#He can't sleep without seeing that cop's face so he barely sleeps | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sihtricfedaraaahvicius · 11 months

Text

Warnings: angst/fluff. mentions of trauma, panic attack, severe injuries after crash, feelings of guilt, slight assault.

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)

Summary: you got to see Sihtric in the hospital, but he wasn't the same guy you knew before the accident.

Word count: 5,1k

Note: part 3 of the Mechanic story, direct follow up to part 2.

taglist: @clairacassidy @finanmoghra @uunotheangel @hb8301 @bathedinheat @neonhairspray @anaeve @bubblyabs @travelingmypassion @sylas-the-grim @heimtathurs @bubbles-for-all-of-us

'Don't leave me, please, I'm so fucking scared.'

********************

You barely knew Finan, but when he saw you running down the hospital hallway towards him, he pulled you into his embrace without any hesitation.

'Where is he?' you cried, 'it's all my fault, Finan.'

'He's being looked after,' Finan hushed you, 'and why would ye say that?'

'If he… hadn't,' you sobbed, 'brought me home or… if I had just let him go moments earlier… then he- he-'

'No. No!' Finan said and cupped your cheeks, 'we can't change fate. It happened. No one here is to blame except the bastard that hit him. But the cops are onto that already.'

'Is he awake?' you tried to calm yourself.

'Not that I've been told. I haven't seen him, I only know the damage.'

'Tell me,' you sniffled and wiped your tears.

Finan sighed and motioned you to take a seat. He sat down next to you and sighed again while he rubbed his hands over his face before he spoke.

'They told me,' he paused and shook his head, 'Sihtric… the helmet saved him. The collision was so hard, if his head was unprotected he would've died right on the spot.'

'No,' you weep softly, to which Finan took your hands.

'But he is alive, aye?' he reassured you, 'he does have a mild concussion. The further damage is,' Finan paused again, 'his left shoulder is fractured, his left elbow, wrist and hip are broken. He has three broken ribs, both knees are fractured and his right ankle is broken too.'

'Oh my god,' you sighed and broke out in tears again. Finan pulled you in for another hug and tried to hush you.

'They believe he will be okay. He'll just need a lot of time to recover. So wipe ye tears, lady,' Finan chuckled weakly, 'ye won't get rid of the boy this easily.'

You smiled lightly and tried to calm yourself again.

'Is he awake already?'

'I'm not sure, I did see a few nurses rush over shortly before ye came, but I haven't heard anything yet.'

'They rushed in?' you grew concerned, 'why?'

'I…,' Finan sighed and shrugged lightly, 'I can't tell ye, sorry.'

You dropped your head in your hands and sat like that for several long minutes until a nurse suddenly walked over.

'There was a slight complication,' she said softly, 'but I can confirm everything is okay. We have placed him in an induced coma.'

'What?' you snapped.

'Why?' Finan asked.

'He had regained his consciousness, which we didn't expect after a trauma this big. It is safer for him to be in a state of sleep for a little longer,' the nurse explained, 'but if you wish to, you can see him now.'

You looked at Finan, who returned a worried look, but you both agreed and followed the nurse down the hall. She opened the door and said you could stay as long as you both wanted, but said to not touch Sihtric or anything that is currently attached to his body.

'I do want to encourage you to speak to him. There is always a possibility he can hear you, which might be comforting for him,' the nurse said before she walked out, closing the door behind her.

You and Finan both stood far away from the hospital bed, both too nervous and frightened to get any closer. You looked at each other and you saw how Finan had teared up. Without thinking you grabbed his hand and you slowly walked over to Sihtric.

Most of his body was covered with a blanket, but the sight of his face was enough for you to let out a sob. His face only had mild bruises and several cuts, nothing that wouldn't heal normally, but upon seeing it, it truly dawned on you what had happened.

His left arm was already placed in a cast, elbow to wrist, covering up the bruises underneath, but both his hands were exposed and the bruises and scratches looked painful.

'You know,' you chuckled lightly, 'the day before the accident, he told me a few more scratches or scars would go unnoticed on him.'

'Aye,' Finan sniffled, 'he was an ugly bastard before the accident already.'

You snapped your head up at Finan with a disapproving look, but you couldn't help smiling through your tears when Finan did the same.

'Shut up,' you hissed softly, to which Finan squeezed your hand.

'So, ye were with him just before the crash?'

'Yeah,' you sighed, 'he gave me a ride home from work after, you know, my car…'

Finan chuckled and shook his head.

'Yeah,' you snorted, 'Sihtric picked me up and we just rode around for a few hours before he brought me home. It was quite late already by then, around 10 o'clock I believe.'

'10?' Finan frowned, 'the accident happened around 10:30.'

'Well,' you said, but quickly closed your mouth again.

'Aye,' Finan suddenly snorted, 'I see. Took a while to say goodbye I'm sure.'

'Yeah,' you blushed lightly, and Finan saw you tear up again, 'he should've stayed over. I asked him, but he said it wasn't a good idea. If he stayed he wouldn't… he,' you choked on your words.'

'Nah, Sihtric's not like that. Not if he really likes ye, that is,' Finan smiled softly at you, 'believe me, Sihtric wanted to stay. But there was no way ye could've made him, he doesn't let his walls down anymore that easily.'

'He told me a few things, yeah.'

You both sighed and listened to the heart monitor that was connected to Sihtric for a moment. You looked at Sihtric and you desperately wanted to wake him up, to hold him in your arms and tell him he was safe. But you kept your distance, and you weren't ready to talk to him with Finan in the room. Besides, you figured Finan should be the first to try and say some things, as Sihtric considered Finan as his only family.

'I will give you some time, Finan, alone, in case you want to talk to him. I'm going to get some coffee, do you want some?'

'Appreciate that, lady,' Finan smiled weakly, 'and no, I will fetch my own coffee in a moment, thanks.'

You patted Finan lightly on his shoulder and walked out of the room. You got yourself a coffee and sat to wait in the hallway. About half an hour later Finan found you on your chair, asleep, with an empty cup of coffee in your hands. He didn't have the heart to wake you up, as he had a feeling you weren't planning on going home. And neither was he, so he sat down next to you and eventually fell asleep too.

*****************

You both woke up as a nurse nudged you awake. Apparently you had slept for a while, and they advised you both to just go home. Sihtric wouldn't wake up in the next few hours anyway and his condition was stable. Yet you both refused to leave and just ended up roaming the hallways the entire day, getting to know each other better. And to your pleasant surprise, Finan was very likeable and funny. He told you a lot about Sihtric, good and bad things, and you just loved to hear the stories he had to tell about the holiday adventures they've had the past few years.

You'd been back in the place you both slept at for a short while before suddenly two nurses rushed by and entered Sihtric's room. You and Finan both jumped up, but knowing you wouldn't be allowed in the room, you just stood there, watching. Seconds later you heard something clatter on the floor after a pained groan and another two nurses hurried into the room.

'Sounds like he's awake,' Finan grimaced.

'You think?' you said, concerned.

Not much later one of the nurses ran over to the two of you.

'(y/n)?' she asked, slightly spooked and confused, 'is one of you (y/n)?'

'I-I am,' you said cautiously.

'He's awake and asked for you. He is not supposed to have visitors yet, but when we told him that he quickly became rather aggressive, attempting to rid himself of any attached wires. He knocked over the IV pole in the process, his injuries caused him discomfort and made him lay back down. But,' the nurse paused and swallowed, 'you, you will have to see him. I am afraid we will not be able to keep him calm otherwise.'

'I… shouldn't you go?' you hesitated and looked at Finan.

'Go!' Finan said, 'go, lady. He's clearly in need of you,' and he lightly shoved you towards the nurse. You nodded at Finan and followed the nurse inside the room. You watched how the other three nurses made sure Sihtric hadn't ripped out or broken any tubes or wires. In the meantime the nurse, who had called you over, told you to be careful as he might still be high on medication which could cause him to act unexpectedly. When everything seemed to be fine and back in place again, the nurses left the room, closing the door behind them.

You felt a mild rush of panic when you slowly walked over to Sihtric, who took short and heavy breaths after his sudden anger outburst moments earlier.

'S-Sihtric?' you whispered, to which he slightly lifted his head up and you heard him sigh when he saw you.

'(y/n)?' he spoke hoarsely, lips curling into a small smile.

Sihtric made an attempt to reach his right hand out to you, but was restrained by the infusion line attached to him, causing him to, once again, almost pull over the IV pole. You hurried to stop the pole from falling over and Sihtric was quick to grab your hand as you stood next to his bed. You looked down into his mismatched eyes and felt the familiar rush of butterflies in your stomach again.

'One more, lady?' he whispered with a sleepy smirk.

'You can't be serious,' you chuckled lightly, 'you nearly trashed the place just to say that to me?'

'No,' Sihtric chuckled, to which he quickly groaned as it hurt him, 'I actually hoped,' he hissed lightly in pain, 'you'd give me one more.'

'Sihtric,' you sighed, 'I'm not even supposed to see you. Let alone touch you.'

'They won't know.'

You couldn't help but smile at his smirk. The man had been seriously injured, yet here he was, still flirting, as if half of his body wasn't broken or fractured. Oh, what the hell, you thought. You slowly and cautiously leaned into him, but still his lips were quick to find yours. And it only took a split second before you heard the heart monitor gradually beep faster, and you pulled away from him when the sound became concerningly fast.

'Sihtric,' you chuckled lightly, 'we can't do this right now.'

'Hm,' he murmured, trying to pull you closer again but he seemed confused as he tried to do so. Then you were rudely interrupted when a nurse ran in to check his heart monitor.

'You can't touch him!' she snarled at you.

You abruptly stepped away from him, but Sihtric didn't leave his grip on your hand and clenched his jaw as he looked at the nurse. She sighed in frustration and warned Sihtric to keep himself calm, or he'd quickly be denied seeing you. He scowled at the nurse before she left again, and you couldn't help but giggle at him.

'Sihtric,' you said and shook your head, 'you need to rest.'

'Stay with me,' he whispered, suddenly seeming broken after looking confident just yet.

'I don't think I am allowed.'

'Baby, please,' Sihtric sighed and squeezed your hand again, rather harsh this time and you tried to pull away, which only intensified his grip.

'Sihtric, you're… you're hurting me.'

'Stay with me,' he said again, gently yet confused, while his grip was anything but gentle.

'You, you have to let go of me,' you tried to sound calm but you felt yourself grow anxious.

The nurse had warned you he could still be unpredictable, and you didn't know him well enough yet to know if this was part of his normal behaviour or not. You didn't know if he was normally this clingy and if he thought it was normal to use force on someone. And when you couldn't hide your sudden fear anymore, you jerked your hand back, slipping out of Sihtric's grip. You stepped back to which Sihtric gave you a pained and once again confused expression.

'No, please,' he begged, calmly, 'don't… don't go.'

'Sihtric, you can't,' you sighed and swallowed hard, 'I don't want you to use that much force on me again,' you said softly as you rubbed your already reddened wrist.

'Force?' Sihtric asked, not sure what he was being accused of.

You saw his face grew concerned as he was still confused, which led you to feel concerned again too. Was he really not aware of the force he just used on you? Was he still high on medication? Because he seemed to be rather sober and aware, even reacting to his own pain. It made no sense at all to you.

'I… I will be… I need some air,' you stammered, 'I- I will be back.'

You couldn't bear hearing him plead again so you quickly turned and walked out of the room.

You stormed past Finan, who caught a glimpse of your tears and he quickly followed you.

'Hey!' he called after you, 'hey, what happened?'

'He,' you sobbed, 'I don't know. He just… he wouldn't let go.'

'What?' Finan frowned. You showed him your wrist and Finan looked in shock when he saw a bruise was already forming on your skin, 'did Sihtric do that?'

You nodded and wiped your tears away, 'I think I… maybe… I guess I just don't really know him.'

'What? No. No, this is not something he does. He,' Finan sighed, 'Sihtric may have some rough edges, but he would never purposely harm someone he's fond of. And definitely not a lady,' he scoffed, 'believe me, he's as soft as they come. He must still be high on medication.'

'He didn't look like that, he seemed very aware of everything. Except for this,' you held up your wrist again and brushed your hands through your hair, 'he begged me to stay.'

'Do ye want to go back?'

'I don't know,' you shrugged lightly.

'Do ye want me to go back with ye? Keep an eye out? I could even wait outside, at the door, he wouldn't know I'm there.'

'Yeah, I-I think that's a good idea. I'd like that,' you smiled weakly.

'Maybe you could go in first,' you said as you walked back to Sihtric's room, 'you know, to have a chat? You know him better than me. You'll be able to tell if he's high on not.'

'Aye, I'll do that,' Finan said, and he squeezed your shoulders, 'everything will be okay. I promise ye, he's a good lad.'

********************

'Finan?' Sihtric said, still hoarsely, 'where is (y/n)?'

'Sihtric, listen to me,' Finan said curtly, 'ye scared us both, we are still trying to adjust to this whole thing, aye?' he paused and waited for Sihtric to react. Once he had nodded, Finan continued, 'how do ye feel?'

'Wrecked,' Sihtric chuckled lightly, 'where is (y/n)?' he asked again.

'Am I not handsome enough for ye?'

'Piss off,' Sihtric smiled and blushed lightly.

'Aye, I see yer just fine. How's the pain?'

'They could give me something stronger, but it's not too awful. I mainly feel dizzy at times.'

'Ye got a mild concussion, so that's nothing weird. Anything else that feels off to ye?'

'I don't think so,' Sihtric said and looked down at his hands, 'nothing I can recall right now at least. Where is (y/n)?'

Finan nodded and looked at Sihtric for a few seconds before he slightly leaned in.

'Listen, that lady out there,' Finan said, 'keep her. Make sure ye bloody keep her. She tried to contact you for hours, the morning after your crash, but I couldn't unlock your phone and reach out, until she finally called.'

Sihtric sighed and clenched his jaw as Finan spoke.

'She came over right away, a crying mess, and she hasn't left the hospital since she arrived. Now, I don't know what just happened between the two of ye, but ye better be careful, mate. Ye spooked her just now.'

'I didn't do anything!' Sihtric suddenly hissed.

'Ye bruised her bloody wrist with the grip ye held her in!' Finan snapped, 'clearly ye are not high on any medication, I can tell, so I don't know what got into ye, but if ye do that again I will kill you myself. Is that clear?'

'Where is she?' Sihtric asked again, even more impatient this time.

'I asked ye a question!'

'Yeah, clear!'

'Something's not right with ye, Sihtric, I can tell,' Finan said quietly but sternly, 'I don't know if it's the trauma catching up or the concussion, but something's not right. I can feel it.'

Sihtric looked away from Finan and clenched his jaw again. 'I want to see her,' he said.

'And ye will. But ye will behave.'

Finan then got up and walked out of the room, back to you.

'Aye, he's as sober as he can be. But something's wrong. However, he still asks for ye, so if ye want to see him, I'll stay close.'

'Thank you, Finan,' you gave him a quick hug, 'I do want to see him. Maybe I judged too harshly. I… we can't imagine what he feels or thinks right now. I will go to him.'

You took a deep breath and walked back to Sihtric, and you almost forgot what had happened when he smiled at the sight of you and looked at you with loving eyes.

'Baby,' he whispered, reaching for your hand again as you sat on the side of his bed. You politely pulled your hand away and gave him a soft smile.

'How are you feeling?'

'Better now that you're by my side,' Sihtric smiled, and you couldn't stop yourself from getting closer to him again. You leaned in and softly brushed your fingertips through his hair, and you both chuckled lightly when you heard his heartbeat speed up again.

'Hear what you do to me, lady?' he smiled, causing you to blush.

'Do you,' you hesitated, 'do you remember anything?'

Sihtric closed his eyes, allowing himself to enjoy your touch as he thought for a moment.

'I remember picking you up,' he said, eyes still closed and paused for a short while, 'I think we… just rode around for a while then.'

'We did,' you smiled, your fingers still softly playing with his hair.

'And… I brought you home. And we kissed,' he smiled widely now, 'and I didn't want to leave you.'

'But you did,' you chuckled lightly.

'I did,' Sihtric smiled, 'and I was a fool. But I did it for a reason.'

'I know.'

'I remember,' he swallowed hard and you saw his smile fade, 'I… I regretted leaving you. And I missed you as soon as I left. So,' he paused,trying to recall his memory again, 'and I remember that when I was halfway to my house, I… I turned around. I wanted to go back to you.'

'Sihtric, no,' you gasped softly, and you suddenly felt sick inside.

'I was on my way back to you,' his voice trembled, 'I needed you in my arms that night,' he choked on his words.

'No,' you let out a soft sob and leaned your forehead against his lightly, 'I'm sorry.'

'For what?'

'Making you go back, causing you to… to…'

'You didn't cause anything,' he raised his voice slightly and quickly hissed at his pain. You pulled slightly away from him, making sure you weren't hurting him.

'You didn't cause this,' he continued with a shaky voice, 'and if I, if I… if I had died, then at least I,' he paused to compose himself, 'at least I'd died knowing I had somewhat of a chance with you.'

'You're such a fool,' you cried softly, 'I've been trying to make you ask me out for weeks. You always had more than somewhat of a chance.'

'But what chance do I have now, lady?' Sihtric looked up at you, 'now that I got fucking wrecked?' he smiled brokenly.

'Well,' you smiled softly and caressed the old scar on his cheek, 'a few more scratches and scars go unnoticed on you.'

Sihtric chuckled through his tears, making him groan in pain again. You gently leaned back into him and softly nuzzled his nose.

'My lady,' he sighed while you could hear his heart monitor beep faster again, 'please, one more?'

'Just one?' you whispered before you kissed his lips as softly as you could.

'More,' he murmured with a smile against your lips, before you kissed him again.

He brought his right hand up to cup your cheek, moaning softly against your lips as he brought some pain upon himself while he did so.

'Be careful, darling,' you cooed.

'I just want to feel you close, lady,' Sihtric sighed.

You placed your hand on his and you brushed your cheek lightly against the palm of his hand.

'I am close,' you whispered, squeezing his hand lightly as you leaned back in to kiss his lips again.

'But I,' Sihtric sighed, breaking the kiss, and you pulled your hand off his to cup his lightly bruised cheek.

'What?' you spoke softly when you saw he looked very confused again, 'what is it, love? I'm right here.'

Sihtric looked up at you with a sudden fear, and you felt how his hand on your cheek tightened, just like he had done before with your, now slightly blue, wrist.

'Sihtric?' you asked, alarmed.

'I, I,' Sihtric stammered. You watched his lower lip tremble and he gasped for air, his eyes darted all over you and you saw he was on the verge of tears. But there was something else in his eyes too, beside a glance of panic and fright. There was a hint of near insanity, which scared you like nothing else ever had before. Sihtric squeezed your cheek hard, and forced your face back to his again as he desperately tried to kiss you.

'Sihtric!' you tried to raise your voice but you simply couldn't. You managed to pull slightly away from his lips to which Sihtric started crying and shook his head.

'I can't… I can't feel you,' he gasped loudly and dug his fingers in your skin again, but this time he clawed at the back of your neck.

'What do you mean!' you panicked at the sight of him, while you heard his heart monitor go even faster than before.

'I can't feel you,' he cried and suddenly raised his voice, 'I can't feel you!'

Finan had heard the commotion and you vaguely heard him shout for a nurse before he ran over to you. He was bewildered at the sight of you and Sihtric and didn't know if he had to pull you away or not, as he saw how you leaned your forehead against Sihtric's, trying to hush him as he cried and shouted that he couldn't feel you. Finan watched in shock, trying to make sense of this sudden outburst and he kept looking back to the door, waiting for a nurse.

'What do you mean? What do you mean?' you asked Sihtric over and over again, as he kept trying to kiss you amidst the panic.

'My hands!' he suddenly shouted with terror in his voice, 'I can't feel your skin! I can't feel you! Why can't I feel you? Why can't I feel you anymore!'

'Baby,' you sobbed, trying to understand what on earth he meant, 'but I'm here. I'm right here!'

'Oh sweet Jesus, his nerves!' Finan suddenly shouted, 'his hands!'

'What?' you snapped your head towards Finan, 'what does that mean!'

'Nerve damage!'

'I need to… I need to feel you, I- I can't… I-,' Sihtric breathed heavily, and you saw he was about to have a panic attack.

'Nurse!' Finan shouted loudly again just as she finally ran in.

You pulled away to give the nurse space, but Sihtric had caught your hand in his and he refused to let go. Again, squeezing so hard you thought he was going to break your hand.

'Why can't I feel her!' he shouted at the nurse.

'I need you to let go of her,' the nurse said curtly.

'No!'

'Sihtric, please,' you cried, 'you're hurting me!'

Sihtric gasped loudly again when he looked down and saw your hand in his, seeing how he had caused the colour to leave your fingertips, and he abruptly let go.

'I- I didn't mean to,' he panicked as you backed off, 'I can't feel you, baby, please. Don't leave. Don't leave me, please, I'm so fucking scared.'

You brought your shaking hands up to your face, covering your mouth as you were taken by shock while you watched the nurse quickly sedate Sihtric. Finan wrapped his arms around you and forced you out of the room, and outside you just became numb and let yourself fall down to your knees.

********************

Two days had passed since you had last seen Sihtric, as he was sedated to prevent him from doing any more damage to himself or others. After a doctor had run tests on him, you were informed that Finan had been right. The nerves in Sihtric's hands had been damaged in the crash, causing him to lose all sensation in both hands. The doctor said his nerves were only bruised and that the sensation would come back to him again, but it could take up to three months. You felt relieved to know what had been wrong, but also felt terrible for Sihtric. You couldn't imagine how scary it must be to suddenly not feel anything you touch anymore, but still remain to have strength in your hands which you were simply unaware of.

After the incident Finan had brought you home, where you finally got some sleep and refreshed yourself. You felt better quicker than you expected, but it also helped that Sihtric had called you the evening after you had left him. You were happy to hear his voice, even when he wouldn't stop apologising to you, and he told you that starting tomorrow he would be allowed to finally leave his room for a few hours during the day, albeit in a wheelchair. You promised him you'd be there, and told him that Finan had informed you he had to get back to work again, so it would just be you at the hospital tomorrow. Sihtric grinned and said he didn't mind that.

********************

When you arrived at Sihtric's room he was already settled in his wheelchair. You couldn't help but chuckle a little at the sight of him. His left arm almost completely in a cast, his right ankle in a cast while large bruises and some cuts decorated every piece of skin you could see.

'Lady,' Sihtric smiled when he saw you and he bit down on his lip.

You smiled and blushed lightly as you walked over to him. Despite not feeling anything, Sihtric still brought his right hand up to your face, wanting to cup your cheek as you leaned in towards him. You gently pushed his arm down and cupped his cheeks instead.

'Hey, baby,' you whispered and nuzzled his nose softly, to which he hummed satisfyingly. You kissed him tenderly and you felt yourself suddenly become lightheaded, just like you had felt when Sihtric had kissed you for the first time. You both felt a little flustered after the kiss and you quickly moved behind Sihtric to push his wheelchair.

'Guess I'll be driving you around now for a while, huh?' you snorted as you pressed the elevator button.

'I sure hope so,' Sihtric grinned.

You kissed the top of his head while you waited for the elevator, and you just had to brush your hand through his soft, short hair. Sihtric beckoned you over to face him and asked for a kiss, which you happily gave him.

'I've missed you, lady,' he suddenly said.

'I've missed you too,' you smiled, 'how much longer do you have to stay here?'

'Not much longer, I think. I don't need any surgery so there's not much reasoning to keep me here much longer. I can heal my broken bones at home too.'

'What about your concussion?' you asked as you pushed him into the elevator.

'It can cause dizziness, but so far it has been mild, so, also nothing to be very worried about.'

'And the pain in general?'

'Lady,' he smiled, 'I don't feel a single thing right now. I don't know what kind of medication they gave me, but it's amazing. Only when I cough,' Sihtric sighed, 'and when I laugh, that really hurts too.'

'Have you tried sneezing already?' you snorted as the elevator door closed.

'Gods, lady,' Sihtric grimaced at the thought, 'I'd rather not. Might break another rib in the process,' he chuckled, to which he hissed lightly.

********************

'So, when you are allowed to go home…then what?'

You looked at Sihtric, who sat across from you, and you both enjoyed the warm sun on your face. The park next to the hospital was peaceful and quiet, and you could see Sihtric really needed to leave that room and he couldn't stop smiling.

'Well,' Sihtric cleared his throat, 'I thought that maybe you could get one of those hot nurse outfits,' he snorted, causing himself to moan at the pain. You looked satisfied at his struggle.

'That's what you get,' you grinned, 'for thinking about stuff like that.'

'Worth it,' he hissed.

'But, you're telling me you expect my help then?'

'I would like your help, lady.'

'And how? I mean, you basically need someone day and night.'

'You could… if you want to, maybe, you know, just… temporarily move in.'

'Really?' you chuckled.

'Yeah? I mean, I can do things on my own, you know. Like breathe,' he grinned, 'but I would need help with some stuff. But, you obviously have your job, so… I don't expect you to be around all day.'

'But you expect me to be around all night?'

'That would be great,' he smirked.

'Sihtric,' you rolled your eyes and blushed.

'It's… it would maybe be the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better,' Sihtric said and also blushed lightly, 'I'd really like to have you around. Properly. Not just for a few hours, like this.'

'Well,' you sighed, 'let me know when you can go home. I'll try to get some time off work then.'

#sihtric x reader #sihtric x you #the last kingdom fic #sihtric fic #sihtric kjartansson #the last kingdom #sihtric #sihtric kjartanson #tlk #modern!sihtric

146 notes · View notes

kikiwritesfanfic · 8 months

Text

The Lovebug Virus - Chapter 3: Moon

Yandere! Sun and Moon x Reader

AO3 || Masterlist || Chapter 2 || Chapter 4

*****

Wow, your second day, and you're already screwing this job up, huh?

You rush around your room, digging through all of your dirty clothes to find your uniform. Somehow in the few days since your first shift, you already managed to lose your shirt, stain your pants, and sleep in. Plus, since you have the morning shift, you can't ask Kat to help you look, because she's definitely still asleep. She barely wakes up before 9 for her first class of the day, so there's no way she'll be willing to get up at 5:30 to help you look for a stupid shirt.

"Finally!" you exclaim in triumph as you pull the soft yellow shirt from the side of your bed. Now you remember, of course - you had fallen asleep in it when you got home from your first shift and woke up in the middle of the night. You were too lazy to put it in the laundry basket across the room, so you took it off without getting out of bed. You really need to stop doing that.

You rush to the bathroom and change, shove your messy hair into a ponytail, and speed through giving your face a wash. Then you grab your little backpack (you hate purses, so you've always gotten those little themed backpacks for your wallet and keys), and head out to the car.

On the way to the Pizzaplex, you blast your favorite song and race against the clock on your dash. If you play your cards right, you can probably be there just in time, so you press down on the gas a little more, testing your luck with possible cops around.

By some miracle, you manage to burst through the employee entrance of the daycare and clock in a minute before your shift starts. You sigh a breath of relief and lean on the security desk for a moment to catch your breath.

"Sunbite, is that you?" you hear Sun call from somewhere on the opposite side of the daycare. You lift your head and call back out.

"Yeah, I just got here! I was almost late, believe it or not," you admit, walking back out from behind the security desk and seeking out the animatronic. You cross the daycare and furrow your brows in confusion. I swear his voice was coming from over here, you think to yourself. Then you hear him again, but this time from above you.

You crane your neck to look up at the balcony decorated like a castle tower, and gasp as Sun waves to you, before jumping and plummeting into the ballpit below. "Sun!" you scream, running up to the ballpit wall and looking down at the sea of rainbow orbs below. The yellow animatronic pops up unscathed, sending you yelping and flying backwards. You trip and land on your ass, suddenly grateful the entire daycare is covered in soft mats. A string of curses fly from your mouth nonetheless.

"Oh I'm sorry, Sunbite! I didn't mean to scare you," Sun says, rushing over to you and helping you back up.

"It's fine, Sunny," you assure him, placing a hand to your chest to calm your racing heart. "But why on earth did you do that?"

Sun's rays shrink back into his head, just like they did on your first day. So he can feel embarrassment? "I've just... always done that," he admits sheepishly. He pauses for a long while, staring at the floor next to you like he's lost in thought. But just before you're about to ask him what he's looking at, he speaks again and in a softer tone. "I-I should have told you first, though. I didn't mean to frighten you."

You finally feel as though you've caught your breath, so you smile up at him. "Now that I don't feel like I'm having a heart attack," you start, laughing slightly. "That was a pretty cool trick."

Sun's face lights up, and his rays return to normal. "You really think so?" he asks. "I have other things I can show you if you'd like! Sometimes I do these flips when I'm still in the air, or even-"

"As much as I'd like to see you drop thirty feet into a children's ball pit again, we kinda have to get the daycare ready for said children to actually be here," you interrupt hesitantly. But instead of looking disappointed like you thought he would, Sun somehow beams brighter.

"Oh my gosh, yes we do! I have to teach you how we get everything ready!" he skips over to the front desk with you in tow. "So, you clocked in, right?" You nod. "Great! Then you have to look at what is for breakfast today, and make sure the order is being prepared," he continues.

You walk back around the desk to the computer and scan the screen for anything indicating meals in the daycare. You notice a little icon labeled "Daycare Food Menu" and click on it. A page with a little pink and white bear that looks like a mini version of the face of the company appears, and you smile.

"Found it," you state. "Looks like the kids get banana slices, scrambled eggs, and orange juice today." You continue to scan the page and read that the meal is being prepared in the kitchens right now. "Oh cool! So you get to see real-time updates about each of the meals?" Sun nods, and you sit back in the desk chair, baffled. "The sheer amount of coding and programming that goes into this place is insane," you mumble, but somehow Sun still understands.

"Of course, Sunbite! There's a lot of working parts to this place, and more programming means less room for human error!" he says, shoving his index finger into the air as if reciting a project speech for school. You are still stuck on how he heard you when you spoke so quietly though.

"You understood what I just said?" you ask. Sun looks at you, confused for a moment.

"Oh, you mean that I understood you even though you mumbled?" You nod slightly. "We've got special protocols for understanding kids even when they're quiet! Sometimes kids are just soft speakers, and we also have to understand them when they're crying." He stares at your look of amazement and laughs. "You sure do seem to like coding and programming, huh?" he teases.

Your cheeks heat up against your will, so you force yourself to look back down at the computer screen. Stupid, now he probably thinks you're just a nerd with nothing better to do. "Uh, yeah... I'm actually going to school for it right now." Sun leans his elbows on the desk, turning his head so his eyes are right above the monitor you're looking at. Something about his look sends a shiver down your spine, so you quickly stand from your seat and change the subject. "Anyways! We still have other things to do, right?" you say, stretching your arms above your head and avoiding eye contact.

"Of course! We have to pick a craft for the day!" he says, bounding back towards the other side of the daycare.

*****

"Okay kids, it's almost naptime, so lets clean up our messes and get ready to eat some lunch!" you call out in what Sun has deemed as your 'teacher voice'. The kids start screaming in excitement, and one of the younger ones tugs on your pant leg. You squat down and smile kindly at her. "Yes, Evelyn?"

She clings onto one of the plushies, looking up at you with big eyes. "What's for lunch today?" she asks timidly. You pretend to look around to see if anyone is looking before leaning down and whispering to her like it's a secret.

"I heard we're having macaroni and cheese." You stand back up and the girl bounces up and down excitedly, running back over to the area she was just playing at to convince the other quieter kids to join in cleaning.

Sun appears next to you, head tilted slightly in curiosity. "What did you just tell her?" he asks. "Little Evelyn never wants to clean."

"That we're giving them mac n' cheese for lunch," you say nonchalantly, attempting to hide your triumphant attitude. Sun gives a disbelieving laugh before continuing his rounds singing the clean-up song while you head over to the security desk to make sure the meal is on its way. The screen reads that it's here already, to your surprise, so you walk over to the entrance to retrieve it from one of those creepy staff bots. You don't know why, but they just look so unsettling. If it weren't for the fact that their existence meant that you didn't have to walk all the way across the Plex to grab the children's meals, you'd put in a complaint about changing the way they look.

Sun settles the kids on the larger mat next to the playstructure while you set up the tables. You suggested that he put on a puppet show to entertain the children for the few minutes it takes you to set everything up, but it seems like Sun is physically incapable of being anything less than energetic and loud. Another wave of high volume laughter erupts from the children as Sun continues his puppet storytelling.

After a few minutes, the food is set up and Sun dismisses the kids one by one to sit down and eat. Once they are all settled, Sun joins you at the security desk. "Oh Sunbiiite," he singsongs, leaning on his elbows on the desk. You look up from the computer screen and flash him a toothy grin. "How much longer are you going to be here?"

"Uh, well I've got to clock out and eat lunch myself in a minute," you admit. "But I'll be back and here until 2." The yellow animatronic looks crestfallen, his rays shrinking back into his head.

"Oh, okay," he says sorrowfully. "I was hoping to get in a game of hide and seek with you and the kids today, but I guess I missed my chance."

"Oh, naptime doesn't end until 2:30, huh? So the kids will still be sleeping when my shift ends," you realize. "Well, there's always tomorrow, right?"

Sun perks back up and smiles. "Yeah, tomorrow!" He slinks back towards the children because some are starting to finish their meals. "It's a date!"

You chuckle to yourself as you begin walking back over to the employee entrance. As you exit the daycare and walk back out into the main entrance of the Pizzaplex, you feel a warmth spread through your body as you think about the situation you're in. Sun is so utterly happy - how could anyone ever dislike an animatronic like him?

The sound of excited chatter hits your ears as you step out into the main entrance hall, wandering around and up the stairs so you can get to the atrium. That's where all the food is, and since you were running late this morning, you didn't get the chance to pack any lunch.

After wandering aimlessly for what felt like an hour, you finally settle on grabbing some simple mexican food from El Chip's with your designated Staff Pass and head back in the direction of the daycare. You check your "complimentary Fazwatch" to make sure you have enough time to eat, but are rather surprised to see that you had, in fact, wasted most of your lunch break just trying to find food.

Spectacular job, stupid. You hadn't eaten breakfast, and now you're not going to be able to eat lunch. All because you're physically incapable of just looking at a damn map.

You give an exasperated sigh as you shuffle through people to get back to the daycare as quickly as possible. Down a flight of stairs, shuffle through more people, down another flight of stairs, around a corner, up stairs this time, and finally, you make it back to the daycare with about... five minutes left of your lunch break. You slip back into the daycare as quietly as possible and tiptoe back to the security desk.

Setting the bag of food down in the one space free of computer monitors (why are there so many anyways?), you pull one of the office chairs forwards and take a seat. At the top of the bag is the chips and salsa, but you decide you'd rather spend your few minutes scarfing down as many bites of the bean and cheese burrito as possible before you have to clock back in.

About three bites in, you realize that your surroundings are being covered in a soft red glow. You look up from your food and startle at the sight of red animatronic eyes looking down at you quizzically. Your poor burrito ends up on the floor as you leap from the office chair, sending it flying backwards. "Who the fuck are you?" you yelp, instinctively balling your hands into fists and raising them to defend yourself.

"Okay first of all, seriously?" the animatronic says in a hushed voice, looking out towards all the children sleeping soundly on the mat. "The children are sleeping." You eye the animatronic out of fear, but take in its appearance nonetheless. It has the same face shape as Sun - in fact, the entirety of it looks just like Sun, but themed like the night. His red and yellow pants have been swapped for dark blue ones with yellow stars. He wears a matching nightcap, and the metal of his body seems to have changed from tan and yellow to gray and blue.

"Secondly," it continues, turning back towards you. "Are you seriously asking who I am?" His red eyes seem to change from being completely red, to having small red pinpricks surrounded by black. You nod, and the animatronic rolls his head around in the most attitude you've ever seen from a robot. He turns to the side and speaks to seemingly nothing, saying "And you actually like this human?" He puts a hand to his face and sighs, turning back to you. "I'm Moon, Sun's counterpart. You know, the one up on all the posters everywhere? I handle the naptime routine."

You finally lower your hands and relax slightly. "So, where's Sun at then?" you question, looking around to see if he's off somewhere, waiting impatiently for the kids to be awake again.

"Nobody told you about this, wow," Moon says in absolute disbelief. You look back to him as he explains. "Starlight, I am Sun. Or, well, more like he's in my head. We're two AIs in one body. The lights in the daycare are on a timer, just like we are. So when the lights go out, we transform into me. And when the lights come back on, you'll see Sun again."

"I swear I find out something new and absolutely insane about the programming of this damn Pizzaplex every hour," you mutter, leaning over to inspect the damage to your burrito. "But you know, you didn't have to sneak up on me," you accuse.

Moon scoffs. "You would have seen me coming a mile away if you weren't busy having such an... intimate moment with that burrito," he retorts. Your cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"Well, I was running out of time for my lunch break," you say, picking up the ruined food and throwing it in the trash beneath the desk. "Not that that matters now," you say under your breath.

"You should probably clock back in," the blue animatronic says over his shoulder as he saunters back towards the mat all of the children are sleeping on. You whisper a curse or two as you rush back over to the main computer, and clock yourself back in a few seconds before the clock signals the end of your lunch break.

Sighing, you shove the chips and salsa back into the bag and under the desk to be retrieved later. At least you can snack on that during your drive home. You make your way over to the sleeping children, looking for Moon again because you can't help all the questions now forming in your head. Suddenly, everything was starting to make sense. Sun referring to you as 'our Sunbite', Kat calling him 'the boys', and even the constant referring to them as.. well, 'them'.

You look around the sleeping toddlers but can't seem to see Moon at all amongst them. But then a familiar red glow appears from behind you, so you turn to find him hanging upside down from some kind of wire. Your face lights up as you make another realization. "So that's what the little loop on your back is for," you say, smiling. Moon tilts his head in curiosity, seemingly taking in your words with disinterest.

"Sun gets too tangled up in it, so I'm the only one that uses it," he brags, crossing his arms across his chest. But then he flinches, placing one of his hands to his head and spinning around so he's right side up. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he says, touching his feet back to the ground and disconnecting from the wire.

You give him a puzzled look. "Sorry for what?" Moon's red eyes look down at you.

"I was talking to Sun," he says matter-of-factly. If your further confusion wasn't an indicator that Sun didn't really tell you a whole lot, then you don't know what will be. The blue animatronic slinks over to an empty mat a bit away from the children, but still allowing him to see all of them. He sits down and pats the ground next to him, so you join him on the floor.

"Okay, so clearly my incompetent brother hasn't told you a single thing about us," he starts, which you find yourself feeling defensive about.

"Well, he hasn't really had time to talk to me about a whole lot," you say, looking down at your hands. Moon is silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Sun says thank you, but that he does apologize for not saying something to you about me."

You look up at him, amazed. "So wait, can you guys hear everything when the other is out?" you ask. Moon shrugs and leans his back on the playstructure.

"Not everything. We can hear and see everything the other does if we want. But we can also sort of... Back away? I guess the best way to describe it is that it feels how you humans feel when you sleep," he explains, looking back out at the kids. You turn your body so that it's facing him.

"Do you know how absolutely astonishing of a discovery that is?" you ask. You can't even begin to fathom how that coding works, or how one would even go about programming it to begin with. Two separate AIs in one animatronic? That's just wild!

"Sun said you have a thing for programming," Moon says, chuckling. "Guess he wasn't lying." He sits up and leans closer to you, his eyes slowly shifting back to being fully red. "So what does that make you want to do, hm?" he asks as you slowly lean backwards. He continues his pursuit. "Do you want to pick apart our servos, dig through our circuit boards? Find out what makes us tick?" You fall back on your elbows, but hold your gaze with him as he towers over you.

"Do I want to look at your coding and programming? Yes," you admit. But then you smile. "However, I am in no position to do such a thing when all I do is work here as a daycare attendant."

Moon chuckles darkly, now above you on all fours. "You're different," he says simply. He pulls away from you, sitting back down with his back against the play structure. "I like that."

You sit back up and tilt your head slightly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nobody really talks to us besides the children."

"Oh," is all that you can think to respond with. So your first assumption was correct. Nobody interacts with them. They are secluded from the rest of the Pizzaplex, and if what Sun said before was true, then they don't ever leave the daycare. Or wait, Sun had said that he doesn't leave the daycare. So does Moon?

You look back at him, taking in his design in more detail. You realize that the yellow stars on his dark blue hat and matching pants are glowing slightly. Moon notices you staring and chuckles again. "Is there something you want?"

You feel your cheeks warm again. "N-No, sorry. I mean, it's just weird that you two are the only animatronics like this. Why did they decide to put two AIs in the same robot? They could have just made two of you."

Moon scoffs. "This is Fazbear Entertainment we're talking about. They don't spend an extra penny on anything if they don't have to. And even then, they'll drag it out until the last second."

"Guess that's true," you sigh. "Still, doesn't being in the same body cause... issues?"

Moon finally shifts to settle his red eyes back on you. He stares at you for a long moment in silence, and you wonder if Sun is saying something to him. "No, it doesn't," he says curtly, turning back to the kids. Something about the way he answers makes you think he might be lying, but still, you drop the subject.

"So what do you normally do during naptime?" you ask.

"Exactly what we're already doing."

You look back out at the little sleeping mounds. "You never play games or anything while they sleep?" Moon shrugs. "Well that sounds boring," you state, getting up and walking over to the supply closet to quietly pull out some craft paper and scissors. Moon looks up at you as you reappear in front of him and place the crafting supplies down.

"I don't color, that's Sun's thing," he quips, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well then it's a good thing I wasn't planning on coloring, isn't it?" you retort, and he finally smiles, leaning forward to watch you inquisitively. You cut the paper into little strips lining them up based on color, Moon staring the entire time. After a while, his curiosity gets the best of him.

"What are you making?" he questions.

"You'll see," is all you respond with, now picking up one of the strips and folding it intricately. Finally, you fold the last part over and hold it up to Moon. It's an origami star. The first of many. He seems genuinely in awe for a second, taking it from your hands gently. He turns it over, inspecting it carefully.

"How did you do that?" he asks as you pick up another strip and begin folding it now.

"All that AI and they never programmed you to know origami?" you tease, handing him one of the strips. He smiles.

"I told you, cheapskates."

*****

A/N: Yay, Moony is here now! Also Y/N is kinda stupid for never paying attention to the Moondrop posters around. Although I guess since there quite literally aren't any posters or TVs that have his ad inside the actual play area of the daycare, if you're not looking for them you probably won't see them. ANYWAYS, did Moon meet your standards? He's a bit more closed off than Sunny is, but I promise he will warm up to you! Slow burn, remember?

Feel free to comment or message me if you want to be added to the taglist!

See you next chapter, my lovlies~

Taglist: @senyahgirl

85 notes · View notes

s0dium · 2 years

Text

He's Toxic

Ex!Gojo x Reader

Summary: In which you cant get your mind off of your abusive toxic ex, Gojo Satoru

Warnings: Blow jobs, cum eating, choking, dubcon

Its toxic.

You know it's toxic, even dangerous.

And it's not that ‘all in your head crap.’ Your friends tell you everyday that your relationship with him is not normal, your parents even banned him from coming to the house, hell, the cops that were called on you and him by your neighbors is proof that what you and he have, is toxic.

And yet, you can't help but be plagued by him. It's all there is in your mind.

Gojo, Gojo, Gojo.

How many times have you blocked and unblocked him, what, at least 6? Its like nothing satisfies you anymore. No matter the abundance of men you sleep through, drugs you take, alcohol you drink, all your mind seems to want to stick to is Gojo.

3 Text Message from Gojo

I'm drunk

Come here

*Location

You stare at your phone before letting out a sigh and grabbing the half empty bottle of beer by your bed and downing the rest. You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror on the dresser and shuddered. Dark circles resided under your eyes and your hair was so messy it was practically sticking up. There was no use in fighting it anymore, of course you were gonna go. Your oversized t-shirt slipped off your shoulder, revealing a medium sized scar.

You see this baby? Its a sign that your mine, I own this body princess.

You shuddered at the memory that echoed in your ear. The worst part? He was right, every word.

Well if you're gonna see him you might as well go all out.

You could feel the eyes of men on you as you walked into the night club. And who could blame them? You made sure to wear your most revealing black dress, one that shaped your curves and executed your cleavage. Purple and pink neon fluorescent lights illuminated the place as you shifted by the people dancing and drinking. You could hear the muffled sound of music playing throughout the club, the slow rhythm practically vibrating the room.

“Hey”

You turn around to see Shoko standing behind you, a cigarette in between her lips and a sullen look in her eyes. “He’s in there.” She points to one of the VIP rooms and you nod a thanks before you feel a hand grab yours.

“Y/n….. you know you dont have to keep doing this right?.” Her facial expressions seem sad, sympathetic, making you grimace before embracing your best friend. Then you pull apart, giving her a soft smile.

“I know.” Your voice is barely above a whisper. You turn around and you can tell that she is watching as you open the door to the VIP room.

When the door shuts, so does a majority of the sound from the outside is left behind leaving the muffled sound of music. The room was lit in a purple hue of lights and surrounding the table covered in bottles of alcohol was a large couch. Your eyes travel to the figure in the middle of the couch, sitting legs spread, head thrown back so you can see his Adam’s apple. Without even looking at you he beckons you with his hand and you walk forward until you're standing next to him. Slowly he looks up, cocking his head to the side with a smirk on his face. You can see his sapphire eyes that glint from behind his circular sunglasses.

“Come here.” He grabs the back of your head and guides your mouth to his, enrapturing you in a kiss. It’s slow, messy, almost desperate.

“Missed you baby.” He mumbles and you hum, snaking a hand into his white hair and tangling your fingers in the soft tufts. When you break away a string of spit connects your mouths and your left panting.

“On your knees.”

You clench your jaw and do what he says. The floor feels cool on your knees and you gaze through watch full eyes as he unbuckles his belt and pulls out a fully hard dick. Saliva pools in the back of your mouth as you wrap your hands around his shaft. You tilt your head to lick a fat strip up the underside of his dick before pressing a kiss on the red tip and slowly taking his length into your wet mouth. You move your head to swallow as much as his length as you could and for what you couldn’t, you started to Jack off with your hand. You begin to bob your head up and down, looking up at him with watery dough eyes that make Gojo shudder.

“So good for me….” He groans. Gojos eyes start to become half lidded, mouth slightly open, his breath starting to become irregular. You reach between his thighs to stroke his balls, knowing what he likes the most, and a loud moan echos through the room. It makes you eager, sucking him harder, wanting to hear more of those sounds coming from him. Suddenly he grabs the back of your head and forces your face all the way down so your nose is buried in his happy trail. The tip of his dick hits the back of your throat making you gab violently, and you claw at his thighs to get you to breathe to no avail.

“Just breath through your nose darling, you can take it.” He chuckles before brutally thrusting into your mouth. Fat tears poured down your face, messing up your mascara and blurring your vision. You hated this. You hated how he’d use you and then throw you away. You wanted to go home so badly but at the same time you wanted to be needed more than anything.

“Oh fuck I’m close.”

The grip in your hair was becoming tighter with every thrust into your tight channel, but he didn’t care. His skin was practically buzzing from the mixture of alcohol, drugs, and onslaught of pleasure.

“Oh fu-”

His hips stilled and you winced when you felt hot thick liquid hit the back of your mouth and slide down your throat. You swallow thickly, opening your mouth to show that nothing was left making him smile.

“Good girl, such a good girl, you know I love you right?.”

You nod as he wipes the tears from your eyes, the heat of his hand making you nestle into him.

“Love you too.”

#jjk smut #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen headcanons #gojo x reader #gojo smut #jujutsu kaisen smut #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen fanfic #sukuna smut

1K notes · View notes

bokettochild · 6 months

Note

Opera house AU, I feel like Hyrule first met Legend during one of his late night street art excursions with Sheik. One night goes sideways, Legend and Sheik split up, Legend's chase getting worse until Hyrule saves him?

Yeah, most likely. Legend is just back from his trip abroad to meet his father (who died while he was over there) and thus in need of some cheering up and quality time with the people who love him. Lullaby (Sheik) took him out knowing that music and art are sometimes good ways to express yourself when words won't work, but they nearly got caught.

They split off, Sheik leading the cops away (after all, Sheik is the more wanted criminal) and Legend scrabbled up into a third story window while they weren't paying attention and stumbled across one (1) homeless dude who surprisingly didn't kick him out immediately and actually kept quiet until the cops were gone.

Hyrule, on the other hand, was trying to sleep in the first building that didn't already seem to be claimed already by a homeless clan, and got freaking stepped on by some dude falling in through his window. On the third floor. Said dude is clearly Going Through It, so Hyrule tries to help him chill out (panic attack) before walking him home. Legend insisted he'd be fine, but Hyrule wouldn't hear of him going out alone when he'd clearly barely escaped someone earlier in the night (Legend can't bring himself to admit it was the cops)

Once he was calmed again, Hyrule walked Legend back to a safer part of town and then just disappeared. They kept running into each other after that though, especially when Legend stepped into Malo Mart one day to see The Homeless Dude getting creeped on by the manager there (not Malo). Naturally, he made quick work of the creeps face and dragged Hyrule away, only to realize he just punched Homeless Guy's boss. Oops? (Not oops)

Long story short, the moment Legend realized Hyrule's boss is not only creeping on the nice guy that helped him, but also underpaying him, he hauled ass up to the opera and told Lullaby he was hiring a new assistant. Lullaby never objected. Legend did the same thing a couple months before when he hired Ravio, she doesn't question it.

Since then, Hyrule's been working at the opera. he's a bit shocked they hired him without an interview or anything, but the nice guy who fell through his window apparently has a bit of pull here? And is going to be his manager. And on top of that? He's not a creep! Weird, but...not a creep, and a win is a win in Hyrule's book, so he accepts the job.

It's a weird job, and his co-workers are weird, but he'd rather dodge flaming set pieces that get creeped on by his boss any day. And Legend's nice, even if he's clearly got something going on in his life, and Ravio and Styla are really sweet, and while the big bosses are definitely scary, they don't bother him. He does get very up in arms when he perceives them to be bothering Legend though, which is apparently funny to them? Excuse you?

#lu hyrule #asks and answers #linked universe #linkeduniverse #opera house au #lu legend

39 notes · View notes

symphonic-scream · 6 months

Text

Okay. P4 Apocalypse Au

Spoilers for P4! SPECIFICALLY LIKE. ENDGAME SHIT. LIKE NOVEMBER AND STUFF

Okay that's out of the way

Let's get into it

Plot summary first then any notes I've sent to my buddy Cap. Cause that poor guy is suffering through my ADHD meds shortage

Okay. Okay. Let's go.

It's. Based on the bits about the Inaba in the TV. With the "shadows" coming out of everywhere, the town in ruins

The gang and any Inaba survivors holed up in the school, since it has a gate. They reinforced it. Barred access to the roof as a precaution. The black puddles don't take shape unless you run into them, but. They can't be certain

The windows in the classrooms are always shut. It's clear inside, but every time the door opens, dense fog leaks in

Everyone's scuffed up. Looking worse for wear

They make trips out, in groups. Most of the time? The groups make it back. They see remains of unfortunate people all the time now. Strung in the wires, dead on the ground, etc

They've stocked up on stuff from Junes. It wasn't save to stay when the power left, but the school is old enough

So mainly it's Junes runs, for nonperishable foods. There's plants growing in the practice building, where they cook meals and such

Each classroom is a sleeping quarters now. Sometimes, people notice others going between the rooms at night for comfort. They say nothing

On their first excursion, Yu, Chie, Yosuke, and Yukiko find Teddie in Junes, banishing a shadow somehow. The gang wants to know how he killed it for good, since their weapons barely Nick them. They take Teddie back with them, partially as extra hands to carry more goods back

Teddie can, grant them the blessings of Light on their weapons for limited times. They can finally kill the shadows, but only by engaging in actual combat. It's dangerous. But, to save everyone, they decide to do it.

So, they start midnight secret kill runs. To rid the town of shadows. When their families think they're asleep, they go to scavenge for upgrades and kills

They save Kanji soon after. Find him holed up in his house, struggling to keep his Ma alive

They offer to carry her back, but he wants more. To kill the things that nearly took her. They let Kanji join in

Then, they find Rise. She's running down the road, definitely on her last ounce of strength, being chased. She's run halfway from the city, when her manager's car broke down and was overrun. She's. In dire need of help

Rise can see through the fog, and offers to be their eyes from above. They sneak her up to the roof at night, with a walkie and binoculars.

She tells them what's around them, which streets are overrun vs nearly empty

Then, Naoto.

The government tries to send a police brigade to help but. They get seiged. Naoto had been brought along to get him out of the hair of the city cops. Under the excuse that he'd be smart enough to save Inaba

So. He watches everyone around him fall and he's got just his gun, climbing into a tree near the Samegawa and shooting, until he's got nothing left

Tears fall down his face as they bang at the base of the tree. In the end, he's still just a kid,

The others rush out. Drive the hoard away, and get Naoto into the school. He's shaken up, won't talk for a week. But, hes determined to help. He thinks there might be something that can help at the Shirogane estate and guides them through the labyrinth of a building

To the secret lab beneath. Naoto offers to run tests on what they find and stuff to find answers

So. Some nights they kill, some nights they take Naoto to the estate for tests

Rise goes with them to the estate. She wanders through the old rooms and finds an old cat doll under Naoto's bed. She surprises him with it that night when they return to the school

Okay. Splitting here! Extra under the cut!

You can talk to me about this or any au I have I'm always around :)

There's one room in the school that most people pity. The room for those without family. Rise, Kanji, Naoto, etc

Naoto likes to lie down under the teachers desk. Rise lies down just outside it, watching Naoto slowly breathe at night

Kanji sleeps right nearby to protect them both.

Yu and Yosuke's families are in the same room. Yukiko and Chie's are nextdoor

Chie's stupid dog is also there, he's kept in the gym with the other pets

Naoto sometimes keeps Rise company on the roof. The gang find him a sniper rifle from the site of the cops deaths. He cleans it with extreme care, and lies down in position, his elbow just beside Rise's leg, so they can feel the warmth

Rise: they're going to need assistance, Naokun. Three clicks up, ten left from position J

Naoto: affirmative.

Naoto can't see where he's shooting. He trusts Rise's instructions and shoots just as she instructs.

She's never guided him wrong

One night in the lab, Naoto gets frustrated. He's getting nowhere it seems, and he throws his goggles, crying in frustration as he tries to get his labcoat off

Rise is the only one still in the lab, and she tries to calm him down, but. He's shouting and won't listen, so

She just kisses him to shut him up

Naoto freezes and stares.

Rise pulls away, tears forming in her own eyes. Stares.

They crash together, Naoto walking Rise back until she's sitting on one of the desks, hands in his hair, one of his near her knee, the other wrapped around her waist

They make out. It's, sloppy. Emotional. Not the greatest

That night they both sleep under the desk. They don't talk about it. But Rise feels safer in his arms. Naoto doesn't feel so cold and alone with her

Rise sometimes shivers up on the roof in the fog. Naoto's jacket is often thrown around her shoulders

Naoto: I. Don't mind being me so much when it's with you. I, I'm not quite a boy. Not quite a girl. But. I feel I don't need an answer when it's just me and you

Rise: that's cause you don't. We're just Naoto and Rise. Whoever they may be

Yosuke: yo Rise how's that chick we saved?

Rise: Naoto wants to be called 'he' for now

Yosuke: what

Kanji: YEAH. HER PRONOUNS ARE HE THEY BUT JUST CALL HIM A DUDE

Naoto looks so small behind the two of them, still bandaged up and unable to bind in his condition

Naoto: Kanji? Rise? I require assistance getting back to my futon,

Kanji: on it, little man. Let's get you to bed

Rise: rest time! You won't recover if you push yourself!

Yosuke: what just happened

Yu: another dude joins our team

Naoto's first time at the estate and he goes to his bedroom and finds his first binder

"Shoot... It's too small now,,"

"Hey, uh, I can make ya a new one. If I can find the material."

"...thanks Kanji, that means a lot"

They don't have clothes that fit Naoto for a while. They take some of his father's old stuff back from the estate and Kanji has to hem them all so Naoto doesn't look like a child playing dress up

Rise: there, all handsome

Kanji: does that uh, liner fit? I wasn't sure with the pattern, but-

Naoto: it's very comfortable, thank you Kanji. I feel much better in these clothes,

Rise: you look much better too

Naoto: a-ah. Thank you

Kanji: yo, you two cuddling?

Rise: Kanji! Leave us alone, can't you see we're having a moment?

Naoto: do you, want to join?

Kanji: yeah. I like keeping you two safe. I'll block out the world for a bit.

Rise: ...you can be pretty okay sometimes

Kanji: yeah yeah. Huddle in, Ma tells me I'm warm as shit

Naoto, his girlfriend, and the guy that also cuddles with them at night without being romantically involved

Their platonic buddy that keeps the world away when they're all sleeping. The big safety Teddie bear

Kanji's always in the infirmary checking on his Ma. Rise stares at the old fire alarms, occasionally pulling them and pouting when no alarm sounds. Naoto bunkers down in the library, between big hefty chemistry textbooks, town legends, and biology

Naoto: Rise.

Rise: ah! Hi, what's up? Missed me that much~?

Naoto: come with me to the library if possible. I find, it easier to focus when I know you're safe

Rise: hey. I'm not going anywhere, you hear? I'm making it out to see the sunshine again, to be able to go to the beach with everyone and relax. We all promised.

Naoto: I know...

Rise: so?

Naoto: but, I care for you more than I've cared for anyone in a long time... It would be easy on my own. If I failed, only I would suffer. But knowing your life is on the line-

Rise: it's not all resting on you. If you don't find a solution, the others will kill them all. We've witnessed less and less since we started. That's proof! We just have to keep pushing

Naoto: right. Right. As long as I've got you to keep me from falling into my head, we can't lose

Rise: *giggling* that's right! Now, you wanted to read? Hope you won't mind me sneaking in some kisses~

Naoto always has dark circles under his eyes. He looks almost gastly the day after trips to the estate. Pale, tired, trudging to the library, having to be dragged to meals

Rise always looks. Hollow. She can see through the fog, and. She doesn't see it as anything but a curse

She likes to dote on Naoto. It gives her a daily purpose. And fuck, Naoto needs it. Someone to take care of him for once,

Rise: WHERES NAOTO

Yu: is he not in the library?

Kanji: NO, HE ISNT, OTHERWISE WE WOULDNT BE FUKCING LOSING IT TRYNA FIND HIM!

Chie: I saw him an hour ago with that detective guy, Adachi? They went out to talk in the yard...

Yukiko: but I saw Adachi a minute ago, walking back in alone?

Yosuke: you dont mean...

Rise: IF NAOTO'S OUT THERE ALONE, WE NEED TO FIND HIM

Adachi told Naoto Nanako ran away to find her mom.

Adachi had knocked out Nanako and out her in the old Dojima house. He knows Naoto is close to the truth and is trying to get rid of him and make Dojima useless

The others rush through town, finding Naoto's hat and ripped jacket on the way. And blood

They find him inside the Dojima house, holding his sleeve to his gut, slowly bleeding as he shoots the shadows back. Nanako lies in the room behind him, safe but still out

Naoto: you, you came?

Yu: Adachi tricked you. For some reason, he wanted you dead

Naoto: that, bastard,

Kanji: quick, we need to get him and Nanako back before he bleeds out. Or worse, Rise has a heart attack

Naoto: Rise,, tell her, I'm sorry,

Yosuke: TELL HER YOURSELF COWARD, YOU'RE MAKJNG IT THROUGH THIS

Naoto is out for two weeks. Nanako is back at it after a few days. Yu grabbed Dojimas handcuffs as they left the house and they've kept Adachi chained to a bar ever since

Naoto wakes slowly. Pale, anemic still, dizzy. Rise is resting her head on his belly. Kanji is asleep in the visitor chair. The others are scattered around the room

Naoto: owe,

Rise: you stupid idiot,

Naoto: is Nanako okay?

Dojima enters the room and just. Thanks Naoto. So sincerely. But also calls him stupid

Rise: you're so smart,,

Naoto: we are making out. Is this, what they call the "sensual speak?"

Rise: no I'm complimenting you. Ugh, forget it. Kiss me again

Naoto: I need to work, Rise,

Rise: push me away then

Naoto:

Rise: that's what I thought. The fog will still be there the next time we come here, but we're both herw right now...

Naoto: not too much, the others are still in the estate somewhere, Rise -

Rise just keeps kissing them, and kissing them, and kissing them-

Rise: hey. Once everyone's asleep tomorrow, meet me at the old sewing room in the practice building. It's where they keep the spare futons

Naoto: why

Rise: I think you can guess why

Naoto: what

Rise: *wink* special alone time,,

Naoto: ...WAIT DO YOU MEAN SEX

Rise; you're so dense for someone so smart,

Naoto: uhm- I er-

Rise; we don't have to. But. I do want some time with just me and you, no chance of interruptions or the smell of chemicals

The morning they wake up in the sewing room, Naoto feels. Rested. His whole body feels, like he rested on clouds. The triple stack of futons probably helped

But he looks down and sees Rise's messy hair, her peaceful, sleeping face, pressed into his shoulder. He can feel her just. Wrapped around him all tight, hugging him in her sleep. He carefully moves her bangs aside, smiling at the little pout on her lips as sleep starts to fade

"Naokun,,"

"Hey, morning. Sleep well?"

"Mmmm, the best~"

"we need to get up soon, before someone finds us here."

"Mm, but I wanna rest some more,, can we go sleep under our desk some more?"

"I suppose it won't hurt. Now come on, let's find our clothes"

Rise swipes the button up Naoto had been wearing. Does up just enough buttons to be passable

Naoto: ...oh god your neck,

Rise: I wanna show it off! You're quite passionate

Naoto: let's hurry back before someone sees us,

Kanji is still asleep when they slip under the desk. Rise cuddles right back into Naoto, falling asleep almost immediately

He lies there for a bit, just watching her

Rise: you're stronger now than when we first rescued you... You were like a twig then

Naoto: thanks, I think

Rise remembers seeing, from the rooftop, the shaking little body in the tree. She can't believe it's the same guy that's curled up with her now, making that spot under the desk feel like the safest place in the universe

She remembers sitting at his bedside, spoon feeding him soup and vitamins when he could barely sit up himself

The hollow, dead look on those blue eyes

Rise: hey there, you're awake! You had us scared for a moment there! What's your name?

Naoto: I'm. Naoto Shirogane.

Rise: huh, that sounds like a guys name!

Naoto: I. I'd prefer to be addressed, as such.

Rise: huh? But- ...I don't understand it, but if it's what you want, I'll follow. So. You're a guy?

Naoto: maybe. I'm, not sure.

Rise: ...that makes two of us. A-anyways! More people will wanna talk to you later, rest up Naoto!

Naoto lying on the roof in sniper position, listening to Rise hum. He can't see anything through the sights but blurry fog. She can see the Horrors of what's beyond the school gates, so she reaches over. Pulls his hat off to play with his hair

Naoto: Rise?

Rise: please. I'll give it back if you need to take a shot. Just. Let me-

Naoto pushes himself up to give her a sound kiss

"Hey. You're doing great, being the strong one sucks I know. But you can use me to hold you up. Figuratively."

#p4 apocalypse au #naoto shirogane #yu narukami #yosuke hanamura #chie satonaka #yukiko amagi #kanji tatsumi #teddie #rise kujikawa #naorise

42 notes · View notes

kingdaddydaichi · 1 year

Text

random hcs: k. akaashi (birthday) edition

mostly sfw. teensy weensy bit of nsfw utc (mdni!). even though i'm dedicating the whole month of december to my beloved daichi, i made sure to carve out some time for my kin and dec. 5th birthday boy, keiji akaashi.

Night Owl™️

Has anxiety and is lowkey depressed, but both are well-managed.

The sarcasm is strong with this one.

More of a reader, but fancies himself a writer from time to time (and he’s good at it).

Has written 2 or 3 long ass smut with angsty plot fics on AO3; angst/comfort and mutual pining are his most-used tags.

Writes poetry, but has never told anyone.

Narrows his eyes at you sometimes when you're talking, which makes you think he’s suspicious of you or that he doesn’t like you, but in reality he’s intrigued and fascinated by you. That’s why he keeps asking you hard questions.

Doesn’t use emojis.

Shamelessly pedantic; says "well actually" a lot.

Stares out of windows at rain; looks like he's daydreaming but is actually having hypothetical philosophical debates in his head or world-building an entire novel he'll probably never write.

A regular at Onigiri Miya (may or may not have a crush on Osamu 👀).

Listens to classical music while reading/editing; it helps him focus.

Took piano lessons as a kid but says he's horrible at it now (he really is); still, he can't help but tickle a few ivories every time he gets near a piano; likes the way the keys feel under his graceful fingers.

Hooks you the fuck up with manga. You know about shit that happens before it's even published. And you're sworn to secrecy, which you honor. It's way more fun to see people's reactions after keeping spoilers to yourself for weeks or longer.

Drinks his body weight in coffee every week an inordinate amount of coffee.

Owns an old ass typewriter and a floral silk writing robe.

HATES Grammarly; thinks people should just learn proper grammar, damn it.

Falls asleep with his glasses on sometimes. Lying together, you notice his breathing has evened out. His heart rate steadies you. And you look up at him to find his chin resting above your head with a book lying beneath his limp hand on his chest, rising and falling with grace.

Speaking of, something about him glows when he sleeps? like he has this angelic aura about him, i feel like? Idk. Subtle and so finely tuned that you can’t quite put your finger on it. It’s like an exquisite detail. Understated. Graceful, even, in that whatever it is doesn’t jump out at you; without moving, he holds sway without you knowing it. And you can’t quite figure out why you can’t seem to stay away from him for very long.

He is hard to describe. What you see is not what you get with keiji. There are worlds - universes even - inside of him that no one else will ever see or comprehend, but you will feel them. They’ll have you falling, rapt by his gravity. And, like gravity, he silently holds things together, pulling you in with his emerald eyes every time he narrows them.

You smile lovingly and reach for his readers, easing them off the tip of his nose where they’ve fallen in his sleep. He’d probably blush if he knew how かわいすぎ (super cute) he looks with his black, rectangle frames lying nearly sideways on his pretty face. But you don’t tell him about it. It’s a secret about him that even he doesn’t know that you keep all to yourself. He’d probably stop falling asleep with his glasses on if he knew and, well, you want him to fall asleep with his glasses on just so you can carefully pull them away from his face. You fold them and place them neatly on your nightstand because you don’t want to risk waking him up by climbing over him to set them on his side.

He, on the other hand, will gladly lean over you to reach for his glasses, put them on, then kiss you on your cheek before burying his nose against your neck and breathing you in. He’ll shamelessly snake an arm around you, his nimble fingers brushing your bare nipple. He knows what he’s doing. His hands are grifters. Copping feels and ghosting over you while his gravelly, naked chuckle vibrates against your bare back when you squirm and moan. Your body resonates, your skin sings with the touch of his fingertips like a tightly wound and pitch-perfect string.

81 notes · View notes

invisibleraven · 1 year

Note

Hope you are having a good week!

For the prompts: 31 for Rulie?

Reggie shivers, pulling the jacket tighter around him, burrowing even deeper into his cardboard box, aching in all the wrong places as the wind whips through. Knows he'll have to start a fire soon to survive and pray it doesn't land on the wrong cop's radar, that is to say, any of them.

His stomach whines and clenches, but his panhandling that day had been meagre, so it seemed he was going without food yet again. He needed to save up for warmer clothes any ways, and maybe if he stops by the diner they'll let him do some under the table work. The scruffy looking boy who works there always slips him a few bills and a free bowl of soup when he can, but he hadn't been working tonight when Reggie had looked in earlier.

He's hoping his luck will change tomorrow. The chill in the air means a change in the season, and that also meant an uptick in shopping, in generous hearts who usually took pity on a pathetic looking teenager bagging on the streets. He longed for a guitar, the guys who busked on the pier always cleaned up good, but that's one more thing for him to lug around, to maintain and care for, and Reggie is barely managing to do that for himself.

Finally he can bear the cold no longer, and crawls out to the nearest barrel devoid of rainwater. Finds a few broken pallet pieces, some discarded newspaper, and an old pizza box, long empty of its contents. He carefully pulls out one of his waterproof matches, and starts the flame, holding his hands out to warm them.

Feeling slowly seeps back into his digits, and Reggie sighs as he flexes, adding gloves to his long list of needs.

"Do you mind if I share your fire?" a sweet, feminine voice asks.

Reggie looks up, and there's a girl, about his own age if he were to guess. Looking way less grubby than him, a soft smile on her pretty face. He nods, stepping to the side, and takes her in as she steps into the weak light. Her clothes look clean and new, her face devoid of dirt, though the dark circles under her eyes indicate she's been sleeping rough for a bit. Though the fire makes her brown eyes glow almost amber, and Reggie struggles to look away, hoping she doesn't notice his very dishevelled appearance.

"You hungry?" the girl asks. "I have some sandwiches in my bag. Only PB & J, nothing fancy, and a bottle of water."

"If you're willing to part with it," Reggie replied, fingers trembling as she extends the food, and he tries valiantly not to wolf it down, nor gulp the water too quickly. Sure he's visibly drooling as the girl then extends a granola bar, which he slips into a pocket for later. "Thanks."

"We gotta look out for each other out here right?"

"That's true. You see if any of the shelters are welcoming tonight? Girls usually have no trouble finding a place."

"St. Bartholomew's is letting anyone sleep on their pews," she offers, gesturing to the church across the way. "The padre saw your fire, sent me to ask if you'd like a spot too."

"Beats sleeping out here," Reggie replies, watching the fire dwindle, then extinguish as the last of the wood turns ashy. "I'm Reggie, by the way."

"Julianna," the girls says. "But you can call me Julie. Everyone does."

He nods and grins, taking her offered hand as she pulls them across the street to where the priest is waiting. Shows Reggie the communal bathroom, and leaves him to get clean while she stakes out a good place to sleep.

The hot water is a blessing, and though he can't bather here, Reggie takes the cloths offered to wipe the bulk of himself down, feeling cleaner than he had in ages. Heck, there's even a fresh toothbrush, which he slips into his pack when he's done, sure they don't want him to leave it behind.

Julie is sitting on a pew near the front, head bent in prayer when Reggie sits beside her. He doesn't pray, but keeps his eyes down in a sign of respect, waiting for her to be done. The pews are cushioned, which is the height of luxury, but when Julie says her Amen, she doesn't go to lie down, instead pulls out a ball of wool and some needles. She has the bulk of a scarf done and begins clicking away.

She offers Reggie another ball when she notices his fidgeting fingers, grinning wryly at him. "If you wanna cat's cradle or something," she offers. "But talk to me while you do, it's too early to sleep yet."

So they talk. About how they ended up on the street (Reggie to leave an abusive home, Julie in an act of rebellion and grief that she sorely regrets, but insists she can't go back now). About school before they had left, the shows they used to enjoy, the music they liked to sing. All the while, Julie knit her scarf and Reggie mindlessly hand wove a simple little piece, his MeeMaw teaching him to finger knit when he was young.

"That's really good," Julie remarked as he shyly showed off the head band, the colourful wool making it look appealingly fashionable.

"For you," he offers, and Julie blushes so prettily as she pulls it on, a seemingly perfect fit. Reggie is sure his face is bright pink as he spies the flecks of purple wool in amongst her curls.

"Then you can have this," Julie says, looping the bright red scarf around his neck, and he can't help but burrow into it.

He wants to protest, but something in her eyes makes him bite it back. The lights in the church lower, and they both yawn, almost simultaneously. Sleep is quick to come, and Reggie is sure he falls asleep smiling, inhaling the fragrant wool.

Only, Julie's gone in the morning. There's another sandwich, water, and bar where she had slept.

And a piece of paper with an address in Los Feliz.

Reggie is slow to eat, even slower to make his way there. He's sure this is a stupid idea, a ploy to lure in kids that no one will miss into some weird cult. Only... when he knocks, Julie is there, beaming.

Still wearing the headband, and pulling him inside to introduce him to her family. The priest had recognized her and called them the night before, and she hadn't wanted to wake Reggie. "You can stay here, if you like," her dad offers.

"I really hope you do," Julie says, that pretty blush peeking through her curtain of curls again, and Reggie extends his hand, squeezing hers.

"I'd love that."

In the end, the Molinas are not a weird urchin kidnapping cult, but the closest thing to a family that Reggie has ever had since childhood. They love and care for him, and years later, after he and Julie say 'I do', he takes their name, forever grateful that he shared his fire that night.

Julie grins at him, looking resplendent in her gown as they exit St. Bartholomew's, echoing the sentiment, and makes sure they drop off a few sandwiches to the hungry looking kids nearby before heading off to their reception.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rulie #julie and the phantoms

10 notes · View notes

echoe-back-from-the-void · 9 months

Text

Supernatural X Twilight~ pt. 3

| 1 | 2 | three | 4 | 5 | 6 |

"I wasn't joking." I say pulling up to the crummy looking liquor store. We had driven near an hour out of town to not get caught. I opened the door before closing it again as he was too in shock. "Gimme your card." I say holding my hand out.

"My What?" Jasper says snapping out of shock.

"Your card, so I can buy the good stuff." I say making grabby hands.

Soon a card is placed in my hand and I examine it with a smile. "I'll give it back. Hunters promise." I say cheekily. I open the door and step to the door. "You'd better stay out here. Your not exactly old enough kiddo." I joke and he makes a face at me.

I laugh while walking into the store and buying a bottle of expensive liquor and an a bottle of my favorite. The whole trip went off without a hitch.

Jasper continued to eye the bottles as I drove. "Looking at em won't make em disappear doll face. It's just part of the hunter lifestyle to be an alcoholic. Unless your Sam. Then your a health nut." I crack.

I pull up to the motel and turn off my car. "Now you know where I sleep. If you try to kill me I will decapitate you with my bare hands." I say tilting my head with a sweet smile. My tone sounds flirtatious but my threat is very real.

He nods and exits the car as I do. Again opening my door. I tilt an invisible hat toward him as I open my motel door. "Night night cowboy. Don't stay up too late." I tease.

Before I close the door his foot stops it and he speaks in a rushed voice. "Do you think, could I join you tomorrow?"

"Mr Hale, whatever crush you think you might have on me, ain't gonna happen." I clench the brown paper bag. "I'm going home soon, I'm going to see my brothers and my friends. I'm gonna shoot Chuck and all this," I wave my free hand, "will be some distant nightmare." I drop my head at his hurt expression. "I have to get home, I have to know they're okay. I have to know or I can't—" I choke on a lump in my throat as it rises higher. "Most hunters don't get to have families. When we do, we hold onto it with claws and teeth, your argue and fight but you don't let go for a damn second because the second you do they're gone for good. I bided my time in this place thinking it was in my head. I wasted enough time playing nice with teenagers. I wasted even more time waiting for some villain to show up. I'm going to bed and then I'm hightailing the fuck outta here even if I have to rip a rift myself." I looked back at him with angry glassy eyes. "Your the empath, tell me if anything I said was a lie." I bite.

He turns away unable to make eye contact as he feels my emotional pain. He then tries to manipulate it to at least ease the pain in my heart but I hold my hand up.

"Don't. Let me feel for myself." I close the door more. "Goodnight Hale." The lock clicks into place and I drift to the bed before putting the expensive bottle to my lips. I swirl it in my mouth before swallowing.

The next morning I wake at the asscrack of dawn and begin packing my few clothes and strapping myself with weapons. I open the door and am met with a broad chest that I follow upward to see jaspers nervous expression.

"If you stayed out here all night I'm officially calling you stalker till the day I die." I say grouching as I tug my duffle over my shoulder. "Cmon Bronco. Burning daylight." I say opening my passenger side door and throwing my duffle in the back. At the same time another door opened but not to my car. I turn and am greeted with Carlisle stepping out of his pristine car.

"I hope you don't mind but my academic curiosity was peaked and I'd like to come with." Carlisle says.

"Fucking Victorians." I mumble under my breath. "Yeah yeah, follow me." I slid into my car and Jasper sits himself in my passenger seat as I pull out the motel parking lot.

I'm sure I sped the whole way there but no cops stopped me so I didn't care. I wasn't going nearly as fast as the Cullens drive. As I drive old tapes of bands play through the speakers. Highway to hell and fly by the night to name a few. They were mixtapes dean had made me for my own car. They were in my hunter duffle and that's how they came to here.

I pulled off the road and grabbed both the tape and the duffle as I stepped out the car.

"You walked from here, all the way into town?" Carlisle asks in surprise.

"Little further doc." I say before walking further up the road until I reach past the sign that says forks. I walk another 20 feet before stopping. "Here." I set my duffle and things by the side of the road as I start to examine what was my entry to this world. I begin to mutter under my breath as I walk around.

"No sulfur, not a demon. No hangin bodies, not a djin. Leaves one more option." I kneel on the ground and put my hand flat on the asphalt as I try to channel energy. After a few minutes I shake my hand from the hot asphalt and snarl in anger. "Where the fuck are you?" I whisper under my breath.

"Whats wrong?" Carlisle asks coming closer to my side. Both vampires had been silent as they too took their own examinations of the site.

"No sulfur, no grace. Nothing." I say growling as I glare at the ground.

"Isn't that good?" Carlisle asks.

"No captain obvious. It means I can't track what brought me here! It means I don't know what brought me here. It means I have to rip the rift myself and with no angels on your side!!" I say with growing anger as I begin to breathe heavily. My chest begins to hurt but I ignore it in favor of getting chalk from my duffle and then writing various runes and symbols.

"And these are?" Carlisle asks in curiosity. He knows I'm angry but he asks in hopes that talking will calm me down.

It does some but I still have an angry disposition. "Symbols. This is for travel and that is time, this one is for sacrifice." I say explaining a few.

"Sacrifice?" Carlisle asks in worry.

"The virgins are safe doc, not that kind of sacrifice." I joke. I tip my head back down to the sacrifice symbol. "Needs blood. No, I won't be needing a donor or anything. Not human. And not neither you. Needs grace, or angel blood if you wanna get technical." Before they can ask how I would get angel blood I slice my wrist open and blood begins to steadily drip over the chalk sigil. The blood begins turning white and glowing faintly. Not nearly as bright as a pure angle would be, but it's something.

I hear a scuffle behind me as Carlisle is holding Jasper back. Probably expecting him to go rabid with bloodlust but Jasper starts pushing Carlisle away.

"I'm fine! Im fine! Look at my eyes." Jasper says referencing how his eyes haven't darkened a shade.

"I'd be poisonous anyway, doc." I shout to them before turning back around to continue. When I feel like enough blood has left and I feel lightheaded I hold my hand over the wound to stop it. I dip the hand not holding the wound in the puddle and drag it with my fingers toward time, grace and travel until I've made a bloody triangle. I stand up and say some Latin mixed with the first language and a small rift grows into existence with a screech. When the sound of ripping dulls I can hear talking then yelling.

"Sammy get the hell away from that thing!!" Dean screams in a distorted voice.

"It appears to be a rift?" Shadows move through the rift and then a light flashes inside the blurry window. "It leads to a world called twilight. Created by a..."

"Cas?" I say nervously.

"Marcella?" Cas responds immediately to the sound of my voice.

I can't hold myself up any longer and fall to my knees before the rift. "Sam? Dean?" I call out to them.

"Marcella! It's good to hear from you kid." Dean says as his shadow moves forward toward the rift.

I choke on a sob as I clench my arm tighter.

"You okay where your at?" Sam asks in a worried tone.

"Yeah," I sniffle as my eyes fill with tears. "I'm safe now, no ghouls or anything on this side. Been laying low at forks high. Waiting for rescue."

"I know kid, but we'd been looking everywhere for you. Heaven, hell, purgatory. We never considered..." Dean says. "We miss you."

"Do you know who did this? And why twilight? Why not mash or the matrix. Did you know they don't even have fangs!" I said with a sad kind of laugh.

Dean laughs too but it's guttural and starts too high pitched to be his normal laugh. "Yeah, you seen the werewolves yet, they don't eat hearts or anything." Dean jokes further. "Big ass puppy dogs!" He laughs again.

"Marcella, how long have you been there?" Sam asks with his usual worry.

"Month, month and a week?" I bit my lip.

"Marcel, it's been a week." Sam says in a sad tone that carries his shock and fear.

"Can't—can't be." I shake my head. Best not to dwell. "Is there a rescue plan, a escape plan, anything?"

"Yeah, find you and get your ass home, where you'll be grounded for the forceable future." Dean orders jokingly.

"Hey I didn't ask to get kidnapped, old man!" I yell back at him but I can't help the smile.

"Well you still can't leave the bunker. And no boyfriends and no joyrides in the impala. Until we gank the sonof bitch that took ya." Dean adds.

His humor and teasing makes me laugh and start crying again. "Can we watch scooby doo and westerns?" I ask in a small voice.

"Always. We can even eat popcorn and complain bout Sammy being a—" before Dean could finish there is the sound of him being hit while Sam whined his name.

"Marcella?"

"Yeah Cas?"

"When you get back do you wanna help me plant flowers for my bees? Recently I found a very beautiful flower and it grows best in late may but you'll be back by then so we can plant a lot of them." Cas says in his monotone voice.

"Hell yeah!" I agree immediately. Before realizing his words. 'But you'll be back by then.'

Will I? A pit in my stomach forms but I smile.

Then the light from the rift begins dulling. Panic swells in my chest. "Cas, Dean, Sam! Guys?!"

"Marcel!" "Marcella."

"Dean! Sam!" I reach for the rift as if I could hold it open. "Cas!"

"Marcellla!" A fearful scream distorts its way though the rift and I stretch my fingers over the rift but it closes and my hands fall through open air and I fall on them.

"No, no nonono." I begin to shake as I take gulps of air though my collapsing airways. Everything is constricting the longer the silence stretches. "Sammy?" I ask in a broken whisper. "Dean? Cas?" My head begins to spilt as I cry harder. I bang my fist against the middle of the triangle where sacrifice is written. My hands splash in the already sludgy puddle of my own blood. I beat my fists harder as I cry. "Open, aperta, Άνοιξε, отворен, otevřít se, offen, opna." With each word I bang my fist again until they begin to bleed with the force. Strong hands grab mine as they stop me from my continued abuse.

I twist in their grip as they pick me up and pull me from the area. "No, Jasper put me down. Put me down! Jasper!" I struggle harder as I begin to hyperventilate. "Let me Go! They were right there!" I feel myself growing lightheaded as I scream what little oxygen I have. Soon passing out.

When I wake again I feel the bandages on my hands and a splitting headache that I recognize from crying and not a hangover. I blink at the ceiling before cracking again. My ribs feel like they are splitting from the sadness and longing that force their way down my throat. I choke on my tears and feel the overwhelming urge to scream but I bite my lip and pull myself up. I unwrap my hands to see the healing wounds and the slit in my wrist gone.

I set my feet on the floor and stand up. Quickly someone blurs into the room to my side. My hand catches the person by the throat as I hold them there. Their hand moves to my waist to keep me from falling and I blink again to realize it's Jasper. His hand is the only thing keeping me from falling and mine keeps him at an arms length.

I push any feelings of sadness and anxiety to the side until it's easily ignored. Compartmentalizing. Something Dean unintentionally taught me in the years I spent with the brothers. You don't need emotions when your a hunter.

I tilt my head and squeeze his neck and feel him flex his arm as he swallows his venom down. Teasingly I say under my breath, "too kinky for you, cowboy?"

His eyes flash a dark amber. And he grins. Jasper leans forward and I let him by bending my arm, hand still on his throat. I expected him to stop sooner but he moves even closer until my arm is bent completely as I keep it on his neck. I can feel his chest through where my forearm is pressed against him. His hand that was on my waist wraps around my whole back until it's on the opposite hip. "I don't know, Darling." He whispers huskily and my cheeks flame up but I tamper that down as I flirt back, challengingly.

"You play dirty." I nose his cheek as my free hand moves to his hip and slips under his shirt to rub my thumb against his hip bone. He gasps for unneeded air as his grip on me becomes tighter. "But One thing about hunters is we play dirtier." I tease as my lips brush against the shell of his ear with my parting words. Then I'm slipping out of his grip and twirled around him to walk to the door. My hand is on the door knob and I turn to him. In a completely normal voice that doesn't give anything away I say, "well your house, ain'tcha gonna show me around?"

"Yes ma'am." He says drawling the words purposely. I roll my eyes and open the door. Im blinded by the countless windows that let the surrounding forest be visible and let light in. We pass a wall of graduation caps and I chuff the air our my nose in a short laugh.

"Think it's funny." He teases me.

"I'm twenty two. You couldn't catch me dead with a cap an gown." I shivered. I leaned against the banister of the stairwell. I could hear the other Cullens in the house, moving and trying to be quiet. I turn to Jasper with a mischievous smile before jumping over the railing and landing the two floors below with precision. I turn around with a beaming smile to see Jasper.

"Took you long enough, trouble on the stairs?" I say with amusement.

"Did you really have to do that?" He asks.

"Yes." I say seriously before walking to the living room where I sit not on the couch but on the floor leaning against it.

"Why is she on the floor?" Emmet asks in a loud whisper.

"Wouldn't you like to eat, honey?" Esme asks in a mothering tone but instead of comfort the hair on my neck stands on end.

"Not hungry." I dismiss regardless of being hungry. "You have questions...again." I say addressing the elephant in the room.

"The—" Carlisle stalls unable to find a right word to fit what occurred yesterday.

"Ritual, or spell if you prefer." I offer.

"The spell you did yesterday, you said it required sacrifice. Not human blood, not vampire either. It required angel blood—grace. If so why did you slit your wrist?"

I sigh dramatically while rolling my eyes. "Geez gramps couldn't take you any longer to get to the question." I tease. I suck my teeth in agitation. "When I met the Winchester it was just after the apocalypse started. Before sealing Lucifer away, dear ol Lucy took interest in me. Kidnapped me away and tortured me for a month straight." I grin darkly at the ground. An odd amusement grows in my chest making my words come out chirpy and sarcastic. "You'd think you know torture until your in the hands of an Archangel. He would remove limbs before restarting. Skinned my whole arm." I chuckle and meet the doctors horrified eyes. "Anything he thought would be fun to try, he did. Then he got this sick idea. Angels can have children with humans, the term nephilihim comes to mind. But he wondered what would happen if he was to forcefully and manually imbue his grace into my blood and body. Archangels have so much juice that just a fraction can be lost without making a dent to them." I calm my excited jitter with my other hand. "I'm not a full angel by any means. Angels are their grace, without it they are human. But you can imagine how your venom reacts differently than your wife's. Some grace is soft." I think of cas and the time he healed my broken arm. "Some so savage and full of fire that it burns from the outside in."

I take a deep breath as I try to calm my erratic excited heartbeat. "To imbue me with grace was give me some of him. His pain, anger, bloodlust and hate for humans. Like two souls arguing over a body." I wave my words away dismissively and bend my knee to my chest. "I never told Dean any of this. Cas knows I go dark. Sam might suspect because we've both been so close to Lucifer. But how would you tell your big brother you've been grace-raped by the devil?"

"So your an Angel but like part devil?" Emmet asked after the potent silence.

"Part Angel, and I don't have devil in me. It's a fraction of the mark of Cain. Least that's what Gabriel theorized." I sigh and let my head fall back on the cushion as I expose my neck. "Being part Angel means I heal faster, got better reflexes and am stronger. Basically it's a power up."

"But who's stronger?" Emmet asked and my head snapped to him.

"Nephilihim, god, archangel, then pagans, then monsters, lastly humans. I'm between archangel and pagan." I says in a contemplative voice.

This time Alice was the one to speak. "You said there was a war Coming, I haven't seen a war."

"Something about new bloods or— led by some red head. Something something something baseball!" I look away from the ceiling to meet the Cullens exasperated looks. "What? Oh so now it's my fault for not paying attention. You try listening to dean talk about sex every other sentence. I lost interest." I shrug.

~~~ months passed and I tried to have weekly rift calls with my brothers. Sitting on the pavement in front of the rift as I talked to them like everything was normal. When all I wanted was to be home in the bunker.

"You shouldn't call so frequently. Sam he uh... he told me how you can do this. Cas filled in the rest." Deans voice cracked even under the distortion. "Cas said it's dangerous for you. Doing this, using his grace. He said you go—" deans voice cuts out. "It's like Sam with the wall, you can't keep doing this or your gonna break. Whether that makes you a vegetable or you go full blown ripper. These personality changes can't be healthy." Even though the rift I could hear the pain and guilt in his voice.

"I never blamed you. Not even when he told me what you were doing at the time. He could hurt me and tell me you were eating a sandwich and I not once blamed you. The hunt before I was kidnapped you saved my life and I could never imagine what happened after. You are my brother in all but blood. I would never blame you or Sam for the pain I went through. To you it was a month to me it felt like a lifetime. You said the same thing about hell once and did you ever blame Sam for being in hell?"

"Well no because—"

"That's kinda what makes a Winchester, the ability to live and die for family and still love unconditionally. Do you remember anymore about the newborn army?"

"You aren't actually planning to fight with them?" Dean asked in exasperation.

"Time moves quicker here. What may be a month to you will be many to me. The army will still come. And I'll keep calling every week. If I contain it until the army comes then I can let lose and not harm anybody. Nobody human." I say the last part sarcastically.

"No! No!" I hear shouting and the silhouette of dean turns over his should. "Sammy come in here!"

Sam enters and the two begin to talk fast under there breath. "She's gonna pull another —?"

"What do you mean another? She's done this befo— you've done this before?!" He shouts while turning back to me. "No! End of discussion, your not doing it."

"Dean!" Sam admonishes dean. "Marcella if this is what you need to do, I know this is hard for you. I support whatever decision you take."

"No no no this isn't Winchester approved until I approve it!" Dean argues loudly making me smile at his behavior.

"You guys are the best brothers a hunter could ask for." I say softly. Both sam and Dean stop talking and sam is the first to respond.

"We love you too Marcella. If you do fight be safe and kick some ass." Sam waves as the rift begins closing on its own. This parting is not full of regret or anger. It's just an until next time. Hopefully when deans calmed down and came around to the idea of me fighting against newborns. Or after. I add cheekily.

~~~

The drive back to the Cullen residence is hopeful for me. Sam's okay was all I needed. Deans would've been better but...can't always get what I want.

Jasper opens the door for me and helps me out of the car. The first month after the Cullens found out, I felt edgy around jasper. He obviously shows interest in me but I would shoot it down with reasons why not. He was undeterred and continued his polite gentleman behavior. Like a suitor courting a lady. Eventually I stopped correcting him and just let him do as he pleases.

His fingers moved down my hand as he held it gently in his icy grasp. The cold wasn't unwelcome, temperatures stopped affecting me some time ago.

"Will you tell my family about—"

I cut him off with a small yeah. I smile and walk faster and when I approach the door I swing it open widely and chant "the fun has arrived!" Like in Tarzan. Emmet zooms to my side and tries to tackle me and I sidestep him. "Too slow." I mock. Jasper holds my hand tighter and pulls me to the living room. "Ya know I spend so much time here I'm only at the motel to sleep."

"Your still paying for it?" Carlisle asks in surprise like he only just realized I'm homeless.

"Well duh. I mean it's under Burt Afrihamian but whoop de do."

"Credit card scams, great." Edward says under his breath.

"Cork it angel, Not like saving lives pays good money." I say spitefully. (Because Edward totally looks like angel from Buffy)

"How do you make money then?" Esme asks in curiosity.

"Poker, pool, gambling, sometimes taking a job in the area like day worker or something. Never make enough to sustain ourselves but if we save it then we can buy things like new guns and ammo. Under the counter shit."

"Full blown criminal." Edward says again.

"Say it to my face you limp noodle." I hiss. "Point is. Im fighting with you, not against you."

~~~

Jasper began training me outside of school to see if I was fit for battle as he put it. So far I had taken him down more times then he had taken me down. So I was deemed battle ready but we still spared for fun. The first time I had him pinned his eyes went dark and I met his other personality, the major.

"Hello Darlin'" the accent he used was much thicker than normal. My first clue. "I've been itching to meet you for a time now. You made him flustered enough for me to slip through." His words dripped like honey and venom as he held my waist and lifted the both of us.

This person who isn't Jasper, had a military presence that made him respectable. Second clue.

"And what should I call you?" I say tracing my finger around his eyes.

"Major, that's what everyone calls me." His eyes drifted. "He's worried I'll hurt you?"

I snorted and leaned heavier against him, my hand slipping to his shoulder as I laughed. "Cute. If you've seen it then you know I'll put you on your ass and smile doing it." I grinned sharply and the man practically purred. "So your his dark side? Maybe our two sides will meet, hit it off and slaughter a city." I say sarcastically. He chuffs and noses his head into my neck.

"You smell like pine trees and lightning. Bitter." He purrs pulling me closer. He just barely brushes his lips against my pulse when I wrap my hand around his throat.

"Ah ah ah," I admonish while moving him back. "Keep your nonexistent fangs to yourself, Major. Poisonous, remember." I tease.

He huffs before grinning. "You refuse his/our advancements? Do you not find me attractive?" He teases back.

"Very 'tractive. But I haven't got time to be foolin with a vampire. I'm not really into necrophilia, ya know." I say sarcastically. "And my brother would kill me twice over for it." I joke. He wouldn't really, he'd probably make a bunch of vampire jokes.

(Stay tuned for part four when I finally write the newborn army fight. I’m moving fast cause the fight was the whole reason I wanna write this.)

#twilight #jasper hale #supernatural fluff #supernatual #vampire #winchester brothers #twihard #multishot

4 notes · View notes

purposefully-lost · 9 months

Note

THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING 😭❤️ Maybe it's a cryptic pregnancy? Alex might have inklings that are either easily waved off or ignorable?? So he just doesn't know until he's like doubled over and thinking he's dying dhHMXNCNV Which would also mean Harley's probably conceived the night he kills the cop. They're holding each other and Rabbit's thinking about telling him he loves him, but eventually decides he has to let him go. They took a life and they made one 😭💔

Rabbit immediately having another breakdown when he puts the pieces together. He doesn't know her and can barely see her sleeping face in the low light, but he loves her and he loves Alex and he knows he can never let go of them. Alex getting to introduce them in the morning and see them finally interact?? Maybe she's shy and so is Rabbit, but after a little bit, they start to click and it's clear there's no way they can go back to living without each other 😭❤️💕❤️💕❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

GOD Alex in those first few months of trying to get over Rabbit and sure he's got a few symptoms, but he's just also in such a generally bad state emotionally that he chalks it up to stress??? And then suddenly he's got a baby in his arms and he's not prepared for her at all and just.. those early days would be so hard on him??

Honestly the first couple of years would be!! Alex does his best, but he struggles. There's probably a few times where Harley has to stay with Milly for a few nights because Alex is just.. breaking down. Days he forgets to eat or sleep or care for himself. He struggles to get up in the morning. There's a lot of nights spent crying to himself when he's sitting next to Harley's crib, so lost that be doesn't even know how to think of where to go next. It's him and Baby and Harley and it takes until at least the third year for him to begin to even things out again

Alex holding Rabbit that whole night and thinking he's ready to keep going in the morning, getting up to make her breakfast and take Baby on her morning walk like he always does, but then just.. seeing them together?? Alex watching Harley quietly wave to Rabbit when he introduces them and suddenly there's just tears down his cheeks.

Some part of Alex being so worried about Rabbit too?? He doesn't know where he's been, or what he's done, or how he's managed since they last met. He doesn't know how to get past the guilt of shooting him. He doesn't know how to tell Harley that that's her father or how to make any of it work but he knows he can't let them go, either. Alex for the first time in years feeling like there's steady ground under his feet because he's got Rabbit beside him again and a chance at giving them both something real 😭❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕

2 notes · View notes

pbandjesse · 11 months

Text

My post isn't going to be very exciting. Because I didn't feel great and slept a lot of the day. I would like to go back to sleep now. I honestly just feel very bad.

Last night the wedding was so fun. Like it took forever to get anyone to come back but once they did they were all so lovely and had amazing questions and it was a lot of fun!! When I was leaning on the banister looking over where the bar was, the car was down there too and I kept jokingly telling people who were taking pictures sitting in it that they can't drink and drive. Which I thought was hilarious.

I helped Angie move some tables. And then I went home.

On my drive back home I saw a guy laying on the side of the road and I stopped to ask the homeless guy if he was okay and he said he thought so. I was surprised that a cop just drove past and said as much and he was like the cops don't care about us and I was like. You are so right. I hope they are both okay.

I got home and was able to fall apart again. And I did. I would start to feel like I had a fever again. Without having the fever. My whole body ached and was tender and I just wanted to lay there and be held for a while.

I would eat a little but it still made me feel terrible. Everything I've eaten since Thursday has made me feel terrible. I hate it.

Sleeping helped a bit. I would struggle to fall asleep but would sleep deeply after that. I barely remember James leaving.

I woke up at 9 and would just lay in bed until almost 10. I finally got up. Made the bed. And opened the back door. While we did sleep with the AC in it would be really cool today and I didn't need that at all.

I would get washed and dressed. This is the first time I've worn this jumpsuit and it's great. Nice and flowy. Though the buttons are real and I think I'll sew them down to avoid gaps. But I felt cute. I decided not to do my eyeliner. Since it's almost camp and I don't wear eyeliner at camp. Have to get used to my face again.

I would have a little breakfast of angel food cake. And got right into working on my Native American feild trip proposal. I would spend the next two hours working on that. And it's not done but I made great progress. I'm like half way done I think. But it took a lot out of me. I have more research to do for sure. But I think my basic outline is there and that feels like huge progress.

It was right before 1 at this point. And I was just. Done. I felt exhausted. I didn't want to do anything. I also didn't want to feel guilty about it. So I just went and got in bed. I watched videos for a while. I asked James if we could have pizza for dinner. And then at some point I fell asleep.

I woke up and Jess told me she drove past the two houses she wants to buy. She got pre-approved for her loans this week and the one house I love. She's going to go see it later this week. I am going to be so excited for her if it works out. And she will have more info to help me and James when we start actually getting into trying to buy somewhere as well.

James would get home and start laundry and then went to pick up pizza. And while at the time it wasn't hurting, almost as soon as dinner was done I felt terrible and swollen. I don't know what is up with me. But it makes me want to cry.

James would also bring me a gift from our friend Lane, a Polly pocket set! With the Polly's!! I told them to text her that I "love these little blonde bitches." And she said it wouldn't be Polly pocket without the little blonde bitches and she's so real for that.

James held me on the couch for a little. And then I took a hot bath which helped a little bit I mostly just want to go to sleep.

James made a plan for us to go to a far away state park tomorrow. I am looking forward to being outside with them. I hope my body isn't stupid and doesn't act like it has the last couple days.

I hope you all have a great night. I hope you all feel good. Sleep well everyone!

2 notes · View notes

the-real-tc · 2 years

Text

Bad Business Ch. 8: Hunter & the Hunted

Author's Note: It is with extreme anxiety that I post this latest chapter. The stakes are higher than ever, and I'm afraid things still aren't being made very clear, and suspects will still be plentiful.

***

To the childless wife he gives a home, and gladdens her heart with children.

- Ps. 113

Chapter 8:

Hunter and the Hunted

Jack glanced up at the clock and pouted: it was three minutes to nine o'clock in the evening. An earlier announcement reminded all visitors of the approaching end to visiting hours for the day. His time with Lisa, in his opinion, had been all-too-short since she regained consciousness.

"I wish you could stay," Lisa said, even as she yawned, sleep threatening to overtake her. "Talking to the cops today still has me all wrung out."

"I know," Jack murmured. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Jack, they had the audacity to suggest you might have had something to do with what happened to me," Lisa said, finally feeling comfortable enough to tell him. "They asked me about my will."

Jack grimaced, thinking about his own earlier bad dream. "I figured they would."

Lisa shook her head. "I tried to tell them there's no way my loving husband was capable of something like this."

"Thanks for that, Lis," Jack uttered, looking at her with great tenderness. She returned his gaze, thinking how lucky she was to have this wonderful man in her life. He held her right hand in his, gently massaging her knuckles with his thumb, making sure he avoided the I.V. lines.

Another announcement sounded now, insisting all non-staff make their exit as visiting hours were over.

"I guess this is goodnight," she said, reluctantly withdrawing her hand from his soothing grasp.

"But I'll be back tomorrow," Jack pledged as he stood to depart. "Maybe I can plan to stay overnight then, if they'll let me."

"Yeah? Promise?"

"I promise," Jack said, smiling indulgently. "I love you, Lis."

"I love you more, Cowboy."

He bent over her and kissed her lightly on the lips. He was rewarded by her smile of complete contentment. "'Bye," he whispered.

"'Bye," she answered, eyes already closing, but the smile lingered.

***

Jack waited for an elevator to reach his floor. With visiting hours concluded, non-staff activity on the unit had been winding down, and the corridors were fairly empty. When the elevator arrived, Jack stepped aside to let the single occupant—fully dressed in scrubs, surgical cap and mask—disembark. He stepped into the cab to descend. Jack nearly reached his parking lot level when he realised he had forgotten his hat behind in Lisa's hospital room. The thought crossed his mind to just leave it there for now; after all, it would be waiting for him tomorrow when he returned to see Lisa again.

No, he thought, head feels too bare. Plus, it would be another excuse to see his wife, even if it was for a few more seconds. He tapped the number on the display screen to Lisa's floor for the elevator to carry him back. So what if it was already past visiting hours? Surely they would not begrudge him this little errand.

"I forgot my hat," he said sheepishly to the nurse at the desk when he retraced his steps.

"Go on," she said with a knowing smile, waving him through.

***

Lisa had barely begun to drift off when she sensed the presence of someone else in the dim room. Probably another nurse coming for night-check, she thought sleepily. Things had reached a point where she simply let the hospital staff go about their business, whether it was checking her BP, temperature, I.V. lines, the pulse/ox machines, catheter, or whatnot. Sure enough, she could hear the sounds of the other person fiddling around with the medical machinery next to the bed. Next, her nasal cannula was gently removed. Without any warning, something soft yet unyielding dropped heavily onto her entire head, face and neck.

What on earth?! Lisa thought in panic, as her ability to draw a breath ceased completely. Something was suffocating her! Or was it someone?!

I can't breathe! Somebody help me! Her frantic thoughts screamed. She reached blindly for the call button, but it was not in its usual place by her side. Lisa next attempted to raise her right fist to combat this unexpected assault since her injured left arm would be too weak in this fight. Dull blows landed ineffectively on what she imagined might be her assailant's shoulder. She dug her fingernails uselessly into a large hand that was double-gloved. Whatever he was forcing down onto her face remained firmly in place. She tried to cry out, but her voice was totally muted by what she rightly guessed was a pillow. With her strength waning, Lisa desperately attempted to squirm away; the brute responded by leaning against her, using his body weight to keep her from escaping.

I need air! Lisa's already tortured lungs felt like they were burning. Pressure was building in her chest to intolerable levels. An awful stabbing sensation erupted in her left side without warning. Dizzying patterns of coloured blobs and flashes spun and swirled behind her eyelids like a kaleidoscope.

No! I can't die like this! Please, someone, anyone... please come now! Jack!

Blackness engulfed her as consciousness sank away.

***

The door to Lisa's room was unexpectedly closed when Jack arrived, causing him to wonder if there was some sort of private consultation or assessment going on between Lisa and her doctors. Odd for this hour, he mused. He gave the door a gentle tap just in case as he opened it. His eyes immediately fell on a nightmarish scene.

A man—dressed in the same scrubs and the same surgical cap and mask Jack had seen only minutes earlier on the elevator—was leaning over Lisa. Even from this vantage point, he could see the man was smothering her with a pillow. Not just smothering her; he was actively killing her.

Jack did not waste another second. A bellow of fury erupted from his mouth as he charged forward like a wild bull. His target barely had time to react, turning slightly in surprise at the sudden yell. From behind, Jack roughly locked his arm around the other man's neck to drag him away from Lisa.

His quarry delivered a swift elbow to the ribs, causing Jack to gasp in pain. His grip slackened. It was enough for the villain to break free and go on the offensive. Three hard blows landed in quick succession: first to Jack's gut, jaw, then his temple.

The old cowboy staggered back, bringing a hand up to cup the side of his aching head. Though he was hurting, a potent, blind rage continued to propel him towards this piece of scum who dared to harm his wife. Thankfully, he had a slight advantage in height and weight. First, Jack blocked another punch coming his way; next, he slung out a well-aimed fist of his own. With satisfaction, Jack felt his left knuckles connect solidly with the right cheekbone of the other man. Crunch! He followed with a right uppercut to the villain's chin, snapping his head back. An agonized grunt escaped his target's lips. Jack wanted to apply more damage, worked up as he was, adrenalin pumping through his veins. His initial yell of rage and sounds of their brawl, however, had begun to attract the attention of the staff, and the sound of scurrying feet and shouts outside the room put the attacker on alert.

"Code White! Unit 52! Code White! Unit 52!" droned a voice over the public address system.

"Outta my way, old man!" came the goon's muffled croak. He roughly shouldered Jack aside. Caught off-balance, Jack could not catch hold of him as he swept past to the freedom of the open door.

"Stop him!" Jack yelled hoarsely as he turned to give chase, but it was already too late. The other man was a good sprinter and had already disappeared down a hall to a stairwell exit. With dismay, Jack instinctively knew that by the time hospital Protective Services could converge on the unit, Lisa's attacker would be long gone.

Lisa! Was she okay?

"I need help in here, now!" he rasped, even as he rushed to her side. The pillow was still partially obscuring her head. Jack flung it aside to reveal a deathly pale face and blue lips just as three nurses bolted into the room.

"He-he was suffocating her with the pillow. I don't think she's breathing," Jack managed to gasp, horrified at the sight.

"Move aside!" Nurse Cheryl commanded.

Numbly, Jack managed to stumble out of the way, nearly tripping over his own feet.

This can't be happening... This can't be happening... The words beat through his brain cells on repeat mode while the nurses turned machines back on and checked Lisa's vital signs. He heard Cheryl call out "Code Blue!" and watched in disbelief as she began to administer CPR. The medical emergency in Lisa's room rang out over the public address system, bringing emergency staff hustling in with a crash cart.

"You'll have to leave," another nurse said, taking hold of Jack's arm. "Give them space. Let them work."

Jack allowed himself to be pulled out of the room, shock starting to overtake his senses as the adrenalin rush subsided.

Let her live, please! I can't... lose her... There was so much going on Jack lost track. Unidentifiable voices called out instructions.

"Charging!"

"Hands off!"

"C'mon, Lisa!"

Medications were administered. Machines whined and buzzed. Another stretcher arrived.

"Let's move!"

In a blur, the emergency team hustled Lisa's still form out of the room.

"Where-where are you taking her?" Jack called out to them. They paid him no heed and simply raced down the hallway towards a bank of elevators. He wanted so very badly to follow them, but Nurse Cheryl came to his side.

"She needs immediate surgery," Cheryl puffed, still catching her breath from her recent exertion. "Let them go."

"Surgery?!" he yelped, staring at her in stunned distress.

"She stopped breathing," Cheryl explained. "As a consequence, she went into cardiac arrest. We got her heart going again, but we think her lung re-collapsed. They're taking her to fix it."

"W-Will she be okay?"

"I don't know, Jack," Cheryl replied honestly, looking up at him with great sympathy. "I don't know how long she went without oxygen. There could be complications with her lungs. There could be irreversible brain damage. We just have to wait and see and let the doctors do their work."

Jack felt his gut clench and his fists tighten involuntarily, suddenly wishing there was something he could smash.

"Are you all right?" Cheryl asked, scrutinizing his face more intently now. "You were assaulted too, weren't you?"

"It's nothing," Jack muttered, rubbing his sore knuckles and working his jaw.

"Where did he hit you?" Cheryl asked in a tone that left no room for avoidance.

"Here, here, and here," Jack eventually admitted, indicating his abdomen, his jaw, and the side of his head.

"We should get you checked out."

"I don't want—" Jack protested, but she cut him off.

"Hey! You'll do your wife no favours if that guy gave you a concussion—or worse—a subdural hematoma when he hit you," Cheryl sternly pointed out. "Sit down here and don't move until I get a doctor. Understand?"

"Fine," Jack groused, recognizing the truth in her words. He sank into a chair, still unable to comprehend what had just happened.

That man tried to kill Lisa! If I hadn't forgotten my hat... if I hadn't come back... She would be... No, it was too awful to contemplate that tragic outcome. Even so, there was no telling if she would survive this second attempt on her life.

Overwhelmed, Jack put his head in his hands, feeling the tears come of their own volition.

***

Jack rebuttoned his shirt after having been checked over by a doctor fetched by Nurse Cheryl.

"Lungs sound clear," Dr. Kaminska said, pulling the stethoscope from her ears and pushing the vital signs monitor cart aside. "But your pulse is still rapid and your blood pressure is a tad high. I suppose that is to be expected after what you just went through. Do you take any regular medications, Mr. Bartlett?"

"Not really," he replied. "Only for angina. But I haven't had an attack in a long time."

"Do you have your nitroglycerin tablets with you now?"

Jack nodded.

"All right, I want you to take one right away if you start feeling any discomfort. Don't tough it out and don't delay."

"I won't," Jack said.

"Good. You're going to have some swelling and some ugly bruising for a little while after the punches you took, so please take it easy. If you start experiencing headaches, sudden increased pain or nausea and vomiting, I want you to come to Emergency immediately. All right?"

"All right. Thanks, Doc."

"You're welcome. I pray your wife pulls through," Dr. Kaminska said kindly. "What has happened here tonight is extremely outrageous and upsetting."

Jack merely nodded.

"Hospital security and the police will want to talk to you now," she added. "I told them no one was to disturb you until I had checked you over to make sure you were okay."

"All right," Jack said. "Send them in."

***

Parker Residence, Hudson

"Chief, there's just been another attempt on Lisa Stillman's life."

James Parker's eyebrows shot to the ceiling as this piece of news registered. "What?! Kavanaugh, what the hell happened?"

"Calgary's people were over at the hospital investigating. They're saying security video recording shows a guy dressed in scrubs getting off the elevator on the floor of her recovery room," Kavanaugh said. "Coincidentally, Jack Bartlett was just getting on the same elevator. Anyway, the scumbag's head and face were covered with a surgical cap and mask, so we have no facial details. He just breezed right into her room and no one batted an eye because of course he didn't look out of place. The only reason Stillman is even alive is because Bartlett back-tracked to retrieve his forgotten hat. Walked in and found the bastard trying to suffocate her with a pillow."

"Low-tech, but effective," Parker muttered in distaste, already making a move to get down to headquarters.

"Yeah. They got into an altercation. Bartlett says he grabbed the guy and got in a few good punches, but he took a few of his own. Security personnel were too late to nab him; he's still on the loose, but they think he fled on a motorbike."

"They 'think'?!"

"Hospital security cams around the time of the attack show the man dressed in the scrubs taking off on foot out of a south stairwell fire exit. He sprinted off through the parking lot and out onto Front Street. The next time they pick him up visually, it's on the traffic cams, and he's on a motorcycle. Unfortunately, they lost him once he was outside Calgary city limits, heading south. He must have turned off some country road somewhere and continued on to who knows where."

"Be impossible to track now," Parker lamented.

"They've issued a Canada-wide APB," Kavanaugh said. "We could get lucky."

"Yeah, right," Parker said, thinking how impossible it would be to find that particular needle in a haystack. "Is Stillman going to make it?"

"Last word is she was in surgery again," Kavanaugh said. "Her left lung re-collapsed in the attack. Time will tell if she'll pull through. If she does, I think we need to seriously look into some protection options."

"Agreed. Call the team back in and arrange a video conference with Calgary PD. Send them everything we have on the Stillman case so far, particularly the list of those investors. I'm on my way; we need to get to the bottom of this."

"Affirmative. See you soon."

***

Hudson Police Headquarters — 1:00 a.m.

"So, we're back to the targeted attack theory, then?" Kavanaugh asked.

"It would seem so," Parker replied. "And whoever it is, he's clearly not going to stop until she's dead."

"You know, I never liked Bartlett as our prime suspect, anyway," Patterson stated.

"Me, either, despite what he'd stand to gain with her out of the way," Kavanaugh remarked.

"The whole thing stinks, but not from the family," Parker declared. "I'm thinking it's got to be connected to this investors' group or her business life, and we need to find that connection before it's too late."

"The problem is we're not really turning up anything that would suggest a problem in her business life," Kavanaugh said.

"CRA audited her last tax season, though," another detective named Brian Benoit supplied.

"Yeah? They find anything fishy?" asked Parker.

"Nope. The only thing she was 'guilty' of was trying to sell a foreign property while trying to keep her business afloat here in Canada," Benoit said. "When the plan to sell the place fell through, she tried renting it. There were some seeming irregularities in her reporting of those rental revenues, but it was all sorted out."

"Yes, Jack Bartlett did mention that 'financial trouble' when I told him Lisa had been shot..." Parker said. "Time to talk to her staff and any business associates you can dig up, past and present. We need answers, and we need them fast."

"All right. We'll head to Fairfield Stables first thing in the morning to speak with her staff," Kavanaugh said.

"Good," Parker said.

Just then, the video call from the Calgary police went live, and Detective James Prescott's face popped up on the screen on the conference room wall.

"Thanks for taking the time out to chat with us, Detective Prescott," Chief Parker greeted the other man. "Any updates on the attack on Stillman?"

"Nothing past what we already know," Prescott said. "No hits on the APB, unfortunately."

"Anything shake out on your end with the list of the members of the investors' group we sent you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Prescott replied. "One of the names you gave us, 'Tanner Gunn'—we interviewed Gunn a year ago when the Barick murders took place. Lanny Barick and Tanner Gunn had some joint business interests at the time not related to their investors' group. Nothing raised any flags back then, but with the Stanton death and now these attempts on Stillman, we took a second look."

"Go on," Parker asked.

"We know Gunn was able to collect on an insurance policy when Barick died," Prescott said. "Now, before you get all excited, Gunn did have a valid reason for having that policy. The two of them had that shared business venture and had reciprocal life insurance policies. It's not unusual for this sort of thing to be in place so that if one of the business partners dies, the loss isn't so severe for the surviving partner."

"Right, 'insurable interest'," Parker said with a nod.

"Exactly. If Gunn had died first, Barick would have collected."

"Yeah, nothing really illegal about that, on the surface," Parker said.

"Right, but I'm waiting to hear back from one of my C.I.s who might have something that could be useful," Prescott said. "See, we had insufficient cause to dig deeper into Gunn's affairs a year ago, but now that all this has happened, we're digging deeper. And from what we're uncovering, it looks like he's been involving himself in some shady stuff."

Parker seized on this point. "How 'shady' are we talking?"

"We found out Gunn has been banned from every reputable casino in Western Canada," Prescott said, "and my informant thinks he's been frequenting some illegal gambling places in Calgary, Edmonton, and points in between."

"So Gunn has a gambling problem," Parker said. "Does he have a debt problem, too?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," Prescott answered. "There's some loan sharks a couple of my undercover guys are hoping to talk to."

"All right, keep us in the loop," Chief Parker said. "And thanks for doing the legwork on this angle."

"You're welcome," Det. Prescott said. "This hospital attack is our investigation, after all. We're of course very concerned about Ms. Stillman's safety."

"As are we. You think this guy is going to try again, don't you?" Parker asked.

"Undoubtedly," Prescott replied. "Whoever it was went to great lengths to stay concealed. This was no random attack."

"So what's your plan?" asked Parker.

"Given the seriousness of the situation, we believe desperate times call for desperate measures. I have a hunch about what's going on, so I'm recommending to my chief we place an immediate protection detail on Stillman if she pulls through tonight."

Parker nodded. "I was thinking the same," he said. "I only hope it will be enough. Now tell me more about this hunch of yours."

***

South Calgary Health Campus

"Tim, I need you to get up here to the hospital as soon as you can."

The sound of his ex-father-in-law's voice in his ear at this hour was not a pleasant one for Tim. "What? Why? What time is it?"

"Late!" Jack snapped.

"What's the matter?" Tim asked, Jack's tone making him change his line of questioning as concern for Lisa's well-being now replaced his irritation at being awakened. "I thought you'd be back home by now. Is Lisa okay?"

"Someone just tried to kill her, so no, she's not okay!"

"What?!" Tim exclaimed in disbelief. "Did you say someone just tried to kill her? Again?"

"Just get your butt down here, would you?" Jack implored. "I'll explain everything."

"Fine," Tim ground out. "All right. I can be there in about 45 minutes. You're lucky it's night so I'm not going to get stuck in traffic."

"Quit yapping and get moving!"

"All right! Hold your horses, I'm moving. Geez."

***

The news that Lisa had been attacked in her room meant the family at Heartland was on a razor's edge of anxiety. They all wanted to race out to the hospital in Calgary; Jack insisted it was enough for Tim to be there for the time being. After all, with visiting hours over for the night, they would not all be welcome to loiter in the hospital hallways.

While Lyndy slept in Katie's room, Lou, Amy, Ty, and Georgie decided to keep vigil together in the living room, silently waiting for any word, but it was an uneasy silence that gripped them. For that reason, everyone was startled when Ty's cell phone buzzed around 5:00 a.m.

Ty recovered quickly and looked at the screen. TIM. "It's your dad," he said to Amy and Lou.

"Hello, Tim?" he answered, rising from the couch as he did so. He listened carefully to the message being relayed by his father-in-law, making every effort not to let his emotions overtake him.

Three pairs of eyes remained fixed on Ty, each set trying to glean something—anything from his posture or his face that would tell them what was being discussed; anything that would tell them if they should prepare for the worst, or if they should be relieved.

"Thanks, Tim," Ty eventually said. "I'll tell them." He swallowed slowly and ended the call, slipping the phone into his pocket.

"What's going on?" Georgie asked with trepidation, unable to contain herself any longer.

Ty paused for a moment before responding, able only to speak a few words at first. "Tim says..."

"What?" Amy asked, eyes wide.

Ty blinked furiously. He felt his throat constrict, but knew he had to speak the news Tim relayed.

Georgie looked to be on the verge of tears. "Ty?" she whispered.

Somehow, Ty managed to get his mouth to sound out two more words:

"Lisa's gone."

With a cry, the teen fled up the stairs to her room. Lou was torn between wanting to comfort her daughter and dealing with her own emotions at this disastrous news.

"No," Amy whispered, feeling hot tears springing up beneath her eyelids. She leaned into Ty and he brought his lips to the side of her head, giving her a gentle kiss while wrapping his arm around her shoulder. No one said anything for several beats.

Lou finally broke the stifling, uncomfortable silence. "I should go up there," she said dully, staring up towards the loft. "I just have no idea what to say to her right now."

Lou tapped gently on Georgie's bedroom door. She could hear quiet sniffles coming from her eldest daughter, and her heart plummeted. Georgie always experienced emotions very deeply, usually expressing them openly and unabashedly.

"Georgie, honey, can I come in?" Lou softly called.

A muffled sigh and hiccup was the only response.

"I'm coming in," Lou said, ignoring the lack of verbal answer.

Georgie was sitting on her bed, legs drawn up, face buried in her arms.

"I'm a really horrible person!" Georgie exclaimed, raising her head to look at her mother.

"What? Why do you say that?" Lou asked, completely thrown by this unexpected outburst. "Georgie, what are you talking about?"

She came and sat next to Georgie, draping her right arm around the teen's trembling shoulders.

Georgie's tearstained eyes met Lou's. "When I first got here... when Clint let Jack be my temporary guardian... I..."

More tears flooded Georgie's eyes, as if she were recalling a particularly bitter memory.

"You what, Georgie? It can't be that bad," Lou said encouragingly.

Her words came tumbling out. "But it is, Lou! I said really terrible things to Lisa when she came to see Jack. All I knew was she was Jack's girlfriend, and I was mad because I thought she was going to make him spend less time with me, and I thought she was this rich, snobby, stuck-up lady. I was horrible to her, and I never told her I was sorry. I never got to take it back, and now..."

"Oh, Georgie..." Lou murmured. "Sweetheart, you have to know Lisa would have never held that against you. I've said horrible things to her, too."

"You have?" Georgie asked, in spite of herself.

"Oh, yes," Lou admitted with a sigh. "And if there's anything I can tell you about Lisa, it's that she was always quick to forgive... and she was usually the first to apologize. If she was ever upset at you for whatever it was you said, I'm sure she forgot about it a long time ago. She loved you, Georgie. She loved all of us. As if we were her own."

Speaking those words now, Lou felt a sudden void she had not experienced since hearing about Marion's death. It's like losing Mom all over again, she thought. Why did I never truly notice how much a part of this family's life Lisa became? Now she's gone...

Lou held her daughter even closer to her.

***

Fairfield Stables

"No!"

"Mr. Wilkes, I know this news comes as a shock," Det. Kavanaugh said as calmly as possible to Harry after his emotional reaction when told about Lisa. "I'm so sorry. You and the staff here at Fairfield have the sympathies of the entire Hudson police department."

Head groomsman and almost lifelong Fairfield employee Harry Wilkes raised his head from his hands. "How is this possible? I-I thought she was okay! I thought she was recovering after what happened! Now you're telling me someone got to her right in her hospital room last night?! How?!"

"That's what we're trying to find out," Patterson said in a soothing voice. "That's why we're here. It's vital we find out as much as we can about her life here at Fairfield as soon as possible. You can help us with that. Do you think you can answer some questions?"

Harry tried to compose himself even as tears spilled down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I need a moment. Wait a minute, how is Jack? Is Jack okay? Does her sister—does Rachel know what's happened?"

"Mr. Bartlett is as well as can be expected, Mr. Wilkes," Patterson said gently. "I'm sure Ms. Stillman's sister has been notified."

Harry nodded and impatiently brushed aside the tears. "Sorry," he said again after blowing his nose. "This is so shocking and upsetting. I'm not sure how much help I can be, but of course I'll answer your questions. Anything to help you nail the bastard who did this."

"Thank you, Mr. Wilkes. We understand you worked for Matthew Stillman for many years before he passed," Kavanaugh began. "Then his daughter inherits Fairfield and steps in and makes massive changes to how things had been operating. Off the record: how was Lisa Stillman as a boss?"

Harry's eyes misted again, his gut clenching as he heard Kavanaugh use the past tense when referring to the woman he had watched grow up.

"Lisa... Lisa was a great boss," Harry gulped, swamped with emotion. "Not just to me; to all of us. Case in point: When she was going through a rough financial patch during the economic downturn a couple years back, she did everything she could not to lay off any of the staff, even though that's what her accountant recommended. I've known her since she was a wee little kid. She might have paid my salary, but Lisa was also a good friend. Everyone who worked for her would say the same thing. She could be demanding—it's a demanding business—but she was also fair."

Kavanaugh fired off a volley, calculated to catch Harry off-guard: "You said 'everyone who worked for her'. What about that jockey Lisa sacked about eight years ago?"

Harry fielded the question easily. "Who, Liam Comox?" A slight sneer crossed his face as he remembered the arrogant young man. "Never liked the guy, but Lisa saw potential in him. If there's anything she was guilty of, it would be that she was too generous with how many chances she gave someone; how much stock she put in them to be a better person. Anyway, last I heard, Comox went out East... Somewhere in Halifax or something like that. As much as I disliked him, I really don't think he had anything to do with this."

"And what about that manager—Laura Monson—who resigned last year under a cloud of controversy?" asked Patterson.

"Lisa wasn't even in the country when all that business with Shooting Star occurred," Harry said dismissively. "And Laura's decision to resign from Fairfield was her own."

"All right, level with us, Mr. Wilkes: did Lisa have any enemies in her business dealings? Disgruntled clients?" asked Kavanaugh.

"'Enemies'? 'Disgruntled clients'?" Harry echoed as he frowned, the furrows in his brow creasing deeply. "Not really. Fairfield is well-respected all over the world. Sure there have been clients who weren't happy with every single horse they ever bought from Lisa. But that's the nature of the business. Horses can come up lame. Winning potential isn't always fully realised. Like I said: Everyone loved Lisa. Well, that is to say... almost everyone..."

Kavanaugh looked at him sharply at this admission. "Explain."

Harry did not answer for a few beats, fumbling to find the right way to phrase the unsettling thoughts flitting through his mind. "Okay, it's not something we like to talk about," he began slowly, "but there are a lot of people out there who want to see horse racing go away. Permanently. They point to horse fatalities on the racetrack as reason enough to shut down the sport entirely. Fairfield has not been immune to that kind of criticism."

"And that 'criticism' you're talking about—anybody in particular been more than just a critic?" Kavanaugh queried.

There was a short pause while Harry considered the question carefully. "There was an animal rights group a while back," he eventually muttered, voice dripping with contempt. "Lisa got some nasty emails when one of her horses died in an accident on the racetrack. But it was an accident, pure and simple—not due to animal cruelty or mistreatment—not that any of it mattered to that particular group."

"Did Lisa report these 'nasty emails' to the police?" asked Patterson.

Harry frowned slightly. "I'm not sure. Maybe. She really didn't let that sort of thing get under her skin. Lisa loved those animals and she made sure they got the best care when they were at Fairfield. I just can't believe what's happened. Lisa didn't deserve this. I thank God her father isn't around anymore, because this would have killed him. I don't know what we're going to do... Lisa... you poor kid..."

"Mr. Wilkes, once again, you have our sympathies," Patterson said. "Thank you for answering our questions. I know this news has been very difficult for you."

Harry blew his nose again and nodded. "You're welcome. Is there anything else I can do?"

"Just a few more questions, if that's okay," Kavanaugh said.

"All right," Harry said, resigned to the fact the cops were still not finished. "Go on."

"Can you share with us what you thought about Lisa's marriage to Jack Bartlett? A man several years older, and significantly less wealthy than she was?"

"Wait, you think Jack had anything to do with this?" he exclaimed. "That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. From the times I've been able to meet him, he was nothing but devoted to Lisa. And compared to her ex-husband Dan, Jack is head and shoulders above. Lisa was never happier than when she got married to Jack. You're barking up the wrong tree, detectives. There's no way Jack Bartlett would hurt Lisa!"

Kavanaugh and Patterson exchanged a look. If there had been any lingering doubts as to Jack Bartlett's innocence, Harry had put them to rest.

"Is that all, now?" Harry asked, willing himself to calm down.

"That about covers our questions, Mr. Wilkes, but the last thing we need from you is access to all of Lisa Stillman's office files, computers and laptops, everything."

"I assume you came with a warrant?" he asked.

Kavanaugh showed Harry the document.

"Thanks," he said after looking at the judge's signed request. "Come with me. You take whatever you need if you think it will help catch the monster who did this."

"Chief, we've picked up Stillman's office PC and her work laptop along with a bunch of office files and correspondence," Kavanaugh said after dialing his boss' cell before driving off from Fairfield.

"Excellent. We'll get Benoit and the computer forensics team to go over Stillman's digital files and emails," Parker said. "See if they can come up with anything."

"We may already have a lead on that," Kavanaugh said. "Harry Wilkes says that 'Animals Have Rights Too' group had been sending Stillman some nasty messages, criticizing the horseracing industry."

"Oh, really," Parker said. "Looks like we need to find out if that animal rights group has been doing more than just sending 'nasty' messages critical of horse racing."

"You think they'd resort to murder to save the lives of a few horses?" Kavanaugh asked as he paused before buckling his seatbelt.

"I think people will resort to whatever means necessary if they think their cause is justified."

***

BREAKING NEWS

Shooting Victim Succumbs to Injuries After Brazen Second Attack

May 4, 2019

The Hudson Times—Online Version

Nadir Jutley

The motorist critically injured in a shooting on Range Road 292 has died. Calgary homicide detectives are actively investigating after the case took a dramatic turn last night at the South Calgary Health Campus. The victim, identified as notable Hudson resident Lisa Stillman, had initially undergone life-saving surgery, but was attacked in her hospital room by an unknown assailant. Attempts to revive Stillman by hospital staff were unsuccessful.

Police believe the killer managed to obtain a hospital ID access badge and entered the unit dressed as a medical professional. He escaped before hospital security personnel could apprehend him. Traffic cameras in the area appear to show the same man fleeing on a motorcycle. A Canada-wide APB has been issued.

Hospital administrators were not at liberty to comment on the incident due to the on-going nature of the investigation, but wish to assure the public that there is no current risk to patient safety.

Lisa Stillman was a well-known member of the local and international horse racing community. She was the owner and operator of Fairfield Stables, a thoroughbred breeding facility established by her late father, Matthew Stillman, in 1951.

She is survived by her husband, Foothills Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee Jackson Bartlett, one sister Rachel Stillman, nephew Benjamin Stillman, as well as numerous step-grand, and great-grandchildren.

Calgary Police are asking anyone with information to contact them immediately.

Email: nadir_jutley

***

Hudson Police Headquarters

It did not take long for Parker's team to uncover unsettling messages while combing through Lisa's email account.

"Look at this one, Chief," said Det. Benoit. "This must be the group Wilkes was talking about: a group calling themselves 'AHRT'.

"Yes, that's that group. I've heard of them before," said Parker.

"Yeah?" Benoit said, turning to look at his boss.

"They're small, but they have chapters all over the country, including one here in Alberta. Stands for 'Animals Have Rights Too'. They've had a few protests here and there; mostly at the racetracks and especially at the Calgary Stampede. A couple of their members once got into an altercation with some chuckwagon fans. But anyway, what does the email say?"

"See for yourself," Benoit said, swiveling the monitor around for Parker to read.

Re: STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY NOW!

Lisa Stillman: someone should make you run around in circles until you drop dead. or until you break both your legs and they have to put you down. wouldn't that be sporting? we would pay to see them euthanize you and everyone else like you in the horse-killing business. you're all sick and what you do to horses is loathsome. you know what you are doing is wrong. you breed these animals to such extremes that it is no longer natural. you force them to race when you know their legs cannot tolerate the stress. they die painful and unnecessary deaths. and it's all your fault. we're warning you: leave the horses alone. stop the barbaric practice of horse breeding for racing, or face the consequences!

-AHRT

"What do you think? Sounds like a threat to me," Benoit said.

"But nothing specific, aside from that vague 'or face the consequences' bit," sighed Parker. "I wish Stillman had reported this when she received it."

"Hey, you guys, you'll want to see this!" Kavanaugh called out to the team. "This is the latest entry from the AHRT Blog. As in they just posted it. It's pretty chilling."

ANIMALS HAVE RIGHTS TOO

A Blog

Date: May 4, 2019

Someone's Offing Rich Horsey People. We Ain't Even Mad.

Don't get us wrong. Of course it's not cool when some gun-crazy lunatic goes on a killing spree. But when his victims happen to be the very people who contribute the most to the unchecked cruelty towards horses? Well, let's just say we're not shedding any tears.

The first was Valerie Stanton, owner of Briar Ridge Stables in Hudson in the province of Alberta, Canada. Now she was a piece of work. Rumor has it she once sold her own daughter's prize jumper to slaughter. He barely avoided the meat truck, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Former Briar Ridge Stables staff and trainers report Stanton was abusive and would flip out over the slightest problems and mistakes. She was known to use whips on horses that did not clear jumps. Anyway, she won't be using whips any longer because some generous soul put Stanton out of her misery with a well-placed bullet.

The latest offender to take a much-deserved dirt-nap is Lisa Stillman, owner of Fairfield Stables, also of Hudson, Alberta. You'll remember this particular piece of horse-murdering scum. It was her horse Pioneer that had to be put down at Century Downs a few years ago. These bloggers personally warned Stillman numerous times about the dangers of breeding thoroughbreds to the point that their legs are so spindly they can't run a quarter-mile without breaking a foreleg. She of course completely ignored everything sent her way, choosing instead to risk the lives of innocent animals, all for the allure of a big prize purse and fame. Stillman won't be chasing after blood money ever again after a couple bullets flew her way. We're pretty sure one went straight through her cold, dark heart, and the other went through her thick skull. (At least something finally did!)

Oh, in case you needed any more proof of Stillman's proclivities and the kind of company she kept, here's an undated picture of her at Santa Anita with Riley and Elspeth Penfield. The Penfields are another couple of royal snobs who fancy themselves horse racing experts. Yeah, so expert that every race horse they've ever owned came in nearly dead last, and as a consequence ended up dead in the glue factory.

You're all of course familiar with Santa Anita, where it's "abandon all hope, ye who enter here"—if you happen to have four legs, a tail and a mane, that is. Over a dozen horses have met grisly deaths at Santa Anita within the past 10 years. They should switch around the order of a few letters in "S-a-n-t-a" and get a much more appropriate name for the place, if you get the drift.

Anyhow, we salute you, whoever you are, for making this world a safer place for equines everywhere; at least those in Hudson. You deserve an award for your service.

-AHRT Staff

"Disgusting," Patterson said with a shake of her head.

"What I wanna know is how these 'AHRT Staff' writers knew those details about Stillman's shooting," Benoit observed. "We made sure the media never specified."

"Could be a lucky guess, or even a little creative wishful thinking on their part, but you're right," Parker said. "It's a little too much of a coincidence Stillman was shot in the left side and the head. I want to talk to these people, Benoit. Get me some names and addresses. I have so many questions for them."

"Okay, we have some of these AHRT people in the system already," Benoit said after a few keystrokes returned the desired results. "Mostly public mischief stuff and some restraining orders. One, in fact, issued by Valerie Stanton a few years ago, like her son said."

"Names, please, Benoit."

"Coming up, sir," Benoit said. "We've got a Margot Gwyneth Carpenter of Red Deer, Alberta; Layton Luther Moffett of Calgary—"

"Layton Moffett?" Patterson repeated, looking at the picture of the man in question as Benoit flashed it on the TV screen. "Chief, he was on the scene at Lisa Stillman's shooting."

Parker glared back at her. "Are you certain?"

"One hundred percent, sir," she asserted. "He stopped his little orange Smart car along with some of the rubbernecking drivers that afternoon. The difference was he actually got out. Didn't get in the way, but was asking questions of anyone who would give him the time of day."

"Then it's possible he could have seen her injuries from where he was," Benoit said.

"Possibly," Patterson replied slowly. "It would explain how the AHRT staffers knew where and how many times Stillman was shot so they could write it up for the blog entry."

"I still don't like it," Parker grumbled. "Let's bring Moffett in for a bit of questioning; find out exactly what he was doing out here and how much he knows about what happened."

***

Hudson Police Headquarters

Layton Luther Moffett appeared wary and alert when Chief Parker sat down with Detective Kavanaugh to question him two hours later.

After reminding the young man he was merely being questioned and that he was free to go at any time, Parker began to drill him.

"Do you recognize the name 'Lisa Stillman'?"

"Sure do," Layton said with a bob of his head, almost cracking a smile. "Heard she just died. Heard someone shot her and then someone attacked her in her hospital room. Guess someone really wanted her dead, eh? What is this world coming to?"

"What were you doing out on Range Road 292 on the afternoon of May 2nd?"

"I was out for a country drive," Layton said airily.

"No crime against that, of course," Parker said.

"Nope," Layton said. "You're going to ask me why I stopped on that drive, aren't you?"

"As a matter of fact, we are," Parker said. "Why did you stop?"

"Because there was a car accident," Layton said. "I know First Aid. I thought I could be of assistance. But the paramedics were there already, so it was all good. I mean, all good then. Obviously it wasn't 'all good' for Lisa Stillman once she got to the hospital."

Both Parker and Kavanaugh took note of his almost blasé attitude. He seemed almost pleased to talk about what he knew of Lisa's fate as a small smirk tugged at his lips.

"You live in the northwestern quadrant of the city of Calgary," Parker said, returning to Layton's reasons for lurking around Hudson. "Do you often take drives out to Hudson?"

"When the mood strikes me," Layton said with an air of indifference, peering at his fingernails.

"What do you know about a horse by the name of 'Herring'?" Parker asked.

Layton's glance shifted from his hands to Parker's face. "I heard Lisa Stillman was the owner," the young man finally answered after a few beats. "I heard he was hurt by a bear after..."

"After what?" Parker prompted.

Layton swallowed. "After that Valerie Stanton woman from Briar Ridge was shot dead."

"And what can you tell us about that, Mr. Moffett?" Kavanaugh asked.

"Only what I saw in the news," Layton replied, though the officers could see he was growing more nervous.

"Funny that," Parker said. "The name of the horse was never made public. Care to change your answer?"

Layton appeared instantly uncomfortable. "Okay, look," he said, squirming slightly. "Our staff occasionally pose as potential buyers for horses we think are at risk for abuse or the meat truck. Herring was one of those horses."

"Let's say for a moment we believe you," Parker said, humouring the man, "how did you find out it was Herring that was injured?"

"We just put two and two together," Layton replied. "I called the Fairfield office a few weeks ago saying I was interested in buying him. Look, the Fairfield website lists all its available stock for everyone to see. It's not a crime to look at horses on websites, is it?"

"No, it's not," Parker conceded. "Now get to the part where you know it was Herring!"

"I called Fairfield again yesterday," Layton said. "I said I had not forgotten about Herring and hoped Fairfield had enough safety precautions in place to prevent bear attacks from happening like the one I'd read about."

"So you were just fishing for information," Kavanaugh said.

"Yeah," Layton admitted. "And the man I spoke to told me all the horses at Fairfield were safe, but that unfortunately they could not control what happened to horses off-site, and that Herring had indeed been hurt. He was all apologetic, like I'd be upset I couldn't buy the horse right away and they'd lose out on a sale. It's always money with those people."

Parker and Kavanaugh exchanged a look. The story seemed plausible.

"Look, if no one there is concerned about that horse past what profits it can make them—"

"Enough with your posturing, Mr. Moffett," Parker snapped in annoyance. "We're not done questioning you."

Layton crossed his arms in sullen defiance. "What else, then?"

"We know Valerie Stanton had issued a restraining order against you and the other members of the 'Animals Have Rights Too' Alberta chapter. If we find out you've been in violation of that—"

"She's dead now, so why should it matter?" Layton smarmily interrupted. "But even when she was alive, I didn't pass within 100 yards of Stanton, or her horses, or her property after that bogus order was placed. I'm a law-abiding citizen who exercises his right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression. People like Valerie Stanton and Lisa Stillman get away with animal abuse all the time, and you people turn a blind eye. You waste your time threatening us with arrest when you ought to be investigating people like them for verifiable crimes against innocent animals."

"Are you done?" Parker asked, unmoved by Layton's impassioned speech.

"Yeah," Layton mumbled. "Can I go, now? I haven't done anything wrong, and I certainly didn't shoot Valerie Stanton or Lisa Stillman, if that's what you're really wondering. I don't even own a firearm."

"We already knew that," Kavanaugh said, "but thanks for saying so."

"One last question, Mr. Moffett," Parker said.

"What?"

"You were driving into Hudson when Lisa Stillman was shot," Parker said. "Do you recall passing someone on a motorbike heading in the opposite direction?"

"Maybe," Layton said.

"Yes or no, Moffett!" Parker barked.

"Look, I read the papers," Layton eventually said. "I know you were looking for a guy on a motorcycle as a 'person of interest' in the shooting, or whatever. And you know what? Yeah, I did see a guy on a motorcycle when I was driving in to Hudson that day. But that's all I'm going to tell you, because quite frankly, whoever that guy is? He's a hero for trying to take out Stillman. He deserves an award."

"Kavanaugh, get him out of my sight," Parker growled in disgust. "I don't want to see you in Hudson ever again, Mr. Moffett, do I make myself clear? Now get out of here!"

***

Chapter 9: Dark Horse Candidate

#heartland #heartland fanfiction #my fanfiction #Bad Business: A Heartland Murder Mystery #JISA #JISA fic #Jack Bartlett #Lisa Stillman #Amy Fleming #Ty Borden #Lou Fleming #Nadir Jutley #Georgie Fleming Morris #Chief Parker #Tim Fleming #Tanner Gunn #Val Stanton

5 notes · View notes

walkonandtwo · 1 year

Text

A joke or two

Old Age Quiz

Q: How can you speed up the heart rate of your 60+ year old husband?

A: Tell him you're pregnant.

Q: How can you avoid getting wrinkles?

A: Take off your glasses.

Q: No, seriously. How can I get rid of these crow's feet and all the wrinkles on my face?

A: Go braless. It usually pulls them out.

Q: What is the most common remark made by 60+ year olds when they browse an antique store?

A: I remember these.

Q: Where can a man over 60 find a younger, good looking woman who is interested in him?

A: Try the bookstore under fiction.

Q: What can a husband do when his wife is going through menopause?

A: Keep busy. If he's handy with tools, he can finish the basement. Then when he's finished, he'll have a place to live.

Q: Why should 60+ people use valet parking?

A: The valet won't forget where he parked your car.

Q: Is it a common problem for 60+ year olds to have trouble with memory storage?

A: No. Memory storage is not the problem. Memory retrieval is.

Q: Do people sleep more soundly as they get older?

A: Yes, but it's usually in the afternoon.

Q: Where should old people look for glasses?

A: On their forehead.

Perks Of Being Over The Hill

There is nothing left anymore to learn the hard way.

Things that you buy now won't wear out.

Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.

You no longer think of the speed limit as a challenge.

Your investment in health insurance is finally paying off.

You can quit trying to hold in your stomach no matter who walks into the room.

Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them anyway.

You can sing along with elevator music.

Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the guy on the television.

Your eyes won't get too much worse.

Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

People call you at 9 p.m. and ask, "Did I wake you???? "

You can get into a heated argument about pension plans.

You can eat dinner at 4:00 in the afternoon.

In a hostage situation you are the most likely to be released first.

No one expects you to run -- anywhere.

You are no longer viewed as a hypochondriac.

You Know You're Getting Old When

A young teenager, listening to some music his mother was playing asked who the band was. "The Beatles," she told him.

"Oh. Who's in the group?"

When his mother told him, he said with surprise, "I didn't know Paul McCartney had a group before Wings!"

Joke About Cop Pulling Over A Drunk Man “Haha”, thought the cop gleefully, when he saw the staggering man walking out of the bar towards the parking lot, “I’ll just wait until he pulls out and then I’ll pull him over for drunk driving.” There was no doubt about it the man was as drunk as could be, after tripping over a rock and dusting himself off, the man slowly made his way towards his car swaying every which way. After opening the passenger side door by mistake, the man finally opened the right door and sat down heavily in the driver’s seat. After dosing off for a few minutes the man seemed to awake out of his drunken slumber and slowly put his keys in the ignition turning on the car. The man barely started pulling out before the cop turned on his sirens full blast and headed over to the car, “alright buddy” said the cop, “get on out and let me see you walk a straight line.” To the cops surprise the man easily walked a straight line. After passing the Breathalyzer test too, the cop was positively mystified, “how’d you get sober so quick?” question the cop. “Get sober?” responded the man with a smile, “I always was sober, I was just distracting you so all my drunken buddies could escape without you noticing!”

0 notes

floofenstuff · 2 years

Text

TW: Cursing, Mentions of cops/police

This is crack-like in nature

This isn't Kansas...

You let out a groan as you turned away from a sudden light piercing through your eyelids, after you turned you felt a sudden poke. "5 more minutes..." You grumbled, lazily trying to wave away whatever was trying to get you up. "Yo...your grace...?" The voice was incredibly hesitant, and you definitely did not recognize it. Did...did your roommate let in some rando again? "Snacks are in the pantry..." They yawned, snuggling further into what you assumed was your bed, not paying attention to how...weird it felt. "Your grace...? Is that you?" This weirdo was not budging... Goddamnit. Guess you needed to call the damn cops again.

You opened your eyes, rubbing the crusties away as you sat up. Once you removed your hands and let your vision adjust you were...met with a sight that was horrifying. "...WHAT THE FUCK!?" You shriek, legs springing into action as you dig your bare feet into the grass to bring more distance to you and some- strange fucker who looked a little to much like Venti- as you scooted back you took in your surroundings, mind going into panic mode. "Your grace! It really is you! I-I can't believe it!" The strange Venti cosplayer looked incredibly happy, tearfully so. It would've been wholesome if 1. You knew where you were and 2. Was at a convention or...something! "You don't know how long I've waited for this day, I-" "Where the hell am I!?" You interrupted, screaming. His face fell, confused. "W-what do you mean-" "I FUCKIN MEANT WHAT I SAID W-WEIRDO!" You screamed, though you sounded angry when you actually weren't. You were terrified, "WHERE THE ABSOLUTE HELL AM I!?" The Venti cosplayer was still very confused, but he answered you. "Y...you are in Teyvat, at Windrise, your grace. P-please um... calm down and I can help with whatever-"

"Teyvat." You deadpanned, interrupting him again. This time, without screaming. He smiled nervously, as if trying to calm both you and himself down. "Y-yes, your grace! A-and if you'd like I could take you to Mondstadt and-" "Mondstadt." You were processing the situation like an old Windows computer.

"...Aight I'm out." You said with the most blank look you had that day. "Night, night." "W-wait, your grace..!" "Night. Sleep. Bye."It went silent for a few seconds, the wind didn't move. "Aha...Sleeping in the middle of the day is very unhealthy, your grace." You grumbled, laying down and shoving your head against the strangely soft grass. It seemed to caress you, almost. "You know, Your grace, if you are going to sleep, you can sleep in a much more comfortable area than outside!" Venti, who you hoped was just a dream, came closer, leaning against the huge tree and slid down. "...or...we could stay..." He mumbled to himself, "Hey, I am the only one who's found you, right your grace?" You grumbled out a response, to which he took as a positive. "...Good." He said after a few moment of contemplating. "That's...good." The wind rustled against the tree, sending leaves dancing with it. He was still thinking, about what you didn't know or what to know. "...How about I play my lyre for you? Is that alright?" "Do what you want, I don't care..." You mumbled, covering your eyes with one of you arms. "Just don't touch me..." Venti let out a hum, taking out his lyre, "Ehehe! As your grace wishes~" He said cheerfully, and began to play a song that he had made for you and your ears only. He didn't think today was the day he'd see the Creator but... He was glad he did. Even if they were acting a tad erratic... That's all part of the charm, in the end. And at least no one else found them, he thought as he strummed his lyre, taking a quick glance at you as you were lulled back to sleep. Yes, at least you and him were alone, together.

#genshin sagau #sagau #venti genshin impact #yandere venti #genshin cult au #self aware au #crack #god reader

193 notes · View notes

mid-weast · 3 years

Text

Will you keep it down? | Jeon Jungkook

Summary: You and Jungkook attend the same university and have been neighbors for 3 months now. It drives you crazy that he plays loud music at 2AM, and it drives him crazy that you barely acknowledge his presence.

Pairing: Jungkook x Female!Reader; Black!Reader

Words: 2.6K

Genre: enemies to lovers, student!jungkook, student!reader, fluff, mention of smut, angst? (in the form of bickering back and forth).

Authors note: Hi hi! This is the first fic I’ve ever written so if it’s bad I’m sorry. Also it is unedited so if there's grammar / spelling mistakes I'm sorry again! Also this is catered toward the reader being Black but I hope it can be enjoyed by everyone. Thank you for reading! Feedback is appreciated ok love u bye!

“Y/N? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??!? Open this door RIGHT NOW!”

Even though you were studying in your room, his knocks were so loud you nearly jumped out of your skin. You had expected a reaction, but not a full-on explosion.

You and Jungkook have been apartment neighbors for about three months now, and a constant problem is that he blares his music hella loud late at night. Of course he’s a music major so he listens to music a lot, but at this point you don’t care. It doesn’t even seem like he’s working on composition homework anyway, just being an asshole with no regard for his neighbors peace. Now don’t get yourself wrong, you're not just some uptight bitch who complains about everything. Well, you do have several pet peeves but over the years of going to school in Korea you’ve picked and chosen your battles very wisely. In most cases you let things slide. You wouldn’t care at all about someone playing the music loudly, but it is 2 AM, and while you’re up studying you know a lot of your other neighbors are trying to sleep.

You tiptoe toward your front door and twist the knob slowly. You only open the door wide enough to be able to see his face. It’s not that you’re scared that you’re in danger or anything, and you rarely back down from people giving you a hard time. But you were tired, wearing a big ass t- shirt and short shorts (your regular sleep attire), and it was late at night. So if anything was going to pop off you felt pretty vulnerable. Even though you’re the same age, he towers over you and you find his size kinda intimidating.

As usual, you have to crane your neck to see his face, and your view of him is limited by the narrowness in which

you opened the door.

“Can I help you, lil boy?”

From what you can see of him, right away you can tell that he is pissed. Dawning his usual attire of a black sweatshirt with the hood up, black sweats, and stomp a hoe boots, he stood extremely close to your apartment door with his arms crossed. His usually wide, puppy dog eyes are now pressed in narrow slits. His normally pouty lips are formed in a hard line, and his jaw is so clenched you could carve an ice sculpture with his jawline.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You called the cops on me? Are you INSANE???" Jungkook shouts.

Obviously he's mad, and despite the amount of times you've gone back and forth he's never raised your voice at you. The old you would have screamed back at him, but over time you've tried to respond to anger with calmness. Also, you were a little scared because this mf is kind of big.

"I already told you if you keep blaring your music at 2AM, I was going to do something about it!" You respond in a hushed whisper, slightly concerned that your elderly neighbors will be even more disturbed by the noise. "I've told you this a million times, and you barely do anything about it. If anything, it's gotten worse like you're doing it on purpose. People are trying to sleep and I'm trying to study, why is this so hard for you to understand?"

He sucks his teeth. "You're such a little snitch. And I've already told YOU that YOU can't tell me what to do."

"I know I can't...but they can," you nod toward the exit, referring to the police officers that most likely just left out that way with a tiny smirk growing on your face.

If it was possible, he clenched his jaw even harder and you think that he's going to pop a blood vessel. He pushes his way into your apartment, which sends you stumbling back and you grab the door handle to regain your balance. This causes you to close the door shut.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're-"

He steps right up to you and leans down into your face.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, seriously??? Why are you such an annoying little brat? Just because you're a nerd with no friends who gets no play doesn't mean you can take your bitterness out on me.”

You have to laugh in his face at this point because hello??? First of all, who is he talking to? Second of all, you have told him a BUNCH of times to turn his music down late at night. You didn't think that was too much to ask. As far as you were concerned, being aware of your noise level when you live in an apartment is the universal bare minimum for being a human being.

"ME? Who do you think YOU are? Actually let me tell you. You're an entitled little rich boy who thinks he runs the world. I don't give a fuck about how popular you are on campus, how many people fall at your feet to be around you, and how many hoes you have, you cant talk to ME like that. And how are you going to try and tell me about myself when it's too much of a task for you to be a decent neighbor? I've never done anything to blatantly bother you, so why can you just.." You started to panic because usually when you raise your voice out of anger, your voice cracks and tears threaten to pool out of your eyes, but you tried to get a grip and not back down..."why can you just be nice to me so we can live in peace? Is that too hard for you???"

He looked kind of taken aback by your question. Being nice to you? It never crossed his mind. Also, you kind of had a point. When the semester started and you both moved in on the same day, you would shoot him a small, friendly smile in passing but you never seemed interested in getting to know him. He always wondered why that was. It's not that he had a problem talking with girls, since all he had to do was breathe and girls would come flocking around him, but you would flat out ignore him. Even at all the major parties at the beginning of the year and on Thursday nights when students take over the clubs in the city, you'd barely even acknowledge him. He KNEW that you had seen him too, since you would make eye contact, but you acted like he was just another guy at the club.

And he'd be lying if he said you weren't fine. You had thick thighs, a beautiful face, nice curves, and always wore outfits that hugged you in the right places. He always wondered what it would feel like to wrap his arms around your body and press it against his own. He would constantly sneak peaks of you throughout the night at the club, but something stirred in him when he saw that you were chatting up other guys. Was he...jealous? Jealous that you were so eager to pay attention to these dudes who, in his opinion, were decent looking but they were nowhere near his level, and you never even gave him a second thought? One night he even saw you leaving with a man he knew through mutual friends, and he had to physically stop himself from breaking the glass he was holding, because that guy, while objectively handsome, was nothing compared to him. Jungkook wasn't blatantly cocky, but he let his talent, charm, and looks speak for themselves. He was THEE Jeon Jungkook, and nothing ever really bothered him....except you.

Was he....interested in you? Nah, that can't be it. You were some random chick who happened to be his neighbor, who also is one of the only girls he's met that doesn't give two fucks about even having small talk with him, and that infuriated him for some reason. So the first time you came knocking on his door in an adorable pink satin pajama set with a matching bonnet complaining about his loud music, he knew the game he had to play.

He's still standing over you, centimeters away from you face, but you notice that his eyes soften a little and so does his jaw. He unclenches the fists he was holding crossed against his chest

You continue, “I don't care what you do, and I'm DEFINITELY trying to run your messy ass life. Believe me," you scoff, "you don't have enough money to pay me to do that. But when your dickhole behavior fucks with MY life is when it's a problem. And it's BEEN a problem."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever, little girl, maybe I should call you little mouse now, since now I know that you'll go squeaking to the cops now, don't fuck with me or my music again.”

Without moving your head you look him up and down with a confused expression. "Am I supposed to be scared of you? No seriously, you look like you cry during Disney movies while wearing footie pajamas, and now here you are throwing a fit because I forced you to stop bothering the entire wing with your music?"

Girl...what are you saying??? This man just barged into YOUR place, is in your face, and is strong enough to pick you up and throw you, and you’re insulting him? But you figured if he's going to be rude, you'll throw it right back because you're tired of his bullshit.

Whatever softness he was feeling for a fleeting moment immediately left, and annoyance once again washed over. He straightens up a bit and puts on that annoying confident smirk he wears when he thinks he's won arguments between you two.

"You should be nicer to me, all it will take is for me to tweet one thing about you, and you'll be the most hated person on campus."

At this point, any suspicions that you had about him annoying you on purpose were confirmed. You've concluded that this mf is a bully and you, small and shy but not one to take mess, will put him in his place to-motherfucking-night.

You take a step toward him, now crossing your arms tightly against your chest, but he doesn't even move a hair backwards.

"Clearly you need a rude awakening so here it is. I don't know what type of people you've dealt with all your life, always saying yes to you, letting you boss them around and taking whatever bullshit you dish out, but let me tell you I am not the one. Never have been and never will be. Unlike the other fools around here who cream their pants at the mention of your name, I don't care about who you are. You'll respect ME and MY peace as long as we're neighbors, you get me?"

Now y/n, you have never so boldly stood up to someone, where did that come from, babes? You've tried to not let this entitled little boy get to you this whole time, but with him standing in front of you in the middle of your apartment with that extremely annoying, yet handsome, smirk on his face, and after all the crap he's said tonight, he had you all the way fucked up.

After you said that, he just laughed and looked away. Now you’re standing there fuming and confused...was there a joke you missed? You were being dead serious!

"Something funny?" you ask, narrowing your eyes.

"Nothing, just thinking about how I want to face fuck that annoying little mouth of yours so you finally shut up.”

Your jaw almost dropped to the floor. You've never had a guy say something so blatantly rude and vulgar literally inches away from your face. But again, you weren't going to back down.

"Oh really?" Scoffing and tilting your head to the side a bit while narrowing your eyes even more, "I'd very much like to do the same. Maybe then you'll learn your place."

"Oh please, princess, you probably blanch when someone around you even mentions the word sex." He chuckles and leans down close toward your face again and cocks his head to the side, scrunching his nose and in a pouty voice said, "you're fooling no one, but keep trying, maybe you'll get there.”

You're even more annoyed than you were before, if that was even possible. But if he wanted to play this game, you might as well go there with him. It's true, you were a bit more prudent than more, but it pissed you off that he could tell. Regardless, you do know some things to say that could have him leaving with his tail between his legs.

You pouted your lips and in a babying tone said, “Aww sweetheart you have no idea. You think you're big and bad but like I said, you probably cry watching Disney movies. The same way you'd be crying, begging me to let you cum down my throat as I mercilessly toy with your cock for hours.”

Now it's his turn to go pale. Y/n, his stuck up neighbor who has barely even spared him five seconds of her time just threatened to edge him into submission? He has to pinch himself because he must be dreaming....

“Well I-“

“But I don't even think we’d make it that far, hun” you continue, “because in order to humble your egotistical, disrespectful ass, I'm gonna have to ride your face until you suffocate. And when the paramedics come and I have to explain how you died, I won't even hesitate to tell them that you were a punk ass loser who LITERALLY drowned in my pussy!”

You don’t know who this person speaking is, but it is not you. All of the pent up hostility you’ve held towards him just flooded out of you and you couldn’t stop the words from coming out. To be honest you shocked yourself, but you still stood there with your arms crossed and your face unfaltering, just waiting for him to say something smart back.

He stared at you silently, eyes wider than you’ve seen before and his mouth hung slightly open. He wasn’t expecting you to respond with so much fire, but now he wouldn’t be able to sleep until the image you painted came true. His brain said fuck it, and his lips crashed down onto yours. The kiss is sloppy but passionate, and you swore you heard him quietly whimper.

When he feels you starting to kiss back, he smirks into the kiss. Your lips are moving against each other in tandem, and all thoughts about how much you despise the prick fades away. As you uncrossed your arms and placed them on his chest, you could feel his heart beating wildly. Was he as nervous as you were this whole time? You wonder. You knew he was a player, so he was experienced. But the thought that you made him nervous gave you a tiny confidence boost. His hands slowly slide up the sides of your body to sneak behind your back, to pull you further into his chest. As much as your brain was telling you to resist him and push him away, you couldn't help but fall victim to how soft his lips felt against yours. Suddenly you feel airborne as he swiftly reaches down behind your thighs and picks you up. You instinctively gasp but he doesn’t miss a beat, simply biting your lower lip and locking your lips together again.

“Maybe we should test that scenario of yours, and if it comes true, that wouldn’t be the worst way for me to go” he says, doing that annoying but soul-crushingly handsome smirk he likes to wear as he carries you off to your bedroom.

771 notes · View notes