#DIDJA HAVE TA BREATHE LIKE THAT NEAR ME

[helplessly-nonstop]

From the Ground Up (Elias imagine)

Truthfully this has been in the works since April, so uh, here we go! Reader owns a ranch and Elias gets hired on a farmhand. This is definitely a slow burn so, uh, good luck! 

WC: 8467 words 

Warnings: this has so much angst, if you’re an AJ Styles stan, you might just wanna leave, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of abuse, Reader gets called sugar and dove, panic attack (kinda, sorta?) 

Tagging: @hardcorewwetrash​ @sporadic-fics​ @renegademustelid​ @neversatisfiedgirl​ @wrestlingfae​

“Hey, kiddo, you ready to do this!?” Braun called out to me as I locked the barn door for the night, giving my horse, Nutmeg a final pat on the back before letting her rest. I turned and grinned, letting out a whoop of excitement then raced towards my friends. Drew snagged me by my waist and twirled me before I crowed, ”Stop, we’re gonna be late and you know that Hunter hates when we’re late!” 

Laughter peeled around me as we hurried to get situated in the two trucks for tonight’s event. I was a bull rider but couldn’t travel due to the fact that I was keeping my family’s legacy alive. We began pulling away when Bayley waved a hand at me, shouting, ”Hat?” I reached a hand out my window and Kevin threw it to me, my fingers barely snagging it. 

With a tight grip on the black material, I swung it into the cab of the truck, slipping it onto my head. I turned to Drew who shook his head and muttered, ”Ye and dat damn hat.” I grinned in response then cranked up the radio, singing along with the current song playing. Sarah laughed at my ridiculousness then joined in on my antics, thoroughly driving Drew to his demise. 

When we arrived at the rodeo, he stumbled out of the truck and cried out,”Freedom!” Kevin, Bayley, and Braun laughed at his exclamation then we walked towards the arena where my “agent”, Hunter Helmsley, was pacing a hole into the dirt. I snickered and jogged over to join him. 

“Oh thank god you’re here! You’re up in twenty minutes and you’re riding Hydro.” I stared at him for a moment then took a deep breath. Hydro was a Hereford bull that weighed about a thousand and three hundred pounds with horns about two feet long. He was the biggest bull in the league and only two people had been able to stay on for the eight seconds needed to succeed. 

I nodded in understanding and met Kevin and Braun near the pin. Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman had been family friends since I was knee high to a grasshopper and when my grandparents passed, they stuck around to keep the farm thriving. They were the crazy bastards who encouraged me to chase my dreams of being a bull rider. 

“Hey killer, who you riding tonight?” Kevin asked, swinging his arm around my shoulders. I glanced up and murmured,”Hydro.” He sucked in a breath then slid away, stating,”And just like that, you’ve been demoted from murderer to murderee.” 

I climbed up on the gate and hung my head, muttering,”I’m going to die. He’s going to tap dance all over my ribs.” Braun rubbed my back and assured me,”No, no, you’ve got this, kiddo.” 

“Nah, he’s going to break dance on your ass. You’ll be feeling it for a while.” Kevin cut in, patting me on the back. I groaned, rubbing at my eyes, then Bayley and Sarah raced to meet us, the two of them rushing out,”Watch this new guy ride!” 

“New guy? Who is he?” I asked, turning to face the arena as my favorite rodeo clown, Karl Anderson, braced himself to yank open the door to let loose the beast and his new rider for eight seconds. 

“Name’s Elias Samson. Guess he just moved here from Philly.” Bayley informed us and almost in unison, our noses crinkled up. We hated having new people in general but when they were city slickers? It made it a thousand times worse. 

The only reason why we accepted Drew was because he had experience in roping and riding horses, something that we desperately needed. After AJ left, it was a bit difficult to handle the horses, so Drew was a perfect fit for the job. That and he had a cool accent but we never told him that part. 

But when we watched the young buck ride, it was a different story. He rocked with the bucks of the bull, almost gliding with the force. It was something that I wasn’t expecting out of a Philly man. 

“Hey, buttercup, you need to go ahead and get ready.” Sarah stated, patting me on my thigh. I leapt off the fence and braced for the impact, my spurs letting out a small chime as they dug into the dirt. I walked into my small, written off area then pulled my hat off before tugging my vest over my head. 

“Hi sugar.” I paused in pulling my glove on then turned to see the new rider leaning against my doorway. I raised an eyebrow then fit my hat back onto my head as I stated,”New guy. How’s it goin’?” He sucked in his bottom lip then informed me,”Took away seventy five points on my first night so…” I hummed in acknowledgement then fixed my chaps as I said,”Well congrats, young buck, but that’s nothing.” He laughed and a shiver raced through my body as he did so, then I heard, ”(Y/N) (Y/L/N) to the arena, (Y/N) (Y/L/N) to the arena.” 

I tipped my hat at him then stated,”See ya around, young buck.” 

I rushed to meet my team waiting for my arrival then Kevin and Braun grabbed my arms, yanking me up onto the gate before Bayley appeared, stating,”Alright, you are the only person riding Hydro tonight so you just need to last the eight seconds and get out of there before you get stomped on.” 

“Bays, that’s not a very good pep talk.” Sarah informed her girlfriend, patting her on the back. Karl peeked his head up then stated,”You’re gonna do great, kid.” I gave him a small smile then thanked him before winding my hand tightly in place. Braun looked down at me then said, ”When you get bucked off, you scramble like eggs in a hot skillet, you got me?” I nodded in agreement then braced against the bull, giving him a small pat on the back. 

Karl yanked open the door and out Hydro flew, bucking wildly. I gasped then tightened my grip, tensing my arm as my free hand hooked to my belt loop, forcing it to my side as he twisted and bucked around. In… Out… Repeat… Just need to last eight seconds. I leaned with his bucks, waiting for his next spin then watched as his legs flailed momentarily then he twisted once again, trying his damnedest to knock me away. 

As Hydro spun again, I dug my right spur into his side and he slowed his speed, only for him to pick up again. I tightened my thighs around him, listening to my chaps squeak quietly then a whistle blew over my head, alerting me that I survived my eight seconds. Now I just needed to clear the danger zone. 

I glanced over my shoulder then swung my leg over his head as he spun again, releasing my rope before I landed on my hands and knees, racing towards where my team was waiting. They pulled me upwards, freeing me from the angry bull. Drew pulled my hat off and ruffled my hair, chirping, ”Helluva ride dere, lil dove! Proud of ye!” I grinned at him then I waited for the announcer to inform the crowd and I of my score. 

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N) on Hydro has scored a ninety three.” The crowd roared with its approval and I let out a screech, ecstatic with my results. We exited the pen area and joined Hunter on the ground who congratulated me on the good work. I grinned at him then we walked back towards the trucks, ready to call it a night. I knew that Sarah and Bayley had found us a new farm hand who would be willing to help around the place and he was supposed to be at the farm bright and early.

“Hey, sugar, leavin’ so soon?” I turned on my heel then stated,”Hey, young buck, good to see ya again. Didja happen to see me?” 

“Yep. You did good.” I blinked a few times at him then he grinned, stating,”Kidding, I’m kidding. You did great. Never seen anyone take on such a big bull and get such a good score.” 

“Well you are a city slicker so that might explain a few things.” His eyes widened at my statement then Drew jogged up to me, wrapping an arm around my waist as he asked,”Ye ready ta go, luvey?” I raised my head and smiled at him, stating,”Yeah, just gimme a bit.” He kissed me on the temple then went back to the truck, the engine roaring to life. Elias gave me a small smile then said,”Well, I'll see you around, sugar.”

I nodded in agreement then joined Sarah and Drew in the truck, following Braun,Kevin, and Bayley out of the arena’s makeshift parking lot. I still needed to take a shower to wash away the dirt and sweat that the night had gifted me with, not to mention I still had horses and cattle to check on before I went to bed. 

I pulled my comforter over my head then groaned when I realized that the sun was up which meant that the new farmhand would be here anytime soon if he was punctual. I crawled out of bed reluctantly then joined Braun and Sarah downstairs who was drinking coffee while Bayley made French toast for what looked like an army. 

“Has anyone heard from this new guy?” Kevin asked, claiming the second to last cup of coffee that had been poured for everyone as he passed the island. I shook my head then Bayley chirped,”Yeah he’ll be here soon. He got lost.” 

Everyone but Sarah looked up at our favorite brunette then Braun asked,”He got lost? What, he’s not from around here or somethin’?” She shook her head and informed us,”No, he moved from a big city, said he always wanted to move south.” Scoffs sounded then we passed the large platter of French toast around, our group choosing however many pieces they pleased when the doorbell rang. 

Bayley’s head snapped up then she called out, ”Coming, hang on!” She twisted her apron around and it flapped behind her in protest as she ran towards the door to let the new guy in. But the rest of us were so focused on becoming lively for the day, we didn’t even register who was standing in the kitchen doorway leading in from the front door. 

“Well do I get breakfast too?” Forks clattered to the plates and Kevin choked on his current bite, Sarah pounding on his back while the rest of us turned to face our new farm hand. 

“Young buck. When you said that you’d see me around, I wasn’t thinkin’ you’d see me this soon.” I admitted, wiping my hands off. He grinned, shaking my outstretched hand, and stated,”Ehh, I figured I’d surprise you today instead of telling you yesterday.” 

“Well color us surprised then.” Braun rumbled, returning to eating. My lifelong friend hated new people and understandably so. In this day and age, there’s no telling who you can trust. Elias gave a tight smile then shot a nervous glance to Bayley who offered,”Go ahead and sit down, have some breakfast. There’s plenty to go around.” 

Elias began pulling the chair out from beside me and we all shared a knowing look then Drew rumbled from the hallway entrance,”Dat's ma seat.” The new guy turned to face the Scotsman as he grabbed his cup of coffee, ruffling Bayley’s hair affectionately then kissed me on the crown of my head, claiming his seat. Elias ended up between Kevin and Braun then I grimaced as the two began talking around him. 

Oh Lord, here we go with the hazing. 

“Boys, quit your talkin’ and eat your breakfast.” Bayley snipped, sliding a plate full of bacon and sausage beside the French toast platter. I glanced around at my comrades then cried out,”Bull rider of ninety three gets first pick!” 

“You lil heathen.” Drew rumbled as Braun exclaimed,”Like hell you do!” And just like that, the three of us were engaged in a battle of forks for the best looking bacon and sausage. Laughter roared around us then I stabbed two pieces of sausage links, giving a shout of victory. 

“So young buck, whatdya think about our little town round here?” I asked before taking a bite of my prize, passing the plate of breakfast meats around. 

“It’s cute, I think I’m gonna like it here.” We all nodded in agreement and as we were cleaning up, Baron Corbin, my next door neighbor rushed into the house and shouted,” Cows are loose!” 

“Fuck!” we cried out, scrambling to slide our boots on then I darted out the door with Elias hot on my heels. I leaped off the porch and snagged my rope hanging off the railing then whistled at Nutmeg, who was thankfully in the mood to listen to me. She trotted towards me then I swung onto her back as Baron’s dog, Xavier came racing around the cows that had escaped the half broken gate. 

Elias opened the pen door for me to lead Nutmeg out after I fitted the rope into the loops of her halter then rode out to round up the miscellaneous cows. Braun kept a watchful eye on the rest of the cattle while Bayley helped me herd the loose ones back in their pen. 

I let Nutmeg back in her pen then turned to Elias, stating,”Your first order of business here? Fix the gate.” He nodded in agreement then I turned to Kevin, asking,”Can you show him where to find the field fence and tools? I’ve got to go work with Order.”

Order was a Belgian Draft stallion who was given to the farm by AJ as a parting gift. He was a skittish, not so little thing who stood at eighteen hands. I had his sister, Law, in a stall across from Nutmeg in the barn and because Order was such a large horse, we had to knock down the wall to his neighboring stall, letting him have the reign of the two. 

Kevin nodded in understanding then I grabbed the strawberries from the fridge that I had picked yesterday from the garden before walking into the barn where Order watched me with unsure eyes. I shook the bowl of fruit then slid into the pen with an outstretched strawberry to him. He took it from me gently then I smiled, grabbing the brush. 

About three hours passed and I was finally able to put the saddle on, but he refused to let me buckle it. 

I rubbed at his nose then Elias stated,”He’s beautiful.” I smiled up at him then replied,”Yeah, he is. He’s also a stubborn one.” Order nickered in protest and I could have sworn that he had rolled his eyes at me then I said,”You’re welcome to give him a strawberry. I’m about to let him out with Nutmeg and Law for a bit, get him to relax some.” 

He snagged one of the red fruits then offered it up to the stallion, who gladly took it, nearly chomping down on Elias’ fingers. I laughed at the surprise on my new farm hand’s face then said,”Alright, come on, let’s get this guy out in the pasture.” 

A full month had passed since Elias had rolled into town and proved his worth to the farm. Order had finally allowed me to buckle the saddle and take him on the trail around the river as long as someone else was riding Law with us. 

“Hey, dove, I have to go into town, I forgot the stuff to finish dinner.” Bayley informed me with a remorseful expression. 

“But.. but you’re supposed to go on the trail with me today.” I said, my tone becoming sadder with each word. She gave my hand a squeeze then stated,”I know! But I forgot that I needed to go to the store.” 

“Hey, is everything okay?” Elias asked, entering from the outside where he had been cleaning stalls. I sighed and hung my head, informing,”I can’t take Order on the trail today cause Bayley has to go into town.” He paused where he was finishing washing his hands then he offered,”Well, I could go with you.” Bayley and I turned to stare at him at the mention of his idea then he finished, ”Sarah’s been giving me lessons on my free days. I’m pretty good with Law.” 

My brunette friend shot me a knowing look then I agreed,”Alright, but if you’re not ready to go in the next ten minutes, I’m leavin’ your sorry ass.” He grinned, drying off his hands, then stated, ”Let’s get going then.” We saddled up the horses and led them out of the pen, mounting up outside to prevent Nutmeg from panicking. 

The first half of the trail was silent, with just the clicks of the horses’ hooves hitting the ground, then Elias asked,”So what’s the deal between you and Drew?” My head snapped over to him as we came to a stop at the river to give the horses a drink of water and rest for a bit. 

“I’m not sure whatcha mean.” I muttered, settling on a large rock after I tied Order to the big oak tree beside the bank. He raised an eyebrow at me and questioned,”Is that so? I mean are you guys together, dating, fucking?” I scoffed, rolling my eyes, then I replied,”None of the above. Drew and I are just friends.” He laughed and settled beside me as he stated,”With the way that man looks at you, I’m surprised you haven’t noticed it.” I raised an eyebrow as I settled beside him then questioned, “Oh yeah? And how does he look at me?” 

“Like you’re a five course meal that he’s ready to devour.” Elias informed, cupping his hands together to get some water to drink. I laughed at his statement then muttered,”Yeah, alright, pal.” My phone began ringing in my saddle bag and I reached inside, checking the screen, raising an eyebrow when I realized that it was Sarah calling me. 

“Hey, girlie, what’s up?” 

“AJ and Luke is here.” I ended the call quickly then rushed out,”We have to go, we have to go now.” He gave a questioning glance but mounted Law without a protest nonetheless. We quickly picked up our speed riding on the trail then when we arrived at the ranch, I immediately noticed the big truck sitting in my driveway. I led Order back into his stall and he neighed in protest, so I gave him a sugar cube so he would keep quiet. 

I exited the barn and brushed my jeans off, approaching the front of the house where Kevin, Sarah, and Braun stood with hatred burning in their eyes. I approached them and settling on the porch swing, asking,”Styles, to what do we owe this not so pleasurable visit?” He turned to face me, his familiar arrogance crossing his expression as he smiled at me. 

“My my, little dove, you are lookin’ prettier as you age. But comin’ to sweep ya back off ya feet isn’t why I’m here. I’ve got a fine offer for ya, if you’re willin’ to take it.” I gritted my teeth then forced back my well thought out murder scenario with AJ as the star victim before I replied,”I’ve already told you and your head honcho right there; I’m not looking to sell the ranch.” He sighed, in faux disappointment, and stated, ”Three years and you’re still not giving up on this damn place? What gives?” 

“I’m not a sellout.” I snapped, stepping toe-to-toe with the smug Georgia man. He let out a fully belly laugh then replied,”Oh trust me, sweetheart, I’m well aware of that. But just be cautious of the company you keep. There’s no tellin’ where a snake might be lyin’.” His blue eyes danced across the faces of my friends then turned back to me.

“Too fucking bad you didn’t give her that advice sooner. Could’ve avoided you like the plague you are.” Kevin bit out, cracking his knuckles in warning. Luke gave a sarcastic laugh then rumbled,”I’ll crush you like a pancake, Owens.” 

“Then step to it, Gallows.” Braun growled in response, raising an eyebrow as a challenge or even a warning perhaps. I slid between the men then shoved AJ backwards, spitting,”Get the hell off my property, Styles, before I call in the Sheriff and you know damn good and well that Shawn is still pissed at you.” 

His lips twitched to fight back the anger that was beginning to seep through his exterior then he stepped backwards, taking Gallows with him, calling over his shoulder,”You have a nice night now, dove.” 

“You lost the privilege to call me that three years ago, you son of a bitch!” I snapped, beginning to charge at him when Elias appeared and scooped me up by the waist, yanking me backwards as he crowed, ”Hang on there, sugar, no need to go for the soccer mom’s head.” Styles’ blue eyes flickered with annoyance at the side comment that my farm hand made then hopped into his truck, driving off like a bat out of hell. 

“Sonuvabitch is just lucky that Bayley wasn’t here. She’s been itchin’ to claw his eyes out for the betta part of three years now.” Braun mumbled as he, Sarah, and Kevin made their way back up to the house, the taller man tucking his leather gloves into his back pocket. Noncommittal mumbles answered the North Carolina man’s statement then I glanced down, realizing that Elias still had me by the waist, my feet dangling a good six inches from the ground. I glanced up at the hazel eyed man then murmured, “You plan on lettin’ me down anytime soon?” He looked down at me and gave a sheepish grin, settling me back on the ground as he apologized, “Oh, I’m sorry, my bad. Um… so who was that dick anyway?” 

I stared at where AJ’s truck had left minute ruts in my grass then replied, “No one important.” I stepped away from him and asked, “Would you mind putting away the horses? I forgot that I have a few things that I had to sort out for Hunter and if I don’t get it down by Wednesday for my meeting, I think he might just grow his hair long again, just so he can rip it right back out.” 

We laughed briefly then separated. As soon as Elias was out of sight, I raced up to the house and snagged a bottle of water from the fridge, chugging nearly the entire thing as Sarah asked, “You’re not going to tell him who he is, are you?” I settled the fourth of water back on the counter and stared at the marbling of the island as I answered, “I really don’t know.” 

Braun sighed, pulling out the rum and pineapple juice, stating, “Well, that’s your prerogative but I’m gonna go ahead and say this: that boy’s eyes get bigger than the moon when you’re around and I do believe that you’d be a good match for that boy out there.” I watched out the kitchen window as Elias rushed to help a freshly returned Bayley with groceries. It was obvious that my old friend had seen AJ and Luke leaving the property as she pulled into the driveway. 

“Yeah… I know. That’s what I’m afraid of.” 

We ended up settling in for the night with a couple decks of cards and alcohol to ease the tension that the two snakes had drug into the ranch house. 

“This was a terrible decision.” Bayley hiccupped after our third game of Kings. We played with two decks of cards, since there were so many of us, and the young brunette had unfortunately been paired with Elias as a mate when he drew the eight of diamonds. He had somehow managed to draw the majority of the eights and the man was not shy about drinking on the beer that Sarah had poured him. 

“You’re just a lightweight, doll face.” Elias slurred in return, flipping over his freshly chosen card. She went to flip him the bird, only to end up tilting into a sober Sarah’s lap, who just sighed, shaking her head. 

“Okay, I think it’s time to call it a night.” I admitted, finishing off my second glass of water. The first time that I was drunk, I had the worst hangover the next morning and from that day on, I swore that anytime I had any alcohol, I would drink at least two glasses before deciding to go to bed. Sarah helped her girlfriend to their shared room then Kevin and Drew bid us good night, the pair obviously remembering that they had some work to finish early in the morning. 

Braun and I began collecting the miscellaneous cards that had been flung across the room as Elias put away the liquor that had been brought out for our night of fun. Braun flickered his gaze over to me then muttered, “You should tell him now.” My eyebrows furrowed at his statement and I started to ask him what he meant, only for it to dawn me just seconds later. 

“What, no, that’s stupid! Why would I tell him now? He won’t remember it!” I hissed, flicking his bicep as I passed him. My tall friend raised an eyebrow and waited for a few seconds then it dawned on me- that’s what I wanted. I wanted to confide in Elias what kind of bastard AJ Styles really was but I didn’t want him to remember it because I wasn’t prepared for the questions to follow. If I told him while he was drunk, the questions would likely be put on hold at least until morning or I could get lucky and he wouldn’t remember the conversation at all the next day. Either way, it was time to come clean. 

“Elias, you asked me about the son of a bitch who came to the house today, right? Well, that’s AJ Styles, the bastard who wants my family’s farm.” I informed the curly haired man, claiming one of the stools that Sarah had brought in from outside. 

“Okay, but why does he want it so bad?” Questions were expected, especially since no one had given the poor man any insight on the past AJ and I shared, but I was aiming to give vague answers that would satisfy his curiosity. Judging by how drunk he was, I was hoping that my half assed answers would be good enough for him. I sighed and settled down at the table before I replied, “AJ and I were engaged when my grandparents died and they had it in their will that I would get the ranch no matter what. AJ thinks that even though we broke up, he deserved at least half of the place. But as long as I’m here, that’s not going to happen.” 

“Why’d you break off the engagement?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. Braun glanced up from where he was putting away the clean dishes then he stated, “Shoulda seen that one comin’, dove. Might as well tell him it all.” I kicked the chair beside me out from underneath the table then nodded at it, offering, “You’re gonna wanna sit for this one, it’s kinda a mind fuck.” He did as I suggested then Braun claimed the seat behind me, prepared to help me through the story that I often avoided telling people. 

“AJ and I were childhood friends. Him and his family had moved here from Georgia when we were both youngins and we got along great all through school and college. Even though he was older than me by years, he was my first love… he was a lot of my firsts. First kiss, he took me on my first date, and yeah, he took my virginity. I was 22 when I finally figured out that I wanted to take over the ranch. I had always had a passion for this place and all of the animals and responsibilities that it came with. But I also wanted to ride. Bull riding was my first love over it all and everyone who knew me well enough could acknowledge that fact. But AJ wanted me to quit and I wasn’t willing to.” 

I paused in my storytelling, taking a drink of the water that Braun slid me, then took a deep breath, preparing myself for the rest of the tale. Elias leaned forward and murmured, “Hey, you don’t have to tell me. Eventually you’ll be fully ready to talk to me about it and if tonight isn’t it-”

“No… no, it’s okay, really. I need to get this out of the way. Um, so when my grandparents died, AJ tried to convince me to give it all up so we could take care of the ranch. But when I told him no, he uh… He didn’t take it very well. He popped me right in the mouth with a slap. Told me that no wasn’t an option anymore and it was time to walk away from the riding. After that night, I agreed: no more bull riding.” 

“But it wasn’t just the thing that I loved most that he took from me: he secluded me from Kevin and Braun, told Bayley and Sarah that I was always busy with the farm. And it only got worse from there. Anytime I would refuse him on anything, he’d beat me bloody, until I was laying on the floor begging for his mercy, apologizing until that was the only thing that would come out of my mouth. One night, I finally had enough. He wanted to talk about who’s name should go on the mortgage of the ranch.”

“I told him that my name was already on it, thanks to the will. Guess that’s what happens when you have one of the best damn lawyers in the town as an old family friend. AJ wasn’t willing to take that as an answer. He decided that he needed another approach, so he tried… he tried to uh..” 

I blew out a slow breath and ducked my head between my knees, determined to get my breathing back under control before I flew into a panic attack that would decommission me for the week. Braun let a soft hand on my back then began to rub slow circles, grounding me back to the present, before he murmured, “You don’t gotta tell him the rest. I think he gets it.” I hiccuped softly as tears began to stream down my face then sat back up slowly, insisting, “No. No, I need to get this off my chest. I can do this. Just give me a minute.” 

The two men just watched me, waiting for me to say something, then I let out a sob, prepared to reveal the rest of the nightmare that my life had become years ago. I pushed my hair out of my face and said, “He tried to rape me. But he wasn’t expecting me to have my family waiting outside with Shawn for the bastard to make a move. I screamed faster and louder than anyone was expecting and before the sonuvabitch knew what the hell was going on, everyone was inside and Braun and Bayley was ready to commit murder.” 

“Shawn was gonna help us hide the fucker’s body while we were at it too.” the taller man rumbled, cracking his knuckles at the memory that flashed through our minds. 

“You’re damn right we were gonna kill that bastard.” Bayley hissed and we turned towards the hallway where my family stood. I sniffled at the statement then walked towards the group of people, Drew pulling me into a tight hug when I got in arms length. I wrapped my arms around his waist and began to cry into his shirt as my friends joined our hug. 

“Shh, it’s okay, that son of a bitch won’t ever touch you again.” Kevin assured me, cupping my face to kiss me on the forehead. It was an old technique that he and Braun often used to calm me down and admittedly, it made me feel more human. Sarah and Bayley squeezed me into one of the tightest hugs that I had received from them in a while but it was almost like they were pressuring all of the pieces that AJ had broken away from me back together once again. I was their Humpty Dumpty but this time, the King’s Knights had super glue on hand. 

I heard the chair screech behind me and I turned to face Elias, prepared for his reaction. When I had told Drew the truth behind AJ and I, the Scot tried to hunt the fucker down in the middle of the night, prepared for actual murder. But what I wasn’t expecting to see, was the curly haired man crying. 

“Elias! Don’t cry, it’s okay! It was three years ago… Really, I’m okay. I’ve got the best support system a girl could ask for and with you along for the ride, I couldn’t ask for anything more.” He sniffled and pulled me into a hug, murmuring into my hair, “I’m sorry. A person like you should never have to deal with something like this. I- I’m here for you.” I gave a small laugh and returned the hug. He had taken it significantly better than I was expecting but it made me feel so much better. He didn’t reject me because of my past. 

“Alright, I think it’s about time for us to head to bed. We’ve had a hell of a day and someone just had to reveal her tragic backstory to our young buck, so now we’re all teary eyed and blubbering.” Kevin joked, shaking his head. I poked him in the side and we all separated to our respective bedrooms. I settled underneath my blankets then turned on the lamp that sat on my desk after turning off the lights. After everything that AJ ever did, I refused to sleep in complete darkness, in fear that he would sneak in and try to do something while I was asleep. 

The next week was a bit uncomfortable because it seemed like Elias was now walking on  eggshells when dealing with me. We didn’t speak much, due to me dealing with the harvest that we needed to finish. October has always been the busiest month for the ranch but even still, I figured that he would at least attempt to make conversation with me in passing. But that’s when Bayley came into play. 

“What do you mean he doesn’t want to intrude on me?” I asked, crossing my arms. Sarah and Bayley exchanged glances, uncertain on how to explain, then the longer haired woman sighed, answering, “He doesn’t want to push you to do anything. Dove, I think this guy really cares for you and he doesn’t want to fuck it up. Can’t say I blame him. Maybe you can just talk with him, tell him how you feel about the whole distancing thing.” Bayley nodded in agreement and chirped, “I know that you feel the same about him and I’m not saying that you should go out with the guy but you should at least tell him what’s going through your head.” 

“Hmm… yeah, I guess that makes sense. Hey, Bays, don’t you have to go into town today?” I asked, glancing over at my close friend. She glanced up from where she was writing something down then answered, “Yeah, why?” Pointing down at the list she had made earlier, I questioned, “That the list of things that we need?” She nodded and handed it over to me without a second thought, clearly catching onto my plan that I formulated in seconds. 

I walked out the door and scanned the yard in search of my farm hand, zeroing in on where he was chatting with Braun and Kevin beside the cattle pen. Cupping my hands around my mouth, I took a deep breath and shouted for him, snickering when he jerked his head to look at me so fast that he nearly tripped. He rushed over to me then flashed a smile as he stopped, glancing up at me. I stared at him for a moment then tipped his hat upwards, fixing it to where I could see his eyes. 

“Uh, what’s up?” he asked, clearing his throat. I gave a small cough and fidgeted with my own hat as I answered, “You and me are on errand duty. Bayley and Sarah are working on the tractors so you get a day in the town with me.” He grinned at me then chirped, “Sounds like a plan to me.” We piled into my truck and off we drove into town with our first stop being the grocery store. I glanced up at him as he grabbed a car then asked, “Do you just want to shop together or split the list and get our respective items?” 

“I think if we split up, we can get this part of the trip done with faster.” he suggested, holding his hand out for his list of items. I nodded in understanding then grabbed my own basket, prepared to zoom through the store for my objects. And it was going so well until I began heading towards our agreed meeting spot. I was walking towards the check out when I bumped into someone, my hat fluttering to the ground. 

“Hey, watch it-” Immediately I paused in my statement, freezing when those blue eyes met my steely gaze. Styles grinned at the sight of me and chirped, “Oh ho, well if it isn’t my lil dove. Where’s your guard dog, darlin’? Leave him at home to watch over the cattle?” I snatched my hat off the floor and snapped, “Not that it’s any of your business, but Elias is here with me. Now if you’ll excuse me, you slimy bastard, I have to get back home.” 

I began to walk away, only for him to grip my wrist, yanking me back to face him. I froze in his grasp then he murmured, “Good to see that ya still react like this. Now, I think it’s about time that we sit down and have a nice lil chat between the two of us, dontcha think?” I started to tremble in his hold, mind and body both failing to do anything to protect me, then someone snapped, “No, that’s not gonna happen.” AJ turned to face Elias, blue eyes now har, then he chirped, “Well, I’ll be. She didn’t even have to whistle but the dog still came a-running to her side. She’s got you well trained, huh, young pup.” 

“That’s Elias to you, bastard. Now, let her go. I won’t ask again.” The two stared at each other then AJ lifted my arm before releasing my wrist, a small chuckle filling my ears as he backed away and he said, “I’ll see ya around, darlin’. We still need to have that chat.” And with that, Styles disappeared into the crowd of people that had surrounded us, clearly eager to see what the young buck had in him. 

Elias cupped my face then touched his forehead to my own, murmuring, “You okay there, sugar? Hey, talk to me.” I buried my face into his chest as I shook my head, eager to just disappear from sight, then muttered, “I just wanna go home. I-I just need to get out of here.” He nodded in understanding and replied, “Alright, it’s okay, just breathe with me. Let’s pay for these groceries then we can go home, okay? Come on, here, take my flannel.”

He pulled off the checkered material then draped it over my shoulders before scooping the basket out of my arms, leading me into an empty check out. He placed all of our items onto the conveyor belt then I reached for his hand, giving a quick squeeze. Elias glanced down at me and returned the squeeze, pushing the cart towards the bagging area. 

“I’m sorry about that, darlin’. I’ve been there before.” the cashier admitted in a soft tone, giving me an apologetic nod. I inched closer to Elias and mumbled, “I’m sorry that you had someone do that to you. I hope you’re out of that relationship.” He nodded and finishing bagging our items as he answered, “I am. Now I’m happily married and my husband is the best man I could ever ask for. I think you’ve got yourself a good one, if I do say so myself.” 

I glanced up at Elias and attempted to lean away from him, only for him to tug me back into his side as he chirped, “She’s my sugar, wouldn’t trade her for anyone else in this crazy world. My eyebrows furrowed then he kissed my forehead, only to turn back to the cashier 

to pay for our items when I gaped up at him. Elias flashed a smile to the man working the counter then chirped, “Thanks man, have a great one.” He finished putting our groceries into our cart and tugged on my hand, pulling me out of the store. 

“Hey, keys, sugar. You’re not driving, not when you’re like this. C’mon, hand ‘em over.” he encouraged, reaching his hand out for the key ring that was looped on my pants. I unhooked the clip and dropped them into the palm of his hand, climbing into the passenger seat of my truck. Seeing AJ so soon after the conversation that I had with Elias had me shook to my core and I couldn’t help the fact that I was still trembling. He quickly put the groceries in the bed of the truck and joined me in the cab, turning the engine over. 

“Elias,” I murmured, causing him to turn to me, “I asked you to come with me so we could talk about why you weren’t talking to me. I know that you don’t wanna push me. But to be honest, not talking with you is kinda killing me.” He stared at me for a while then tangled his fingers with my own before bringing it to his lips and he murmured, “Okay. Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t stop talking with you again. Promise you, sugar.” I slid closer to him and he wrapped his arm over my shoulders, pulling me into his side as he backed out of the parking lot. 

“Put your seat belt, you heathen.” Elias joked, but I did as he requested, knowing that I did need the safety mechanism on anyway. We drove down the road like that, his arm around my shoulders and my head on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat echoing around my head. We pulled into the drive and I took notice of Kevin and Braun watching us like hawks from the porch, the men clearly hiding their thoughts from their expressions. Part of me was desperate to find out what they were thinking but another part was begging me not to ask my closest friends how they felt. 

We slid out of the truck from the driver’s side then Elias nudged me towards the house, encouraging, “You go ahead, I’ve got these. Go relax, you deserve it.” I dragged my feet as I walked to the house and my oldest friends came to a stand when I approached the porch. The two knew me so damn well, I didn’t even have to say anything about what happened at the store. 

“AJ, wasn’t it?” I scratched at the back of my head and gave a timid nod, ducking my head. Braun gave a sigh and pulled me into a hug, muttering, “Bastard’s gonna catch you on the wrong day and we’re gonna be with you for it. You need a nap, kid?” I nodded and Kevin patted me on the back before he stated, “Go on in, we’ll wake you up for dinner.” 

“Those sonsabitches didn’t wake me up for dinner.” I growled when I reached the kitchen. The light was now off and a note was attached to the fridge: ‘Dove, I know we said that we were gonna wake you up for dinner, but when dinner got done, we all just kinda agreed to let you sleep. You definitely needed it. Food is in the fridge for your three am meal. See you in the morning, don’t stay up too late.’ There was miscellaneous signatures at the bottom of the note and I could faintly made each name. All of my friends had orchestrated what was supposed to be a measly fifteen minutes into a nine hour nap, something that I both loved and resented them for. I did need the sleep but now my sleep schedule was going to be seven ways of fucked for the next week. Fantastic.

I shrugged and opened the fridge, ready to eat whatever the group had wrangled together for dinner. I scanned the labels of the containers and paused when I read, ‘Dove’s Dinner for After Her Nap’. Rolling my eyes, I pulled the dinner out and removed the lid before sliding it into the microwave to reheat the mashed potatoes, barbeque chicken, and carrots that was made. I stirred them a few times every minute then pulled the container out, glancing at the clock: 2:28 in the morning. October was the perfect time for stargazing and since I was the only one awake, I could take advantage and watch as the stars glisten above my head. 

I grabbed a pop and walked out of the house, prepared to settle on the stairs of the porch, only to pause. Elias was sitting on the steps, head tilted up to the stairs as he hummed a tune that I didn’t recognize. The screen door swung shut behind me and he jerked to face me, surprise written across his face, then he smiled at my appearance. 

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty, how you feelin’?” I narrowed my eyes him then replied, “I told you guys to wake me up for dinner and instead, you let me sleep for the rest of the day. I’m annoyed.” He slid over and patted the space beside him, saying, “Yeah, but now you look better, so you’ll be okay. Come on, sit, eat, watch the stars with me.” 

I pursed my lips at him but sat down nonetheless. They did it for my own good and as annoying as my altered sleep schedule was, I couldn’t be mad at them. I settled on the step and began to eat my dinner as Elias returned to stargazing, that tune quickly returned but it wasn’t loud enough for me to try and figure out who the artist was. 

“What’s that song?” I inquired, swallowing the last of my carrots. He glanced over me and smiled then answered, “Sweet as Sugar. It’s my song, why?” I paused at the song title then set my half eaten dinner on the floor of the porch  before turning to face him all the way and asked, “Sweet as Sugar? Like sugar as me?” He leaned closer and raised an eyebrow at me, murmuring, “Maybe. And if it is?” I slid even closer then mumbled, “Maybe I like that you wrote a song about me. What’s the lyrics?” 

“No lyrics yet. At least, not ones that I’m willing to give you. It’s still a work in progress but I dunno… you just make my heart sing.” he admitted, hazel eyes fluttering to meet my gaze. I smiled softly at his statement then cupped his face as I replied quietly, “Oh good, I was wondering if you felt the same. I kinda feel like our friends have been making bets on how long it would take for us to get together.” 

“They definitely have been making bets. I caught Bayley and Kevin arguing the other day over how long it would be until we held hands with each other.” Elias informed me and I snickered, shaking my head, then paused as I whispered, “I wonder if they’ve made bets over when we would kiss.” He cupped my jaw and tilted my head up to him, answering, “Oh, for sure. The sons of bitches are shameless after all.” 

“Who do you think is the closest?” Elias paused at my question then replied, “I don’t know. We won’t know until we kiss, ‘member?” I blinked up at him and tangled my hand in his shirt, pulling him closer until our noses brushed, then asked, “Are you going to kiss me then, young buck?” 

“As soon as you tell me to, sugar. I’m not doing anything without your permission.” My chest ached at his statement and I murmured, “In that case, Elias, would you please kiss me?” He cupped the other side of my face and pulled me to him, kissing me softly. My lips parted and I sighed into his mouth, delighted in the tenderness that he offered, then he backed away. 

“Wait, where are you going?” I asked as he stood up. Elias glanced over his shoulder and replied, “I’m going to bed. You’re going to finish eating your food then you’re going to bed. And in the morning, I’m taking you out for breakfast as our first date. Sound good?” I stared after him wordlessly, stunned that he could be so suave after kissing me, then began to finish eating my dinner, only to pause when I heard a quiet whoop. I squinted through the crack of the front door and snickered when I saw the man I just kissed doing a ridiculous dance, pumping his fist into the air. Ahh, so he wasn’t as unaffected as I thought he was. 

Elias was someone who I wasn’t expecting to come along and simultaneously fix and shake up my world, but I couldn’t have been happier to find someone who fit the missing piece of my life puzzle so well. For years, I was unsure on whether I would ever find someone who could fix the damage that AJ Styles had caused me, but now that I had this young buck? I was more than certain that life was looking up.

#elias #elias Samson #elias imagines #Elias Samson imagines #Elias fluff #Elias Samson fluff #Elias angst #Elias Samson angst #AJ Styles angst #Braun Strowman #Sarah Logan #Bayley #Kevin Owens #wwe fluff #wwe imagines #wwe angst

[pixie-mage]

#SamLives - Pt.3

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[This story has been edited and reposted on the official #SamLives Tumblr. The new post of Chapter 3 can be found here.]

(The main difference between this version and the updated version is the scene in the kitchen. Instead of Signe being there, PJ is still hanging out instead.)

“Jack, you need sleep.”

Day Nine of the #SamLives debacle.

Jack would be lying if he said he’d been sleeping fine, that he hadn’t been worried. The stress of the situation was beginning to take its toll, and it hadn’t been made any better by the GameTheory video that had come out the day before. Matt had good intentions, Jack knew, but...it hadn’t exactly worked the way he assumed the other YouTuber had been hoping.

“Game Theory: Does #SamLive? THE SCIENTIFIC PROOF!”

MatPat was one of the few YouTubers who had, accidentally, learned of Sam’s existence. It was at that Rachel Ray event, the one where he and Matt had been on the same Taco-Making Team™. Sam hadn’t been feeling well so Jack had brought him along for the day, keeping the little eyeball in his hoodie and out of sight, close to him in case Sam needed him. But in the midst of the chaos of the competition, Jack had been jostled by Matt, had tripped and landed on his arse. Matt had immediately apologized and laughed it off...but when he’d reached down to help Jack stand up, Sam had peaked out from where he’d been hiding in Jack’s hood. Matt had frozen, a stunned look on his face, and in an instant Jack knew that he had seen. That he knew. For a moment the pair had been frozen in a stare-off, neither sure what to do. Then Jack had shaken his head quickly and put a finger to his lips. No. Please. Quiet. Don’t say anything...

...and Matt had nodded. He’d helped Jack to his feet and not commented on it at all. Tom (their third teammate) had missed the entire exchange, cracking some joke about “Laying down on the job”. Later, in a bathroom down a back hallway, Jack had explained everything to Matt...and Matt had sworn he wouldn’t tell a soul.

So when #SamLived had taken the YouTube scene by storm faster than Scott Cawthon turned out FNaF games, and when Jack saw that GameTheory had made a video about it....he knew what Matt was trying to do. The video wasn’t proving that Sam was real. The video was to try and counter-prove the theories saying he was and to point out all the reasons why Sam couldn’t possibly exist. Which would have been fine, except that it meant all of the fans over on the GameTheory channel who hadn’t heard about the #SamLives chaos would now be in the know.

“...ack? Jack!”

“Hm...?” Jack dragged himself from his thoughts and blinked, shaking himself mentally. “Sorry Peej, I missed that.”

PJ was watching him from the office chair next to his with a frown on his face. He nudged the Irishman’s leg with his foot.

“Man, you were totally out of it for a bit there. I was just saying you should get some sleep.”

“I’m tryin’, PJ, I swear I am,” Jack smiled weakly. “I’ve just been stressed. I’ll be fine in a few days.”

"Are you still up for recording a game today? We can wait until next week if you’re not feeling up to it.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine,” Jack pulled on a brighter smile. Good ol’ PJ. He was a decent guy and an even better friend. But Jack shook his head, running a hand through his hair to fix it. “Don’t worry about me. One video isn’t gonna be the death of me! I’ll take a nap when we’re done, alright?”

PJ held up both hands in surrender, returning the Irishman’s infectious grin.

“Whatever you say! But you had better be serious about that nap. You look like you need it.”

Jack scoffed and laughed, his next words dripping with sarcasm.

“Oh, thaaaanks, thanks for the compliment. I reeaaally needed that self-esteem boost. You’re too kind.”

“No problem!” PJ grinned cheekily back at him.

The two fell into laughter, and once they had started into the Nintendo Switch game they’d planned on recording, most of Jack’s worries fell away for the time being.

That’s not to say they didn’t come back. Jack kept his promise to PJ. He took a nap, crashing onto his couch with all the grace of a baby giraffe. Signe - knowing he needed the rest - only pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaving him to his devices. But his sleep was a restless one, leaving him feeling only a fraction better when he woke up later to his phone ringing on the coffee table beside him.

With his face still buried in the stiff couch pillows, Jack reached out out blindly, his hand skittering across the table’s surface like a drunk spider, landing on the remote, a game controller, and yesterday’s mail before finally coming into contact with his phone. He answered it without looking, face still half-mushed in the pillow.

“Mph?”

“...Jack?”

“Wassup?”

“Did I wake you up?”

The humorous tone on the other end of the phone was vaguely familiar, and it took him a moment to make the connection in his barely-woken-up state.

“...you’ve reached Jacksepticeye’s mouth. His brain isn’t here right now, but if ye call back again in a few minutes it might’ve come back around by then. Either that, or his mouth will have left too.”

“The infamous screaming Irishman of YouTube, missing his mouth? The horror!”

“Oh, shuddup Mark,” Jack chuckled. He dragged himself into a semi-upright position, slouching on the couch. “What’s up?”

“What are you doing asleep at six in the evening?”

“I took a nap.” Jack yawned and scratched at the scruff along his jaw. “Is there a reason fer this call or didja just miss hearin’ my voice?”

“Can ‘both’ be an answer?” Jack could hear Mark’s grin from the other end of the line.

“Heh, I s’ppose,” he chuckled a little. “But really, what’s up?”

“I...eh. Saw the video that GameTheory posted. He really jumped on the bandwagon quickly, didn’t he?”

“Is this about Sam again?” Jack didn’t mean for it to come out as annoyed as it did, honestly. He really didn’t. But it sounded that way anyway and he winced at his own words. Signe stuck her head out from the doorway to the kitchen, an eyebrow raised in question. Jack waved her off with a soft smile.

“I...” Mark faltered. Seemed like he’d hit the nail right on the head. “...well, yeah, but I’ve got a reason for bringing it up, I swear.” The American was quick to defend himself, and Jack couldn’t help but wonder if Mark thought he’d hang up because of the subject matter. He sighed and sat up a little straighter.

“Oh yeah?” Jack asked, trying to sound more friendly. “And what reason might that be?”

“Well see...the thing is...” Mark trailed off. Jack could hear sounds in the background, movement. Like Mark was moving around the house. Was he pacing? “...I mean...w-well, it’s kinda...weird. I mean not bad weird, or freaky weird - okay it might be a little freaky to some people but–”

“If this is about your third nipple I already know,” Jack snickered, trying to lessen the tension with a joke. But it didn’t seem to help because Mark let out a frustrated groan on the other end of the line.

“No! No, it’s...” More silence. “Okay, it’s kind of about Sam, but kinda not.”

“Okay...?” Jack stood up from the couch, shuffling to the kitchen as Mark struggled to find the words he wanted to say. Coffee. He needed coffee for this.

“OH!” Mark shouted suddenly, as if he’d had an epiphany. “OH! Oh oh oh! Okay! So! In Bendy and the Ink Machine, Joey Drew has that...that one tape recording, where he’s talking about belief. About how it can do amazing, impossible things, and how you could even cheat death or something–”

“Mark, what in th’ blue blazes does this have ta do with my imaginary friend?”

“I’m getting there, I promise.”

Jack rolled his eyes and started the coffee machine, leaning back against the counter with one hand tucked in his pocket. Signe was seated at the kitchen table with a book, and she was still giving him puzzled looks that made her curiosity about his phone call clear. Jack covered the mouthpiece and lowered his voice.

"It's Mark," he murmured. "Keeps asking about Sam."

"You gonna tell him the truth?" Signe asked.

Her hands were cupped around a warm mug of tea, and she held it up near her face to let the steam warm her while she waited for a response. Jack didn't respond right away...but before he could even figure out an answer, his phone buzzed against his ear, a notification pinging in the background. So he pulled the mobile away from his face and put the call on speaker, minimizing the app so he could check whatever had just gone off. All he offered Signe was a half-shrug as his response to her question.

“Belief. I’m talking about belief,” Mark continued. Jack opened Twitter, still listening. “I never really thought about it before I played Bendy, but afterwards...it just made sense! And then you posted that video with Sam and I remembered that quote from the game...”

Jack swiped over to his messages, and saw one from somebody he was fairly certain he wasn’t friends with. Weird...he tapped it. It took a long time for the message to load, and once it did, the app closed itself out. Jack scrunched up his nose. Well then. It was gonna be one of those days then, huh? The rustle of static came over the speaker for a moment and Jack frowned, struggling to understand Mark’s words.

“If y...ave...nough of it you ca...”

“Mark? Mark, you’re cuttin’ out, man–”

Jack tugged his other hand free from his pocket and tapped the screen - and he gasped sharply when a static shock jolted through his finger. He shook his hand roughly through the air and winced, cursing under his breath. What the hell...? Then whatever weak connection he’d had with Mark’s call was gone, the call dropping and ending abruptly. Jack...blinked. And stared at his phone.

"You alright?" Signe looked up from her book again to frown at her boyfriend, who tugged on a soft smile. He shrugged and tucked his phone in his pocket. Ah, well...Mark must’ve had bad reception.

"I'm fine, Wiish," he crossed the kitchen to plant a kiss on the top of her head, squeezing one of her shoulders gently. "Just a little static shock. Surprised me more 'n anything. But don't worry about me! I'm a big, strong boy! I can handle anything!"

Jack's tone turned humorous and his antics drew a giggle from Signe, her eyes brightening and her lips curling up at the corners in a brilliant smile.

"Sure you can," she teased, poking at his side and making him scamper away. "A big, strong boy who's scared of being tickled."

"Hey! I'm not scared of it!" Jack protested as he continued making his coffee. He pretended to look highly affronted by the accusation. "I jus' don't like it! Can ye blame me?!"

Signe just stuck her tongue out in response then returned to her book, a soft smile still gracing her features.

Jack finished his coffee and moved on with his day, his focus turning to recording and uploading the day's videos…though somehow Mark’s little ramblings about “belief” lingered with him, hovering in the back of his mind.

What had he meant by that…?

[A/N] This part/chapter ended up being longer than the previous two...oops lol. Got a little carried away. I don’t have a real plan for this, but I have a feeew ideas about where it might go. This could get interesting... :3c

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[Chapter List]

#Sam Lives #SamLives #Jacksepticeye #Markiplier #GameTheory #MatPat #Jack #Mark #Matt #Mathew Patrick #PJ #KickThePJ #Youtubers #Youtube #JSE #JAcksepticeye Fanfic #JSE Fanfic #Sam Septiceye #Samsepticeye #Anti #Maybe #:3c #Tacos #Lots of tacos

[rhodochrosite-love]

Devil’s Guilt pt. 2

Words: a lot

Pairing: slight Dice/Ace

Tags: little swear, tough times, tension, close calls

The next few months after were a special kind of hell, chock full of an uneasiness not meant for the innocent world. Lucky for Ace, this was Hell itself. As the days went on, the more guilt he felt. The more he saw his brothers, the guilt would breed and multiply in the darkest corners of his mind. The fear that came from the guilt, however, was worse.

As Ace sat on his bunk in his part of the house, he stroked the soft material of his dress shirt that lay on the sheets. A forlorn expression laid across his features as he procrastinated, what am I goin’ ta do? Ace thought. It’s been months since I’ve talked ta boss, and I know he’s suspectin’ me… What’s a guy ta do? The boy sighed and finally reached for the shirt and rolled his arms into the sleeves, preparing to button it when the door swung open.

“Whadda wallop those kids gave me!” Said the other man, stretching his arms like they’d pop out if he stopped for a second. Ace looked him up and down; the man’s hair, like Ace’s, was light and fluffy at the ends, but seemed more ruffled. There were a few cuts on his cheek, but it looked like he once had more. The goatee on his chin signified the other man’s stance as older, while his eyes said the exact opposite. Ace chuckled, “Ya probably deserve it, Mae. Who KNOWS what goes on in that head’a yours.” A little smile planted itself on the boy’s face, but quickly dropped when he turned away.

Maestro was one of Ace’s older brothers, the second oldest. While Ace was the softer of the 4, Maestro often proved to be the exact opposite. Bruises were always evident on Maestro’s body, and now cuts since they entered the casino business. Maestro plopped down on a bed and rubbed the gauges in his ears, then tapped the diamond earrings as if to assure himself that they were still there. He leaned down to reach his hand under the bed to grab a first aid kit, open it, and take out the mirror that lay inside. Maestro held it up to his face and ran his finger across his parted lips, eyeing the chipped tooth near the front of his mouth. “Damn!” The man said with a hint of frustration, “those scrubs got me pretty good! I mean, I know they got Doyen, but those kids sure can run ‘n’ gun!” He set the mirror down and got out the small roll of bandage to start wrapping his wrist.

For the past few months, these two kids got their souls snatched by the Devil. Thing is, not everyone comes back from that, but these two fellas started collecting contracts and fighting for their souls. To Ace, it seemed so familiar, for the 4 of them had done that, once upon a time. “Hey, speakin’ a’ which, you seen Doyen anywhere? I reckon he’s gotta SHIT ton a’ scrapes from his fight. I checked ‘is table, but he ain’t nowhere… “ Maestro broke the silence once again, breaking Ace from his thoughts. The younger brother responded, “Naw, I haven’t seem ‘im. Must be hurtin’ tho, from that beatdown… Must’ve been fun, huh?” Ace looked back to his vest and dusted it off, then slipping that around his waist and slowly buttoning it.

Maestro looked up at his brother quizzically, “‘Ey, what’s wit’ you? You don’t gotcha mind in the’ gutta, do ya?” Ace shook his head and chuckled softly, “No, no. Just thinkin’, is all.” “About th’boss, amiright?” The younger boy tensed up at the thought of his boss, without recognizing Maestro’s flirtatious meaning behind it. Oh god, do I tell ‘em now? What would he think? Oh god, I- “‘cuz I gotta admit, you spend a lotta time wit’ that guy. It’s gettin’ weird.” Maestro looked around, thoughts running through his head. Suddenly, a thought struck his mind, and Ace knew the exact one.

When the boy turned around, Maestro was already standing up, a worried expression laid across his face. Ace looked at him with a fake smile, “I don’t think it’s… SO weird, y’know? Isn’t- Isn’t it natural for two people ta get along?” Maestro inspected his brother with an uneasiness in his stomach, and pointed his finger, “‘ey, are you, you an’ him-” He clenched his other hand into a fist, his tongue tracing his lips for a quick moment, “-are you an’ him pitchin’ woo? I hope ya rememba’, what we all went through togetha’, an’ if you’re in kahoots with-” Maestro pointed to the door, signalling the outside world. “-THAT guy, then you’ve gotta whole other thing comin’-” “Speakin’ a’ Dice, ah… We have ta talk.”

This stopped his big brother in his tracks, and made him start his habit of clenching and unclenching his hands. Oh, jesus christ, not this shit again, thought Ace, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Maestro was quieter now, his eyes set on his brother after riling himself up. Ace sighed and continued, “I… I don’t know if I… can do this anymore.” He looked to Maestro, who nodded at him to keep going. Ace sighed a second time, “I can’t keep up with you guys, y’know? I’m just, so sick, of bein’ on my knees and beggin’ for scraps. I wanna do somethin’, be somethin’...” Ace finally looked up again at his brother’s face, and said with the most seriousness he’s ever had, “If I have...ta let ya’ll go, well… “ He trailed off.

Maestro’s eyes widened, his breath hitching. His brow furrowed after a few seconds of fist clenching, and when he spoke, his voice was loud and furious, “SO YOU'RE JUST GONNA DROP US, JUS’ LIKE THAT?!” The older man was trying so hard to search his brother’s eyes for a hint of a joke, but when he found none, he took a step forward. Ace saw this, and did nothing. He had expected this out of Maestro… he was the rowdiest, after all. “Mae-” “NO! DON’T YOU ‘MAE’ ME! DON’T YOU REALIZE WHAT YA JUS’ SAID??” Ace turned to look away, knowing this would happen. There was nothing Ace could say, or do, to fix what he just did. Tears stained the corners of his eyes as another man entered the room, “‘Ey, what’s wit’ th’shoutin’?”

Champ, Ace’s third eldest brother, strolled into the room at the worst, most absolutely terrible time. His tired eye, the unbandaged one, looked between his younger brother and older brother, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. Maestro shrugged his shoulders and scoffed, walking in circles now, “I knew it. I KNEW it! There was ALWAYS gonna be a traita’ in our lil’ hug fest soona’ or later!” Champ looked to Ace now, confusion littering his eyes, “what didja do, Ace?” Champ asked softly. “I’LL tell ya what ‘e did!” Maestro finally turned to his brothers and pointed a finger at Ace specifically, “HE’S STEPPIN’ AWAY! LEAVIN’ US IN THE DARK! He cares too much about the damned boss than the rest of us!” “Well, do I got much choice?! You’re all mopin’ and so damned miserable that not even I can fix your sorry asses!” Ace shouted back, his voice cracking while his tears started to spill.

Champ’s gloved hand covered his mouth in shock, now believing his younger brother. Maestro huffed and looked over his brother for moment, and began to open his mouth- “I can’t HELP but like this place more than you! ‘Spite rememb’rin’ all we’ve been through, I wanna move on!” Tears stained Ace’s cheeks, but there were more in Champ’s eyes. Ace pounded on his own chest and continued, “My heart hurts, Maestro! I don’t know how much I can take this anymore! I don’t know how long it’ll be before I end my own goddamn LIFE ‘cause of this mis’ry!” Ace’s voice wavered and cracked as he wiped the snot from his nose, “Surely, you’d want me alive n’ happy somewhere, then dead ‘n a ditch…?”

The elder brother looked to the floor, then Ace. If any of them touched any part of Maestro’s body, especially his face, it would be as hot as magma in a skillet. Maestro shivered and growled inhumanly, “get out… “ “W-what?” Uttered Champ, shaking in his shoes. “I sAID GET OUT!” Screamed Maestro, his knuckles white now. As Ace stepped back, Maestro stepped forward, waving his fist in front of him. “And don’tchu EVER, EVER LET ME SEE YOUR FACE IN HERE AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME?” The elder brother’s vision went red, and Ace flung his hands up in front of his own face, flinching as the fist came down, expecting it to land on him.

After a moment of caution, Ace looked up at his hands and was surprised to find no marks. What…? He looked over to his brother, whose fist was enclosed in another’s hand. When Ace tilted his head, he saw his oldest brother, Doyen, with a bandaged wrapped firmly around his crown and his poofy pompadour split in two. He must’ve been listenin’ from outside... The youngest brother shook in fear as Doyen shoved Maestro’s fist away and say some incomprehensible gibberish to his brothers. Ace couldn’t hear a word, he was so shook with fear. After a second of panting dissociation, he heard his name sounded by a deep voice.

“Ace.” Doyen spoke, his hand on the open door. The youngest brother looked between the panic-stricken Champ, the raging Maestro, and finally on Doyen. His oldest brother was usually the strongest, most stoic of the bunch. He always made things better, and gave them hope… This, however, was not the case. When Doyen looked at Ace, he saw nothing but loss. Ace shivered, and walked toward the door, silently and slowly. He didn’t dare look back. Not once.

After a minute or so of walking about, Ace finally tucked in his tie, buttoned up his shirt, and clasped together his vest. He made his way to the bar, stiffly ordering a strong whiskey, and downing it in one go. The people around him buzzed with excitement, alcohol in their veins and risking their lives like it isn’t theirs to risk. When Ace looked around, all he could see were suckers. A pang of guilt hit him in the heart, If a ditch it is… a ditch it’ll be. He ordered one more whiskey, making that 2, and drank.

“Feelin’ low, Hearts?” Dice said, out of nowhere. The tall man leaned himself on the wood counter, eyeing his employee curiously. Ace only nodded, “I did it, boss.” “Did what?” Dice replied, catching a serious glare from Ace. The manager looked at him for a moment before chuckling softly, “sorry, Hearts. I was only teasin’ ya… But maybe that’s not what you want right now. Amiright?” Ace sighed, but then that sigh turned heavier, and then into fits of sobs. The boy covered his head to shield himself from his bosses prying eyes, his body shivering and emitting soft hiccups.

“Oh, Hearts,” said Dice, “Don’t you cry, you’re betta than that! In fact…” The man pulled out a white hankey from his coat pocket and nudged it to Ace, who quietly took it and wiped his eyes. “Why don’t you prove it to ‘em? I seen them two boys come in here with the intent to knab their souls back, and I gotta plan to make ‘em regret ever comin’...” Ace looked up at Dice, what’s he on about? “You’re whacky, boss,” he sniffed, “Those brats walloped my brotha’s, ya think I can do any damage to ‘em?” “I do.” Said Dice, “Y’know why I think so? Because you’re more capable than all y’brotha’s combined, y’got that? Ain’t nobody can touch you.”

For the past few months since the two had spoken, Dice had found himself becoming more accustomed to Ace. His mannerisms, his diction, his point of view… It was all so fascinating to Dice. Because it was so familiar. Running away from something that made him feel so lost was so real for Dice, and while Ace has him, Dice never had anybody. “Tell y’what--You help me finish off those boys and I’ll give ya someplace to stay. I imagine those brotha’s ‘a yours won’t letcha stay with them no more, right?” Ace nodded in response, rising from his seat and wiping away any remaining tears. Dice held out his hand, “Come with me, and you’ll finally get your freedom.”

This time, Ace had no problem reaching for his hand. What did he have to lose?

#ace deckers #myshit #cuphead oc #king dice #cuphead fanfic #cuphead #devils guilt

[crazyartdad]

Rite Of Passage

“I'm just saying, we could of stayed back! We had a penthouse suite! I don't know what makes you think to stay with your mum then having a few lines at the pool with a couple broads” Murdoc says in aggravation as he watched Stuart slip out of his shoes.

“Mudz it’s three a.m, be lil more quiet yea?” Stuart retorted back, eyeing him through rogue strands of hair fallen from his hair tie.

“ ‘nother reason why the hotel is better” The Bassist finalized, making a show to leave his heels on as he strolled on towards the stairs. 2D rolls his eyes in irritation and starts to drag himself in suite, a little skeptical on how Murdoc knows the way.

Murdoc making himself at home on the bed Stuart takes a mental check of the facility.The room looked clean for once, he was kinda astonished at the change its been through since he was gone. All keyboards were missing except for a small Casino laying on the Dresser, His bed was made with fresh foreign sheets and the floor was nearly spotless, minus from the scatters of mystery stains from his youth. The only thing recognizable were the worn and faded posters plastered across every inch of the walls.

Sitting across from the grouchy male he plugs in the lava lamp that waited on the nightstand, excited for the orange globs to float around freely in its grunge disco look. It was honestly nostalgic, being back in his own room after so many years on the road with the band, especially the Stones poster on the wall by the door that was embarrassingly crinkled from shame he will not voice.

Murdoc scuffed his jacket off to the floor before heeling off his shoes. He looks over to the bluenette in confusion watching him stare absentmindedly to a crinkled stones poster near the door. In all honestly he's never really there much anymore. Gotta give him a tap every now and again, not surprising from all the head injuries and shit they've been through. He’d figure it's late, that he’d just leave him to his moment.

“What was home like fer ya Mudz?” “What?” He asks, surprised by the sudden question. “Like, I know it was bad and stuff, but what about ya room?, what was it like?” “You've seen my Winnie, not much of a difference” Murdoc states, flicking the burnt match onto the nearby dresser.

Stuart kept heavy eye contact showing Murdoc he wanted a real answer, and knowing he was just buzzed enough to do so. Giving a heavy sigh he watched the other light with joy as he sat next to the other for their late night story session.

Like a fucking toddler He thought.

“Well, me and Hannibal shared a room when we were younger, since none of them earnings my dad was making came our way, our life was kinda improvised.” Murdoc said with a laugh, trying to cover the small anxiety that started to form in his words. He cleared his throat of the breath of smoke and continued on. “Anyways, I got booted and moved he to the basement, I had a twin mattress, lotta brick. It was messy as fuck. Burn marks on the floor-” He says gesturing to one near his foot. “Posters?” Stuart asks “Lots” Mudz smirked “ Black Sabbath, The Doors, Led zeppelin, Kiss, Eagles. few comic heros, I even had a Stones- though a little less kiss marked than yours” he nudged the man with a slowly growing smirk. Stuart flushes red from the comment and shoves the Bassist to the story. “What didja do in ya room?” “What does any Teenager do in their room dents? Fuck I smoked I drank wouldja like to know how I wanked off?” He tried to say threateningly only to earn a deep laugh from the singer. “No, no I jus- like did you ever have parties? Or ever had to hide anything in stashes? How'd ya sneak out and back in? Didja get your Rite of Passage?” He babbles on till Murdoc stops him with a cloud of smoke to the face. “Sorry to break it to ya Face Ache but my father didn't give a shit about what I did, who I did,where I was...so no- I can't relate. Though I am interested in this ‘Rite of Passage’ bit” He mocks using air quotes. “Ya know, ‘ave sex in ya room?” “Really? I thought that was just a bird thing”

2D shrugs in response

“Well, no. didnt mean I wasn't shagging, just thought id save the poor broads from my little house of horrors, kinda a turn off- what about you?” “Ahh….well- no I wasn't you know..” Stuart says stimming his fingers

Murdoc laughs, directly to his face unabashedly so as Stuart narrowed his eyes in a pissed off gesture. The demon shakes the his shoulders in a (somewhat) good hearted manner as he tries to get a hold on his breath.

“You, STUART POT, Are telling me? You didn't have sex as a teenager? Dents? I swear on Satan behalf besides myself you are the biggist Manwhore out there!” “Yeah! That's with the band though!, I just wasn't...comfortable wit myself yet, so ...thanks for that” He says rubbing the back of his neck.

Murdoc looks to him as he stares to the Stones poster once again till it hits him.

“You were closeted weren't ya?” He says with a mental facepalm.

“I mean, I had a share of birds as you know..but yeah...hard ta hook up in a small town like this where everyone knew everyone” Stuart says with a small laugh “one wrong move sends ya down a spiral.”

The stay silent for a time both staring to the kiss wasted poster as the stench of stale cigarette smoke started to fill up the small room, Lava lamp making glowing shadows dance across the walls.

“So which one was it?” Murdoc says breaking the silence.

“Hmm?” The Bluenette cocks his head in question

“I can't tell which one you liked more, Richards or Jagger?” He spoke with all to seriousness making Stu bend over to hug his knees in shame as he laughed out his embarrassment like some kind of twelve year old.

Mudz smiles leaning in closer to the man's neck as he rises back up for air. Doing so he crept his hand atop his knee, rubbing small circles with his thumb. Stuart’s laughter dies as his gaze fixates on the hand and the hot breath at his neck. Gulping as felt the blush spreads across his chest.

“Its only 20 or so years late to the party Stu, your call~”he breath into his ear. “Mudz he haven't done this since, God what- forever ago” He says with a nervous laugh. “I won't tell if you wont~” “How drunk are you?” The singer asks with suspicion, not wanting to go down familiar roads. Murdoc silently growls at the stalling and decides to move his hand up a notch to smooth against his thigh. They've done this before obviously, fuck- the kid was so head over heels once, he doesn't see what the problem is now. “Surprisingly not much, just in a moment” “What about-” “Look, do you want to or not?” He half yells before Stuart pulls him against his mouth for a rough kiss.

#Continue later #2Doc #pre phase 4? #reminisincg #Stones Referance

[undertalesacrifices]

Sacrifices: Twenty-Three

Sans's POV:

(Everything that happened on the guys side that happened at the same time on the girls’ side.)

   We headed back to the table. Grilby and Muffet were already there. He waved me over and I sat by him. I nudged Grilby.

   "so, didja confess?"

   The place where his cheeks would be began to turn flame blue.

   "Y-Yeah..."

   "and?"

   "We're, ah, as she put it, an item, now."

   "heh. looks like ya won this time," I winked at Grilby.

   "I take it you didn't confess then?"

   "nope,"

   "At least you danced with her. It looked like you two were having fun."

   I smiled. "yeah, we did."

   "HEY, GUYS," My brothers voice came from behind me. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS ARRIVED. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

   "you," I grinned mischievously.

   "REALLY?!"

   "of course! particularly about what's going on with ya and undyne."

   "OH..." Pap's usually loud demeanor quieted. His voiced dropped to a whisper, which for him was basically talking at a normal level.

   "Yes," Grilby chimed in. "That's exactly what we were talking about. What's happening between the two of you?"

   "WELL," Papyrus started, voice still lowered. "WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW... I MEANT TO TELL YOU, BROTHER, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD TAKE IT. I WAS... AFRAID."

   My skull shut down for about two seconds before I was able to process what Papyrus had just said.

   "Bravo, good sir! Way to capture the affections of Miss Undyne."

   "SANS? SANS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Papyrus looked at me worriedly. I snapped out of my daze and looked at him.

   "i'm alright bro, jus’ needed a second. i was shocked a bit is all. i'm happy fer ya. i trust undyne to make sure nothing happens to you,"

   "AREN'T I SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE WHO MAKES SURE NOTHING HAPPENS TO HER?"

   I shrugged. "it goes both ways."

   "IF YOU SAY SO, BROTHER."

Frisk's POV:

(Everything that happened on the girls’ side that happened at the same time on the guys side. Plus the rest of the chapter story. xD)

   When we got back to the table, everyone else began to join us. Chara was to my left and Toriel was on my right. Alphys and Undyne sat across from each other and Muffet was next to Alphys. All the guys were on the other end of the table with good amount of space between the groups. Perfect for grilling each other without the opposite sex overhearing anything.

   "So," Chara gave me a knowing look. "You and the skeleton have fun dancing? You seemed really into it,"

   "Right back at you, partner," I stuck my tongue out at her. "Asriel actually got you on the dance floor. Is it because you liiiiiiike him?" I smiled coyly.

   Chara blushed and glared at me. "No! He's like my little brother! Kid-next-door kind of thing. Brother from another mother. I could never see him that way,"

   "Sure," I rolled my eyes. "Your blush states otherwise."

   "I s-ship it," Alphys giggled.

   "You ship everyone, Alphys." Undyne chided.

   "N-No I don't!" The lizard like monster protested.

   "Oh? What's this, my child? You have a crush on Asriel?" Toriel looked at Chara curiously.

   "I do not!" Chara exclaimed.

   Toriel put he rose over her mouth and giggled. "My goat mom sense is tingling. I'm quite certain you like my kid." We both chuckled at her pun while Chara fumed.

   "Excuse me," Someone cleared their throat. We all turned our attention to the woman dressed in a waiter’s garb. "Would any of you care for some sparkling tea?"

   I nodded and the others voiced their agreement. The waitress went around the table passing out glasses. I was about to take a sip from my glass when a string of web suddenly engulfed the glass and my hand.

   "Don't drink that!" Muffet shrieked.

   I looked up, horrified. Everyone else in the room was staring at our table now.

   "What's wrong, Muffet?" Toriel asked worriedly.

   "The waitress put something in Frisk's drink!" Our attention returned to the waitress who now looked angry.

   "Tch," She clicked her tongue. "Plan B it is." The waitress whipped out a radio and spoke incoherently into it. Suddenly, gun shots range throughout the ballroom as figures completely shrouded in black materialized all around the room, pouring in from various doors. Several monsters cried out in fear, others in pain from being wounded.

   "EVERYBODY OUT!" A rough male voice called out from the center of the room. The floor trembled as people stampeded towards the door.  Before I could react, the phony waitress grabbed my wrist and maneuvered me into a head lock. I squirmed and tried to get out, but she pulled out a knife, pressing it against my throat. I quickly stilled.

   "Unhand my child this instant!" Toriel's eyes gleamed dangerously, her fire magic gathering on her paws.

   "Don't move an inch, or your precious ambassador dies!" She growled.

   "It'll be okay," I signed in an attempt to calm Toriel down. "You—

   "Not one more word out of you, you monster-loving whelp." I felt the knife's pressure increase. My hands ceased to move. I could see a familiar glowing blue eye out of my peripheral vision. My eyes widened as the realized what Sans was planning to do. Amongst all the ruckus, I could hear Asgore shouting orders to protect the monsters and for everyone to leave. Some monsters had taken it upon themselves to try and attempt to subdue the black cloaked humans, but to no avail. Dust, so much dust was beginning to scatter around the room. I watched in horror as monsters around me crumbled before my eyes.

   "Don't let them take the souls!" Undyne cried out. One of the figures scoffed.

   "As if we would want any of you filthy things to become a part of us," They spat.

   The woman forced me to walk backwards. We were headed towards an exit near the back of the ballroom.

   "P-Please don't hurt a-anyone else," I pleaded. "I'll come quietly, just please, stop this pointless bloodshed!"

   She looked down at me, a sick look in her eyes. "So, the rumors were true. Frisk Dreemurr, monster ambassador, pacifist. Don't worry, little angle of death, we won't do more than necessary."

   "if ya dun wanna have a bad time, i suggest ya unhand her," Sans' voice sounded from behind. The phony waitress whipped around, twisting me painfully with her.

   "Or what?" Defiance flared in her eyes.

   "or this,"

   Suddenly, Sans teleported right in front of us, grabbing my shoulder. I felt a sting and then my vision turned blue. Sans teleported us away, but not before the woman had left a shallow cut in my neck. Sans quickly undid his tie, muttering unintelligible things as he fastened it around my neck.

   "that should work fer now," He looked into my eyes. "are ya alright?"

   I nodded, eyes wide and in shock.

   "YARGH!"

   Sans quickly spun around and threw up a wall of bones. The woman who had captured me slashed a knife through them. Memories of my Genocide run flashed through my mind. Sans built a barrier of blue bones around me.

   "stay here,"

   "Sans, wait!" I cried out, cringing at the pain. He looked back at me, but only for a moment.

   "You're going to have to do better that that, skeleton!" The waitress barked.

   "ya haven't even seen what i can dish out yet, lady," Sans grinned menacingly. The two battled on for what seemed forever. And I was trapped here, helpless.

   "Don't kill her Sans! She just doesn't understand!"

   "Oh, I understand plenty!"

   "not sure that ya do," He gritted out as he blocked off another attack. "can't promise i won't kill her, sweetheart, tha way this is goin'."

   I bit my lip, desperately wanting to help. Suddenly, the human threw out a smoke bomb. The area was soon covered in a haze. I couldn't see anything, save blue flashes from Sans' magic.

   "Argh!" I heard a sickening sound as bone crushed bone. The same sound that graced my ears when Sans had killed me all those years ago. The smoke cleared and I could see Sans bent over, panting. He turned towards me and waved his hand, making my cage disappear.

   "sorry, kiddo, i—"

   "SANS, LOOK OUT!" I shrieked, running towards him.

   His eye socket flashed and he turned, dodging the strike.

   "ya mis—"

   Sans's eye sockets widened and he looked down at his chest. A knife point was sticking out. With great effort, Sans created a bone and hit his attacker with it in the head, causing them to be knocked out. He reached behind his back and pulled the knife out, dropping it. The moment his attacker was out, all the other blacked clothed figures retreated. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

   I rushed over to him as he collapsed. I lifted him up and place Sans on my lap. What little HP he had was draining quickly. His blood stained my dress, turning it into a deep magenta.  I placed my hands over the wound, applying pressure. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't! I won't allow it.

   "h-heya, sweet pea," Sans coughed, causing blood to trickle from his mouth.

   "No, no, no, no," I sobbed. "Sans, you can't die. You're not allowed to."

   "doesn't seem like ya have much of a choice there," he grinned weakly. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I could hear footsteps pounding towards me. Probably Toriel. I didn't care. She was too late. I could already feel Sans turning into dust. "sweetheart?" Sans brushed the tears from my eyes with a shaky skeletal hand.

   "Yes?"

   "this isn't yer fault, okay?"

   "But it is!"

   "it's not. i made... my decision.... ta protect ya." Sans' breath grew shallower. "yer gonna haveta... let... me go,"

   "I don't want to!" Tears threatened to spill over once again.

   "shh, shh, dun cry, Frisk," He out made a labored effort to say my name. Enough to where the first letter was capitalized. "i suppose, if this is tha last chance i'm goin' ta get,"

   "No, don't say that. I can fix this!"

   "Frisk," Sans' lower half was almost completely gone. "i love you." My eyes widened in shock. "i've loved... ya fer a... very... long time now... i'm sorry... fer only now... working up tha guts... ta tell ya..."

   "I can't believe you just made a pun," My voice cracked. "You're dying. This is no time for jokes."

   "heh... yer right."

   "Hey," I whispered.

   "yes, Frisk?"

   "I love you, too."

   Sans' eye sockets slid shut.

   "i'm glad... ta hear that..."

   And with that, the rest of Sans turned to dust. His remains were scattered all over my hands and were clenched in my hands. An unearthly sound ripped out of my throat as I mourned. Amidst my tears, I spoke softly to his dust.

   "It's going to be hard to let go, you know. I didn't just like you. Your wit and charm, your annoying antics, your kindness, and gentleness. I fell in love with all of that. I fell in love... With you."

   I remained sitting there in silence, clutching Sans' jacket, for what seemed to be an eternity. I felt a gentle hand touch my shoulder. I turned and looked up.

   "Toriel," My voice cracked. She said nothing and pulled me into her arms. I heard the others gather around me.

   "B-BROTHER?" Papyrus' heartbroken cry wrecked my heart.

   The footsteps and shouts of police soon echoed through the ballroom. I loosened my arms around Toriel's waist and pulled back. A hard look set in my eyes.

   "I have to fix this," I stated, determined. "Even if it means breaking the promise I made to Sans all those years ago."

   "B-but, Frisk!" Alphys exclaimed. She knew what I meant. "S-Sans sacrificed his life for you! You can't just throw that away. What about Chara and A-Asriel?"

   I turned to look at her. "What do you mean," I gave her a challenging look.

   "You c-can't reset without your whole soul,"

   "Reset?" Toriel questioned me. I ignored her.

   "They'll have to give the shards back, won't they?"

   Alphys shuffled nervously.

   "Y-Yes... And then..."

   "They will disappear. Forever." I finished her statement.

   "Think about it Frisk. You k-know Sans wouldn't want you to reset.

   "I," I paused, broken. "I know but..." I grew silent. Everyone looked at me expectantly. I looked at every one of them, seeking their counsel. Starting with Papyrus.

   "RESETTING... I ASSUME THAT IS A WAY TO BRING MY BROTHER BACK. BUT, I-IF WHAT ALPHYS SAID IS TRUE, I TRULY BELIEVE SANS WOULD WANT IT TO BE THIS WAY, HUMAN. DON'T RESET."

   I turned my attention towards Toriel and Asgore. Toriel spoke in their stead.

   "We cannot make the decision for you, my child. Whatever you decide, you must commit and be ready to deal with the consequences."

   My gaze landed on Undyne next.

   "I... I'll have to agree with Asgore and Toriel... I'm sorry, Frisk." Undyne lowered her head and Papyrus wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

   "Grilby? Muffet?"

   "Don't waste what he's done for you, Frisk," Grilby said, blowing off his usually formalities. "It's not what he would want."

   "I don't have much of a say in this, Frisk. I've never known you or Sans that well. I'll have to abstain." Muffet looked away.

   "It's alright, Muffet. I understand."

   My attention turned to the final two of everyone I held near and dear.

   "Frisk... I... We... Asriel and I want you to take the soul shards back..." Chara mumbled quietly.

   "But then you would die!" I frowned. "I want to bring back Sans, but I also want you two to stay and be alive. I can't just let you go. Not after everything I did to bring you back."

   "Frisk," Asriel started. "Chara and I have had a good second run. I mean, we both already died once. In all honesty, we shouldn't even be here." Chara continued for him.

   "We've both had our second chances. I think the smiley— I mean, I think Sans deserves one now."

   I was silent. I didn't know what to do. I was torn in what decision to make. I played everything back in my mind. Everything that had happened. Everything that led up to this point. Holding Sans' jacket close, I decided.

   "Alright, everyone," I vocalized. "I've come to a decision. I'm going to—"

#Sacrifices/Brynwyth #undertale #Frans #sansxfrisk #Frisk #Sans #fanfic #fransfic

[marichat-sins]

Breaking The Ice

First chapter of the new story I am writing!

Summary: Lucy always dreamed about having that cliché love that seemed to come straight from a cheesy Hallmark movie. But clichés are overrated. Especially when you have a pink haired pyro catch you in that cliché fall. “How ya doin’ down there?” “Oh, me? I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” Now, Lucy is caught up in her own adventures with Natsu, and a few friends they meet along the way.

Read the story on FF.net

That is where I will be posting the whole story.

New day, same old routine.

Lucy grimaced at the thought as she blankly stared at herself in the full length mirror, eyeing the outfit she was wearing to meet her father in his study. A dark purple pencil skirt was wrapped tightly around her curvy waist, clinging to every movement she made, tucking in her frilly white blouse that only accentuated her already generous chest. She adorned a matching purple jacket and her black high heels tied the professional looking outfit together.

It was beautiful, sure, but it just wasn't her. She loved her skirts, but not this kind. Lucy preferred shorter, more free skirts or even shorts or skinny jeans! But she was just not one for this uncomfortable and stiff outfit. She'd much rather be in her leggings and a tank top, curled on her bed with the new book she had bought recently, not going to her father's office.

"Miss Lucy? You're father would like to see you now." A pink haired maid, who had been the blonde's friend for as long as she could remember, popped her head through the gap in the door, blue eyes looking at her mistress. Lucy's shoulders slumped before she immediately straightened herself up, readjusting the bun perched on her head before turning to greet Virgo.

"Thank you Virgo. I will see myself there." Virgo nodded once in affirmation before she ducked out of the door, disappearing inside the vast halls inside the large Heartfilia manor. Lucy looked herself over once more before following in suit.

Walking down the halls, Lucy's face darkened as the sound of her heels clicking against the hard marble filled the empty corridor. No matter how big this house was, there was nothing that could squander the feeling of loneliness and sadness. Lucy took a deep breath as she approached a large wooden door at the end of the hall, an ominous cloud radiating off of it.

Hesitantly, she knocked and got a quiet response from her father, Jude Heartfilia. "Come in."

Doing as she was commanded, Lucy pushed against the heavy wooden doors as she made her way in. Her father was sat behind a large desk in a fairly empty room, clad in a dark brown tweed suit, his dark blond hair gelled back as he regarded Lucy with empty seemingly black eyes.

"You asked for me, father?" Lucy's voice was tight, almost sounding strained as she felt his cold gaze fall upon her. After years of practice, she's perfected this routine.

"Ah, yes. I have received news from Gerard Beradik that he has accepted the invitation to have dinner with you tonight. He will pick you up from here promptly at six tonight. I expect you to be properly dressed and on time, seeing as he has shown interest in having your hand in marriage. Is that understood?"

Piercing coals burned their way onto Lucy's delicate skin as Jude's dominating aura dared her to challenge him. She swallowed thickly before nodding, accepting defeat.

"What have I told you? Speak when spoken too."

"Yes, father." Lucy corrected her mistake as she focused her brown orbs on the sparkling white marble she was standing on in these god awful heels.

"Yes, what?"

Grinding her teeth, Lucy bit back the sarcastic response she had conjured, opting to go for what she knew her father would want to hear. "Yes, I will meet Mr. Beradik for dinner tonight."

"Good. You are dismissed." Finally… Lucy thought as she hightailed it out of the office, darting as quickly as she could in her uncomfortable shoes to her room. She snatched her pink phone off of her desk, where an untouched stack of letters sat, before she dialed the number that she knew like the back of her hand.

The dial tone sounded in her ear. Lucy didn't have to wait long as the person on the other side of the line picked up after the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Levy. Can we meet at Mermaid Heel in a half an hour?"

After Levy agreed to meet Lucy at the popular cafe, the blond immediately took out the firm bun on her head in exchange for pulling all of her long hair to the right side of her head, tying it with a simple white ribbon. Once that action was done, she set out to walk to Mermaid Heel instead of asking Capricorn to drive her.

Plus, it would give her time to finally read that new book she bought a few days ago with Levy.

Too bad she didn't realize just how icy it was outside. The preposterous heels had no friction or support as every step she took made her slide. It wasn't very pleasant, to say the least as she felt the chilling wind bite at the parts of her skin that weren't covered. She mentally cursed herself, wishing that she wouldn't have stormed out of the manor fast enough to forget her winter coat and was now stuck in this paper thin outfit.

Lucy sighed, a white cloud puffing from her parted lips as she walked as fast as she could in the current condition of the sidewalks. She was halfway to Mermaid Heel, and Levy was expecting her in ten minutes. At this rate, she was going to be late. And she was the one who initiated the meet!

Not paying close enough attention to her surroundings, Lucy was caught off guard when she felt her footing slip. The sudden momentum of her leg sliding against the ice threw her weight back onto her other leg, causing her to fall back. Lucy prepared herself for the harsh impact of the cement, but instead of the feeling of her body slamming against the sidewalk, Lucy collided with something warm and fleshy.

With her body slanted in an awkward position, a tan arm was wrapped around her curvy waist, and it could almost be passed off to onlookers that she was doing the dip.

The man who's limb she was currently being held up with gazed down at her with curious yet cocky olive green eyes. A white, scaly scarf was wrapped around his neck and the tips of the worn down scarf dangled in front of her face, emitting an aroma that Lucy had never smelled before. The first thing she thought of when she saw him face to face was pink. He had pink hair. That had to be the strangest thing Lucy had ever seen on a man, probably ever. Yet for some odd reason, it worked for him with his tan skin and sparkling white teeth and with the pair of green eyes thrown into the mix only added to the man's unique look. He was pretty hot, if Lucy did say so herself.

The man flashed his canines down at Lucy, a wide grin making its way onto his face where she noticed a pink scar on the right side of his jaw that followed every movement his lips made. He opened his mouth to speak and Lucy had been expecting something charming to fall from the handsome man's lips.

"How ya doin' down there?"

And instead she got that. Her heart dropped and the small glimmer of hope that she had maybe found a prince charming went along with it, leaving behind a speck of disappointment. Remembering that the man had asked her a question, Lucy blinked before she responded.

Okay Lucy. This is your time to say something cute, so don't screw it up.

"Oh, me? I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

And you screwed it up.

The man laughed before he righted her, keeping his hand on her waist until she was firmly planted onto the ground. "Ah, man! Ya didn't twist yer ankle, didja?" His green eyes that were once filled with curiosity were now filled with concern as he stared down at her heels. Cocking a brow, he continued. "I mean, with those shoes, I wouldn't be surprised."

"No, I'm fine. Thank you…?" She trailed off as she glanced up at the pink haired stranger, fully expecting him to continue on with her sentence.

"Natsu. Natsu Dragneel."

"Thanks Natsu. I'm Lucy He- Lucy."

"Well, talk about breaking the ice, huh?" Natsu laughed at his own joke, either completely oblivious or just ignorant of her eye roll. Suddenly, he quieted down as a frown replaced his smile. Pointing at the street he cleared his throat. "I hope that wasn't yers."

Following to where Natsu was pointing, a gasp escaped from her as she stupidly ran towards her book that she had been so excited to read. It was lying open, face down on a sloshy snow-water mixture in the middle of a street. She ignored Natsu's yell as she dashed onto the road, bending to reach for the book when she heard the loud honk of a car coming her way. Caught like a deer in the headlights, literally, Lucy froze in terror as the vehicle neared her at a high speed.

"Woah! Wait!" Natsu's arms encircled Lucy's waist once more as he pulled her away from the street, yanking her from danger as a speeding car raced past them, running over her precious book. Natsu and Lucy watched as the car that had nearly ran her over turned around the corner with no intention on seeing if the blonde woman was alright or not. "Are you crazy or something? Is a book more important than your life, Lucy? Ya can't just go runnin' into a busy street like this without lookin' first!"

She didn't respond as she stared in horror at her destroyed book, barely acknowledging the fact that Natsu was shaking her shoulders like a madman. Not only was her book destroyed, but she had just very nearly lost her life to a man who didn't give a damn on whether she was hit or not. A part of her was glad that the whole cliché where your life flashes before your eyes when your close to dying didn't happen to her. It wouldn't have been a very happy flashback, not for her.

"Lucy, answer me. Ya can't just stand there in shock all day. Ya'd freeze ta death."

"..."

"Is it about that book?"

"..."

"I mean, if it's about that book, I can take you to the bookstore across the street. Ya know, just to make sure ya don't slip again, or get ran over. That, and the book ya had is destroyed." His offer seemed to have knocked her out of her thought, as she looked up at him with watery brown eyes that stung from the unshed tears.

"L-Lucy? Th-there's no need to cry now! Yer safe and- and we're gonna go ta that bookstore and I'm gonna buy ya a new book! So it's all good so just stop cryin'!" Saying Natsu didn't like to see people cry was an understatement. Understatement of the year in fact. He absolutely hated it, especially when the person crying was a woman.

Not because he was sexist or anything!

Natsu shrugged his black jacket off before hanging it on her shoulders, figuring that she was probably freezing in the outfit she was wearing. The same smell from his scarf surrounded her, enveloping her in a woodsy, fiery scent that for some reason was the best thing she had ever smelled before.

What does fire even smell like? I feel like this is what it would smell like.

At first, Natsu was confused as to why he had even offered her his coat in the first place, even though his odd body temperature would have kept him warm. It was just not something that he did! After a moment, he shrugged it off, seeing as Lucy seemed to be warmer.

Planting a wavering grin on his face, he turned her around so they were both facing the store on the opposite side of the street. Keeping one secure arm around Lucy's waist, he looked both ways before the two crossed the street. His grin grew more confident as he saw her watery eyes begin to dry as a smile smile began to appear on her face, growing with every step they took towards the bookstore.

"Thank you for saving me again." Natsu turned towards her as she shook her head, blinking away her tears. "God, that was terrifying."

"Yeah, well, next time ya should be more careful kay? I don't wanna see ya get crushed." Lucy laughed, causing him to chuckle along with her.

"Oh wow Natsu. Such a way with words." She threaded her arms through the black jacket that Natsu had placed on her shoulders, thanking him for the jacket as she wallowed in the extra warmth it gave her. Her legs still felt shaky from the near death experience, but she did feel a lot better as she walked with Natsu towards the bookstore across from them.

"Y'know, ya say thank ya too much, Luce. Just go along with it, because it's all a part of the adventure." Natsu adjusted the scale-like scarf wrapped around his neck, tugging it down a bit. He held the door open for Lucy as they came in front of the bookstore called Amorem Libros. Lucy sighed as the warm air covered her face, her eyes lighting up as she saw the shelves of books. Not waiting for him, Lucy dashed in toward her favorite section, only turning back for a second to see if Natsu would follow her.

He did catch up, after she had gone down her third aisle though. In her arms she held a replacement for her ruined book along with a few others. "Why do ya love books so much anyways? They're just a bunch of words. Now, comics. That's where it's at." Lucy stopped her browsing to glare up at the perpetrator, looking more offended with each word that the rose-haired man spoke.

"I can't believe you just said that. I will tell you exactly what there is to love about books. And comics? Those were so 20 years ago."

"Little Miss Feisty, aren't we Lucy?" Natsu snickered as the blonde grabbed his hand, her smaller one wrapping tightly around his larger and more calloused one as she tugged him along, dragging him to god knows where. "I'm sorry Luce, but comics are way better. Not only do ya have cool pictures, but ya also get awesome fightin' scenes!"

"You can get that in books too, Natsu." Lucy ignored the fluttering in her chest as she was dubbed the nickname 'Luce' and continued to pull Natsu along to a certain aisle that she had in mind. "And you can get so much more from them too! You can get romance, and adventure, and mystery, and humor! Oh, and don't forget about fantasy!"

Lucy's chocolate orbs shined in a certain light that was hard or just any person to describe as she talked about her love for books. "Oh yeah? And what's your favorite genre to read?"

"... I can't decide between adventure and romance! Though books that have both of them are definitely the best!" Finally the duo came to a stop as Lucy began to search through the stacks, looking for a specific title. Finally spotting it on the top shelf, much to her dismay, she saw the label Pride & Prejudice.

Cursing her short stature, she placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder, before jumping wildly for the thick book, using Natsu's height to her advantage.

A swing and a miss later, Natsu found himself chuckling as he reached for the book he suspected she was trying to snatch and easily plucked it from its perch before offering it down to the petite Lucy. When she didn't take it but instead pushed it back to him, he looked at her in confusion.

"Pride & Prejudice. One of the greatest books that I have ever read. I want you to read that, and if you can tell me that comics are still better than books, then…" Her tone faltered as she realized that she didn't really have anything to offer to this man, if he actually won, that is.

"Then, ya have to go on a date with me."

"What?"

"Well, if I win, I want ya to go on a date with me. But in return, I want ya to read my favorite comic." Lucy's face turned a unique shade of red as Natsu told her his end of the bargain. She began to sputter out nonsense words as she stared up at the guy in embarrassment.

"W-Why do you w-want to g-go on a date with me?" Lucy wasn't flustered at this, no. She was beyond flustered. Never had any man been so bold with her, yet here was this pink haired man, barely past the stranger phase, asking her out on a date. She had never felt so flattered yet so embarrassed before!

"My cousin's been buggin' me 'bout never gettin' a date lately, so I'm gonna prove him wrong." Natsu declared with a proud punch to his chest as he smiled down cheekily at her. Though his boyish grin quickly morphed into a cocky smirk as he tilted his head to the side, leaning in closer to her face. "And, are ya that scared of losin' yer bet? Not confident enough in yer book, huh?"

He was challenging her. Lucy knew that. But that little stubborn part of her personality, okay big stubborn part, did not take challenges lightly. She was competitive, a trait she had unfortunately earned from her father. She never backed down from a challenge, so who was she to back down from this one?

"You know what? You have a deal, Natsu Dragneel. And if I end up winning, I get to choose 10 books that you have to buy me."

"You're on, Luce. Now come on, I have to go buy you that book that got ruined and a comic book for you to read."

If she took a long time looking for her books, well then Natsu spent an eternity browsing for a single comic book, that Lucy was certain of. Because next thing she knew, the two were bustling to the cashier as they told them that they were going to close in ten minutes. Natsu, being somewhat of a gentleman, and also noticing that she didn't have her purse on her, paid for all three items.

"He's a keeper, sweetie. It's good to know that chivalry isn't dead in all men." The elderly lady said behind the cash register as she rang their books.

"I-It's not- we're not- I just met him! We aren't dating!" Lucy spluttered as her cheeks turned a pink that could rival Natsu's hair. Speaking of, he was no help at all. All he did was laugh obnoxiously.

"Ah, well you should snatch him up quick before someone else does hon, you're gonna regret it otherwise." Lucy's blush darkened by several shades as Natsu's laugh grew even more obnoxious.

"I uh, sure." Lucy waited as patiently as she could. The lady couldn't have bagged slower before she handed the plastic sack to Natsu. Not helping in any way possible, Natsu threw an arm over her shoulders, pulling her taut against him.

"Ah, Luce is cute, isn't she ma'am? It would be an honor, to date someone as pretty and nice as her." Kissing Lucy's cheek, the elderly woman behind the cash register giggled as she nodded in agreement with him, oblivious to the slap at the back of his head that he had received from Lucy.

After the slap, the two dashed out of the store in a hurry.

"Well, that was nice huh?"

"Nice? That was embarrassing Natsu!" He laughed once more as she told him to shut up. Lucy stared at the night sky and puffed out a breath of semi-annoyance. "Why would you do that?"

Natsu shrugged as he walked forward, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Why not? It was fun?"

Lucy scoffed but didn't push his arm off of her.

"Yeah, so you should let me walk ya home. It's late, and yer clumsy self is gonna slip again." It was more of a demand rather than an offer, but Lucy was happy that he at least seemed to care about her safety, even if he had to throw in an insult. She just figured that that was how Natsu was, going by the past couple of hours she has known him.

"You can walk me to the bus?" Even though Natsu was nice, it didn't mean she was comfortable enough to let him know where she lived, seeing as Heartfilia was plastered on a giant golden plate in front of the gates in her house. She just didn't like having people know her as a Heartfilia. It was unpleasant, as she was usually being used as a gateway for cash.

That had been a particularly bad time in her life, and when she thought she had finally made a friend around her age, everything had backfired on her, and in the end she was the one left. She was used and abused and then abandoned. And not even Levy, who had somehow helped break down some of her barricades, could pick up all the shattered pieces from her past.

Natsu's face visibly paled before turning a sickly shade of green. "Uh, Natsu?"

The man tried his best to straighten up, reminding himself that he wasn't even on the transportation device.

"Ugh… Motion… Sickness…" He gurgled out as the thought of riding on one of those metal death machines overpowered him.

"Seriously? You aren't even on a vehicle!" Though his sickness did help her stop thinking about past experiences, as she laughed at the poor man who was starting to tilt over in nausea before she decided it was time that she helped him upright.

After Natsu had gotten over his moment of weakness, or as Lucy called it his 'Overdramatic Act', they had began their trek to the nearest bus stop, being wary of the now invisible ice. Every minute or so, one of the two were slipping and had to rely on the latter to help keep them steady. The walk there was silent, but not an awkward silence. Much to Lucy's relief seeing as this was the first time she's talked to a male that her father hadn't introduced her to.

Once they finally reached the dreaded death machine's stop, Natsu took out Pride & Prejudice, and handed Lucy the light brown sack that had held the comic book and the new book he had bought her. He almost made his curses known as the bus pulled up the exact moment she took the bag from his hands.

"I guess I'll see you around Natsu."

"Yeah, and don't go slippin' in places where I can't be there to catch ya Luce."

"Shut up!" Natsu only laughed at her non-aggressive retort before he waved goodbye as the bus doors closed on Lucy. It was only when she had sat down and the bus began to move did she realize that she still had Natsu's coat wrapped around her shoulders.

Even as she asked the bus driver to stop and ran off the bus to give the rose-haired man his coat, Natsu had disappeared, almost as if he hadn't existed in the first place. And the only proof she had that he did, was tucked away in her arms as if it were the most fragile thing in the world.

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