#Not looking forward to cleaning the crate

[bringbackgoth]

it’s happened.

category 5 poop event.

we had a Super Soupy Scoopy Poopy… in the crate 😩😵😭

Poor dude is beyond mortified at what he’s done. After rushing him outside basically in my sleep and holding him and comforting him I took his crate apart, stuck it on the porch and baptized myself in Dawn.

The Super Pooper Scooper himself is going to have to have the same treatment in a few hours once I’ve gathered my strength.

#My pets #scoops #puppy life #It happens to the best of us #Not looking forward to cleaning the crate #Personal

[underdark-dreams]

It's finally here, all 7k words of it 👀 Thank you for everyone who read chapter 1, and waited so patiently!

[ch1]

Birds and Bees - Ch.2

Rolan isn't usually the type to accept help. In his defense, Tav is very persuasive—and he is very, very desperate.

Tags: Tailplay, Oral Sex, Biting, NSFW | Word Count: 7.7k [Read on AO3]

Rolan didn’t appear again for the rest of the day.

After their awkward exchange this morning, Tav felt she might be somewhat to blame. She tried to recall the bits of Tiefling etiquette she’d picked up from the Elturians; perhaps touching his tail had crossed some sort of line? Either way, the gesture seemed unthinkably forward to her now. 

Then again…Rolan was the one who’d coiled his tail across her desk like that, its tip nearly brushing her hand as she wrote. She’d never seen him do anything like it before. If she didn't know him so well, she’d have found the move almost flirtatious.

At shop’s close, Cal took charge of locking up the front. Tav caught sight of the large iron keyring he carried and realized that it must be Rolan’s. So his brother had checked in on him today, at least—that gave her a modicum of relief.

Lia pitched in to help wipe down all her equipment and carefully fill the many waiting bottles with her cooled elixir. Tav held her tongue from repeating any of the worries she’d made after Rolan during the day—but it seemed her silence was just as damning.

“Stop fussing,” Lia repeated firmly. “Rolan’s just overdue for a rest. I mean, you saw his face.”

“I did.” Rolan had never been the type to slow down or show weakness easily. To Tav, the fact that he’d willingly taken himself to bed worried her more than anything. “Just promise you won't let him turn down a healer if he needs one?”

“If it comes to that, which it won't,” Lia said down to her work. “I promise we’ll find someone, okay?”

Tav kept her tone teasing as she packed away the sealed bottles in their crate. “Hmm, yes…if only you already knew someone with some knowledge of healing.”

Lia let out a bark of laughter. “Trust me, you’re the last person Rolan wants to see right now.”

The sting of those words took Tav by surprise herself. Lia caught their edge too; she pulled up with a grimace, letting a few drops of antidote dribble onto the desk. “Shit, Tav, I didn't mean it like that.”

“It’s okay,” Tav replied, making a fuss of sealing up the filled crate. The thought made her feel rather less than okay, which she didn't want Lia to see. “I think—I don’t know. I feel like I did something rude today, anyway.”

“Oh?” Lia’s tone was light, but she allowed a conspicuous pause to stretch between them. Tav pushed through a twinge of embarrassment to turn to face her.

“Lia, what would you think if I touched your tail?”

Lia glanced up with an eyebrow cocked. “What, right now?”

“No, just—say I did by accident.”

Lia straightened to take a thoughtful inhale. “I mean…it depends on the context. You and I are friends, I wouldn’t think much of it. Unless you grabbed it up by my backside or something,” she added with a laugh. “It wouldn’t be a big deal. If I’m walking somewhere crowded, lots of people might brush against it unless I’m careful.”

Tav had moved around to reset the rest of her clean glassware as she listened, feeling marginally relieved by the explanation.

Then Lia paused her work again. “Are you saying you touched Rolan’s tail?

“You what now?”

With impeccable timing, Cal skidded to a stop at the edge of the conversation, a heavy lockbox under one arm.

Tav glanced between the two of them. “Yes?” The word came out as a question somehow; her mouth went dry as they stared at her. “Like you said, I didn't think it was a big deal. He laid it on my desk while I was working, so I just kind of—” She mimed a little picking-up motion with her hand.

The siblings exchanged a significant look with each other. 

“What?” Tav felt her face burning and knew the color must be noticeable to either of them. “How does it being Rolan’s tail make it different?”

Cal turned back to her with a frown. “What do you mean he laid it on your desk?”

“I don't know, damn—clearly I’m no expert!” She flailed her arms out a bit. “I just turned around and it was sitting there by my hand, all right?”

Another shared glance.

“That explains it,” Cal decided. It earned him a swift pinch on the arm from his sister. “Ow, hey—”

Tav looked between them again, trying to translate. “Explains what? Seriously, if I offended Rolan somehow, I want to kn—”

“You didn’t,” Lia cut in firmly. “This one here's just an idiot. It’s harder to control your tail when you're sick or tired, and Rolan’s been both, that’s all. I'm sure it was a mistake. And he shouldn't have minded you moving it,” she finished with a decisive nod.

With that, Lia snatched up the filled crate from her with one arm and grabbed her brother’s sleeve with the other. Cal stumbled slightly as she pulled him along, but he wisely held his tongue as they headed for the back stockroom. The hinges creaked shut behind them both.

Tav was left standing alone in the cavernous interior of Sorcerous Sundries, beside the desks that she and Rolan used to comfortably share—not sure if she should feel better or worse.

—

The next morning, Rolan was once again nowhere to be found.

He hadn’t even conjured his projection the way he usually did when occupied with research in the Tower. It was a shame; the shop was unusually busy by midday, and Cal and Lia worked without pause. When she could, Tav left her alchemy just to lend a hand with customers or make runs to the supply room.

She found herself worried to the point of irritation. Was Rolan really so stubborn that he wouldn’t take a potion? Or accept healing from someone he’d claimed was a trusted friend and colleague? She tried and failed not to be hurt by it.

Then again, Rolan had always been the type to shoulder his way through awful things alone while firmly turning down help—particularly from her. His apprenticeship, most recently. The memory made her radiantly angry on his behalf even now.

“Shit—” 

Tav jerked away from the flask and sucked on her freshly scalded thumb. She must have the ratios off again; this recipe wasn’t new to her, but the nuances had escaped her all morning. These sublimates shouldn’t get nearly so hot when mixed.

Might as well admit defeat and review the recipe before she wasted yet another bunch of black oleander. Surely there was a reference text somewhere in Rolan’s library?

Tav glanced around to the front of the shop. Cal was recording a sale at the front desk; Lia was chatting with a very large half-orc over near the conjurement runes. Things seemed well enough in hand. Tav damped the flame at her station and quietly took the stairs for the portal.

For lack of a better word: the library of Ramazith’s Tower was absolutely magical. 

Tav stood breathing in the quiet afternoon sunlight, taking an appreciative look up around her. The collection must be the best one this side of Candlekeep, with all sorts of books on spellcraft, Weave theory, alchemy, religion, the history of Toril—just to scratch the surface. She could think of no hands more deserving than the ones its ownership had fallen into.

Just as Lia mentioned the other day, Rolan had clearly been hard at work reorganizing the place. She ran her fingertips over the books’ spines as she walked around the perimeter of the main floor.

She imagined Rolan with his robe sleeves pushed to his elbows, enthusiastically at work in his book stacks, and bit back a grin. There was something so endearing about his passion for taming disorder. As she walked, she found her gaze drifting to the delicate staircase at the far end of the main floor. It spiraled upward invitingly. 

She’d never been to the upper floors of Ramazith’s Tower—nothing past the library. Certainly she hadn’t stepped foot in any of the private quarters of Rolan or his siblings. She wouldn’t even know which door led to whose.

But her mind wandered readily at the thought of Rolan’s bedroom. What it might look like…smell like. 

No doubt it was packed with shelves of books and scrolls, filled with the scent of fresh parchment and leather-bound volumes. That warm, bookish smell that seemed to be woven into his robes. The fresh hint of cedar from the way he kept his clothes meticulously cleaned and stored. And that other faint spice that she could never identify, but always picked up when he stood close to her.

The same scent that had filled her lungs with dizzy pleasure when he’d hovered close to her yesterday, chin brushing her shoulder and arm circled possessively around her waist— 

She bit her lip as heat pooled between her legs at the memory. She couldn't help it—how very fucking nice it had been to feel Rolan’s elegant hands on her, casually and effortlessly touching, as if he was accustomed to touching her much more often and much more intimately.

It would do no good to dwell on that moment. If anything, the uncharacteristic gesture was just proof of how out-of-sorts Rolan must be feeling. He was her friend, and by all accounts, he’d been too sick to leave his room for days. 

With a sudden burst of determination and a disregard for the consequences, she strode for the stairs.

Taking the curving ascent so rapidly left her dizzy. Tav planted her boots on the landing for a moment, holding onto the railing while she took in her surroundings.

This upper hall was also quietly sunlit, filled with fine carpeting and oak paneled walls; but the atmosphere was somehow less grand than the cavernous library below. More intimate. 

Two doors stood on both ends of the hall. Hazarding a guess, she stepped to the closest one on her left. Its heavy oak panels swung forward with the slightest touch.

Not a bedroom at all, but a bath—and a tremendously fine one at that. All the fixtures seemed to be wrought from polished gold. Underneath a towering stained glass window stood the deepest, widest clawfoot tub she’d ever seen.

As she gazed around, Tav caught sight of her reflection in a large glass above the sinks. Her hair was all frizzy flyaways from a day over her potion work. Indulging a bit of vanity, she paused to tame it with her fingers.

One of Rolan’s many endearing habits was his dedication to fastidiousness. Never a hair out of place, horns polished and shining, robes immaculately pressed—knowing him, with a bit of the Weave.

She must look like some sort of wild hedge witch by comparison. Tav had never minded life in the wilds as a wayward adventurer, even after the Elder Brain was felled to the Chionthar. It was part of what drew her to the career of a traveling alchemist. 

But there were moments…most of them in this Tower, with Rolan and his siblings. Sharing a meandering dinner at a real table with actual chairs. Sitting with Rolan out on the starlit balcony, discussing blood alchemy over a glass of wine as they watched the harbor.  

Tav forced her hands still and stared back at her reflection. 

“What do you want?” She muttered to herself. The Tav in the mirror had no answer. But in her mind, one softly bloomed.

Over the past months, her feelings had tumbled forward faster than she could keep up with them. Seeing Rolan, talking with him about anything and everything, working beside him in quiet moments—she found those were the moments she looked forward to most.

His offer to turn one of the Tower’s empty vaults into a greenhouse for her. Essentially giving her a permanent place in his home, if she wanted it. Was it stupid to hope that he wanted more, too?

As she stood frozen silent in the confines of her lavish surroundings, a muffled sound came from her right.

She hadn't noticed the second door past the bathtub; presumably connecting to one of the bedrooms. She realized it most likely led to Rolan’s.

She stepped toward the heavy oak paneling and raised a hand to knock. As she did, more muffled noises came from within. Tav hesitated, questioning whether she should—then leaned in to press one ear to the wood.

There were the sounds of labored breathing, as if from pain or exertion. She strained her ear harder. There was something almost…rhythmic in it.

And then—she could swear—she heard Rolan's voice groan her name aloud.

A shock of heat ran through her chest, prickling up her neck and diving between the cleft of her legs. The rapid, hot ache at her core made her gasp out in surprise, then clap a hand to her mouth lest he heard. She felt her cheeks burning with realization.

Whatever she had expected to find by wandering up here…this had never been on the list. All she saw in her mind’s eye was Rolan, sweating and panting and desperate. And that thought filled her with overwhelming want in response.

Tav pushed herself back from the door with a jolt. She turned and ran, not knowing or caring whether the ring of her footsteps on tile carried past the door. Her pulse pounded against her ears as she rushed out of the room and back for the staircase. 

Even before Tav’s foot hit the third stair, she knew she was headed for the Elfsong. And a very stiff fucking drink.

—

Day passed to night and back to day again in a feverish jumble. Like a vessel adrift in a vast ocean, Rolan was passed along wave after wave of searing impulse.

Had his ruts always been this overwhelming, and he’d just forgotten? Or was there something different about the drives this time around? 

Even the little dignities were stripped away, one by one. He began by conjuring mage hands at first, but his concentration faltered too many times at the cusp. He finally just settled for his own grip. Desperate sounds rose in his chest each time he neared his next finish, the likes of which he’d never utter voluntarily.

And he quickly gave up on clothes altogether. He lay naked and spread-eagle on his sheets and tried to sleep when he could, before his demanding cock inevitably twitched back to life again. The fever turned his dreams shockingly lewd whenever he did manage to drift off.

By sunset, another strong wave of need was pulsing through his core, demanding his attention. Rolan lay back against his pillows and groaned open-mouthed as he stroked himself.

Even slick with oil, the friction between his hand and the raw, overstimulated ridges of his cock bordered on painful. His finish danced out of reach to the back of his mind.

With an impatient growl, he flipped over to his knees and snatched up a feather pillow, folding it into a sleeve for his cock. A crude solution—but with his first few thrusts, the cool softness of the silk caused a moan of relief to rise in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut as he fucked his own pillow in a desperate chase for relief.

And behind his eyelids, there she was again.

Tav appeared there so easily now. He’d tried to fight it at first—ashamed to be using her like this, without her knowledge or consent—but he found that nothing satisfied his urges so well as when he pictured her on his cock.

So he closed his eyes and imagined Tav…pliant, eager, hungry. Legs spread and center dripping with desire for him. The shameful depth of his need faded away as he fantasized her own. How her eyes might shine as she panted and gasped under him, calling him by name and begging him to fuck her and fill her and mark her as his—

What would she sound like as he took her? He conjured the timbre of her voice, always warm and musical, now canting to a whine as the ridges at his base slammed against her with each thrust.

Pressure coiled rapid and hot at his loins. Rolan slid off the mattress with legs braced, the pillow cast aside, and tugged frantically at his stiff length again. His tail arched and flicked behind him.

Through clenched eyelids he saw Tav laid at the foot of his bed, hair splayed in a messy crown against his sheets as she cried out his name. Her legs crossed behind his flanks to hold him deep inside her tight wet heat—

‘Rolan—’ She moaned louder, her heels digging into his lower back as he took her. Tav gripped two handfuls of the bedding underneath as he thrust relentlessly, chasing more of her heat around his cock, more of the delicious scent at her throat and between her legs—

“Rolan!”

“Fuck—” With a strangled gasp, Rolan’s hips stuttered one last time as his come spilled in ropes to the floor. Panting and shaking, he caught hold of the bed post with one hand as he frantically worked out the rest of his finish with the other. His head spun with the force of it.

But as he opened his eyes and his vision cleared, so did that cottony feeling in his ears. Someone was rapping insistently on the door to his room.

“Rolan, we need to talk—” Even muffled by the heavy wood, Tav’s voice was unmistakable.

“Fuck,” Rolan hissed again, this time with enough wits about him to panic. How much of that last performance could she hear through the door? He snatched up the nearest towel to wipe himself, then tripped away toward the pile of clothes on the floor that had lain untouched since yesterday.

“Go away,” he called tersely, nevertheless yanking the trousers up over his hips. Thank hells that last round had left him soft enough he could do up the laces for now.

On the other side of the door, she was undeterred. “I’m not leaving till I’ve seen you.”

Rolan cursed as one of his horns snagged the ties at the neck of his shirt. Once the fabric dropped over his torso, he whirled around to take in the state of his room. 

Bedsheets pulled sideways from the mattress; pillows strewn across the floorboards; air thick with the smell of him. Absolute filthy shambles.

Using a rush of energy he couldn't afford, he cast a mass prestidigitation spell on the space. The improvement in the air was immediate. But the resulting light-headedness caused him to stumble forward; he caught himself with a hand braced on the door frame.

“I'm not joking,” Tav called loudly, unaware he was now much closer.

He could have yelled at her to wait outside for another week, then, if he wasn't so sure she was stubborn enough to actually do so. After all, this was the person who’d defeated an Elder Brain and taken on several gods in the process.

That…and he found he badly wanted to see Tav in the flesh. Hearing her voice from just beyond his bedroom door only increased that desire. Rolan’s tail lashed behind him in helpless frustration.

“What do you want?” He asked instead, lowering his voice. No use broadcasting any more of this conversation to the whole Tower.

There was a pause on the other side of the oak paneling. “I’ve barely seen you since I got here,” Tav’s voice replied, matching his volume.

“And?” 

“And I'm worried about you…obviously,” she added. “Cal and Lia said you’re sick. But I’d feel better if we could talk face to face.” Even through the barrier between them, he could hear a strain in her voice. She wasn't lying. 

Rolan rested his horns against his braced forearm with a sigh. “Tav, I swear I'm perfectly fine.”

“Then just open the door a moment. Please, Rolan?”

It was far too pleasant to hear her say his name outside of his own imaginings. Rolan glanced down at himself. Barefoot, shirt untucked, but technically presentable. And not pitching a tent for once in the past twenty-four hours. 

“If I do, will you leave?” 

There was another pause. “If you want me to,” came the reply. He unbolted the latch and drew it open to shoulder width.

The wave of Tav’s scent hit him almost before he registered her face in front of him. The sweetness of it overwhelmed his other senses for a moment. It tested all Rolan’s limited reserves of sanity not to grab her by the waist and pull her body against him.

Unaware of the silent struggle raging in his chest, Tav stood with face tilted up toward his. Her eyes had traveled over his figure immediately, checking him over with a worried little crease between her brows. Something at the side of his head caught her eye; Rolan realized his hair hung loose and rather sweaty, exposing the slender tips of his ears.

Her demeanor changed at the sight. Tav sighed, leaning her head against the flat of the door.

“You’re even handsome with a fever,” she told him softly.

Rolan blinked at her. Perhaps exhaustion and hormones were driving him to hallucinations. “What are you—”

Faster than he could react, her palms landed on either side of his face, and Tav pulled his mouth down to hers.

A burst of colors exploded behind his eyes; the sensation of her lips moving on his kindled the dormant heat in his body to wild blaze. She notched her hands upward as she kissed him, and her fingers slid up along the sensitive tapers of both his ears.

Rolan let out a hungry, animal sound against her mouth. Both hands landed on her back and crushed the line of her body forward into his, leaving no space between them. He could feel the soft hills of her breasts pressing against his chest through clothing. The warm scent rolling off her skin and hair surrounded him with dizzying force.

The higher part of his mind was screaming at him. Rolan desperately tried to focus on what it was saying; as he did, he caught the tang of wine on her lips. The discovery gave him just enough will to pull back from her.

And he did, with one jerking step back into his chambers. “You can’t be here.”

Tav stood panting through parted lips, eyes half-lidded as they traveled over him. Rolan felt flames lick his skin everywhere they moved.

“Why not?” She breathed. “I wanted to see you.”

“You’re drunk,” he told her. He rather felt that way himself, still reeling from the electricity of kissing her.

Tav pouted at that, and Rolan wished to bite that lower lip firmly between his teeth. “I’m not drunk,” she corrected. “I’ve had a drink. There’s a difference.”

“You wouldn’t be here if—”

“If what?” Tav watched him as she took a step closer. Rolan stepped back in tandem, reflexive. She was well over the threshold now. “If I knew what was really happening to you?”

Those words sounded much more knowing than he liked. Rolan stared at her, trying to read into her face. He swallowed against the dry lump of his tongue and went out on a limb. “Which one of them told you?”

Tav shook her head. “Cal and Lia have been nothing but discreet.” 

“Then how could you possibly understand?” He demanded. The very recent discovery of how soft Tav’s lips were was making it very difficult to maintain this conversation. He could still feel the way her body had pressed into him.

One corner of her mouth twitched. “Rolan, I’d like to think I’m not completely oblivious. There have been…signs. And I’ve had a lot of time to think about them. I’ve been at the Elfsong all afternoon, just—thinking.”

At that, Rolan felt his tail twitching nervously behind him. “I see,” he replied. Pivoting, like an idiot, trying to pretend this was a perfectly acceptable conversation to have with the woman who occupied most of his thoughts when he was pleasuring himself. “And you think that I—that my—”

Tav made a quick twisting motion to get around the door. She latched it and drew the bolt closed behind them, then turned back to him.

“A lot of humans have heard rumors about Tieflings,” she confessed. “Some stupid, but some credible. I’m saying this is maybe not the secret that you think it is.” As he watched, a much deeper blush spread over Tav’s cheeks. She glanced away to the side. 

“Rolan…I grew up in the Dales, remember? Around rabbits, and cattle, and oxen. Half my friends lived on farms.”

Her analogy couldn’t be clearer. To hear her lay it out so plainly—Rolan felt the last dregs of his pride shrivel up and die. He gripped two palms over his eyes and let out a groan of abject humiliation, turning away to the middle of the room. 

How early had she connected the dots? The moment she felt him brazenly place a hand around her? Had she known all along that he was locked up here, rutting into every one of his pillows?

“Look, Rolan, I’m sorry—I didn’t know how else to say it—” 

Completely overwhelmed by his embarrassment, he hadn’t heard her follow. When Rolan finally dropped his hands from his face, he turned to find Tav standing very close to his chest.

“And I’m sorry for kissing you before,” she blurted out. “I mean, I’m not sorry for it…I’ve wanted to do that for a long time, to be honest. But it wasn’t fair. I just…wanted to know how you’d react.”

Rolan watched as her chest rose and fell heavily where she stood. The look in her eyes made his blood pound through his veins. He felt an urge to reach out and smooth back her hair to bring her in for another kiss, one he resisted.

“I care about you,” Rolan told her, before he could lose his nerve. “Our friendship. I respect you, Tav, it’s not worth—muddying things with this.” 

He felt fingers lacing through the ones that hung at his side, and despite his words Rolan tightened his grip automatically. Her hand was so pleasantly cool against the heat of his skin.

“Why do you think I’m here?” Tav answered earnestly. “I care about you, too. If I can help, I want to. Please—”

She was so close to him; Rolan breathed shallowly, but the warm scent rolling off her skin and hair nevertheless swept past him with dizzying force.

“You don’t know what you’re offering,” he managed hoarsely.

She didn’t falter. “Then tell me what else you think I should know.”

His senses were growing clouded with her; the offer that had tumbled so easily from her rang in his ears. It made the thread of Rolan’s control stretch dangerously taut.

“I won’t be gentle,” he warned. 

His inadvertent shift in tone changed something in the air between them. There was a crackling energy that hadn't been there a second before.

Tav licked her lips as she watched him. “Good.”

Rolan thought he might melt from the heat that spread across his skin. His tail snapped against the mattress behind him. If she moved a step closer, she’d feel how hard he was in his pants.

“Mating bites,” he went on hoarsely. “I’ll mark you. Quite a lot. I’ll try not to draw blood, but…I can’t promise it.”

Tav nodded. “What else?” She asked, encouraging him to go on. 

Rolan swallowed against the embarrassment. But this was important for her to know. “This time for us, it’s all about…reproduction. We become quite virile.” He nearly choked, but there was simply no other way to put it. “For the urges to pass quicker, I need to come in you.”

Tav let out a throaty hum of approval. His cock twitched in his pants at the sound. “That’s fine, I take preventatives—it’s safe.”

They stood looking at each other for another moment. That shivery, electric feeling buzzed in the air around them. Rolan wondered if she could hear the way his heart drummed against his ribs.

Tav leaned in slightly. “Well…” She said, and her wet tongue passed nervously between her lips again.

That taut thread in his chest snapped in two. Rolan crushed her up against him with a whimper. Arms circling around her waist, he nudged a thigh between her legs and firmly ground their hips together.

Tav matched his eagerness. Their lips crashed together; at the back of his mind, he felt her grip cradling under each of his ears. Her fingertips licked like flame against his scalp.

Even through layers of clothing, he could feel the heat of her. Rolan jerked her hips forward harder against his thigh; the swelling length of his cock pressed against her soft, yielding center. Tav dipped her head back from the kiss, arching into him with a moan, and her fingertips laced at the nape of his neck. 

It offered an irresistible angle at the column of her throat. Rolan’s claws raked back in her hair, pulling it to a tight ponytail. Then he tugged firmly, holding her open as his mouth descended on her neck.

He kissed and sucked along the band of muscle from her ear to the curve of her shoulder, then parted his lips to bite down firmly on her soft flesh. 

“Yes,” Tav moaned in approval above him. Her hips rolled into his, grinding herself against the hard cock straining in his pants. Rolan felt her pulse skip against his mouth. Only when he tasted sweet copper did he pull away, laving his tongue over the crimson pin-pricks of his teeth into her skin.

He took only a moment to admire the trail of marks blooming along her neck. Tav was already pulling him in for another kiss. Their lips crashed together with bruising force; her tongue explored, tasting, searching for proof of her blood against his tongue and moaning against him when she found it.

Her scent filled his mind. Without breaking from her mouth, he plucked open the laces of her pants. Rolan slipped his hand under the waistband, beneath her smalls, and slid two fingers to dip down between her legs. Her folds were shining-slick; as he nudged her in circles, a trickle of her arousal rolled down his fingers. She shivered prettily under his touch.

“You’re soaked,” Rolan groaned against her neck. 

“All because of you,” she breathed without hesitation. “Been wanting this, gods, wanting you for months. Your hands on me—cock in me—”

At the words he withdrew his fingers from her impatiently, then sucked them clean. Her sweet taste on his tongue made his cock ache. She scarcely had time to curse at the sight before Rolan gripped both arms around her waist to lift her into him.

With one quick pivot, he landed her down on the bed with his frame pressed into her. Her legs hung off the edge from the hip down, and he used the position to grind the stiff length in his pants against her cleft.

Even fully clothed, it was maddening. He could feel the wet patch between her legs, and when she arched further into him, a primal growl rumbled in his chest. 

Tav’s fingers were brushing at his sides, tugging at the hem of his shirt. “Off,” she panted impatiently.

Rolan tilted back to rip the garment up over his horns, immediately reaching for her own once his was free. He stripped her frantically, ripping her smallclothes in two before he could work them down her thighs.

When she lay bare beneath him, moaning and arching into everywhere he touched, he was overcome with hunger for more of her taste. 

Rolan gripped her hips, dragging her with a jerk to the edge of the bed. With her glistening folds displayed before him, all he could do was drop to his knees and bury his tongue between them.

The sounds she made were like sweet music as he explored her. He sucked and massaged her slit with his tongue, then plunged it as deep within her walls as he could. His eyes rolled back in his head. Her taste surrounded him; his nose brushed her clit as he ate her, further overwhelming his senses with the scent of her arousal.

“Gods, yes, Rolan—” Tav moaned above him as her hands flew to grip each of his horns. She alternately tugged them and arched into his mouth, grinding her clit against his face.

He wanted to hear her say his name like that another thousand times. Rolan curled his tongue against her walls, determined to taste her even deeper, but to no avail. Without his sharp nails, he would have sunk two fingers into her.

Instead, as his mouth left her, the ridged end of his tail looped around to brush over her slit.

“Ah—” Tav gasped from the bed. One of her hands left him to prop up on an elbow to look. 

He watched her face in adoration as his tail slid between her soaked lips, coating itself in a mixture of her arousal and his saliva. Once it was thoroughly wet, he let the heart-shaped tip push experimentally into her.

Whatever hesitation he had evaporated at the way she arched and keened. He pushed in further, inch by inch, hissing in breath at how tight and wet her walls squeezed around him. Rolan felt his cock leaking between his legs at the sight of his tail disappearing into her plush cunt.

“Taking my tail so well,” Rolan praised without thinking, then groaned. “Fuck, Tav, you’re so tight—”

“Don’t stop,” she demanded, breathless.

When he felt the tip brush the limits of her insides, he held it steady as she panted down at him. Her mouth hung open in anticipation as she watched him lean in again for her center.

But instead of landing on her clit, his mouth met with the soft skin of her inner thigh and sucked it firmly between his teeth.

Tav gave a little yelp of pain, but her walls constricted around his tail so hard he moaned against her flesh. He left two more lovely red marks against her thigh before withdrawing his tail from her, leaving only the tip inside her silk.

Then he thrust back into her and took up a forceful rhythm of stretching her open on his tail.

“Fucking gods,” she gasped, gripping both his horns again. He felt her use them as leverage as she bounced her hips down to meet him. 

“Like this, don’t you?” Rolan urged her on, drunk off her desire. “Fucking yourself on my tail—” He leaned down to take another taste of her clit, swirling and sucking as the ridges on his tail dragged more wetness out of her with each thrust.

“Yes,” Tav moaned, shaking under him as his tongue worked over her clit. “Feels so perfect in me, so—ngh—!”

When he flicked the tip of it up inside her, Tav’s words stuttered to incoherence. He felt her inner walls clench and flutter, and repeated the motion over and over with each thrust.

“I’m—oh, oh ohohoh—”

She dissolved into soft cries. The muscles at her core tensed and shuddered as she climaxed against his tongue. Rolan withdrew his tail from her with a slick release, instead clasping his mouth over her to lap down the sweet taste that poured from her. His pants were so wet he was nearly convinced he’d already come, but he felt his cock straining against the fabric just as firmly.

When her thighs collapsed limp to either side, Rolan pushed himself to his feet for a look at her. Tav’s eyes were bright, cheeks flushed with arousal, her hair coiled out in wild tendrils that framed her like a crown. Their eyes met; with both hands on his arms, she pulled him down for a kiss.

Rolan landed braced on his forearms. Their tongues slid and pushed together, trading the taste of her release. When he felt her reaching between them to undo his laces, he pulled away to loose them and strip off the rest of his clothes. 

Tav reached for his erection, and before he’d steadied himself, she gripped his length to drag the generous droplets of precum around his tip with her thumb. His hips bucked into her.

“Eager, aren’t you?” She teased softly.

“Yes,” Rolan groaned. Tav’s soft hand was around his cock for the first time; it was all he could do to locate words. He knew his face was flushed and tense with arousal, but Tav only looked up at him with appreciation from where she lay back on his bed. 

When she guided his length across the wet of her core, he rocked his hips to drag his ridges across her. She shivered slightly, still sensitive, but rolled into him.

“Need you,” Rolan panted, not sure whether he was asking her or begging. “Tav—please—”

Tav’s hand lined him up with her entrance. When his leaking tip nudged inside her, Rolan pushed forward with one slow, determined cant of his hips.

The cool slick of her walls clutched each inch of him so perfectly. A low groan rose in Rolan’s throat—this was the closest thing to real satisfaction that he’d gotten in days, and he hadn't even started moving yet.

“So good,” Tav said under him, voice sweet and husky. “Keep going—”

Rolan braced his hands against her hips. He pulled out slowly, legs shaking beneath him, then pushed back into the tight plush of her. 

His hips took up a firm pace, and Rolan couldn't bite back his whines as he plunged his cock inside her. Whatever his fevered imagination had conjured, it was nothing compared to this—he fell over her again, fangs skating against her breast as her body rocked under him with each thrust.

“Yes, yes, fuck—” Tav was just as breathless as her fingers gripped the infernal ridges on his shoulder blades. She tugged, egging him on.

Rolan took the invitation with enthusiasm. He nipped and sucked around the swell of her breast, breathing in lungfuls of the sweetness rolling off her skin.

“Harder,” Tav begged, the words vibrating against his lips. The hunger inside him surged in agreement.

Rolan’s lips fastened over one nipple. He sucked, hard, letting his tongue roll her against his teeth. Tav let out a whimper, but he felt her legs crossing around his hips as he continued to bury himself in her.

Rolan pulled away to look at her face. A mist of sweat dusted her brow; Tav’s lips were parted and twitching with silent words. 

“Look at me,” Rolan ordered, still filling her with his cock in a steady rhythm.

Tav obeyed, her eyes shining and pupils blown wide. He straightened away from her, never breaking, and laid a hand each on her calves. Then he pushed up, folding her legs to her chest and opening up her cunt even deeper for him.

“You look so beautiful like this, Tav,” he told her, thighs trembling with the effort of keeping his pace slow and steady. “Folded in half in my bed. Stretched around my cock so perfectly.”

In response, Tav’s hands grabbed her knees, pulling herself open even further to each side. “Is this how you imagined it?” She asked wickedly. “All alone—wishing it was me and not your own hand—”

Heat prickled across his neck and shoulders, but Rolan was too far gone to feel shame. He couldn't resist breaking eye contact, however, watching the way his cock stretched open her dripping cunt.

“Just like this,” he panted in answer. She took in breath to respond, but he was already slamming back into her at a reckless pace.

The lewd, wet sounds of his thrusts filled the room, layered with their chorus of whines and moans. Rolan shuddered at how slick and tight she was around him, perfectly gripping each inch of his needy length. His cock throbbed in anticipation of a satisfying release, finally, after all these times of not quite enough—

“I’m close,” he panted, gripping her hips to pull her down deeper onto his cock. The tip of him nudged against the limits of her walls. “Where should—”

“Inside,” Tav insisted, still holding herself wide for him. “Only inside, Rolan, want you to fill me up—fuck—”

The imagery pushed him over the edge, and he did just that. With a throb of release, he felt his cock pulsing and filling her deepest walls with his seed. His hips stuttered into her as he pushed his spend as far into her as he could reach.

Tav clutched his shoulders as he came, humming and moaning out praises for him. Their hips rocked together, nudging his coated length back against her deep center. 

Tav went tense under him. He forced his eyes open and saw her lips parted in surprise.

“I’m—oh—!” 

She gasped in shock as her own climax gripped her. Rolan hissed in breath at the way she clenched and fluttered so suddenly around him. His length was still hard, and his ridges pulsed against her.

As she drifted back down, Tav’s eyes finally lit on him in a daze. “What…what was that?”

Rolan was abruptly reminded of how many ruts he’d spent without a partner. “I'm sorry, I should've warned you,” he confessed. It was hard to form his thoughts while still inside her. “During the cycle…infernal traits get stronger. Like incubi. Helps attract a partner.” Somehow this explanation was more embarrassing than any of the other filth he’d just spoken to her.

Tav stared up at him. “You're saying your come is going to make me come?”

“Essentially.” Rolan shifted inside her slightly, still not confident he was done. “I apologize—I didn't think to tell you. Is that a problem?”

“Rolan—” Tav let out a breathless laugh, and the sound went straight to his chest. “This is the exact opposite of a problem. Just a bit of a shock, that's all.”

The lovely sight of her happy and satisfied under him was too much to resist. Rolan leaned forward on his arms to kiss her, trapping her legs between their chests.

As her hand stroked softly under his jaw, Rolan felt a second ache settling in his loins. He released her lips for just long enough to push her legs out over his hips, then ducked back down for her mouth.

He rolled his hips into her slower this time, but it was somehow more intense. Their lips stayed connected as he drove into her deep. Her walls were slippery with arousal and his own seed, and they gripped like pure silk around his cock. Her opening slid over the sensitive ridges at his base with each thrust.

When he dipped a thumb between their bodies to rub circles over her clit, Tav broke away with a little gasp.

“I can’t again,” she said, panting.

“You can,” he told her simply. “Hold on to me—” 

She did, wrapping both arms and legs firmly around him as if he was her anchor. Rolan dipped his head to her neck as he doubled his pace, their hips slotting together with each brisk slide into her. He breathed deep against the curve of her shoulder.

Still so hungry for release, it wasn't long before he came again hard. This time he just barely pumped his spend into her before he pulled out to look down.

Sticky white seed dribbled out of her slit, running down toward her hole. He dipped the thumb circling her clit down to swipe it back up across her cunt, painting his come across the bundle of nerves at her peak.

Tav’s thighs twitched under him, and she gripped his arm tight with one hand. She swore as he continued flicking across her clit with the wet pad of his thumb, then whined out his name.

While her next orgasm nearly doubled her in half, Rolan tilted his head to watch the sight between her legs. She was soaked, twitching, utterly intoxicating. Her contracting walls pushed more of his spend out of her; it flowed generously from her slit and soaked down into the bedding below.

Finding himself now utterly spent, Rolan collapsed on his back next to her. As he did, he realized his legs had grown fatigued to the point of buckling from the exertions. He let his body sink heavy into the mattress. 

“I made a mess on your sheets,” Tav panted from beside him. 

Rolan groaned at her descriptive language. The fact that his length continued softening was a sign his urges were finally giving him a reprieve, however. “It was mostly my fault.”

She only let out a weak breath of laughter.

Too tired to trust his shaking legs, he reached an arm blind over the side of the bed and snatched up the first fabric it touched. His discarded shirt.

Pushing himself seated, he gently reached to dry between Tav’s legs. One of her hands traced the ridges on his back as he quietly tended to her.

“How long before the next?” She asked him.

“An hour or two.” Rolan didn't look at her. “Tav, you've done more than enough for m—”

The mattress shifted as she sat up and turned his face into a waiting kiss. It was soft, just a chorus of little presses across his lips.

When Tav pulled away, she tucked the damp curtain of his hair behind one ear. “Rolan, unless you want me to go, I'm staying until it’s over.”

Rolan cast a glance over her. Despite the fact that she was naked in his bed and covered in blooming bruises from his mouth, she was very much the same Tav as ever. “Thank you,” he told her quietly.

She pushed him onto his back with a sudden laugh, landing with her chest pressed to his. “What an utterly Rolan thing to say,” she mused. “Need I remind you I just came three times?”

Tav was teasing him, and was of a mind to put her in her place—only he found that none of his limbs wanted to move at the moment. Instead, his only response was a deep hum as his eyelids drooped shut.

He felt the mattress shift as she rose and wished he could reach out to stop her. But a moment later she curled up next to him again, dragging a soft quilt over their bodies. 

Rolan turned inward to rest his head on Tav’s chest—and fell into his first real slumber in days.

#spicy #rolan x tav #tiefling ruts #rolan smut #heat/rut cycles #female tav #bg3 rolan #tiefling biology #bg3 fanfiction #rebgrrl writes #underdark-dreams

[halcyone-of-the-sea]

Soft moments with Rudy after he is rescued by Alejandro and brought to the safe house? Small angst because Rudy could have died and the reader is in love with Rudy but it turns soft.

—A Love Like Ours Makes Us Strong

⇢ ˗ˏˋ 5k Drabble Masterlist ࿐ྂ

╰┈➤ ❝ [Rodolfo came back, alive but bruised. How do you explain how terrified you were?] ❞

You silently clean your guns, moving the oiled rag over the blackened pieces laid out over the old crate of a makeshift table. Leaning against the wall, your eyes are always drawn back to the mess of a man sleeping in the cot across the room. 

He could have died.

Sighing, you shake your head, pacing down the part you hold in favor of another, not stopping until every speck of dirt is gone. You could only do so much to distract yourself from the terror you’d felt when everything went wrong—from the knee-shaking relief when Alejandro had brought Rudy back to you. There were so many emotions, that the concoction in your veins had left you numb.

Quite the dichotomy, no? 

“He wouldn’t want you to strain yourself, you know?” Even now the Colonel is trying to get you to rest. How can you when the man you love is battered and bruised? 

Your vigil had started the moment he had been dragged through these safehouse doors. 

Alejandro’s serious expression shows itself as he walks forward, arms crossed. You hum, shrugging. 

“It’s reckless,” he utters, words firm. 

“It’s instinct,” you reply, glancing up slowly. “How long until others get here and we can get him proper care?”

“He’s going to be alright. No one keeps him down for long—not Rudy.”

“I’m not asking that,” you mutter under your breath, taking up another piece of black metal before Alejandro comes over and steals it out of your grip. Your lids pull in a glare, looking over at him heatedly. 

“Ale—”

“You need rest,” he says, his brown eyes not letting up. A smirk flickers across his lips, teasing softly as one would a sister. “Do not make me order you away, eh? We both know that will only end in bloodshed.”

“From me or you,” you grumble, sighing. 

He wasn’t wrong—you’d been up far too long to be alert anymore; doing mindless tasks with the hope of keeping your mind off of your inner battle. The same battle that had been going on for months now—years. 

You loved Rodolfo. Alejandro knew it, the men knew it, hell, even Rudy himself probably knew it, but it wasn’t like it was something you could help. It had just…happened. 

“Me, probably,” Alejandro chuckles smoothly, moving away and placing your belongings down. He spares you a glance as he walks back to his position near the front door as a lookout. “I won’t get in the way of your anger any day soon, no. I quite like my life, you see.”

“Well,” you rub at your face. “I can’t call you dumb, then.”

His short laugh is what you hear as you walk over to Rudy’s cot, taking a moment to look down at him as he sleeps. 

The man has bandages and gauze wrapped around his arms—one on his neck as well. He had a cut on his forehead, too. Not deep enough for stitches, but it had still been cleaned and the invisible trace of medical tape was pulling at his skin near the sharp angle of his eyebrows. Reaching a hand out hesitantly, you brush your fingers through his dark hair and watch his slightly tight face loosen, his puffing breaths evening out in his chest. 

Your face softens at that, but your sentiency soon snaps you out of your trance; imagining how strange you look as you quickly turn away and walk to the corner of the safehouse. 

Grumbling, you settle back against the wall and lean your scalp into the wood, crossing your arms before you let the darkness settle in around your eyes like a veil. 

But who were you kidding, all of your dreams just led back to him anyway.

When you wake back up, there’s soft talking before the front door of the safehouse closes on its rusty hinges, a silence re-settling that almost allows you to fall back to sleep if not for the limping footsteps that trail over to you. A hand curls your legs and the width of your shoulders, and with a low grunt, you’re picked up and carried somewhere.

When your head hits the fabric of the cot, your eyelids flutter half-open. 

“I know you’re not switching me out, Rodolfo. Get back in here—you’re injured.”

A sheepish face comes into view. 

“I…I didn’t know you were awake.” You frown, hand coming up to rub at your face and clear the blurriness of your vision. “But, really, I’d prefer it if you have it. I’m feeling better, and I don’t want you to have to sleep on the ground.”

Perhaps the fatigue had lowered your inhibitions. 

“Get in,” you huff, scooting over. There’s a pause from the man, his eyes blinking in confusion for a moment.

“Say again?” 

“You heard me. Get in.” 

“That’s not necessary—I’m fine out here, you see?”

“I love you,” you whisper, eyes glinting as they try to stay awake. Rudy’s body goes as straight as a board, his eyes so wide they could be saucers—his lips are slightly parted as if to say something before you order again. “So get in and hold me.” 

For a long time, nothing happens, and then a soft huff of laughter makes your lips twitch as a hand brushes your cheek. A small utterance from the Sergeant Major.

“Quite the way to tell a man, no?”

“You did almost die.” You say, falling deeper and deeper by the second.

“Ah,” Rudy mutters, guilt in his tone as he moves closer, slipping into the cot beside you with a grunt that reverberates in his chest. “I’m sorry.”

You hum, feeling his arms wrap around you. 

“Can I…kiss you?” He asks.

You smile and sit right on the cusp of sleep. 

“You better,” your words are slurred, and just before you fall back into nothingness, the warm press of delicate lips falls to your forehead. 

“I love you too.”

#cod #cod x reader #cod x you #call of duty #x female reader #call of duty x you #cod mw22 #mw2 #mw2 2022 #cod x female reader #rudy parra #rudy cod #rodolfo parra #rodolfo rudy parra #rodolfo cod #rudy x you #rudy x reader #rodolfo x reader #call of duty x reader #mw2 x reader #mw2 x you

[milkmanxreader]

１

"Isn't the new milk man just a dreamboat?"

. ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹

.

.

.

You hummed quietly to yourself as the feather duster swept over everything it could reach. Robert was out for his work, and you couldn't have been more happy. You liked when he was gone, after all. In the background, a phonograph played a slightly older, yet sweet tune. "Heartaches", by Al Bowlly. Robert didn't much care for the tune, but you found it simply darling.

A lot of the songs you had were a bit older, mostly from the '30s and '20s. But you could've cared less about the age of them.

Suddenly— a gentle, yet firm knock on the door shot you out of your thoughts. For a moment you fretted it was your husband, but he wouldn't have knocked. Upon realizing that it must've been the milk man, you sighed, making your way to the door.

The milk man was such a.. interesting man, broad shouldered, short. You opened the door— now who was this?

Instead of seeing the broad shouldered, short, blonde haired man who typically wore some grin standing in front of you, your eyes met with tired dark, dark brown eyes. He was a bit taller than you, with a long nose, a thin chin, and brown hair which was, mostly, covered by the hat you'd grown used to seeing. Only now on a different face.

Despite yourself, you had to admit the man was eye-candy. Face going a light shade of pink, you tilted your head to the side a bit, looking confused.

"Uh.. hello?" you said, though it came out sounding more like a question than you perhaps intended. The man jut out his arms, frightening you a bit. In his hands was the milk crate. "..Right!" 

Although the silent man was.. seeming to be a bit odd, he was quite cute.

You took the crate, "So, stranger," you said, smoothing out the apron you wore with your free hand, "what's your name?"

The cute milk man stared at you expectantly, before speaking in a tired, drawn out voice.

"Francis. Francis Mosses."

He took off his hat and bowed a little, a gesture which caused your cheeks to flare a rosy red, and a giggle to escape from you. "I like your name," you complimented honestly. Francis nodded, murmuring a 'thank you'.

"I'm {Y/N} {L/N}." You introduced yourself with a growing smile. He put his hat back on, shot you a nod and without another word, walked back to his truck.

What a dreamboat.

Once the door was shut, you couldn't contain the big grin from forming on your face. Such a handsome, mysterious man— and you got to see him every day? Wow.

.

.

.

Yet again, supper was quiet. But you were in a better mood, a soft smile on your face as you stared down at the leftover meatloaf you'd reheated from last night. "How was your day, hon?" you broke the silence, albeit reluctantly.

Robert hummed, "Fine."

While part of you wanted to press on, have a nice conversation for once, you managed to hold your tongue. After all, you wanted to go to bed early instead of having a long argument, afterall— you had Francis to look forward to tomorrow.

Distantly you felt a sense of self-disgust. You were a married woman, yet felt excited by the idea of being around Francis. Perhaps not in some lewd way, but something similar, in a way.

.

.

.

You weren't sure if you had ever cleaned dishes so fast before now. Only twenty minutes you spent scrubbing before you pratically ripped off the yellow dish gloves and was racing to the downstairs bathroom— the only place Robert allowed you to have your "womanly" stuff. Face wash, lotions, ectera.

Surpressing a laugh of excitment, you quickly began your nightly routine, quite excited for tomorrow morning.

#francis mosses #francis #francis mosses tnmn #francis mosses thats not my neighbor #thats not my neighbor francis #francis x reader #tnmn milkman #x reader #tmnt x reader #tmnt x you #tmnt x y/n

[mandos-mind-trick]

The Farm

Summary: You hired him to help you out on your farm. You get more than you bargained for.

Pairing: Rebels!Rex x reader

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, p in v sex, unprotected sex, fingering, age difference, language, Rex is a bit of a perv, fucking in a barn

A/N: I have no excuse. This was very different when I started writing it and this is where I ended up. Kinda hate the ending, but here you go. Enjoy your old man Rex filth.

MASTERLIST

You shouldn’t be doing this. 

Morally, it was questionable at best, allowing yourself to be in such a compromising position with a man older than your father. Well, a man that looks older than your father. A man that you had taken on as a helper on your bantha farm, a man that had been sleeping in your house and eating your food and milking your banthas for the last few months. 

Allowing yourself to be pressed up against the wall in your barn with his lips on your neck and his hand down your pants probably was not the best idea. 

You can’t help it though. The way his thick fingers curl inside you, the scratch of his beard across the sensitive skin of your neck. The way he’d looked earlier, skin glistening in the sun, shirt stretched across muscle as he’d milked one of your banthas. Milking banthas wasn’t exactly the most glorious of tasks, yet he managed to make it look good. 

You’d met him on his first day visiting your humble little town. He’d spotted you unloading crates of milk for one of the cantinas and had offered to help. He’d hefted the crates from your hoversled with grace and ease you still couldn’t manage after years of working on a farm. You’d offered him part of your meager earnings, that cantina owner had a habit of underpaying his employees and suppliers and overcharging customers, but he had politely declined. So you’d offered to buy him a drink instead. 

You’d talked for a while, learning a little about him, though he was guarded and only told you a few things. His name is Rex and he was relocating after the fall of the Empire. You had admitted to needing help on your farm and your little arrangement had been born. Though you couldn’t offer much in terms of payment, you could offer him a bed, a roof over his head, three meals a day, and as much blue milk as he could stand to drink. 

He was a hard worker, and had jumped in immediately. He woke early, and wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He took to bantha farming quickly, and the banthas grew to like him just as fast. Milking, brushing, cleaning, feeding, he did all of it. He helped with deliveries, doing the heavy lifting. He even fixed some things around the house and often stayed up late cleaning. You were surprised, expecting the bare minimum, but instead he left you with almost nothing to do sometimes. 

You knew next to nothing about him still, but you didn’t really care. 

Especially not when his palm drags across your clit. 

Your hips jerk against his hand, your own hand which was palming him through his pants tightens just slightly around the large bulge. “Rex!” 

He groans into your neck, sucking a mark below your ear. “Say it again.” 

“Rex!” You gasp, thighs squeezing around the hand between them. 

“You gonna cum?” He growls, pulling from your neck to stare at your face. 

You nod, lips parted as you moan. You’re close, so close. He pulls his fingers from your pussy, pulling his hand from your pants. You let out a whine in protest, thighs pressing together to try and keep any friction you can going. 

“Turn around.” He says, his voice deep and rough. 

You do as he says, pressing your hands against the wall. 

He grips your pants, tugging them down your legs. “It’s been too long.” His hands smooth over your ass. “Far too long.” He grips your hips, tugging you backwards a couple steps so you're bent forward against the wall. “You ever done this before?” He asks, his clothes rustling as he frees himself from his pants. 

“Once.” You say, shifting your weight impatiently. “You know the neighbors to the south?”

“Yeah?” He grunts in response. 

“Their son and I went to school together. We fucked in their barn during our graduation party.” You groan as you feel the head of his cock slip through your folds. “Haven’t seen each other since.” 

His hand runs up your spine, closing around the back of your neck. “Naughty little thing.” 

You turn your head slightly, looking at him through your peripheral. “You have no idea.” 

He smirks, tightening his grip around your neck before pressing into you. You moan, pressing your hands harder against the wall as he fills you.

“So kriffing tight.” He groans, free hand gripping your hip tight enough to bruise as he slowly works his way into you. 

Your legs are shaking by the time he’s pressed flush against your ass, your chest heaving as you try and relax around his thick cock. His thumb gently rubs the side of your neck, trying to help you relax. 

“Relax for me.” He says, rubbing your side with his other hand. 

“So big.” You whine, shifting your weight on your feet. It moves him inside you, your walls clamping down around him. 

He lets out a groan, hand squeezing your hip once more. “Do that again, I might cum just like this.” 

You smirk, squeezing around him once more. 

He lets out a warning growl, the sound of his hand striking your ass loud in the quiet of the barn. “Naughty little thing.” 

You push yourself up slightly, turning to look at him again. “You gonna fuck me or what, old man?” 

He gets a dangerous glint in his eyes, the hand around your neck forcing you down until your back is flat. “You’re playing with fire, now.” He pulls his hips back until his cock is almost completely out of you before slamming his hips forward. 

The movement jolts your body, making you gasp as he reaches a place inside you, you didn’t think was possible. You breathe out a curse, trying to press back against him, but he repeats the movement, forcing you forward once more. 

“Old man.” He scoffs, hand tightening around your hip before he picks up the pace. 

He fucks into you hard and fast, the sound of skin hitting skin loud in the quiet barn. Almost as loud as your moans as he brings you closer and closer to the edge with every snap of his hips. Your fingers press into the wood of the wall, digging for purchase as he relentlessly fucks you, not even slowing as your first orgasm rips through you. 

You cry out his name as you spasm around him, walls squeezing him as he continues to thrust in and out of you. He grunts and curses behind you, but his pace never slows, never tires. 

“Can you give me another one?” He groans, slipping his hand to your stomach, then down to your clit. “Come on, just one more.” 

Your legs are shaking, threatening to give out as he shifts his hips just slightly, the head of his cock dragging across that spot inside you over and over with each thrust. 

The stimulation on your clit and the drag of his cock along your walls is too much, your back arching as you cum around him for a second time. 

He continues thrusting a couple more times, moving his hands as he pulls out of you. He groans, jerking his cock a couple times before he paints your ass with his cum. 

You both stay there for a few moments, trying to catch your breath. You try to will your body to move, your muscles like jelly after two orgasms. You’ve never experienced anything like that before at the hands of someone else. 

You breathe out a curse, managing to push yourself up to stand. You pull your pants back up, planning to head to the fresher as soon as your legs start to work again. You turn to look at Rex, brushing damp strands of hair from your face. “I think I just found another job for you to do.” 

He smirks, smacking your ass as you move past him. “Gladly.” 

Taglist:

@kaminocasey @rosechi @mxkyrie @bobaprint @star-trekker-0013 @padawancat97 @bamfahsoka @rain-on-kamino @annoyinglylegendarygoose @lune-de-miel-au-paradis

#star wars #star wars fic #star wars rebels #star wars rebels fic #captain rex #captain rex x reader #rebels rex x reader #x reader #clone thirsting #the dark side fic

[impishtubist]

happy birthday, reese <3

For @r33sespieces :) 

---

“Shh, no, you have to be quiet.” 

Sirius pauses outside Harry’s room, cocking his head. Harry’s been holed up in there since shortly after dinner, but Sirius hadn’t thought too much of it. It’s been pissing down all afternoon, and Sirius figured both of them could use a lazy day. For his part, he took a luxurious nap earlier, and the newest book in a romance series he’s been following arrived by owl post this morning. He’s looking forward to curling up with it in front of the fire. If he’s lucky, maybe Harry will come downstairs with his chess set later and ask to play a game together.

There’s a whine from behind the closed door, and then a soft yip. Sirius blinks.

“Hazza,” he says, rapping his knuckles softly on the door, and he hears Harry curse. “Everything alright?”

“Fine!” Harry says quickly. “I’m just--”

He’s interrupted by a loud bark, and Sirius’s eyebrows fly up to his hairline.

“Can I come in?” he asks, and he hears Harry sigh.

“Yeah.” 

Harry’s standing over by the bed, dripping wet and clutching a soaked brown-and-white puppy against his chest. 

“Well, hello,” Sirius says as he steps into the room. “Who’s this?”

“Dunno,” Harry says, cuddling the puppy close and shrinking away when Sirius takes a step forward. Sirius freezes. “Found him out in the garden.” 

“Poor thing,” Sirius says. It’s been miserable outside for two days now. “Can I take a look at him?”

“Why?” Harry asks, instantly suspicious. 

“I just want to make sure he’s okay, that he doesn’t have any injuries or anything like that.” Sirius starts to pull out his wand, but Harry backs away, so he quickly pockets it. “Can we sit down?”

They sit on the circular rug in the middle of Harry’s bedroom, and Harry gently places the puppy in front of him. The puppy shivers, and then takes a few uncertain steps. He’s wobbly, but that seems to be due to how young he is, not any injuries. Sirius puts out his hand, and the puppy sniffs him. His tail wags.

“Aren’t you mad?” Harry asks softly, not meeting Sirius’s eyes.

“I’m not thrilled you snuck a puppy in here without talking to me first,” Sirius says. “But no, Harry, I’m not mad. If you’d told me you’d found him in the garden, I would’ve had you bring him inside, too. We can keep him warm and dry for a night, and then tomorrow we’ll take him to a shelter. Speaking of, can I dry him off? He’s shivering. You as well, kiddo.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Harry nods, and Sirius pulls out his wand. He performs a quick drying spell, and then a cleaning charm, and then casts a heating spell over both Harry and the puppy.

“I bet he’s hungry,” Sirius says. “Why don’t you bring him down to the kitchen, and we can feed him?”

Harry hesitates again, then gathers the puppy in his arms and goes down to the kitchen, Sirius following them. He doesn’t know what exactly is causing Harry’s reluctance, but he has a suspicion. 

He cuts up some leftover chicken for Harry to feed the puppy, and then goes into Remus’s office to gather up the rope toys Moony likes to use, as well as the crate he sometimes curls up in to nap off the Wolfsbane during full moons. Harry eyes the crate warily when Sirius comes back into the kitchen.

“So he’ll have somewhere warm and safe to sleep tonight,” Sirius says. “I doubt he’s house-trained, and sorry mate, but I don’t fancy him pissing all over the house all night.” 

Harry reluctantly nods. “Yeah, okay.” 

The puppy eats and drinks his fill, and then Harry entices him to play with one of the rope toys. Sirius can’t help the smile that touches his lips as he watches them, the puppy having the time of his life and Harry giggling--giggling!--while they play.

The puppy eventually tires himself out and falls asleep curled up in Harry’s lap. 

“There was a dog in the Dursleys’ garden once.” Harry’s not looking at him. He strokes one of the puppy’s ears with a gentle finger. “She was a stray. I brought her scraps from the table whenever Aunt Petunia sent me outside to do chores.” 

Scraps that Harry had probably needed for himself, but he’d split them with a stray instead. His heart ached. “That was really kind of you, Hazza.”

“She was my first friend,” Harry says softly. “My only friend. She lived in the garden for most of the summer, until Dudley found out about her.” 

“Oh, Harry.”

“He and his friends chased her off. Hit her with sticks and threw rocks at her. I never saw her again.” 

“She probably found a home,” Sirius says. “She sounds friendly. I’m sure someone took her in.”

“Yeah,” Harry says. “I hope so.” 

Sirius hears the Floo roar, and then Remus calls out a hello.

“In here, Remus,” he says.

Remus comes into the kitchen, and his eyes widen. “Well, you two were certainly busy today.” 

“Harry found him in the garden,” Sirius says. “The weather’s shite. I don’t see a problem with letting him stay tonight, and then we’ll take him to a shelter tomorrow.”

“Sure, of course we will,” Remus says, sounding amused. 

The puppy wakes himself up with a yawn, and then eyes Remus curiously. He gets out of Harry’s lap and trots over to the other man, sniffing him curiously. Remus holds very still--animals tend to have very strong reactions to him. Either they adore him, or they’re terrified of him. 

The puppy is apparently in the former category, because his tail starts to wag and he lets out a series of happy yips. Remus crouches down to pet him. 

“You’re a handsome fellow, aren’t you,” he says. “Yes, you are. And much better behaved than Padfoot.”

“You hear how he talks to me, Harry?” 

Harry laughs, and Sirius wishes he could bottle the sound. It doesn’t happen enough.

Harry and the puppy are inseparable for the rest of the evening. Remus keeps throwing Sirius significant looks that he tries to ignore. They’re not getting a pet. Hedwig is enough. In the morning, they’ll take the puppy to the nearest shelter, and Sirius will personally make sure he goes to a good home. 

When it comes time for bed, Harry lines the crate with plenty of blankets and sets the puppy inside. He closes the door and locks it, and the puppy immediately begins to whimper.

Harry chews on his bottom lip. “You’re sure he’s going to be alright in there?” 

The puppy whines, and Harry looks distraught. Remus squeezes his shoulder.

“He’ll be fine. He’s got toys and water and soft blankets. He’ll probably make a mess, but that’s alright. That’s what magic is for. He’ll settle down as soon as we all leave him be.” 

***

The puppy cries for an hour after they all retire upstairs. 

Sirius stares at the ceiling. He’s not going to give in and check on the puppy. He’s not. 

“Don’t even think it, Sirius,” Remus murmurs from his side of the bed.

“I’m not,” Sirius says. “It’s just--do you think he’s cold?”

“We gave him blankets and cast a heating charm.” 

“Maybe he’s hurt.”

“You checked him over before bed. He’s perfectly fine.” Remus rolls over and rests his head on Sirius’s chest. “He’ll settle down eventually.”

Remus is right--the puppy does eventually quiet down. Remus’s breathing evens out soon after that, and Sirius quickly follows him into sleep.

Sirius wakes up before dawn, his new normal, and pads downstairs to make some tea. Harry will sleep for at least another couple of hours, and they won’t see Remus until almost noon. 

But when he comes into the kitchen, the first thing he notices is his godson curled up on the floor. The crate is open, and the puppy is nestled in Harry’s arms, also fast asleep. 

“Sirius?” Remus comes up behind him, knuckling his eyes. 

“What are you doing up?” Sirius whispers.

“Needed a piss, and the bed’s cold without you. What--” Remus finally catches sight of Harry and the puppy, and immediately softens. “Oh.” 

“That’s why the puppy stopped whining last night, I bet.” 

“Probably,” Remus says. He wraps his arms around Sirius’s waist and props his chin on Sirius’s shoulder, though he has to stretch to reach it. “You can’t make him go to a shelter.”

“No,” Sirius sighs. “I won’t. Looks like we’ve got a pet, Moons.” 

“Looks like it. Where are you going?”

“I’ve got to write to the Board of Governors,” Sirius says. “I have six weeks to persuade them to add dogs to the list of approved pets for Hogwarts students.”

#i wrote you wolfstar raising harry b/c that's how we first bonded on here #also i tried writing moonseeker blowjobs but failed sorry #imp is writing #wolfstar #wolfstar raising harry #sirius black #remus lupin #harry potter #cw animal neglect #but it's only very brief and then it's animal happiness #also i wrote this before i knew you were getting a puppy lmao

[wolven91]

Red Flags

It wasn’t a word, so much a general shout that came from Keith’s mouth. His intention was to distract and get attention from the burly slaver, despite a healthy sense of self preservation telling him to keep hiding. 

He succeeded, the canid turned it’s head, spittle being flung from its bared teeth. The sight of its curled snout, v’s of flesh and short fur bringing forth the memories of rabid dogs and dangerous hunters. 

It leapt forward at him, but when Keith turned to run, his legs moved slowly, like he was wading through a waist high bog. 

He felt the claws dig into his back, slaicing him up, causing him to flinch and desperately try to arc himself to pull away. 

That was when he woke up. 

He didn’t sit bolt upright or break out in a sweat or wake gasping. 

Instead he laid there and let out a breath he was apparently holding. He reached underneath him and found one of his headphones had stuck itself to his lower back. The man grimaced as he put it on the bed side table with the other he retrieved from his ear. 

Two days ago, there had been a slaver attack. 

Since then his sleep was spotty at best, interspaced with dreams. It wasn’t always about the attack itself. Sometimes he was left behind somewhere, and no matter what he was always a second late to catch up with everyone else. 

Or he was being chased.

Or he was being hunted.

Keith sighed, still underneath the blanket. Anxiety dreams. 

The latest dream was the most vivid. He life, or at the very least his freedom had been saved thanks to a fik. The fik had launched itself at the canid slaver that was sniffing out his hiding place. But canid verses fik  in a one on one wasn’t a fair fight, so Keith had jumped up from behind a crate and shouted to get the canid’s attention. 

That was all the fik needed to jump over the creature’s head wrench the wolf-like alien’s head up and back down in a horrid, wet and loud ‘snap’. 

The fik, a massive brute, touched a clawed hand to her chest then had slunked away, the last thing Keith saw was the tip of her tail, but her smell; clean sawdust, lingered. The guards for the station found him only moments later. They said no fiks were on board the station and Keith ‘hysteria’ had caused him to imagine a saviour after he came upon the body. 

Keith sighed again, breathing in through his nose and intending to breath out through his mouth, trying to calm himself. He wasn’t due in work, but he felt lousy due to the poor sleep he’d been having. 

His eyes opened in the dark and sniffed again. 

Fresh sawdust. 

He glanced round the dark room. He was in secure quarters, moreso than before. A canid security team had become is honour guard and shadow. They occupied both the rooms above, below and each side of his. He was safe, no way anyone could get in without them knowing. 

But the shadows made strange shapes in the gloom. 

He had a pile of laundry on the back of chair, it looked like a geckin in the dark. 

He closed his eyes, sinking deeper into his bed and tried to calm himself. It was ‘just’ PTSD probably he tried to explain to himself. Just a panic attack, just a friendly old panic attack. You got this, calm down. 

“Calm down..” He whispered, barely audible to himself. “You’re safe. No one’s here. No one is going to hurt you…” He words were starting to toe the line of desperate in tone when the new voice spoke. 

“Wouldn’t allow it… Saaah…”

Keith’s eyes shot open, but he remained perfectly still. 

“Tk tk tk… Breathe?”

Keith remained still. He had no way of getting help besides screaming at the top of his voice. Would they even hear him?!

Something heavy landed on the bed. He was laying on his side, but could feel two points either side of him pulling the duvet tight. He stayed perfectly still, not daring it breathe at all. 

It straddled him, it was heavy and pushed his hips down into the large mattress until two large, padded and clawed hands grasped his head to gently, but surely turn him to face upwards. 

The brutish fik. Blood pounded in Keith’s ears, he couldn’t hear anything over it.

“Hai! If Hek tells you to breathe; Sah! You breathe!” She ordered, almost hissing. 

It was enough to snap Keith out of it, being told what to do and his mouth opened to gulp in much needed oxygen. One breath turned into two, then three. 

The fik released his face, but didn’t get off him. Keith slumped onto his back and stared up at her in the dark. The other day she had been in metal armour, studded with bolts and screws that gave her a ‘Mad Max’ vibe. 

Now it was all dark bandages that left nothing to the imagination. She had held herself wit the stereotypical fik hunch, but was still tall; tall enough to go toe to toe with a canid and hold them off. 

Without another word, she laid down ontop of Keith, forcing the air out of his lungs as her shoulders and head pressed him into the mattress, forcing him onto his back.

“W-what…?”

“Hai… Sleeping time. No talking.”

“You’re in my room?”

“Haai?” She drew out the word as if it was obvious.

“You’re not going to hurt me? Kidnap me?”

This got her head to raise back up, she was scowling. 

“Blackened night and creeping death; no.”

“Then why?”

She sighed and tilted her head. 

“Saah… You are not… Clever… Hai, very well. Yes yes.” She cleared her throat and almost began before reaching a clawed finger up towards Keith’s face. It touched his forehead and pressed forward. 

He hadn’t realised he’d raised his head and shoulders off the bed, but the relentless force of the finger pushed him back down into the pillows. 

“Stay.” She ordered. “Hek, that is me; yes yes?”

“You’re ‘Hek’?”

“Hai. Good boy. Hek was on station when attack, yes? Hek protect you, you protect Hek. Hek decide to watch over for time.”

“O-okay? But-” A clawed finger returned to press against his lips.

“Ah! Hek talking. Hek reward if good.”

Keith went quiet and the giant interloper continued. 

“Hek see Keeeeeith… No rest. Sleep bad. Yes.” She hissed in a negative fashion. “Unacceptable. Hek decide to help.”

“H-how?”

“Hek has seen this before. Terrible fight makes ghosts… spirits that haunt mind, yes? There is cure.”

“What’s the cure?”

“This.”

“What? What’s ‘this’?”

A sigh and the heavy body that pinned Keith squeezed him.

“Two guard, even if spirits slip within, two versus one is better, yes yes? Now. Sleep.”

Keith opened his mouth to speek but the finger returned.

“Hek willing to… ah… choke? Yes, choke you out… Speak no. Ah, no speak. Yes. Sleep.”

Keith blinked and went quiet, turning the situation over in his head. This fik had broken into his home and thrown herself on top of him. Yes she’d saved him, but this was more than a few red flags, this was the whole damn parade of the red army!

That was his last thought before he opened his eyes and it was mid-morning. 

He’d slept and not only that, other than being dehydrated, he felt… rested. 

The fik; was nowhere to be seen. Was it a dream? 

He touched his hand to the duvet, it was messy but no overt evidence. Until his leant down and sniffed it. Clean sawdust. 

“You’re here… aren’t you?” He mumbled, a touch over a whisper. 

“Hai.” Came a voice. He couldn’t tell where from. 

“I could call out.” He mentioned, turning at looking around the room. She was tall and broad, where the hell could she hide!?

“Hai.”

The threat was left dangling there… 

She was dangerous, it was stupid not to involve his guards… But… it WAS good sleep…

[r/WolvensStories]

[AO3]

[Ko-Fi]

[asingleietsist]

"A Green Queen" AU

Prologue Part II

A toad was sent to the warp-pipe that afternoon and as planned a troopa had taken it to the king.

Bowser reviewed the response quickly and returned a letter back within the hour, notifying the princess that he'd peacefully arrive to discuss the situation that very evening.

So there they were, along with Toad, stared daringly at the smokey flying castle landing on a hill in the distance. Peach had made sure to include that the demands along with everything that included Luigi's safety to be discussed over dinner. She didn't want to leave room for misunderstandings or loopholes this time around.

Once they had made it to the castle dining room, surely Luigi would have a clear head and make a better decision, right?

The King Koopa had agreed to meet them but was told he could attend as long as his ship and army were at the edge of the Mushroom kingdom.

Over everything, Peach wanted to ensure the safety and comfortability of her subjects which meant she needed to have the tension relieves from both sides.

In addition to the distance and to make things fair for him, had settled with Bowser having a handful of his own guards escorting him along with his magik koopa, Kamek.

The curfew was in effect by the time he and his troops arrived at the town. The windows of the small huts and homes were shut tight, shops were closed, and the streets were empty.

Bowser grinned at the sight and with a claw simply plucked an apple from a sales crate, but as he was about to eat it, Kamek butted in.

"Your Highness, we are here on a temporary truce. Please don't eat their resources without payment..."

Bowser huffed, "Yeah yeah, just wanted a snack before we get there..". He flicked the puncture apple at the crate but the force knocked several of the apples out onto the ground. "Ugh, clean this up."

The koopas behind him nodded as they scrambled to pick up the apples. Bowser yawned and headed forward with the remaining troops and Kamek while they finished up.

The floor quaked as Bowser and his party made it to the main entrance, once they stopped, a stillness tainted the air. His scales rivaled the sun's and his eyes almost seemed calm as he gazed down at the group. Too calm.

"Princess."

"Bowser."

They had bowed to one another, the mushroom guards behind her simply glanced at each other. They were astonished by the king's composure that one of their helmets slumped over their eyes.

"It must be hard for you to see I've taken slight interest in another, but don't worry. I only intend on puni-"

Luigi's breath hitched while Mario narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Kamek interrupted, getting in front of the King while gritting his teeth, "Your highness! Like we practiced." He turned back to the group and gave a nervous chuckle as he moved aside to let the tall koopa speak.

The King raised an eyebrow at the magikoopa, a bit confused, but once it clicked he cleared his throat and spoke, "Right... I intend to treat him like a 'queen'...."

Peach looked a bit uncertain, but nodded, "W-We can talk about the details in the dining room. Mario and I will catch up with you all in a moment. The guards will safely escort you and Luigi there."

"What?!", The bros yelled.

Mario looked more pissed than he had been before the agreement, "You can't let this-this overgrown lizard go in with my brother alone!"

"I am RIGHT here!", Bowser rumbler, smoke snorted from his nostrils as he looked over to the short plumber.

Peach, sensed the hostility, gently addressed that she only wanted to let them go ahead first because Bowser and his troops were unfamiliar with the castle, "You two can talk about the simple terms towards your.. 'demands'..."

Bowser lifted his claw to his chin and scratched it slightly. Kamek whispered something to him which lit up his expression. He grinned and stepped past the guards,"Fine, lead the way short shack."

The mushroom guards looked at each other then hurried past Bowser to lead him and three of his koopa troopa inside.

"We also need to talk..", Peach noted as she turned to Mario.

Mario took off his hat and walked over to the ledge of the rounded fountain. He rubbed the bridge between his clenched eyebrows and thoughts and scenarios played through his head.

Mario sighed, defeated. He watched as his brother and Bowser walked inside. The uncertainty and worry in Mario's eyes merely reflected his brother's silhouette.

The Princess walked over slowly and sat down beside him, "I don't know entirely what he's thinking about all of this. It's like you mentioned earlier, you're both citizens but I don't have complete say in what you do, but... Luigi is tougher than he looks and he is just as noble as any ruler. I can understand it being hard to let go of a loved one, even if it's just temporary but if he chooses to go with Bowser.. you might have to accept that as his answer right now."

"I know you mean well, and I know the plan was to have him take your place when we rescue you then get him out during the wedding. But now you both want him to go back with that rampaging trashy turtle?! I.. why?!"

Mario looked up at her as he placed his cap back on, then turned his gaze out at the kingdom and the warm lantern lights below. "Of course, but that's exactly what worries me. Him choosing this, choosing to go and this decision being the reason he's hurt even more."

"...Ugh. You, green mustached one. You look... well?"

In the castle, the group made it to the lavish dining room. The silverware and appetizers were set out on the table already which caused Luigi to instinctively lick his lips with the savory aroma filling the air.

The guards of each kingdom took to their posts as Bowser decided to take his seat and patiently wait. Luigi frantically glanced at what he was doing and followed slightly.

He sat at a seat near the middle of the long dining table, while Bowser took the far end away from him. Several chef and staff Toads were setting down the last of the food and were finally getting the glasses for drinks. Kamek whispered something to the calm king as he glanced over at the tiny man, who was now fiddling with his thumbs.

"I usually sleep in early and have a little routine I do before bed. I have this nice air purifier, so I can..", Luigi went on.

"Huh?", Luigi looked up at him confused.

'Was this his attempt at a compliment? Should I respond? Maybe compliment him?'

Bowser glared at Kamek then raised his hand to silence his rambling. Luigi flinched, but kept his mouth shut, shaking. "I'm not interested in whatever nightly rituals you perform. I just came here to get a Queen."

"Why do you... want a queen? I-If you don't mind me asking."

The King grumbled, "I don't have to explain my reasons to someone who flinches at the mere sight of my claw.". Despite that, he enjoyed the fact that he could instill fear in the plumber, unlike his measley brother.

Luigi sat up his seat, not really liking the answer he got but looked back at his thumbs, defeated; he then tried to chuckle the comment off, hoping he'd feel better if he just ignored it. "R-Right.."

A few moments later, and a guard announced the princess and Mario entering the dining room.

She couldn't understand their silent argument either.

As they entered, she gracefully walked to the other end of the table and sat down. Luigi glanced up and noticed Bowser's eyes wander as he followed her every move.

Mario quickly motioned for Luigi to move over to his end of the table,but his brother protested at first which lead the fiery lizard to awkwardly look at Peach for clarification.

As he watched for a minute, Bowser smirked at Mario's anger and decided to add to it. "Since he is to rule by my side, shouldn't he sit next to me? He will be by my side regardless.", The King demanded.

The Princess sensed where this was going, "Actually, I think the seating placement is fine. Luigi can stay where he is."

Bowser, not completely pleased by this, growled with content since he was still closer to him than his brother. A small grin plastered on his face as he looked over to the red mustached human.

Mario, now standing, sat down abruptly. Holding his furious gaze at the lizard.

"Now.." she started. "You.. had mentioned that you'd like your queen? If I remember correctly, you and Luigi aren't entirely married, since the papers were forged. Up until the point of reveal, you had no idea it was him signing them."

"Well yes. I was furious that you would pull such a scheme, Princess. You know my flames only burn for your affection. However, the laws here are different from our customs. Signature doesn't matter, but who signs it does. Even if he used your signature, he signed it physically. As for the wedding, it's more of a customary thing, I enjoy planning those kinds of events. As I said in my letter however, the green one and I are officially married.", The King grumbled. His claws digging into the chair's handles and he clenched his jaws.

"What?!"

Mario looked over at the Princess who tensed up from the realization that Bowser was truly going to force him into it. She stared at Bowser for a bit, trying to find an ounce of malice, but to no avail the king was telling the truth.

Mario noticed her look of concern almost like she'd given into his demands, but put his anger aside for a moment to reevaluate the situation.

"So you're saying that my brother, even though he signed in the disguise as the princess, is still LEGALLY married to you? How does that even work? That doesn't make sense! It should be terminated since it was a fraud!"

Bowser grumbled, but as Kamek cleared his throat, he calmed down. "His highness, has the paperwork as well as a copy of our laws to prove it and the ceremony was only there to officiate their partnership, but the documents regardless of whether it was the princess or not, state that he will be married to the king. The mustachioed human IS the Queen of the Koopas... at least in writing.."

"What...what does that mean?", Peach asked.

Kamek looked to Bowser to speak only for him to wave his claws. "Well, a queen is allowed to rule for a year, if she finds the king to be an unfit partner, if he is... sterile, or doesn't accept the king entirely, the queen can leave. In addition to this, the queen isn't entirely the ruler until six months have passed, because of...egg season.."

The King interrupted him, "But, we've decided since this was somewhat of a mix up, we're generously demanding that I keep him for the year, so we can disregard that incident."

"And?" Kamek chimed in.

Bowser sighed, "And, to dismiss the marriage documents. He can reject me or whatever by the end of the year."

"And what if he refuses?", She answered. Mustering up the courage to speak.

Luigi quivered at the thought of being stuck with Bowser for months on end, in the Darklands no less.

The Princess was still processing all of this and tried to dig out some kind of loophole.

"One way or another, I am taking him with me.", Bowser said. He looked down at her as he was taking a sip of the soup from the tiny spoon.

Mario protested, "I refuse! You have to be pulling this shit out of your ragged ass! If you think you can just waltz in here and demand-"

"Mario!", Peach gasped.

Mario was about to say something else, but turned to his brother, dread filling his eyes. "Luigi?"

"I'll do it."

"W-With your permission Princess Peach. I will go with the king as his.....Queen..", Luigi gulped finally looking up from his plate at her.

She smiled a bit, but before she could speak, ended up taken aback as Mario bolted from his chair and rushed over to Luigi.

"You can't be serious! I thought you were just messing around earlier, b-but you can'-"

"I-I'm completely serious!"

"Luigi, look me in the eyes and tell me you're one hundred percent certain and guaranteed fine spending five minutes in the same room, ALONE with the komodo dragon wannabe over there!", He said in one breath.

Luigi didn't look at him, he didn't move. His eyes were glued on the Princess, still determined to wait for her answer.

Mario knew nothing he was saying would get through to him. He remembered what Peach had said at the fountain and as he removed his hands from Luigi's shoulders, he looked at Peach awaiting her response.

The Princess knew she'd hear an earful about this later, but could see the courage in Luigi's eyes. She felt a sense of pride in seeing him boldly take this leap, but also guilt that she was partially to blame.

"A-Also, I'd like to visit at the end of each month...", Luigi added.

"I, Princess Peach of the Mushroom kingdom, agree with your demands King of the Koopas. Luigi may be your queen, but if a year passes and he is displeased with the position and marriage. You WILL let him go, no retaliation, no attacks, and no outrageous schemes to get him back. Do you agree with these conditions?"

The King grinned, knowing he couldn't lose either way, but was still conflicted about the visits. He didn't want the two to conspire, but he'll consider how to conduct the visits later.

".... Fine."

The Princess let out a breath of relief and gave a simple smile as the last of her stress escaped. Bowser looked over at her and announced that a group of soldiers and his general will retrieve Luigi tomorrow evening.

"Dress accordingly, your duties as my Queen start that night, so prepare yourself.", Bowser smirked, a deep roar building as he spoke.

Luigi nodded, not sure what he'd wear, or why he'd start so soon. He looked over to his brother, proud that he stood so firm in his decision, all on his own only to see Mario, defeated. He had the frill of his hat over his eyes as he finished up his soup then walked off into the corridors cursing under his breath.

"Fine, but we'll be back tomorrow for him."

The taller of the two had a shock of pain fly across his face, he knew Mario only retreated this badly if he was in serious distress and excused himself from the table.

Bowser rolled his eyes as he stood up to interject, he couldn't understand what the big deal was, he got what he wanted. The Toad guards defensively crossed their staffs to stop him and though he could easily crush their toothpicks, he simply sat down and finished the free meal.

End of the Prologue

#bowser #luigi #bowuigi #bowser x luigi #super mario bros #super mario bowser #the super mario bros movie #luigi brain rot #super mario #luigi nintendo #a green queen #a green queen bowuigi fanfic

[marlynnofmany]

Too Many Limbs

“Wait — hold still,” I said. “Waterspheres by your foot.” I readjusted my grip on the broken storage crate and tried to free an arm to sweep the floor clear. “Don’t step on them.”

Zhee’s many bug legs froze in place, his own armload of supplies making it hard to get a clear view. Even compound eyes can’t see through that many layers of alien silk. Sounding irritated, he asked, “Which foot?”

“Jeez, I can’t tell.” I leaned back, trying to get a better view, and bumped into another crate. “A front one? I don’t know how you keep track of this many limbs, honestly.”

“You think this is a lot?” Zhee laughed in a deliberately human fashion as he felt around with one foot at a time. “You say that within earshot of a Strongarm?”

Blue-black tentacles shoved a plastic tub aside. “You called?” asked Mur.

I sighed as Zhee cheerfully ratted me out. “The human has opinions about how many limbs are too many.”

“I did not say that.”

“Oh really?” asked Mur, clearly looking for a distraction. He clambered on top of the tub and curled up like a squid who’d been raised by housecats. “Do tell.”

I wrestled a safety strap around the broken crate. “All I said was that it’s hard to keep track of which foot I’m looking at when I can’t see the rest of him for context.” I jerked my head toward Zhee.

Zhee folded the cloth into a smaller bundle, looking for all the world like a praying mantis trying to eat a Kleenex. “Yes, how rude of me not to color-code them for your sake. You were so kind as to do the same for us.”

I finally had a hand free to point at him. “You know full well that the cat put a hole in my other blue sock. You were there when I told Paint about it.”

“What, it wasn’t a deliberate fashion statement? Shocking.” Zhee was warming up to this. “Clearly you need the help in telling one limb from the next.”

Mur waved a tentacle in my direction. “You realize your own limb arrangement would be baffling to a Solo, right?”

The crate secured, I sat back and took a breath. “Which ones are those?”

Mur folded his tentacles in a way that meant nothing to me. “The species with unilateral symmetry.”

Zhee added, “Amphibious, usually seen with humidity masks.”

“Ohhhh, right,” I said. “The one-eyed, one-armed hopping purple people aliens.”

Mur settled his tentacles. “They’re not all purple.”

“Some are,” I insisted.

“Only the classiest,” Zhee said. He glided forward, stepping carefully through the scattered waterspheres and cans of offworld tuna or whatever those were. I hadn’t bothered to read the labels. At any rate, he didn’t step on anything.

I shook my head and started gathering up waterspheres. My shirt was long enough that I could make a basket in the manner of fruit-picking kids everywhere. Well, everywhere that kids wear shirts.

Mur, who did not wear humans clothes and who was apparently not interested in getting back to cleaning, watched for a moment. Then he said with a smile, “We could get you ankle bands with ‘left’ and ‘right’ on them.”

I threw a small watersphere at his head. He caught it with one deft spiral of tentacle, then popped it into his mouth like a grape and slid off the tub, chuckling.

“The floor’s dirty!” I called after him.

“No it’s not!” he replied. “I cleaned it right before the gravity hiccuped!”

“Well, it’s got Zhee’s foot germs.”

“I’ll take my chances!”

~~~

The ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. More to come!

#my writing #the Token Human #humans are weird #and so are the aliens #haso #hfy #eiad #aliens #witty banter #in spaaace

[footprintsinthesxnd]

Out of the Woods

So finally here is the fic to accompany the Liebgott Taylor Swift moodboard (as seen below) Pairings: Joseph Liebgott x reader. Warnings: swearing, gore (reader is a nurse), war themes

Normandy 1944

Joseph Liebgott had never been the easiest man to get along with, he was stubborn and opinionated and was built like a ticking time bomb, the slightest thing could set him off and that was the mistake Y/n made when she first bumped into him.

“Hey, watch where ya going ya shit head!” Y/n stumbled forward, her threadbare boots scuffing in the mud as she dropped the wooden crate of medical supplies, cursing as the valuable, clean bandages unravelled into the sludgy puddle. The path outside the aid station was a thick mire and often reminded Y/n of the way her father had reminisced about the trenches of the Great War.

“ I should watch where I’m going?” Y/n spat, narrowing her eyes at the paratrooper, “You’re the one who just cost first battalion half of their medical supplies.” Throwing the salvageable bandages back into the box in anguish, the crumpled lumps of clay-coloured cloth were no good now. Y/n wasn’t sure how she was going to break the news to Eugene; the medic wasn’t known for his anger but knowing their situation this would surely push him over the edge.

The paratrooper spun around to face her, his skin pale and dark eyes encircled by purple, “oh so first battalion got their own personal nurse now? No wonder those fuckers are so cheerful,” he sneered, oblivious of the accident he had inflicted and not bother to offer any kind of assistance as Y/n fumbled anxiously for the supplies.

“No, I’m distributing supplies to all the medics in each battalion of Dog, Easy and Fox company actually, but maybe when I find out which battalion you’re from I’ll conveniently skip them,” she snapped back, thrusting the waterlogged box aggressively under her arm, no longer concerned by the trail of sludge leaking down her white apron.

“Good day, Corporal.”

Holland 1944

The second time they met was no better. Joe had been injured on a patrol and his neck was bleeding profusely through the rudimentary bandage wrapped poorly in a limp scarf.

“Liebgott just let me look at it God dammit,” Y/n reached over, her nimble fingers trying desperately to remove the bandage from his neck but he flinched away. Her fingers barely brushed against the dressing as he shot up from his seat in a receptive, crumbling leather chair situated in the corner of the temporary aid station, having once been someone’s home that now lay abandoned and derelict.

“No, get off me. I don’t need your help. Where’s Doc Roe?” Liebgott snapped, and Y/n sighed elaborately; she was in no mood for this kind of attitude. There were eleven other men in the aid station who would all greatly appreciate being attended too.

“Doc Roe is dealing with other casualties. You got me or nothing.”

Liebgott snorted, “Guess I’ll just bleed to death then.”

Y/n protested but Liebgott had already shouldered his M1 and was making his way towards the entrance.

“Why won’t you just let me look at it?” Y/n hollered, a little louder than she had intended and alerted the other paratroopers.

Joe spun on his heels, his mouth-eaten jump boots, scraping the rough, wooden floorboards.

“I don’t want some woman half-assing a dressing because she wants to be part of the war effort. This is no place for a woman, it is a man's war,” he vituperated her, taking no notice of the stares he was receiving from his friends. “I don’t want your help,” his word was final and his boots were heavy as he departed leaving a deafening silence in his wake.

“I don’t know what his problem is with me, Gene,” Y/n sighed, as she finished unpacking the fresh medical supplies from one of the many crates from their much-needed supply drop. Her muscles griped, but soon relaxed as she finally took a seat on one of the crates; Y/n had been on her feet all day. “I don’t know why he hates me.”

Eugene's dark eyes followed her movements, sending a sympathetic smile her way as he dropped down beside her on the crates, “Liebgott is a hard man to read, ma Chérie.”

Y/n simpered, the right corner of her lips turning upwards at the nickname. Eugene, with his dark hair and kind eyes, had always been a striking character and the two were of one mind. His friendly but subdued nature seemed to draw people to him, making him a favourite within the company, including with Y/n who despite what other men in the Company thought was always a welcome hand by Eugene’s side,

“I just don’t understand why he hates me.”

“I don’t hate you,” the gruff voice caused the pair to turn; Y/n felt as though she may have whiplash from the speed at which she spun around, concerned by how much he could have heard from their conversation and worried that he would now think she was pathetic, lamenting about trivial problems. Joe, standing in the doorway leaning against his M1, seemed to have not heard the conversation or if he had he never made a comment. Instead, his dark eyes made their way towards Eugene, bloody bandages still pressed against the wound on his neck.

“Are you free to look at my neck now, Doc?” He asked, ignorant of Y/n presence - why should this be any different to any of their previous interactions? He stared blankly at Eugene.

“Sure, Liebgott,” Eugene stood up and moved over to his fellow paratrooper. “Take ya self a seat, I’ll grab ma things.”

Eugene disappeared, his heavy footfalls seemed to echo his departure and was the only sign Y/n needed.

“I’m going to head out, Gene. I’m shattered,” her hands fumbling into her musette bag, hastily stuffing the extra box of syrettes Eugene had given her into the inner pocket. Joe’s eyes seemed to dance after her, an unwanted shadow documenting her every movement. They followed her out of the door and even as her boots squelched unpleasantly down the track, her legs carrying her rapidly away from the watchful eyes. She couldn’t find it in her to turn around, to face him, too afraid of the glare he always sent her way.

Bastogne 1944

The Luftwaffe started dropping bombs around midnight. Y/n with blood encrusted under her short nails, had just finished her rounds, checking on all the wounded soldiers she had patched up during the day. The distinct whistling from above was her first clue that they weren’t going to have a quiet night. Like a deathly siren announcing the beginning of the end. Reneé appeared beside her, anxiety etched on her delicate features.

“We are in for a long night, Y/n. Grab what supplies you can.”

Y/n nodded, hurrying towards the store room when the first bomb whistled down on the church, shaking it from the rafters, dust falling in great clouds from the ceiling.

“Y/n, come quickly. We have to evacuate everyone.”

Along with the other nurses, Y/n helped Reneé evacuate the walking wounded first, sending injured soldiers into the snowy streets of Bastogne. Next came the more severely injured, hauled out on stretchers between two nurses.

“Y/n, stay out here with the wounded, check their wounds. We have to make sure no one has torn any stitches trying to escape. I’m going to try and get some more out,” Reneé called, hurrying back into the crumbling church with several other nurses hot on her heels.

Great flames billowed from the surrounding buildings, the night was ablaze with fire and smoke, and the earth shook with each eruption. Soldiers had started firing the Ack Ack guns at the aircraft above. The noise was deafening, a constant pounding over the top of the whistling bombs and explosions. Y/n could feel her heart pounding, a constant thumping in her ear reminding her that she was miraculously still alive.

The church was struck again and Y/n had to fight the urge to follow her friends into danger, but the wounded soldiers needed her. Lights flashed up behind her, illuminating the terrified nurse and her patients. She turned to see a jeep approaching, a wounded man strapped to the front wailing in agony, thrashing against his restraints. The jeep swerved to a halt and a figure came running towards her.

“EUGENE!” She cried out running to embrace her friend.

“Ma Chérie, are you alright?” Eugene hugged her tightly to his chest. Y/n couldn’t help the tears that began to fall, the growing emotions of the evening finally spilling from within her.

“Gene, Reneé went back inside,” Y/n sobbed, just as the third shell hit the church. They both watched in horror as the front of the church caved in, stone crumbling down into the street and blocking the entrance.

“NOOOO!” Y/n cried, thrashing against Eugene’s arms but he wouldn’t let go.

“No Y/n, please. There is nothing we can do. I can’t lose you too,” he admitted, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead as they shared in their grief.

Joe sat shivering in his foxhole, the cold seeping into his bones in a way that the winter in San Francisco never could have.

“Hey Joe,” George called out, plonking himself down beside him. “How ya doing?” George shoved his scuffed leather boot against Joe’s clothed leg, prodding him like an impatient child.

Joe turned to him, “How the fuck do you think I’m doing, George? I’m freezing my fucking ass off in the middle of the woods for a CO who can’t even make a decision.”

“Alright, jeez. Sorry for asking,” George raised his hands in surrender. “We just got news from Bastogne.” George began, trying to gauge Joe’s reaction. “It was hit by the Luftwaffe. The aid station… it’s gone.”

“Oh fucking brilliant. Now if we get hit we ain’t got no aid station either.”

George swallowed quickly, “Y/n was in Bastogne.”

Any words Joe had thought of died in the back of his throat. His face went as white as the snow on the ground and he could feel the sweat growing on his palms, his stomach plummeting into his jump boots.

“Is she…?”

“I don’t know, Joe. Doc’s not back yet but I wanted to prepare you in case.”

“In case of what?” Joe snapped, standing from his foxhole and slinging his M1 over his shoulder in anguish. “And why should I care anyway? It’s not like I like her or anything.”

“Fucking hell,” George whispered under his breath. “Joe, when are you gonna grow some balls and admit you’re in love with her. Everyone can see it, including Webster and he’s oblivious to most things.”

It was true George had to spell it out to him back in Holland before he got hit.

“Webster sent a letter to Hoobler the other week asking if you’d finally told Y/n.”

Joe sighed, running his hand over his face, deep in thought.

“Is it really that obvious?”

“Hell yes. I bet even the Krauts on the other side of the clearing can see it.”

Joe nodded slowly, “okay. As soon as I find her I’m gonna tell her.”

George nodded, watching as his friend hurried away to check if Eugene had returned.

“Let’s just hope he’s not too late.”

Y/n groaned as she straightened her back, stretching after what seemed like hours of bending over to apply dressings, carrying wounded men to transport vehicles, and digging through the rubble to collect supplies. Her friend's bodies had been retrieved from the church and lay in a neat row under rough, army-issued blankets. Y/n couldn’t bring herself to look at them, couldn’t bring herself to accept their fate.

She had seen members of Easy Company coming and going. A few had been sent by Captain Winters to help, bringing with them more wounded paratroopers from the front line. Y/n was too preoccupied to notice the familiar figure approaching her, she didn’t notice until he grabbed her arm firmly and spun her around to face him.

“Liebgott!” She gasped, raising her hand to smack him. “What the hell is your problem? You scared me half to death.”

Joe looked a mixture of shocked and confused until his cheeks grew a bright red.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He seemed genuinely sorry but Y/n was too consumed by her emotions to think rationally.

“Well you did a darn good job of that didn’t you,” she snapped. “You know if you’re just here to be mean or make some rude comment then you can forget it. I’m not in the mood today. I just lost my friends.” Y/n knew she should not have snapped, it wasn’t Joe’s fault but all the emotions were bubbling up inside her and if she felt anymore pain her heart would burst.

“That’s not why I’m here,” Joe began, he reached forward to take Y/n hand in his own. It was warm, comforting and almost felt familiar, as if he had been holding her hand all their lives. She let him but watched in confusion by this unusual act.

“I’m so sorry about your friends, Y/n. I know this must be difficult for you. I’m here because… well when George told me the aid station had been hit I couldn’t think of anything else than making sure you were okay. Y/n I realised something and…”

“Joe, let me stop you right there. Why would you care if I was okay or not? Joe you hate me… and… and I’ve never understood why?” Y/n sobbed, bringing her hand to cover her mouth, muffling her whimpers into her bloody sleeve. “Why do you hate me, Joe? What did I do wrong?”

Joe’s heart shattered at the sight of the broken woman in front of him. Her shoulders shook violently and tears flowed freely down her dirty cheeks, smudge with ash and mud. She looked frail, weak even and Joe hated that he’d caused it.

“Y/n, I never hated you. Why would you think that?” Joe moved towards her, collecting her hands in his own larger ones once more and rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “Talk to me, Y/n. Please.”

“Well you always shout at me and… and you wouldn’t l-let me treat your wound and y-you avoid me all the time,” she stammered, looking up at him through tear-filled lashes.

“Oh Sweetheart,” Joe pulled her against his chest, his breath felt warm and tingly against her neck. Y/n had never noticed that he was only slightly taller than her and her head fitted perfectly in the crook of his neck. Her hands wrapped into tight fists against his jacket and she could feel his heart hammering against her hands. “I don’t want you to ever feel like that again.”

“Joe…”

“Shh Mein Liebling, it’s all going to be alright now.”

Austria 1945

Y/n had never dreamed that she would get to visit Austria. It seemed as if it was a world away from the likes of Bastogne and the horrors of war. Its tranquil, turquoise lakes and steep mountains with their snow-covered peaks seemed the pinnacle of the landscape. Work had become scarce too, other than the occasional scrape or sprain it had mainly become stock control and arranging supplies to be sent to the Pacific where the fighting had yet to cease. Y/n knew that both herself or Joe could be sent to the Pacific at any time it was inevitable, and neither of them was going to get through the war unscathed.

For now, they were at peace and in the comforts of her room, under clean sheets with her legs tangled in Joe’s and her head resting on his chest, Y/n couldn’t help but feel at peace. The steady thrumming of his heart and the gentle rise and fall of his chest coaxed her too and from sleep in waves. She didn’t want to move, afraid that she would disturb her sleeping paratrooper but at the same time her legs had gone numb hours ago and she could feel the pins and needles begin to prickle their way up her legs.

“Joe?” She whispered, reasoning her hand cautiously to brush a stray brunette lock out of his eyes. Joe’s nose wrinkled and he screwed his eyes shut tighter with a sigh. Y/n smiled as she watched him stir from his slumber. It was one of life’s greatest pleasures to see Joe so relaxed, so at peace even if for just a while.

Joe moaned, his long lashes fluttered against his cheeks before they opened revealing his chestnut orbs.

“Good morning Mein Liebling,” his voice was gruff and sleepy but the smile on his face said that he was more than conscious enough to show his love.

Y/n smiled back at him, “Good morning handsome. How did you sleep?”

“It’s the best night's sleep I’ve had in a while, although I don’t recall much bc sleeping happening.” Joe grinned and Y/n's cheeks grew bright red at the thought of last night’s activity. Glancing around the room there was evidence everywhere. Clothes strewn across the floor, the mirror hung lopsided on the wall, the desk was cleared of any objects and the paper that had once occupied it lay across the carpet.

“I have to admit it’s the most enjoyable night I’ve had in a long time,” Joe admitted, tangling a lock of her hair around his finger.

“Me too,” Y/n admitted and Joe smiled once again.

“What does it mean? Mein Liebling?” Y/n asked, running her fingernails slowly over his exposed chest.

Joe laughed, “my darling. It’s been your nickname for a long time.” He admitted his cheeks rosy and his smile nervous.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve been calling you that for far longer than you’ve realised. I just didn’t want anyone to realise I was talking about you. Figured the other guys would give me hell about it.” Releasing the lock he’d wrapped around his finger, he sat propped up by his elbows so he could face her.

“Y/n, I need to ask you something and it’d be real nice if your answer was yes.”

Y/n sat up now too, her expression a mixture of anxiety and confusion but the soft smile on her lips encouraged him to continue.

“Y/n will you come home with me, back to Chicago I mean? I can get my old job back at the cab company and we can buy a big house…” he paused a grin spreading across his lips. “A big house with lots of rooms, for all the little Liebgotts we’re gonna be making.”

Y/n laughed, smacking Joe’s arm.

“You’re lucky you’re good looking Liebgott.”

“Am I taking that as a yes?”

“Yes, you can.”

Joe grinned at her, his cheeky little smile followed by a little laugh causing Y/n’s heart to swell beyond what she thought was possible. Wrapped in Joe’s arms in their little room in Austria Y/n realised that maybe they were finally out of the woods.

Tags: @georgieluz @iceman-kazansky @yeahcurrahhe-e @lieutenant-speirs @sharpshootershifty @liberteuniteegalite @msmercury84 @desert-fern @mayhem24-7forever @blvestxr @dustyjumpwjngs @theflyingfin @jump-wings @kafka-ohdear @kmc1989 @mads-weasley @docroesmorphine @liptonsbabe @merriell-allesandro-shelton @sweetxvanixlla @hesbuckcompton-baby @ronsparky @mutantmanifesto @malarkgirlypop

#joseph liebgott #joseph Liebgott x reader #band of brothers #band of brothers fanfic #band of brothers easy company #hbowar

[imagine-darksiders]

Can I ask how Ulthane/Jones would handle a human in the tree that’s stopped eating and drinking due to either a depressive episode. Or thinking that they might be a burden on the group, and doesn’t feel like they deserve to be taking food from the other humans in the tree?

You certainly can! Thank you for this xxx

Ulthane:

This maker is often frustratingly good at keeping a watchful eye on each human in his tree. It is very difficult to hide things from him. Of course, it was expected that his charges would start to lose weight after the Apocalypse, given the stress they're under and the general shortage of unspoiled food.

Ulthane takes it upon himself to make sure everyone has enough to eat, even if he has to start travelling further afield to find food.

What he doesn't expect, however, is for one of his humans - you - to suddenly collapse one day and struggle to pick yourself up off the ground before he rushes to your side, demanding to know if you're hurt.

You try to push his concern aside, but after he stands you on your own two feet and you immediately topple sideways, he starts to get suspicious. You're reluctant to fess up, and it isn't until his thumb presses into the thick padding of your coat that he realises what's wrong.

Weakly, you protest as he all but tears the coat open and sweeps a - thankfully warm - forefinger beneath your shirt to feel over the very pronounced ribs that have until now remained hidden by several layers of fabric.

You know you're in trouble by the crevice that grows between the giant's bushy eyebrows, not to mention the heat-wrenched look he shoots down at you.

It's the other humans that confirm his fears.

Several come forward, scolding and worried.

'You told me you were full, and gave me your sandwich!'

'You said you'd already eaten and had leftovers to give me!'

Turns out, you've been splitting your rations among the others little by little, burdened by grief and the guilt of not contributing as much as you think you should to the other survivors.

Aghast, borderline furious, Ulthane chews you out for endangering your life in some misguided notion that you need to earn your place in the Tree.

He's the one taking care of you, he's responsible for you - responsible for keeping you alive.

Inwardly, Ulthane's heart jack-hammers at the thought that even now, he's failing the people he already ushered towards their doom.

But besides the point, you've been contributing! Stone's Breath, you help in any way you can, whether that be cleaning the living quarters, helping distribute meals to your fellow humans, telling jokes to make them smile in their darker moments...

'Can I help?' is a phrase he hears from you on a daily basis.

He's not going to let you kill yourself for thinking you're a burden. Because you're wrong.

And you thought Ulthane was overbearing before.

Every morning, afternoon and night, he tracks you down in the tree with a fistful of your rations. He tells the others not to take food from you, no matter what you say, and waits until he's certain you've eaten every last bite.

Worse still is his insistence upon checking your weight. He's threatened to hold you down and just look at your waist himself if you don't let him of your own volition. Extreme, perhaps, but you've done something not a lot of beings can claim they have.

You frightened the Black Hammer.

Though his tone is gruff when he reprimands you for not eating, you can always hear that undeniable thickness at the back of his throat, born from the worry that he came so close to losing someone he's hellbent on protecting.

Jones:

Jones almost had an aneurism when he learned you've been skipping meals.

Even with the heightened senses of a Horseman - albeit a disguised Horseman - he only realised you were doing it after he caught you sneaking your daily share back into the supply crate one night.

He wasted no time in cornering you about it. He just... couldn't understand why any human in their right mind would put food back.

You told him you weren't hungry, but at that moment, your stomach gave a loud, painful gurgle that nearly had you doubling over in pain.

"You're not hungry..." he echoed, a haunted look in his deep, brown eyes, "You're damn-near starving."

His suspicions were correct. The supplies never added up at the end of every audit. There was always extra for the next day, but nobody complained because more food is more food.

Now though, the Horseman realises this was a gift horse who's mouth he should have looked into.

Jones is a little... protective of his 'fellow' humans.

Rather embarrassingly, you are... well. Elanya has pointed out on several occasions that Jones has a soft spot for you.

You'd always find time to laugh at his poor jokes, or check up on him if he ever came in from a supply run and got growled at by Ulthane for sneaking out of the tree. You're heart is so laden with grief, but you're loathe to let your stiff upper lip droop around the others at the risk of stealing their cheer, even though they're in the same boat.

He can... relate. To that, at least.

You're not about to starve yourself for lack of hope, he won't allow it.

Jones has been doubly careful to make it seem that he takes his own fair share of rations, often smuggling it from the tree, only to return later and simply add it to the rest of the night's haul.

You however, don't leave the tree, though not for lack of trying. Jones is sharp-eyed, and usually heads off any attempts for you or the other humans to try and escape to help him gather supplies.

Immediately after he realises you're nearly starving, he keeps it quiet, by your insistence. You're already burden enough, you don't want to give the others cause to worry about you. Jones scoffs at your words, but gently promises this will stay between you and he, on the condition that you promise to eat.

Even if he has to force food down your throat, he'll get you eating again... Saving a life is sometimes more important than maintaining a friendship, and if you end up hating him for holding your chin and pressing dried crackers past your lips until you swallow, well... so be it.

Alongside getting your weight back up, Jones makes sure to give you some tasks to occupy your mind. Things like maintaining the guns other humans have scrounged up, counting out ammunition, trading stories and jokes with him... just little tasks that add up to help you feel that you're giving more to the tree, even if your survival is payment enough.

#darksiders #darksiders 2 #cw eating problems #depression #darksiders 3 #Ulthane #Jones #Strife #Reader #whump #fluff #protective characters #human reader

[pareidoliaonthemove]

Unexpected Delivery

There had been many changes when their father returned home. Some were new, some were the old status quo reasserting itself.

As Jeff had taken over the daily running of Tracy Industries and the paperwork associated with International Rescue, Scott had managed to take back some of his old duties on the Island.

One of those was unpacking the supplies Virgil regularly brought back from the mainland.

First was the perishables: foods, some of Brains’ more exotic experimental materials, whatever-the-hell it was that Gordon was ordering in to assist in rehabilitating their surrounding sea-scape. Personal deliveries came second, portioning out the mail orders; of which a not-insignificant portion was personal food stocks – Grandma still couldn’t be dissuaded from cooking, even though everyone now had more time to contribute to kitchen duties. Third was domestic consumables: toilet paper, light bulbs, cleaning supplies, and personal grooming and hygiene products – including so much deodorant. And then maintenance supplies; raw materials for production of the custom parts necessary for the maintenance of the Thunderbirds, parts for maintenance for the Villa and auxiliary buildings.

It was a comfortable routine, and one that Scott enjoyed, especially dealing with the maintenance supplies. Checking the packing slip against their internal register of projected deliveries, using the pallet-bot to deposit the large crates and bins at the appropriate areas, before unpacking the individual crates, confirming the itemised stock within, and storing them in the appropriate locations, as he updated the warehousing inventory.

It was a simple – and satisfying – job.

Today there was an extra crate. A large roughly square crate, one and one half to two metres in every dimension and solidly built. Scott frowned at it. There was no sender’s ident, and the anonymous holographic label implanted in the rough-hewn, tightly-spaced wooden slats simply read ‘International Rescue’.

Nothing was unaccounted for on the projected deliveries. There was nothing left over from previous runs, nothing on back order.

Scott checked Virgil’s collection register. This package had been collected from their mail facility at Tracy Industries Headquarters, the security assessment on this crate was attached. Nothing untoward. No radiation, no explosive compounds, no biological matter …

Thunderbird Two’s pod sensors hadn’t detected a threat, either.

“What is it?”

Scott started, jumping as the Mechanic materialised beside him, looking between Scott and the crate curiously.

A slight hesitation – he still hadn’t fully overcome his distrust of the other man, nor had the Mechanic suddenly taken a liking to him – and he explained the situation.

“Only one way to find out. If all the scans are clear.”

Scott waved his tablet at the man, who, after a second, took it, and considered the record trail. He handed the tablet back, and summoned two of his ‘scorpion’ mechas to the crate.

“Better blow them up, than us, if your scans are wrong,” was the response to Scott’s raised eyebrow.

Scott agreed without hesitation. The crate was in a secure section of the hangars, there was no danger to any of their equipment – they had learnt that the hard way, soon after Jeff had … gone on sabbatical. The two men backed off a respectful distance, and watched as the two machines surged forward, powerful pinchers forcing themselves under the lid and prising it up, before skittering around the crate to settle either side of it, like guardians.

The back of the lid was hinged, and a holographic sign projected against the rough and splintery wood. ‘A gift. From a friend.’

The two men approached cautiously. And stared in shock at what lay on the straw at the bottom of the crate.

The Hood, bound hand and foot – hands behind his back – lay half curled with in the space. His naked body bruised and bloody, the slight rise and fall of his chest the only sign the man was alive.

Scott Tracy – Commander of International Rescue, First Responder, Qualified Paramedic, and Survivor of a POW Camp – swallowed his bile as he took in the sight of the bloody and weeping bandage around the man’s head that ineffectively protected what he knew would be the bloody and empty socket where the cybernetic eye had been.

Mutely Scott and the Mechanic stared at each other, both searching for answers the other didn’t have.

How were they ever going to explain this?

Notes:

Febuwhump Day 21 “Unresponsive”.

Whoops. I totally missed posting this one on the date. Other important dates I have missed include my mothers, and my niece's birthdays. Oh well, off to the dog house!

The standard disclaimers, I do not own Thunderbirds, either the Original Series, the Movies (both Supermarionation and Live Action), or the Thunderbirds Are Go Series. (Although I do own copies on DVD.)

I do not do this for money, but for my own (in)sanity and entertainment.

#febuwhump2024 #febuwhump2024day21 #thunderbirds are go #post season 3 #fanfic #my fanfic #scott tracy #the mechanic #the hood

[littlepadika]

Toy

Pairing: Din Djarin x f!reader

Summary: After learning something new you want to toy with him even more...

Rating: Explicit (18+ only!)

Warnings: f!reader, dom reader dynamics, dom din dynamics, established relationship, p0rn with very little plot 😈 , male masturbation, oral sex, unprotected piv, cum play 💦 , dirty talk, praise kink ❤️ , c0ck worship 👄, din's breeding kink pops out.

AN: @beskarprincessjenny and i are back hehe 😜 did you miss us? Loosely based after season 2 of mando.

You wiped your brow, setting down the last of the heavy crates you managed to salvage from the ruins of the Razor Crest. It wasn’t much but it took nearly all day to haul everything from the wreckage to your small dwelling in the woods. The place you and Din would lay low in, at least until he found another ship. He was supposed to be talking to Peli about that. You resented being away from him this long. You worried about him more than you should but he was without Grogu now. You both were. You threw yourself into the task of cleaning and organizing. The abandoned dwelling was looking a bit more inviting after you made a bed and fortified the walls. 

You dug into this latest batch of small storage containers, smiling to yourself at the mandalorian’s hoarding tendencies. Expired ration bars, empty batteries, and… and something completely unexpected. You did not realize what it was when you first picked it up. It was a long tube, fairly light in your hands. It did not resemble any ammunition or machinery on the ship. You took the corner of your shirt and wiped off the dust along the side. There were faint words. You kept scrubbing until you could make out the white lettering along the side. And that’s when your mouth dropped open. Oh. This was new. 

You unpacked the rest of the boxes leaving that… that thing on a shelf away from view. Your mind swam with the image of him using it. You shouldn't be surprised but Din was always concervative with every purchase. This seemed… luxurious of him. Yet the product name gave no room for interpretation. 

A sex toy. Din bought a sex toy. 

Once everything was to your liking and the new bed was made up you decided to clean off the toy with soap and water. You bit your lip as you stuck your fingers into the silicone channel which was supposed to mimic the feel of a pussy. How many times had he used it? How many times had he cum in it? Was he rough? Did he edge himself? 

You picture him hunched over in his bunk sliding the toy up and down his hard length, trying to muffle his groans of pleasure. Skin flushed from the chest up. Shuddering as his balls emptied into the depths fo the toy.

Your fantasies paused when you heard the sound of an aircraft touching down. You dropped the toy, grabbing your blaster hanging by the door. You watch the communicator on the small table you fashioned, sighing in relief when it lit up.

Come check out the new ride. 

You smiled, running out into the forest to find him. When you broke through into a small clearing you gaped at the sight before you. It was the nicest ride you’ve ever seen. Din looked smug leaning up against the starfighter.

“Wow, Din! She’s beautiful.” You ran your hand over the shiny exterior. Marveling at the smooth cuts giving it a perfect shape for flying. 

“And fast.” Din added. 

“Peli really outdid herself.” You lifted up one of the panels on the wing to admire the inner workings. All shiny and new. 

“I did some of the repair.” Din piped up. 

“Oh yeah?” You smirked. “So when can I fly it?”

He shrugged as if to say ‘whenever’. 

“How are things here?” He asked, walking closer to you. He stopped just an arms length away and rocked forward on his feet like he was holding himself back. You swallowed as those most recent thoughts floated back into your mind. 

“Quiet.” You replied, stepping towards him. He hummed in reply, looking down at your hands as they came up to his chest plate. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, cyar’ika.” He took your hands in his. “I won’t leave you for that long again.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” You rallied a smile, knowing Din could never stay put for too long. Neither could you. You were both too restless for the normal domestic life. That didn’t mean you couldn’t have little moments here and there. 

You led him back to the dwelling and he was impressed by all the changes. 

“Wait don’t throw that away.” He pointed to a rusty blaster you’d thrown into the ‘trash’ pile. “I caught my first bounty with this.” 

You had trouble keeping a straight face. “It’s not usable anymore.”

“I can fix it.” He insisted, putting it away with the rest of his weaponry. You shook your head, brimming with affection. You missed him so much. You decided to change out of your sweaty clothing now that he was back, shimmying the tunic over your head. You only paused when you felt his bare hands wrap around your waist. 

“Din!” You squealed. “Your hands are cold!” 

“Mmm cyar’ika.” He buried his nose into the crook of your neck and you realize he’s taken his helmet off. Maker, that was still hard to get used to. “I missed you.” His stubble had grown out in his absence making goosebumps rise up along your neck.

You leaned against him, biting your lip when you felt just how much he missed you. “Nothing to satisfy you out there?”

“What are you talking about?” Din grumbled, kissing the shell of your ear. You wiggle out of his grasp, smirking at his innocent pout. 

“This.” You waved the toy in front of his face. His eyes widened.

“Uh- that’s- where did you find that?” He placed his hands on his hips. 

“In your treasured possessions.” You chuckled. “I thought the mandalorian didn’t like machines.”

“That’s not- that was-” He huffed, his cheeks turning beat red. “That was an impulsive purchase.” He averted his gaze. 

“Did you use it? I mean you had to have tried it.” You teased him further. 

“Are you done?” He grumbled, crossing his arms and looking down. It was just so cute it made you clench. 

“Din… I like it.” You cupped his cheek, holding his warm brown eyes with your own. “I imagined you using it and- and I want to see.”

“What?” Din spluttered. “You aren’t mad?” 

“That you pleasure yourself? Of course not.” You bit your lip and shook your head. “It’s healthy and-” Your stomach clenched again. That vision of him hot and desperate tugged at the front of your mind. 

“You like it.” He tilted his head, a smirk growing across his face. You just nod. Now you were the embarrassed one. 

“It’s been so long.” Din looked down at the toy in your hand, feeling himself harden just at the memories. How hard he used to fuck himself. How often he’d need to use it. Hidden behind metal but having every dirty thought you could imagine. He was young and hot blooded, chasing his climax with this toy for hours. 

It was always strongest after hunts. He'd barely make it into hyperspace before reaching for the toy and sliding it down to the hilt. Adrenaline still in his veins making it all so much more intense. He’d be unable to keep his fantasies inside. “Take it- fuck- so good” he’d mutter into the dark of his helmet. And when he came he always came deep, fantasizing about the day he’d finally fuck someone real and fufill that deepest desire. That’s why he picked this toy. It didn’t vibrate. It sucked. It took every drop. 

He put the toy away when he got older and those urges bubbled up less often. He only ever thought about using it again when you started traveling with him and he had not yet built up the courage to tell you how he felt. He was glad he didn’t succumb because the first time he felt your heat he was a born again virgin. Now he’d much rather fuck you until he is spent. 

He groaned quietly when he felt your hand run down his chest towards his beltline. “Cyar’ika…”

“What if I helped you use it?” You whispered, tracing his growing bulge with your finger tips. You stand up on your tip toes and kiss his lips. He groaned, pulling you closer. “Please Din, I want to watch you come undone.” He signaled his agreement by pulling you into a searing kiss. You pulled his pants down and moaned when the weight of his cock dropped into your hand. You had missed the feel of that velvet warmth. You and Din fall back onto the bed, toy still in your free hand. 

He quickly stripped off the rest of his armor. As he did this, he took a moment to enjoy the soft bedding under his back. You made this for him. A home. For the both of you. Though you’d roll your eyes at the idea of being a homely woman, Din held your relaxed smile when he came home close to his chest. A part of him has always wanted this for the both of you. 

“Din…” You called to him, reminding him of the soft suck of the toy in your hand. His body curved towards the sound. 

He pointed at a small button on the side of the toy. “That- that turns it on.” You hummed when it whirred to life. You could see the sucking motion of the toy begging for him to stick his cock inside. He was watching you with wide eyes, fingers clutching the blanket beneath him. 

You straddle his thighs, lining the toy up with his cock head. He nods sharply. “Good boy.” You cooed, your pussy throbbing between your legs. He swallowed harshly as you rubbed the toy shallowly over the tip of his cock. You spit down on to his length before sliding the toy all the way down. He grunted in surprise, his hips flexing. 

“Too much?” 

“N-No.” Din’s heart sped up at that fascinated yet mischievous look in your eye as you straddled him. How many mind blowing orgasms had he suffered under that same gaze? Maker, he loved when you took over like this. He turned to putty in your hands. The steady suck of the toy massaged his entire length from the root to the tip.

“Like- like this.” He guided the toy up and down, his eyes fluttering shut. “Yes that’s-that’s good.” His other hand went to stroke your thigh, just out of reach of your throbbing center. 

You found twisting the toy and rocking it back and forth seemed to bring out more groans and pants from him. Your eyes remained glued to his cock. Unable to look away.  “Is this how you used to do it?”

"I'd- fuck I'd try to draw it out. T-tease myself." He was barely able to explain between his tight breaths. He pulled out for a moment, demonstrating how he would hold himself on the edge. 

He could not believe his youthful fantasies and reality were crashing together so hard. The toy did what it was supposed to but it was no fill-in for intimacy and partnership. Warm arms and laughter. That was all you. You brought out something different in him. He needed to fuck you but not to simply find relief. He needed to be close to you. Become a part of you as much as possible. 

You pushed the toy back down, moaning as it swallowed his cock to the root. 

“How- how many times?” You asked breathlessly, holding it there. 

“Fuck- I don’t know-never when you were- never with you.” 

“But before me?” You sped up wanting him to tell you just the right things to make you cum too. “Tell me…”

“Every day maybe- maybe more. After hunting.” 

“It makes me jealous.” You confessed, eyes flicker back up to him. “I’m jealous that it got filled up so many times.”

“Dank Ferrik, baby.” Din growled, taking your hand and speeding up your motions until you could hear the wet squelching of his cock with every thrust down. “I’d rather fuck you, mesh’la. Please.”

“Just a little more. Let me play a little bit longer.” You replied, your voice thin with longing. “You’re so beautiful, baby.” You tilt the toy towards his stomach to get a better view of his cock. His swollen tip still nestled in the grip of the toy. You rarely ever got to watch his cock, watch the veins throb, watch his balls tighten. He squirmed under your appraisal. Trapped between wanting to have his way and surrender everything. 

You pressed the button on the side again and the suction increased. He whimpered slightly, squeezing your thigh. The higher suction physically sucked his cock back into its depth little by little until he couldn't hold back and he thrust to the hilt. 

“Aww baby boy.” You kissed his lips gently, muffling his whine. “There you go… such a greedy little thing. Does it feel good?” You stare down at his face, contorted in both pleasure and embarrassment. The apples of his cheeks deliciously flushed. “It’s okay, you can say it feels good. I won’t mind.”

“It feels- feels good but- not- not as good as your pussy, cyar’ika.” 

“Mmm such a sweet boy, aren’t you?” You tease him, rocking your hips in time to the toy’s sucking. You were so wet. It wouldn’t take much for you to be cumming with him. He moaned, knowing you were so needy. He could be so good for you. 

Din grit his teeth. “I don’t want to cum- I’m” He tries to stop you-

“Shh it’s okay, baby boy.” You push his hands away. “I want you to cum… such a good cock for me.” You kissed down his jaw to his racing pulse. You pulled the toy off slowly, torturing his sensitive head. 

“Wait-” He cried out, squeezing your thighs. He wants to be deeper. Be all the way inside when he cums. 

“It’s okay…let go.” Your stomach lurched in excitement. You saw the vein along the bottom of his length throb. You pulled off just in time for his cock to jolt forward before pumping cum onto his stomach and thighs. It spilled down his length thick and virile. He filled the air with a fertile groan that had you mewling in reply. 

“So beautiful…”

His thick heavy cock fell to lay against his thigh, one last pump of cum pushing out to drip down to his balls. His toes unfurl. 

You reached out and pumped his length, not caring about the mess. Loving how it twitched in your hand. So sensitive but greedy for more. Always more. You spread his cum up and down until the entire length glistened invitingly.

“Stars above… you’re insatiable.” He slurred, raising his head up clumsily. 

“Your cock... when it's like this..." you stared down where it twitched against your hold. "So responsive for me, Din. I can't resist…sometimes I just want to… I want to make you cum over and over. Fuck this cock…” Your touch was reverential as you worshiped him. You let it slip through your wet fingers, starting to perk up again.

"...’s got a mind of its own. Always wants you"  His eyes darken further as he basks in your darkest fantasies. It makes him feel less self conscious about his own. 

You rolled onto your back, holding the toy on top of your stomach and pelvis “Come here.” 

Din all but pounces on you. He could never resist you. He was a puppet on a string when you talked to him like this. He was almost full mast again. He moaned when he caught a whiff of your arousal from where you soaked through your thin shorts. It wasn’t fair. He wanted to fuck you there. 

“Din…” You reclaimed his attention. “Show me how well you can fuck then maybe you’ll get the real thing.”

“Show you? Baby, you know how good it is.” You roll your eyes under his smug gaze. 

He lined up his cock next to the toy and you gawked when you realized just how long he was. His tip teased the curve of your stomach. Well beyond what you thought was physically possible. And compared to the toy, he could barely fit in the toy. This was probably the only one he could buy that would take his whole length. 

“You’re so big.” You cooed and he puffed his chest out at your praise, his cheeks darkening. “Take off your shirt.” He obeyed, throwing it on the ground next to the bed. “Good boy.” You sat up on your elbows and tweaked his nipple and tracing the muscles under his slight stomach.

“Cyar’ik-ah fuck.” You pushed the toy down onto him until he was balls deep once more. Now he could lean over you and kiss you and squeeze your waist while he fucked the toy.  His movements were heavy and untamed this time around. 

“You like this? You like watching me fuck this toy wishing it was you instead?” He pawed at your shorts, pulling them down enough for his fingers to find your slick pussy. “Yeah… you like it.” He shuddered, his rhythm slowing. More deliberate. His fingers on your clit matched his pace. 

"I could play with your cock all day..." You egged him on, feeling the power he’s putting behind his thrusts hit the back of the toy, his balls smacking the top of your clit while his fingers pushed inside. You arched against it trying to get more. 

“I never- I never touched this kriffing toy. Even when you-you were prancing around my damn ship like- like-” 

“Like?” You tried to focus on what he was saying. The words that were pushing you closer and closer to your edge.

“Like you wanted me to take you. Make-make you mine.” He growled his own fantasies clawing to come out. “You’re the only- the only thing in this kriffing galaxy I want to fuck. Even if it takes-” He presses his forehead to you “I’ll keep fucking you even then.”

“Oh maker…” You clamped your eyes shut, your climax moments away. “Din!”

“Are you ready for me to fuck you? Or do you want this toy to get all my cum?” He cupped your jaw so you were looking at him and not at the toy swallowing his length over and over. 

“I-” You made a choice right then “I want you.” You toss the toy to the ground but not before he was pressing into you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

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#din djarin fanfiction #din djarin smut #din x reader #din djarin x y/n #mando x you #mando smut #mando x reader #mandalorian smut #the mandalorian #pedro pascal fanfic

[tightjeansjavi]

Burning in a Hopeless Dream

Boston QZ: Part 15

“They See Right Through Me”

Joel Miller x f!o/c

A/N: thank you for your patience as I took the time to write this for y’all. This was not only the longest chapter I have written, this was also the hardest, and emotionally challenging one thus far. I am extremely proud of how this has turned out. Thank you for reading ♡

Summary: Save who you can save Joel.

~word count: 11.7k~

Warnings: age gap (o/c is in her early 30’s Joel is in his 50’s) established relationship, angst, dark! Joel, mean! Joel. You’re gonna hate him by the end of this chapter! Joel, canon typical violence, death of a major character, trauma, arguments, gaslighting, PTSD, anger, rage, heart break, triggering themes that may be disturbing for some viewers. Please proceed with caution and read the warnings. (+18) minors dni !

Songs for this chapter:

“The Archer” By Taylor Swift

“You Are My Sunshine” by The Civil Wars

“Godspeed” By Frank Ocean

“Same Old Same Old” by The Civil Wars

“take a moment to breathe” by normal the kid

“My Cell” The Lumineers

“Paper Houses” by Niall Horan

“Wait” by M83

“Save Yourself” by KALEO

“It’ll All Work Out” by Phoebe Bridgers

Summer, 2023 : 5 Miles outside the QZ

“From this point forward, the three of us have to actively remember that Ellie is just a kid.” You spoke, sitting along an old crate in the abandoned building you, Joel, and Tess had found to take cover from the storm. Ellie was asleep, in the middle of the room. She used her backpack as a pillow, under a bed of moss.

Joel scoffed alongside you. His hand was still bloodied and bruised up. The thin skin of his knuckles were torn, shredded, and you were doing your best to clean out any debris embedded in the flesh. “She ain’t just a kid. She’s fuckin’ cargo to us.” He gritted out. He could feel the muscles, and tendons in his hand twitching. He had definitely broken it from the amount of times his fist made contact with the FEDRA soldiers face.

“Does she fucking look like cargo to you Joel? That’s a kid who’s life just got drastically turned upside down in a matter of hours. All she’s clearly known is Marlene, and the fireflies, and now 3 strangers.” You shook your head, refusing to make eye contact with him as you swiped a bit of 20 year old disinfectant along his knuckles, eliciting a hiss from between his lips.

“She is cargo. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you don’t let your emotions get in the fucking way. You forgetting what we’re doin’ this for? We’re doin’ this for Tommy, Gwen. We get the battery, the truck, everything Marlene promised us, and we go and find my brother. That’s the plan and it ain’t changin’ darlin’.”

“You know, if I had just met you two, I’d think you were an old married couple by the way you fuckin’ bicker together.” Tess whispered, amusement in her tone.

Joel rolled his eyes immediately in response. “Yeah?” He scoffed. “Well, we sure as hell ain’t an old married couple.”

“No, but you’re actin’ like one. At this rate, I’d put a ring on her finger sooner, rather than later Texas.”

“You see an every kiss begins with Kay or jade jewelers, or whatever the fuck around here? Cause I sure as hell ain’t seein’ any. Not to mention, that ain’t our style. Marriage? That’s hilarious Tess. Really fuckin’ funny.”

It wasn’t that Joel thought there was anything bad about marriage. It was more-so the fact the that he hadn’t had thoughts about marriage in over 20 fucking years. Besides, putting a ring on your finger seemed way too cliche. Totally not yours, or his style.

“I think I’d actually commit murder if he even attempted to put a ring on my finger.” You chimed in, your eyes were still focused on tending to Joel’s hand.

“That’s exactly 100% why you’re Joel’s girl.”

“Damn right she is.” He agreed.

“You’re both seriously beyond insufferable right now. Just wanted to let you know.” You mumbled under your breath with a small grin tugging on your lips.

A bright flash of lighting, followed by a loud crack of thunder, ended the lighthearted banter.

“Have you thought of the possibility that maybe Marlene is lying about the truck, and weapons that she promised us? Look, I have my reasons to not trust Marlene, but I really think we need to think about this from a logical standpoint. If the case ends up being there’s no truck, or weapons, we can’t just leave Ellie to fend for herself.”

Joel was ripping his hand from your grasp when you had attempted to bandage his knuckles up. He had given you a stone cold look, one that sent an unpleasant chill down your spine.

“Marlene seemed too fuckin’ desperate to make up a lie like that darlin’. Besides, Tess and I have known Marlene far longer than you have. If she says there’s a truck and weapons waiting at the state house, she ain’t lyin’ about that. The only reason you have to not trust her is because she’s a fuckin’ firefly.”

You narrowed your eyes at him as you tucked your first aid kit back into your backpack and stood up. “Yeah? Well if you remember correctly, she’s the reason why I got fucking thrown into lockup. Her and the rest of the fireflies are the reason behind that. You just want me to go along and trust her? She’s never even fucking liked me Joel.” His gaze fell upon your face as you shrugged off your jacket and gently placed it over Ellie’s curled up sleeping form just a few feet away.

“You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time Gwen. Shit fuckin’ happens. You don’t wanna trust Marlene? Go on right ahead and see where that gets you. You’ll be eating your words the second we drop this kid off and get our reward.”

You scoffed under your breath as you sank down against the wall, far away from him now with your arms crossed over your chest. “Yeah, okay Joel. Can you stop being a fucking asshole?”

“Stop saying stupid fuckin’ shit and then I won’t have a reason to be an asshole darlin’”

You bit down on the inside of your cheek, tasting copper along your tongue. You missed the moments where Joel was attentive to you, and your feelings. Where he was tender, gentle, soft with your heart. You missed that side of him desperately.

Ellie, unbeknownst to the three of you, was wide awake and listening to the entire conversation as it ensued. The second you placed your jacket over her, she felt an immediate trust for you. Especially for the fact that you emphasized that she was just a kid. She was wary of the other two you traveled with. Especially Joel. He seemed like one mean motherfucker.

Joel had taken the first watch of the night while you and Tess slept. Except, you couldn’t sleep at all. Despite how mean your partner was to you earlier, you couldn’t give him the cold shoulder forever.

He had turned his head towards you in the slightest when he could hear your boots scraping against the pavement as you stood up. He let out a soft sigh when you sank down beside him, pulling your knees up to your chest.

“Why aren’t you sleepin’ honey?” His tone was much softer now, but you didn’t want to get your hopes up.

“I don’t sleep most nights anymore Joel.”

He frowned at this and finally looked over at you, turning his body so he was facing you. His good hand was still firmly grasped around the machine gun strapped across his shoulder.

“You wanna talk about it? I’m all ears for you darlin’” he rasped.

“There’s nothing to talk about Joel. This has been going on for months. I’ve come to accept that a decent night's rest is not something attainable for me anymore. I’m on edge constantly, and for good reason.” You had your chin tucked into your shoulder as you looked over at him. The rain wasn’t as heavy anymore but there were still low rumbles of thunder in the distance.

Joel took a deep inhale through his nose, his nostrils flaring slightly as he breathed out, feeling the tension in his shoulders dissipate.

“C’mere. You ain’t have a reason to be on edge when I’m right here. Okay? Look, I know these last few months have not been ideal. Shits been handed to us left and right. I don’t want you thinkin’ that I don’t care either, alright? You know I do.” He slipped the rifle off of his shoulder before he was reaching for you, gently wrapping his good hand around your forearm, coaxing you closer.

“I know you care, Joel. I know that you’re just stressed over Tommy, and now this whole situation. I just…I got so fucking comfortable when we were just..happy. You remember that?” You didn’t fight him as he gently pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly to his chest, resting his chin along the top of your head. His arms were secured around your middle, your back pressed firmly to his chest.

“We both knew that wasn’t going to last forever baby. Those were the best moments. I ain’t forgotten them. M’sorry for the way I’ve snapped at you. I don’t know how to deal with how I’ve been feelin’ about Tommy. I know that’s not an excuse to treat ya that way. I don’t wanna lose you too..”

“We could have stayed with Bill and Frank y’know. There were so many houses and we could have had a comfortable life there. I know it sounds silly, how can anyone live comfortably in an apocalypse? Somehow Bill and Frank have. They’ve pretty much gone and done the impossible. Listen, I know you don’t mean what you’ve said. Does it hurt me? Absolutely. You’d have to do something unforgivable to lose me Joel. So please don’t go speaking like that.” You placed your hands over his, as you gently brought his damaged hand up to your lips, lightly pressing a kiss to the broken skin on his knuckles.

“Maybe we can have that one day, sweet girl. Just the two of us, okay? We’ll find a home somewhere to call ours. Maybe a couple horses, a nice big yard? A library for all your books..a decent mattress, with pillows that aren’t moth eaten. A nice big kitchen where we can cook together. We’ll have Bill, Frank, Tess, and Bea over every weekend for dinner. I’ll make sweet love to you every fuckin’ night. Doesn’t that sound wonderful baby? We’ll have that one day, I promise you. It’s just not in the cards for us right now, but that’s okay. You wanna know why? Cause no matter what, I got you, and you got me. Kay? No matter what happens.” He whispered against your hair, his eyes closed as he pictured a domestic lifestyle with you by his side. He wanted that so fucking badly with you. He could nearly taste it.

You were left feeling stunned in his arms. Joel’s confession was well thought out, tender, filled to the brim with all the little details. You could tell by his deliverance that this was not something he came up with on a whim. No, your Joel had thought about the possibility of having a normal life with you for a long long time. “No matter what happens, I got you, you got me. Always.” You whispered.

Joel tightened his grip around you slightly. He didn’t care about the throbbing pain from his freshly broken hand, or the impending reality that your lives had drastically changed in a matter of hours. He just wanted to make sure you got a decent night of sleep finally.

So, he sang. Just above a whisper, the same lullaby you had sung to him the night that his nightmares nearly consumed him.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. Please don’t take my sunshine away…”

You were fast asleep by the time he whispered out the last word. He held you all night long, listening intently for any sounds that could be of a threat. Even when it was Tess’s turn to take watch, he didn’t wake her either. His gun was nearby, ready to grab if needed. His eyes stayed trained on the sleeping teenager just a few feet away. Ellie, who he viewed as just being cargo to transport.

By morning's impending approach, the storm had since passed on. The sky was painted in an array of pink, red, and orange hues. Although a sight to behold, a red sky at dawn was never a good sign. The old saying goes, red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailors warning.

The four of you had no inclination to predict that this was Tess’s last day walking in the living realm. Predicting the weather was something just about anyone could do. Predicting the moment someone would take their last dying breath? That was a feat impossible.

Ellie had slowly awoken to the sun's warm rays peeking through the cracks in the abandoned building. A golden butterfly fluttered above her sleeping form as her eyes slowly opened. She was still in a sleepy state as she slowly sat up, taking in her surroundings before she heard a loud creaking sound behind her.

She was greeted by a stern look from both Joel, and Tess. He was holding his assault rifle between his hands. The barrel of the gun pointed at the ground. The look he was giving the teenager was menacing enough as it was. The only kind face Ellie could find in the small space was yours.

“Morning…” she spoke, hesitation laced in her tone.

Just as she began to slowly rise from the mossy floor, Joel had lifted the gun in her direction, causing the teenager's eyes to go wide and you kicked his chair with your boot from where you stood behind him. “Joel..” you warned. He could feel your eyes glaring into the back of his skull, disapprovingly.

“If you say that she’s just a kid one more fuckin’ time.” He snapped back, keeping his gun trained on Ellie.

“Do I look like I’m infected? Seriously, can you not point that thing at me man? What, are you actually gonna shoot me?”

“Just might. Now, show us your arm. Slow. If you make any—”

“Sudden movements you’ll shoot. Yeah, I think I fucking got that part.” Ellie quipped back. She slowly lifted the sleeve of her hoodie revealing her 3 week old bite mark in the sunlight. From where the 3 of you were, it was pretty obvious this was not a fresh bite in the slightest.

“Yeah, it’s not getting any worse, is it? I’m not infected. This thing is 3 weeks old and I haven’t turned into one of those..things.”

Joel slowly lowered his gun before he slowly looked over at Tess before he let his gaze slightly drift up to you. “What the hell was Marlene doin’ with an infected kid in the first place?”

“I’m not infected. She found me after I was bitten and before you ask, no. She didn’t shoot me. She locked me up in that shit hole and had her guys test me every fucking day. They chained me to a pipe and made me recite my name and other shit back to them to see if my personality had changed. It clearly didn’t.”

“Did your shit attitude come before, or after you were bitten?” Joel asked.

You kicked the foot of his chair again, this time a little harder.

You could tell the teenager fought hard to not roll her eyes at him. “Y’know the thing I think really impressed them was the fact that I didn’t turn into a fucking monster.”

When the three of you didn’t respond, Ellie slowly rose to her feet and Joel’s gun followed. “Really man? I thought we were done with that shit. Can I just go pee now? I’ve been holding it for a while.”

Tess had grabbed an old magazine on the floor and tossed it over to the teenager. “Go ahead. You can find a nice spot back there.”

Ellie caught the magazine before she started to walk towards the back room to do her business. “There’s not gonna be anything bad in here?”

“Just you.”

Once Ellie was out of sight, you nearly wanted to rip Joel’s gun from his hands but refrained as you crossed your arms over your chest with a sigh. “She made it through the fuckin’ night, Joel. I think you can cut it out with pointing the gun at her. She’s clearly not a threat to any of us.”

“It doesn’t fuckin’ matter. It’s gonna happen sooner or later. Maybe her body just has a late response to the cordyceps. She can’t be trusted. I told you this was a bad fuckin’ idea to begin with and now that we know she’s infected, you still think we’re gonna follow through with this?”

“You saw her arm, Joel. If she was infected it would have looked completely different. We’ve seen what infected bite marks look like and she is not one of them.”

“Yeah well I ain’t about to go and take that chance. We’re close enough to the wall. We can sneak her back into the QZ and we’ll just find a different way to get the battery. I ain’t hauling an infected kid around with us.”

“We take her back to the QZ and they’re gonna kill her. FEDRA see’s that bite mark and she’s through. You really wanna have a kid's blood on your hands like that?”

“Do you hear yourself right now Gwen? You’re actin’ like this kid has some fuckin’ life ahead of her or somethin’. We take her back to the QZ and get the battery a different way.”

“What happened to fiercely believing in the fact that Marlene is gonna have a whole truck and weapons waiting for us if we bring her to the state house? You’re just gonna go and abandon that?”

“You should be jumping for joy over the fact that we’re finally fuckin’ agreeing on somethin’ for once. An infected kid is not worth the possibility of that truck, or the weapons we were promised.”

“I’m with Gwen on this one.” Tess finally spoke as Joel whipped his around suddenly to look at her, narrowing his eyes.

“You’re what?”

“You heard me Texas. I don’t think I need to repeat it.” She spoke without looking at him just as Ellie had returned. “You hungry kid? You can share some of ours.”

“Thanks. Marlene sent me with my own.” Ellie spoke as she sank down into the moss, pulling out what appeared to be a chicken sandwich from her backpack.

“Is that chicken?” You asked, feeling your mouth water at the sight of something besides the dried, tasteless jerky the three of you were eating.

“Yep. Marlene said they get it from smugglers..guess not you guys.” She smirked a little as she took a bite of her sandwich.

Tess was already up and out of her chair and Joel had tried to stop her but she pushed him away. “Why are you so important to Marlene? Hm? Don’t even think about lyin’ to me kid. If you do, we’ll take you back to the QZ.”

“Well..you take me back and you don’t get your battery.” Ellie responded.

“Ohh. So you got a good set of ears on you huh? Well, then I’m sure you heard that he wants to shoot you then right?”

Ellie no longer possessed a smirk on her face as she slowly looked up at Joel’s displeased face. “So then why hasn’t he shot me already? If what you’re saying is true.”

“Trying to change the subject isn’t gonna do you any good either. So I’m gonna talk to you like an adult, alright? Joel and I aren’t good people. We’re doin’ this for us because apparently you’re worth somethin’ to Marlene, whatever that may be. So if I were you, I’d drop the smart ass attitude because his patience? It’s wearing mighty thin. I suggest you answer my question. Why are you so important to Marlene?”

“What about her? Is she not a good person either?” Ellie spoke, gesturing her head towards you.

“Gwen? Let’s just say..she’s better than the two of us but not by much. Sweet face, sure. Knows how to wield a knife like it’s the fuckin’ back of her hand.”

“That’s badass.”

“Answer her question, Ellie. It’s alright.” You spoke softly, earning a disapproving look from your lover.

“Okay..well, Marlene told me not to tell anyone and here I am telling the three of you..” she sighed, rubbing her hand over her face. “There’s a Firefly base camp somewhere out west with doctors. They’re working on a cure.”

“Oh of course they are. Yeah, sure I’ll believe it. This ain’t the fuckin’ first time we’ve heard about a possible cure. It’s all horse shit.” Joel muttered under his breath.

“So whatever happened to me is—”

“The key to finding the vaccine. That’s what they all fuckin’ say and guess what? They’ve tried to find a cure numerous times and ain’t nothin’ worked. It’s the same goddamn thing every single—”

Ellie rose to her feet in a fury, staring at Joel head on. “Fuck you, man. I didn’t ask for this.”

“You and me fuckin’ both. We’re wastin’ daylight the more time we spend talkin’ on this nonsense. I’m done. Pack your shit up and let’s go. We’re takin’ you back to the QZ.”

Tess let out a sigh, running her fingers through her hair. “Let’s just finish this Joel. We get what we want regardless. We take her back, and we risk all 4 of us getting shot. I don’t know about you, but I still have some life worth livin.’”

Joel clenched his jaw tightly, breathing in deeply through his nose. This was not a good idea. However, we was now outnumbered by two. “If she so much as fuckin’ twitches—”

He was cut off by the obnoxious sounds of Ellie portraying a clicker. Making the snarling clicking sounds as she contorted her limbs at an uncomfortable angle.

“Ellie don’t.” You warned her.

She rubbed the back of her neck, clearing her throat as she nodded, “okay..”

The 4 of you gathered up your things to head out and just as Joel was lifting his rifle from the ground, slinging the strap over his shoulder, Ellie asked if she too could have a gun.

“Can I have a gun?”

“Absolutely fuckin’ not. Not a chance in hell.” Was Joel’s immediate response.

“Okay, Jesus fuck. Fine. I’ll just throw a fuckin’ sandwich at them or something.” She muttered under her breath as she threw her backpack strap over her shoulder.

As the 4 of you stepped out into the warm sunlight, you watched as Ellie looked around the ruined city in amazement. Buildings half fallen over, taken hostage by thick vines and moss. There were giant craters, the size of small moons, where the government had sent bombs to slow down the rate of the infected.

Joel had come to a halt in front of the impassable wreckage blocking a quick path to the State House. “Long way or short way?”

“It’s the long way or the ‘we’re fuckin’ dead way.’” Tess added.

“Long way it is then. We’ll have to go check from the hotel first. See if the coast is clear. C’mon.” You were leading the way now, while Ellie walked alongside you, Tess in the middle, and Joel in the back.

You and Ellie engaged in small talk. You genuinely wanted the kid to feel somewhat comfortable with this entire situation and Ellie seemingly appreciated your efforts. She told you how she had gotten bit and you had to admit, this kid was pretty ballsy for her age. “Well, I mean, you got some balls on you, sister, that’s for fucking sure.”

“Thanks.” She had a grin creeping up on her face.

“Soo..no one is gonna come looking for you right? Mom, dad?..boyfriend?..”

“Uhhh well, I’m an orphan and nope.”

You could feel Joel’s eyes on the back of your skull as he walked behind you, shaking his head at your efforts to befriend this cargo.

“See, everyone told me the big open city was gonna be crazy! Infected runnin’ around everywhere. Are we even gonna see any? Cause I’ve heard there’s like super-infected that explode fungus spores on you! Is that not true?”

“Shit, I hope not. Those sound fuckin’ terrifying.” You said with a small grin.

“Okay, what about the ones that have their heads split open and can see in the dark like bats?”

“You mean clickers? Yeah, there’s lots of those. They’re the most common type that we’ve come across. Not the hardest to kill, but they use echolocation—” you were cut off by the sound of a loud, distant animalistic yell coming from deep within the fallen city.

On instinct, Joel was close to your side, looking around as you waited for another yell to follow. The only sound you could hear was a crow perched on a tree nearby.

“Let’s keep movin’” Joel spoke as he gave you a gentle nudge forward.

As you approached the hotel, Ellie had her own set of questions for you as she kicked at the stray rubble beneath her red, worn sneakers.

“So is he like..your boyfriend or somethin’?”

“My boyfriend? Well, no. Not exactly. I wouldn’t call him that if I’m being honest.”

“But you’re like together, right? I think that part is pretty obvious.”

“Yeah, we are. Just don’t think he’d particularly enjoy me calling him my boyfriend. It’s not really his taste.”

“Well, no offense to you, he doesn’t seem like the boyfriend type anyway.”

This elicited a light laugh to slip past your lips as you covered it by coughing into the sleeve of your jacket. “Oh, you’re right on the money with that one, kid. He is far from the boyfriend type.”

“But he’s like your partner then?..Your person?”

“Yeah, something along those lines. I wouldn’t go as far to put us into a box, y’know?”

“I understand..what about Tess? Does she have anyone?”

“Back in the QZ she does. She has a girlfriend named Beatrix.”

“Wicked.”

“You two done chit chattin’ up there?” Joel spoke, distaste evident in his tone.

“Yeah, we’re just makin’ the time pass is all.”

“Oh yeah? Well ain’t that fuckin’ nice for you two.” He scoffed as he walked ahead of you, stopping at the foot of the stairs looking into the overflowing of water into the once hotel lobby.

“Is he always this grumpy?” Ellie leaned over and whispered to you.

“Oh, this isn’t even the worst that you’ve seen of it, kid. Trust me.”

The 4 of you started to trudge through the green, murky water to get to the other side of the lobby. Ellie being the kid that she was, wandered off to the side when she saw what used to be the front desk and pressed on the bell a few times as she leaned over the counter. “Ding! Ding! Yes, sir. I would like your finest suite, please.” “Yes, ma’am. Would you like me to take your luggage?”

“You’re a weird kid.” Joel watched her with a quizzical expression etched on his weathered features.

“You’re a weird kid.” Ellie sarcastically responded back, nearly sticking her tongue out at him as she pushed the luggage trolley forward.

A very deceased human Skeleton slipped out from behind the trolley and scared the living daylights out of the teen. Much to yours, and Ellie’s surprise, Joel was at her side immediately, gun raised in the direction of the apparent threat.

She’s just cargo, my ass. Was the first thought that came to your mind.

Joel had offered Ellie his hand as he helped her up but as soon as their hands touched, he was ripping his away from her grasp, staring down at it momentarily with a hard expression on his face. Perhaps it was from the fact that his hand was still freshly broken. Or there was a possibility he was shocked that he even allowed himself to touch someone who was ‘infected.’

After climbing 10 flights of stairs, you were met with another obstacle that was definitely not present the last time you had come through this way. “What the fuck man. This definitely wasn’t here last time, was it?” You asked, bent over slightly as you were catching your breath.

“No, it sure as hell wasn’t. Maybe we can try one of the doors?” Tess walked past you, trying the two doors with no luck.

“Damn. Well, maybe we can go climb through it and work our way around?”

“It’s worth a shot.”

Joel had pushed Ellie to the side then, before giving you a boost up over the rubble before you helped Tess over the side, grasping her forearms as you pulled her up.

“Just be careful, alright?” He spoke as he slowly sat down on an abandoned suitcase across from Ellie.

“Yeah yeah. We’ll be fine, cowboy. Just keep an eye on the kid.” You peeked your head out from a gap in the rubble and gave him a reassuring nod, and a subtle wink.

Ellie sat across from him, flipping her switchblade and catching it by the handle each time.

“That’s a nice knife you got there. Where’d you learn to do that?” Joel asked.

“The circus.” Ellie deadpanned.

Joel let out a deep sigh, looking off to the side as he tried to figure out why he even bothered to make small talk with a teenager.

“Where are you from?” Ellie asked.

“Texas.” He gruffly responded.

“What about Tess and Gwen?”

“Detroit. It’s in Michigan and Gwen is from Chicago.”

“I go to school, smart ass. I know where Detroit is. Chicago has that giant fucking bean, right? Always wanted to see it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it. She’s obsessed with it. No fuckin’ clue why.”

“Uh huh. So you two like a—” Ellie already knew the answer, thanks to you. She was just slightly curious to see what Joel would respond with.

“Pass.”

“Oh well cause she told me you guys were—”

“Pass.”

“How’d you end up in Boston?”

“Pass.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Talk to a fuckin’ brick wall? Fuck. She was right, you are grumpy all the time.”

“She what? God dammit Gwen.” He growled lowly under his breath. “No more questions about me, alright? That’s enough.”

“Alright, grumpy. How long do infected live?”

Joel whipped his head back around towards her, narrowing his eyes before he chuckled, “Oh, I thought you went to school.”

“Yeah, well..it’s a really shitty one.”

“Some of ‘em last about a month or two. There’s others that have been walkin’ around ‘bout 20 years.”

“Yeah? You ever kill one?”

Joel nearly scoffed at this question, almost offended that this kid even assumed that he hadn’t killed any.

“Yeah, I have killed lots of ‘em.”

“Was it hard killing them?..like, knowing they were people once? Has it ever bothered you?..”

Joel was slightly taken aback by her question. He often did forget that the infected used to be everyday people he would see on the street. Sometimes he would be forced to face humanity, and realize that he was in a sense, killing people. He wasn’t a total monster like many would have assumed him to be. He just wasn’t the most open with sharing personal details about himself.

“Sometimes. It’s easy to forget that they were once people when they’re comin’ at you with one goal in mind; to turn you into one of ‘em. So you gotta decide if it’s gonna be you, or them. You think I survived this long without havin’ to kill?” He sighed as he leaned back against the wall. “I ain’t exactly proud of it, but it’s what you gotta do to survive. It's always either gonna be you, or them.”

“What about that guy last night?”

Just as Joel was going to respond, he could hear rustling just outside the door and he was up in a flash with his gun aimed at the door.

“You can put the gun down, cowboy. It’s just us. Relax.” You spoke through the door as you pushed it open, revealing you and Tess on the other side. From the looks on your faces alone, Joel could tell that something was definitely wrong.

“What now? Did you guys see something?”

“Yeah, and you’re not gonna like it. Not one bit I’m afraid.” You confirmed.

“Fuckin’ fantastic.” He grumbled as he gently nudged past you and Tess followed by Ellie.

Shortly after, the 4 of you were standing over the ledge of the hotel, looking down at a shrieking hoard of infected, writhing on the ground below. You were standing alongside Joel, noticing that he was nervously fidgeting with his fingers and picking at the skin around his cuticles. You gently grabbed his hand, interlocking your fingers together as you gave his hand a light, reassuring squeeze.

“The last time we were here, there weren’t nearly this many of them. Most of them were still deep inside the buildings. Guess enough people came wanderin’ through looking for the QZ. They found themselves seeking shelter..went inside the buildings and that’s how they get more of the fuckin’ city bit by bit, year after year.” Tess stated, glancing over at you and Joel momentarily before looking at Ellie.

“What’re we gonna do?” You spoke quietly to him, gently stroking your thumb across the outside of his hand, leaning in close to his tall frame.

“We’re gonna have to go through the museum. We ain’t have another choice darlin.’”

“That was nearly a suicide mission the last time we went through..remember?”

“Yeah, but there’s a chance whatever is left of ‘em is dead by now. If it gets dicey, we split and figure out another way, alright? Right now, this is our only option and I ain’t lookin’ forward to it either.” he pressed a quick kiss to your forehead, just a smidge of affection that it seemed like you both needed.

“They’re connected in more ways than you know. The fungus also grows underground. Long fibers, like wires. They’re all entwined under the surface and if you step on a patch of cordyceps in one place, you can awake a dozen infected somewhere else. They know where you are and it’s only a matter of minutes before they find you. You’re not immune from being ripped apart, kid.” Tess explained.

Ellie was fully listening, soaking up all the information that Tess was providing her. The situation at hand was becoming all too real for her 14 year old self.

“We have to go through the museum. It’s the short-way and not the most ideal, nor the safest, but we ain’t have much of a choice.” Joel spoke up, letting go of your hand as he stepped forward.

“I had a really bad feelin’ you were gonna come to that conclusion Texas.” Tess spoke with a sigh.

Ellie’s eyes nearly bugged out of her skull when she saw the amount of fungus tendrils stretched across the expanse of the outside structure of the museum. The colors were faded, not nearly as vibrant as freshly infected. Despite their obvious expiration, the building still looked ominous and uninviting.

“You’re fuckin’ kidding me. We seriously have to go through there? You sure there’s not another way man? This is screaming ‘DANGER’ like c’mon, aren’t the lights flashing in your brain right now too? Cause mine are like fuckin’ sirens.”

Joel ignored the teen as he bent down, inspecting one of the thick strands of fungus. He used the butt of his gun to stab at it to check and see if it was in fact dead. “It’s bone dry. Good chance that they’re all finally fuckin’ dead in there.” He was already pulling his flashlight out from his bag while you and Tess were pulling out your guns.

“I have a spare hand y’know.” Ellie stated the obvious.

“Congratulations.” Joel responded.

He was the first to enter the museum, rifle at the ready. When he deemed it was safe enough to enter, he turned his head towards the opening of the door and gave you a quick nod to follow.

Once the 4 of you were inside the museum, Ellie’s pupils had blown out when she saw just how much fungus coated the walls, floors, and pretty much any inanimate object. It was everywhere.

Joel was still extremely cautious where he stepped, shining his flashlight along the fungus infested floor. It appeared that the once living infected, were all deceased by now. That was until Ellie stumbled upon a fresh kill and let out a surprised, “oh shit!”

Joel was immediately stepping around her, gun raised and his face immediately fell as he looked over at you and Tess. So, maybe they weren’t all dead after all. Or maybe this guy was attacked outside the museum and just found himself to be in an unlucky situation.

The three of you began to talk in a hushed whisper over the situation. Ellie could barely decipher what was being said from how low your voices were but she caught onto the bit of the conversation regarding ‘not hearing them’ what the hell were they going on about? What were they listening for? As far as she was concerned, the museum was deathly silent.

“I don’t hear anything. Who, or what would you hear?” Ellie had suddenly asked. Joel’s response was to raise his hand off his gun, giving her a warning look to shut the fuck up with his eyes alone.

“Did an infected person do that? Cause I was attacked by one and it sure as hell didn’t do that. Dude is all torn up. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She whispered.

“Okay, from this point forward, we are silent. Not quiet. Silent.” He emphasized heavy on the silent part as he looked sternly at Ellie. He held no concern over you and Tess being silent but this kid was already becoming a nuisance in his eyes. “You got that? Not one single fuckin’ sound. This isn’t funny business, kid. This is the real fuckin’ world.” He harshly whispered.

“What—”

“No. No questions. Just do what I say, alright? You wanna live to see another day, don’t you? Exactly. That’s what I thought.” He whispered as he lowered his gun and took a few silent steps to the side, locking eyes with you for a moment. Your Joel never usually showed fear. He was able to encase it well behind his hardened features. A furrow of his brow, the quirk of his upper lip, all used as decoys. Even in the low lighting, you could see his face etched with fear. Just as fast as it appeared, it was gone again, hidden behind the vast ridges of his weathered skin.

Joel had taken the lead while you silently stepped behind him, keeping your finger hovering over the trigger of your gun, ready to react if need be. You glanced back at Ellie and gave her a reassuring nod to follow you while Tess walked behind her. Despite how quiet you all were being, the old floor boards were creaking with every step your boots took.

The stairway was absolutely covered with now bone dry fungus. You couldn’t even see where the next step started from how dense the fungus was. It creeped up the walls, over paintings and the railings of the staircase. You watched Joel’s footing as he carefully stepped over a mound of once living infected. You couldn’t even make out their faces as the fungus had completely morphed them to be unidentifiable.

The sickening crunch of a once human hand beneath Ellie’s shoe had Joel whipping around, shining his flashlight that was attached to the rifle at the teenager. He gave her one long look before he turned away from her and continued to head up the stairs.

A few more steps up and Joel was at the opening of the doorway, slowly pushing it open as you waited for his silent cue. Just as he had given it to you with a slight nod of his head, some of the building's structure began to collapse and crumble as you, Tess, and Ellie stumbled inside before the debris could crush the three of you.

Joel was reaching down grasping the kids arm as he quickly helped her up from the dusty floor while you helped Tess up.

Then there was a loud screech, one that you had heard far too many times. It still sent deep chills down your spine.

click click click click

Ellie was slowly backing towards a wall, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to steady her nervous breaths.

Out from the shadows, illuminated by the steady, bright beam of Joel’s flashlight was a clicker. Its head was completely split open by the cordyceps. The brain cavern was taken over by the fungus. Thick, putrid and brightly colored. Clickers could not see, as they were blinded by the fungus, but they could hear, and they could hear very well.

Its body contorted at an uncomfortable angle as it clicked and snarled.

Another screech was heard;two clickers.

Joel was already quickly nudging you against the glass case. His face constricted painfully in your view. This was not an ideal situation to be in. Not one fucking bit.

Ellie was in his direct eyesight and he quickly mouthed to her, “they can’t see, but they can hear.”

The clicker let out a loud, bone chilling growl from the other side of the glass case. You found yourself squeezing your eyes shut momentarily, holding your gun firmly against your chest.

Don’t make a sound. Don’t move. Don’t make a sound. Don’t move.

Joel had slowly brought his pointer finger to his lips, keeping his eyes locked on Ellie to keep her calm.

You could feel the teenager's anxiety, and fear rising with every second and you silently pleaded with her to stay strong.

Joel had turned his head slightly as the clicker stumbled around the side of the glass display case. It was so close you could nearly feel its putrid breath on your skin.

Ellie had let a sharp breath slip past her lips and it was loud enough for the clicker to hear her.

It all happened in a flash as the clicker turned around and screeched loudly before it lunged. Joel had gotten a few shots into its body from where he stood, but it wasn’t nearly enough to inflict any serious damage. “RUN!” he yelled as the other clicker appeared from the shadows. You shot at it once before grabbing Ellie’s arm firmly in your grasp.

Tess had taken a couple more shots before she followed behind you. The three of you ran around the corner, hearts racing and blood fiercely pumping. The clicker was hot on your tail and gaining on you quickly. In one quick movement, you shoved Ellie to the ground, ordering her to crawl to safety.

You and Tess turned to shoot again, but neither of you had time to aim and wasting bullets was the last thing you wanted to do.

You both could hear a loud crash from the other side of the room and Joel’s heavy boots before everything went silent again.

click click click click

Joel had taken cover behind another glass cabinet as he quickly unloaded and reloaded his small pistol. His senses were on overdrive when he heard the low clicks approaching. His eyes squeezed shut momentarily, thinking that his cover was blown.

The clicker had let out a low snarl before it stalked in the other direction and he could barely make out Ellie’s crouched form behind the tarnished glass.

His footsteps were quiet, calculated and precise as he moved from his hiding spot and crouched beside Ellie. He had no other choice but to get her out of this situation. It was almost as if in those crucial moments, his protective nature had completely taken over. He was going to get this kid out of here, unscathed if it was the last thing he ever did.

Him and Ellie silently communicated with their eyes alone. One tilt of his head and she was quietly moving along the side of the glass case, following his lead. Just when he thought they were in the clear, something had crunched beneath his boot. It was stray shards of glass. His blood ran cold at the crunching sound. Neither him, nor Ellie had time to react as the clicker lunged over the glass case and threw itself on them.

You could hear Joel’s grunts and Ellie’s terrified screams from where you stood behind a nearby wall. You were going to have to act fast if you were to save them both.

bang bang bang

Joel had pumped the clicker with lead, causing it to stumble backwards, allowing him and Ellie to scramble to their feet.

You peeked around the corner, taking aim at the clicker's head before you pulled the trigger and sent it stumbling to the ground. Even after its body hit the floor with a sickening thud, Joel pulled his own trigger a few more times till it was no longer moving.

The second clicker came charging out of the blue, but didn’t make it far as Tess had thrown an ax at its neck, and you finished it off with a bullet to the head.

Once the apparent threat was deceased, everyone let out a shaky breath. From where you were standing, you could tell Tess was injured from the way she was avoiding putting too much weight on one foot. “You alright?”

“Just a twisted ankle, I’ll live. Don’t worry.” She responded.

“Fuck me.” Ellie exclaimed as she lifted up the sleeve of her hoodie and revealed a fresh bleeding bite mark along her forearm. “I mean, if it was gonna happen to one of us..”

You were at her side then and gently tugged her sleeve down. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Tess’s final and only request

You sat alongside on the roof, pulling out a roll of duct tape from your bag as she pulled off her boot. You wasted no time to start to wrap her foot with the tape. “Just a sprained ankle you said? Nothin’ else?” You asked, looking up at the older woman momentarily.

“Yeah, just a sprained ankle Gwen. I’ll be fine.” Tess looked at you as if she was studying your features. As if she was storing your image deep inside her brain so that she wouldn’t forget you, or your face.

Joel had given the kid a piece of cloth to wrap her arm before he was crouching down on the other side of Tess. “You can walk, right? Ain’t need any help?”

She looked at him the same way she had just looked at you. She wanted to keep your memories up to the very last second. “I’m fine, Texas. Really. Go on and make sure she doesn’t accidentally kill herself or somethin.’”

He gave her a small nod before he stood back up. “Yeah, I know. It looks scary and all but it really ain’t that bad.”

Ellie turned around briefly to look at him before she responded, “no. That was scary. This is wood.” Before she stepped across the thin planks to the otherside.

You gave Tess’s arm a light squeeze before you followed after the kid, glancing back at them momentarily before you crossed over the narrow planks of wood.

“What if the first bite didn’t take? What if the second one does? We’re in way over our fuckin’ heads with this Tess. We all could have fuckin’ died back there and—” Joel was cut off by Tess snapping back at him.

“How ‘bout you just take the good news? Can you please just do that for once? None of us are dead. We’re gonna finish what we started Joel.”

He looked at her briefly, trying to decipher what had ticked her off so easily before he let out a sigh and grabbed his rifle from where it laid on the discolored roof tiles and slung it back over his shoulder.

I failed them. I failed them both. I failed Bea. Tess silently thought to herself as she pulled her knees up to her chest, taking in a few shaky breaths.

Joel crossed over the planks and stood alongside Ellie.

“Is it everything you hoped for?” He asked.

“Jury’s still out.”

“But, man, you can’t deny that view.” Ellie concluded.

You were reloading your gun off to the side, glancing over your shoulder to see Tess approaching. Her demeanor alone was a sure signal that something was off. You just couldn’t figure out what exactly had happened back there. It was going to drive you up a wall, not knowing. You were sure of it.

“C’mon, let’s get there before it’s dark. We’re wasting daylight. Let’s go.” Tess gritted out between her teeth as she was already climbing down the old steel ladder. Her erratic movements threw you off guard completely.

You stopped alongside Joel, brushing your hand across the outside of his bicep before you followed Tess and Ellie down the ladder.

Joel waited a few moments in silence as he glanced down at his broken watch strapped around his wrist before he grabbed the side of the ladder and climbed down.

They’re gonna hate me.

They’ll see right through me.

What will Bea think?

Will she think me to be dead?

I let her down too.

She’ll never know what has become of me.

I won’t turn into a monster.

I won’t become one of them.

Tess was leading the way to the state house. Her footsteps were uncharacteristically fast. She seemed on edge, nervous, sporadic.

The 4 of you were crouched behind a long abandoned car outside of the state house. There was a large military grade truck parked outside. However, there were no signs of weapons, or the fireflies.

“Where the fuck are they? Marlene said they would be here. She fuckin’ promised us.” Tess whispered.

“Everyone just stay here. Alright? Somethin’ ain’t right here.” Joel whispered back before he crept from behind the car to investigate. Once he approached the truck, the 3 of you took a bated breath as he opened the door, aiming the barrel of his gun at the inside of the truck. He was met with blood stained seats but no fireflies.

The side of the open truck door was spattered with blood dripping down the dull metal.

Something definitely was not right here.

Joel had glanced back at you and Tess, shaking his head slightly to signal that it wasn’t safe just yet as he crept around the back of the truck slowly. He took a deep, visible breath as he opened up the two heavy steel doors and was met with no signs of any passengers inhabiting the vehicle.

“What the fuck is goin’ on Joel?” Tess asked as she walked towards him, brushing off your hand along your arm.

“The fuck did I just say about stayin’ back? It ain’t safe! Why didn’t you wait for my–”

“They went inside.” Ellie confirmed from where she was standing. There was a trail of blood leading up the gravel steps to the state house. This definitely was not a good sign at all.

Tess was already heading up the steps in a fury. From where you stood, you could see her hands trembling. “Come on!”

“Tess just wait a fuckin’ minute! By the looks of it, the fireflies are dead and we ain’t gettin’ our battery!” Joel yelled at her to stop.

“Come on!” She was insistent with her tone.

You, Joel, and Ellie had no choice but to follow Tess into the state house. Once inside, you were all met with the bodies of the deceased fireflies, all in a circle in the room. Their crimson blood spilled out along the tiles, staining them in a dark red.

“I mean, there’s gotta be a fuckin’ radio or somethin’ right? Help me look for one!” Tess spoke in a rushed tone as she frantically started looking through the deceased fireflies supplies, knocking over items onto the tile below, creating all sorts of noise.

“Tess? What the fuck is going on with you?” There was an edge to your tone as you came up alongside the older woman. “Maybe Joel was right..maybe we should go back to the QZ and regroup.”

“Fuck that. We’ve made it this far, and now you want to turn back? No. Help me find a radio, Gwen! There’s gotta be one around here. There has to be!”

Joel had noticed that one of the deceased fireflies had clearly been bit as he used his boot to tilt its head to the side.

“Tess, what the fuck are you doin’?” He asked while he watched her rummage around in a fury.

“Where did Marlene say she was taking you? Ellie! Where did she fuckin’ say she was taking you?” Tess ignored Joel as she walked over to the teen and you instinctively stepped in front of Ellie.

“Uhh..I don’t know. All she told me is that she was taking me west but she didn't say where exactly.”

“Just west? Fuck. Okay. She didn’t tell you anythin’ else?” Tess wasn’t even looking at you. Her eyes were frantically searching the expanse of the room. “Well, I mean, one of them’s gotta have a map on them, right? Joel? Gwen? Can you fuckin’ help me?! Stop just standin’ around!” She snapped as she started searching for anything she could find on the deceased bodies.

“No! Tess..it’s over. We are goin’ home, alright? We are way over our heads, bit off more than we can chew. We’ll go back to the QZ and–”

“That’s not my fucking home!” Tess snapped. “I’m stayin.”

“What the hell do you mean you’re stayin’? What the hell has gotten into you?! You’re actin’ fuckin’ weird! Why won’t you even look at us?!” Joel spoke exasperatedly.

Your blood suddenly ran cold. You figured out why Tess’s behavior was so sporadic and uncharacteristic for her just as Ellie had figured it out too.

“Fuck. She’s infected.” Ellie spoke softly, the realization washing over her.

Joel looked at Tess then and felt his world suddenly begin to cave in, all at once. Just before he could open his mouth to speak, you were stepping in front of him, feeling your heart pounding out of your chest.

“No. Tell me it's not true, Tess. Fucking tell me its not true!” You pleaded with her, as Joel was already protectively pulling you back behind him.

“Show me. Show me your fuckin’ arm Tess.” He demanded and when she took a step towards him, he immediately took one back. He did his best to ignore the pained look that struck across Tess’s features.

Tess let out a sigh as she drew her hand up to the collar of her jacket and pulled the fabric back to reveal the fresh bite mark along the base of her neck, along her collar bone. You could see the veins of the fungus growing up her neck already. There was only a matter of time before she would be completely gone.

“Oops, right?” She said with a pained laugh, tears threatening to spill over.

You pushed Joel out of the way once more, you weren’t afraid of Tess. She wasn’t a monster. She was still human. She was still breathing, pumping blood through her veins. “You can’t fuckin’ die. You can’t! Tess…what about Bea? You–” Your own tears had threatened to spill over as you shakily grasped the collar of Tess’s jacket between your fingers. “This wasn’t supposed to happen to you!”

You could feel Joel grabbing your forearm, trying to yank you back. “Let me the fuck go!” You snapped, ripping your arm from his firm grasp.

Tess was hugging you, nearly knocking the air from your lungs. You could feel her entire body trembling as she held you. “You fuckin’ listen to me okay? I haven’t got much time. You protect him, okay? Please protect him Gwen. He’s going to need you more than ever now. No matter what happens, no matter what he says, please don’t leave him. Keep him safe. Please.” She whispered, squeezing you tightly.

“Tess, I–”

“Promise me Gwen. Promise me you’ll be there for him”

“I promise.” You whispered.

“Tell Bea that I love her, and I'm sorry.”

Tess released you from her grip and frantically pushed you away as she stumbled back.

She addressed Joel directly now, balling her hands into fists, to ease the trembling. “Ellie. Take your bandage off.” She asked with a shaky breath, walking over to the teen as she grabbed her forearm in a firm grip.

“This is real. Joel, she’s fucking real. Look at her arm!” She let go of Ellie’s arm and brought it down to her side. Her forearm was twitching, trembling as the cordyceps were quickly invading her nervous system.

“You get her to Bill and Franks. You load up on ammo, and you take her out West. You find Tommy and the fireflies.”

“No.”

“There is no time to fuckin’ argue with me! You take her to Bill and Franks. I’ve never asked anything of you Joel. Never asked you to feel a certain way about me.”

He went to open his mouth but she immediately cut him off.

“No. You shut the fuck up and listen to me ‘cause I don’t have time. This is your chance to do some fuckin’ good for once. To make up for all the fucked up shit we did. You keep her alive. You keep her safe. You hear me? You set everything right.”

“Tess, No. I can’t fuckin’ do that.”

“Yes you fuckin’ can Joel. Please say yes, Joel, please fucking say yes.” She pleaded with him, a stray tear rolling down her cheek .

“Oh fuck!” Ellie yelled as one of the presumed deceased bodies snarled, clawing at the ground.

Joel wasted no time to pull his gun out, aiming it at the infected and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight to its head as it collapsed down to the mossy floor.

fuck fuck fuck.

The tendrils of the cordycep fungus rose up between the deceased fingers, and it dawned upon you that the infected were more connected than you could possibly understand. The fungus was weaved intricately below the surface, webbed together in a firm structure.

You could hear the approaching snarls from outside the wooden doors.

They were coming.

Tess was already moving around you, using the butt end of Joel’s rifle to open up the large barrels of gasoline, spilling the flammable liquid onto the tile. She was working off pure adrenaline as she knocked over each barrel. She tossed a box filled with grenades onto the floor.

The realization that Joel was losing another person who was so important, so close to his heart, was crashing down on him. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears. His eyes and mind went blank as Tess approached him. “Joel…save who you can save.” She whispered her final plea to him. These were her last words spoken in the walking, living realm.

Joel understood, as he searched her eyes. He seared her memory into the deep cavern of his brain. He would never forget her and he refused to let her down.

In a flash he had grabbed Ellie’s arm in his one hand and yours in the other, immediately yanking both of you away from the immediate danger.

“No! We’re not leaving her! We can’t! Get off me, you fucker!” Ellie yelled as she clawed at him, trying to pull her arm from his grasp.

You stumbled after him, frantically looking over your shoulder at Tess for the very last time. She gave you a small smile, followed by a reassuring nod before her face was obstructed from your view as Joel pulled you and Ellie outside, to safety.

All you hoped for was that Tess went peacefully. That she didn’t die in fear. You hoped that she died with memories of you, Joel, and Bea. Tess deserved that. She deserved to die peacefully, painlessly. You loved her to her very last moments.

Moments after Joel pulled you and Ellie outside, there was a loud explosion of breaking glass, and bright flames. The sound had Joel throwing his body over you and Ellie protectively. You could hear the distant screams of the infected suffering in the hot flames, and billowing smoke. You hoped to god that Tess wasn’t one of those blood curdling screams.

Joel immediately had his gun raised, ready to shoot down any stray infected. There were none. They were all dead. Tess had sacrificed herself for your lives. She gave you a fighting chance and you’d never forget her bravery.

You brought your arm around Ellie’s shaken up frame, giving her a firm squeeze. You kept her close as you turned her body away from the destruction and death.

Joel had already walked away as he could feel tears begin to prick in the corner of his eyes. He quickly blinked them away as he slung his rifle over his shoulder.

The three of you were dead silent as you walked into the nearby woods. Your mind felt numb, and your heart was raw. Tess had so much more life ahead of her to live. She had friends, a lover, and a purpose. She was smart, witty, and brave. She fought for those she loved, till her dying breath.

Joel was crouched down alongside the river, far away from you and Ellie. He was reaching into the clear stream, picking up rocks below the surface and gently stacking them upon one another. He was creating a cairn in her memory. A silent memorial for her short life. He thought of her as he placed each stone on top of one another.

I’m sorry. I should have done more. I should have been quicker. I should have protected you. I let you down. I failed you.

Your approach towards Joel was hesitant. You had no idea how he was going to react to your attempt to comfort him. You knew he didn’t handle loss, of any kind, well. You refused to let him suffer alone. He had his moment where he could mourn in peace. You wouldn’t take that moment from him. He deserved it. You both did. Despite this, your heart pulled you towards him. You had to make sure he was okay. You needed each other more than ever now. Tess’s words echoed in your mind with each step you took. “No matter what happens, no matter what he says, please don’t leave him. Keep him safe. Please.”

Joel could hear your footsteps slowly approach. His back immediately tensed up at the sound of your boots crunching under stray twigs. His heart yearned for your touch, your comfort. His mind was scrambled. It screamed for him to shut you out. This was your fault, after all. You insisted they take the kid from the get-go. In his eyes, and his fragile mind, Tess was dead because of you.

He squeezed his eyes shut when he felt the warm expanse of your palm press between his shoulder blades. His breath trembled as he fought hard to not lean into your touch.

“Don’t fuckin’ touch me.” He hissed lowly, keeping himself facing the stream.

“Joel, Please..Don’t—”

“Don’t what? It’s your fuckin’ fault that Tess is dead.” He harshly whispered, clenching his jaw tightly as he let his toxic thoughts slip through his broken, cracked lips.

His words felt like a thousand knives stabbing you in the heart over, and over again. You took a shaky inhale, remembering Tess’s final request to you.

“You don’t mean that. You don’t mean that Joel. You’re upset..let me–”

He whipped around to face you, his eyes narrowed into slits as he rose to his feet, towering over you. “I fuckin’ mean every goddamn word. You insisted from the get-go that we take this fuckin’ kid. I told you it was a bad idea. See what happens when you try to be the fuckin’ hero, Gwen?”

You took a step back from him, feeling your own tears threatening to spill over. “Stop. Please fucking stop! I am not at fault for Tess’s death! Neither of us could have predicted this to happen Joel!”

“I fuckin’ told you that we should just take her back to the QZ! What do you do instead? You fight against me, tooth and fuckin’ nail! Every goddamn fuckin’ time. Why couldn’t you have just listened to me for once in your goddamn life!” He spat, taking two heavy steps towards you.

“Because Ellie is just a fuckin’ kid! She’s just a kid that is now OUR responsibility! Tess agreed that we shouldn’t take her back to the QZ! She agreed with me, Joel!”

He scoffed, shaking his head as he let out a deep chuckle.

“Do you fuckin’ hear yourself right now?! Fuckin’ take some accountability for your fuckin’ actions! Tess is dead because of you! Bea is never going to see her again, because you wanted to fuckin’ save this kid, this cargo! How does it feel, huh? Are you fuckin’ happy with yourself Gwen? Do you feel fuckin’ good inside right now baby?! TELL ME HOW IT FUCKIN’ FEELS!”

Joel’s booming voice rattled your skull, and pierced your heart. You physically felt yourself cowering away from him, shrinking in on yourself.

Ellie had heard Joel’s yell from where she was sitting against a nearby tree. She was up and running to your aid immediately. You watched as the teen shoved at Joel with her hands, pushing him back with rage filled in her tear brimmed eyes.

“Hey! Leave her alone, you fucker! Leave her alone! It’s not her fucking fault! LEAVE HER ALONE!” Ellie yelled as she shoved his chest as hard as she could.

Joel was grabbing the teens wrists in his calloused palms, immediately shoving her away.

“You fuckin’ stay out of this kid! This ain’t your fuckin’ business!” He felt his pulse drop when he heard the familiar click of your gun perched firmly between your shaking hands. The barrel was shakily aimed at him.

“LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS JOEL. YOU WANNA LET YOUR ANGER OUT ON ME? FINE. LEAVE ELLIE OUT OF THIS!” You yelled, tears streaming down your cheeks.

“You gonna fuckin’ shoot me?”

“If you lay your hands on her again, I won’t hesitate.”

“You’re breakin’ my fuckin’ heart baby.”He seethed between his gritted teeth.

“Gwen..” Ellie pleaded with you.

“It’s okay, kid. I will handle this, okay? Please just...just go sit down. Please.” You whispered, giving the teen a reassuring nod that everything would be okay. Joel would never hurt you. He would never dare.

Ellie looked between you, and the brooding man before she reluctantly nodded, walking away.

Your gun was still aimed at your lover as your tears continued to fall. “How fucking dare you speak to me like this Joel. What the fuck is wrong with you?!? How dare you speak to Ellie like that! She has done NOTHING to you, Joel!”

He took a few menacing steps towards you, feeling the barrel of your gun pressed firmly against the cavern of his chest. Your lower lip was trembling, your eyes glassy with tears as you looked up at him.

“You gonna pull that fuckin’ trigger baby? You gonna pump me full of lead?”

“You know I can’t Joel. You know I fuckin’ can’t.” You whispered shakily.

“Just like you can’t fuckin’ admit that you’re the reason Tess is dead. Can’t own up to your fuckin’ actions to save your life.”

“Please stop Joel. Please. I’m begging you to please fucking stop. You’re hurting me. You’re fucking hurting me!” You yelled. Your tone was raw, heartbroken, beaten.

“Who are you fuckin’ shedding those tears for, huh?! You shedding those tears for Tess? She hated you! You know she fuckin’ hated you with every fibre in her fuckin’ being! You don’t get to cry for her! She meant NOTHING to you. Don’t stand there and act like she did! You don’t get to weep and feel sorry for YOURSELF!”

The barrel of your gun was pushing so deep into his chest now. Surely there would be a bruise of some sort forming but it was clear he didn’t give a fuck about that. Not even in the slightest. He felt his heart screaming at him to stop but it was too late. The words were spoken and they were etched deep into your own heart. Joel had gone and done the unforgivable.

“Fuck You. You don’t get to stand there and tell me how I'm allowed to feel Joel! She was my fucking FRIEND too! We had our differences, and we overcame them! I fucking loved her and YOU don’t get to take that away from me! YOU DON’T HAVE THE POWER TO TELL ME HOW I CAN AND CAN’T FEEL!”

Joel’s breaths were coming out in heavy puffs, fanning your face as you watched his nostrils flare, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Deep down, he knew this wasn’t an argument to win. He was just devastated that he lost someone so close to him. He never learned how to handle loss well, his old habits, and toxic feelings welcomed him in with soft whispers, and warm touches.

This was not your Joel.

“Gwen…” He whispered.

“No. Fuck you. You don’t get to say all that, speak to me that way, and take it all back. You don’t get to fuckin’ do that Joel.”

“Baby, I’m sorry I didn’t–”

“NO.”

“Gwen. You know I didn’t mean it..I lashed out, but I didn’t mean any of it! I got you, you got me, Always. Remember? I’m so sorry I–”

As soon as he was reaching out for you, you harshly pushed him away, pressing the barrel of the gun further into his chest.

“You’ll never fucking touch me again Joel. Never.” You whispered.

You removed the barrel of the gun from his chest, pointing it upwards towards the sky, before you pulled the trigger.

The deafening sound of the bullet being released and cracking through the cool air had him flinching.

You wanted him to know that you could have pulled the trigger on him. You loved that man too much to hurt him. You could never.

“Stay the fuck away from me. Don’t you dare come near me.” You seethed, tucking your gun back into the holster around your waist before you turned on your heel, and walked away from him.

Joel was left standing near the rivers edge, watching as you walked far, far away from him.

‘Cause do I love you..Oh, I do..and I'm going to ‘til I'm gone…’

Tag list:

@chaotic-mystery @peterhollandkait @yuly @soft-cryptids @dinsdjrn @myrealmofchaos @itskenziebb @lovers-liability @korynnekorynne @ems-alexandra @kirsteng42 @casssiopeia @novemberrain-writes @goodwithcheese @loquaciousferret @sarahhxx03 @777-wonders @bearsbeetsbeskar @beskarandblasters @dinsdjrn @bonglorddaryl @mirasantidotes @luvrking @finnsbubblegum @pedrostories

#joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #pedro pascal characters #the last of us #joel the last of us #dark joel miller #joel miller fic #joel miller x original character #joel miller x oc #the last of us fanfiction #tlou oc #tlou fic #joel miller imagine #the last of us imagine #the last of us hbo #tess servopoulos #ellie williams #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal #joel miller angst #joel miller series #joel miller smut #burning in a hopeless dream fic #gwen and joel #joel miller x female oc #joel miller x f!oc

[bumblesimagines]

Midnight Beach

Part 16

Request: Yes or No

Not the biggest fan of this part

Taglist: @nathan-no @hyubg @ash455  @gills-lounge

~~~

Muffled shouts and calls for them left the two tied-up men, their existence forgotten by the teenagers as they raced out of the room in a flurry of panic and fear. The stairs were no longer an option and it felt as if every room they entered led to a dead end or a jump far too high to not leave them with broken bones. The sound of rapid footsteps, radio chatter, and instructions echoed from levels further down the hotel and the desperation only grew. 

"Here!" Pope called suddenly, running toward the elevator shaft and grunting as he pulled apart the doors. Peering down the shaft, (Y/N) released a shaky sigh at the high drop and stepped back, frantically looking around the hallway in search of another escape route. Clicking her tongue, Cleo shoved JJ and Pope apart and leaped forward, catching one of the ropes dangling in the middle of the shaft and climbing down. Sarah took in a deep breath and jumped next, grabbing onto another rope and following Cleo down into the darkness below. 

"Better than nothing." (Y/N) breathed and went next despite Pope and JJ's protests. Holding onto the rope as tightly as possible, he avoided looking downward during his descent, only letting out a startled yelp when JJ grabbed his rope. His stomach twisted and turned, threatening to empty itself of the last meal he had until his feet safely touched the top of the elevator. 

"Come on, John B!" Sarah called up the shaft, staring up in search of her boyfriend. The brunette took a moment before he finally grabbed a hold of a rope, only for gunshots to ring out. He loosened his grip and plummeted downward, slamming into JJ's body and taking the blonde down with him. (Y/N) shoved the girls and himself out of the way and into the open hallway beside them, cringing at the sound of their bodies colliding with the metal. 

"You guys, okay?" Cleo questioned breathlessly, helping the two groaning and coughing boys up onto their feet. Pope climbed down further and hopped down, flinching when more gunshots rang out and sparks flew around his feet. With JJ and John B back on their feet, they sprinted down the hallway and out the nearest exit, rushing into the foliage and further away from the hotel.

They kept running until they found the closest town, taking alleyways and avoiding the main roads. Cleo led the way around the place, taking them to a horse ranch and toward the back of some horse stables. The cleaning and horse equipment around them provided coverage and resting places that they eagerly made use of. (Y/N) slumped down on a flipped-over crate and sucked in some air, using the back of his hand to wipe at the sweat dripping down his forehead. Sarah sat on the hay bale beside him and rested her arms on her knees, droplets of sweat dripping down her chin and onto her gray pants. 

"What's the plan now?" JJ asked, still panting as he began pacing around the short space. "What's our plan b? We just kicked the hornet's nest so we gotta think of something quick."

"JJ, calm down-"

"Calm down, Pope? We do something to their guys, they're gonna do something to Kie. Why did we bother leaving that island?" JJ shook his head, shaggy strands of blonde swinging around and sticking to his forehead. He paced around some more and perked up, eyes brightening. "Ooh, ooh, wait, wait. I got something. What if I offer myself up as a hostage? Hear me out, hear me out. What if I got inside the walls and did, like, you know, the Trojan horse thing? That's how wars are won!"

"That's not how a Trojan horse works!" Pope groaned and reached out, taking JJ by the forearms and lifting his brows at him. JJ swallowed thickly and frowned, the desperation rolling off him in waves. (Y/N) scratched his forehead and shook his head when JJ turned toward him for a plan. 

"I-I don't know, J... I mean, Vaux Hall will be under heavy watch so we can't sneak in and he's got eyes around this whole damn island. Our best bet is just... hoping Kie has a plan of her own. She's smart. She'll probably end up finding us before we even get close to a proper plan." (Y/N) said gently, a prickle of guilt stabbing into him at the way JJ's shoulders slumped in defeat. 

"(Y/N)'s right, J. Besides, we're tired as shit. We'll be of no use to anyone if we can't even run." Pope added and gave his friend a comforting squeeze. JJ sighed and sat down against the hay beside John B, leaning back against the straws and staring forward into nothing. Sarah shifted and lied down, draping her hair over the edge of the bale and closing her eyes. (Y/N) reached over and toyed with the ends of her hair, running his fingers through the strands and watching her slowly begin to doze off. John B and JJ eventually followed suit, bodies slumping against each other and breathing slowing into a steady rise and fall. 

"I can't think of anythin'," Cleo murmured, gazing out toward the other stables and watching the horses. "Even when Singh was comin' for us, I..." 

"You got us to that hotel and you got us here, Cleo. You've gotten us to safety each time we needed it." Pope reminded her softly, his fingers reaching over to graze against her arm. She glanced down at his gentle touch and the corners of her lips threatened to quirk up into a smile. (Y/N) hummed quietly at the exchange, eyes turning away from the two when he heard a muffled buzzing noise. JJ stirred and his eyes parted, hand clumsily feeling around his pants until his fingers slipped into his pocket and he pulled out Portis's phone. He held it up to his face and squinted, going still for a moment before he shot up. 

"Guys..." He exhaled and scrambled up onto his feet with wide eyes. "Guys! Wake up! I got something! 'Meet me at the pin at 6:14. P4L.'"

"We're supposed to believe that's Kiara?" Sarah questioned tiredly, rubbing her eye with her knuckle and sitting up. John B took the phone from JJ to look over the text, a conflicting look passing over his feature. 

"This could be a trap. It's exactly how he set us up last time." Pope pointed out but Cleo slowly shook her head and pushed herself off the wall, snatching the phone from John B's hands and holding it up. 

"Sometimes you guys can be so stupid. You get beat so bad you flinch even when someone's trying to help. P4L? It's Kiara, man! No way she sent that as bait. They'd have to kill her. We gotta help her. Come on, man, let's go!" She clicked her tongue and tossed the phone back to JJ. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving them in silence. Shrugging lightly, (Y/N) stood up from the crate and followed, ducking under some rope and hearing the others get up to follow one by one.

JJ led the way to the location sent to him by the sender, ensuring he led the group through alleyways and smaller streets until they reached a docking area with a semi-busy street on the other side of the marina. They crouched down by some barrels and searched the area for any sign of Singh. JJ took a deep breath and cocked his gun, tucking it into the waistband of his pants and walking forward toward the yacht. He stayed alert, searching around for an ambush until he turned and there she stood. Kiara Carerra.

"Kie!" Sarah shouted, jumping out from behind the barrels and rushing forward. The others quickly followed, pulling the sun-kissed girl in a tight embrace. Kiara laughed gleefully, tears beginning to pool in her brown eyes as she took in the faces of her friends. Sarah giggled and motioned toward the yacht, getting a shrug in response.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Kiara chuckled and took her hand, turning around and leading them onto the boat. (Y/N) carefully boarded, relief shooting through him when his feet hit the deck. A way home. He smiled widely and turned toward Kiara, swinging his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground. 

"I knew you'd be the one to get us together, Kie."

"Don't I always?" She laughed and got her feet back on the ground, hands rubbing his forearms before clapping her hands together and instructing them on what needed to be done to get the boat ready to cross the open ocean and far away from Barbados. (Y/N) helped JJ untie the boat from the marina and climbed back onboard, heading up to the helm where John B and Sarah stood quietly speaking. 

"Everything okay?" He asked, resting a hand on the stair railing and glancing between the couple. John B's jaw clenched at the sight of him and he turned away, running a frustrated hand through his hair. Sarah stared at her boyfriend and sighed, eyes briefly closing before she looked at (Y/N) and licked her lips.

"John B thinks his dad is calling for him using the church bells." 

"Okay, well, when you say it like that it sounds insane, Sarah. It's the exact pattern Dad would use when he wanted me out of the marsh and back home. Nobody else knows that pattern by heart apart from him and me. I-I know Ward said he killed him but..." John B trailed off and let out a saddened exhale, staring at the church along the mountain in the distance. He'd have to sprint all the way there and back if he wanted to make it to the yacht before nightfall. 

"If..." (Y/N) pursed his lips and tapped his finger against the metal railing. "If you really think it's him or if you know that's the pattern... you should go. It might not be him but it could be someone he knew. Maybe someone with a message or someone trying to help. But you need to realize that if you go, you might not come back and we'll have to either go looking for you or leave. I know if it were my dad... I'd want to see him again."

John B looked over his shoulder at him and the tension in his body slowly dissipated. His eyes softened and (Y/N) swore he even looked the slightest bit guilty. His brows furrowed together and he nodded with determination, turning back to Sarah and giving her one last kiss. "I'll be back. I promise." He breathed and headed toward the stairs, pausing briefly to place a hand on (Y/N)'s arm, gentle and hesitant, before he glided down the stairs and hopped out of the boat. Despite Pope's protests and Sarah's exasperated look, he took off down the street. (Y/N) watched him disappear around the corner and sighed. A child's love. He wondered if his father ever craved it.

"You shouldn't be upset with him, Sarah. We all thought Ward was dead and he wasn't." (Y/N) reminded her softly, approaching the steering wheel and checking the amount of fuel they had left. The wind pushed Sarah's hair around and she ran her fingers through it, toying with the ends of it and moving closer to him. She pressed her cheek against his shoulder, gaze falling to the white floor. 

"He would've gone regardless of what I thought." She muttered and tilted her head, lips pressing against the fabric of his shirt and eyes lifting to look at him through her lashes. Her fingers left the ends of her hair to graze along his arm until she reached his hand and intertwined their fingers, the action coming to her as easy as breathing. Her hand felt soft and familiar and...

"I don't know about this, Sarah." (Y/N) said, anxiously drumming his fingers along the steering wheel as he stared at the country club. It was one thing to casually see the daughter of the richest man on the island, it was a whole other thing to meet the richest man on the island as his daughter's boyfriend. Denny hadn't even gotten close to meeting him officially. Sarah chuckled beside him, the sun visor flipped down so she could reapply a new layer of pink lipstick to her lips.

"Relax, (Y/N). It's just my dad." She pressed her lips together and tossed the lipstick back into her purse. Her purse was white and specifically picked to match the white and blue of her pretty sundress, just as the clothes she'd picked out for him matched with her. A blue dress shirt and white dress pants. The perfect attire for a fancy restaurant dinner with the fanciest people in the Outer Banks. His perfect nightmare. 

"Right." He exhaled through his nose and switched the engine off, tucking the key away into his pocket and opening the door. Sarah pursed her lips and flipped the visor up, her eyes trained on the teen as she zipped up her purse and got out of the car. (Y/N) took a deep breath and pushed his hands into his pockets, feeling widely out of place for a club he had been a part of since the day he could walk. 

"Hey, (Y/N)," Sarah called out gently and rounded the car, taking his hands into hers and intertwining their fingers together. She smiled sweetly and ran her thumb along the side of his. The cool summer night air made the tips of her ears and nose flush lightly, mixing in with the blush she'd applied while at his place. She lifted her brows slightly, a soft giggle slipping past her lips. "They're gonna love you, okay? You have nothing to worry about. You trust me?"

"Most of the time."

She rolled her eyes with a vibrant laugh. "Then, you have nothing to worry about. You're my boyfriend and nothing's gonna change that."

... too close for comfort. His hand pulled away from hers and the warmth disappeared, just as the memory got swept away with a reminder of everything that'd happened. Sarah's head rose and her doe-eyes softened, her lips forming a frown heavy with knowledge and regret. But their time together had long ended, and the fact alone made (Y/N) step away from her. Before she could speak, JJ and Pope joined them with equally confused expressions.

"Where's John B going? We don't have time for this, guys." Pope huffed and placed his hands on his hips, one brow arching at the two expectantly. 

"He, uhm... He went looking for something. He'll be back soon." (Y/N) answered, moving around Sarah and brushing past the two boys. He headed down the steps and turned a sharp corner, almost barreling Cleo over in the progress. Cleo quickly grabbed his arms to steady herself and scowled at him, lips parting to scold him but then her mouth clamped shut.

"It's Sarah, ain't it?" She sucked her teeth and frowned. "I knew from the moment John B said you were her ex shit would get weird, man. If you still have-"

"I don't- I don't know what I feel anymore, Cleo. But Sarah and I... that's over." A chapter of his life that refused to close. His eyes found the water, watching the way the ripples brushed against the boat and bounced off it. Cleo's stare lingered on his face and her fingers lightly dug into his arms, the crease between her brows softening further. 

"If you say so." She sighed, running her palm over his forearm before releasing her hold on him. Cleo slipped past him and headed up the stairs to join the others, letting (Y/N) resume his walk to the front of the yacht. He lifted his eyes to look toward the church in the distance, letting his gaze trail to the sun as it began its slow descent. He could feel eyes burning into the back of his head and kept his attention trained forward. He needed to close that chapter and let it fade into a distant memory.

It'd been half an hour since John B had left when trucks and cars approached from down the street on both sides of the marina. Multiple men sat at the back of the trucks, armed and ready to fire at them if needed. Others rode on motorcycles, ATVS, or ran on foot and headed right for them. The arguing voices of the Pogues filled the background as (Y/N) stared at the number of men pouring in. Breaking away from the arguing, Sarah got behind the wheel and pushed on the throttle to get the boat moving. 

"We need to get John B!" JJ shouted, voice a mixture of anger and pleading. "We can't just leave him-"

"Get down!" A scream broke through from Kiara, one hand clasping the back of JJ's shirt and forcing him down. (Y/N) quickly ducked down, flinching at the gunshots that pierced through the air. They stayed down until the gunshots faded into the distance and Barbados grew further and further away from them. (Y/N) lifted his head and slowly rose, the wind gently whipping around them and the air smelling of salt. The rest got their footing and turned toward the distant Barbados in silence. 

"So... this is what we're doing? We're just sailing away? We're just gonna forget about John B?" JJ scoffed, his hair tussling around with the wind. "We should have never left him. We're turning back and we're-"

"If we turn back, they're gonna kill at least one of us or maybe all of us, JJ. We can't help anyone if we get filled with bullets." (Y/N)'s words sat heavy in the air and JJ's mouth shut tightly. "The sooner we get somewhere safe, the sooner we can get help for John B." 

"He's right, J. Singh is powerful but there has to be someplace his influence doesn't reach. We find that place, we get help, we save John B and maybe get this guy locked away for good." Kiara said softly and her gentle voice brought JJ's tearful gaze onto her. He took in a few deep breaths and closed his eyes to even out his breathing. As Kiara went to speak again, the phone in her pocket began ringing and she took it out. Her brows furrowed and she answered.

"Guys?" John B's familiar voice came from the phone and JJ's hand shot out, taking the phone from Kiara. 

"John B? John B, are you okay? Do you need us to come back?" JJ asked, firing question after question. John B answered as best he could but the signal grew weaker and his voice crackled with static that made some of his words sound like gibberish. Sarah leaned close toward the phone with knitted brows.

"W-What? Kildare? Kildare when?" The call fell and even with JJ's numerous attempts at calling back, each try fell through. JJ cursed under his breath and sat down beside Kiara, staring helplessly at the phone. Sarah ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her face with her eyes locked on the distant Barbados.

"What are you thinkin'?" Cleo asked.

"We..." Sarah pressed her lips together and sighed. "We should head back to Kildare. If he said he'd meet us that means he's got a way there."

"That's it, then. We're going back to Kildare." 

                    ✽        ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽

"What islands are around here?" (Y/N) asked, looking around at the endless ocean around them as he closed the cap to his water bottle. He hadn't realized how parched and hungry he'd been until Pope discovered a mini fridge stocked with water and some snacks. He wiped away the droplets of water running down his chin and turned to face Cleo and Pope.

"There's, uh... Saint Kitts, Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, Antigua." Cleo listed off from the top of her head, eyes lifted toward the darkening blue sky in thought. "If we keep headin' northwest we might even come across Puerto Rico. Right now, though, the closest islands gotta be Saint Martin and Saint Kitts."

"That's good. We can dock at the first one we come across to fuel and stock up. If we keep going at this rate, we'll get to OBX in three or four days tops." Pope told them, the previous tension from their rough stay in Barbados having long faded. He sported an optimistic smile now that he'd gotten proper food in his stomach and a steady way home. 

"We should let JJ and Kie know before they steer us right past an island." Pope chuckled at his words and nodded, waiting for (Y/N) to hop off the metal railing before they headed toward the helm and up the stairs. (Y/N) almost bumped into Pope when he froze and peered around him, eyes widening slightly at the sight of Kiara and JJ standing rather close to each other with their faces mere inches apart.

"Hey," Pope called out and the two whipped around to look at him with equally surprised and horrified expressions. Pope's lips pressed together into a thin, forced smile. "Just wanted to let you guys know that we should probably stop for gas."

"Pope, I... Yeah, will do but-" JJ's words came out stuttered and mingled together, the guilt and nervousness in his voice only making Pope nod to himself and turn right back around. (Y/N) swallowed and followed him down the stairs, noticing the tension and rigidness return to Pope's shoulders and stance. 

"Pope, what happened between you and Kie?" He asked softly, reaching out to place a hand over his shoulder and stop him in his tracks. (Y/N) moved around him to face him and lightly squeezed his shoulder, encouraging him to speak. 

"She kissed me the day John B and Sarah went missing back in Kildare. We- We were together, I guess? And then, she dumps me the day after we hook up like it was nothing." Pope explained, hot tears brimming in his eyes that threatened to spill out over his cheeks. (Y/N) could see the familiar, devastated yet numbing look in his eyes and leaning in, wrapping his arms around Pope's shoulders. Pope remained still, for a brief second, before slinging his arms around his waist and burying his face in the brook of (Y/N)'s neck. 

"Whatever you're feeling right now will pass, Pope." (Y/N) murmured and leaned back, offering him a reassuring smile. Pope sighed shakily and rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles.

"Did it pass for you?" He asked, dropping his hands to his sides. (Y/N) bit the inside of his cheek and inhaled deeply. He wanted to believe the feelings had passed and to finally turn toward new chapters. But with the chaos that'd followed him ever since tagging along with the Pogues, he hadn't stopped to truly think about it. Sarah still made his heart ache, but whether from heartbreak or anger or love, he wasn't sure anymore. He stiffly nodded and Pope sighed quietly.

"Yeah, of course. It feels like hell now but give it time and you'll be wondering why you ever even thought about crying over it. It'll be something else you cringe about when you're trying to fall asleep." (Y/N) bumped his fist into Pope's shoulder and he cracked the smallest of smiles, chuckling softly. 

"Think that's Saint Kitts up ahead, guys!" They heard Cleo shout from the front of the boat and headed over, spotting the town in the distance as the girls settled down to gaze at the island. Lights began to flicker on as night officially set over them, illuminating the town and letting them get a proper look at the island. The lights atop the mast of the yacht turned on and Pope left his side, heading back toward the helm to guide the yacht to the nearest dock. (Y/N) watched him go and leaned against the railing, spotting JJ approach Pope and speak to him. 

"Did something happen?" Sarah's familiar voice asked and his head dropped down to look at her. She leaned against the railing with him and glanced up curiously at JJ and Pope, her head tilting to the side ever so slightly. The light from the mast shone down on her, making the freckles scattered across her cheeks more apparent and lightening up the brown in her eyes. (Y/N) tore his gaze away from her face and listened to Cleo call up to Pope once the yacht docked. 

"I think they're still upset about leaving John B." (Y/N) answered with a small shrug, focusing on the others as they got the yacht secured to the dock. Pope and Cleo went over the list of things to get before they climbed off the boat and headed deeper into the town. Sarah hummed quietly and lifted a hand to toy with the ends of her hair, teeth digging lightly into her bottom lip. Her fingers left her hand and instead touched his forearm. 

"(Y/N)-"

"I'm gonna call it a night, Sarah." (Y/N) pushed himself off the railing and out of her reach. "I'll see you in the morning."

#x reader #x you #x y/n #x male reader #outerbanks #outer banks #outer banks x reader #outer banks x you #outer banks x y/n #outer banks x male reader #obx #obx x reader #obx x you #obx x y/n #outerbanks x reader #sarah cameron #sarah cameron x reader #sarah cameron x you #sarah cameron x male reader #sarah Cameron x y/n #kiara carrera #jj maybank #pope heyward #john b routledge #obx Cleo

[nahoney22]

Hi! Congrats on your follower celebration! And thanks for writing requests.

Could I request Wrecker x female with fluff/romance for the prompt “you know, you’re really hot when you’re angry.”?

Thanks for being awesome!

3000 Follower Prompt List Celebration

Wrecker X F!Reader

word count: 600 words

SFW

prompt:

“You know you’re really hot when you’re angry.”

warnings: annoyed reader, mainly fluff, non established relationship, idiots in love, mutual pining. Female reader.

authors note: thank you for the support @merkitty49 and very sorry for the wait 🩵

The boys observed you pacing aboard the Marauder, your frustration evident as you vented about the day's mishaps, which seemed to be pretty valid.

Not only had the meticulously planned mission gone awry from the very start, but returning to the Marauder revealed that it had been… infiltrated.

Evidently and most unfortunately, someone had left the gangplank down, allowing either the planet's inhabitants or its creatures to wreak literal havoc on board.

Echo murmured to Wrecker as they watched you kick at the debris from broken crates, followed by a drawn-out sigh of annoyance, "When do you think she'll calm down?"

Wrecker, watching you with a mix of fascination and concern, replied, "I ain't sure."

Typically, you were the epitome of calm and collected, but today, there was an unfamiliar side to you, one that had Wrecker oddly intrigued. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic about your frustration, but he also found your slightly vexed demeanor rather attractive.

So taking matters into his own hands, he approached you and gently rested his large hand on your shoulder, trying to halt your pacing. "Wanna sit down for a bit?"

"No, Wrecker," you sighed, "I want to clean it all up. I want this place to look spotless, just like I left it. In fact, I want all of you to clean up after yourselves, stick to the plan, and not go rogue! I want a hot shower! I want Mantell mix!" Your list of desires seemed to go on endlessly, reaching a point where it became almost comical. The more you listed, the more absurd your requests became, until you found yourself laughing at the chaos.

With your hands linked behind your neck, you took a deep breath and turned back to Wrecker with a sheepish expression. "Am I being overdramatic?"

A warm smile graced Wrecker's face as he gazed down at you, your outburst none short of endearing. His heart races in the intensity of the moment as your eyes locked onto each other. "You know, you're really hot when you're angry," he admitted, surprising both of you and causing a flutter in your stomach.

The unexpected compliment left you momentarily speechless, but it quickly chased away the frustration and distress of the day's events. You couldn't help but break into a grin, realising that Wrecker, the person you had secretly harbored feelings for a long time, had just called you hot.

"Really?" you replied, your eyes brightening with delight at his words.

Wrecker coughed awkwardly, his cheeks flushing with a mixture of fluster and embarrassment. However, your positive reaction put him at ease, and he let out a chuckle, folding his arms across his broad chest. He was relieved that his brothers hadn't overheard his admission to you. "Sure," he continued, "but no, I don't think you're being dramatic."

"That's good to know," you replied with a sense of relief, letting your arms relax by your sides as you surveyed the mess once more. "I'll clean this up tomorrow. I can't be bothered right now."

Wrecker stepped forward, his willingness to help clear on his face. "We will help ya. We shouldn’t shy away from our cleaning duties." He was eager to do whatever it took to make you happy. But then again, he couldn't help the thoughts of making a mess to see you riled up again.

Grateful for his offer, the two of you decided to take a small walk together, and as the evening unfolded, perhaps, just maybe, a gentle kiss was shared. Maybe having the ship infiltrated wasn't such a bad thing after all sometimes.

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