finding out he'd died the same night. In comparison, the voicemail was like hearing the voice of his patron saint.

Tim's faith dies in the middle of the night, when he lies in bed with a cigarette in one hand and his phone in the other. The device is perched over his head, shining down on his face as he calls Brian's number, listens to the voicemail, and hangs up.

'Hey. It's Brian…'

It's a neurotic dance he repeats until his eyes grow tired and he's just on the verge of sleep, and then…

"Uh, hello? Who is this?"

Tim dropped the phone on his face before he knew how to react. It fell in the crevice between his side and the bed, and it took him a frantic moment to wrench it out.

"Brian, Brian! Holy shit, are you okay? It's Tim. It's me, Tim! Are you okay?? What, What happened–"

"Woah, hey!" Tim realized it wasn't Brian's voice. "-I'm not – I just found this phone on the side of the road earlier. It's not mine."

Then it set in. Then something withered inside him. When his lips moved, it was a miracle.

"…Where on the side of the road?"

"Oh, just by Rosswood Park. So are you friends with this Brian guy? He probably wants his phone ba–"

Tim snapped his phone shut and never called the number again. Sleep did not come to him that night, and in the next few weeks they were as lovers on thin, frayed ropes. Circles as dark as his guilt weighed down his eyes. Thoughts he'd put behind himself years before came running to catch up with him.

Tim was dead. His hope was a flickering candle that had been tossed into the ocean. It hadn't stood a chance. He hadn't stood a chance. He only knew of one thing left to do.

He found that one thing in his car keys and in his drive to Rosswood Park and in the loaded handgun he'd stuffed in his pocket. He parked his car sideways in the lot overlooking the forest. The front end of the car dipped past the painted dividers, and usually he'd hate it when people left their cars parked like that. Every time, Tim would grimace and regard the sight as a result of the driver lacking common decency. But in that moment, it was the last thing he could have ever thought to care about.

It was funny, how one simple piece of knowledge had changed Tim's entire perspective on life. He had decided that morning would be his last, and just like that, the world had flipped on its head. The rising sun was brighter, the morning sky was prettier, and his bed had been warmer. He even felt like cooking a meal for himself that day.

Tim went to the store after showering and dressing himself in his cleanest clothes. He bought just enough ingredients for this one recipe, and he even bought dried rosemary. It came in a little glass bottle, and was a dollar and sixty cents more expensive than the store brand spices he usually bought. Every time before, his eyes had passed over it. He'd excused the idea of buying it despite seeing it as an ingredient in countless recipes because it wasn't worth it, the dish would taste just as good without it, it was a waste of money. But when he used it to cook his last meal that day, it was like finding the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle he'd tried to put together years ago. It was the best food he'd ever tasted.

In the park, the birds chirped like an orchestra catered to Tim's ears. It was late fall, and the golden hues of falling leaves orbited around him. Before he joined the barren trees ranks, he sent a text to his former manager. Dead men can't work.

For a dead man, his feet were sure and steady. He knew exactly where he was going: the same place he'd died once before. Its once pristine white walls were peeling, and it was covered in graffiti now, but it hadn't changed any more than Tim had.

At the hospital, Tim had learned how the world worked. You start out whole, and every time the world beats you down, it takes a piece of you. With every friend he'd lost, Tim lost a chunk of his soul. And when he'd killed Alex, he'd lost a bigger chunk than he could have ever anticipated. Tim knew he wouldn't have enough of himself left afterwards to survive losing anyone else.

He'd always tried to find those pieces. It was the only reason he hadn't split town the moment he'd had the chance. Tim's eyes had always been full of stars and the against-all-odds hope that one day he could find those pieces again. Or maybe, he'd thought, he could find them again in someone else. But that someone else was gone, now.

Whatever pieces that had left him had rotted and decomposed. They nourished the soil that crept up from the floor of his old hospital room and grounded the lichen that hung from the ceiling. Time could put the very foundations of the room to ruin and Tim would still feel the years he'd spent locked away here like the ache in his feet from walking all this way.

It was as fitting a place as any to die. Tim envied his younger self: back when his mind was his biggest problem, and not his actions. As he closed the half-hinged door and trailed his hands along the peeling paint of his coffin, he hoped and prayed no adventurous teenagers would come and run into his body until the next summer, when wild animals had taken the pieces of him that would be left behind. He didn't want this place to harbor any more trauma for anyone else. He would end that legacy here and now.

Tim pulled the handgun from his pocket. It was warm from resting against his thigh. He brought it up to his chin, then thought better and let the tip of the barrel press against his temple. But it felt wrong. Too dramatic, too highschool. The warm metal slid to the center of his forehead instead. But he couldn't grip the trigger as well, he started to think that instead he could-

His phone buzzed in his pocket. Tim assumed it was the dead man's manager, replying to the dead man's lukewarm resignation text. But why not read a dead man's phone while he still could? He let the gun rest against the side of his head as he pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open.

'Hey. I know it's been a while since we've talked and you're probably pissed at me (understatement I know) but I need a ride. Really really need a ride. I'm supposed to be gone by 4, so if you could be here by then, I'd owe you my life.'

The text was from a number he didn't recognize and was accompanied by an address for some place in downtown Tuscaloosa. Tim was just on the verge of clicking his phone closed, excusing it as meant for someone else, when the unmarked number sent another message and suddenly there was no air in his lungs.

'This is Brian btw. Lost my old phone.'

Tim's grip on the handgun's trigger turned to wrought iron in his surprise, and a loud BANG made the last piece of himself jump out of his body. His ears didn't have enough time to stop ringing before both his phone and gun clattered to the floor. His fingers shot up to his head and he felt dizzy when he pulled them back to reveal blood.

Tim fell down on his ass and suddenly there was a fire in his body that burned hotter than the pain in his head. He wanted - no, needed - to stay alive. Even if that text wasn't actually from Brian…

No, it had to be. Needed to be. Tim brought his hands back up to his head, clasping his temples and crying out in relief when he realized his skull was still intact. Blood and heat still poured from his head, but he'd managed to isolate the unknown injury to a graze mark along his left temple. It was enough to sting like a bitch when his fingertips met the open wound, but wasn't deep enough to reach the bone.

It was the second most profound miracle of the day.

The third was how he'd managed to get back to his car without anyone seeing the state of his face, and fourth was the first aid kit he had stuffed in his car. He'd bought it impulsively about a month after he'd started listening to Brian's voicemail recordings, just in case he ever ran across his old friend on the side of the road on his way to the store or work. He had always held out hope for that man.

Tim checked the clock. 3:24pm.

The address from the text message had to be at least twenty minutes away. Shit.

Tim's work of patching up his temple through the foldout mirror in his car was sloppy, and no neater was he when he stuffed his handgun into the glove compartment and jammed his keys into the ignition. The ringing in his ears was the only accompaniment to his wild thoughts as he sped down the road to meet the man behind the text that had given him a new lease on life.

The address turned out to lead to a neat little building just a few blocks from the not-abandoned, non-psychiatric hospital in downtown Tuscaloosa. The sign out front seemed medical, but through Tim's stinging temple and his racing thoughts and the fire in his gut, he couldn't read past 'rehabilitation'. Tim pulled his car into the lot by the front doors and his parking job is just as crooked as it was in Rosswood Park's lot.

He's about to leave the car, but confronting whatever lies in wait for him suddenly wrenches his heart back to the park. His head lurches and he is in his bedroom with his phone, hearing the stranger's voice through Brian's number.

A cigarette would help ease his nerves, he's sure, but a sign by his car advertising a 'smoke-free facility' discourages him. He settles with rolling down his window and alternating between resting his arm on it and drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. It's an ineffective compromise.

Tim looks at the front of the building through the film of grime on his windshield and watches as people filter in and out of the front doors. Some are in crutches, others have casts. All are accompanied by medical staff in clean uniforms, all accompanied by smiles and kind, encouraging words. Tim wonders which of the staff fake their smiles, and which of them see their patients as less than human. He averts his gaze as he locks eyes with one of them, too scared he'll find thinly-veiled hatred for him, too.

When a skinny figure in a wheelchair exits the building with a nurse by his side, Tim does not make the same mistake of not recognizing his best friend. He is bumbling along the paved concrete at a snail's pace, struggling to get the wheels to move smoothly. The chair goes sideways every other inch he advances, but his clothes are clean and he is smiling.

He is smiling. Brian is alive and well and smiling and Tim is launching himself out of his car without so much as turning off the engine. Brian says something to the nurse and laughs and only has a fraction of a second to throw his old friend a surprised glance before Tim snaps up the space between them like a greedy animal and holds him tight. His arms squeeze Brian with no mercy until an awkward chuckle from the man threatens him to burst.

"Gh - uh. Happy to see you too, man." Brian's words are choked out through strangled breaths. "I'd hug you back, but uh– ok. I can't breathe."

Tim relents only a moment later when Brian starts wheezing, and when he peels himself away, his hand still lingers on Brian's shoulder. Wayward priest, meet your angel. Here to reunite you with your maker.

Brian is glowing, at least in Tim's mind. His clothes are cleaner than he's ever seen them, and even as Brian says something to him that he doesn't make out, he's smiling. It's that same stupid, cheeky grin he'd wear whenever he'd tell cheesy puns and jokes to Tim in highschool. Those upturned eyes that always looked towards the sun and would exchange glances with him that said a million words regarded him now with joy despite it all. The same fiery passion in his gaze and ice water in his veins was there now, even now that Tim had completely blanked out on his words.

"Uh… Tim? You alright?"

Brian's voice carries all of the same, and Tim is undone. A weight melts off his shoulders, but something holes itself up in his throat. All he can manage is a nod.

Brian exchanges a look with the nurse and looks back at Tim. Then, he laughs. The sound is a fire that burns away Tim's fear and anxiety and gives way to a giddy feeling he can't remember the last time he'd felt. He moves a hand up to wipe his face and sniffs. He hadn't realized how wet his face had gotten.

Then, he smiles back. He isn't sure if his words will hold, but he tests the waters anyways.

"I missed you, Brian."

I thought you were dead. I mourned for you. Grieved for you as if I'd watched the soul leave your body with my own two eyes.

"I missed you too, Tim."

Brian just smiles. And it's more than Tim could have ever possibly hoped for.

#marble hornets #tim wright #brian thomas #fanfic #writers on tumblr #mh

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grvyrd-drms · 8 months

Text

creepypasta characters getting absolutely zoinked!!

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A/N: in honor of me getting so stoned i puked last night. how i think crp's feel about the mary jane.

characters: jeff, toby, ben, masky, hoodie, e. jack, l. jack, natalie/clockwork, jane, liu, nina, helen/bloody painter, puppeteer, jason, candy pop, zero, kate

CW: drugs obviously lol, flashbacks/trauma

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jeff: secretly too afraid to use lighters anymore so he sticks to dab pens. claims he "doesn't want weed all over his shit" but everyone knows the truth lmao. takes baby hits cause it hurts his lungs. 4/10.

toby: oh ABSOLUTELY handles it like a CHAMP. the one who's constantly ripping the bong that it gets annoying. he likes that it calms his anxiety and tics, and its one of the only times he feels like he can relax and get away from all his... issues. finishes peoples bong rips and joints for them. doesn't like blunts. prefers to smoke alone but likes when brian tags along cause it makes toby feel like he has a brother. helps people out if they wanna roll/learn/etc. 11/10.

e. jack: prefers to be in touch with his senses completely. afraid that if he's too careless he'll go all spooky cannibal demon on everyone. doesn't mind when other people do it, though. 0/10 just cause he doesn't smoke.

l. jack: never let this thing near any drugs ever. i feel like drugs wouldn't even work on them??? stoned toby once tried to get them to smoke cause he thought it'd be funny. they ate the joint. -1/10.

masky/tim: prefers his cigarettes. he already has issues with the constant DID switching he doesn't need anymore time skips or anything. likes feeling in control. in high school and college before it all got bad he definitely blazed it up though. 6/10 for past experience.

hoodie/brian: 100% was the one blazing it up with tim in school. hits pipes like a PRO. sometimes smokes with toby if they've been on good terms/its been a good day and the proxies aren't at each others throats. 8/10.

natalie: dooooeeessss not like not being in full control. can't handle it and it freaks her out big time. she'll start getting triggering flashbacks if she's high enough. when her and toby were dating she fucking hated whenever he got high. for effort, 2/10.

nina: the gf who looooooovessss weed and then is gone by the first hit. definitely takes a way too big hit and throws up after trying to impress everyone. she likes fruity vapes and puts stickers on them. 7/10.

jane: NU-UH!!!! does not go near drugs of any kind and gets nervous around intoxicated people. keeps her guard up when she's around anyone like that. she did once help natalie to her room when she was stoned though. and for that mom energy, 1/10.

ben: i have this little hc that ben just kinda. gets shit for people. being a part of the internet he can get anything ordered, anything shipped anywhere. as a fee he likes to charge people in weed (or something sexual if he's being a nuisance and likes the person). has never once bought his own bud and doesn't keep track of it. you'll get strawberry cheesecake and banana pudding in one bowl and you'll fucking like it. nobody will smoke with him due to that. 9/10 tho he blazes it up.

kate: never learned how to do any of that and doesn't really feel like learning. hates people too much to ask someone to teach her. gets intimidated whenever she sees toby and brian work out the mechanics of it all. 1/10 poor baby.

liu: DOES NOT PARTAKE IN ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES AT ALL ‼️🙅 acts like he's too high (lol) above to do drugs. in reality he's just too awkward and scared to ask anyone to smoke with him. if anything he would have a dab pen cause he can't roll or pack for shit. 3/10 you'll get there one day buddy.

helen: casually smokes here and there to relax himself. not addicted, more of a recreational/medicinal user. 8/10.

puppeteer: this fucking GUY. in competition with toby for highest tolerance/biggest stoner. i mean look at him he's a theater kid and he has a beanie. thats like 100% stoner material. smokes blunts like theres no tomorrow. 11/10.

zero: definitely makes it into a competition and judges people if they can't handle a hit/finish their milk. every single time accidentally gets way too stoned trying to beat everyone. worst person to smoke with but her tolerance is incredible. 7/10.

jason: believes he has better things to do than get high and do drugs. always busy with his 'work' and his companions (the circus pastas) feel the same. 0/10.

candy pop: no one lets them near their stash. they have not once encountered any type of drug. no one is willing to share. so sorry buddy. 0/10.

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quicksilversg1rl · 1 year

Text

And They Were Roommates

Alex (Adult World) x Fem Reader

Warnings: Alex being the absolute perfect boy ever, oral (male receiving), a lot of titty worship, intercourse and I think that's all, let me know if I missed anything!

You and Alex weren’t originally supposed to be rooming together; the plan was that you and your best friend Amy would rent an apartment or house together all throughout college and even after. Well clearly you hadn’t stuck to the plan.

“Wait what? So, we’re not going to be living together anymore? What about our plan?” You asked as you looked towards your friend. Truth be told you were pissed; you and Amy had planned this since the two of you became friends, which was at the beginning of high school and now everything had to change because she wanted to move in with her boyfriend.

“I’m so sorry please don’t be mad at me, it’s just Brian really wants me to move in with him and his mom even likes the idea and I really wanna get in her good books, she even offered to take me furniture shopping!”

“I’m not mad Amy, I’m glad you’re happy with Brian it’s just I have no idea how I’m going to pay for the house myself.”

“Ohhh no need to worry, the day Brian asked me to move in with him I already went looking for a new roommate for you, you remember Alex, my manager from when I used to work at Adult World?”

You remembered Alex yeah; you had dropped Amy off at work one time and she introduced you to him.

“So, turns out he’s looking for a place to stay and he’s a nice guy and I trust him to not like murder you or something so, he’s going to be your new roomie!”

You were stunned, Amy really had it all figured out.

Fast forward to now, you and Alex were doing your monthly shopping; when the two of you first moved in together things were a little awkward considering you didn’t know each other that well but soon the awkwardness was gone and the two of you became really close.

The two of you were nearing the till when you remembered you had forgotten something.

“Oh shit I forgot I needed tampons I’m gonna get some real quick.”

Alex just nodded his head towards you as you made your way to the aisle. As you were making your way back, you accidentally knocked into someone.

“Oh my God I’m so sorry.” You said towards the guy you bumped into as you reached to pick up the few things that had fallen to the floor.

“No worries.” he said, handing you your pack of tampons. You were about to leave when he stepped in front of you.

“Sorry if this is a little forward but you’re really beautiful and I’d like to know if I could get your number perhaps?”

You blushed at his words; he was good looking, and no one had shown any romantic interest in you in quite a while, so you gave it to him.

Once you got back to Alex, he was unpacking the cart.

“Hey what took you so long?”

“This really hot guy asked for my number!” You said while putting the pack of tampons on the conveyer belt.

The two of you split the pay and made your way to Alex’s car.

Once you got home, the two of you went about your normal evening festivities. You both packed the groceries away, made food together and went to sit on the couch and watch your favourite show together, Criminal Minds.

While the two of you were eating your phone vibrated and you realized the guy from the supermarket, Jason sent you a message. You clicked on the notification and read the message; he was asking you out on a date. You quickly replied to the message and finalized the plans with him before dropping your phone and looking at Alex.

He immediately noticed your face had lit up and waited for you to speak.

“Cute dude from the supermarket asked me out on a date! I’m going out on a date Alex oh my God!”

Alex’s face fell at your revelation, but he quickly plastered a smile back onto his face.

“Oh my God really? When?”

“Tomorrow! I’m gonna meet him at this fancy restaurant he suggested, we’re meeting at 8pm.” You said with a huge smile on your face. You were really excited about this date; you hadn’t been on a date since the last one you had with your ex-girlfriend, which was in high school.

The night went on as normal and soon morning came.

The next day went pretty quickly and next thing you know you were busy getting ready for your date. It was a Saturday night so Alex was working late at the store, considering he was the manager.

You quickly sent him a text letting him know that you were about to get in an uber and go to the restaurant you were going to meet Jason at.

You got into the uber and as you sat down you felt your phone vibrate, you looked down and saw it was a message from Alex.

‘Okay let me know when you get there and stay safe (in more ways than one😉)’

You let out a little laugh at his message and quickly liked it.

When you looked up again you had reached the restaurant, you payed your uber and sent a message to Alex letting him know that you made it there safely.

You went inside the restaurant and gave Jason’s name to the hostess, seeing as he said that he made the reservation under his name. She led you to your table and you sat down waiting for your date to come.

A few minutes had passed, and Jason still hadn’t come, you checked your phone countless times to see if he had sent you a message perhaps but there were none.

The next time you looked at your phone it was almost 9pm and he still hadn't shown up, a waitress had made her way to your table at least four times asking if you were ready to order and each time you told her that you’d rather wait for your date; well, it seems he wasn’t going to show.

You angrily reached for your things and made your way to the restaurants exit. As you were walking you felt a few tears stain your cheeks but quickly rubbed them away as you lifted your phone towards your ear.

“Hey Alex, uhm sorry to bother you right now but could you please come pick me up?” You said trying not to choke on a few of your tears.

“Hey are you okay? What happened with your date? Did he do something-”

“No Alex he didn’t do anything, he didn’t even fucking show up hah! But could you please come get me I really don’t wanna take an uber right now.”

“Of course, just hold tight.”

You thanked him and you ended the call waiting for him to arrive. As soon as you saw his car you went up to him and before you could get in, he got out of his car and wrapped his arms around you.

“I’m really sorry Y/n.” he said before pressing a kiss to the top of your head. You just hugged him tighter and melted into his chest.

Once the two of you were in the car, Alex’s hand never left your thigh, always giving you reassuring touches every now and then.

The two of you quickly made it home and you both plopped down onto the couch. He looked toward you with sorry eyes and opened up his arms. You immediately went towards him and layed your head down onto his chest.

“Look Y/n any guy would be lucky to have you, you’re beautiful, smart, really funny and overall, just an amazing person and only an incel like Jason would stand someone as amazing as you up.”

Your cheeks grew warm at Alex’s words, and you looked up towards him from your place on his chest. You hadn’t realized just how beautiful Alex really was, sure you knew he was attractive, but you never really took the time to actually look at him; you hadn’t realized how dark his eyes really were, how sharp his jawline was, how deep his dimples got when he smiled and how beautiful his brown hair was.

“You’re very pretty Alex.” You said reaching up to stroke his cheek. Before you could say more, he pressed his lips to yours in a loving kiss, swiping his tongue across your bottom lip asking for entry. You allowed him to deepen the kiss and as his tongue explored your mouth, you moved on top of him, straddling his waist.

You moved your kisses down his jaw and along his neck, leaving bruises in your wake. You tugged on his shirt signaling for him to take it off and he did. Once his shirt was off you moved your kisses down his chest and inched closer to where he needed you. You moved to pull down his sweats, looking up at him for permission.

“You don’t have to.” He said has his hand went down to cup the side of your face.

“I want to.” You said as you lowered his sweats and boxers and placed kisses along his v-line before grabbing ahold of his hard cock. You placed a kiss to his tip, and he let out an almost inaudible whimper at the action. You stroked him a few times before placing his entire length inside your mouth, wrapping your hands around what couldn’t fit.

You started sucking him off, taking him in and out of your mouth, tapping his tip on your tongue. Alex was throwing his head against the arm of the couch moaning your name left right and center. You focused back onto his tip sucking the life out of him. You moved one of your hands to his balls, massaging them as you sucked harder. You reached your other hand up, rubbing up and down on his chest.

“Oh fuck, I’m-I’m gonna cum Y/n please, please don’t stop it feels so fucking good.” You looked up at him through your eyelashes and once his eyes met yours, he lost it. His load shot into your mouth, and you sucked him even harder, milking him for everything he had to give you. Once you swallowed it all you moved up towards his mouth as he eagerly placed his lips on yours, tasting himself on your tongue and moaning at the action.

“I want you so bad.” He said between kisses.

“You have me baby.” You said before placing another loving kiss to his lips. You quickly moved to take your shirt off and loosen your bra, letting it fall to the carpeted floor of your and Alex’s shared living room. Once his eyes caught sight of your bare breasts, he immediately attached his lips to one of your nipples, moving his hand to grab onto the other once, twisting your nipple between his thumb and index finger. You threw your head back at the pleasure as you started grinding against his dick.

You quickly removed your underwear and grabbed ahold of his dick, running it along your folds and up to your clit, the action making both of you twitch in place. You slowly placed him at your entrance, sinking down onto him. Once his entire length was inside of you, you immediately started rocking your hips back and forth.

Alex placed his hands on your hips and started thrusting up into you. He kept nudging your g-spot, making you bounce on his cock meeting his thrusts, desperate for your release. As you were bouncing Alex couldn’t take his eyes off of your tits as they bounced with each movement of your hips.

“Alex I’m so close.” You said as you let out an almost pornographic moan.

“Me too baby, I don’t think I’m going to last long.”

You moved your lips to his neck, your bounces becoming sloppier as you neared your release. Once you felt Alex’s hand reach down and rub slow but hard circles onto your clit, you lost it. You moved your mouth towards Alex’s as you came, struggling to kiss back. As soon as Alex felt your cunt clenching around his dick, he was spilling his seed into you. You swallowed his moans as you kissed him, slowly still grinding into him to ease you through your high.

Once you both were done you collapsed onto his bare chest, nuzzling your face into his neck. You placed a kiss at the soft skin, running your lips over the marks you left there earlier.

You swiftly lifted yourself up to look at Alex, a huge smile planted on his lips, show casing his adorable dimples. You placed a kiss onto his lips and felt him smile into the kiss.

“I like you Alex, a lot.”

“I like you too Y/n, a lot.” he said as the two of you erupted into a fit of giggles. He slowly eased you off of him and grabbed your hand, leading you towards the bathroom. As you were peeing, Alex was running a bath and once you were done, he made his way over to you and picked you up and placed you into the warm, bubble filled bath. Once you were settled, he got in behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, placing his head in the crook of your neck as you melted into his chest.

....................

@soaringcloud @yes-divine-ruler

I hope you all enjoyed this ;)

#Evan Peters #evan peters fanfic #evan peters smut #alex adult world #alex the manager #alex adult world smut #evan peters x reader #alex adult world x reader #ahs #adult world movie #I LOVE EVAN PETERS #evan peters fluff #alex adult world fanfic

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creepy-friday · 1 year

Note

Heyy, I hope you're doing fine ! I just love your prompts and your characters are always well written !

Also the NSFW is *chef's kiss* however I'm a slut for angst and I have a prompt for you when you have time :

So I'd like to know once the proxies are established with fem!reader, like they get steady-ish with her, how would they react if she dies/disappear ? Thank youuu ♡︎♡︎

Thank you so much!!Also,I LOVE THIS PROMT😭💞

Warnings: death and dark themes,angst

If you suddenly disappeared they would hardly assume a demon got you,that would be near impossible considering your skills

None would consider your death.Sure,maybe you ran away and that would make somewhat more sense.

"That stupid bitch wouldn't." Masky hissed,throwing the cigarette on the ground and smashing it with the tip of his boot.

Running away from Slenderman it's an impossible mission for all the creeps,including yourself.He would make sure to bring you back or to torment you until you break down and come back.It's only on HIS terms if he decides to let someone go,and even then he would always know where they are

"He wouldn't let..let go of h-her." Toby said,nervously rubbing the back of his head while EJ simply sighed while looking out of the window to the forest with him.

They would search your room for leads,considering the possibility of a runaway

None got any notice from The Operator,and none asked.That's why the three of them looked for you in the forest for two days before putting Smile to search for you

Masky's nerves were over the roof and he already consumed one month worth bottle of pills while Hoodie started to lose his calm demeanour,yet it was subtle,you could tell by the tapping of his foot

Surprisingly, Toby didn't get into a fight with Masky first but rather with Hoodie.

"Fucking hell guys." he suddenly snapped,taking fast steps towards the white masked man."If-If f-fucking only you would keep your m-mouth shut she-she wouldn't do this!" Toby yelled at Masky,still thinking about the slight possibility you are still alive.

Brian made his way to the younger man and held him by the collar of his jacket."Shut the fuck up,Rogers.This time-shut up." he demanded,still keeping his voice as cold as possible.

In the same night all of them got the news from Smile's owner about your death.

Their relationship would grow significantly colder,even between the pair of closer friends

The nights of the long missions all of them stayed beside a camp fire and made passive aggressive jokes towards each other disappeared along with you

Your name wouldn't be bought up,but whenever it would be a fight would erupt.It would be Toby who would bring you up the most,almost as if he's blaming the others for your death

Did they cry?The younger man had a few breakdowns who resulted in a lot of restless nights,after all you were the only one who was there for him and now he remained alone between two psychopaths who were barely human.

Masky would have moments where he would simply stare into the void,but he would claim he's actually glad you're no longer there,that's why him and Hoodie would get violent with each other

Tim on the other hand even bought a flower to the tree both of you used to talk before,it was his way of apologising on behalf of all of his fucked up doings towards you

"Damn,you are really gone,and now things are worse than they were before"

Hoodie doesn't make an effort to hide the way he feels,it doesn't make sense to hide it.He would sit down and run a hand trough his hair and he would go back to work,he secretly drowns his feelings into it

The loss of your presence it's too obvious for their liking,almost to the point the other residents acknowledged the way their dynamics changed

I don't see them going back to normal for a few years,even then their relationship would still have a cool tone attached to it.

I can see Toby keeping an object from your room with him and if Masky would notice it he would throw a tantrum

Hoodie and Masky were the ones to empty your room,while his friend went with it quite fast and quiet,Brian took his time to notice all the small details about how you really were in your life

Masky acts like you ran away just for a reason to be angry with you,it keeps him occupied from the guilt that finally caught up to him

People cannot be replaced,even if someone similar would come in they still don't have your name attached to it,and if they do they will never be you.

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anystalker707 · 1 year

Text

Let me help you

Pairing: Gerard x [gender neutral] Reader Word count: ~ 3 400 Genre: Smut / Comfort Summary: Gerard finds comfort in you, for some reason. No one more than a last-minute stage manager.

Requested by anon "Gerard comfort sex x reader?? Where he’s sad/insecure and gets comforted by very loving (...)"

not proofread

MASTERLIST

You weren't part of the band nor someone that'd been around for longer than Mikey’s new bass, only a last-moment stage manager Brian had fixed for that leg of the tour, so it was an easy valve of escape for Gerard. It was easy to tell you stuff knowing you wouldn’t do a lot more than warm smiles and hearty comments carefully made since you didn’t know how far to go due to the lack of proximity. He was able to talk to you without receiving a merciless lecture like Ray’s nor did you give it much attention when he came around in an absolutely deplorable state.

If it was pity or anything else, Gerard didn’t know, but it didn’t matter either; he was content enough with the occasional cuddling or how you’d ruffle his hair when he was sitting on the couch and you passed by. You’d talk to him a lot when he was sober, so it was sort of a motivation for him to keep himself sane for a little longer even with this itching under his skin.

That day, Mikey and Ray had spent a long time lecturing Gerard during the day—thankfully away from you, after the concert—because his drunk inconsequence had not just himself but the whole band in risk with the beer carelessly left near the pedal board, aside from what he’d spilled on Frank’s guitar and never warned anyone about. Why were they so annoying with him? He didn’t tell anyone exactly to avoid that; a little beer on the guitar wouldn’t kill anyone with a small shock, would it?

Gerard had already sobered up a little by the time they needed to head back to their hotel rooms—unable to do anything when practically forced by Ray, Mikey, Frank and Brian to stay back and help put things back, and he couldn’t help but to do as said since you were there helping as well yet again. He stood outside the hotel thinking, his gaze averting between the hotel and the way the guys from the opening band had gone to have fun. The idea that he would calm down the itch under his skin, that urge he had within himself, was really nice, but he would be all gross afterwards all over again, need to hear it from Ray all over again, and feel like the worst person on the universe when seeing you shift and try not to look at him too much.

There wasn’t a lot of thought when Gerard stepped back into the hotel and didn’t even bother to wait for the elevator, just climbing the stairs. He didn’t know when the last time had been, but he took a shower tonight, making sure he was presentable enough so you would maybe feel proud of him when he stood outside your door. It took him a couple of minutes with his thoughts, thinking and rethinking even if messily, then he finally knocked.

“Gerard!” You smiled warmly once opening the door, eyeing him from head to feet discreetly. “Do you need anything?”

His breath caught in his throat at the same time his eyes fell to the ground. “I...” How would he say it without being too direct? Convince you? Fuck it. “Um, can we hang out? Can I come in?”

You raised an eyebrow and paused, glancing back at your room for a quick check before you nodded and stepped aside. “So, what’s up, hm?” The door was closed behind both of you with a soft click.

“Um, I just wanted to hang out. I don’t want to be alone,” Gerard mumbled, standing there fumbling with his thumbs until you took some of the stuff on the bed away and motioned for him to sit down. “The guys are off to their own things and I... I don’t want to go to a bar or anything tonight.” He scratched the back of his head—immediately taking his hand away when he remembered his hair was still wet from the shower—, waiting for your answer as someone waits for a bomb to go off.

“I see.” You stood in the corner, fumbling with your phone and the charger until it was charging and you moved to sit down next to him. “I mean, I got nothing else to do as well so it’s fine. Do you want to talk about it, or...”

Gerard looked down at the carpet of the hotel. Wow, it had a carpet, and a good one. Revenge’s success was really doing things to them. “Well,” he mumbled, voice sounding louder than it should in that room, “I would like to apologize, y’know? Sometimes I’m all gross and stuff, and I keep pushing myself on other people. I don’t like being like this, I can’t help. Well, I know that just saying ‘I can’t help’ isn’t a fair excuse and it’s not going to change things, but it’s also so hard—”

“Hey, hey, it’s fine,” you interrupted once he started running out of air, your hand landing on his shoulder comfortingly. “I mean, we have our ups and downs, highs and lows, and it’s good that you’re aware of what’s going on and you’re trying to change. Focus on living each day at once first. Get better then make it up for everyone.”

Gerard didn’t know how to react. There was something about you since you came around that always had him going weak, growing infatuated. He didn’t want to be that mess of a person for you. He swallowed as he slowly turned to look at you; it felt like his cheeks were on fire and his heartbeat could be heard in the whole room.

“Gee, are you okay?” You frowned at the prolonged silence. “Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry if I did.”

No! No way you’d said something wrong—it was actually wise and he’d keep those words in his mind, but right now, all that talk felt useless. Gerard couldn’t keep his eyes off his lips for too long and he was afraid it would be weird.

“I like you a lot,” he mumbled almost involuntarily and hoped he would just disappear at the moment your gaze softened; your lips curled into yet another smile. “Sorry, I—”

“Can I kiss you?”

A ringing sound filled his ears as Gerard’s eyes averted to you, but all he could do was breathe an ‘eh?’, trying to identify whether he was going crazy or not. Maybe the lack of using anything had him going crazy.

You shrugged a little, a smile still lingering on your face as you scooted closer to Gerard, your touch feeling like fire when you cupped his cheek. “I like you a lot too,” you mumbled, always careful—you couldn’t afford what you’d seen as signals being instead just Gerard being nice to you. “Let me show you how much?” Your eyes averted to his lips in a wordless encouragement.

Gerard opened his mouth and closed it a couple of times, his thoughts not nearly organized enough for him to voice them. “I... Yes, please.”

Despite being breathed as softly as possible, Gerard’s words reached your ears, and it was just a matter of seconds before the distance between the two of you started to dissipate. At first, it was just your lips grazing his, experimental, then you finally locked your lips properly in a way he couldn’t help but to hum. The tension that gripped onto his shoulders slowly wore out into something softer, gentler, that had him leaning in to deepen the kiss and have more of your touch, more of you, which you gladly gave.

A shiver ran down Gerard’s spine with how you caressed his cheek before holding onto the back of his head, leaning his head a little so you could deepen the kiss. Just that alone made him go weak, in a way he would’ve fallen if he weren’t sitting already in the first place. The kiss was over once your lungs protested for oxygen, but there were just seconds before Gerard pulled you close again by your shoulders. This time, the kisses were slow this time, open mouthed and with little tugs.

Gerard’s lips were bright red when you pulled away truly, his eyes wide, but not lost like earlier, instead warm and carrying another feeling in those dilated pupils. That was a nice sight. He cleaned his throat and wet his lips, not knowing where to look.

“Was that okay?” You questioned softly, caressing the side of his neck.

“Very,” Gerard whispered in response, but it sounded like there was something missing—not words, just something—, but it was easy to solve this with another kiss. This time, he was the one leaning in and connecting your lips in a slow kiss he used to nibble on your bottom lip. Whether it was to attempt dominance or not, it wasn’t exactly clear, but it still didn’t stop you from taking his bottom lips between your teeth instead, leaning closer on reflex.

The red color that took over Gerard’s face was brighter than earlier, going down to his neck and probably to his chest. He blinked a couple of times before he placed a hand on your chest with a gulp. “Sorry.”

“For what?”

Gerard shrugged a little, pressing his lips together. “I— Dealing with me, in general! It must be inconvenient and all, and you don’t need to do this! I’m not completely powerless over my actions, you don’t need to feel pity—”

You paused, trying to fit into his perspective, but all you did was to scoff. You could go deep into it, try to convince otherwise, but you could only scoff as you shook your head. “I— Gerard, better not think about it right now, like...” It was hard to find the words that described what you wanted to say without prolonging it a lot. “A thing is not a burden if you decide to deal with it. In this case, a person. So just... let it go.”

Whatever he thought, it wasn’t very clear—Gerard furrowed his eyebrows and his fingers twitched as his eyes fell to the ground. He then nodded, sighing, mumbling apologies until he caught himself and pressed his lips shut as he shook his head. Words died at his tongue despite how he opened and closed his mouth in useless attempts of saying something then decided to just press his lips against yours this time. The pressure on your chest had you lying back down, against the bed slowly, but it was just a matter of time until the positions were swatched and you straddled Gerard’s thighs.

Hands tugged you closer, holding onto the back of your head and onto your shirt so you’d be pressed to Gerard. As much as you wanted to give in to it, this feeling kept hammering in your chest until you pulled away.

“If you keep pushing me like this, I’ll just—”

“Do it,” Gerard mumbled against your lips in response, “I don’t care. I like you.”

Gerard seemed and smelled sober, his lips didn’t taste as anything aside from the far hint of toothpaste and the almost permanent notes of cigarettes in the background, so you didn’t hesitate and just let your lips travel down his neck, leaving behind kisses and nibbles on the soft skin that snatched such soft pretty sounds from him.

“You’re so pretty, Gerard...” Your words were whispered against his skin softly, making it rise under your touch. He grumbled something in response, but you couldn’t quite identify it, instead just letting your fingers peek under the hem of his shirt until he started tugging it up by himself and it was discarded to the ground of the room.

A small smile sketched on your face before you could let your lips wander down to Gerard’s chest and adjust your position on your lap, already feeling something against the inside of your thigh according to how you shifted. It was easy to feel this want also rising inside you seeing how he wanted you just the same.

You only pulled away so your shirt could also be discarded, thrown to the ground with the same care as Gerard’s, followed by your bra, all for you to come to a pause. Your legs still hung uncomfortably from the bed, hence you needed to move away for a moment, allowing him to kick away his shoes and socks before moving further up the bed to make himself comfortable among the pillows.

“Can I?” You asked with your fingers hooked around the waistband of his sweatpants.

A quiet and small ‘yes’ came in response before you could start pulling it down, only really taking your time to undress him when it came to his boxers. Soft sounds came from him when your lips traced the skin right above the waistband at the same proportion his breath became heavier. Your thumbs sunk into his hips to rub circles into it and his legs twitched around you, tensing up completely once your mouth pressed to the bulge in his underwear, nuzzling his crotch until he gasped and threw his hips up against your face.

Gerard had his eyes shut when you looked at him again, blushing all the way down to his chest, though his calmness only lasted until he came back to reality and he almost curled up into himself out of reflex.

“I—”

“You’re so pretty, y’know?” You commented as if it were random; it was a futile attempt to take the pressure away, but worth a try. He couldn’t react, only blushing profusely as you pressed more kisses to his chest and down his torso as you pried his arms away from around his torso.

The sharp and uncertain atmosphere that the room had so far slowly melted into something more comfortable and thick that completely took over when all of your clothes were now tossed to the ground. Gerard sat against the headboard as you straddled his thighs, guiding his hands to your hips without breaking the kiss as you ground your hips against his.

It was a little mindless at first, messy movements that only snatched a proper moan from both of you once his cock slipped between your folds, coating with your wetness and running against your clit just right. You couldn’t help but repeat the motion, moaning against Gerard’s lips as your fingers tightened around his shoulders; not more than his hands tightened around your hips, nails sinking into the skin and leaving crescent marks.

“P—Please,” Gerard mumbled breathlessly. Hard to refuse.

“Okay,” you answered just as loud, brushing your nose against his softly and enjoying him for just a little longer before you could get up and rummage through your stuff until you found a condom, thanking yourself for never taking it off your bag in the first place. You ripped the wrapper yourself, making sure to receive at least a little nod from Gerard before you could help him out with the condom—he gasped quietly, hips shifting while you ran your hand up and down his cock. “Is this alright?”

“Yes.” Gerard nodded with a hum, running his tongue between his lips. “Don’t you need to prepare...”

“No, no, it’s fine.” You shook your head and pressed a soft kiss to his lips to soothe his worries before you could finally do it, letting his cock run between your folds and then press it to your entrance, holding it in place until it was about halfway in.

Despite the initial usual weird feeling of a new intrusion, the burning of the way you stretched around Gerard could easily send chills up your spine, allowing the arousal to start pooling in your lower stomach as your thighs quivered. Gerard moaned into the kiss, never stopping to hold onto you ever since you moved back onto his lap.

“Fuck,” you cursed longly through a hiss, finally allowing yourself to let your weight down onto his lap and the sensation had you take a moment from the kiss, breathing heavily and holding him tighting. Whatever he mumbled under his breath, you couldn’t make it out, but it didn’t feel like it mattered, though, so you just cupped his neck to bring him for a kiss as you shifted your lips.

Gerard, however, broke the kiss himself this time, pressing kisses down your neck and then reaching your chest. A couple marks were left behind before he could actually start mouthing at your breasts, earning himself praises he would bask on while you ran your fingers through his hair, somethings tugging onto the strands a little to pull him closer.

His tongue was warm, leaving behind a trail of saliva that, when hit by the cold air, made you shiver and shift more under his touch, and it didn’t take long for you to start moving your hips and fuck yourself with his cock, letting him work his lips around your nipple while his opposite hand fondled your opposide breast.

Gerard’s name left your lips in an obscene tone that cut through the heavy silence of the room, mixed with the loud panting and sound of skin against skin that just contributed to the intense atmosphere.

“Yeah,” you breathed mindlessly when the right shift of your hips matched how his teeth ran against your nipple. It was so fucking good, but still needed you taking a pause to adjust your position and roll your hips properly, reaching all the nice spots easier and giving Gerard more space to pamper your chest.

“You feel...” Gerard groaned, voice still shy. “You feel so good.” His eyes never met yours, not only because they were busy with your body instead, though also because of his shyness.

You sought a sensation each time better, and Gerard seemed willing to give you the best he could, one hand strong around your thigh and the other accompanying his mouth on your breasts until he took a pause and his hand slipped between the two of you instead. Maybe he was uncertain, letting his touch linger hesitantly, but then his thumb was pressed to your clit and your movements faltered.

“Gerard,” you gasped at the feeling, pulling him closer; given how pale he was, it wouldn’t be a surprise if his back ended up all marked after that, already littered with bright red lines that followed your nails.

It was a burst of confidence that had Gerard changing positions as gently as possible so you had your back against the mattress and him on top of you, thankfully giving a break for your thighs that you didn’t know you needed until now. A string of louder moans escaped your lips with the new angles and how his fingers ran against your clit, gaining speed with the ‘harder, Gee’ encouragements that spilled from your lips until he obliged. His face has been buried in your chest until the way you tugged the hair on the back of his hair made him focus on your breasts again.

“Jus’...” You mumbled, arching your back. “Jus’ a little more...” The works practically ran into one another, slurred to the same proportion your mind felt fuzzy with the pleasure that just intensified with the far sensation that only grew closer with every movement. “Fuck,” you groaned, arching your back again and holding him tighter until the knot in your lower stomach grew tighter, to a proportion the pleasure spreaded through your body in a nice tingling sensation before going down to your core at once in a way your toes curled, slowly dissipating and being ridden through with his fingers still playing with you until all that lasted behind was a throbbing sensation.

Gerard gasped with it, the way you reached your climax having his thrusts faltering until they grew longer and harder, at the same time his breath was caught in his throat, and it was just a matter of time until he laid down on top of you.

The few moments you spent holding onto each other and trying to catch your breath were just mere minutes that felt like forever before Gerard pulled himself away, getting rid of the condom before he collapsed on the mattress this time. You were next to him before he could notice, pressed to his side and up on an elbow while you cupped his face to cover it in kisses, nuzzling him and kissing his lips at last.

“Thank you, sugar,” you mumbled to his shy form, receiving a small smile in response as he leaned in for another kiss.

‿̩͙‿ ༺ ♰ ༻ ‿̩͙‿

#my chemical romance #gerard way #x reader #x female reader #smut #my chemical romance x reader #mcr #mcr x reader #oneshot #imagine #gerard way x reader #fan fic #fan fiction #frank iero #ray toro #mikey way

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madsworld15 · 10 days

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Brian/Justin Fic Excerpt

I am a Type 1 Diabetic, and the last few nights, I’ve had the worst time of it. I went to bed both nights with blood sugar levels in the normal range for sleeping. Only to wake up a few hours later to find them in the danger zone for low blood sugar. In my continued exhaustion, because you can’t exactly go back to sleep with your body keyed up like that, I wrote such experiences into my T1D Brian Universe fic.

Justin was sitting on their bed applying lotion to his arms when Brian exited their bathroom with a frown on his face. He was staring at his phone, not even aware that Justin had taken notice of him and his demeanor.

“Everything okay?” Justin asked with bated breath as Brian pulled out his insulin pump and pushed a few buttons.

After he was done, Brian stuck the device back in the pocket of his sweatpants, placed his phone down on the bedside table, climbed into bed, and then leaned over to kiss Justin.

“Yeah. My sugar is a little high, but I gave myself a correction and it should go down.” Brian gave his bicep a squeeze as an extra form of reassurance.

And honestly, Justin didn’t worry. Brian’s numbers fluctuate all the time and he managed things just fine. It had been ten years since his last extreme diabetic emergency. With a responding smile, Justin finished up what he was doing and got under the covers with his partner. Once the lights were off, Brian’s arms immediately enveloped Justin.

A few hours later, Justin was pulled from a deep sleep by the loud alarm on Brian’s phone that indicated a low blood sugar. He rolled over to find Brian was already sitting up, but he wasn’t moving into action like he usually did when his blood sugar went low.

“What can I do?” Justin suddenly jumped into action, placing his hands on Brian’s shoulders. “You need juice?”

Brian simply nodded. So, Justin walked quickly to the kitchen and poured him some juice. By the time he got back to their bedroom, Brian was right where he’d left him, which Justin had expected. What he hadn’t expected was to see him extremely pale and shaky from the effort.

Justin knelt in front of Brian and forced his chin up. Brian opened his eyes, but Justin could tell he wasn’t registering much of anything. With gentle hands, he guided Brian to drink from the cup he held up.

After the juice was gone, Justin stayed where he was but grabbed Brian’s phone. He inputted Brian’s passcode and stared at the CGM reading, daring the arrow to point upward and the number to get bigger. After what felt like hours, but was really only 15 minutes, Brian’s number only went up 2 but was trending upward. Justin breathed a sigh of relief.

He briefly left Brian’s side once more to get him a glass of water and a couple of crackers with some sliced cheese for an extra boost to his numbers and help them steady out and maintain.

This time, when he came back to the bedroom, Brian had moved so that he was leaning on some pillows against the wall behind their bed, his legs stretched out in front of him. Brian had turned on the TV and was flipping through channels as he sucked on a hard candy from the drawer in his bedside table. Justin lifted his eyebrow in question and Brian just shrugged.

“My sugar dropped back to what it was before the juice, so I decided this was a safe backup.”

Justin nodded silently and handed Brian the crackers and cheese before he placed the glass of water down and got back into bed. He immediately scooted his body up against Brian’s and wrapped his arm around his partner’s waist. Anytime Brian had a low like this in the middle of the night, Justin got clingy. He felt he needed to hold onto Brian to prove the man was still there and wasn’t going to simply disappear. It was something they’d experienced many times over the years, and despite his prickly feelings about cuddling, Brian allowed Justin this one vice on nights like tonight.

“You should try to get some sleep. Just because my body won’t calm down enough to let me sleep doesn’t mean you have to miss out, too.” Brian mumbled against the top of Justin’s head.

Justin leaned back so that he could make eye contact with his partner, “When have I ever gone to sleep while you battled recovery from a low?”

Brian sighed. “I know. I just thought I’d suggest it. Like always.” He then gave Justin a smirk before kissing him on the temple. “I love you.”

Justin didn’t respond; instead, he snuggled up to Brian’s chest a bit more and listened to his heart, and felt his chest go up and down with each new breath. It calmed the anxiety raging within him.

#queer as folk #brian kinney #justin taylor #fanfiction #brian x justin #alternate universe #type 1 diabetes

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bloodblanks · 11 months

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a field of red spider lilies [eyeless jack x reader] — final.

Hanahaki disease. A sickness caused by unrequited love, where the one afflicted with such feelings suffers from flowers blooming in their heart and lungs which are then coughed out, gradually worsening and eventually resulting in death.

inspired by coughing in the bathroom from @whaleofatjme1920! ♡

author's note: this fanfiction will contain darker content, including sickness, death, and similar themes.

please read at your own discretion.

<- part three

It wasn’t usual that Jack took you around by car. Most of the times, he picked you up on foot. After all, his body was powerful enough to run with you on his back for long distances, so there was no need for it. Plus, it was extra risk, too. He didn’t exactly have a driver’s license, not that it would matter, because if he got stopped by chance, one look at his face would be reason enough for trouble.

However, today was a special day. It was your four-year anniversary.

One of the catches to being with Jack was that you could never really go out anywhere on dates, because of his appearance. So that meant no dinner dates, no movie theatres, no amusement parks, no vacations, either. It was unfortunate, but it was still worth it for you, since you got to be with Jack.

Still, he insisted on doing something for your anniversary celebration.

The previous few years had been the same. He would bring home an expensive cut of wagyu steak, along with some fine wine, and the two of you would dine in together at his house. It was more than enough for you, especially considering how Jack was a wonderful chef, and you never once thought to ask for anything more.

Yet this year, Jack insisted that on top of what you already did, the two of you should try something new, something different. And of course you agreed; you didn’t see any issue with it. In all honesty, you were happy with whatever you did with him. All that mattered was that he was there with you to celebrate.

Jack came up with the idea to drive you to the upper parts of the mountains, somewhere he claimed had natural hot springs and a majestic view. You were hesitant at first, unsure if him driving a good idea, as well as being in a public place. But Jack assured you that if you went in the early morning hours, just a while past midnight, there wouldn’t be anyone else there. While the location was good, it wasn’t in a very populated area, the mountain the two of you lived on already being rather rural.

When you asked why he insisted on driving instead of just running with you like he usually did, he explained that the distance was quite far, although the main reason was that it wasn’t very romantic to have to run somewhere. You didn’t necessarily agree with that, but you found it cute for him to do so, and so you happily went along with it.

You shifted the schedule of your usual anniversary dinner to the day before, so that when you’d arrive at the hot springs after midnight, it would be the actual anniversary date.

Everything had gone well. The steak was delicious as always, and the champagne he selected for that day was exquisite. He even went out of his way to make dessert, something you found out he had been secretly practicing for the past few weeks. It was magnificent, much like everything else about Jack.

When twilight rolled around, Jack had everything prepared, including a car he managed to borrow from Brian. And when midnight came and passed, the two of you were in the car, steadily driving upwards on the mountain roads.

You arrived at the hot springs safe and sound. The location was just like how Jack had described it, absolutely enchanting. The two of you took a small hike to the scenic spot that he had promised, and from there, you could gaze at the entire town below, many houses with their lights on surrounding the mountain from high to low, resembling pixie lights wrapped around a Christmas tree. It was nothing short of gorgeous.

From there, you went to the hot springs, dipping your bare bodies into the hot water basins. As the two of you soaked in the perfectly warm water, you were able to gaze up towards the sky, and from there, away from all the light pollution, you could see a sky full of stars, twinkling with an evanescent glow.

“Happy four year anniversary,” Jack whispered into your ear as you leaned against him, your skin flush against his.

“Happy four year anniversary,” you repeated the words back to him with an ecstatic smile.

Jack took you into his arms, pulling you up onto his lap as he snuggled against you, you burying your face in the crook of his neck, pressing a gentle kiss to his pale grey skin.

He leaned in closer, so that his mouth was right next to your ear, his lips brushing against it ever so slightly, a feathery touch that made you feel ticklish and giggle.

“Y/N,” he whispered, “I look forward to the rest of my life with you.”

His words made you blush, swooning over his undeniable charm.

“Jack,” you tilted your head up, moving in close to his ear, “I feel the same way.”

—

The drive home was rather tranquil. The atmosphere was one of utmost serenity, with Jack driving, and you dozing off in the passenger seat, a blanket so lovingly draped around your shoulders, thanks to Jack having the idea to bring it.

“Did you have fun today?” Jack asked, his voice cutting through the silence of the night.

“Mm, yeah,” you mumbled, half-asleep, “everything was perfect.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he responded, and you could hear the smile in his voice. As fatigued as you were, you opened your eyes to meet his, beaming at him with joy, returning his smile.

“Thank you for taking me out,” you thanked him, your voice mumbly from the drowsiness that was to be expected considering how you were still awake at three in the morning, after having had a normal sleep schedule.

“It was my pleasure,” he replied, and you nodded, although you didn’t know if he saw it or if he was too focused on driving. You could feel yourself drifting off to sleep, the temptation of unconsciousness too strong for you to remain awake.

Just as you were about to close your eyes, you saw it.

A deer. Staring directly into the headlights, transfixed by the dangerous brilliance.

“Jack!” you shouted the same second he harshly jerked the steering wheel to the right, narrowing avoiding the deer, but instead swerving off the side of the road.

And from there, you fell.

The plummet was so sudden and the speed so fast that you didn’t even realize what was happening, not until the car fiercely slammed into the ground, crushing into the trees below with a thunderous crashing sound.

You had the air forcefully taken out of your chest, something simultaneously entering it, a gasp involuntarily leaving your parted lips.

For a moment, there was total, complete, and utter silence. But as the dust settled around you, your brain seemed to regain control of itself, processing what had just happened the same time you heard a frantic call.

“Y/N!” Jack’s voice resonated through the forest. You could tell he was nearby, but you couldn’t see where. Your eyes were half-lidded, and most of what you could see was blurry and dark.

“Y/N!” Jack shouted your name again, the panic clear in his voice. You heard a loud slamming noise, feeling it concurrently as the car shuddered. You weren’t sure what was going on; all you knew was that you were afraid, shellshocked and stunned into a crushed, unmoving figure.

Your brain raced to put two and two together, understanding that the car had fallen down the side of the road and smashed into some trees, and that you were trapped in the destroyed vehicle. As you understood what was happening, you felt the fear within you continue to rise, freezing your body, though you didn’t feel as if you could move anyway.

“Oh, god—” you heard Jack’s voice, and you were relieved that he was here. Surely he could help you out of wherever you were stuck. Likely he had already freed himself, what with his inhuman strength and all.

“Y/N, can you hear me? Please say something if you can.”

You tried to speak, gasping once more, as you realized something was impaled through your chest, your eyes widening in an unadulterated horror.

“Jack—” you cried out, “I’m here, there’s— there’s something in my chest—”

“Stay still and don’t move,” he instructed. “I’ll help you.”

“Okay,” you whimpered, tears already forming at the corners of your eyes from the sheer fear alone. The adrenaline hadn’t even worn off for you to feel the pain yet, and you were not looking forward to that happening. You tried your best to keep calm, keep your mind at bay, just retain your composure for the meantime and not stress out Jack more than he likely already was.

You heard some rustling, some shuffling, but nothing happened. Instead, everything went completely still, so much so that you could’ve sworn time stopped right then and there.

“No...” Jack’s voice was muted, but it was distinctly audible in the early morning tranquillity. Early morning, you thought. Not even the birds were awake yet.

What were you thinking? That didn’t matter right now. No, right now, you were stuck, crumpled in some horrid car crash. You tried to move one of your limbs, flexing the fingers of your right hand as you tried to tug it back towards yourself, only to realize it was stuck, likely smushed in between two heavy metal objects.

You tried tugging again, and then the pain stuck you. All at once. You could feel the protest of your probably broken arm as you attempted to move it, sharp pains spiking through each nerve. Your head was throbbing, an angry pounding in your skull as if you had just been slammed in the head with a sledgehammer. What actually happened was probably not far off. However, none of that was anything compared to the stabbing pain in your chest, as if you had been speared though—no, you had been speared through—that radiated excruciating pain that pulsated through your veins.

Your first instinct was to scream from the agony that engulfed your very being, but you just barely managed to hold back for Jack. You didn’t want to scare him.

But he already knew what was going on, for you could hear him sob.

“No, no, no, Y/N—” His voice cracked as he enunciated your name, and you could hear just how broken he sounded, his voice filled with a sense of dread and despair so heavy it threatened to further crush you until you were nothing.

“Jack—” you weakly cried out. Tears were freely falling from your eyes, cascading down and painting a perceptible line through your likely bloodied cheeks. Not only were you afraid, frightened out of your mind, but the physical pain was also too much to bear. You had experienced nothing even close to being as gruesome as this.

“It hurts.”

“I know,” Jack replied, and it only struck you then how small his voice was, how lost he sounded, like an abandoned child without their parents.

You knew then, by the tone of his voice, that it was over for you. You were going to die here. As you realized that, you choked on another sob, your composure shattering thin like glass. You could feel yourself quaking within the confinement of the vehicle and the devastation to your limbs. You were trembling, bottom lip quivering as you began to hiccup.

After a long pause, with just the sounds of crying, you could hear Jack say something.

“Y/N,” he called out to you. Somehow, he sounded a lot more calm, all of a sudden. Perhaps you were just delirious; you did feel lightheaded from the blood loss.

“Yes?” Your voice shook.

“I’m going to get you out of there,” he stated, his voice firm, unwavering.

“What?” you mumbled, confused. “I’m dying, Jack.”

“No, you’re not.” And he sounded so determined then; you swore you weren’t just imagining things.

“Yes I am. We both know it.” You chuckled bitterly as you spoke, your words laced with spite, the unjustness of this situation just now striking you.

Silence again. You wondered what he was thinking. You felt so dizzy, you swore you could pass out any second now. Desperately, you clutched at the remaining bits of your consciousness, forcing yourself to stay awake. You couldn’t let it end, not yet.

“Listen to me carefully,” he stated, and his words reminded you so much of your original meeting that you let out a pleasant laugh at the memory, despite your body being wracked with pain.

“I’ll give you my life.”

“Huh?” You couldn’t understand what he meant by that. Were you already too far gone? Was it already over for you? You could feel the darkness tugging at your mind. You used every ounce of energy you had to pull away from it, pitifully attempting to reach for a light that wasn’t there.

“There’s no time to explain,” Jack said. “I’m going to break you out of this rubbish.”

You could feel something shake ever so slightly, but then it stilled.

“It’s going to hurt, though,” was the last thing Jack said before you felt something heavy get lifted off of you, sending shockwaves of torment through your battered body as you let out a loud, piercing cry.

“Shh, shh, it’ll be okay soon,” you heard him say, as your vision was finally uncovered, your eyes fluttering a few times to make out his form, standing above you. Quickly, he leaned down, scooping you up into his arms, picking you up as if you weighed nothing, like a feather.

As he was cradling your broken body in his arms, you could instantly see him get smeared with sticky, sanguine fluid. Your blood. There was so much of it, it was glistening on the surface of both his and your skin, soaking through the fabric of both your clothes, staining everything with a poignant, intrusive red.

“Jack,” you whined, “it really hurts.”

“It won’t hurt for much longer.”

You still didn’t know what he was referring to. But then he tilted his head downwards, pressing his lips to yours in a kiss. You could taste iron and metal, the flavour making you grimace. Just as you were about to ask what he was doing, you felt the darkness tug at you again, this time gripping your mind hard, digging its talons into your consciousness, refusing to let go.

“Jack—”

“Just let go,” he reassured you. “Everything will be okay.”

And so you did, allowing oblivion to consume you.

—

“Jack?” you murmured, the first word that left your lips as you woke up. Lazily, you slowly lifted your eyelids, only for your eyes to snap wide open as you took in the scenery, the realization of where you were hitting you hard.

It was still dark, with chiseled trees and a ruined vehicle surrounding you. But something was different this time.

You couldn’t figure out what it was right away, but then you noticed you felt no pain. Everything in your body felt okay again. You flexed your fingers. They moved as they were supposed to.

Just what had happened? You didn’t understand at all, but then you looked towards your feet, and horror instantly wrote itself all over your features.

Jack laid there, propped up against the trunk of a tree that had been snapped halfway, and he was covered in blood that continuously oozed out from underneath him, forming a puddle of crimson.

He was pale, far paler than his usual tone of smoke and ash; this time he was nearly white as a sheet. When he saw you looking at him, he returned your gaze, smiling warmly.

“Hey,” he mumbled. You didn’t smile back at him, you only continued gaping at him, terror-stricken.

“You’re okay,” he observed, letting out a sigh of relief that tugged at your heartstrings painfully.

“W-What did you do?” you stuttered, the possibilities of what had occurred racing through your mind, none of which you liked.

“I transferred your injuries over to myself,” Jack explained. “Cool demon powers, huh?”

“No—” you gasped. “No!”

You sunk to your feet, both hands clasped over your mouth as you stared at him in horror, the feeling of fright a tidal wave surging through your entire being. The tears came on so fast that they instantly clouded your vision, before forming individual teardrops that fell to the ground in rapid succession.

“No!” you wailed, your cry reverberating in the sullen atmosphere. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“To save you, of course.” He spoke as if it was common sense, though it was not condescending. He talked like it was just simply the only option for him. The thought of that made your heart swell with another burst of pain.

“But what about you? What are you going to do?” you questioned, praying to whatever god that was out there in hopes that he had a plan of some sort for himself. Something. Anything.

“I’m going to die knowing it was for the girl I loved, I suppose.” Your heart sank down into the depths of the chamber that was your stomach, and you could feel it swallowed whole, devoured by despair as the situation became more and more clear to you with each passing second, to the point where you knew what exactly would happen. Yet, you fervently attempted to fight it, tried to swim against the current, knowing that the only thing that will happen to you was drown..

“No, Jack, please, don’t— don’t leave me—” you blurted out, sobbing all the while.

“Shh, it’ll be okay. It’ll all be okay,” he reassured you, weakly reaching out his hand towards yours. You quickly grasped his hand with both of yours. It was so, so cold.

“No, no— it won’t be okay, how is anything supposed to be okay without you?” you asked.

“Y/N,” he said, “be brave for me, okay? Just this once.”

“No, Jack, please, please don’t go...” You couldn’t hold back the desperate pleas, despite knowing it was futile, despite knowing you didn’t have much time left, you couldn’t help but beg, hoping it would somehow change something.

“Y/N—”

“Please, please, I’m begging you, don’t go, don’t leave me here by myself,” you cut him off with further pleading. You didn’t care if you sounded pathetic, you probably did, but it didn’t matter to you. You just didn’t want him to go.

“Y/N—”

“Please, Jack, I love you so much, I can’t live without you—”

“I love you too, Y/N,” he returned your statement, squeezing your hand as he said so. “That’s why I’m doing this.”

“Jack—”

“Y/N, I don’t have much time left. I need you to listen to me carefully,” the same dreadful words all over again. They used to be a reminder of a pleasant time, but you hated hearing them now, though you knew you had to listen to them, regardless. “I don’t regret this. I don’t regret this one bit. I don’t regret any of this; every moment I’ve spent with you has been more than worth it to me.” As he spoke, you continued crying, burying your face into his neck, letting go of his hand to wrap both arms around him, pulling him close to you, holding him like it was the last time. Holding him because it was the last time.

“Can you promise me something?” he inquired.

“Of course, what is it?”

“Promise you’ll live for me, okay? Promise you’ll live a happy life, even without me.” His words made you break out into another burst of sobs, your tears trickling down your face and onto his neck, mixing with, diluting the blood that was so warm, so red.

“No, Jack, not without you—” you cried out in protest.

“Won’t you grant me my one dying wish?” he spoke with a faltering grin. You chuckled a tiny bit through your cries, though you didn’t feel any better.

“Fine,” you agreed, finally pulling your head away from his shoulder so that you could look him in the eyes. His eyes were starting to glaze over, but you could tell he was trying his best to focus them on you. You could hear his breaths growing shallower, the pool of blood beneath the two of you spreading ever so wide.

“Pinky promise me, you’ll live for me?” His fingers were quivering as he curled them in, holding only his pinky out, unsteadily extending his hand towards you.

“Pinky promise,” you whispered, hooking your pinky around his, interlocking your fingers.

“Thank you, Y/N.” His voice was hushed, so quiet that you could barely make out the words. But you still heard it.

“Jack—” Your pinkies were still locked together when you felt his hand go limp.

—

“Y/N—”

“Y/N—” amidst a comforting blanket of fog, you heard a voice call out for you.

The voice sounded familiar, but you couldn’t quite place your finger on who it was. Everything was shrouded in darkness, the lack of sight combined with the hazy feeling surrounding you with a cozy sensation. You felt as if you had been wrapped in a cocoon, nestled away somewhere where it was safe.

But the voices kept calling out your name, and slowly the mirage of the ephemeral darkness began to fade away, your eyelids opening to reveal light.

You blinked once, then twice, clearing your sight; what was formerly blurry shapes and shadows now sharpening up to distinct figures and faces.

You tried to focus your still dazed mind, somewhat able to recognize Toby crouched down next to you.

You felt something wet splash onto your cheek. A teardrop.

A teardrop followed suit with another and then another; a sempiternal flow of tears emerging from his eyes. Toby was crying. You wondered why.

You didn’t know what was happening, only that you could see Toby turn his head to Tim, who was standing behind him, shouting ‘she’s awake!’ before turning back towards you.

“Y/N, Y/N, can you hear me?” Toby questioned, one of his hands placing itself on your shoulder. His hand felt shaky.

You made an incoherent noise to acknowledge his statement, and you could see the tiniest bit of relief break out on his face. You tried to smile at him, reassure him that everything was okay, though you still didn’t fully comprehend what was happening.

You took a quick glance at your surroundings, finally realizing that you were on the floor. Why were you lying here? Just what was going on?

And then you heard a third voice, one that you knew belonged to Brian’s, shout.

“The paramedics are on their way, they’ll be here soon!” Paramedics?

Oh, that was right. The mention of paramedics refreshed your recollection, your memories of what had just happened surging back into your head.

That was right. Toby, Tim, and Brian had come over to your place to check up on you. You were coughing up flowers. Brian called the emergency services. Tim had told you that Jack was dead. And then you passed out.

Now you were awake again, everything that you had just remembered replaying in your mind like a broken record.

Jack was dead.

Jack was dead. He had died the day of your four-year anniversary. You were there when he died. You had watched him die.

Jack was dead, and he wasn’t coming back. Not now, not ever. He was gone. He was truly gone, and no amount of pretending otherwise will ever change that fact. No matter how hard you tried to cope, telling yourself he was still alive, that he had just broken up with you, it wouldn’t change the reality of the situation. And the reality was that Jack was dead, he had died in place of you. He had died because of you.

It was all your fault.

If it wasn’t for you, Jack would still be alive right now. But instead, he chose to die, all so that you could continue to live.

Yet, you had deluded yourself into believing he was still alive, you had deluded yourself into believing he would come back, and consequently fell to the disease, on top of starving yourself to near death. You had taken the life that Jack sacrificed for you and demolished it with your own hands.

As that realization came to you, you felt a tsunami of emotions wash over you. The main ones being guilt and regret. You couldn’t escape from it now, not anymore.

What had you done?

You had promised him that you would live. You had promised him that, and you had broken it. You had failed his one last dying wish.

You had failed not only him, but also yourself.

You felt a crawling sensation in your chest. You could feel the flowers growing, taking root in your heart and filling your lungs to the brim.

You turned yourself over, coughing with anguish. You could feel the flora get pushed up your esophagus, clawing at the back of your wounded throat, and you reached a hand into your mouth, fingers grasping at the petals, trying to pull them out.

As you yanked the flowers out, you could feel a stem, or perhaps another bundle of petals get caught inside your throat, causing you to gag, and then you were heaving up an entire bouquet soaked in your own blood, heaving up saliva and stomach acid all together. You coughed and choked on it as you desperately pulled out mouthfuls and mouthfuls of garnet flowers, complete with lime green stems, beige-brown roots, all the while you continuously spat out your own blood.

The flowers didn’t stop. Each time you felt like you had finally pulled them all out, you could feel new buds blooming in your chest, rapidly stuffing your ribcage and you would repeat the process over and over again, the myriad of flowers relentlessly continuing to clog up your insides.

All the while, you could feel Toby’s hand patting your back, stroking it in a pitiful attempt to ease your suffering, while Tim and Brian were shouting in the background.

“Brian, where the fuck are the paramedics? Didn’t you say they were coming?” Tim yelled, audibly sounding frightened.

“They are! They’ll be here anytime,” Brian replied, and you could tell he was trying to keep his cool, but you could hear in his voice that he was just as petrified as Tim was.

“Y/N, hang in there, please,” Toby was pleading, but you couldn’t reply, your esophagus entirely filled with newborn flowers.

You weren’t coughing as much as you were choking anymore, your windpipe obstructed by ever-blooming flora, cutting off your air supply. You were despairingly suffocating, your arms no longer supporting your weight. Instead, you were lying down with your hands desperately grasping at your neck and chest, flailing like a fish out of water.

The oxygen was no longer reaching your head, and you could see black spots in your bleary sight, much like the time when that man had tried to murder you.

This time, you had done it to yourself.

Through the static and buzzing in your ears, you could hear the wailing sounds of an ambulance somewhere in the distance.

“They’re coming!” Brian hollered.

“They need to come faster,” Toby cried, “she won’t—woo—make it for much longer.”

“God, Y/N, please,”—his voice too, was growing further and further away from you—“please, stay with me—”

You could hear the sound of the void calling out to you, telling you to close your eyes, give in to the darkness that would inevitably devour the last of your consciousness.

The faint sound of an ambulance was present in the background, and you heard voices that you didn’t recognize as well as incoming footsteps, but you paid them no mind.

You coughed weakly, one last time.

You closed your eyes at last, letting yourself fall into the comforting embrace of oblivion, surrendering yourself to its tender hold. Your movements slowed, then came to a halt at last, your body finally motionless.

You laid there, still, surrounded by a field of red spider lilies.

—

“Thank you for everything,” you said, pleasantly smiling at him.

“Of course, it was my pleasure,” Jack replied, returning your expression.

It was morning, a day having passed since you first arrived here. The blizzard had stopped its rage last evening, a few hours past the original incident, but Jack had insisted it wasn’t safe for you to go home by yourself so late at night, and you agreed with that. He had been generous enough to let you sleep in his guest room for the night, and you gratefully took up his offer.

Of course, there was another side to it, being that neither of you really wanted your interaction to be over, at least not quite yet.

Over the course of a mere evening, the two of you had grown quite fond of each other, far more than to be expected out of an accidental encounter such as this. You found it easy to open up to him, and the two of you shared your lives with each other over a delectable dinner that he had made, even sharing some secrets that you wouldn’t have told just anybody else.

So when the morning came, and it was time to leave, you couldn’t help but feel a bit of disappointment, a bit of longing. You weren’t sure if he’d want to see you again after this, if this was just a onetime thing of saving your life.

Jack walked you to the door, where you put on your shoes, which had been dried out over the night and were thankfully not bloodied. Opening and holding the door for you as you stood in the doorway, the two of you looked at each other, eyes meeting for a lengthy moment.

“Goodbye, Y/N,” he said.

“Goodbye, Jack,” you responded.

And with that, you turned around, but just as you were about to step out the door, you felt his hand latch onto your wrist, causing you to turn around in surprise.

“Wait,” he called out. “I’ll see you again, right?” His words brought an earnest smile to your face, and you couldn’t help but feel a weight getting lifted off of your shoulders.

“Yeah,” you agreed, “I’ll see you again.”

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