final-girl96

[final-girl96]

Speak | Chapter 26

Word Count: 3.6K

Summary: Bella Swan was a disaster when Edward had left. Deciding she needed a little help, Charlie Swan receives with open arms his younger daughter (Y/N) Swan. She helps Bella during her depression and becomes inseparable from her long-lost friend Jacob. What she didn’t expect was falling for a hotheaded short-tempered silver wolf.

A/N: don't hate me 🫣🫣 Also, please remember the TAGLIST is CLOSED  for this story. Tumblr won't allow me to publish the post with any more tags. The best way to know when it's posted is to have my notifs on.

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“Thanks for the ride,” (Y/N) smiled as Paul killed the engine of his truck. “I’m sorry for everything that happened today.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, (Y/N),” he said. “Nothing that happened today is your fault.”

(Y/N) sighed as she heard the words once more, but they didn’t stop the nagging feeling in her chest. Her parents had taught her from a very young age that all actions had consequences—good and bad. Since moving to Forks, she had found herself taking some of the worst ones in her short life. Dating Jacob was at the top of her list, but putting him over everyone, including herself, was her number one regret.

She knew she had been blinded by the fantasy of a childhood crush turning into a storybook romance. She also knew a part of her was still blinded by the love and care she’d held for Jake for most of her life. As horrible the things he had done had been, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Feel sorry for whatever had broken inside him and had festered into such an evil persona. It was that sympathy that kept her from allowing the reckoning he was owed, even if she knew it would one day catch up to him.

“I’m at least sorry I got in the way,” she said, her eyes firmly trained on her hands. “I know I should have just let you deal with Jacob, but…”

“You care what happens to him,” Paul finished. “You don’t have to be sorry for caring, (Y/N). It’s part of who you are, and it’s what makes you a good person.”

“Well, being a good person keeps getting people hurt, so I don’t know how good I can actually be.”

“Hey, don’t do that.” His hand slipped to her chin, forcing her gaze to fall on his. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, wiping away the stray tear that had fallen down her face. “The only thing you’re guilty of is caring too much, and that will never be a bad thing. What happens to other people because of their actions and their choices has got nothing to do with you. Jacob should be grateful that he had someone that cared for him like you did.”

“Yeah, I cared about him, and you got hurt,” she sniffled as she ran her fingers softly over the bandages on his arm. “You keep getting hurt because of me, and somehow, you’re always the one making me feel better. It’s not fair to you.”

“Technically, only my pride has been hurt,” he chuckled. “And you’re the one that has been getting the brunt of this whole thing. I mean, I don’t think that even your sister went through so many things in so little time.”

“I guess her luck just rubbed off on me,” (Y/N) joked. “I just hope nothing else happens for a while. I’d like to get at least a week off.”

“Let’s start with getting you some rest today,” Paul smiled. “At least that we can do.”

“Yeah,” she smiled. “That sounds like a good plan.”

Paul was the first one out of the car, rounding it to open the passenger door for her. He was careful with his every move, afraid that one wrong touch could hurt her more than she already was. The placement of his hands was calculated. One was outstretched to help her jump out of the tall truck, and the other landed on the small of her back as they walked to her front door, a bag of her clothes hanging on his shoulder.

The boy’s heart was hammering against his chest as they reached the entrance. It was the first time they had been there with most things resolved. There weren’t any more secrets lingering in the background, holding their thoughts hostage. There were possibilities now between them. So. Much. Possibility.

“There’s a bloodsucker here,” Paul announced as the door swung open. “Wait here.”

“No,” (Y/N) exhaled before pushing past Paul into the house. “BELLA! Bells, are you here?”

“Stop, (Y/N).” He tried to hold her back, but the younger Swan slipped out of his grip and walked further inside. “We don’t know if the leech is still here.”

“I just need to know that my sister is okay,” she whimpered. “If it’s the vampire from last night…”

“What’s going on?” Bella asked as she peered out of the kitchen. “Why are you yelling?” 

“Oh my god!” (Y/N) ran toward her sister and wrapped her arms tightly around her. “Paul said he smelled a vampire, and I thought it could have been Victoria, and I was so worried.” 

“Forget about me, (Y/N). What the hell happened to you?” Bella screeched. She pulled the sleeves of the sweater she was wearing up, taking her time to make note of every bandage that covered her sister’s before running her fingers over the scratches on her face. “What happened last night? Charlie told me you stayed over at the Uley’s.”

“A lot happened, Bells,” (Y/N) sighed. She followed her sister to the dining table, smiling as Bella placed a glass of water for her and Paul. “I, uh, broke things off with Jake, which went horribly. Then I had the brilliant idea to run into the woods by myself, where I encountered your friend Victoria.”

“Oh no, (Y/N).”

“Yeah,” she chuckled awkwardly. “She thought that by killing me, she could hurt you before inevitably killing you. She said it was only fair to hurt everyone around you before killing you since the Cullens killed her mate.”

“I can’t believe this, (Y/N),” Bella sniffled. “I could have lost you last night.”

“Paul got to me just in time, though,” the girl smiled softly, placing a comforting hand on Paul’s. “Jared and Sam ran her off after, back into the water like yesterday morning. Emily took care of my wounds, and I slept over there. But, uh, there’s something else.”

“What is it, (Y/N)? What happened?”

“Last night…” Before (Y/N) could say anything else, footsteps on the stairs caught everyone’s attention. “Is there someone here, Bells?”

“Oh, uh, yes. It’s…”

“Bella?” a broken voice called out, making the older Swan spring from her seat.

Paul and (Y/N) followed the girl toward the voice, coming face-to-face with another girl that anyone would describe as pixie-like. Her golden eyes were hazed over, and her mind seemed a million miles away. But one thing was certain: She was a vampire, and she was in (Y/N)’s home.

The wolf instinctively placed himself in front of his imprint, shielding her from the girl who was his natural-born enemy. It took everything inside him not to phase at that moment, ripping the girl to shreds just for being a vampire. But the thought of (Y/N) getting hurt kept him grounded, anchored to his humanity, and focused solely on her safety.

“What’s wrong, Alice?” Bella worried as she ran toward the trembling Cullen. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Edward,” the vampire whispered.

“Who is this, Bella?” (Y/N) questioned from behind Paul. “Why is she here?’

“Oh, uh, this is Alice,” Bella stammered. She’s Edward’s sister. She’s here because she thought I had, um, offed myself on the cliffs yesterday—she can see the future. But for some reason, she didn’t see you saving me, so she came here, where she found me alive and well.”

“Does that mean the whole family is coming back?” Paul asked through gritted teeth. “The pack needs to know if they are.”

“No. She’s just visiting,” Bella responded before turning back to Alice. “What happened to Edward? What did he do?” 

“I don’t… What is he thinking?!”

Bella followed the girl as she frantically searched inside her bag, pulling out a silver phone and dialing numbers faster than the human eye could see. She spoke to a Rosalie on the phone, confirming that Bella was, in fact, alive and that she needed to speak to Carlisle desperately. Alice was frantic and worried, muttering words faster than (Y/N) could understand. The were names she hadn’t heard of and gaps in her story that she didn’t understand.

“Wait, Alice, Carlisle’s back,” Bella interjected. “He called before (Y/N) got here. Jacob was the one that answered.”

“Jacob was here?” (Y/N) mumbled, her words trembling as they came out. “When?”

“Quite a while before you got here,” her sister shrugged. “He told him that Charlie was at the funeral.”

“What exactly did Jacob say, Bella?”

“He said, ‘He’s not here,’ and when Carlisle asked where Charlie was, Jacob said, ‘At the funeral.’” Alice sank to her knees and let out a sound of despair, heartbreaking to anyone who heard. Bella cradled the girl’s face, forcing her to look into her eyes. “What is it, Alice?”

“It wasn’t Carlisle on the phone,” the vampire sighed. “It was Edward, and he thinks you’re dead.”

“Rosalie told him what you saw, didn’t she?”

“In her defense, she did believe it. The family relies on my sight far too much for something that can oftentimes be too unreliable,” Alice said. “But I can’t believe she would go as far as tracking him down to tell him this.”

“When Edward called, he thought it was my funeral Jacob spoke of,” Bella realized. “Well, we can just straighten things out when he calls again. We’ll just tell him that I’m okay.”

Alice seemed at a loss for words when Bella uttered that last sentence. Her eyes flickered like tears wanted to spill out, but nothing happened. Her limbs trembled, and her lip quivered, concern taking over her body.

“I don’t think Edward is gonna call again, Bella,” (Y/N) mumbled. “Isn’t that right, Alice?”

“He believed her,” Alice answered meekly. “He’s going to Italy.”

It took a second for Bella to understand what she meant, and everything came crumbling down on her. “No, he can’t be serious,” she breathed. “He can’t do that. He doesn’t get to do that.”

“His mind is made up.”

“He left! He didn’t want me anymore,” the older Swan exclaimed. “He doesn’t get to do this now. He knew I would die at some point.”

“I don’t think he planned to outlive you by long.”

“So, that’s it? There’s nothing anyone can do? Nothing you can do?”

“Well, there’s one thing that might work, but I don’t think I could ask that of you, Bella,” Alice said, speaking so low that it seemed she only wanted Bella to hear. “If Edward gives into his theatrical tendencies, we might have time to stop his idiotic plan. But I just can’t ask that of you.”

“You mean go to Italy to stop him,” Bella stated. “That’s what you want me to do? Go to Italy and stop the boy that broke my heart from killing himself.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask of you after everything, Bella. And maybe it might be something extreme to ask of you, but it’s the only way I can think of where Edward stays alive. He won’t listen just to me, Bella. You’re the only one he’ll ever stop for.”

“He left me! He doesn’t get to be the one that suffers,” she scoffed. “It’s not that he deserves to die, but he also shouldn’t act like he’s the heartbroken one.”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I thought there was any other way, Bella.”

“What do you think, (Y/N)?” Bella asked, turning to her sister. “What do you think I should do?”

(Y/N) stepped out from behind Paul and took her sister’s outstretched hand. “You still care about him, Bells,” the girl whispered. “I know how much he hurt you, and I’m not saying he deserves a second chance, but if you think he’s worth saving, then maybe you should go.”

“He broke me, (Y/N),” she sobbed. “But I can’t just let him die.”

“Then go, Bella,” (Y/N) said. “Save him, but promise me you’ll give him hell after.”

“What if something happens? What if I miss your birthday? What if it’s not even worth it?”

“Look, Bells. I can’t answer two of those things. But I know that you’d regret not helping,” she answered. “Now, I know Alice here will make sure you’re safe,” the girl stated, boring her gaze into the vampire’s. “Because I’m sure she can guess that if anything happens to you, I will go to the ends of the earth to find her. And I’ll have a wolf by my side.”

“Yes, of course,” Alice stammered quickly, fidgeting in her step as Paul stood taller and straighter. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

“See?” (Y/N) smiled. “And we’ll celebrate my birthday when you’re back home. Safe and sound.”

“Oh god, what about Charlie?”

“You’ll leave a note—for him and me so that he doesn’t know I’m involved,” the girl chuckled. “I’ll tell him I found it and try to keep things cool with him. Can’t promise he won’t ground you, but at least he’ll know you’re okay.”

“What about you and your safety? Victoria is still around.”

“She’ll be safe,” Paul interjected. “Charlie, too. I don’t care about the treaty. No other leech is getting near this house.”

“Yeah, because you’ve done such a good job at that,” Alice muttered under her breath.

“Something you wanna say, bloodsucker?”

“Now’s not the time for this war,” (Y/N) said, squeezing Paul’s forearm. “Write that note, Bells. Get your passport, your ID, your phone, and be careful.”

Bella stumbled into the kitchen, searching through the drawers to find a notepad and a pen before running to her room and making a quick bag. She muttered how crazy everything was the whole time she did so, tripping over clothes and shoes at the same time. Meanwhile, Paul stood protectively by (Y/N)’s side, staring down the vampire girl as though she had been the one to attack the girl between them. In his mind, they were all the same, and they were all a threat to (Y/N).

The tension that hung in the air was choking, and it took everything in both supernaturals not to give in to their natural instincts. But it was finally cut when Bella came stumbling down the stairs, a bag draped on her shoulder.

“I’ll be in the car,” Alice announced. “We have to hurry.”

“You’ll be okay, right?” Bella asked her sister as the vampire disappeared through the door. “Tell me to stay, and I will.”

“I know you want to go, Bells,” (Y/N) smiled softly, taking her sister’s hands comfortingly. “Just come back to me alive, okay?”

“I promise,” the older girl said. “Take care of Charlie for me, yeah?”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“And you,” Bella said as she stared at Paul, “take care of my sister.”

“She’ll be safe with me.”

The sound of an engine roaring to life cut the moment short, signaling the seconds passing by. “I guess that’s my cue,” Bella said. “I’ll see you when I’m back. I love you, (Y/N).”

“I love you too, Bella,” the girl smiled, taking her sister in a tight hug. "Be safe.”

Paul and (Y/N) stood by the door as they watched Bella speed away with Alice. There was an understanding that there was a chance that the older Swan could have very much been flying to her death, but it wasn’t something either of them spoke of out loud. Maybe if they said it, there was a chance it could become reality. So, they remained in silence until there was no sign that a car had been on that street.

In that same silence, (Y/N) closed the front door behind them and found her way to the couch. She didn’t know when it happened, but her eyes closed for a second, and the next, Paul was setting a plate in front of her and heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” (Y/N) croaked out. “You’re leaving?”

“I thought it would have been best to let you rest,” he said as he scratched the back of his neck. “You must be exhausted from everything that’s happened today.”

“I don’t want you to go,” she admitted. “Not yet, at least. Did you eat, too?”

“Yeah. I, uh, helped myself to a sandwich while you slept.”

“Well, that’s good,” she chuckled. “But that doesn’t mean that you can just go without saying anything.”

“I didn’t…”

“It’s okay, Paul,” the girl laughed. “It’s not like you can go too far. Not with Victoria still around.”

“We’ll get her, you know? I don’t want you to worry about that.”

“I know,” (Y/N) smiled. “But it’s still terrifying to know that she’s out there and she wants to hurt me and my family. Seeing what she can do…”

“That should have never happened to you, (Y/N),” Paul worried as he sat beside her. “Knowing that leech was out there, we should have kept a closer eye on you. I wouldn’t blame you if you thought it was my fault.”

“I don’t blame you, Paul. I don’t blame anyone from the pack, either. Other than Jake, you have done nothing wrong.” She took his hand in hers, giving him a smile that could take anyone’s breath away. “You saved me last night, Paul. Hell, you’ve been trying to save me from the very beginning of this. I won’t say that everything that’s happened isn’t absolutely crazy and honestly otherworldly, but it’s most definitely not your fault.”

“Then why do I feel like it is?”

“Because you’re a good person. Because you care. Because you’re exactly the person you’ve always wanted to be,” she assured. It was the first time in a long time that the tears that brimmed on her eyes did not come from pain or sadness. Through it all, she felt happy. “You’re the type of guy you’ve always said I deserved. The kind that helps a seven-year-old hide from her friends in his neighbor’s shed. The kind that gives a little girl a meaningful bracelet 30 minutes after meeting her and waits every year for her to come back. The kind that would rather win me over than take advantage of a supernatural bond. The kind that jumps into freezing water to help me get to shore. That’s who you are, Paul.”

“It’s not who I used to be, though,” he sighed deeply. He wanted to break her gaze, look away from the eyes that were boring into his soul. But he couldn’t. Not when they were filled with a glimmer that he couldn’t break from. “That’s who you know now. What if the guy that everyone hates is who I really am?”

“Is that what you think? That you’re not a good guy?”

“I wasn’t, (Y/N). I was everything people say I was,” he said. His voice trembled as the words spilled from his mouth. Paul was surprised to where the conversation had shifted to, much more after the day they’d had. But he couldn’t stop the sentences as they came. He didn’t want to stop them. “I’ve never had the best role models when it comes to… well, everything. After the divorce, I rarely see my mom, and my dad is almost never at the house—he’s had to work hard as a single parent. Aside from the constant fighting and the separation, if the mix between them was bad, what makes me think that I could be good? I’m literally made up of half of each of them.”

(Y/N) could see the torment in Paul’s eyes, and for the first time, she finally understood. “You are not your parents, Paul,” she replied softly. “We are not our parents. Sure, our genetic makeup is composed of half of theirs, but that makes it an entirely new thing. We make our own choices. We have our own paths to follow. They already chose theirs.”

“You don’t know them, though, (Y/N). It was bad. They were bad.”

“Do you trust me, Paul?” the girl blurted. “Really, trust me.”

“With my life.”

“Then do you trust me when I say that I think you’re a good guy?” (Y/N) smiled. “Do you trust that I think you’re one of the best people I’ve ever met?”

“I just…”

“If you truly trust me, you will believe me,” she said, inching closer to him. The sofa cushion sank between them, and the air around them changed. It wasn’t heavy and charged any more, at least not with angst and despair. There was something else now—something they had both been running from. “You said you trusted me, Paul.”

“I do,” he grinned, meeting her closer and closer as the distance between them shortened. “There’s no one I would trust more.”

“Good,” she smirked, slipping her hands from his to his shoulders. “Because I think you’re a great guy.”

One inch. That was all it would take to satiate the question of how their lips molded against each other. Just one gust of wind would have them seeing fireworks and sparks, igniting an everlasting fire in their chests and the pit of their guts.

Just.

One.

More.

Inch.

But that would have been too easy, and the universe didn’t seem to like to play easy with them.

The sound of a car door slamming startled them apart, stealing the air from their lungs as though they had been caught doing something scandalous. Their skin burned and reddened, and beads of sweat formed quickly on their foreheads.

“Your dad’s here,” Paul said as he cleared his throat, scrambling to sit on the armchair in the corner of the room. “He’s walking up to the door.”

“Well, time to face the music, I guess,” (Y/N) chuckled awkwardly. “Gotta pretend I don’t know that my sister is well on her way to Italy to save her shitty ex.”

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[final-girl96]

April 2024 Set (2) - Gaming Setup

Immerse yourself in a fantasy world where you can escape from reality and relax your mind.🎮

The gradient lights from the desk and lamps in this set are animated. All of the lighted parts glow in the dark. They are very beautiful especially in a dark room. Hope you enjoy🥰

PATREON

Reference

[final-girl96]

STOLEN HEARTS CHAPTER THIRTY

OCTOBER 31ST

HALLOWEEN 1990

It was the day of the Halloween party, well it was more a get together. Nancy, El, and Max all went shopping for everything we would need for the night. Snacks, drinks, ice cream, etc… We would be ordering pizza later on. Steve and Robin would be stopping at the video store and grabbing a few movies. They used to work there so they know the best movies to get plus they would be able to talk Seth into giving them a discount.

After we got everything and headed back to my house, the girls helped me put everything away before heading home. We had decided at the last minute that everyone would just stay over for the night. While everyone was gone I started to set everything up. Got all the extra blankets and pillows I could find and threw them onto the couch. The living room was big enough to fight everyone if we moved the coffee table out of the way. The couch wrapped around and would fit at least three or four of us. There were also a couple guest rooms if someone wanted to use one of them.

When I got things set up in the living room I went upstairs, got a shower, and changed into some Halloween themed pajamas. The pants were super comfy and warm. After I grab big bowls to fill with chips, pretzels, and popcorn. I put candy in a plastic pumpkin bowl to put outside for trick or treaters. Then went around and lit candles only leaving the light above the stove and a lamp in the living room on. The doorbell rang when I was on my way to put the candy outside. When I opened it Billy, Max, and Lucas stood there. “Hey, guys, come on in!” I moved aside and let Max and Lucas walk past me.

“Do I have to be here?” Billy asked. “Yes, why?” I asked. He shrugged and flicked his cigarette into the yard. “Could be on a date with a hot chick I met today.” I rolled my eye, “Life isn't all about hot chick's, Billy.” He scoffed and pushed past me. “Did you at least get beer?” I nodded my head and watched him walk into the house. I set the candy bowl on a pair outside with a sign that said “Please take one!” Of course, that wouldn't happen. But I had plenty of candy to refill it. I was getting ready to walk back inside when Steve and Robin pulled In with Nancy and Jonathan behind them. El, Will, and Mike were with them.

“Where's Dustin?” I asked. “Said he was getting a ride from someone else but didn't say who,” Mike said, walking past me and into the house. Once everyone was inside and settled we talked about what kind of pizza we wanted. We decided to just order cheese and pepperoni. It was easier than that. I ordered three of each just to be safe. “Pizza should be here in thirty minutes!” I yelled. Cheers were shouted from the living room making me laugh.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock on the door. I grabbed my wallet ready to pay the delivery guy but it was Dustin. “Sorry, I'm late!” He said, pushing his way inside with a couple bags. I followed him inside, not bothering to close the door. “What did you bring?” I asked, looking in the bags. “Snacks and stuff,” he said, shrugging. “We have snacks.” He looked at me then around at the bowls I had on the counter. “Well, now we have more!” He said then walked into the living room.

When I turned around I jumped, “Jesus christ!” My hand went to rest on my chest over my heart. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Dustin left his backpack in the van and then the pizza guy showed up so I just paid for it, and the door was open.” I looked him up and down not hearing a word he said. Not once I got a good look at him. He had grown a beard. The only thing that was going through my mind was how it would feel on the inside of my thighs while he was between my legs. “You okay?”

“Huh? Yeah! Umm…thanks. How much was it?” I asked, opening my wallet. “It's not a big deal. You don't need to pay me back,” he said, pushing my wallet down. His hand grazed my and I froze. “Sorry.” I shook my head, “It's fine. Thank you,” I said. He nodded his head and cleared his throat. “I see you got the flowers.” I looked beside me at the flowers he had sent me the other day. “Oh, um…yeah. They're beautiful, thank you.”

Silence fell between us. “Well, I better get going so you guys can get started on your party.” He said and started for the front door. Someone cleared their throat and I looked up to see everyone looking at me. Dustin raised his eyebrows and nodded his head towards Eddie. Robin mouthed, “Invite him to stay.” I rolled my eyes and huffed out a breath. “Eddie, wait!” He stopped, hand on the doorknob, and looked at me. “Why don't you…uh…why don't you just join us. There's plenty of room,” I told him. “I don't want to intrude,” he said. “You won't be.”

This was definitely a mistake. A big, very big mistake. I grabbed paper plates from the cabinet and got them on top of the pizza boxes. “Alright, pizza is here!” Everyone grabbed a plate and a couple slices of pizza. “What're we going to watch?” Steve asked. “What did you guys pick up?” I asked. Robin grabbed the bag with the movies and set them on the counter.

Cujo

SleepAway Camp

The Howling

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Child's Play

Hellraiser

The Shining

“I vote Nightmare on Elm Street,” Robin said. Nancy, Max, Lucas, and Will all agreed. “Cujo,” Billy said. Jonathan and Steve agreed. Mike, El, and Dustin wanted Child's Play. “Okay. Eddie?” He looked around at everyone and ended up wanting Cujo as well. “How about we watch all three starting with Elm Street and ending with Child's Play?” Once we all agreed we grabbed what we wanted and headed into the living room. I stopped Eddie on the way. “Um, you still have some clothes here from like forever ago, so if you want to change they're in the bottom drawer of my dresser.”

#eddie munson #joseph quinn #eddie x reader #eddie muson x reader #eddie munson rockstar au #rockstar au #rockstar!eddie munson #rockstar eddie munson #rockstar eddie munson x reader #stranger things netflix #stranger things fanfiction #eddie stranger things #stranger things x reader #stranger things #rockstar stranger things au #eddie munson x reader

[final-girl96]

[KKB'sMM]Woodysome Part2

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<Item List>

Fence  56 swatchs

Railing  56 swatchs

Stair  56 swatchs

[final-girl96]

Broken World: Chapter Twenty-Eight

Flashback

Christmas 2002

We sat on the bed eating pizza while watching Home Alone. “So,wanna tell me what happened that ya left your dad's early?” I chewed the food in my mouth and swallowed before answering. “Just my stepmother being her normal stuck-up-self,” I said, shrugging. “What did she say?” He asked. I shook my head and looked at him. “Nothing important.”

“Was it about me?” I looked away from him, and he scoffed. “Tell me what she said!” I stood up off the bed, walking to the table, and putting the paper plate on top of the pizza box. “She said that I shouldn't hang out with, and I quote, “people like the Dixon's.” When I asked her what she meant by that, she said that “you like to screw underage girls.” That's when I flipped my lid. And of course, my dad just sat there, not saying a word!” I turned to look at him and found he was pulling his boots on. “What're you doing?”

“Leavin’,” he said. I looked at him confused, “What? Why?” I asked, following him to the door. I slipped in between him and the door so he couldn't open it. “Maybe she's right. Ya shouldn't be hangin’ out with someone like me. Move,” he said. I stayed where I was not moving an inch. “I will not. You're going to turn around and sit your grumpy ass the fuck back down.” He looked down at me giving me a look that said he aint got time for this shit. But if he wanted me to move he would have to move me himself.

“I don't care what my dad and Charyl or anyone else thinks. I know who you really are, Daryl. I know you're nothing like your father or your brother. Sure, you can be an asshole sometimes, and you're very prickly, but you also have a kind heart. You might not show it to people, but you do have a good heart, Daryl.”

“You don't know me very well then because I don't give a shit about anyone! Now, move out of my damn way!”

I still didn't move. “If you didn't care about anyone, you wouldn't be here with me. So, you do care for at least one person other than your brother. You can try and push me away all you want, but it won't work. You're my best friend,” I said, moving closer to him. “And I care about you.” I took his hand in mine and looked up at him. “And I…I love you.”

Daryl pulled his hand away from me, shifting his feet back and forth. “Ya don't know what you're talkin’ about. I'm too old for ya, and ya deserve better than a no-good redneck.”

“You're literally only five years older than me, Daryl. And you're not a no-good redneck. I see the way you look at me…when you think I'm not paying attention,"” A light shade of red started to creep up his neck as he averted his eyes away from me. I turned his face, stepped even closer to him, leaned up, and pressed my lips to his. When he didn't react, I pulled away. His hands were balled into fists, jaw set, eyes wide, and his face was red. “Okay, well, I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry, Daryl.” I stepped away from him, and he admittedly opened the open and left, slamming the door behind him.

Thirty minutes later, I was sitting criss-crossed on the bed hugging a pillow. I was replaying everything over and over in my head when someone knocked on the door. I sighed, pushing the pillow to the side and got off the bed. The person on the other side knocked louder. “Alright, keep your panties on!” I yelled. I unlocked the chain lock, then the deadbolt, and finally, the lock on the door handle. When I pulled the door open, I didn't have time to register who it was before someone's lips were pressed roughly against mine.

I knew by the rough hands cupping my checks that it was Daryl, though. I was shocked at first, so I didn't kiss back right away, and he started to pull back. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing my lips against his even more. He bent a little, resting his hands on my thighs just below my ass. I took that as him telling me to jump, so I did and wrapped my legs around his waist. Daryl caught me, kicked the door shut with his foot, and walked us over to the bed.

Things were getting heated. Clothes were thrown to the floor, lips were trailing over every inch of skin they could touch. My stomach started to get knotted from nerves. I've never had sex before. I mean, I've done other things, but I've never gone that far before. “Daryl…” I gasped out as he made his way down my body. His fingers hooked into the sides of my underwear, slowly pulling them down while never pulling his lips from my skin. I was completely bare to him all except my bra.

He spread my legs further apart, kissing the tender skin on the inside of my thighs. When he looked up at me, his blue eyes were lust blown. “Ya sure about this?” He asked, voice gruff. I nodded my head and whispered a yes. My head fell back onto the pillow, back arching when his tongue came in contact with my clit. Daryl sucked the bundle of nerves and flicked his tongue sending chills of electricity through my body. A thick calloused finger pressed against my entrance and slowly pushed inside of me.

My hand thread into his short hair, gripping the strands tightly when he pushed another finger in beside the first. His tongue flicked over my clit in sync with his fingers pumping in and out of me. I've been fingered and ate out before but no one has ever made me feel this good. Daryl’s fingers stretched me more, scissoring and curling. Each time he curled them he would brush my G-spot pulling a whine from me. I tightened around his fingers, pushed myself closer to his mouth as he sucked my clit in between his teeth. “Fuck, Daryl!”

He worked me through my orgasm before pulling away, licking his lips and his fingers clean. When he kicked his boxers off, my eyes widened. He was big…well, bigger than i've seen before. But also, not ridiculously big, and he was thick. He reached over and pulled something out of the pocket of his jeans. When I saw what it was, I knew I needed to speak up now and tell him I was still a virgin. “Daryl…” He looked up at me after slipping the condom on. “You should know that I've never gone that far.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, “I know.” Was all he said before he lined himself up with my entrance. “Just relax. If ya want me to stop, say so.” I nodded my head. And he began to push himself inside of me slowly and carefully. It hurt but not as bad as I had thought it would. The way his cock stretched me stung but in a good way. I gripped his bicep hard the more he pushed into me. When he was full inside he stayed still, resting his forehead against mine. “Move.”

“Ya sure?” I pushed my hips up to make my point, pulling him down to kiss me. “Yes. Now move!” He smirked, pulled back so he was almost out of me, and pushed back in. It was slow at first. He only picked up his pace, thrusting harder and faster when I begged him to. Daryl sat up on his knees, pulling my legs over his shoulders and thrust into me in one long stroke. A loud moan escaped my throat with how much deeper he seemed to get, hitting the right spot over and over.

I tightened around him, pulling a deep groan from Daryl, his thrust picked up pushing me closer and closer to the edge. “Come on, sunshine, let go for me.” And I did. An overwhelmed orgasm crashed over me, soaking Daryl and the sheets under us.

[final-girl96]

York St., Henford 🐓

[final-girl96]

Firefly Chapter Fifty-Seven

Flashback

Ellie

Ellie and Riley sneaked into the mall. The mall once held infected back when the outbreak happened. FEDRA corralled them all into the mall when they were building the QZ. At the time, it was the best option, and it stayed that way for years until they finally cleared it out.

This wasn't the first time Ellie and Riley had been inside the old long forgotten mall. There used to be a FEDRA soldier who camped out inside to keep people from trespassing. He used to have a horse, but he was no longer around, and neither was the horse. Ellie had visited him often. Now, his stuff was just abandoned and left to rot like everything else in the world.

They walked around the mall, Riley in the lead. “Where are you taking me?” Ellie asked. Riley smiled, “You'll see.” They walked up a flight of escalators and to Raja's Arcade. Coins littered the once dark carpet with bright colors sprinkled into it. Some games were busted, but others were left as they had been twenty years ago. They weaved through them and came to a stop. “Close your eyes,” Riley told Ellie.

Ellie looked at her suspiciously, “Why?” She asked. Riley just rolled her eyes and said, “Just close them. It's a surprise.”Ellie sighed but closed her eyes and let her best friend guide her through the machines. When they came to a stop, Riley positioned her before telling her to open her eyes again. Ellies vision came into focus once more, and when it did, she couldn't believe what was in front of her. “The Turning.”

“Oh, man, I wish I could play this!” Ellie said, hitting the buttons and pretending to play. She thought kids were so lucky back before Cordyceps. They had all this cool stuff like arcades like this, and she even heard that they had something called games consoles in their homes. “You can close your eyes.” Ellie looked at Riley and slowly closed her eyes. Riley started to paint a picture of what was happening, giving Ellie instructions on what to do during the combat. And Ellie could easily see it in her mind. Angel knives fighting against the opponent.

After the arcade, they walked around more, Riley again in the lead. In the middle of the mall was a carousel. It had always fascinated Ellie, but at the same time, she never understood why it did or why people enjoyed it so much. “Stay here,” Riley told her, walking backward. “Where are you going?” She only got a smile before Riley disappeared around the corner. Five minutes later, the carousel was being lit up along with part of the mall. “Whoa!”

“Want to ride it?” She spun around to see Riley walking towards her. “I thought the mall didn't have any electricity?” Riley came up beside her, “It didn't until a couple of weeks ago. Well, not the whole mall but part of it. So, you wanna try it out?” She smiled at Ellie and walked over to the controls. With a flip of a switch and a press of a button, the carousel started to slow spin, music floated out from the middle and filled Ellie's ears. She looked at it wide-eyed. “Come on!” Riley said, holding her hand out for Ellie to take.

Present

Yn

“I stood beside Ellie on the platform beside the generator. Shadows moved in the darkness in front of us. The loading dock area was at least mid calf to knee high. “We need gas to turn this generator on,” Ellie whispered. She walked over and picked up a small red gas can that sat behind us. I pulled my gun, took the magazine out, and checked how much ammo I had. I snapped it back in and looked at Ellie. “I only have five left.” Her grip on her gun tightened, and she nodded, “I have three left,” she said.

“Okay, we take care of them and then check these trucks for gas. You stay near me, understand?” She nodded her head, and we went to work, killing all the infected. There were three stalkers and one clicker. After checking each truck, we finally found one that had a little gas in it to start the generator. The only problem now was we could go back the way we came since the water was electrified since a lone cable hung from the ceiling an inch from the water.

Flashback

2005 /Yn

“I feel like we're in Dawn of The Dead,” I said to Joel as we walked around the mall we were taking shelter in for the night. “Kind of glad that remake never got to see the light of day,” he said. I hummed in agreement and walked over to the first store I saw. Well, it wasn't actually a store; it’s an arcade. Totally Retro Arcade. It was the first thing that caught my eye.

The lights in the mall were still on even after almost two years. The arcade was dark, and the only lights coming from it were the bright neon colors from the games and signs. The floor was black and had colorful confetti like shapes on it. The shapes almost looked like they glowed under the neon lights. “Oh, man! Look at this place!” I turned to Joel, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the arcade.

“We can't be getting distracted…” I cut him off by holding a hand up. “Stop being such a buzzkill, Joel. Just because the world is being taken over by fungus controlled freaks doesn't mean we can't still enjoy life once in a while. Come on, you can't tell me this doesn't bring back memories for you! Going to the arcade and spending your allowance on games. Or were you one of those boring following the rules kind of the kids?”

“I wasn't boring,” he said. I raised an eyebrow at him. “I don't believe you…old man,” I said. I turned around and headed deeper into the arcade. I squealed when two hands landed on my waist, and his lips grazed the skin on my neck. “I'll show you just how not boring I am. You're gonna pay for calling me an old man.” I laughed, pulling out of his grasp to spin around and look at him. “Sure you can catch me…old man?” He narrowed his eyes at me, “You have three seconds to run,” he said in a low husky voice that sent shivers all over my body. I smiled, turned, and ran.

Present

Yn

“How are we getting out of here?” Ellie asked. I walked over to the gate that caged in the controls to the building. I pressed the green button, a buzz sound, and the door opened open. “Up that ladder,” I pointed to the ladder inside and then pointed above us. “We'll have to be really careful, but we should be able to walk across the ducts to the other side. There should be another door over there,” I told her.

We climbed the ladder, and I let Ellie go first since she was smaller and lighter. “Take your time and be careful. When you're halfway, I will follow.” She nodded her head and climbed onto the duct. I watched with bated breath as she slowly made her way to the other side. When she was halfway there, I took a deep breath and prayed to whoever or whatever would listen and begin my slow, careful journey across the duct work.

There were a couple of times I had to stop and stay completely still because the duct started to shake. But eventually, I got myself across. Once we were on the platform, Ellie and I worked together to clear the stuff that was stacked in front of the door.

#joel miller smut #ellie x joel #joel the last of us #joel and ellie #joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel tlou #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller the last of us #joel miller fanfic #ellie x riley #ellie x reader #ellie the last of us #ellie williams #ellie tlou #the last of us fanfic #the last of us game #the late late show #the last of us

[final-girl96]

Dividers & Banners!

Here are some banners I use and the people who created them <3

MDNI banners:

by: @cafekitsune

by: @roseschoices

by: @arcielee

by: @benkeibear

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by: @inklore

Dividers:

by: @chilumitos

by: @tookio

by: @baexywth

by: @v6que

by: @grungenglam

by: @grungenglam

Other useful banners:

by: @littlefaeella

by: @vase-of-lilies

[final-girl96]

Crystals ( 7 items )

A set inspired by THE SIMS™ 4 CRYSTAL CREATIONS STUFF PACK.

❤ Base game compatible

❤ Teen - elder

❤ Female only.

CC I used from other creators:

Hot Girl Summer Hairstyle - simcelebrity00

Boston Hair - Oakiyo

Shannen Hair - Oakiyo

Leather Loafers - jius-sims

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

DOWNLOAD

Public Release : 15 MAY 2024 (GMT+8) ❤

Thank you for loving my cc & and this is the T.O.U . ❤

Things you can't do :

-Re-upload , Re-edit , Put behind paywalls , Steal or Claim it as yours .

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[final-girl96]

twenty four hours (modern!eddie munson x fem!reader)

"NIGHT TIME RELIGION"

EXTRA CONTENT- "BEYOND THE HOURS"

→ pairings: modern!college!eddie x college!fem!reader → warnings: strong language, upside down does not exist, minors dni → wc: 2.3k+ → a/n: just a simple, sweet glimpse into what our favorite idiots' nighttime routine is like. probably got a little too poetic with it, as always <3

enjoy the main story's masterlist here

“You fell asleep again.” 

It’s not a question, just a mere observation. Eddie doesn’t even put any emphasis on the key word there, that it had happened again, as he glances up on you sprawled out on his couch. 

“Nuh uh,” you childishly rebuke, ironically squeezing your eyes shut tighter as you let your cheek nuzzle deeper into the page of the textbook you’d been taking notes on, “I’m… I’m wide awake.” 

Every word painfully slurs with your next, voice mostly muffled. If he hadn’t been so close to you from where he was sitting on the floor, he probably wouldn’t have been able to make out what you’d just murmured. 

It only makes him laugh softly as he focuses back on whatever piece of equipment he’d brought into the apartment that belongs to his bike, “Sure you are, sweetheart.” 

The coffee table is spread with hand towels and paper towels alike as Eddie fiddles with the hunk of metal. You hadn’t even prodded him about what it was he was fiddling with; you were too busy, knee deep in your studies as you’d made yourself comfortable in his living room. 

It was a normal routine now – something cozy, something domestic. Instead of being holed up in your dorm these days, you found yourself occupying apartment 2C far more frequently than you’d ever admit to anyone else. Half the time, the two of you didn’t even have plans. It wasn’t about elaborate date nights or purposeful hangouts anymore; these days, the two of you simply enjoyed one another’s presence. It was enough to just know he was there with you, in the same room, as the two of you were occupied with your own individual tasks. Sometimes, he would be reading a book as you wrote your essays. Sometimes, he’d steal your laptop to shop for new bike parts and accessories online as you caught up on your favorite TV shows. There had been plenty of phone calls with Nancy in which Eddie had let you simply rest your head in his lap, hands mindlessly carding through the scalp of your hair as he tried to offer assistance to his best friend’s daily troubles and rambles. 

It was nice, and it was normal, and it was something the rest of the world would have to pry from your cold, dead hands. 

The apartment could have easily become something akin to a prison after the bet, but it hadn’t. Instead, somehow and someway, you and Eddie had turned it into a proper sanctuary.

You no longer spent lectures daydreaming about returning to your dorm; your mind much preferred longing to return to Eddie’s room, to picture falling face down in his bed, where the pillow on the right side had begun to smell of your shampoo rather than his cologne. 

“It’s getting late,” he sighs when he hears you go silent again. He’s not annoyed by any means. If he had it his way, he’d probably curl up on the couch with you for the rest of the night, content to fall asleep to the view of your face smoothing out in peaceful rest. But he knows if he leaves you be, you’ll wake up with an aching back and an attitude that makes even Harrington cower. He puts down his project for the night, wiping his hands on a damp paper towel before he reaches blindly behind himself to give you a few taps on your rear, “C’mon, we need to get ready for bed.” 

You swat his hand away, and it only makes him grin, “It’s not that late. Plus, I’m comfy.” 

“It’s half past eleven, baby.” 

And oh, do you shoot straight up at that. 

Your eyes are finally wide open as you look at him wildly, face struck with confusion, “Excuse me?” 

“I said, it’s half past ele-”

“When the Hell did it get so late?” you fumble with yourself as he slowly gets up, making a show out of stretching all his limbs. You don’t even grow distracted when his arms reach well over his head and tug up his shirt, exposing that sliver of stomach that would normally entice you, “I swear to God, it wasn’t even ten like…. Ten minutes ago.” 

“Ten waking minutes ago, maybe,” he teases, holding a hand out for you, “Time flies when you’re napping instead of studying.” 

It’s hard for him to not smile so softly down at you right now, even as he watches the defeat take hold. Your entire outfit is compiled of his clothes, yet another t-shirt you’d snagged from him along with a pair of sweatpants that he can’t even remember the last time he’d worn them. Your hair is messy, falling out of the convenient style you’d fashioned in it hours before when you’d declared you needed to focus. Your shoulders sag, the corners of your mouth inch downward, and all he really cares about right now is getting you in bed so he can wrap himself up around you. 

Your eyes dart between his outstretched hand and your textbook, still open on a page that you’d embarrassingly drooled on, “I know we joked about celebrating when I aced my finals, but can we still get milkshakes when I absolutely flunk them?” 

The way you manage to melt his heart is impeccable. He doesn’t even have it in him to be snarky, or to make another menacing jokes, “Of course we can.”

That seems to make your decision. You finally reach out and take his hand, clearly trying to be dramatic as you pull on him with the entirety of your weight, almost as though your end goal was for him to actually end up beside you on the couch rather than to be standing beside him. 

If your goal is the former, you fail miserably. He doesn’t budge beneath your drag, only leaning forward to grab your other hand and properly haul you off the couch. 

“Oof,” you huff out as you collide with his chest from the force, letting your face smash into him and making no move to pull back, “Can’t you just carry me to bed? Is that an option?” 

He almost says yes. Almost. 

“We won’t even make it down the hall,” he chuckles, taking slow steps back, guiding you right along with him, “I may or may not have also dozed off at some point. Jury’s still out on that one.” 

“Is it?” 

You’re hardly lifting your feet, shuffling your way along, letting him walk you deceiving to the bathroom rather than the bedroom. He has no idea if you’ll be capable of doing your full skincare routine, but at the very least, he has to get you to brush your teeth. If he didn’t, he’d never hear the end of it. 

“It is indeed,” he finally stops walking backwards, deciding it might become more dangerous rather than just dragging you along, “Probably won’t get a ruling until morning, so we might as well brush our teeth now, doll.” 

He’s trying to sweeten the deal. Coaxing you with adoring pet names to keep you in motion. 

“Ugh, effort,” you crunch your nose as you say it, and it’s clearly more for show than anything now. You’re fully conscious, capable of getting yourself to the bathroom sink where both your toothbrushes now sit side-by-side in a glass cup, but you don’t let go of his hand just yet. 

His palm is warm, and right now, all you really wanna do is curl up in that heat. 

Eventually, though, you let go. The two of you stand in the mirror as you go through the motions of wetting your toothbrushes, applying the toothpaste – all the boring, mundane actions that are more habit than conscious choices. But interspersed in the habits you’ve gathered over your years of life are new ones, minimal but vital after the amount of time spent together. Proof of the way this nighttime routine had become something of a religion between the two of you, something to be offered and to be shared rather than simply going through the motions. 

The way Eddie carefully rolls the end of the toothpaste tube before passing it to you, simply so it’s easier for you to get your share of it. The way you leave the water running after you’ve wet your own brush just so Eddie can also do so. All the sneaky glances caught in the mirror as the corners of your mouths foam up. Every ridiculous face, every nimble bump of your hip to his, the way he sticks out his very white tongue at you before he spits out into the basin – new things that have all become the normal, but still settle warmth in your chest.

Things that water a garden of vinery and blooms that no longer only belong within the confine of your bones, but his as well. 

A shared garden of memories and comfort. Growing, flourishing, nurturing one another. 

You lean down to spit right before him, and when you take a second too long, he tugs on a strand of your hair, trying to move you. And even as tired as you are, you find it within yourself to be a little shit as he so lovingly mumbles out around his toothbrush, lingering until he’s bumping you with his hip with purpose. 

Passing the floss back and forth (or more like you shoving the floss into his hands before he can try to argue against it), using the same paper cup to sip mouthwash out of – something so bland that you used to do it alone, now something to enjoy with him. 

You kind of love it. You kind of love him. 

“Should I wash my face?” you question, leaning in closer to the mirror and poking at your cheeks, checking your skin for any blemishes you can find. 

Eddie only moves behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and making the entire ordeal far more difficult as his chin rests on your shoulder, “Not if you don’t feel like it. Besides, it’s gonna make your nose cold, and then you’re gonna press it all over my damn neck and-” 

You cut him off with a joking glare, reaching up to flick at his nose, but he’s quick to pull his face out of your reach. Smiling widely, showing off those fresh and minty pearly whites. 

“If my cold nose bothers you that much, I could just stay on my side of the bed tonight,” you scowl, even though you were already taking his advice and calling it a night, twisting out of his hold to flick the lightswitch and exit the bathroom. 

He’s still stronger as he keeps his arms in place, only twisting himself around to face the door frame right with you, whining in your ear, “No.” 

He drags out the ‘o’, his voice slowly growing more quiet the longer he draws out the vowel. At some point, it’s less than Eddie has ended the protest, and more that he’s just run out of breath. 

His arms only leave your waist for the two of you to get dressed in proper pajamas. Well, what you both consider proper pajamas. 

You, left in only his shirt and underwear, and Eddie simply in his boxers. 

There’s no more sarcastic comments or lazy banter, although you certainly expect it. You’re almost holding your breath for it, right up until Eddie’s lifting his comforter and eagerly motioning for you to climb into bed first. Not one smartass remark about ladies first that could easily backfire on him as you shoved him into the bed before you. 

No, he waits until the two of you are lying on your sides, facing one another, not quite touching when his face breaks into a radiant smile. 

“What?” you ask, narrowing your eyes at him, overly suspicious of his random burst of happiness. 

“You call it your side of the bed.” 

At first, you don’t get it, “What?” 

“You called it your side of the bed,” he repeats with the utmost emphasis, finally throwing his hand out in search of your own, pulling it up to eye-level so he can toy slowly with each of your knuckles. 

“Is it not?” you’re whispering like two children at a sleepover, your feet finally drifting to toe at his calves. If they’re too cold for his liking, you don’t know. He doesn’t flinch or complain, only spreads his legs ever so slightly so there’s a space left for you to fill as you intertwine limbs. 

“It is,” he confirms, nodding a little, finally slotting his fingers between your own, “Just nice to hear you say it out loud.” 

And suddenly, you get it.

It’s your side of the bed. It’s your toothbrush resting beside his. Your textbooks and laptops are still on his couch, you have a sticky note with a reminder for yourself to buy more milk  put up on the fridge, there’s now a space for your shoes at the front door right beside his daily boots – slowly but surely, you’ve whittled out spaces for yourself here, with him. 

Even when you’re not here in this apartment with him, your presence remains. Someone could walk in, and they still see traces of you. You exist here, constantly, right along with Eddie. 

“Yeah,” you whisper back, finally scooching closer. He immediately shifts so that you can cuddle into his side, your head resting against his chest and your ear pressed to listen to his thrumming heartbeat. A perfectly carved out space for you even here, between this sheets, against his skin, “It’s nice to say out loud.” 

Not a routine, but a religion. Something to worship in the quiet hours between the sound of quiet snores and a noisy coffee maker you already have plans to replace as a Christmas gift to Eddie. An apartment turned altar, with offerings from both of you, to all that has and could become. 

You whisper your final prayer, just as you do every night, even when you think Eddie might already be fast asleep, “G’night, Eddie. I love you.” 

He’s not already asleep. 

“I love you, sweetheart.”

eddie's taglist: @capricornrisingsstuff @thisisktrying @hideoutside @vol2eddie @corrcdedcoffin @ches-86 @alovesongtheywrote @its-not-rain @feralchaospixie @cheesypuffkins87 @thebook-hobbit @babez-a-licious @eddies-acousticguitar @aysheashea @kellsck @cosmorant @billyhvrgrove-main @micheledawn1975 @eddiesxangel @siriuslysmoking @witchwolflea @tlclick73 @magicalchocolatecheesecake @mizzfizz @nanaminswhore @mikiepeach @ali-r3n @hawkebuckley @alwaysbeenfamous @darkyuffie-blog @vintagehellfire @lilmisssiren @elvendria @loveryanax @stylexrepp @princessstolas @fangirling-4-ever @eddiesguitarskills @babez-a-licious @josephquinnsfreckles

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[final-girl96]

It's Personal

Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader

TW: Violence against Y/N (not via Billy), farfetched for the plot, Billy is mean, angst, possible cringe idk. We're all friends here. THE VIOLENCE IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL FOR THE MOST PART. A little bit non-canon Billy, but if you're reading his dialogue as sassily and as dry as I'm writing it, it's not quite as jarring to his personality.

Notes: I literally just learned about the "Who did this to you?" Trope and now I'm giving it an angsty go. This is not smut, womp, womp. Also, I did the gifs like a picture book so you can kinda see the expression or energy I was going for. Summary: Billy's been an ongoing bully/ nuisance in your life since you met. He's acting a little different after finding out you've been hurt.

"Can you try not to take up half the lecture dick-riding the professor?" Billy catches you as you're making your way across campus. He's always been an issue for you, ever since he moved here your junior year in high school. Now you're both freshmen in college. He'd taken a year off to pursue other outlets, but sometimes you're convinced he did it just to be able to torment you in college, seeing as he was always a grade above.

"What are you talking about, Billy?" You ask with an exasperated sigh. Already too exhausted from studying late the night before to deal with his endless harassment.

"I'm saying every time we have this course, you ask a million fucking questions the whole time," his voice is low, but filled with a palpable hate. Why does he dislike you so much? You've never known. You've never asked. "Try to save your desperation for after class, cool? It's hard to watch," He jabs, speed-walking ahead of you.

Most days, you'd say something back. A quip just as hateful, if not worse. You were his rival in every sense of the word. The two of you even shared the same genre of fashion sense. You stole his spotlight, and he doesn't like it, so he notices when your venom is running low. You're silent the entire lecture, not because of what Billy said to you, but because you're tired.

Your study session only ran so late because you and your boyfriend spent most of the day arguing. The gaslighting is constant, and his moods have become more and more unstable and harder to navigate. You tell yourself over and over that you love him. You've loved him since you were young. He's your high school sweetheart. Andy was on the basketball team in high school and while that type usually didn't take to a hair-metal gal like you, he seemed so smitten when you met.

The room is dismissed and you try to file out long before Billy can make it to the door. He laughs at your desperate attempt to get away. Like a cockroach scurrying away from a suddenly illuminated bulb. You're not fast enough and as he passes you before you reach the exit to the building, he leans over and taunts you in your ear.

"It's about time you listened," he hisses and walks away laughing. You're indifferent. Nothing he says could hurt the way Andy's words do. You tune everything out to make room for your insecure thoughts to take over. You blame yourself for Andy's rapid change in personality. What could you have done to make him feel like this toward you? Your mind is far too occupied by these untrue concerns, that you barely feel the anxiety settle in until you get back to your dorm. It was a bit more pricey on your tuition, but your scholarship allowed you to have a dorm room for yourself. Instead of another bed, it has a small "living room" area.

With a deep, grounding sigh, you reach for the door handle and step inside. Things are fine. Andy greets you with a smile and kisses you sweetly as you set your things down by the door. You're pleasantly surprised, allowing all the toxic thoughts circling your mind to melt away under his gentle touch.

"How was class?" He asks.

"It was fine. Nothing spectacular," you giggle, smiling warmly, overtly relieved that he's not still upset with you. You can barely recall what he was angry about, to begin with. You snuggle into him as you both relax on the couch. He stares straight ahead as he opens his mouth to speak.

"One of my buddies said he saw you talking to that Steve guy," Andy's voice becomes colder, and you realize it was all a trap. You're wrapped in his arms, feeling his body go rigid as you hesitate to answer. "Y/N." He finally looks down at you, meeting your anxious gaze.

"Oh, uh," your throat goes dry. "I did talk to him. He was a little late and just needed the notes from the first section. I charged him five bucks." You begin to ramble, hoping to defuse the situation before he explodes. "He's still going steady with that Debra girl, too. She's in my journalism class. I bet those cookie-cutter losers end up married, honestly."

"You know I don't like you talking to other guys without me." Andy clenches his jaw.

"I know! I completely understand, too. You know I love how possessive you are, babe. It's hot," you're desperate and hopeful that stroking his ego will put this anger to bed. "There were so many people around, so I was thinking nothing could happen." You furrow your brow at your own words. "Your friend was even there to make sure!"

Andy's grip around you tightens, nearly cutting off your ability to fill your lungs just using one arm.

"I don't ask you for a lot, Y/N." His free hand reaches up to your face, gripping your jaw and forcing you to look into his eyes, though you weren't looking away to begin with. "Don't make me look like a fool." When he loosens his grip, your lungs inflate with a loud gasp and his shift in position slides you off the couch, into the floor with a small thud. Now you're angry. The two of you have screamed at each other plenty of times, but how dare he act so bold?

"Andy," you stand, hovering over him where he remains on the couch. His arched brows frame his bright eyes with anger. "Get out." He smirks, and it fills you with unease. Standing from the couch, he takes one step forward, nearly chest to chest with you, if it weren't for the dramatic height difference. He towers over you, stealing the feeling of power you thought you were cultivating.

"What'd you just say to me?" He asks with a sociopathic smile.

"I said," You swallow hard. "Get. The fuck. Out." You barely get a chance to speak the last word of your sentence before a fast, hard open hand meets your cheek, knocking you to the ground, and almost sending you across the room, it felt like.

"Do not ever talk to me like that just because you got caught," Andy's words are full of anger. You stare at him with wide eyes, arching your brow in an expression that asks him who the fuck he thinks he is. He storms out of the dorm, but you know he'll be back. And after these events, you're scared to try and stop him. His college teammates are at every corner, it seems. It's as if ever since Jason went out of state for college, they all bend to Andy's will. Losers. Andy doesn't come home until after you've fallen asleep. You stayed up as late as your body could take, but he wasn't back in bed until 5 AM. You have no idea where he's been.

The next day, it's your misfortune that you and Billy share yet another class. This one was early in the morning rather than yesterday's afternoon lecture. You're running on very little sleep, and the trauma of Andy snapping and putting his hands on you. It's just something you could never even fathom. The way he would kiss the ground you walked on when you first met, how could he? You're more than distracted, staring directly at the floor as you walk until you run flat into someone else in the hall.

"I stood here, completely still, to see if you'd notice. I guess other people don't exist to you, huh, princess?" He mocks you. It's not long before he notices the dark bags under your lifeless eyes and the speckles of red that have risen in the hazy shape on the side of your face. Assuming it's an allergic reaction like you had back in high school, he didn't hold back. "Jesus Christ, Y/N. You look like shit."

"Still look better than you could pull, pussy," you sneer, shoving past him. "Don't fucking make me late." He steps in front of you again, knowing neither of you is late because he's on the same schedule.

"What happened to your face? It looks like your boyfriend had to tell you twice," he bursts out laughing at his distasteful joke. You can feel your blood begin to boil. You no longer wish to exchange hateful comments. Now you want to hurt him. You want to hurt Billy the way Andy hurts you. You can't swing on him, so you take your next best shot.

"Yeah? How many times did your mom have to tell you before she just gave up and left?" You boldly stare Billy in the eyes, hoping so badly that none of Andy's henchmen see the two of you going at it. Billy's jaw is rigid, and you can see it tighten as he grinds his teeth, subduing his emotions. You've never come at him like that, it wasn't expected. His taunting smirk is long gone.

"Are you trying to get your fucking ass kicked, Y/L/N?" Billy's disgusted with himself the minute he says it. Of course, he doesn't mean that. He'll drive you into an early grave, but it's never been in his moral compass to hurt a woman the way his father hurt his mom. He wants to rescind the rhetorical threat, but his ego just clamps his lips shut. Your eye twitches as you wonder what else you've got to lose. Or would Andy hit you again for letting another man kick your ass? Your thoughts are exaggerated and full to the brim with frustration. You finally explode.

"Fucking do it then, Billy! Swing! Hit me, motherfucker!" You drop your belongings and stomp toward him and he's unsure how to react now that you've called him on his bluff/ intrusive thought.

"Calm the fuck down. You look ridiculous," Billy takes a cautious step back.

"No, let's go outside. Let's see how hard you can hit someone half your fucking height, pussy!" You're nearly causing a scene, but the building is empty for the hour. Tears well in your eyes and you refuse to let up, demanding he act on his "big, scary" threat. He won't. He stares at your watery, red eyes. Your face is flushed and only your cheeks, nose, and around your eyes hold any pigment. He essentially waits until you tire yourself out.

"You've gotta do something about that shit, Y/N. You're fucking losing it," he shakes his head.

"I'm not losing any-fucking-thing, Hargrove. Don't ever mistake me for a bitch you can scare off with an empty fucking threat," you spit, grabbing your things and taking off, leaving Billy standing confused in the empty hallway.

"What the fuck was that?" He questions aloud. He has no idea you've been drained with no way to recharge. You've been hurt with no way to heal. To him, you're losing your goddamn mind. After that, he's not even angry at your comment anymore. He's just, concerned? Maybe just curious, really. After all, he's supposed to be your burden. Anything else takes the attention off of him.

The class is long and just like yesterday, you're quiet when you usually never stop engaging. Even the professor notices, and she asks you to linger behind after the lecture is over.

"Hey, Y/N. What's up? You were so quiet today," the professor's soft voice is sweet to your ears.

"I've just been, um, tired." You shake your head, barely convincing yourself.

"Is that a bruise on your cheek, honey?" The kind, older woman asks with two hands resting on her coffee mug. Just outside the open door, Billy waits for you to pass by before he realizes you're staying behind. He scoots as close to the door as he can, flat along the wall, listening.

"A bruise," he whispers to himself, recalling what he thought was a rash. His stomach almost attempts to simulate the feeling of guilt as he remembers the joke he made at you. The one that set you off.

"Oh, no. It's a reaction. New laundry detergent fucked me up," you stop yourself. "Messed me up, sorry."

"Y/N, you're an adult. I can't make you do anything you don't want to do, but it's very clearly not hives," the professor sighs, her eyes full of concern as she stares at the ever-developing bruise as it slowly takes the shape of a hand. "Is it another student at the University?"

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I'm dealing with a lot right now. I will see you on Wednesday. Goodbye." You snatch your things up and zip toward the door, holding your breath. The wind from your speed walking blows your hair back, giving Billy a perfect view of the hand-shaped bruise yellowing on the side of your face. You're too determined to get out of there to react to his eavesdropping, so the two of you just share a look, and you keep going.

Billy furrows his brow. He's unsure you even have a boyfriend, so who exactly is leaving bruises like that right, front and center on your face? After his last course of the day, Billy congregates with his friends at a nearby frat house belonging to a different college.

"Hey, Tommy," Billy calls his friend's attention. Tommy pulls himself away from the group of guys he was laughing with and sits across from Billy. "You know that Y/N girl? Lots of denim, nice ass?" It's not until the last two descriptors that Tommy recalls who you are. Figures.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"What's her deal? She dating anybody?" Billy asks, innocently enough.

"I don't know, man. Why do you always ask me about shit like that?" Tommy laughs.

"Because you gossip like a woman," Billy smirks, standing from his slouched position on the couch and grabbing a beer from the large, ice-filled cooler in the kitchen. "She's some annoying broad in a couple of classes with me. I thought I'd ask around and see if there's a reason she never shuts her goddamn mouth." Both of them laugh at his hateful remark, but it's true to him. You get on his nerves, but it's less what you say, and more so the fact that you do "him" better than him. The men drink irresponsibly and cause a ruckus until late, late at night where they then wander back to their campus/ dorms on foot.

You wake up in the morning finally feeling well-rested for the first time in a while, despite the sudden changes in your relationship. You look over to see Andy's side of the bed is empty. You assume he slept over at the frat house after getting too fucked up. You know he likes to party.

Sitting comfortably on your couch, watching an episode of your favorite show, though it's a rerun, you involuntarily flinch when you hear the door open. Andy slightly stumbles through, laughing with messy hair. His clothes seem disheveled, but you chalk it up to drunken hijinks.

"Hey, babe! Did you have fun?" You ask, smiling, beaming, really. Hoping the sound of his laughter is a sign he's in a good mood this morning.

"Huh?" He looks over at you as if he didn't notice your existence until you spoke.

"I was just asking if you had a good time. Sorry I couldn't go with you, I was just too tired," you laugh.

"Oh, no. It's cool. I like it when it's just me and the guys, actually." His confession makes you a little sad, but you try to understand.

"Got any plans for today?" You grin, letting your guard down.

"For the love of God, dude. Can I get in the door first?" He snaps.

"Okay... Sorry," you quieted yourself down at first, but then quickly realized that's not who your daddy raised. You're getting ready to confront him again despite the smack until you notice something that makes your stomach drop, a small trail of three faint hickeys along your long-term boyfriend's neck. "Babe. Where did those come from?"

"What are you talking about?" He groans, throwing himself on the couch next to you, gripping your thigh possessively.

"I'm talking about the hickeys on your neck, Andy. Where did they come from?" Your voice is low and shaky. "Just you and the guys, huh?"

"Don't start with this shit again, Y/N. I'm too hungover." He dismisses you entirely, and all the rage you'd been holding back to be the "cool girlfriend" comes pouring out.

"You knocked me to the floor for looking at Steve Harrington! You put your hands on me for some made-up story you formulated in your own head and now you're coming home with hickyes?!" The longer you scold him, the darker his expression becomes.

"I'm giving you one fucking chance to get on your fucking knees right now and apologize," Andy's unsettlingly calm. You're frozen. Too scared to be openly defiant, but too angry to fold at his command. "One... Two..." He stands, softly placing a hand on your cheek and sliding it up into your hair, gracefully scraping the tips of his fingers behind your ear. It's so soft and soothing, that the sensation causes goosebumps to rise on your skin. Your eyes flutter shut and just as they're about to open again, he closes his fist around a large portion of your hair and forces you to the ground.

"Andy!" You scream, both terrified and in pain.

"I'm so sick of this, Y/N. I'm sick of you," he growls through gritted teeth, holding you painfully at his side like a heeling dog.

"God damn it, stop! It's fucking over! Fuck whoever you want!" You cry, shifting your position against him in hopes of loosening the pull against your scalp.

"And let you whore yourself out to every other guy on campus? Fuck off. You're mine." He finally releases your hair, tossing you forward in front of him. He kneels down to get closer to your face, speaking lowly. "I heard Hargrove's been asking about you. Think you're safe with your playboy side-piece?"

"He's not my side-piece! Please, Andy. Why are you being like this?" You hold a hand up to defend yourself.

"You think I don't see you two whispering to each other? You think you're smart enough to hide anything from me?" Andy's voice is slowly rising in volume. You worry the other students will hear the commotion. You don't want to lose your solo dorm rights seeing as men aren't supposed to "live" with women in the dorms.

"He's a dick, dude! I fucking hate the guy, please stop!" Your makeup is trailing down your face as you continue to cry for mercy. He shakes his head at the scene.

"I tried warning you. I tried getting my point across to you, but you won't hear me," he sighs as he snatches your hair back into his fist in one, quick, snake-like action. You wail at the aching tug, squeezing your eyes shut from the pain. Just as you go to open them, you see his hand flying toward you. It starts with open-handed smacks, knocking the wind out of you from how bad they hurt, but he progresses until he's landing blow after blow, all over you. Anywhere he can reach as you try to block him.

Eventually, you're badly roughed up, and Andy stands to look at what he's done. The remaining alcohol seems to clear from his system as the reality of his actions sets in.

"Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck," he mumbles, tearing his shirt off as it's stained with your blood. He shoves it deep into the trashcan and disappears to wash the evidence of the horrors against you off of his hands. He returns to where you lie in the living room. He's wearing a fresh shirt and his breath heaves as he stares at your seemingly unconscious body. You're awake though, barely. Holding your breath as long as possible, only allowing the shallowest of breaths, basking in the stillness after the abhorrent beating.

Andy bolts out the door and after a few moments of silence, loud sobs of relief and pain emit from your sore chest. You roll over into a ball, holding yourself close as you process everything. You mourn who you were before the person you trusted most betrayed you. You mourn your relationship, regardless of the last few days. You mourn your own face as you imagine the recovery process will be long and draining. You lie there for a while until night falls.

Once it's dark out, you sneak to the old gym building to use the showers there, hoping to avoid running into anyone and having to answer any questions about your battered appearance. No one uses the old gym because it's full of spiders and has a terrible draft, but it's still open to the students 24/7. It's your run-of-the-mill college basketball court with a weight room and showers.

You get inside the building and listen to the silence of the empty halls. Peace. You're numb now. You've cried all you can, and the pain has become a dull hum. Now you just want to shower and try to find yourself beneath all the blood. You scale the walls of the dark hallway, searching for a light switch. You nearly jump out of your skin when you feel what you can only imagine is human flesh.

"Oh fuck!" You and the mystery person exclaim in unison, startled by each other's presence. Still on edge, you duck down, covering your face. The light flips on and you recognize the sweaty figure who stands before you. Billy. He comes to this gym for privacy in the weight room and always has. Not as confident as his demeanor would lead you to believe.

"Had to be you, didn't it?" He rolls his eyes. "Did you come here to- Oh fuck, Y/N." His uncreative insult is cut short when you lower your arms, revealing the massacre of swollen features and bloody skin that used to be your face. His mouth hangs open for a moment. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, shut the fuck up. Like you fucking care, Hargrove. Get out of my way," you're angry, and it feels like you'll be angry forever.

"Hey," he stops you from walking past him by stepping in your path. "I said what happened?" His voice sounds different. Like you've never heard before. Uncharacteristically concerned, but don't let that fool you. It's still not a lot of concern and it's quite monotoned. His eyes search yours for any kind of answer and it's the least arched his brow has ever been. He's being so... Quiet. You're silent too, stunned by his behavior.

"Thought you were gonna kick my ass too, Billy. You scared now?" Your remark is meant to be a bold taunt, but your voice cracks as you fight for your life to hold back tears.

"Y/N, I'm serious. Who did this to you?" He asks sternly, losing patience by the minute. You still can't seem to trust him enough to open up, so you look down at the ground in silence. "Fuck it. Come on." Billy's long legs float him swiftly down the hall and you hesitate to follow, ultimately deciding all these years arguing with Billy have at least felt better than the last three days with Andy. He leads you to the empty men's locker room where he retrieves an old first-aid kit and a bottle of water from the coach's office, then he makes his way to a locker and retrieves a clean shirt. It's soft and worn in and has the name of your university written across the front.

"Thanks," you mumble, taking the box and other supplies from him. You douse the shirt in water and begin to try to wipe your face clean. There's no mirror, so you can't quite tell what you're doing, causing you to scrape over your open wounds and flinch.

"Just fucking," Billy snatches the damp shirt from you. "Let me do it." He's careful and thorough as he gently works the soft, wet fabric across the new and old blood covering your identity. You can't help but stare at his eyes as they focus so intently on each section of your face that he wipes clean. Just as he's finishing up, his eyes meet yours for a moment. It's a short, little second, but it felt so drawn out. Billy breaks the eye contact when he sets the shirt to the side.

"That should be okay, for now." He reaches for the kit in your hands.

"I can do it, Billy," you remind him, yanking the box away, rejecting any more gentle touch. It doesn't feel like you deserve it right now.

"Let me help," he demands softly, popping the little tin box open and rummaging around for bandaids and antibiotic ointment. He patches you up and while he's working, you're watching his intense face. His brows are arched and his lips every so slightly pursed. You can't clock what emotion he's feeling. Obviously, he's expressing some sort of sympathy, but he hates you. He always has. So maybe he's just having a human moment.

"What's the matter with you, man? Are you fucking with me?" Your guard begins to rise again. You don't trust your own intuition anymore. You tighten your grip around a plastic pair of scissors from the first-aid kit. Billy notices and releases a laughing sigh.

"No, I'm not fucking with you." He places one final bandage. "You're insufferable as fuck, but I don't think you had this coming." He looks you up and down. That's as close as Billy can get to "comforting" anyone. "Don't stab me with those." He points to your hand and you blush, a little embarrassed by your overly-cautious behavior.

"Why do you hate me, Billy?" You ask, point blank as you release the scissors, catching him off guard.

"Because you're the worst. You're loud, you're egotistical, you're an ugly crier," he chuckles, all too quickly, being put on the spot.

"You're just describing yourself," you knit your brows, quickly wiping the tears from your eyes after his ugly cry comment. "I'm serious. You'd think we'd have so much in common. You hated me the second we met. Why?"

"I don't hate you, Y/N. I'm putting bandaids on your split fucking eyebrow. You're just fun to get a rise out of." Billy closes the kit and tosses it aside with the bloody shirt. It's not news to him that he torments you because of a mix of annoyance and attraction, but you have no idea. What started as his catty attempts to pick you up turned into an all-out rivalry when you were the first girl to tell him to shut the fuck up instead of batting your eyelashes at him. To you, he's just a mean dude. But right now, it's like he's someone else entirely. When he's acting like this, you're finally able to see what makes him so irresistible to every girl on campus. Your rivalry kept you blind to it, but now, you can see his brilliant teeth in his wide, warm smile. You can see his sunflower eyes, framed by long, thick, dark lashes. His jawline, his shoulders, everything about him seems so beautiful to you now.

"Thank you, Billy," you smile weakly. He scans your swollen features and something in him awakens. A possessiveness. Rage ensues. Every opinion of you he's ever had melts away except for his attraction to you. Your voice, your mannerisms, everything he's ever absolutely torn you to shreds for, suddenly he admits to himself that it never bothered him. In his eyes, you're his, even if you're just a target for his teasing, a bit of banter around the school, you're still his.

"You never said who did it," Billy chews his inner lip, trying to keep calm until he gets the information he needs from you.

"It doesn't matter-"

"It matters. Who was it?" His voice is stern and sharp. He's still knelt close to you even though he's done tending to your wounds.

"It just... Happened so fast..." You flinch as you recall opening your eyes to his incoming hand.

"Start from the beginning," the sternness in his voice softens. You give him the full run down. Billy's face remains stone, motionless, but his eyes twitch and flutter with each gruesome new detail dragging him further down to the point of no return.

"We've been together so long. I never thought..." You hold your hands up in confusion, dropping them hopelessly in your lap.

"A name. Now." Billy stares deep into your eyes as he makes his demands. You can almost feel a heat coming off his gaze as it bores into you. It's clear he will not relent until he gets the answer he's asking for.

"His name is Andy." That's all Billy needs before he's standing up and exiting the locker room without another word. "Billy?" You call after him, still sitting on the bench. You finally stand to follow when you don't hear a response from him. "Why do you care?" This stops him in his tracks. He turns around for a second as if he's going to explain, but he never does. He tilts his head with a small shrug and disappears. "Wait!" You call, but the exit door is already closing behind him and he stalks off into the dimly lit campus. He sparks up a cigarette on the way, exhaling a large cloud behind him. Andy better have life insurance.

Billy ponders your question as he makes his way across the courtyard. Regardless of any flirtatious feelings he has for you, this comes down to wishing he could've defended his mother in this same way. He was too small then, he's not now, and Andy's about to face the full extent of that rage extending all the way back to his childhood. For now, it's personal.

You take the time alone to have a quick shower to wash away the blood in your hair and hopefully make yourself feel a little better. You're careful not to get your face wet and ruin Billy's careful doctoring. Once your shower is finished, you grab your bag and head back to your dorm. It's still dark, so you keep close to the dim, yellow street lamps that lead to the student housing. There's a dull hum that vibrates from each light post, it's all you can hear, all you can focus on to make yourself stop thinking about Billy.

Back at your place, you lock the door as many times as possible before shakily taking a seat on the small couch. You flip the TV on, just to have something to fill the silence. Every time someone passes by your door, your heart rate leaps and you lose control of your breathing. After the third or fourth time it happens, you seem to desensitize. Billy's new demeanor he has toward you is all you can think about. The softness of his words, his touch. You didn't think he was capable of it. You curl up, pulling your legs to your chest as you snuggle into the plush cushions, nearly dozing off, trying to remember the way his shirt smelled when he was using it to clean you up.

Billy's hell-bent on getting his hands on Andy, tonight. Crossing the lot, he reaches his car and slides inside. His face is blank as he stares ahead, with only one objective in mind. He follows the sound of blaring house music to a nearby frat house and angrily tears the door open. Wasting no time, he walks right up to the first person he sees.

"Where's Andy?" He asks, yelling over the music. The first few people have no idea who he's looking for until he comes to Tommy. "Where's Andy?"

"Andy from Econ? He's upstairs. Dude's super stressed about something and took a bottle up there. Finals, man." Tommy laughs, but Billy's already walking away before he's even finished his sentence. The entire party becomes muffled beats in his ears as he climbs the stairs in pursuit of the man who made you look like a bad Halloween decoration.

First door, nothing. Second door, nothing. Third door, Billy slings it open and a stressed out, curly-haired brunette man jumps out of his skin.

"Fuck, dude! You fucking scared me!" He exclaims.

"You Andy?" Billy asks, already breathless with anticipation.

"I- yeah? Why?" Billy answers his question by crossing the room in the blink of an eye and scooping him up by his shirt. He slams Andy against the wall, eyes wide with unbound rage. "What the fuck are you doing, man?!" The commotion can't be heard over the party below. It's just the two of them.

"You know how much of a pussy you gotta be to beat up on someone half your height?" Billy strains through gritted teeth. This is a thin reference to what you said to him when he let his emotions cloud his judgment and threatened to kick your ass.

"Wait... Y/N? She's alive? Jesus Christ..." Andy's eyes nearly roll back with relief and Billy looks at him disgusted.

"What? You thought you beat her to death? Then, you just left her there and went to a party?" Billy raises his eyebrows, almost seeming to smile. "That's fucked up, man." He slams Andy against the wall again, harder, to accentuate his point.

"Come on, dude. Whatever she told you-"

"I'm not here to talk about her." Billy silences your cruel, long-time partner. "Right now, we're not gonna talk at all."

"Dude-" Billy tosses the guy to the floor, cutting off his futile begs.

"I think right now, I'm gonna beat the living shit out of you," Billy kneels at Andy's side. "And then I'm gonna go fuck your girlfriend."

Billy lands punch after punch, unintentionally mirroring the way Andy laid into you. The only difference is that Billy's got a lot more size, muscle, and strength training than Andy. He lays into him, pummeling in any way he can figure out to mimic all the bruises and blood he could see on you. Billy grips Andy's shirt by the shoulders and forcefully pulls him to his feet just to uppercut him in the stomach, over and over. Blood and saliva fly from Andy's mouth as Billy hooks his fist up against his stomach.

When he's finally done, Andy's no more than a gargling mess on the floor. Properly bloodied just like he left you. Once again, Billy kneels down to Andy, establishing dominance and reminding him who he's fucking with now.

"If you come near her again," Billy inhales and exhales a shuddering breath as adrenaline continues to surge through him. "I will hurt you. I will hurt your family. There is no hiding, I will fucking kill you." His threat is no more than a low whisper before he stands and leaves Andy to wallow in his filth.

Billy's drive back is short and sweet, but he doesn't trust Andy or his entourage of prissy jock boys, so he rolls his eyes and pulls into the lot in front of the women's dorms, and makes his way to yours. He's always known which one you stay in, though finding out was an accident while he was being snuck in by one of his one-night-stands. It was common practice, hence why Andy pretty much lived with you since he had a shared dorm on the men's side.

He raises his hand to bang on the door, but hesitates, knocking softly and even calling your name through the door so you'd know it was him.

"Y/N, it's Billy." You smile with relief, still steadying your anxiety from his initial knock.

"Billy? How did you know which dorm was mine?" You question as you pull the door open.

"I knocked on every single one. And asked for you by name. At 11 PM." He looks at you, straight-faced, annoyed that you think so little of him.

"Are you fucking serious? They'll crucify me," you sigh, unsure if you can even feel any more stress at this point.

"I'm fucking with you. I know where your dorm is because I pay attention."

"And here I thought I was so annoying," you chuckle. There's a short silence between you, something unheard of for you two. "Do you, um, wanna come in?" You step to the side, inviting him in. Nervous, but not sure why. He's never had that effect on you before.

"No, you're coming with me."

"I am?" You raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I just stirred up a lot of shit, probably. I don't like the idea of you sleeping here alone." His words are compassionate, but the delivery is so blank, that you'd think he didn't actually care at all.

"Oh, alright. Let me grab some stuff." You gather your things and follow Billy to his light blue Camaro. He opens the door for you, but even he's wearing an expression that says this is a foreign act of kindness for him. He closes the door and takes his spot in the driver's seat. Billy glances over at you, but you're peering out the car window, searching the shadows for movement. The copper-colored light shining from the street lamp illuminates the high points of your face, exposing your expression as he watches the anxiety dissolve into comfort. Something about being the cause of it strokes his already inflated ego.

"You know what?" You break the silence, turning to meet Billy's gaze.

"What?"

"Contrary to the way my face and body look right now, he really can't hit that hard." You raise your eyebrows and nod, reassuring him that you mean that with your whole chest.

"I wouldn't know. I didn't give him a chance to swing." His grip around the steering wheel tightens, but he grins proudly.

"Don't worry, I took enough for the both of us," you joke, earning a shocked laugh from the curly-haired man you positively loathed just a day or so ago.

"I dunno. I think you could've taken him if the circumstances were different," he smirks at you, chin up.

"Oh, absolutely. If the emotional ties weren't there, we'd at least have gone a round or two," you mimic boxing the dashboard. It's obvious to both of you that this is not the case, but making a joke of a bad situation is a lot easier than crying. Billy's relieved, as he would have zero idea how to even approach you if you were crying. He's the "tell you you're not a pretty crier and then wonder why you cry harder" type of guy.

"Matter of fact, put me back in coach," you chuckle, accidentally reopening the split on your lip. "Oh, fuck," you mumble, pressing a finger to the wound, worsening the mess.

"Shit," Billy grabs a napkin from his glove box. "Don't touch it," he snaps. You quickly pull your hand away from your face and for just a moment, your breath hitches in your chest. You don't mean to react this way, you're not scared of him, you hope he knows that. He gives a small smile and a nod, almost like a silent apology for scaring you. He holds the napkin to your lip for you as he pulls into the Men's dorm parking lot. His family, much like yours, paid the extra fees to have a large dorm room all to himself. It was sort of a necessity for Billy considering his short temper and inability to compromise.

"How's your lip?" He asks as you set your overnight bag on his small futon in the tiny living area the solo dorms come with.

"It's fine. I think the bleeding stopped and everything," you smile, keeping it small so as not to pop open another split.

"You can take my bed. I got the futon," once again, his words are so kind and generous, but his tone is flat and bare.

"Don't be stupid. I'm your guest. You've..." You sneer at yourself in disgust as you prepare your next sentence. "You've done a lot for me already."

"God," he stares at you with wide eyes.

"What?"

"It looked like you were gonna be sick from saying that out loud."

"Came pretty close, bud." You squint your eyes. It's clear to both of you that this is weird. It's awkward and even a little uncomfortable. He's done so much for you, yes, and you do feel it outweighs all the innocent hell you gave each other, but where do you go from here?

"So, now what? I sleep here. We go to tomorrow's lectures. Then, I just go back to normal?" You don't want to insinuate that you expect him to play bodyguard forever, but it would be kind of nice. You lie the futon into its flat, bed position as you ask.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. 'Night." Billy climbs into his bed.

"Goodnight, Billy," you say, lowering the tough-gal front you attempt to keep up, usually when you aren't dealing with shit like this. Your voice sounds different when you let your walls down. It's sweeter. And the sound of it makes Billy's chest light.

In the safety of Billy's dorm, sleep finds you swiftly. You're out like a light, but Billy can't say the same. He lies with his eyes plastered to the ceiling. His mind is incoherent, bouncing all over from the possibility of the entire college sports program jumping him to the thought of you and him going back to "normal." It all started when he saw you, thought you were hot, but learned pretty quickly how self-assured you are. You would never be the easy catch he was used to and it pissed him off, igniting a multi-year feud between you. What if that feud were to end?

Billy lies on his back, his two muscular arms propped beneath the back of his head. He glances diagonally in the direction where you sleep. You're peacefully out, features slowly healing from the damage. He could stare at you all night, and that pisses him off too. He rolls his eyes and expels an exasperated sigh before rolling over, hoping that keeping his back faced in your direction will help shield him from the ambiguous thoughts invading his mind.

The next day, you're awake long before him, and to avoid overstepping, you rush through your morning hygiene routine and begin to reset the futon. You're as quiet as possible, but the second your fingertips graze the doorknob, Billy stirs.

"No," he says, wiping a hand over his face to rub the sleep away. "Just give me a minute. We'll go together." He sounds annoyed. You shake your head, dropping yourself down onto the futon while you wait for him to wake up.

"It's really no rush. I gotta get back across campus to get ready anyways." You call to him as he brushes his teeth in the small bathroom.

"I know you do. I'll drive you, just give me a minute," he waves away your excuses to leave without him, his voice becoming a little harsh as he repeats his request for more time. You know walking across campus isn't a treacherous walk. It's long, sure, but not unmanageable. What's really at stake is you running into anyone from the basketball team. And while that's your main concern, Billy has his own selfish reasons for wanting to keep you around. She's nice to look at, he tells himself, but it's more than that.

He walks from one end of the dorm to the other, wearing nothing but a dark grey pair of boxers. He's so lean and huge with well-toned muscles. He must spend a lot of time in the old weight room. You begin to wonder if Andy's in the hospital or not. Your eyes travel from his broad shoulders down to the V shape at his waist. You're unsure if it's your newfound ability to see him as a person, or maybe a trauma bond, but this man has you feeling out of character.

"Alright, car." He points out the door, using his primitive two-word command to instruct you to get into his car. He's still waking up.

"Billy, you know I could've just come back by myself, right? You didn't have to get up so early." You're the first to break the sleepy morning silence in the car. He looks at you like you've suggested possibly the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard.

"I know that. That's stupid. You're too trusting." Billy stares straight ahead through his black sunglasses.

"I guess," you shrug, not taking anything he says too seriously. How could you after all these years? He pulls into the Women's dorm lot and the two of you approach your personally decorated dorm room door. To your horror, the doorknob opens with ease. You forgot to lock it. A wary breath falls down your chest as you squeeze your eyes shut, grounding yourself before opening the door. Billy's confused until he finally sees inside. It's just as you suspected. The entire room, top to bottom, is trashed- thoroughly.

"What the fuck?" Billy inserts himself in front of you, taking a few steps inside to further assess the damage. His eyes narrow in anger as he catalogs every broken picture frame and demolished knick-knack. You seemed to have had a lot of curiosities and oddities, all of which were destroyed on your equally ruined floor.

"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, I'm gonna lose it," you whisper, exasperated. You place your fingers on your temples and apply gentle pressure in hopes that it'll do any fucking thing for the way you're about to break the fuck down right now. "They want me to fuckin' lose it." Your voice is nearly inaudible.

"Hey, okay. Don't... Lose it. Let's go find 'em and beat the fuck out of 'em." Billy grins, still bloodthirsty. It's as if defending you almost feels like having you.

"I'm gonna get dressed. I'm gonna fix my fucking hair and makeup. And we're gonna go to our goddamn morning classes. This afternoon, we will figure out which one of them is getting their mom's severed middle finger in the mail."

"Sure thing, Killer Klown. That's not at all an overreaction." Billy shakes his head, laughing at your misfortune, though he does feel for you. You disappear into your restroom. It's miraculously, for the most part, untouched. You do a quick version of your usual big, glamour hair and slap on your makeup. It feels good to look like you again, even with the scabs and colorful bruises threatening to peek through the foundation. When you return to the common area, looking and feeling more like yourself, you radiate a type of glow. Billy catches himself in the very initial stage of staring but quickly nips that in the bud. You hardly notice.

"I guess I'm ready. You walking me to class, big guy?" You ask, teasingly.

"I am."

"Listen, I really appreciate everything you've done for me, but this isn't nes-"

"Y/N, have you looked at your dorm? Do you see how every single thing you own is destroyed? Stop being an idiot." His harsh words carry an air of motivation with them as he scolds you.

"Fine. But you're gonna have to pick up the pace or something," you snap your fingers repeatedly, in a circle to show him it's time to leave, now. He sighs, standing and leading the way out the door.

He walks you to your first lecture and waits outside for the entire hour. You don't know, but he actually doesn't have any classes today. He just knew you'd make a big deal out of it if you knew he was going any more out of his way than he already is. All 60 minutes drag by painfully slow, but all the while, Billy notices a few familiar faces casting passing glances into the building, only to suddenly change direction when their eyes meet his. He huffs out a satisfied sigh.

"Don't even think about it," he whispers, staring out the small door window. He glances at the clock, and just a moment before the lecture hall dismisses, he steps outside and waits for the crowd. After a handful of peers pass by, he then walks inside, keeping up his ruse.

"Oh, just in time, I guess," you say, meeting him in the middle of the breezeway as if he'd come from the other end of the college.

"As always," Billy sighs, unbothered, indifferent. You don't mind. It's a peaceful shift from his usual behavior before everything went down. The two of you step out the door and immediately, your eyes meet Andy's. He is standing around his car with his goons. They're all staring, not at Billy, at you. An intimidation tactic that might've worked before, had you not been walking next to a brick wall of a man. As the two of you strut past the bitter sportsmen, you hear Andy decide to pipe up.

"Told you she was a slut. It's already happening," he laughs and his teammates join in. You are unfazed by this sort of insult. Before the trauma at the hands of Andy that you'll now have to work through, you've always been a confident, self-assured person. At least that's all you'd allow anyone to believe. You shake your head at the insult, but when you look beside you, Billy's nowhere to be seen.

"That's pretty bold Andy. How're you healing? Doctor already tell you it's safe to get your shit rocked again?" Billy smiles sadistically as he stalks up to Andy. His crew of bench warmers seems to tighten up, taking a few steps closer, surrounding Andy. Billy can't hold back his laughter.

"Are you guys gonna jump me?" He asks, taunting, grinning as he does. "You think it's gonna be easy because there are so many of you?" Billy's only getting closer by the second, and the confidence of most of the players begins to waver. "Do you think I'll stop if I get my hands on you a second time?" Billy's icy blue eyes are dark with rage, almost black in the right lighting. They bore into Andy's and the two men fall silent.

Eventually, Andy's the one to back down. As expected, of course. And from the look on his face, you'd think he'd just been mugged and told his mom died. Billy smiles, tongue between his teeth as he watches the team climb into their cars. They have a visitors game, so you won't have to deal with them for the next 48 hours at least. As Billy returns to where you wait for him on the sidewalk, he wraps a protective arm around your shoulder. You're visibly jarred by this action, but Billy just stares straight ahead, leading you back to your dorm. He's wearing a self-satisfied grin as each and every busybody on campus whispers when they see the two of you.

Billy's a known bachelor and you're a known bitch. Even his more reoccurring hookups never got the public treatment. And you, fuck you're mean sometimes. Andy liked that about you. You'd be mean to anyone but him, but you guess it just stopped being enough. Even you and Andy weren't exactly "public" with your opposing schedules. You'd only ever been seen together at parties.

You finally reach your room and Billy leans against your counter, silently smiling at you as if he expects you to say something.

"What?" You ask, already starting the clean-up process.

"Just thought a 'thank you' would be in order." He shrugs.

"Thank you, Billy. Please hand me the broom," you groan, pointing to the tiny closet in the kitchen area. He rolls his eyes and carries the broom over to you. You're picking up the larger pieces of shattered glass and placing them into a small trashcan, hoping to make sweeping easier.

"Careful," Billy says as he notices a crack in the shard you're holding. His warning didn't reach you in time though, and the piece snapped, catching the upper part of your palm, slicing it open. "Jesus fucking-" Billy drops the broom and you follow him to the counter where he tears a wad of paper towels off the roll and shoves them into your hand. He stares at you with a straight face, almost like a disappointed parent. You stare back, blinking.

"What?" You ask, daring him to give you a hard time or risk being kicked out of your domicile.

"Nothing. Just getting tired of having to play doctor for you all the time." You release a huff and he smiles, a little sweeter than before.

(Do we want a part 2? Do we still read angst or are we all into smut rn? Maybe sex next chapter. idk.)

[final-girl96]

STOLEN HEART CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

YN

“It's a good song, honey. If I knew you could write like this I would have had you write all our songs,” my dad said, chuckling at the end. I rolled my eyes, a laugh escaping me. “Thanks, dad. I don't know, after everything that happened…with him…it just sort of came to me and I opened my notebook and started writing.”

Fragments of Love

(Verse 1)

I once believed in the words you whispered in the night

But now I see they were just empty promises, not quite

You said forever, but forever seems so far

Now I'm left with these broken pieces of my heart

(Chorus)

Fragments of love, scattered on the ground

Each shattered dream, lost and never found

You promised me the world, but all I got was pain

Now I'm left picking up the pieces, trying to remain

(Verse 2)

I held onto your words like they were precious gold

But now I see the lies that your stories told

You said you'd never leave, but now you're gone

Leaving me stranded in a world so cold and alone

(Chorus)

Fragments of love, scattered on the ground

Each shattered dream, lost and never found

You promised me the world, but all I got was pain

Now I'm left picking up the pieces, trying to remain

(Bridge)

I believed in you, I trusted in your name

But now I see the truth behind this cruel game

Promises broken, like fragile glass

Leaving me stranded in this broken past

(Chorus)

Fragments of love, scattered on the ground

Each shattered dream, lost and never found

You promised me the world, but all I got was pain

Now I'm left picking up the pieces, trying to remain

(Outro)

Fragments of love, echoes of a broken vow

But I'll gather the pieces, some day, someway, somehow

“I still make him disappear…” I snorted at that. “I think I'll be just fine. It still hurts but not as bad as it did,” I said. Dad hummed on the other side of the line. “Well, I may or may not have looked into what he's been up to. He went to rehab and just got out a couple weeks ago.” I cleared my throat and moved around on the couch to fold my legs under me. “Yeah, I saw him the other day in town. He's been sending me flowers for the past six fucking months. The greeting card always has a different way to apologize. I didn't know there were so many different ways but he found them.”

“That's what fame does to you, sweetheart. It makes it easier for you. You can have all the drugs and alcohol at your fingertips. Eddie was used to always being the laughing stalk. High school was hell for him; he got bullied. Now everyone loves him. Men want to be him. Women want to be with him. Girls are going to be jealous of you and hate you because you are with…were with him. Everyone wants to party because nobody is going to tell them to stop. The only way you can get help is if you want it. This was his breaking point; losing you completely opened his eyes. Don't be too hard on him.”

My dad gave me a lot to think about after I got off the phone with him. I could see Eddie was trying to get better, but I'm still working on healing myself. Right now my priority was to get to work on time. I don't need to work but I want to. I want to make my own money and not live off my dad's money. So I got a job at Hawkings Rockin’ Records. It was a small record store in town at the little plaza beside the video store. Robin and Steve Harrington used to work at the video store.

I grabbed my jacket, slipping my arms into the sleeves. It was a little chilly in Hawkins; being the end of October; only one more days until it's Hallowen. I love autumn, it's my favorite season. The leaves are changing and falling, Halloween and scary movies, everything is all spooky. The weather was perfect. It was still kind of warm but there was chill in the air. I had Billy help me decorate the house inside and out. He hated every moment of it but it still helped me. I was planning a small get together for Halloween.

I've grown close with not just Billy but his sister Max and her boyfriend Lucas and their friends Dustin, Will, El, and Mike. I also invited Steve and Robin, along with Nancy, Mike's older sister, and Will's older brother Jonathan. They have all known each other and were close for years, so it was a little awkward at first but they've accepted me into their group with open arms. Now we're all close and frequently hang out.

I went to work, did Inventory, and restalked some stuff. Everything that my dad had said to me was replaying over and over in my mind. Eddie had gone to rehab and seemed like he was cleaning his life up. He's been sending me flowers for six months straight. Yesterday flowers were believed with a simple apology note. “I'm sorry. Happy Halloween. Love E.” He was trying. He wasn't giving up. Not on himself or me. The flowers were fucking gorgeous as always.

This bouquet was made up of black and orange roses with sunflowers mixed in. The top of the flowers was covered with a thin layer of fake spider web and had a couple little spiders on top. They were wrapped in black paper with a ribbon tied around the stems. The ribbon was black with white skulls on it. This was hands down my favorite bouquet he has sent me. I mean, all the flowers he's sent are absolutely beautiful, but this one was my favorite. Halloween is my favorite holiday and the flowers were perfect. I have them in a vase in the middle of the kitchen island.

After work I went to Benny's to meet everyone. We were going to be planning out tomorrow night. We wanted to have a small get together with just the twelve of us. Pizza, snacks and drinks, music, games, horror movies. We just had to figure out what movies we were going to watch and what everyone wanted on their pizza and what kind of drinks to get. It was going to be a fun time. It's something I've needed. Having these guys in my life has helped so much.

I was grateful to have them. I didn't mind living in a small town. It was way better than always being on the road and having paparazzi following you everywhere you went and having your whole life plastered all over the place. Now, I'm not saying paparazzi haven't tried to come here, because they have. But my dad had put a stop to it. He's taken all the attention away from Eddie and I's relationship issues and put it on himself. Plus it helped that El's dad, Hopper, was the Chief of police. So if I have a problem I just have to call him up and he comes to take care of it.

When I walked onto Benny's everyone was already there. “Took you long enough,” Billy said, walking up to me. I rolled my eyes at him. “Left me with these idiots.” I elbowed him in the side. “Be nice. You're lucky to have people like them in your life. Even if you were an asshole in the past.” He scoffed and we walked to the table. Everyone ordered what they wanted, we talked while we waited, and planned everything out while we ate. Then we left ten minutes before Benny had to close.

#eddie x reader #eddie munson #eddie muson x reader #eddie x fem!reader #rockstar au #rockstar!eddie munson #rockstar girlfriend #rockstar eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things au #rockstar au stranger things #joe quinn #joseph quinn

[final-girl96]

Broken World: Chapter Twenty-Seven

Flashback

August 2003

I was home from college for summer break. I was alone in the house, seeing as my father and his family, that didn't include me, went on vacation. I don't mind that they excluded me, though. I prefer to be here by myself, and besides, I have Daryl to hang out with. I was heading to the garage now with subs and drinks. I haven't seen Daryl since I came home for Christmas and we haven't talked much since I've been home. I had started out living at home when I started going to college, but It became too much, and I decided to just live on campus in the dorms. It was too stressful at home with my stepmother and her awful children.

I walked into the office and greeted Mary, “Hello, Mary.” She looked up, and a wide smile took over her face. “Well, look who it is! How are you, darling girl?” I smiled at her and leaned on the counter. “I'm doing good. Thought I would bring Daryl some lunch,” I said. “Well, he's in the back. He is due for a break. I've been tryin’ to get him to take one, but he just brushes me off,” she said. I rolled my eyes and chuckled. “Of course he did. I'll get him to take one. The bell over the door dinged, and a man walked in, so I headed to the back.

I walked into the garage and found Daryl under a station wagon. “Don't you think it's about time you take a break, Dixon?” He paused what he was doing and pushed himself out from under the car and looked up at me. “The hell ya doin’ here?” He asked. I raised my eyebrows at him. “Nice to see you too, asshole. I brought you lunch, so come on!” I said, turning around and walking to the door that led to the back of the building out to the picnic table.

I sat down and placed the subs and drinks on the table. A couple of minutes later, Daryl walked out the back door, wiping his hand with a red cloth. “Ya didn't need to buy me lunch, coulda got it myself.” I rolled my eyes at him, “Sit down and eat, Daryl. Besides, we both know you wouldn't have eaten anything until you got off work.” He scoffed and took the sub I pushed towards him. Things have been awkward between us since Christmas. So we sat in silence for most of lunch.

Christmas 2002

I sat in the living room of my father's house. My step-brothers ripping their presents open. I sat in the chair in the corner of the room, bouncing my leg up and down. I didn't want to be here anymore. Cheryl had greeted me with a backhanded comment and a fake smile. My father said nothing as usual. I didn't bother bringing presents. They would have thrown them away or given them away so it wasn't worth the money or time.

I kept looking at the clock during lunch. Daryl was supposed to be picking me up at two o'clock. We were going to hang out and then go out to dinner. I was staying in the motel just outside of town since Cheryl turned my room into her crafting room. “Are we boring you, yn?” My eyes snapped to look at my father. He picked his glass of whiskey up, bringing it to his lips and taking a small sip. “No. No, I'm just supposed to be meeting Daryl soon, that's all.”

My stepmother scoffed, and I saw her shake her head out the corner of my eye. I looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. “What was that scoff for?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. She took a sip of her wine because it didn't matter what time of day it was. She always had a glass of wine or a whole bottle with every meal. “I just don't think you should spend your time with people like the Dixon's.”

“People like the Dixon's? I only hang out with Daryl. Who, by the way, is nothing like his father or his brother!” she scoffed again and rolled her eyes. “He likes to screw underage girls,” she said, giving me a pointed look. My eyes widened, and I stood up, sliding the chair back, almost toppling it over. “I will have you know that Daryl has never, and I mean NEVER, touched me or any other underage girl like that!” I looked at my father, who hadn't said a word. “I'll be getting all my stuff out of your house. Maybe try and keep your bitch on her leash!”

I grabbed my jacket and bag and walked out the door, slamming it in my wake. I got into my car and headed to the motel I was staying at. When I got into my room, I called Daryl. “Hello?” I let out a breath when it was him who answered and not his father or brother. “Hey, it's me. I just want to let you know I'm back at the motel,” I told him. He hummed, “Wanna talk about what happened?” He asked. I shook my head even though he couldn't see me. “Not on the phone. Can you come over now?” I asked. “Mmhmm…I'll be there in thirty.”

I hung the phone up and jumped across the bed, and went into the bathroom. I wanted to get a quick shower before he got here, I wanted to get the smell of Cheryl's Christmas candles and whatever else she sprayed in the house, off of me. I took one last night, so I didn't need to wash my hair. I would be done way before Daryl got here. I jumped in, washed my body, and shaved while I was at it, then got out.

Just as I was pulling an oversized knitted sweater on, a knock sounded through the room from my door. I pulled my hair out from the collar and rushed to the door. Looking through the peephole conformed, it was Daryl and not some weirdo. I unlocked the door, pulled it open, grabbed Daryl's arm, and pulled him inside. “The fuck?” I shut and locked the door again, shivering from the cold air that hit my bare legs. “It's cold,” I said, turning around and shrugging.

“Well, put some damn pants on,” Daryl said. A faint blush crept up on his cheeks. He had a bag dangling from his left wrist and a pizza in his hand. “Christmas pizza?” I asked, walking over to the bed. “Oh and I have shorts underneath my sweater so you can relax. I sat down on the edge of the bed, grabbed my socks, and pulled them on. They came just above my knees. Daryl sat the pizza on the small table in the corner and set the bag on top. “What's in the bag?” I asked, crawling across the bed and trying to peek around him.

“Why are ya so damn nosey?” He moved to block my view more, so I jumped up so I was standing on the bed, wrapped my arms around his neck from behind, and jumped onto his back. He huffed out a breath, grabbing my legs with his hands before I could fall back down. “The fuck is wrong with ya?”

“I want to see what's in the bag!”

He backed up so he was closer to the bed and let me drop down with a bounce. “If you were fuckin’ patient or ya ain't gettin’ shit!” I smiled, “You got me something?” I asked. I couldn't see his face but I knew he was blushing. “Don't stop being a little shit you won't get nothing,” he grumbled. I sat down and criss-crossed my legs, pulling a pillow onto my lap and hugged it. “Fiiiiine!”

“Now, it ain't much, and ya don't have to wear it if ya don't want to. I can't take it back if ya don't like it,” he said, turning around. When he was facing me, he completely avoided eye contact, and his face was red. He pushed his arm out towards me, a black box in his hand. I took it, trying to contain the smile that was trying to force its way onto my face. When I opened the box, a gold necklace with an arrow pendant sat inside. “Daryl…it's…it's beautiful. Thank you!” I pulled it out and handed it to him, turning so my back was to him. “Help me put it on.”

He took the necklace from me, put it around my neck, and fastened the clamp together. He cleared his throat and moved back when I turned around. “This is really sweet of you. You didn't have to get me anything!” I said, standing and going over to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist in a hug. It took him several minutes, but he eventually hugged me back.

#daryldixonfanfiction #the walking dead daryl #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #twd daryl #daryl fanfiction #daryl x reader #daryl dixon fanfiction #twd daryl dixon #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl dixion imagine #the walking dead daryl dixon #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead x reader #twd family #twd fanfic #twd fanfiction #twd fic #twd x reader

[final-girl96]

Stranger Than Fiction

Part 27: Gifts

Billy Hargrove x Reader (Slowburn)

Part 1,... (Masterlist)...Part 27, Part 28 (Coming Soon)...

AN: Sorry about the wait Word Count: 3,816 Warnings: none

The rest of your night is spent tossing and turning in bed. The prickling along the skin of your hand and wrist are your only reminder of what happened in the car, not to mention the memories that flood your mind every time you close your eyes. Billy’s coy smile, how his eyes devoured your every move, the hungry glint in them at the sounds you made. Your stomach writhes, flipping and swirling the more your mind lingers on the interaction. 

It irritates you, the effect he has on you. Every smirk, or touch sends your heart into overdrive. It doesn't help that your experience with relationships up to this point have never gone further than hand holding. But, this electricity that exists between you and Billy seems to be short circuiting all your logic and reason.

You’ve never spent a lot of time thinking about things like this, you’re not a child, Nancy has told you plenty about her relationship with Steve. You just never took any interest in it. Until now it seems. You're plagued by thoughts of Billy pressed against you, his calloused hands holding you tightly, his lips against your skin, the feel of his hot breath mixing with yours. Fuck. 

You turn your head, releasing a pent up scream into your pillow until you're out of breath.

When exhaustion finally wins out, you’re cast into another restless sleep. 

———-

You’ve been here before. It’s dark and cold, familiar. Home. It’s quiet right now, for now. You’re not needed, yet. Fear twists through every tendril of your being, as much a part of you as the darkness. You can feel the shadow in your mind, waiting. Ready to bend, break if needed. You’re tired. But, there is no rest here. No peace. No hope. Forever. 

———

This is different. Not cold, warmth washes over you. The sound of crashing waves is rhythmic, almost like breathing. It soothes the initial panic of being in a new place, so bright and peaceful. It’s so different from the other place. You are able to glance around, there is no one else here. An empty beach. It’s nice. 

———

The sound of your mom trying to sneak out of your room wakes you the next morning. 

“Mom?” You ask, propping yourself up on an elbow, wiping sleep from your eyes. She stops, her hand on the door. She’s still in her scrubs, the only illumination in the room is the light coming in from the hallway. 

“Hey sweetie.” She greets you softly, turning to face you, an apologetic smile already on her lips. “I was just checking on you, go back to sleep.” She tries to reassure you. Your gut twists, you can barely see it in the dim light but it’s definitely there. The ever present worry you inspire in her. You were having some kind of nightmare, you can feel it in the tense in your muscles and the ache in your bones. Feeling the exhaustion that plagues you from the tension your dreams bring into reality. 

“I’m sorry mom.” You sigh, running a hand through your hair feeling the dampness of sweat. Her smile falters, pulling tighter at your apology.

“Don’t be sorry love. It just takes… time.” She reminds you. You know it’s what she needs to believe. That with enough time your mind will heal, that the nightmares will eventually fade. 

“It’s getting better.” The lie tastes bitter. Her shoulders sag slightly, like she can feel the lie physically. She won’t press though, both of you are happy to let it sit between you. It’s easier than facing reality. 

She pads over to your bed, gently stooping to press a kiss on your brow. 

“I love you.” She says softly. You can’t help the small smile that pulls from you. 

“I love you too.” You reply reflexively. You always say it back, just in case. It’s an easy truth, for the both of you. She pulls away, her smile a bit more relaxed than it was. “Go back to sleep.” She says again, patting your head as she steps back towards the door. She gives you a pointed look you know she normally only reserves for unruly patients, leaving no room for argument. 

“Alright. No need to pull out the nurse mom voice.” You joke, lying back down. She laughs lightly at your joke, slipping out the door. 

“Goodnight kiddo.” She says softly. You roll onto your other side, your back towards the door. You watch the light narrow into a sliver of the wall opposite you as she closes the door, leaving it open only a crack. Then laying still, you focus on slowing your breathing, listening to the sounds of your mom moving around the house getting ready for bed. She’s awake for another half hour, eating leftovers, looking through the mail, showering, and finally you hear the springs of her mattress creak as she gets into bed. 

You listen to the silence for a little bit. You like the quiet. Your life has been chaos for so long, from the moment you woke up in the hospital and every day since it feels like the world has erupted into too many sounds. Everyone talking, a constant low level buzz of activity. It’s sometimes enough to drive you crazy. 

When you're certain your mom is asleep, you quietly slip out of bed and get dressed. Glancing at the clock on your bedside table, you note that it’s only 6AM, still early enough for your morning walk to be peaceful. The house is still dark, but you move through it easily navigating in the dim light of morning. You gather your journal, and fill your water bottle placing both into your bag. When you go to put on your shoes, the dangling remainder of your sole catches your attention. You inspect the dilapidated sneaker for a moment, trying to think of the best way to cobble it back together. You eventually settle on duct taping the pieces back together, wrapping the tape around the shoe a couple of times to make sure it's secured. 

It’s not pretty, but technically it’s a whole shoe again. Satisfied that your solution is functional, you lace up your shoes and grab Steves’ jacket from the coat rack. Slinging your bag over your shoulder you head out the door. The dawn is cold, the sky a dim shade of gray, everything still cast in shadow the morning fog slowly creeping over the earth. 

You pick up a steady pace, heading for your favorite sunrise spot. There is a hill about a mile east that looks out over the currently barren fields and will be the first spot in Hawkins to see the sun. It also happens to have a very comfortable rock that is perfect for sitting and writing. 

By the time you reach it, the sun has just started to peak over the horizon, bathing the top of the hill in golden sunlight. You can feel its warmth on your exposed skin, the cold morning air still clinging to the shadows. You take out your water bottle and notebook, setting the empty bag down on the cold rock. You sit down, positioning yourself to face the sunrise, taking a moment to watch the earth in front of you slowly brighten, the light washing away the remaining shadows. It’s quiet here, as quiet as it can be in nature. There are still the chirps of the birds and the rustling of dead leaves as small animals pass by, but peaceful. 

You know that you can’t stay out too long. You may not notice the cold but your body still has a physical response to it and it's still the middle of December. So you open your notebook and begin.

The story you’ve been working on is not peaceful. It is a terrible story about a young boy raised to fight monsters. He’s known no other life, he was born with the burden of being the only one who can see these monsters, and he can never stop. But the older he gets, and the harder he fights to protect the world from evil, he realizes that a bit of that evil has taken root in him. It starts small, a black spot behind his ear, but it grows. It digs its roots in deep, twisting its way into his soul. 

In the beginning the young man starts off as the hero, but eventually the evil will consume him and he will become what he fought so hard against. You know the ending, but it’s not written yet. There is still hope in the middle of the story. 

When you notice the red tinge in your fingertips brought on by the chilly December air you stop and pack up your things. Taking one last glance around at the now illuminated field, you turn and head back home. 

You arrive at the same time Steve pulls into your driveway. You can see him through the window as you approach and he looks a bit worse for wear. His hair is damp, hanging loosely around his pale face. His eyes are hidden behind sunglasses but are no doubt blood shot with circles under them. He cuts the engine as you approach the drivers’ side, opening the door to haul himself out with a grunt of effort. 

“Alright grandpa, how’s that hangover treating you?” You ask, unable to stop your teasing smirk even for his sake. He sighs heavily, closing the door just to lean back against it, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What kind of friend are you?” He asks, lifting a brow. “How could you let me drink that much?” You come to a stop in front of him, crossing your arms to mirror him. 

“Because according to you, you’re ‘a grown ass man’ who ‘knows how to handle his alcohol’, and because I ‘never let you have any fun’.” You say, throwing air quotes around some of the excuses he gave you when you tried to get him to slow down the night before. A bit of pink brightens his cheeks at the reminder, but he laughs good naturedly at your teasing. 

“Stop holding me accountable for my own actions.” He groans. “I don’t feel good, so I’m just going to blame you to make myself feel better.” He goes on, pressing his finger tips against his temples. His small smile brings a bit of life back to his ashen face.

“Oh of course. Whatever makes your life easier Steve.” You concede, your own smile pulling at your lips. He huffs a laugh, lifting his sunglasses onto his head. There is a beat of silence before he clears his throat, his cheeks flushing a bit more.

“And- uh- thanks. For, you know, babysitting me last night.” He says sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his beck. Your stomach drops at the reminder, you didn’t think Steve was sober enough to remember much but apparently he remembered enough. You wonder if he remembers how he had held you against him, crying quietly in the kitchen while you whipped his tears. How he had gently lowered his forehead to yours and held your palm against his beating heart. You don’t want to press the subject, especially if he doesn’t remember everything. 

“Don’t mention it, I’ll bill your parents later.” You joke, forcing yourself to chuckle. Steve laughs lightly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He looks you up and down, nodding his head towards his jacket you’re still wearing.

“The jacket looks good on you.” He says. You look down at the old bomber jacket, moving to unzip it.

“Yea sorry I just borrowed it to walk home last night. I, uh, couldn’t sleep.” You tell him, the unspoken truth behind your words not lost on him. He’s familiar with your anxious habits that don’t always make sense. That you have a tendency to walk away when your brain won’t settle down. His hand stops yours on the zipper, pulling it away.

“It’s okay, you can keep it.” He tells you. “I don’t wear it anymore anyways.” He explains, looking down at his hand encircling your wrist. 

“Thanks Steve.” You beam up at him. He smiles back , his thumb running over the underside of your wrist. Your heart leaps. In that moment you wonder if he’s somehow feeling where Billy’s lips had been the night before. But that’s ridiculous. 

“It will be a nice reminder of me while I’m gone. Along with this.” He says, pulling something from his pocket. Your eyes widen at the sight of a delicate gold chain, glinting in the sun, a small pendant hanging perfectly in the center. 

“What is that?” You ask in confusion. Steves’ smile only grows as he drapes the shining metal over your wrist, easily clasping it in place.

“It’s your Christmas present. I’m giving it to you early cause I won’t be back until after new years.” He tells you, one hand still gently cupping your wrist. “The lady told me it’s real so it won’t leave a ring or anything.” He tells you as if it’s the most casual thing in the world. 

Heat flushes your cheeks as you inspect the bracelet. You take in the intricate beauty of the simple chain, small links twisting and interlocking into a light strand of glittering gold. A simple pendant hangs from the middle. A brilliant shining sun, catching and reflecting the light, casting off its own rays as it hangs from your wrist. It’s beautiful. More elegant than anything you’ve ever owned. Something twists low in your gut.

“Steve, I can’t take this.” You tell him, moving to unclasp the chain. He instantly pushes your hand away. 

“Of course you can.” He insists. Suddenly his eyes fill with worry. “Do you not like it?” He asks, his smile falling. Your stomach sinks.

“No, I- I like it, it’s really beautiful. It’s just too nice.” You try to explain. Steve sighs with relief, his smile returning in an instant. 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a bracelet, it’s not like I bought you a car or something.” He laughs at his own joke. You struggle to maintain your smile. You know that money isn’t really an issue with Steve’s allowance but it doesn’t make you feel any better. He should be saving his money for school, not spending it on pretty things for you. Steve’s eyes catch on to your discomfort almost instantly. “Please accept it.” He pleads sincerely. “I saw it and immediately thought of you.” He explains, one of his fingers flicking over the sun pendant. 

Your heart swells at the sentiment. It’s unbearably cheesy, and very Steve. When your eyes glance up to meet his you’re once again met with the big brown puppy eyes, the hangover makes them look especially sad. You have to suppress a groan. 

“Okay.” You finally give in, earning an ear to ear grin from Steve that pulls a smile out of you as well.  “Thank you, Steve.” 

“Merry Christmas, Babysitter.” He says, pulling you into a crushing hug. 

“Merry Christmas.” You reply, wrapping your arms around him. He holds you tightly, pulling you up and into him. “I didn’t get you anything.” You admit, shamefully burying your face in his shoulder. His responding laugh shakes both of you.

“Can I request an official document declaring that I’m your best friend?” He asks. Your cheeks burn at the memory of you and Steve admitting that you are each other's best friends the night before. You laugh, trying to swat at him but he keeps his arms locked around you. “Can I get it notarized as well?” He adds, still laughing.

“Oh shut up.” You groan, earning another laugh. When he finally lets you go, you take a half step back. You’re hyper aware of the bracelet, holding your arm slightly away from your body to keep it from catching on any of your clothes and potentially scuffing it. 

“Aren't you flying out today? When are you supposed to head to the airport? ” You ask, glancing at your watch. 

“I was supposed to leave 10 minutes ago.” He tells you flatly. You gap at him. 

“You what? What are you doing here? You’re going to miss your flight you dork!” You practically yell at him, giving his arm a shot towards his car. 

“I had to come say goodbye.” He says, laughing as he opens the door and allows you to shove him into the driver's seat. 

“You could have just called!” You say, slamming the door closed as soon as his legs are in. You see him laugh again through the window. The engine roars to life as Steve cracks the window, still smiling. 

“No I couldn’t.” He says, like it’s a fact. That gets an eye roll from you.

“Get out of here before I’m stuck with you all winter break.” You tell him, unable to stop the small smile that he always manages to drag out of you. 

“I’ll call you from the resort!” He tells you, putting the car in reverse and pulling out of the drive. “Don’t miss me too much!” He calls from the end of the driveway. “I’ll try!” You call back, waving goodbye as Steve gives you one last smile before pulling into the street. You watch the car speed down your street and disappear around the corner before heading towards the house. 

An uneasy feeling settles over you as you make your way to your door. You and Steve had quickly become inseparable since the night the gate closed, it was a seamless partnership. It made you feel like there was someone there who had your back. You know that Nancy and Jonathan are still close but the knowledge that Steve will be alone for the next two weeks fills your mind with a low level of anxiety. 

A chill snakes down your spine and your hurry into the house. You feel unsettled from the thoughts of Steve being so far away and practically unprotected, your palms itch with the need to do something. Instinctively you begin checking the safety of your own home. Moving quickly and efficiently you check locks on all the doors and windows, then lay hands on all the hidden weapons in the house. When you’ve checked all of them, you settle at the table with your fathers Barretta, pulling out the cleaning kit. It's monotonous work, but cleaning the pistol always seems to ease the itch in your hands when your anxiety picks up. 

Rolling up the sleeves on the jacket your attention catches on the glint of gold around your wrist. You examine it for a moment, looking at how the delicate chain contrasts against your sun damaged skin. How it stands in opposition to your calloused hands, your fingernails chewed down to the quick, cuticles picked to an angry red. Your stomach twists. 

It really is a beautiful piece of jewelry, delicate and perfectly balanced. Traits you can’t see in yourself. It really is too nice for someone like you. 

What if you broke it or scratched it? What if you lost it on a walk? What if you fucked it up?

It’s too good for you. You wish it wasn’t, but it is. 

You carefully unclasp the chain, lying it gently on the table before you start cleaning. You lay out the cleaning supplies, setting the pistol down on a rag in front of you. Then you settle into the process of disassembling and cleaning all the small pieces of the weapon. You remember when Hopper had taught you how to properly clean a gun. He told you that he and your dad would sit in silence for hours just sipping on drinks and cleaning the small harmless parts of the deadly machines. He always stressed that it was vitally important for you to understand the inner workings of a gun before ever picking one up. How all the pieces fit together, and if even one small part was missing or broke it would alter the functionality with devastating results. 

Your fingers slowly darken with the combination of CLP cleaning oil and burnt carbon. You work diligently, rubbing at any blemishes remaining. When you’re satisfied that the gun is clean, and the anxiety in your mind has lessened slightly, you reassemble your gun and pack up your cleaning kit. 

You move to grab the pistol, intending to put it back where it was hidden in your nightstand but pause your eyes catching on how dirty your hands are. You go to the sink and scrub at your hands until they are rubbed raw. When you’re sure that no remnants of carbon or oil cling to your hands, you pick up the gun in one hand and the gold bracelet in the other. You walk to your room, securing the pistol to the underside of your nightstand and placing the glimmering chain on the surface. 

You can’t risk accidentally damaging it. Better to keep it here, safe. Your fingers ghost along the edges of the sun pendant, still managing to catch some of the light, glimmering up at you. 

The sound of a revving engine causes you to jump. 

Billy.

Your eyes dart to the time. 1156. You had lost track of time and nearly forgotten that Billy told you he would pick you up at 12. Not knowing what to expect, you just grab your bag, still packed from your walk, and head out the door before Billy can make enough noise to wake your mom. 

Before you step out the door, you take a deep breath, reminding yourself that you have killed monsters before and faced shady government agencies, you should not let Billy fluster you the way he does. You are going to be so calm, he’s going to get bored and stop teasing you. That’s the plan. 

His eyes are on you from the moment you step out of the house, his gaze follows you all the way to the car. Climbing into the passenger seat you notice he’s playing a cassette, it’s the first time you’ve actually recognized the song. You can’t remember the name, but it’s one of the songs Max showed you that day after school. 

“You didn’t have to drive me.” You tell him, buckling your seatbelt. Billy immediately rolls his eyes, huffing a laugh. 

“Yea, tell that to the duct tape holding your shoes together right now, loca.” He shoots back. 

“It’s only one of them.” You grumble, settling into your seat. Billy just chuckles.

“It’s just a ride crazy, don’t make a big deal about it.” He tells you, putting the car in reverse and pulling out of your driveway.

AN: sorry this took so long 😬

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[final-girl96]

THEY'RE BACK!!

#norman reedus #sean patrick flanery #boondock saints #the boondock saints #murphy mcmanus #conner mcmanus #rocko boondock saints

[final-girl96]

Firefly Chapter Fifty-Six

YN

I woke up and looked around. It took me a few seconds before I remembered what had happened and where we were. When I did I sat straight and looked towards Joel, who was lying on the floor of an old frozen yogurt store. He was bundled in the sleeping bag that Ellie and I managed to get him into so we could drag him here. “How long was I out?” I asked. I was looking to make sure Joel was okay, pulling the sleeping bag tighter around him to make sure he stayed warm. When I didn't get and answer I turned my head to look over where I saw Ellie last. “Ellie?”

She wasn't there, though. “Ellie!” I stood up and walked to the counter, leaning over it to look towards the back of the store. “Ellie!” Still no answer. “Fuck!” I slammed a hand on the counter and went back to Joel. “I'll be right back. I need to go find Ellie,” I whispered and kissed his forehead. The horses were in the store with us so I knew she hadn't gone outside. The lock for the roller door was on the floor where I was so she hasn't locked us in here either.

I grabbed the lock and headed for the door. “I'll be back as soon as I can and Ellie will be with me.” I pulled the door up enough I could duck under it and then closed it behind me. I slipped the key to the padlock in my pocket after locking the door. I didn't want to leave Joel there alone and vulnerable just in case those guys did find us. When I turned my back to the door, I took a deep breath and looked around. “Where are you Ellie?” I walked to The left of the store beside the frozen yogurt shop we were staying in. All the stores were locked up tight.

Being in a mall brought back a lot of memories pre-outbreak. Spending hours walking around with friends just to do something. Half the time we wouldn't even buy anything besides maybe an Auntie Anne's pretzel or maybe have lunch at the food court. The mall was always just the hangout spot and a great place to get away from the Texas heat. Sometimes we would decide to see a movie if something was playing that we wanted to see.

Looking at this place it was very obvious that it was once used as a refugee center. The shops might have been bored up but the way curtain areas of the mall were blocked off said that people once took a stand here to try and survive. That told me Ellie was somewhere in this mall trying to find first aid supplies to help Joel. I wasn't feeling so great myself. I was feeling weak and fatigued from the blood loss. I had to take a breather after walking up the escalator because I was so drained of any kind of energy.

I turned left since that was the only way I could go and walked down to the end until I saw an American Doll shop. The door was ajar just enough for someone to duck under. I removed my flashlight and gun, cautiously walking over and kneeling down to look under the door. Speaks floated in the air in the beam of light. “Well, I'm not going in there.” I stood up and looked around. Right beside the doll shop was a pharmacy and right before you got to the gate for that shop, which was open enough for someone to crawl under, was a dead clicker.

I walked around the clicker, knelt down, and looked under the gate. There were no spores in the air, so I crawled under. The pharmacy was a mess, shelves were disheveled and bare of product. Behind the counter was an open door that led to the back, so I went that way. An empty first aid box lay on the floor, and to my right was a busted out window. “You're really going to make me look for you, aren't you?”

Ellie

I went through the snow filled photo store which led into a nail salon. Slumped against a wall was a man and beside him was a first aid kit. It was clear the man had died a while ago so he wouldn't need the supplies. There was some gauze in the kit and that was it but it would work. There had to be one in the military helicopter on the other side, I just needed to get to it.

I shoved the gauze in my pocket and ducked through the hole in the wall. The stairs were blocked so I could go down then. So instead I jumped over the railing of them, landing on the snow covered floor below. I ran over to the gate that blocked off the stairs that led to where the helicopter was. “Thank you, military.” The only problem was that the gate had a button that needed to be pressed to open it. I need electricity for it to work though.

“Anyway to get this on?” I looked down to the floor and saw a thick orange cord. “Follow the cables. Right, Joel?” I looked I'm the direction the cables were going and headed that way. It led me to double doors that have the word maintenance above it. The doors led to the back of the mall where I assumed all the offices, loading docks, and storage was.

I walked down the corridor, flashlight on, and gun in my hand. I jumped over two large crates that blocked the hall. A cat jumped down from one of the crates and ran off, scaring me. “Oh God, fucking cat.” I continued down the hall, trying one door but it was jammed.

The further I went down the worse it got. Half the hall was flooded. “Oh my God, that's freezing.” I walked through the freezing water until I came to doors that I could open. They led to the loading dock. The whole place was flooded but there was a generator on the platform. I went over and tried it but it wouldn't turn on. “Nothing?” I checked the Gas gauge. “outta juice.” Looking around I found a gas can. “Maybe I can get gas from one of those trucks.”

Yn

I jumped through the broken window and followed the footprints that were left behind in the snow. I had to go through a couple of stores that had been snow filled due to the caved in roof. Then I jumped over the railing of the stairs. The gate door was locked and couldn't be opened without power. When I looked down to the ground, there was an orange cable. “Follow the cables,” I whispered.

I followed the cable into the back area of the mall, eventually coming to a Parr that was flooded. “Fuck. This is going to be cold as hell.” I took a deep breath and walked through the water until I came to an open door. There on the platform beside a generator was Ellie. But there was also something else lurking in the dark. I slowly walked up behind her and covered her mouth before she could scream. “Shh. It's just me. We need to be quiet. There are stalkers in here.” She relaxed and nodded her head.

#joel miller fanfic #joel the last of us #ellie x joel #joel and ellie #joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel tlou #joel miller fanfiction #the last of us fanfic #ellie the last of us #the last of us game #the last of us #ellie x riley #ellie x reader #ellie williams #ellie tlou #pedro pascal

[final-girl96]

Speak | Chapter 25

Word Count: 5.2 K

Summary: Bella Swan was a disaster when Edward had left. Deciding she needed a little help, Charlie Swan receives with open arms his younger daughter (Y/N) Swan. She helps Bella during her depression and becomes inseparable from her long-lost friend Jacob. What she didn’t expect was falling for a hotheaded short-tempered silver wolf.

A/N: okay, y'all, I'm back and very late, I know. I've been dealing with my new baby kitten and have almost no time to write, but here's the long awaited confrontation. Hope y'all like that it's a bit of a long one 💖💖 TAGLIST CLOSED 

<- Previous

“I’m gonna kill him,” Paul seethed, his hand closing into a tight fist. “I don’t care about being a pack brothers or whatever bullshit. I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

The boy was enraged. His brain had fogged with ire, and his veins ran hot with unrest. But unlike the anger that overtook him before a shift, this one was cold and calculating. It made his senses sharp, pointed. He wanted vengeance. He wanted payback. Most of all, he wanted to fight in (Y/N)’s honor.

But before he had stepped out of the house, he had no idea he would feel that way.

“We gotta talk to you, Paul,” Jared said, his usual joking aura long gone. “It’s, uh, it’s serious.”

“What happened?”

“It’s something to do with Jake,” he grimaced before continuing, “and (Y/N). About last night.”

“Did the vampire come back?” (Y/N) worried, squeezing Paul’s hand tightly as her heart raced. “Did she attack him?”

“Oh no,” Embry said angrily. “But Paul just might.”

“Why don’t we go outside, Paul?” Sam feted. “(Y/N) can stay here for a bit before you take her back home.”

“No, I wanna know. If it has something to do with Jake and me, I have a right to know.”

“She stays,” the boy said. “No more secrets. We’re doing the honesty thing.”

“Right,” she smiled. “The honesty thing.”

“Okay, then,” the alpha sighed. “But this is a very sensitive topic, and I’m gonna need you to stay levelheaded here, Paul. We’ve had enough tragedies happen, one right after the other. I don’t think we could take one more.”

“You’re scaring me, Sam,” (Y/N) said. “What happened?”

“I’ll let veg tell you since he’s the one that witnessed it.”

The younger wolf stepped in front as Sam motioned him to do so, his cheeks growing red as everyone’s eyes turned to him. What he had to say was not easy; everyone knew that. Jacob was his best friend, and speaking I’ll about him was a betrayal like no other. But if had to be done. Something had to be done.

“Okay, so we’ve all seen firsthand how good Jake is at hiding his thoughts when we’re in wolf form,” Embry started, fiddling with his thumbs to avoid looking directly at anyone. “Like, he’s unnaturally good at this whole wolf stuff.”

“We get it, El. Or best friend is the best at this,” Paul complained. “Get to the point,”

“Yes. Okay. Sorry,” he stammered. “Well, we were out on our shift this morning before the funeral, and I could tell something wasn’t quite right with him when we met up. I just thought he was sad about Harry. But a few minutes into our run, he let a memory slip though, about last night, and what went down with (Y/N) and Victoria.

“After he left Bella at her hip use, he ran back to our side of the woods,” he continued. “That’s where he came upon the vampire and you, (Y/N).”

“No, Embry. Jake wasn’t there,” the girl said confused. “I only saw Victoria and Paul.”

“He was there,” Embry restated, shaking his head. “He saw Victoria attack you and stayed hidden behind some trees. He thought… I shouldn’t.”

“Don’t you dare hold back, Embry,” Paul ordered through gritted teeth. What the hell did Jacob think?”

“Gods, this is horrible,” the younger boy worried. “He thought if (Y/N) got hurt or… or worse, that Bella would seek comfort in him and finally forget about the vampires.”

“You better not be saying what I think you’re saying, Embry.”

“I’m sorry, Paul. But, yes. Jacob thought that if (Y/N) died, it would send Bella right into his arms. So, he hid and watched as Victoria attacked. He left when you were taking her here,” he admitted sheepishly, as though he had been the one to commit the wrongdoing. His face had grown bright red, and she was sure she could see his chest rising and falling at an unnatural pace. “I’m so sorry, (Y/N). I never thought… I can’t even believe he would do something so despicable.”

“I’m gonna kill him,” Paul seethed, his hand closing into a tight fist. “I don’t care about being a pack brothers or whatever bullshit. I’m gonna fucking kill him.”

“No, you’re not,” (Y/N)said, her voice wavering slightly as she tried her best to hold her composure. It won’t change what he did—or what I guess he didn’t do.”

“He was going to let you die, (Y/N),” Paul whispered softly. “He wanted you to die without getting his hands dirty. There’s no excuse for that.”

“I’m not excusing his behavior. God knows I’ve done enough of that already,” she sighed as she tightened her grip on the hand that had yet to leave hers. “I’m simply just done with Jacob. I don’t wanna hear more of his excuses and warped reasonings. I’m just done.

I never thought I’d say this, but I almost died yesterday,” she chuckled incredulously. “I could have died I could have died because of that vampire last night if it hadn’t been for you. But I also could have died that morning trying to save Bella. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive him, but I sure as hell don’t want anything to do with him right now.”

“I’m not gonna really kill him,” Paul said, his voice softening as his gaze fell onto her eyes. “But he can’t get away without at least a beat down. He’ll heal quickly, unfortunately. I just can’t let him think that everything he’s done to you can go unpunished.”

“It’s really not worth it,” she shrugged. “He’s not worth it.”

“Something has to be done,” he restated. “What are you going to do, Sam?”

“I don’t… this is an unprecedented situation, Paul. He technically hasn’t broken any rules, but I do agree he has to be punished. I’m just not sure what that looks like.”

But though he didn’t say a thing, Sam sent Paul a stare that the boy quickly understood. There was resolution in both of their gazes. Something had to be done, and something would be done. “Keep (Y/N) away,” Paul told his alpha. I’ll be back soon.”

“Wait, where are you going?” (Y/N) questioned as he went to let go of her hand. “Please don’t go pick a fight with him.”

“Just stay here,” he softened. “I’ll be back later to take you home.”

“Paul…”

“I have to go do this, (Y/N),” Paul assured, cradling her face tenderly. I’ve been more than calm when it comes to him. But he’s crossed a line, and I’m not gonna let it stand—not when it means I could have lost you.”

“Fighting with him won’t change anything, Paul,” she continued. “You could get hurt.”

“This is long overdue, (Y/N). And it’s happening.”

Before she could say anything else, Paul kissed her forehead and took off on a run. He sped down the street before anyone could stop him. His limbs took him flying toward the well-known red cabin while he prepared himself for the confrontation of a lifetime.

Paul knew that it was the worst day possible for a reckoning. With Harry Clearwater’s passing, the entire community was down and reeling from a massive loss. Billy Black would definitely be surprised to see him at his house, but not another second could pass where Jacob thought he could get away with what he had done. He would pay for every single action he took against (Y/N). He would pay for even thinking of hurting her. Paul would make sure Jacob regretted the second he had decided to hurt the Swan girl.

Soon enough, the house came into view, and Paul’s blood boiled. Only the living room light was on, and he prayed to the gods that Billy wasn’t home yet. The man had no fault in his son’s wrongdoing, and the last thing he wanted was to cause the chief more heartache. Still, he had to do what needed to be done—what should have been done months before.

Once he reached the front door, his fist pounded on the wood, his voice echoing Jacob’s name loudly and thunderously. Anyone down the street would be able to hear him, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered more than what he was going to do.

“Paul,” Billy said Ashe opened the door. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I need to talk to your son, Billy. And I’m sorry, but this has nothing to do with you.”

“If it’s about Jacob, it has everything to do with me,” the man responded. “What has he done now?”

“Why don’t you ask him?” Paul said as he saw Jacob slowly walking toward his father and packmate. “Why don’t you ask Jacob what he was doing last night, Billy?”

The man’s head snapped backward, his eyes falling on the petrified expression on his son’s face. The guilt was plastered on thickly, and it was hard not to notice he had done something bad enough to regret. “What did you do, Jacob?”

“I didn’t do anything,” the boy said. “Why do you think I did something, dad? Shouldn’t you be on my side?”

“I didn’t even know there were dudes to choose from, boy. But your face has done enough to tell me that you have done something. We just have to determine how forgivable it can be. It’s not like you’ve been making the best decisions lately.”

“Should you tell him, or should I?” Paul spat. Either way, everyone’s going to know the truth—even your precious Bella. What do you think she’ll think about you once she knows what you did?”

“Don’t you fucking talk about her.”

“Jacob!” Billy exclaimed. “I demand you tell me right now what Paul is talking about. I’ve had enough heartache today, and I do not want to add to the distaste. You tell me right now, Jacob.”

“It’s not what you think, dad,” Jake groveled. “He’s just blowing things out of proportion. I swear on mom’s grave, I didn’t do anything.”

“Don’t you dare do that, son. Do not tarnish your mother’s resting place in that way.”

“Tell him, Jacob,” Paul pushed. “Tell him what could’ve happened to (Y/N) last night if it had been up to you.”

At the sound of the girl’s name, Billy’s eyes went wide. He understood that the dispute was regarding the girl, but the more Paul pushed, the worse he knew his son had acted. With the confirmation that it involved (Y/N), he was becoming resolute that Jake may have done something unforgivable. “Jacob, if there is any chance for forgiveness, you better come clean now.”

“I don’t… I didn’t…”

“What? Vamp got your tongue, Jake?”

“Shut up, Paul.”

“Tell him, Jake. Tell your dad what you were gonna let happen last night.”

The second Paul disappeared down the road, (Y/N) went into a frenzy. She begged Sam to stop him and told Jared to go after him, but no one would budge. They all told her it simply had to be done. Whatever went down between the two boys had to happen.

But (Y/N) couldn’t fathom either of them getting hurt because of her. Sure, Jacob deserved a little pain, but she couldn’t help wishing no ill will toward him. Even if he had been an absolute monster the past three months, he had still been her friend for many years before that, and a part of her would always worry for that boy she knew.

As for Paul, worry was laced into every thought of him. She didn’t even want to imagine what harm could come to him at Jacob's hands, especially because of her. Her head was a mess, and her feelings were all jumbled, but she was sure that the last thing she wanted was for Paul to get hurt.

The second she had found Paul’s keys—the purple bracelet giving them away—she snatched them from the table and ran outside, but Sam and Jared were quick to block her way. “Let me through,” she said. “I need to stop this.”

“They need to do this, (Y/N),” Sam said. “The only thing you’re going to do by going there is get hurt. You’ve already had enough of that.”

“I can’t just sit by and let them hurt each other, Sam,” she exclaimed. “They are two of the most stubborn people I have ever met. This could easily end in blood.”

“They’ll heal,” Jared retorted. “It’s like Paul said, (Y/N). This has been a long time coming.”

“I don’t think you really understand what’s happening,” Embry interjected as he joined the other boys. “Jacob was ready to let you die last night, (Y/N). He would have committed one of the betrayals a pack brother can do, and that’s harming an imprint.”

“This is just another stupid mistake that Jacob made,” Sam continued. “This was a calculated decision that could have ended badly.”

“You’re their alpha, Sam. You’re supposed to make sure things like these don’t happen between them.”

“Right now, I have bigger things to deal with than those two,” he sighed. “I can’t tell you what to do, (Y/N). If you wanna go, then go. But I’m telling you, this is gonna happen whether you want it to or not.”

“I have to do what I can,” she responded as she jumped into the driver’s seat of Paul’s truck. “Before they do something they might regret.”

“I’ll go with her,” Embry offered. “If things get too out of hand, I can get in the middle.”

“Fine,” Sam relented, knowing there was nothing he could do to drop (Y/N). “Just make sure she doesn’t get close to them.”

“I will,” Embry assured, slipping into the truck. "She won’t get hurt.”

In a matter of seconds, (Y/N) was speeding down the road and heading toward the red cabin, praying to whatever was out there that the two boys had kept their cool for long enough. She knew everyone was reeling. Not just because of what had happened to her but because Harry Clearwater had passed. It was a moment of high levels of stress and a fight was the last thing anyone needed.

(Y/N) didn’t really understand her need to protect them both. At least not completely. She should have wanted the vindication that came from someone finally putting Jacob in his place, but there was a part of her, a small part, that simply wanted to move on and forget that part of her life. But there was still the part that wanted the boy she had loved to be safe. No amount of retaliation would ever replace everything she had already given him.

At the Black residence, Billy, Jacob, and Paul were engaged in a heated argument. (Y/N) couldn’t hear it, but she knew what it was. Before giving it another thought, she jumped out of the truck and ran toward them, ignoring the searing pain that shot through her ankle and Embry yelling her name.

“Tell him, Jake,” Paul said, his gaze burning a hole in Jake’s head. “Tell your dad what you were gonna let happen last night.”

“Don’t,” (Y/N) blurted before she could stop herself. “It won’t do anyone any good.”

“(Y/N), look at the state of you,” Billy gasped. Her arms were covered in cuts and bruises, and her neck sported a darkening bruise in the shape of a hand. The man took in every visible wound before turning his head toward his son. “Did you do this, Jacob? Did you hurt (Y/N)?”

“No! What the hell, dad?!” he questioned defensively. “How could you think that?”

“But you could have prevented it,” Paul seethed. “But you didn’t want to, did you, Jake?”

“You better tell me the truth this instant, boy,” the older man fumed. “I’ve had just about enough of your excuses. What happened last night, Jacob?”

“I-I-I…”

“Speak up!”

“I almost died,” (Y/N) responded quickly. “Last night, the vampire that’s been hunting Bella found me, and she almost killed me. Left me with some pretty nasty wounds as a reminder.”

“And what about Jacob, (Y/N)? Please just tell me.”

“He didn’t… I didn’t…”

“He saw her long before we did,” Paul said, anger spewing from every word he spoke. “He saw her with the bloodsucker, and he was going to let her die. All because he wanted Bella to run back to him. Your son was going to let (Y/N) die so that her sister was so heartbroken she would find solace in him.”

“That’s not true, dad!” Jacob defended. “How could you say that?”

“It is true,” Embry sheepishly interjected. “You let the memory slip this morning during our shift. You saw everything that the vampire was doing, and you did nothing. You wanted her to die, Jake.”

“What the fuck, Em? You’re supposed to be my friend.”

“I’m not going to lie for you, Jake,” the boy assured. “Not when it comes to someone’s life.”

Jacob took a step closer to Embry, anger clear on his features, but his father rolled into his path, his face matching in anger. “You were going to let her die, Jacob?” Billy interjected. “Do you have any idea how deplorable that is? And to someone you supposedly loved once upon a time.”

“Dad, it wasn’t like that,” he whined. “They’re blowing things out of proportion. I just… I froze.” 

“You didn’t, Jake,” Embry corrected. “I heard your thoughts, and they were unforgivable.”

“Shut up, Embry!” Jacob raised his fist, headed straight for his friend’s face, but Paul’s hand stopped it. The older boy pushed him back, making him stumble in his step. “You don’t want to pick another fight with me, Paul. Remember how the last one ended?”

And how could he not remember? He had reeled from the pain for weeks, knowing that not only had he hurt (Y/N) but that she was back in Jacob’s arms. But this time was different. Paul was different, and so was she. He had finally said the truth, and she had heard it. All they needed now was time and maybe a dash of retaliation.

“Don’t push your luck, Jacob,” Paul said through gritted teeth as he squared up with the boy. “The only reason I haven’t bashed your head in is because (Y/N) doesn’t want me to hurt you.” 

“Look at that,” he snickered before whispering so low only Paul could have heard it, “even after all I’ve done, she cares more about my well-being than even her own.”

That did it. Paul’s hand recoiled before colliding with a loud snap with Jacob’s jaw. The hit made the younger boy lose his balance, and he tumbled to the ground with a surprised expression. But it didn’t take long before he was up again and lunging for Paul. There were punches thrown, kicks, drags, and pushes. Every collision of limbs resounded across the yard, thundering into the woods beyond. It was a messily choreographed dance where both boys were fighting for dominance. Well, Paul was fighting for something he knew mattered much more than a measly win. He was fighting for (Y/N) and everything she had lost because of Jake.

But (Y/N) could not handle the scene unfolding before her. Where the boys were focused on besting the other, all the girl could see was the forming red marks, the dripping blood, and the shredded clothes. All she could see was hurt and pain and everything she was tired of experiencing. She begged for them to stop, her voice growing hoarse as they continued to tumble farther away. She tried to run after them, but both Embry and Billy stopped her.

“It’s your son, Billy,” (Y/N) cried. “Aren’t you gonna do something about it?”

“You have too forgiving a soul, dear (Y/N),” he said sternly. “That boy needs a firm punishment that only Paul can impart. This needs to happen. My son has made his choices, however despicable they may be, and he had to face his consequences.”

“But I’m fine. I’m here. I’m alive,” she exclaimed. “They’re just gonna get hurt. You have to stop them, Billy.”

“I cannot, (Y/N). They’ll stop when they need to,” he shrugged as he took the girl’s hand in his. “But this must happen. This is the reckoning he had won for himself. Maybe Paul will finally knock some sense into that boy, and I’ll get back the son I knew.”

“But…”

“Let it go, (Y/N),” Embry said. “This is happening. They’ll fight, get hurt, and heal.”

Before her very eyes, the brawling boys transformed into massive wolves, ripping away their clothes and their skin. They snarled and nipped, trying their best to instill the deepest wound. One second, Jacob was dominating, bashing the other wolf into the ground. He growled and bit his back leg, trying his hardest to end the attack. But the next, it was Paul who was pouncing on the russet-brown wolf, dragging him through the grass by his scruff. Jake thrashed and barked, his limbs thrashing as he tried to break free. Their furs matted together with crimson red stains, signaling every part their teeth had been able to sink into.

But (Y/N) was restless. As she watched the boys hurl each other across the ground, she couldn’t keep still. She could not simply stand there and watch as they continued to hurt each other for her sake.

The girl slipped out of Billy’s grip and ignored his calls as she ran toward the animals. “Stop!” she cried out. “Just stop! It’s enough!”

Paul’s head snapped toward her, worry evident in his wolf’s eyes because of her closeness. He whined toward her, begging her to go back to safety, but she didn’t budge. At that moment, as the silver-furred wolf turned his entire attention to (Y/N), Jacob sprung from the ground and pounced on the boy, sinking his fangs into Paul’s shoulder.

“No!” (Y/N) shrieked as Paul wailed a painful howl. “Let him go!”

Yet all Jacob did was bite down harder, making it impossible for Paul to move. He held the older boy’s leg in his mouth, allowing the red liquid to stain his fur, growling as he stared at the girl. But his victory did not last long as a grey wolf jumped from behind her and crashed his head into Jacob’s ribs, knocking the wind out of him and making him release Paul.

As soon as he was free, the silver canine slowly transitioned back into a human, revealing a curled-up and pained Paul Lahote. (Y/N) quickly ran toward the boy, taking her jacket off and draping it across his legs, tears quickly falling from her eyes. “Oh god, Paul,” she sobbed, pressing a hand on his oozing wound. “What do I do? What can I do?”

Her hand came up red and drenched in blood, making her shudder. “I’m fine,” Paul groaned as he struggled to get up. “Well, I’ll be fine.”

“You’re bleeding, Paul. Because of me,” she said. “This is the last thing I wanted. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“It’s not your fault, (Y/N),” he smiled, his eyes softening as they landed on hers. “And it’ll take time, but I’ll heal.”

“I should have listened. I should have stayed away. I…” 

“I knew what I was doing, (Y/N),” he said. His unharmed hand reached up to cradle her cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb. “And I would have done it a million times again because you deserve someone that would fight for you.”

“I’d rather have you be okay,” she whimpered, leaning into the warmth of his touch. “We gotta get you inside and clean that wound up. Why isn’t it healing fast?”

“Wounds by other supernaturals take a bit longer to heal,” he replied. “And I can’t really go inside right now.”

“You can’t stay here either, Paul,” she argued. “Embry already took Jake away into the woods. The fight is over.”

“Yeah, but I’m also naked under this tiny jacket, and I’m not sure I wanna expose myself just yet.”

Before (Y/N) could say anything else—not that her beet-red cheeks hadn’t said enough—Billy rolled down the pathway, a blanket, and a towel on his lap. “Wrap the towel around his shoulder, (Y/N),” he instructed. “I’ll give you some clothes once we’re inside.”

The girl did as instructed before helping Paul to his feet. The sheet dragged across the ground and barely covered his chest, and pain shot through every part of his body. He could feel every scratch and bite across his limbs stinging as blood rushed to them, his body working overtime to heal. (Y/N) draped his healthy arm across her shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist, trying her best to keep him steady. She barely reached his chin, but he’d be damned if he didn’t revel in her touch.

Once inside, she didn’t allow him to move another muscle. She fetched the clothes Billy told her to get and got the first aid kit from the bathroom while he dressed. In the kitchen, she got a bowl of warm water and a cloth before carefully washing away the blood from his visible wounds. She worked quickly and quietly, her brow furrowed in concentration, all of her attention focused on the task.

But it was the tears that glimmered in the corners of her eyes that captured Paul’s attention. “Hey, hey, why are you crying, pretty girl?” he cooed softly as he cradled her face. “Those tears better not be because of me.”

“I can’t help it,” she sighed as she finished wrapping his shoulder. “If I hadn’t distracted you, Jake wouldn’t have bit you. I just wanted you guys to stop.”

“Hey, that wasn’t on you, (Y/N),” Paul responded softly. This was a sanctioned fight that I was not going to turn down. I’ve never liked Jacob, but I never really had a motive to beat him up. He got one dirty move in, but I pulled my own with him. He’s going to have some wounds of his own to heal.”

“None of this should’ve happened, Paul,” she sniffled. “If I hadn’t pushed you away, this wouldn’t have happened. If I had just left Jake when I needed to, this wouldn’t have happened. I made so many wrong decisions that ended up here, and if I had made them, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Don’t do that, (Y/N). Don’t put this on yourself,” he assured. Even through the pain, he raised his other hand to cradle the other side of her face, using his thumbs to wipe away every stream of tears that fell. “I’m the one that could have prevented all of this. I should have told you everything from the very beginning, but I waited until it was too late. If anyone is at fault, it’s me.”

“I don’t think I would have believed you,” she smiled as she closed her eyes to sink into his touch, reveling in the closeness and thankful for their safety. “I barely believed Bella until I saw you guys turn into wolves. And I was too blinded by Jacob to believe anything else.”

“It still doesn’t make any of this your fault. We all made decisions that had consequences, good and bad. Let’s just agree is not one’s fault.”

“But…”

“No one’s at fault, (Y/N),” he smiled. “No one.”

Their eyes met and bore into one another, finding a glimmer they had not seen in a while. There was a sense of déjà vu that floated between them as they were taken back to the moment (Y/N) had been hurt herself and Paul had been the one to clean and wrap her wounds. They had been that close, the moment had been that intense, their feelings had been that undisclosed. But there was one distinct difference. There was no Jacob in the way.

Just as it had happened before, neither of them knew who had leaned in first, but in a matter of seconds, their faces had breached the distance between each other. Their noses were grazing each other, and their breaths caressed each other’s skin, but neither made the final move. All they had to do was get closer. Just one slip and…

“I’m sorry, (Y/N),” Billy interrupted. “But could I have a moment with Paul? I just want to talk to him before he takes you home. I think it’s best you finally rest.”

“Oh, of course,” she muttered. “I’ll be in the living room.”

Once she was out of the room, Billy settled beside Paul, a warm smile stretched across his mouth. “I’m sorry for interrupting,” he chuckled softly. “But you must know I am very protective of (Y/N). I may have been lenient and patient with my own son—something I will regret for a long time—but I still care for her quite deeply.”

“I wouldn’t hurt her, Billy,” the boy assured. “I wouldn’t ever hurt her, not willingly.”

“I know that. Don’t worry, kid,” he smiled. "I just wanted to thank you—for today, I mean.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a father thank me for beating his son up.”

“Well, normally I wouldn’t, but that boy had long slipped from my hands, and I haven’t been as strict as I should have,” the man sighed. “He needed a reality check, and I know no better person to give it than you. What he did last night is not only unforgivable, it’s immoral and appalling. If his mother could see him now… let’s just say she’d be quite disappointed. I don’t know where I went wrong with him.”

“Can’t say it’s on you. Jake’s delusion is all him.”

“Still, I apologize for everything he has done,” Billy reaffirmed. “I’ve always been quite protective of (Y/N), and I thought she’d be safe with Jake. Unfortunately, I was wrong. But I certainly wasn’t expecting you to be the one to look out for her. Still, I am grateful. You’ve proven to be quite the exemplary young man, Paul. And I’m glad you are nothing like what people say of you.”

“She deserves someone that isn’t like who I used to be,” the boy confessed. “Ever since the imprint bond, I’ve been trying to become the person I know she deserves. For the longest time, I haven’t been, but I want to—I’m really trying.”

“And she’s alive today because you have. I have not seen her smile like she did just now in a long time, and I have you to thank for.” He placed a comforting hand on Paul’s healthy shoulder, squeezing comfortingly. “You’re a good kid, Paul, and I know you’ll be the man she deserves. But I will say it’ll take time for her to trust and love again. Give time to time, and everything will fall where it may.”

“What about Jake? What do you think will happen to him?”

“Well, I believe he will find himself alone, and he’ll finally understand everything he’s done wrong,” Billy sighed. “Sometimes we must hit our head against a wall to know we’ve been walking down the wrong path, and I think he hit himself against a very strong wall.”

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