#I haven't even gone to church for the past two weeks | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

theteasetwrites · 1 year

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The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning

Chapter 94: Stand Inside Your Love

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: mild swearing, scary situation, violence ❧ Word Count: 7.7k

❧ In This Chapter: You aid Daryl and Rosita in hiding Eugene from the Commonwealth Army, but there's danger afoot, and more obstacles prevent your people from getting home.

❧ A/N: Things are getting intense for our dear reader and her hubby (I'm sorry I had to use that word). Also I just had to include this scene with Eugene. It was so cute how he tried to fight Daryl omg. I also wanted to take an opportunity to have reader talk to Eugene a bit, since they haven't really had too many interactions yet and also he dated her bestie so I mean I feel like they have some common ground there. Of course we get some sweet Daryl/Reader moments too because they're adorable together and they care so much about each other it's literally precious. Anyway, I'm excited to see where this all goes...

In the impending darkness of the coming evening, when the sun had just barely begun to set over the horizon, you sat alone in a familiar interrogation room, similar to the one you’d sat in several months ago when you first arrived.

The slightly chilly April weather was enough to have you wrapping yourself tighter in your housecoat as your toes curled inside your slippers. You had been so unceremoniously whisked away from your apartment, taken by Commonwealth soldiers to “answer a few questions” about the day’s events. Daryl was gone. He was in the church where he’d been hiding Eugene, protecting him. Perhaps it was a good thing that he was gone when they came, since you knew he’d make a bit of a fuss out of them manhandling you.

The children and Dog had been taken to Carol’s house, where you were assured they’d be taken care of until you returned from your questioning. They had asked where Daryl was, but you simply said he’d gone out for a jog. You knew Daryl wouldn’t voluntarily go for a jog if his life depended on it, but they didn’t, and it seemed plausible.

So you waited nervously, shivers periodically running down your spine as you gazed around the room, thinking of all the things they would possibly ask you.

You knew it would have something to do with Sebastian’s death, of course, and you knew that they knew Eugene and his girlfriend, Max, were responsible for the events leading up to it, but you weren’t sure why they thought you’d have anything to do with it. Of course, you were friends with Eugene, but you hadn’t been doing much these past two days except staying inside and recovering from your pregnancy.

Maybe it was just a formality. You just hoped this didn’t ruin your people’s plans of getting home. Sure, you’d admit to having something to do with the newspaper headline that came out last week, exposing Sebastian for the things he’d done, but that wasn’t treason, it was just revealing the truth. What Eugene and Max had done was also the truth, but now you just wanted to go home. To Hell with saving the Commonwealth. Maybe it was selfish, but you’d had enough of it, and your people and your family were the most important things now.

Sometimes, you thought of Rick Grimes, what he would do. You knew that Rick often had to make decisions that weren’t easy, and sometimes, those decisions involved putting his people’s lives before the lives of others. Though you felt for the Commonwealth’s citizens, you figured that the best way to save them would be to leave, regroup, and come back stronger. That is, if you came back at all.

Daryl thought about it, too. He’d told you many times since Rick died, how he was trying to do things the way he’d do them. You always reminded him, though, that he was his own person, and that he was just as good as Rick. To you, he was better, but Daryl was better than everyone to you. He was your Daryl, your sweetheart. Of course he was the best. Nothing would ever change that.

So now you thought of Daryl, wondering what he was doing. You hoped he was all right, since he was risking his life by hiding Eugene. Rosita was, too. They were both protecting him in that church, conspirators. You supposed you were now, too, since you knew where Eugene was, and you weren’t about to tell anyone.

Certainly not Mercer.

The heavily armored man came in with a folder in hand. You briefly glimpsed your name scrawled on it. Your records. They were pristine, of course. Nine months was hardly enough time for you to get into trouble, and besides, you were, after all, an angel. The only indiscretion you were guilty of was being a little sassy towards the late Sebastian Milton, and perhaps a little public indecency when you touched Daryl’s privates under the table in that diner.

Other than that, you were clean as a whistle.

“(Y/N) Dixon,” said Mercer, now sitting as he read from your file. “109 Union Street. Apartment 3. Unemployed. Married to Daryl Dixon with two biological children, Robin and Westley Dixon, and two wards, Judith and RJ Grimes. Can you verify this information to be true?”

“Yes,” you said, though you didn’t like the sound of “unemployed.” Of course, you knew your job had ended when it was decided that you all were going to leave, but it still sounded harsh.

“Where were you during the Founder’s Day incident?” He was always quite straightforward.

“I was at home,” you answered truthfully. “With my kids. Well, except Judith.”

“Where was your husband?”

He spoke as if he hadn’t any relation to you and your family, as if he hadn’t been just starting to almost get along with Daryl before all this happened.

“He took Judith to Union Square to see the wrestling match. I was watching them from our balcony. H-he had nothing to do with this, either. He didn’t even know it was going to happen, none of us did.”

Mercer quickly scrawled something on the outside of your folder, but you weren’t quick enough to catch it. “But you’re good friends with Eugene Porter, aren’t you?”

That was an understatement. He was family, as much as he annoyed you at times. At one point, he was in love with your best friend. You knew things about him you probably shouldn’t have known, but Beverly wasn’t shy about exchanging… details. Likewise, there were little tidbits about Daryl that Bev had taken to the grave.

“We’ve known each other for over ten years,” you said. “We’ve been through a lot. He’s my friend, yes… And he’s a good person. What he did, there was a reason for it. It wasn’t senseless. It wasn’t intended to go the way it did. Those walkers… Someone should be looking into those walkers. Someone killed those people, let them turn, let them loose in the square. Whoever did that got Sebastian killed, not Eugene. He was just… playing Sebastian’s own words.”

Your attempts to remove the blame from Eugene seemed to fall on deaf ears. “Mrs. Dixon,” he said, “this isn’t about clearing Eugene’s name. It’s about finding him.”

“If he’s found, will he get a trial?” you asked. “A fair one?”

“He’ll get a trial.”

You scoffed under your breath. But not a fair one.

“He’s already been found guilty,” you said. “The trial is just for show, right? So everything looks democratic?”

Mercer didn’t answer, he just kept looking at you with that stern, stoic expression. When he did speak again, it was with a question.

“Do you know where Eugene Porter is?”

“No,” you said sharply. You kept it at that. Lying was never your strength, though you’d gotten better at it.

“Does your husband?”

Your patience began to wear thin. “No.”

He flipped open your file again, reading something you couldn’t see. “Your husband is a loyal man, Mrs. Dixon.”

Your lips tightened and your back stiffened. Whatever he was getting at, you didn’t appreciate it, even if everything he was about to say was true. The point was that he was betraying your people, though you knew that he sided with you. He must have.

“He’d die for his family,” he continued. “One thing I respect about him.”

“He’s a good man,” you said, never missing an opportunity to say so. You’d defend Daryl until you were blue in the face.

“He is,” Mercer agreed. “But he’s also impulsive. Reckless. He wouldn’t hesitate to put his life on the line to protect one of his own. Eugene, he’s one of his own.”

You shifted uncomfortably in your chair. There was no doubt in your mind that Mercer was onto Daryl, but he clearly still didn’t know where Eugene was. That was good. You just hoped he couldn’t tell that you were lying. Maybe if he knew you better, he could, but so far, he seemed to trust you. Well, trust you enough not to torture you, but then again, would he torture you? A woman who had just given birth, the wife of his former colleague? He seemed to have respect for Daryl. Hurting you would violate that respect.

“Daryl has nothing to do with this,” you reiterated once more. “He has been home the last few days, taking care of me and the kids, getting us ready to go back home. He doesn’t have the time to help Eugene with this thing, or to do whatever it is you think he’s doing. I don’t know where Eugene is. Daryl doesn’t know, either. Are you going to interrogate our kids now, too? Even the baby? You know, he can’t talk yet.”

Mercer was not amused by your sarcasm. “You’re free to go,” he said. “If Daryl is helping Eugene,” he added, “he’ll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, just so you know.”

“He’s not,” you quickly replied. “I would know if he was, and he’s not.” Lying. So much lying. You hated it, but if it kept Daryl and Eugene safe, you’d do it over and over again. “We just want to go home.” This time, you spoke more softly, almost pleadingly. If you had to beg for your people’s freedom, you would. “What Eugene did, I am sure he did it because he wants to help the Commonwealth, not hurt it. After everything that has happened, the best thing for all of us is just to go home, back to Alexandria.”

He seemed understanding of that, but not enough to reassure you that you’d all get back home. The truth of the matter was that things were more complicated than you all had been led to believe when Carol made that deal, and now that Sebastian was dead, Governor Milton wanted justice for her son’s death.

“(Y/N),” he said, “if Eugene doesn’t turn himself in, and if your people make this harder than it has to be, I can’t guarantee your family’s safety. The longer he’s free, the less likely you’ll see Alexandria again.”

On the way home, you sneaked through the streets, taking a detour to the church. Perhaps Daryl would be angry at you for doing so, but you needed to touch base with him. Outside the door, you knocked lightly, looking around to make sure no one could see you. Thank God that the sun was starting to set, and people were settling down, tucked away in their homes after the day’s horrific events.

Several moments later, you heard a light movement behind the door. It must’ve been Daryl, who else would it be? “It’s me,” you said in a hushed tone.

You heard an exasperated huff, no doubt belonging to your husband, who unlatched the lock and abruptly pulled you in by the wrist. He poked his head out briefly to look around, then shut the door as quietly as he could, though he wanted to slam it. He latched the lock, though, with great frustration.

“What the hell are ya doin’ here, woman?” he asked in a low, yet obviously irritated voice. You stepped back and crossed your arms, slightly upset with the way he greeted you. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Mercer just questioned me.”

“He hurt you?” he asked immediately, eyes intense and serious as he looked you over. He didn’t think Mercer would be the kind to do such a thing, but then again, he was proving to be more loyal to the Commonwealth than he had initially thought, and they weren’t above torturing people for information, he was sure of it.

“No, he just asked me questions, asked me if I knew where you and Eugene were. I didn’t say anything. Did he talk to you, too?”

“‘Bout an hour ago.”

“We need to leave.”

“Yeah,” he said. “Where are the kids?”

“Carol’s house. Have you talked to the others?”

He looked around the empty church for a few moments, as if to find somewhere to hide you, too. “Yeah, we’re gonna leave at dawn, if we can get out,” he said, taking you by the forearm and leading you to the front pew where his crossbow sat, ready to fire. He sat you down just as Rosita and Eugene came out from the back room.

“(Y/N),” sighed Eugene. He looked weary. The dark circles under his eyes were much more prominent than usual. He looked more exhausted than he did the times he stayed up all night at the library researching whatever topic he was interested in at that moment. You distinctly recalled lifting his drooling face off of a book on ancient hunter gathering techniques, and he looked better then.

“Eugene,” you replied, standing up to hug him. It took him a moment to register your arms around him, but he wrapped his around you, too, and soon rested his chin upon your shoulder, as if it was a welcome relief. Daryl had sometimes told you that your hugs could chase a storm away, and perhaps he was right. “How are you holding up?”

You squeezed his shoulders, prompting him to raise his head and look you in the eyes. He looked sorrowful, guilty, and regretful. “Reckon better than I deserve. I don’t suppose you have any news on Max’s whereabouts?”

“No,” you answered sadly. “I’m sorry. I haven’t seen her since earlier.”

“It may seem trivial, in light of all the melee and mayhem, but I’m the one who should truly be sorry. It’s my actions that put you all in extremely compromised situations.”

“No, don’t be,” responded Daryl. “That prick had it comin’.”

“All right, what we need to do now is figure out how to get you out of here,” said Rosita.

“I know a way,” answered Daryl. “The east gate. I know when the shifts change. Might be a window we can slip out.”

You nodded as you thought, envisioning the plan in your head. “That’s a good idea. We can meet up with Aaron and the others on the road, heading towards Alexandria. Get the kids, everyone out in one fell swoop.” Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Eugene anxiously listening to your words. He knocked his hand against the railing he leaned upon, and made a sour, uncomfortable face. “Eugene?” you asked. “What’s wrong?”

“At the risk of sounding ungrateful for all your efforts on your behalf,” he said, “I cannot leave without my beloved. I need to go find her.”

Your lips quivered slightly. You felt for Eugene. Though you hadn’t spoken to him much about her since she died, Beverly was once his first love, and you missed her. Now, it seemed he really did have a new love, and if he lost her, you’d be devastated for him.

The romantic in you, too, wanted to find her. Eugene deserved love just as much as anyone else, and though you almost said something, Daryl, your much more pragmatic husband, beat you to it.

“You got every trooper in the city lookin’ for ya. You wouldn’t make it a block.”

Oh, Daryl, you thought. For once, be impractical. Of course, Daryl didn’t have a problem throwing caution to the wind when it came to you or his family, but you knew how Daryl thought, and Max wasn’t quite family. It would take convincing for him to let anyone risk their life for her.

“Well, be that as it may,” replied Eugene, “I cannot, I—I will not leave without her. At the very least ascertain her safety.” He spoke with such passion, such pain in his voice, that your heart ached for him. You knew how he felt. When your beloved was taken by the Saviors, you desperately wanted to rescue him, to know he was safe. To this day, you were sure that if Daryl hadn’t miraculously returned that night, you would’ve died trying to save him. You were grateful that you hadn’t, otherwise you wouldn’t have had all this time you had with him since, but when someone you love is in danger, you must at least try, and you did.

“We’ll find her,” you said, and as you spoke, you felt Daryl’s eyes narrowed at you. He could be pissed at you all he wanted, but you weren’t about to let Eugene lose another person he loved. Even if Beverly and him had separated before she died, you knew that they both would always love each other. Besides, when you saw the worry in Eugene’s face, you saw the same worry in Daryl’s whenever your life was in danger. Your empathy was too strong to let that go. “At least we’ll try. I’ll try.”

“Nah, no way,” Daryl quickly added. “You ain’t goin’ anywhere. You just had a baby for Christ’s sake.”

You tilted your head at him in protest, but he did have a point. You weren’t quite physically ready to be running around the Commonwealth. You had Westley just the other day, though it seemed ages ago now.

“Okay,” said Rosita. “Eugene, you stay here, I will go look for Max. If I can find her, maybe we can get both of you out. Is that a deal?”

Eugene sighed in relief, and nodded. “Deal.”

You were relieved, too. Though you wanted to help, it was best that you stayed behind. Daryl handed Rosita a knife, and you hugged her before she left. “Be safe,” you whispered over her shoulder.

“You too,” she said, and as she headed towards the door, Pamela Milton’s voice could be heard from outside, on the PA system. It had been on a loop, going off every hour, on the hour. This time, though, it felt particularly ominous.

“Attention, my fellow citizens,” it said. “The perpetrators of these horrific events cannot be allowed to go unpunished.” You and Daryl looked at each other, then both of you looked to Eugene. “Anyone providing information on the whereabouts of these individuals will receive a generous reward, while any persons found aiding and abetting these fugitives will share their fate—that of swift and final justice.”

When the shade of night swallowed the city, you found yourself sitting on the front pew, head in your hands as you thought of the next move. Rosita hadn’t been back yet, and there was no sign of Max, either. Daryl wouldn’t let you leave the church, planning on going back to get the kids when the time was right. In truth, you were worried about them, especially Westley. He had plenty of bottled breastmilk for Carol to feed him, and plenty of formula, too, but that was your baby, and he was only a few days old. You should’ve been with him.

In the corner of the room, Daryl was lighting the last of the candles with his old silver lighter. You lifted your head for a moment just to watch his hand cup the light, and the orange-red coloring of his palm reflected off the flame.

“You should sleep,” he said, turning to face you. “I can keep watch all night. There’s some blankets in the back. I’ll get ‘em for ya.”

“No,” you said. “I want to stay awake, just in case. Have to be ready to go.”

Daryl huffed as he sat beside you, leaning back on the pew. The stained glass of the windows caught the flickering light of the candles, illuminating its vibrant colors despite the darkness of the surrounding night. He studied your profile, framed by one of those windows. The fuzziness of the outline of your hair combined with the stained glass and the glow of the candlelight to create an almost halo-like effect. Moments like this reminded him of the reason why he called you “angel.”

And yet, you were stubborn. He hardly had room to judge, since he was even worse than you in that department, but your stubbornness could drive him crazy. He wanted you to just sleep, instead of incessantly worrying as you had been since Rosita left. He knew you wanted to go out after her, and to check on the kids, but that would only happen over his dead body.

“You ain’t leavin’ this church without me,” he said. “You know that, right?”

“I know, Daryl.”

There was silence between you for a little while then, but more than ten years together made the silence natural. In fact, everything between the two of you seemed natural, always. There wasn’t much that could make you feel uncomfortable around each other. Eugene was somewhere in the back room, and Daryl was grateful for that. He was grateful for any amount of time he had to be alone with you, even while outside, an entire army was looking for you.

“Kids are safe,” he finally said, breaking the silence. “I know you’re thinkin’ about ‘em.”

Of course he did. Daryl knew the exact pattern of your heartbeat, especially since his beat to the same rhythm.

“I am,” you confirmed. “Mostly Westley…” Your voice broke a little, thinking about your baby, so helpless and confused in a strange new world he couldn’t even comprehend. “I should be with him.”

Daryl’s hand overlapped yours, squeezing it tight. The warmth of his touch climbed up your arm and into your chest, where your heart swelled at the feeling. His other arm wrapped around your back, coercing you to his side, where you rested your head upon his shoulder. Your free hand naturally clung to his vest as you let a few tears absorb into his shirt. You were choking up just a little, but you wouldn’t let yourself break out into a full on cry. Strength could not escape you now. You needed to be brave, though as Daryl’s hand rubbed up and down your back, you wanted to be weak, to crumble as he held you. It would be so easy to. Daryl would never judge you, never ridicule you for your emotions. In fact, he admired them, how much you felt. Of course, it hurt him, too. Every tear you cried was another crack in his armor, making him more vulnerable to his own emotions. That was secondary, though. What mattered to him most was chasing those tears away.

“He’s gonna be all right,” he said. “Soon as we can, we’ll get him and the kids and everyone else outta here… It’ll all seem like some kinda weird dream.”

You huffed against his shoulder. “What if… not all of us make it out?”

Those words caused him to hold you tighter. He’d been thinking about that. He just refused to believe it could even happen, though he knew it could. There was a high chance of every plan he had, every contingency he’d thought of, every scenario he’d worked out in his head for the last few hours, going awry. Hell, it was already going awry, with Rosita out looking for Max. There was rarely certainty in this world, but just for once, he wished something would be predictable.

At least you were predictable. You were something he could understand, something he considered certain. If he could at least control what happens to you, your safety, then he’d be content. And yet, he couldn’t fully predict that, either. With you here now, you were more at risk than ever. Now, you were an accessory to Eugene’s crime, along with Daryl and Rosita. At least he could hold you now, and feel just a little bit of comfort in the midst of this predicament he found himself in.

To him, you were absolute, a promise as sure as the sun rising in the morning, bringing hope back to a grim world. That was one thing he could always be sure of, at least he tried to.

“Ain’t no use in thinkin’ about that,” he replied. “What’s important is what’s goin’ on right now. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it, like we always do. You and me, together.”

His uncharacteristic positivity surprised you, as it always did when he said such things. “We always end up running, huh? Running from something.”

“Runnin’s just a part of fighting,” he said. “Sometimes ya gotta run so you can fight, ya know?”

That damn man, always saying something so simple yet so profound. Wisdom was something that came naturally to Daryl. In another life, you swore he would’ve made a great philosopher. Well, at least to you. Then again, you didn’t know much about philosophy.

“Yeah…” You sniffled back a few tears, lifting your head to meet his gaze. The corner of his lip curved upwards just a tiny, almost unnoticeable amount. Seeing your face would always somehow make him react. After all these years, you still bewitched him, mind, body, and soul. “And running isn’t so bad when you’re with me. Fighting is even better.”

“Yeah, it ain’t so bad… Just gotta get through tonight.”

You lowered your head. “Helping Eugene will cost us,” you said. “I know he’s family, and I wouldn’t ever abandon him, but I’m scared that… things are going to get worse before they get better.”

He pressed his forehead against yours, nuzzling you. “We’re in this mess together,” he said. “Eugene did a good thing, exposing that asshole. Maybe now more people will follow. We ain’t alone.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, still slightly skeptical of his optimism. “Are you feeling okay, sweetheart?”

“Yeah, why?”

You swept away some unruly strands of hair to hold the back of your hand to his forehead. “Hm… You feel fine, but what have you done with my Daryl?”

He scoffed. “I just don’t want ya to lose hope. You keep me goin’, ya know. Ain’t no use in doin’ somethin’ if the most important person in the world don’t believe in it.”

“Me? I’m the most important person in the world?”

He tilted his head, and you knew you were in for some sarcastic teasing. “Nah, Eugene. Course it’s you, crazy woman. Who else would it be?”

“Oh.” You laughed just a little, and for a brief moment, you forgot just where you were, what was happening outside. It didn’t matter, really. How could you think of anything besides him, that man who cared so deeply for you that his entire being was devoted to making you happy?

A smile went a long way, because as soon as your lips curled ever so slightly, he smiled, too.

“How are you feelin’, anyway?” He gently touched your stomach, where your former baby bump had “deflated” quite a bit.

Not great. You were still bleeding a little, you had periodic afterpains, your breasts were engorged and sore, and you just felt much more emotionally fragile than usual, which was saying something. Essentially, you felt as though you were having the worst menstrual period of your life. Still, you couldn’t complain too much. There were so many things that could have gone wrong with the birth, both Westley’s and Robin’s, and yet all you had to deal with were the basic postpartum symptoms, and both your babies had been healthy. You only had one thing to say: “I am never giving birth again.”

“Yeah,” agreed Daryl. “Two is good… We got a little girl and a little boy. That’s perfect. You didn’t tell me how you’re feelin’.”

“I feel like I just gave birth, Daryl.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“No,” you replied. “Just have to go through it, I guess.”

Daryl knew you well enough to know your insecurity with being perceived as “weak.” Sometimes it kept you from admitting to your pain, or made you underestimate how much you were hurting.

“You don’t gotta go through it alone,” he replied. “I’m here… Let me take care of you.”

Your lips formed into a soft smile. “Honeybear,” you laughed under your breath. “I’m the least of your worries.” You took his hand in yours, bringing it to your lips to bestow a kiss on the back of it. “Eugene is your priority.”

“Pfft,” he scoffed. “I’d sooner be responsible for my wife. Least she’s pretty.”

Rolling your eyes, you kissed his cheek. A reward for his flattery. “I know you don’t think finding Max is as important as getting out of here, but Eugene loves her. What if it was me in her position, hm?”

“I’d be out there myself lookin’ for you. Wouldn’t leave till I found you.”

“And that’s how Eugene feels about Max.” Well, Eugene had, up until this point, not tried to go out looking for Max himself, but just before you could say anything else, you heard the sound of a window opening. It came from the back room, and you stood up quickly, while Daryl took the lead, finding Eugene poking his head out the open window, looking around.

“Tryin’ to get yourself caught?” asked Daryl, a hint of a threat in his gruff voice.

Eugene promptly closed the window, then stepped back, looking between the two of you. “I was merely peepin’ at trooper activity levels so as to allow my assistance in Rosita’s search for Max.” He began to make his way towards you and Daryl, but his destination was the door. “Tired of standin’ on the proverbial sidelines.”

Daryl stepped forward, placing himself in front of Eugene. He was calm, as usual, but Eugene’s face contorted in an attempt to look threatening as he looked Daryl up and down. It was quite amusing to you, seeing Daryl and Eugene face to face like this for the first time. The two hardly ever had interactions, since Daryl found Eugene to be a bit annoying. Good natured, but annoying, nevertheless. Kind of like a weird cousin.

“You’d be wise to step aside, hoss,” said Eugene. His head inched a little closer, swaying side to side as he spoke again. “No need for this to get ugly.”

Trying to remain serious, you strained your face, keeping a laugh in the back of your throat. Eugene might’ve been technically larger than Daryl, both in height and weight, but he lacked any brawling experience, which Daryl had in spades. Not only that, but you knew that Daryl would never fight Eugene, especially not now. Still, it was, for lack of a better word, rather cute how passionate Eugene was about rescuing his girlfriend.

For his part, Daryl remained silent, and you wondered if he, too, was trying to hold back a laugh at the idea of fighting Eugene.

“Very well,” said Eugene, stepping back as he rolled up his sleeves. “(Y/N),” he said, still eyeing Daryl, “I sincerely apologize in advance for any bodily injury I might inflict upon your husband in the process of physical altercation, mano a mano. I suggest you avert your eyes.”

He cracked his neck and balled up his fists, holding them in a fighting stance. Meanwhile, Daryl stood perfectly still, just watching him. After several moments, his body swayed and he moved back, extending his arm towards the door. “Go ahead,” he said, voice low and calm.

Eugene looked confused, but slightly relieved, as he slowly lowered his hands. He walked past you and Daryl, but stopped before he could make it out into the main hall of the church. “You’re not trying to stop me,” he said.

A few beats of silence passed until Daryl responded. “You ain’t goin’.”

Eugene lowered his head as he moved back into the room, sitting himself down on a bench. “Because I’m a coward,” he said.

“No,” answered Daryl, and you were proud of him. “It’s because you’re smart.”

“I’m a liability,” he replied. “Always have been.”

“No, you’re not,” you said. “You’ve always been an asset to us, and a friend.”

He shook his head. “An asset? Relying on others to survive, counting on their courage due to a dearth of my own. Hell, the only way I bucked natural selection was my penchant for prevarication.” You were both silent, and you weren’t going to be the first to admit that you were unfamiliar with that terminology, though based on his track record, you assumed it meant lying. “Means lying,” Eugene added, confirming your suspicion.

Daryl bobbed his head. “I figured.”

“Yeah, well, I’m ashamed to say it’s my only discernible skill.”

Your heart broke a little for him, so you passed by Daryl to sit yourself down next to him, gently touching his shoulder. “That’s not true,” you said softly, minding his delicate state.

More silence settled in, and your words didn’t seem to soothe him. “Do you think people are born brave?” he asked. “Or do they become it?”

Daryl stood silent, then walked past Eugene, patting his back as he said, “Both.”

When Daryl left the room, Eugene looked at you, his countenance much more serious than you’d ever seen it, and Eugene always looked quite serious. “(Y/N),” he said. “Now that Daryl is gone, may I ask you something?”

You offered him a small smile of encouragement. “Of course, and you know, there isn’t anything you can’t tell me in front of Daryl.”

“I know, it’s just… Well, he ain’t exactly someone I imagine would be particularly forthcoming in discussing matters of romantic love.”

You huffed a small laugh. It was always a little strange to you how people could perceive Daryl, the sweetest, most sentimental and romantic person you knew, as a stoic, unfeeling man, but then again, you saw a different side to him. You always did.

“He’s a lot more romantic than he appears,” you said. “But go ahead. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Eugene swiveled in his seat to face you directly. He always had such strange little mannerisms, but you found them rather endearing. “I’m not leavin’ here without Maxine,” he said. “I can’t, I won’t. She means too much to me. I suppose what I was going to inquire was… do you think I should turn myself in?”

Your eyes widened. It was the last thing you predicted that Eugene would ask you. “Eugene,” you began, “I… I’m not sure I can help you make that decision.”

On one hand, you would be quick to say “no,” but on the other, you didn’t want to sway his decision either way. Perhaps it was what he wanted, so you asked him.

“What do you want to do?” you said.

He swallowed hard, averting his gaze as he thought on the question. “Well, from my preliminary meditations on the matter, I wholeheartedly believe that… the best thing for everyone would be to walk right into the cold arms of the law and profess my guilt to the crime I so foolishly committed.”

“Why do you think that would be the best thing?” you asked, trying to make him think harder before he came to any conclusion.

“If I turn myself in, confess to everything myself, say I acted alone, Max’s name will be cleared. If I leave without her, she’ll face execution. I’d be throwin’ her to the wolves, as it were.”

There was a lot to think about there. You were silent for a while, trying to think of what to say to him. Now you knew why Eugene wouldn’t discuss this in front of Daryl, who would’ve been less understanding. Of course, Daryl would turn himself in in a heartbeat if it meant saving you, but Daryl’s prerogative was protecting his own, and Eugene was, as Mercer had pointed out to you, one of his own.

“I think… I think you should think about this. A lot. I mean, Rosita hasn’t come back yet. Maybe she’s found Max. They could be here any minute. You should wait. We can get you both out of here, Eugene. We will. No one wants you or Max to be punished for doing the right thing, and you did do the right thing. A brave thing.”

Tears seemed to well up a bit in his eyes as his lips quivered into a sad smile. You wondered if anyone had ever told him that he’d done a brave thing.

“I’ve done the math in my head,” he said. “The probability of Rosita returning with Maxine is unlikely, and if, in the worst and much more likely case scenario, Max has already been captured, it’s all the more reason to save her by sacrificing myself.”

“N-no. Eugene, just think about this.”

“(Y/N)... Do you ever think about Beverly?”

You were taken aback, but you nodded. You thought about her often, almost everyday. There was so much you’d wanted to say to her before she died, but such an opportunity to do so is a rare luxury in this world. There were so many deaths that had struck suddenly and without the chance for closure.

“Yes, of course I do.”

“I know what she would want me to do, and she’d tell me that love is the last thing we’ve got, and that I should hold onto it as long as I can. This is how I hold onto it.”

It was the clearest thing you’d ever heard Eugene say. It wasn’t muddied with his extensively verbose vocabulary or any strange figures of speech that you failed to understand. He was speaking from his heart, not from his mind. Maybe that, for once, somehow made more sense.

“Eugene, Bev would be proud of whatever decision you make. She loved you, even after things ended. I know that you’ve been a hero in more ways than most people, and you don’t have to be a hero now, but I understand that you love Max, and if this is what you think you need to do for her, then I can’t stop you.”

With a single tear beginning to fall down his cheek, he lowered his head and sniffled. You always admired how sensitive Eugene was. It was rare for a man to cry as much as he did, and it was refreshing. Perhaps others would see it was a sign of weakness, but you saw it as quite the opposite. It takes strength to let yourself feel those kinds of emotions.

“See?” he said. “This is why I cannot freely express my innermost feelings in front of Daryl.”

“Oh, Eugene,” you sighed, taking his hand in yours. “Daryl is much more understanding than you think he is. Besides, he cries, too. There’s no shame in it. Strong men cry, and even stronger men would do anything for their love. I don’t know Maxine very well, but I know she’s very lucky to have a man like you.”

He raised his head, looking at you through his tears. “Really?”

“Really. Now, you just think about this for a while. Don’t make any rash decisions before Rosita comes back. She cares about you, too. We all do.” You stood up to bend over and peck his forehead with your lips. Eugene might’ve been older than you, but you sometimes saw him as a little brother, just because he could be so fragile. “I think I’m going to sleep now. You should, too. Daryl will be on watch.”

You crossed the room to return to the main church hall, but you turned back to face Eugene when he called out to you one last time.

“(Y/N)?”

“Yeah?”

He struggled for a moment to articulate himself, but he finally stuttered, “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Sleep settled in for only a handful of restless hours, but it was enough to get you going again in the morning, eager to see your children. Rosita returned at dawn, but she was alone, and she had grim news: Max had been taken into police custody, and you knew from last night’s conversation that Eugene had no choice but to turn himself in and try to clear Max’s name.

That was out of your hands now, so you left Rosita and Eugene in the church, while you and Daryl went to Carol’s to reunite with the children.

There were still more preparations to be made if your family was to escape, and Daryl was itching to get you and the kids out, with or without Eugene.

“Shift’s about to change,” he told you that morning, now packing the last of the emergency supplies into his backpack. You had made it back to your apartment from Carol’s unnoticed, but with the six of you and Dog, it drew a lot of attention.

“We should probably split up,” you said, quickly changing Westley’s diaper as he squirmed on his changing table. “Too many of us all together, with all our stuff… It might look suspicious.”

Daryl nodded, though the last thing he wanted was to split up the family. It seemed dangerous, especially considering that now the Commonwealth Army was seemingly not going to let any of your people leave before Eugene turned himself in, and even then, you didn’t trust them enough to wait and see.

“All right, you meet me and the others by the east gate. There’s that warehouse, the one where Aaron got that wagon. No guards. You meet me behind that building, you, Robin, and Wes. I’ll take Judith and RJ and Dog.”

“Right,” you said, buttoning up Westley’s green onesie. “You should leave first, and we should take different routes. I’ll go through the square, you go the back way. My route is quicker, that way we should meet around the same time.”

“All right.” He anxiously rubbed his thighs, wiping the sweat from his palms.

“Daryl, (Y/N),” said RJ, peeking in from the other side of the door. “Are we going?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Get Dog’s leash on. I’ll be right out.”

When he closed the door, Daryl crossed over to you, hugging you tight as he kissed your lips. Your hands found their usual favorite spot on his shoulders, while his clung tight to your waist.

“I love you,” he said against your lips. “Be careful.”

“I will. I promise… And I love you, too. Very, very much.”

Your lips formed into an unavoidable frown, though you tried so hard not to show it. His hand lifted your chin, and you tried to look happier, but you couldn’t. “It’ll be over soon,” he said, only half believing his words. If faking it was what it took to make you believe it could happen, then he’d do what he had to do. Besides, a part of him did believe it. He had to. “We’re goin’ home. I promise, everythin’ is gonna be okay, angel.”

Well, now that he called you “angel,” you had to smile. Just a little.

“Okay,” you said with a nod, trying to reassure yourself. “Okay, you’re right. You’re always right. Always.”

“Nah, just when you need me to be.”

With tender goodbyes to his children, and one last kiss for you, he walked out the door with Judith, RJ, and Dog. Now, you were alone with Robin and the baby, waiting for the right time to leave.

You eyed your wristwatch like a hawk, with Westley sleeping soundly in the sling strapped across your chest. Robin tapped her feet nervously, looking over your shoulder, until it was time.

As quietly as possible, you shut the front door and made your way down the hall, each step more shaky than the last. Something didn’t feel right. It felt like you were walking into danger, even though you were barely ten yards from your apartment.

Robin must’ve felt the same, as she gripped your hand tightly, the other wrapped so hard around the strap of her backpack that it would surely be imprinted with the shape of her fingers.

“Mommy,” she whispered. “I’m scared.”

You squeezed her hand, then held your finger to your mouth as you looked down at her. “Shh...”

Turning the corner, your eyes widened to see two unfamiliar men in dark, discrete clothing walking swiftly towards you. Initially, you figured they were just two regular citizens you happened to not recognize, but when one of them grabbed your upper arm, it was too late to realize who they really must’ve been.

You reacted swiftly, though, yanking yourself free and twisting the man’s arm back until he let out a pained scream. Only letting go of Robin for a moment, you kneed him in the groin, sending him curling on the floor, but when you turned back to grab her, she was squirming in the arms of the other man.

Rage took over, and you couldn’t hear Westley’s crying over the incessant beating of your terrified heart. “Don’t hurt her!” you said, but your actions defied your pleading words. You lunged at the man, holding Westley steady as you elbowed his throat as hard as you could. You were never the best at hand-to-hand combat, but all that training Daryl had spent on you over the years must’ve been worth something.

Robin helped, too, biting the man’s hand that refused to let go of her. You pulled her back, but the man you’d knocked to the floor was up again, and he grabbed you from behind, this time with a much stronger hold.

The other man snatched up Robin like a ragdoll, now carrying her over his shoulder. “Let her go!” you bellowed. “Leave her alone!”

The man behind you covered your mouth with his hand, as the other quickly procured two burlap sacks from his coat pockets. One went over yours, the other over Robin’s. Westley didn’t need one, but he was quickly yanked from the wrap on your chest, and all you could hear was Westley’s cries and Robin’s voice screaming for you until they both became distant. You realized they’d been separated from you, and as hard as you tried to free yourself from the man’s arms, you were too weak.

You cried out every curse you could think of, every variant on “bastard” and “son of a bitch” and “go to Hell” until your throat felt scratchy and your voice faltered. Without any clue of where you were being taken to, you finally began to weep. All you knew was that you were sitting down, hands tied behind your back, and surrounded in darkness.

Thanks for reading! Likes, comments, and reblogs of any kind are always appreciated!

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renaiswriting · 10 months

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Sip of love (part 4)

Pairing: Choi Seungcheol/ Reader

Summary: Despite the fact that your family business was running a magic teahouse with tea that was able to make your deepest and most impossible wish come true, you never thought you would find love on a random Wednesday.

Warnings: Mentions of having issues with money.

Word count: 2.4k

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•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Seungcheol: Is this jacket alright?

Seungcheol: Or do I look like I'm going to church?

Seungcheol has been texting you for fashion advice and tips for his date. When you agreed to give him your number, you never thought you were going to stay until past midnight to talk about fishing with him.

But you kind of preferred that to texting about his date.

They had been going on dates for the last week. They have gone to almost all the ideal dates in the town. They had a picnic at the park, went to see the stars at night on the beach, went on walks in the forest, etc.And they were all your ideas that you were providing Seungcheol to help him succeed on his dates.

"(y/n), stop using that phone and go to table two; they have been waiting forever now." Your father nags at you.

This has been the fourth time your father has needed to stop doing what he was doing to remind you to do your job. If you were still thirteen years old, your phone would have been locked down at this point.

If he needed to go out of his way to tell you once again to do your job properly, you would most likely be kicked out of your house.

Well, that was an exaggeration of what would happen, but still. You would be in lots of trouble.

"Sorry, sorry." You apologized, rushing to the table your father had indicated.

By the time you were back with the order, you had received another three texts from Seungcheol.

Seungcheol: What do you think?

Seungcheol: [picture attached]

The first picture was a mirror image of his outfit; he was wearing a white plain shirt, a blue jean jacket, and black jeans. His shoulders looked so wide in that outfit.

The second one was a selfie. You almost dropped the glass of water you were about to drink. His black hair was slightly curly, falling right above his eyes. His lips were pushing into a cool pout, and one of his eyes was closed, winking.

His lips were definitely redder than usual. And from this angle, they looked fuller. Even though his lips were naturally full.

"Are you even listening to me right now?" Your mother's voice brought you back to your surroundings. She had his hands on his hips, looking at you annoyed. "I've been talking to you for the past five minutes, and you have done anything that I told you to do. I literally went to the front, talked to your dad, went to the toilet, welcomed some customers, and came back, and you haven't made the tea that I told you! It literally takes two minutes at most. What is going on with you today?"

You blocked your phone, deciding that it would be best to just continue your conversation with Seungcheol later. His date wasn't set for another two hours, and you surely would have had a break before that happened.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where my mind is today. What tea do you need me to make?"

"I'll make it myself; you go and welcome the new customers; your father will be back in a couple of minutes; he had to go and help Old Grumps with his car.

Old Grumps was the town's old doctor. He was reaching his nineties, and the poor man could barely walk without his back crying for help.

He had saved your father's dad's life more than once until his life came to an end because of his old age. Old Grumps did help your grandma with food or medicines once she was a widow.

The screen of your phone lit up with a new text from Seungcheol.

"And this stays here." Your mother indicated that she was taking your phone and hiding it in your pockets. "I'll give it back once your shift ends." She silenced your protests, taking you from your shoulders and turning your body in the direction of the door.

"Alright, alright, I got it."

You loved being there; you really do. But sometimes, having to constantly deal with people just drains you of all your energies.

By the time you had served your eleventh tea, you were about to cry.

You would pay whatever you had to pay if that meant being alone for two minutes.

And the worst part was that if your dad didn't come back in the next seven minutes, you would be unable to use your break.

In a way, you felt like you kind of deserved it. Ever since you had accepted helping Seungcheol with that fishing lesson, it had become a weekly activity for the two of you, and more times than not, you found yourself in the middle of the lake with Seungcheol than in the teahouse.

Your father wasn't saying anything directly to your face, but he was always kind of teasing you.

After all, you liked to go on the lake or go fishing here and there, but never in your life had it been this constant.

"Thank you for coming to our teahouse. Have a nice day." You forced a smile to hide how exhausted you were feeling.

The doorbell rang, and you didn't do a good job hiding your frustrated sigh.

"One says you are the best teahouse in the town, and suddenly they welcome you like this."

"Fuck off." You greeted Seungcheol, moving behind the cash machine, when you saw a family of four coming your way to pay for their tea. "What are you doing here?"

Seungcheol shrugged, taking a seat in front of you. "I was bored, so i thought to come and visit you. You would have known it if you checked your phone." He annoyed you. "But I guess you're working, so you're excused for now."

"As soon as my shift ends, I'll block you." You threatened him.

He rolled his eyes, laughing at you. He knew that was such an empty thread because, since the first text, you have been answering him within minutes.

"So? What do you think?" He asked you, raising his arms for you to check his outfit. In person, it looked way better than in the pictures.

"It looks nice." You nodded, getting closer to feel the jacket material. "It isn't really thick."

Seungcheol shook his head. "I'm counting on good and nice summer weather tonight, because otherwise you'll have to deal with a sick me tomorrow."

"You'll scare all the fish away with your sneezes!" You protested. "Just go and change your jacket before your date; you still have time, don't you?"

"But this is the one that looks good with the rest of my outfit. You helped me choose it; you can't tell me it doesn't look nice now."

"Fine, get sick or whatever. I don't care."

Seungcheol pouted, taking one of the candies from the bowl next to the cash machine.

"Where are you guys going anyway?"

"She proposed to go to a restaurant, but I checked the menu online and, "Seungcheol titled his head, "the prices are quite..."

"Oh, I know exactly which one you're talking about. I think I only went there once, and I've lived here my whole life."

"Is the food worth my monthly salary?"

"I can't remember; I think I was like seven when I went there. Probably not, though."

"These dates will leave me in bankruptcy." Seungcheol cried. "Like, she's fun and all that, but I don't think I'll be able to continue them if I want to pay rent."

You frowned. "Then why don't you tell her that you can't pay for it?"

"Haven't you seen the car she drives? It's clear she comes from a wealthy family. Those prices are probably nothing for her."

"Then why don't you ask her to pay? I mean, if it is seriously not that much for her and she is enjoying spending time with you, then why would she have a problem paying for a date? Who paid for the last one?"

"I did," Seungcheol replied.

"Alright, and what about the date before that one?"

"Me." Seungcheol mumbled.

"And the one before that one?" You asked, guessing the answer.

"i did."

"Seungcheol!" You hissed at him. "Dude, you have gone on more dates in a year than I have in my whole life. Give your wallet a rest."

"We haven't gone on that many dates." He defended himself behind his hands, as he was currently hiding his face behind them. His voice was muffled, but you could still hear the cry for help coming from your friend's soul and wallet.

"Still." You insisted. "You have three options: you tell her you can't go unless she pays, you propose another date instead of that restaurant, or you cancel the date."

"Or I can go, and then you can let me live out of tea for the rest of the month." He pleaded.

"I'm not giving you free tea for that long!" You complained.

"So you'll let me starve to death then?"

"Who's going to starve you to death?" A deep voice asked behind Seungcheol. Your father was carrying a brown bag with what seemed to be food inside. Your stomach growled at the sight of your favorite chocolate cookies. "Old Grumps gave me these." He commented, dropping the bag on one of the chairs behind the cash machine.

"Seungcheol is choosing to starve himself because of a girl and wants me to pay for it." You protested, beating Seungcheol and telling your dad what was happening.

"That's not true!"

"It is, though." You picked your tongue at him. "Can you tell Seungcheol a date will never be worth starving, please?" You asked your dad.

"Where is this date?" Your dad asked, amused.

"It's at the Lockhearts' restaurant." You replied when Seungcheol looked at you, all lost and confused.

Your father whistled surprised. "Good luck; I hope you can find a bug in your plate so you can eat without having to pay."

Seungcheol let his head hit the wooden table, crying. "I'm screwed, aren't I?"

"Just tell her you can't pay that." You rolled your eyes. "She has to understand that not everybody can pay a four-digit price for a salad."

"I can't! She won't accept going out with me again if I tell her that."

"Seungcheol, how do you plan that future relationship to go if you can tell her something as simple as that?"

"Why don't you tell her to come here instead?" Your father asked, "And don't worry, the tea is in the house."

"Should I tell her to cancel the reservation, then?" Seungcheol asked, unsure.

"Why don't you tell her here? Tell her your situation, and if she understands, then you both can proceed with the date at the restaurant." You proposed.

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then you both don't go."

"You suck at comforting people." Seungcheol pouted but took his phone from his jacket nonetheless, typing on it and checking it for another five minutes before sending it.

•°•

Seungcheol's back was straight against the wall behind him. He was holding the mug like he was holding on for dear life.

His ears were pink, going on red, and he was chuckling at every single word the woman in front of him said.

If you had to describe the scene in front of you, the only word to describe everything at once would probably be pathetic.

You wanted to yell at Seungcheol to stand up because he was like a lost puppy.

Seungcheol picked up the mug and took another sip. You have been counting, and this is his fourth time in just two minutes.

Was this how their dates always went?

The woman has been talking nonstop, and you haven't even seen Seungcheol open his mouth to say anything that wasn't about laughing or drinking tea.

You didn't get it.

The tea was supposedly to give him good luck with love, but this didn't seem like the big love Seungcheol was supposed to experience.

Were the teas not working?

That was impossible.

They always worked.

You kept receiving updates on the people who went to your family's teahouse. So, the teas were working for everybody.

So why was Seungcheol an exception?

"How's the date going?" Your father asked you, coming back from the kitchen.

"Awful." You replied shortly; you were still watching them.

"Really? Seungcheol seems to be having a good time."

"He looks like he's two seconds away from peeing himself."

Your father laughed loudly at this, gaining attention from Seungcheol, who sent them a look that screamed, "Help me."

Your father gave him a thumbs up, and you mouthed, "Say something."

Almost instantly, you saw Seungcheol telling her something.

"That's how it is sometimes." Your father shook his head, a smile still on his face.

"Does he look like he is, you know?" You pointed at them with your chin. "It looks more like a monologue than a date."

"Well, if he is alright with that, then..."

"But that's not how the tea works!" You protested. "He is supposed to find his true love, isn't it? Then why is he?"

"The tea you gave him is for him to find his perfect match, and who knows? Maybe this is what Seungcheol looks for in a relationship." Your father shrugged. Going to attend the other couple that was leaving. Officially, Seungcheol and the woman were the last customers in the teahouse.

"I almost forgot to tell you, Old Grumps invited us for dinner tonight, so once Seungcheol finishes his date, we close and go to his house."

You nodded, your eyes still fixed on the date happening in front of you.

You could still see Seungcheol's sweaty hands moving from the mug to the chocolate cake they were sharing and back to the mug.

"I think they need a refill of that tea," you mumbled to your father.

Seungcheol's eyes captured your body's movement before you reached their table.

"May I refill your tea?" You asked in what you hoped was a warm voice. Seungcheol raised his eyebrows. He had been at this point over twenty times at the teahouse, and you had not even once offered a refill.

His eyes went to the woman sitting in front of him, silently asking what she wanted to do.

"I think we're fine." The woman replied to you. "We should get going to that restaurant soon or we will lose our reservation."

"Oh yeah, about that, I um--" Seungcheol started. His eyes glanced at you for a microsecond, and you couldn't understand if he was asking for your help or if he wanted you to leave them alone.

"Could you give us a moment?" The woman asked you.

"Sure, if you need anything, let me know."

Your father gave you a know-it-all look when you went back to stand right next to him.

You still tried to pick up what Seungcheol was saying and what the woman replied to him, but they weren't speaking loud enough.

However, you did hear the chair moving and the woman walking towards the door.

"The tea was delicious; thank you. Goodnight." She spoke to your father and you before closing the door and leaving the place.

Seungcheol stood up, sighing, and walked to the two of you.

"So how did it go?" Your father asked, bringing the plate with fresh chocolate chip cookies to him.

"Not that good, but she did mention another date someday, so I guess it wasn't that bad after all."

"Let her think about it; maybe you gave him a lot to process. Give her some days to think before texting her." Your father advised him. He gave him a pat on the shoulder, seeing how disappointed Seungcheol looked. "Tell you what, you will be coming with us tonight to an old family friend's house for dinner. How does that sound?

Seungcheol's eyes shifted to you.

"Old Grumps' have the best pasta in the whole world, so unless you're busy tonight..."

"I'm not," he replied. "Pasta sounds perfect."

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pvccblog · 10 months

Text

MISSION MINDED MONDAY

Work work work work work! The tide has shifted and we were busy all day long and it was great! We set up at the park for tomorrow's 4th of July event at Cottonwood Park. There were several volunteers there to help and everyone was willing to step in wherever and whenever!

We will be manning carnival style game booths, inflatables, and a prize booth where kids can redeem game tickets for various prizes. It is a crazy day but it is so evident that the community appreciates what we're doing here. Parents just continue to thank us over and over again as we're serving their kids. It's a great witness to the town.

We will also be passing out flyers for our events taking place after tomorrow - Sports Camp and BARF Nights! In case you haven't heard - BARF stands for Bring a Real Friend! These two events have been a major hits all of the years we've been here and we plan for it to be the same this time around.

After the setup, we took a few minutes break and then set up for a special volunteer dinner at the Olson's house. We have about 60 volunteers total this year, including our team of 27. It was great to meet people from other areas that came out this week to serve. We also got to reconnect with some from previous years. There are also several volunteers from the church here. We are the only mission team here this year in a large group, but there are a few families here to serve and some small groups coming out tomorrow from a couple churches north of here. We also got to see some guys from a previous team from Orange County, CA that have come for the past few years.

As you read this, I want to encourage you to do something. YES YOU! Please consider coming out here to serve sometime, maybe even next year with us! It has the potential to change your life and it will certainly impact other's lives!! We could always use more hands, and it really is an incredibly rewarding week. God is working mightily in this place!

After dinner, I went with Gary to finish up some odds and ends in preparation for tomorrow. As we drove around town, it was crazy! So many people were out, riding four-wheelers and dirt bikes, other ATVs or just big trucks with American flags. There were guys doing tricks in parking lots, people setting off fireworks all over town, loud music, and I'm sure plenty of other kinds of partying.

It is so strange to think that just ten years ago, this event didn't even occur here and the vast majority of people in the town would never have imagined things would be this way. This radical shift is good and in many ways difficult. It's great to witness the freedom and the fun and everyone getting along. It's also sad to see how extreme on the other side of the spectrum things have become here. It's gone from ultra religious to the ultra party scene. It is a very secular town and it is still in great need of the real Jesus. That is why we come. Tomorrow there will be so much talk of freedom but let us never forget - true freedom only comes through knowing Jesus!

Please say a prayer RIGHT NOW for what's going on here this week. Blessings to all of you and thanks again for reading!!

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7-wonders · 2 years

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Hey so I can’t remember if it’s ever been talked about, but how did mad love!Michael’s first meeting with his in-laws go? I’d imagine he’d be very nervous to meet readers family, and very worried they wouldn’t like him 🥺 obviously though they love him, and then he ends up getting teased by his wife because he was all worried for nothing lol

OKAY I started writing something like this last year where you brought him home for Christmas and that was the first time he met your family, but then I got covid and by the time I recovered it was just too far past the holiday season. So when you're reading this, keep in mind that this is why this snippet references Christmas.

Also, a part that I didn't get the chance but really want to write is Michael holding a baby for the first time when he meets your niece OR cousin (I haven't decided if I want to go kinda OOC and give you siblings, which is why I'm waffling back and forth)

ANYWAYS here's what I wrote during Christmas last year!

The plane flies high above the clouds, the light shining through to create a stunning painting for anybody lucky enough to have a window seat. Though you have a window seat, it’s impossible to focus on anything other than the ball of dread currently sitting in the pit of your stomach and has been since you realized you’re less than an hour away from your parents meeting Michael. Now, that’s all that you can think about.

“There’s no reason to be nervous,” you repeat yet again, squeezing Michael’s hand. “It’s gonna be fine!”

Michael looks at you from the seat next to you. You had insisted on flying home for the holidays, explaining to Michael that it would be near-impossible for you to come up with a good reason as to why you didn’t fly or drive home, and transmutation was not a good reason. So you booked two tickets for you and Michael, though Michael managed to change them to first class tickets when you had definitely purchased the economy tickets. Oh well, you weren’t complaining about the ample legroom. “I’m not nervous,” Michael reassures you.

You laugh incredulously. “But I am.”

“Y/n, it’s going to be okay. Parents love me!”

“...have you ever even met anybody who’s a parent?”

“My grandma, though she killed herself to get away from me. My mother, who tried to kill me. Oh, Ben Harmon! He told me he never wanted to see me again, though.”

The man in the row ahead turns around in concern, and you smile reassuringly at him. “He’s joking, don’t worry.” Your fellow traveler begrudgingly goes back to whatever he was doing, though you can tell by the way that he doesn’t turn the pages of his book that he’s trying to eavesdrop.

“Sorry,” Michael mutters in your ear.

“I’m sorry. I just really want this week to go well.”

“And it’s going to.”

“I know,” you sigh heavily.

Michael laughs, but you can hear the endearment behind it. “Besides, if it starts going south, I have a quick escape plan that’s guaranteed to work.”

You disembark the plane with the knowledge that Michael can transmute you both away if need be, though that doesn’t make you feel too much better considering the need for transmutation would mean that everything has gone horribly wrong. After grabbing your bags from baggage claim, you and Michael set out to find your parents. As you descend the escalator, you see them before they see you, and you break out into a grin. Even though you’re an adult now, your parents still have the ability to make any fear or anxiety disappear almost instantly.

Your mom notices you first–you can see the way her big eyes grow impossibly wider and how she starts to hit your dad’s arm so that he pulls his attention away from the arrivals and departures board. Despite being in a very crowded place and dragging your husband/boyfriend (you had both kind of decided to just be boyfriend and girlfriend, since you were only married in the eyes of the Church of Satan and not legally) behind you, you can feel your eyes pricking with tears. You haven’t seen them in months now, and just being in the same area as them is already making you a little emotional.

It’s a good thing Michael’s right next to you, because you almost throw the bags at him when you step off the escalator so you can sprint to your parents. Your arms go around them at the same time that they envelop you in their own arms. In a split second, you’re home.

“Hi,” you say against your mom’s shoulder, taking a moment to enjoy how familiar and comfortable her shirt smells.

“Hi, baby.” Your mom rubs your back before pulling away so that she can actually look at you. “We’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you guys too.” Your dad kisses the top of your head, making you look up in a grin as he pulls you into another hug. Your dad’s not a man who shows much emotion, so for him to initiate a hug is pretty big. “Hi, dad.”

He smiles at you before his eyes land over your shoulder. “Did you forget about–”

“Oh!” Maybe you did. Sheepishly, you turn around and gesture for Michael to come over. He had been standing back to let you have your moment with your parents, trying to look very interested in the people walking around and not like he’s out of place. “Mom, Dad, this is Michael Langdon. My boyfriend,” you tack on as an afterthought, even though they both already know that Michael’s your boyfriend.

Michael steps forward, a charming smile on his face, and shakes their hands. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you both. Thank you for being kind enough to host me in your home for Christmas.”

“Don’t be silly, we weren’t about to let you spend Christmas by yourself,” your mom says. Yet again, you had found yourself half-lying to someone about the circumstances of Michael’s life. You had only lied by omission though; your mom knew that Michael’s family had largely abandoned him and that he only had his dad, who was never around. Due to Michael’s upbringing “in the system”, he had never experienced Christmas. So not a lie, but you’re leaving a lot of stuff out.

“Still,” Michael says, “I greatly appreciate it.”

“Are we just going to stand here all day, or can we get going?” Your dad says gruffly. You sigh under your breath, knowing he’s going to be the hardest to crack this week.

“Yeah, lead the way,” you respond, grabbing your bag and Michael’s hand before following your parents to the parking lot.

“That went well,” Michael whispers in your ear.

You grimace. “...Sure.”

“You’re being a bit dramatic.”

“No, I’m simply prepared.”

Luckily for your anxious heart, your mom gets a work call the moment that you reach the car. Your dad isn’t very talkative, which means that you get to just breathe for a moment and point out different landmarks from your childhood to Michael, who splits his time between gazing out of the window and looking at you when you talk.

“That was my high school, which I thankfully have not been back to since the day I graduated.”

“You didn’t like high school?”

“Drama, strict schedules, and being a teenager in general? No, I didn’t really like it.”

Michael ponders that. “Hmm, our schooling experiences weren’t so different, then.”

“Really, the matching uniforms and bowties didn’t make everybody besties?”

“You’re never going to let me live down the picture I showed you of me in my school uniform.” It’s not a question–he knows the answer.

“Absolutely not.”

Somehow, the sight of the neighborhood where your family lives leaves Michael more awestruck than anything that he had seen today, and you realize that he probably hasn’t seen just a normal neighborhood before. After all, it’s impossible to ask the kids next door to come ride their bikes when;

You’re not allowed out of the house; and

The kids next door are dead

These streets, the houses all decorated with lights that will be twinkling as soon as dusk falls and smiling snowmen waving at passersby from some of the yards, are all things that Michael hasn’t experienced before. Michael has to tear himself away from the window to ask, “This is where you grew up?”

You nod. “Most of my friends’ families still live in the area too.”

Your dad pulls the car into the familiar driveway that you, yourself, have pulled into so many times before. Your family’s house is much smaller than the manor that you and Michael call home, and you almost feel a little embarrassed at the size before remembering that this is a different Michael from the one who looked over your apartment with disdain and told you that your taste in clothes could be so much better. This Michael almost has to be pushed along by you as you enter the house, so wrapped up in the domesticity of a home that an actual family lives in and makes their home is he.

Before you can get to your room to unpack, the telltale sound of claws scrabbling across the floor makes you grin. Michael looks up in alarm as the sound of barking gets closer, but you squeal when the golden retriever rounds the corner. “Bauer!”

“Bauer?” Michael repeats, watching you fall to your knees to embrace the dog.

“Oh my goodness, hello sweet boy,” you coo to the smiling dog, his tail wagging up a storm. “Did you miss me? I missed you!”

“You have a dog?” Michael asks.

You frown. “I’ve definitely shown you pictures of Bauer before.”

“I thought it was just a random dog, not yours.” Michael stares at Bauer apprehensively, as though he’s going to bite his hand the second you turn away.

“Michael, sweetheart,” your mom calls, and Michael’s eyes widen in what you’re worried is fear at the motherly tone in her voice, “he’s not going to hurt you.”

“I–I know.” He doesn’t know. In fact, you don’t think Michael’s ever actually interacted with a dog before.

“Bauer!” your dad calls before whistling for him, and Bauer goes running across the living room towards him. “Y/N, why don’t you show Michael to the guest room.” Your dad looks at Michael sharply. “Where he’ll be staying. In a different room than yours.”

“C’mon.” You grab Michael’s hand and walk with him down the hall. “This is my room,” you point to yours before moving your finger in the direction of the door next to yours, “and here’s the guest room. We’re right next to each other, don’t worry.”

Michael pulls you into the guest room, silently shutting the door behind you. “Your father definitely hates me.”

“Hmm, and here I thought I was being dramatic,” you remind Michael of his earlier words, and he grimaces. “Michael, Dad doesn’t hate you. He’s just trying to scare you by intimidating you. He did the exact same thing to my brother-in-law the first time he visited, too.”

Michael simply groans before dropping his head onto your shoulder, and you laugh while embracing him.

“And here I thought the Antichrist wasn’t scared of anything.”

#mad love musings #michael langdon #michael langdon imagine

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hopalongfairywren · 2 years

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Whumptober2022- Will they tell your story?

(This was requested by @p0psycle; c!Tommy healing. I kinda strayed from the original prompt, but never the less here you go.)

Their is an old man who likes to sit on an old bench, by the old church of Prime. He sighs as the aroma of blooming flowers and fresh earth fills the air, hanging in a low mist over the dew soaked grass.

If you see him on a morning like this one, you might notice he talks. A lot. Even without another person present, like now. He talks to the birds, the trees, the cows and the sky. If you come up to him, he will smile and make pleasant conversation. He will show you the Polaroid pictures of his family, of his garden, of his cow.

But not today. He is alone today, with his thoughts and memories.

Today he has decided to wake up before them, and head down to the graveyard by Church Prime. He smiles, his old and wrinkled face lined and dimpled.

He sighs, and tucks a wispy strand of snow-white hair back from his eyes. Today is a beautiful day after all, even if his eyesight was not what it used to be.

And then, the old man with white streaked silver hair stands up, and begins to talk.

"It's been a while innit? I haven't been feeling as well these past few weeks, but the doctor said these walks might be improving my health. I dunno if he's right, but I feel better." He says, rambling to nobody in particular.

He gets up stiffly, and crosses over to the graveyard. Dozens of headstones, ranging in size, appearance and date, scatter the plot of land. The man stops at one of the newer ones, it's soil still upturned. His gaze grows soft.

"I guess it's sort of poetic, in away. Now that you're gone, I'm all that's left here. Of the original server anyways." He paused thoughtfully. "Well Purpled, I'm sure you're getting plenty of money and glory where ever you are."

After he had become Admin, he decided to close off server invites for a while. He was glad he relaxed his - if he hadn't he wouldn't have met his wife.

But in a way it was also quietly heartbreaking to see everyone die or move on.

If you were listening to him, and you asked what he, Tommyinnit, the only living member of the Dream SMP still alive, had to show for it, he would have smiled brightly. Echos of his youth ghosting his grinning face.

"Well..."

But currently, he is by himself. It doesn't stop him from talking though.

He turns around to another, older tombstone. "Eret. Oh Eret. It's been nearly eight decades since we all-" He pauses, taking a breath. "Since we followed you to the Final Control Room. And twenty-two years since you've died." Tommy swallows, as memories flit through his mind. Softer and blurrier now with age, but painful all the same.

"I know I told you back then, but I forgive you. You were stupid, but we were all, stupid. And you really tried, to make amends, y'know. That was cool." Tommy smiles as a tear runs down his cheek. "I've taken over the mueseum now, it's so much bigger and fancier. You would have loved the room dedicated to the history of the Palace."

Bitter-sweetness flashes through Tommy's mind. He turns walks towards another row of headstones. "That isn't all. I wrote down everything, for everyone in L'manberg. He paused by one of the stones, straightening a flower vase left their.

"The good, the bad, the all of it. Jack, Niki, Fundy, Even Wilbur and Eret." One face Tommy would never forget flashed through Tommy's mind.

"Especially Wilbur. And I've told anyone who'd listen too about the fish-fucking. They all know. Hell, they even know you're bald, man!" Tommy finished adjusting the flower vase on Jack Manifold's grave, smiling. His smile fades as a more somber expression crosses his face.

"I raised money for the statue of Technoblade and Philza, at the center of the server portal hub." His heart aches at the memory.

"I spoke out against tyranny, all forms, across all sorts of servers. I wish I had done more." Tommy said, sighing. Another smile tugs at his lips as he makes his way down the row of tombstones.

"Ranboob, my man. You have two gravestones now, you mad-lad. The first death one, and the second death one! I can't say everything you did I was a fan of..." Tommy winced.

"But really, I miss you. Your journals too. I'm still trying to understand what kinda drugs you were on when you wrote in your diary." Tommy snickered. "Tubbo helped me. He's buried right next to you. I made sure of it." He bent down, wincing as his back protested, but smiling as he ran a wrinkled hand over the smooth marble of Tubbo's gravestone.

"The best fucking friend I could have asked for. And I mean it. You were their for me when I needed you, all the time. Love you, king." Tommy said, straightening back up.

He breathed deeply, enjoying the breeze as another thought came to him. "Oh!" He clapped his hands together, and made his way out of the graveyard, down the street to a large, brick building.

"I opened the first ever free-of-cost center for abused children and teens in any server, right here. It took a lot of work, and so much patience, but, thanks to this, no other kid around here will have to go through what I went through. I'll make sure of it." Tommy clenched his fist, as a now hazier image of a masked man came to mind.

Tommy paused to cough, frowning. "Huh. I guess early morning walks don't help with coughs." His vision begins to swim, and in his heart, Tommy knows. But he shakes his head, determination filling his veins.

"I hope it's helped, at least." Tommy sighed, as tiredness crept up on him. Despite the sun being fully up, he wasn't hungry for breakfast yet. So he crossed back over to the church once again, even as exhaustion made itself apparent .

"I've done a lot. Big man and all, but..." Tommy's breath grew hoarser and shorter, as the birds began to sing.

"...Have I done enough? For everyone?"

Tommy closed his eyes, and saw them. His friends, his family, all watching him, starlight glimmering off of their see-through bodies, smiles on their faces. A wave of peace washed over Tommy as he sank down onto the bench, feeling two starry bodies on either side of him.

Tommy kept his eyes shut as several tears began to drip down his face. "Oh I can't wait to see you all again..." He murmured, opening his eyes.

His view of the graveyard was getting foggy, as his vision swirled with bright light, and breaths left his throat in tiny wisps.

"It's only a matter of time." He whispered, closing his eyes once again.

#whumptober2022 #no.31 #comfort #fic #dsmp #c!tommy #past character death #refrenced child abuse #dying process #who lives who dies who tells your story

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astheskyisblue · 2 years

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Chapter One: Brielle's P.O.V.

Author's note: Hi! I'm Sky! This is the first chapter of my W.I.P. Of Sunflowers and Rose Thorns (working title) If you see this, maybe reblog or leave a comment or a note! It would mean a lot :3

___________________________________________

"Now Girls, remember don't let your makeup run and listen to your teachers! That means you, Aria! I don't want to start the year off with a call home, alright?" Aunt Meredith swung around in the car. "I mean it."

"Yes, ma'am." Aria mumbled, barely looking up from her phone. She'd been texting the entire drive.

"Don't mumble. You know how I hate mumbling. Confident young women never mumble, it shows weakness." Aunt Meredith always gave us valuable advice, she was full of it.

"Yes ma'am." Aria projected, straightening up.

Aunt Meredith smiled, "Good. Now, have a great first day at school! You're going to be high schoolers next year, I can't believe how fast you two are growing up."

I smiled and hugged her before getting out. "We will, I love you Aunt Mer! See you after school!"

She hugged me back, patting my cheek. "My gorgeous Brielle. I could not be more proud of you."

"Aww, Aunt Mer! You're going to make me cry!"

"Don't. You'll mess up your makeup."

I nodded, "Yes, auntie." I looked to the light and blinked the tears back.

"Do you have your lunch?"

I patted the back of my bag, "Yep! Securely attached! I think I hear the bell! I love you, Auntie." I waved and started sprinting off.

"Brielle! Wait for your sister!"

Aria got out of the car and I took it all in. The amount of students at my middle school never ceased to amaze me. It seemed to get bigger every year. So many people. So many new friends to make!

I couldn't wait until highschool! It was supposed to be even bigger. How many friends could I make there?

Ariel, my cousin, had started high school that day and I made a vow that I would ask her all about it on the way home.

"Aren't you excited?!" I squealed to Aria, who barely looked up from her phone. "We're eighth graders, Aria! The whole school is ours!"

Aria slid her phone into the side pocket of her black leather backpack and started walking faster. "Let's go get our schedules."

"Alright!" I chirped, "I'm so so so excited! Think of all the amazing things we can do this year! All the new things we get to learn!"

Aria yawned. "Brielle, please. You're shouting. It's nine in the morning. Most people don't run off liquid sunshine like you do." She bumped me with her shoulder.

"Sorry." I lowered my voice. I often didn't realize how loud I was until someone pointed it out. Then I noticed all of the eyes I'd drawn to us returning to their conversations.

"It's alright." She grabbed my hand. "But come on, the schedules should be in the office."

"Ellie!" John called out to me.

I beamed and shot my hand out to wave at him. "John! It's so good to see you!" I dropped Aria's hand and ran to hug him. He smelled like Old Spice and soap. John had blonde hair, a few shades darker than my golden and green eyes, a constantly glimmering emerald, so full of life.

That day, he was wearing a grey shirt and jeans. The shirt said 'Go Lions!' With a decal of a lion roaring printed on it. School pride, even on the first day. His passion was why I loved him. Hanging around his neck was a black cross necklace that he almost never took off.

"How are you? I haven't seen you since Bible camp!" The past few summers, I had gone with him for a two week religious retreat at the end of the July. Every Sunday I went with him and his parents to church as well as volunteering at least one Wednesday a month at the church's youth group. I loved those kids and they seemed to love me, except when I couldn't give them candy of course.

"I'm good, I've been really busy. Football camp, the food pantry, back to school shopping. I'm sorry that we haven't been able to call much."

"Oh! No, it's okay! I've been busy too. Cheer camp, pageants, I have one this weekend actually if you want to come. Plus, I could've seen you if I'd gone to church but Aunt Flow had other plans for me." God, did I really say that? "Anyways, I'm rambling. I do that a lot…"

John shook his head. "It's alright. I missed you, though."

I blushed, looking at the ground. "I missed you too."

Aria cleared her throat, breaking through the buzzing excitement the air around us seemed to be filled with. I had almost forgotten that she'd been there. John made me feel like I was in a world all our own. "Let's go get our schedules."

Before Aria could corral me away, John asked me, "Oh one more thing! My mom's been asking about you. Can you come over after school tonight, maybe stay for dinner?"

"Sure! Let me just check with my aunt!"

"Bye, John." Aria called, walking away without a response.

Reluctantly I followed her. "Bye John! I'll see you later!"

The day went on as any usual school day, catching up with friends, meeting my new teachers. The only difference was that I didn't have cheer. Cheer tryouts wouldn't be for another week or two. The school wanted everyone to adjust to their schedule before adding extracurriculars. Some of the eighth graders, including myself had been picked to tryout for cheer captain the day before the regular tryouts. So, even though I wasn't excited to have a break from cheer, it gave me an extra week to practice the routine Coach Reynolds taught us at cheer camp.

I was pretty much guaranteed a spot on the team but I was still nervous. Everyone else was incredibly talented and beautiful, even if I had made the school's cheer team the past two years and had been a cheerleader for a total of eight years. Cheerleading was my life. The only thing I loved more was my family, of course. I would be nowhere without them. Aria and Ariel had been by my side since day one.

After school, I got into Mrs. Kipp's car. "Hello, Mrs. Kipp! It's nice to see you!"

She smiled at me from the rear view mirror, "Hello, dear. It's nice to see you too. How was school?"

"School was great ma'am! All of my teachers seem really nice!"

"I'm glad to hear that. What about your day, Johnathan?"

John shrugged. "It was fine."

"Do you two have any classes together?"

"We have two! Health and Geometry." I answered, John was staring out the window. Was he okay? I didn't want to embarrass him in front of his mother but I made a mental note to ask him about it as soon as we were alone.

The ride to his house was silent except for the Christian radio Mrs. Kipp played. It was comforting in a way, but also stirred a buzzing like bees in my chest, questions stirring around right under the surface that I feared I would never have the answers to. So, I ignored them. If I smiled hard enough, they would go away on their own.

Mrs. Kipp parked in the driveway of the Kipp's townhouse, "Well I'll leave you two to it! I have to make dinner before Evan comes home." The way that she said Evan was unique. It was filled with happiness and excitement and love that I'd never seen in such a long relationship. I longed to feel that way about someone one day, or perhaps we'd both feel that way. Perhaps, if I was really lucky it would be with John.

The thought of someone smiling every time they said my name was nice but when I thought about John doing it it made me absolutely giddy. He was so handsome and sweet and smart. He loved his family and God and he loved me. I was so glad we were friends, but maybe we could be something more.

The past two years would've been completely different to him. He had changed my life for the better. I couldn't imagine life without him, I didn't want to. I'd ruin things if I let myself feel anything more for him.

John motioned with his head for me to follow him down to the basement, where his room was and so I did.

He sat on his bed, wiping his hands on his cargo shorts. "Do you-" his voice cracked and he coughed and started over, "Do you want to watch a movie?"

I furrowed my brows, "You're acting off."

"What? No I'm not!" His voice cracked again.

"Yes you are." I perched on the edge of the bed. "Come on John, it's me. Don't you think I know you better than that? We're the best of friends! Two peas in a pod! Compadres!"

He cracked a smile but it wasn't as bright as his usual. "Right. Friends." He sat on his hands, still not looking at me.

"Do you not… Do you not want to be friends anymore?" Tears welled in my eyes, as I cocked my head to the side.

"No! Ellie, I swear it's not that. I swear to God."

I nodded, "Then what is it?" I hugged my knees to my chest, settling in beside him.

"I like you."

I laughed a little. How silly. "I like you too! We're friends! Of course I like you!"

"No, Ellie. Not like that."

"Then how?" I was met with silence, like he was searching for the right words.

"Can I show you?"

I nodded, "Sure!"

He took my head in his hands. "What are you-" I couldn't get out the words before his lips were on mine. The kiss was over as quickly as it started, not enough time for me to kiss back.

"Sorry."

My face felt hot, and I was grinning as wide as my face could stretch. "That was my first kiss."

"Oh Ellie I'm so-"

"Do it again."

"What?" He smiled, his shoulders relaxing.

"Kiss me again. Please. I really liked it."

He leaned in, this kiss was slow and passionate. Butterflies didn't flutter in my stomach, but my heart soared. This time, I kissed back.

"I'm glad you were my first kiss."

"I'm glad you were mine too."

We smiled at each other, just basking in the excitement of the moment.

"So, what are we?"

"Depends." He sat up taller, becoming the confident young man I knew him as. "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Yes!" I squealed, and his smile went wider.

"You're adorable."

I giggled, "thank you."

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and I shuddered. "Are you cold?"

"A little. Do you want to… maybe… watch a movie and cuddle?"

He handed me the remote, "Pick whatever you want, princess."

"Princess?" The world made the world seem even brighter.

"Do you like it?"

"I do."

"Well, as long as we're dating, you're my princess."

I smiled, "Very well then, my prince." We kissed again and I snuggled in his arms. I pulled his soft blue blanket around us before picking a movie.

Little did I know, that was the happiest that I would ever be.

#writeblr #my writing #sky's writing #Brielle Summers #fluff #original work #original writing

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ocean-anchored · 2 months

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Dear future self... March 10, 24

Dang these last two weeks have flown by. I'm going to try not to make this too long, but a lot has happened. So after my last post, I had spent Friday night with Amber, we went out for sushi together to review our book club book we finished. It was a really great evening. We really hit some good topics of discussion. We had highlighted some things from the book & then expanded on it. We talked about being a perfectionist & how to help your brain out of that rhythm of negative talk. We discussed some more areas where our childhood molded us into how we thought today & we actually talked about God & religion. How being humble & grateful was such an underrated thing in this world, that it seems though that's the main thing that really gets you through, good & bad. It's kind of amazing. How being grateful really gets you through some tough times, it's probably the main thing that has gotten me through everything it has thus far with God's strength. Then we went back to Ambers and played some board games with Naythan. Saturday I spent the day cleaning up & prepping for fam to come over for early dinner. Mom, Steven & amanda came over. We had dinner & played some games, it was really good to spend time together. It really has been a long time since we've all been together. I ended up telling them that night about Coleson. I was so nervous. I had kind of worked myself up to a point of feeling like maybe I would chicken out but I prayed & just asked God that if there was a good time to share it that I would be able to. Obviously it turned out really good & their reactions were really reassuring. I think because they know that I wouldn't bring anyone up unless it was serious. I've never introduced them to someone outside of Travis, so I think they know that I'm actually proud of calling him my boyfriend. I ended up driving out to Coleson that night, even though it had blizzard all weekend. The drive wasn't too bad. When I got there, he had all the lights off & had candles on his dining table with a bouqet of flowers & a hand written letter. I just about melted. It was so special & I haven't felt that special in a really long time. Honestly, the way he treats me is just... something else. He's so respectful & honoring. I really can't even thank God enough. I read his letter which he had planned out to tell me he loves me. Never have I said I love you so quickly to someone but man have I felt it... to every degree. I didn't know you could really love someone so quickly, so deeply. If I'm honest, in the past, I've said it more so when I've been infatuated with someone or just really enjoyed them & time with them, but has it really felt like true, deep, breath taking love? No, It's definitely never compared to this before. We spent Sunday relaxing & he showed me around the farm. We went for tacos & then to a church service at 6:30pm. Again, never have I gone to church with someone I love. It was a new experience & a new feeling. Something that I've really been looking for for so long. I met his cousin Frankie, she was incredibly sweet. Went for ice cream after & then went to meet his parents before home. I was pretty nervous to meet them, not that I've had any parents not like me before but this felt different. I was a bit intimidated, I think part of me feels like maybe Im out of place here? yet it's all I've ever really dreamed of. I think I just don't feel like I'm living my own life because it's really just a dream. His parents were really sweet. His mom is hilarious & I really think that we'll get a long really great & his dad is a bit quite but I think it was good. Monday we both worked, it was nice to stay during the week to get a feel for what life would be like on a day to day, not just a weekend.

#personal #dear future self #life update #dearfutureself #CF

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annieintheaair · 4 months

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Just know you're not alone, cause I'm gonna make this place your home

I recently wrote here about how you are never alone. No matter what you're going through, someone else is also going through something, whether similar to you or something entirely different. Everyone is dealing with something.

When I went to students last week, I knew I was there for a reason, even though I couldn't stay the whole time because of work. Within the first five minutes, it all made sense why God told me I had to be there that night. I felt comfort in knowing that even though it made me sad to hear that others were having a rough start to the year, I knew that I wasn't alone in that struggle.

While last year felt like there was too much water in my life... rain, car flooding, non-stop watering the lawn... the beginning of this year has felt like there is suddenly a shortage of water. After the major temperature drop this weekend, I got home on Tuesday morning to find that I had no water in my house. My pipes were frozen. Despite my best efforts to avoid that type of situation, they froze anyway. The city came out and dug up my front lawn and torched my pipes hoping to fix it. No luck. Instead, I drove to H-E-B and bought a ton of water, and sure enough, shortly after I got home the water was back on. I wasn't in the clear though. Wednesday morning I got home from work and the water was gone, yet again.

It's only January and I'm already dreading the rest of these winter months, praying that my pipes won't freeze again. It's times like this when I really miss townhouse life. These things don't happen in a townhouse when you're attached to other houses.

The end of this month marks eight full months since I officially moved into this house. I was nervous about moving here. I remember doing a walk-through with my realtor before closing and crying to her that I was so scared of this not being the right decision. Despite my fears, I moved here anyway. I prayed that it would all make sense and I'd love it here. Instead, my first week of living here, I lost my dream car due to high flood waters. Even after the rough start though, I tried hard to make this place home.

I began getting new furniture, settling in, and putting things away. I told my therapist that I felt like once I unpacked my boxes and got organized, I was sure that I would feel better and more at home. I opened the doors to my office, unpacked the boxes, put things away, decorated, hung things on the walls, organized my clothes in boxes under my bed, and even painted the front door. I found some yoga classes to go to and at first, felt like I'd never feel like I belonged but within a couple of months, they finally knew my name there and I felt like I had a yoga home in my new area. Even though I was back doing yoga, the community was different. I couldn't help but compare that there was no social aspect or making friends in this new place.

I tried to find a nail salon, which has been ok when I don't have any other options. I found a new Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Central Market, and more. However, everything seemed to become a chore-- constantly driving 20+ minutes to go anywhere. I tried to find a church but never felt welcome or at home. I started comparing everything to what I had known for the past 8+ years.

The truth is the conveniences that I knew where I lived before no longer existed in this new place. I found the traffic to be a total pain and above everything else, I began to feel more lonely than I felt when I first moved to Texas 9 years ago. Even though I feel like I never leave my house during the week except to go to work or maybe yoga, somehow (with inflation being an issue, too), my expenses got higher than ever before. No matter how much I've tried to cut back on things and save, I still feel like it's a daily struggle. We haven't had a raise at work in over five years and working more just isn't an option when I have two jobs.

I really had high hopes for moving here. I thought that I'd get to see my friend (who convinced me to move here) more often but instead, I have seen her less than I did when I lived an hour away. It's like we're not even friends anymore. I feel like living here has separated me from all of the good things that I have in my life and has created a lot of tension with my mom. No matter how many times I apologize, I feel like she will never forgive me for the mistake that was them buying this house.

I didn't know that I would hate it here so much or be so sad and lonely. I didn't know that the pipes would freeze or the lawn would be filled with weeds. I didn't know that the traffic would be so awful. I had no idea that no matter what I did, I'd just never feel at home here. I wanted to love it, I really did, and I hate that I feel so guilty that I don't. I know my parents meant well and wanted to help me and I appreciate that but I can't help how I feel now and I couldn't have predicted the future.

I scrolled back in my iPhone photos to look at this time last year. I knew I would be moving in a few months and was looking at places to go-- tossing back and forth the idea of renting a new apartment or my parents buying a place for me to rent from them. Despite all of the stress and work involved in the process, I was still happy. I truly loved my life. My mom says she just wants me to be happy but I feel like she will forever hold it against me for not staying here longer; for wanting to run back to my old life.

The thing is, for a long time my life was all about change. I moved a lot. I never felt truly at home anywhere until I lived in my old house for four years. It was the longest I had ever lived anywhere (as an adult). For months, I talked it out with my therapist about how I felt broken for being forced to move. I loved my house so much. I loved my neighborhood and everything about my life. If I could have frozen time, I would have stayed there forever. I hoped that the next person would love my house as much as I did. I felt so comfortable there that for the first time, I was actually afraid of change but yet felt like there was somehow too much stability in my life and I needed to embrace change.

All of that was short-lived. House after house that my parents made offers on and didn't get, I started to feel like it was a sign that I wasn't meant to be there anymore. I felt like a kid in a toy store, kicking and screaming over being forced to leave.

I really tried to look at the bright side of things. Summer was rough not having a pool to swim in when it was over 100 degrees. I stayed indoors in the a/c except to go outside and move the hoses around to water the lawn three times every day. Even though it was hot outside and yoga classes were also hot, I went anyway. I even found a local lady to help me with my dogs when I need a drop-in visit when I'm at work. I'm grateful that I found her but my dogs and I both miss our sitter back in my old town. I thought I could embrace this new life but also still hold onto my old life, and in some ways, I have managed to do that.

As it turns out, we all make mistakes. We all make choices that sometimes we regret. If I could go back a year to when this picture was taken, I'd change a lot of things, even if it meant that I had to get rid of everything and move to a studio apartment. Even though I felt like I was losing my home back then, I still had so much to be thankful for at the time. I'm still thankful for those things that I still have and even though I hate to admit it and my parents may never let me live this down, I'm thankful for this decision that made me realize where I truly belong and what's most important in my life. Sometimes it takes losing things to really appreciate everything.

I pray that next year, I'll be writing here, reflecting again, that I'm so happy for the choices that I made that brought me back home.

xoxo

Annie

Kirby and I - January 19th, 2023 - At our old house.

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dorefasolsido · 4 months

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37. This past year...

who were your favorite singers, musicians, or bands?

BTS, counting all of their solo releases and projects.

what were some of your favorite foods?

Sushi, always. I also tried Korean for the first time and loved it!

what was your favorite dessert?

Chocolate souffle from my favorite sushi restaurant.

what was the best thing that happened to you?

I got a better job, got two little nieces from my cousins, got into book translating which was always my dream.

what was the worst thing that happened to you?

I mean, nothing particular comes to mind, I think I was just generally having a hard time because existential crisis and anxiety about the future and possibly a sprinkle of depression.

how have you grown as a person?

I don't feel like I've grown that much, but I feel like I managed to care a little less about what other people think.

what have you learned?

That I can get a job even with an interview. I've always despised interviews and avoided jobs that required them (lots of freelance work doesn't), but this year I kind of had to do it, and even though it was awkward as hell, it worked out somehow.

how old did you turn?

28. Ew.

what did you do for your birthday?

I was feeling especially horrible for my birthday, so I didn't really do anything. My friend was moving to Germany around that time, so she had a farewell party on my birthday and I went to that instead of celebrating.

what did you accomplish?

New job, translated a book.

where did you live?

Same place I've lived for the past 9 years.

who was your best friend?

Sam, as always.

This past year, have you….

made a new friend?

Nope. I met a few people though.

lost a friend?

Not quite, but sometimes it feels like that might inevitably come.

made a new best friend?

Nope.

lost someone close to you?

Nope.

attended a funeral?

Nope.

attended a wedding?

Nope.

gave birth to a child? 🤰

Nope.

“came out of the closet”?

Well, to myself, you could say.

traveled?

Yes, Germany, Belgium, Rome and Transylvania.

felt depressed? 😔

Yes.

felt happy? 😃

Yes.

felt at peace? 😊

I think I did a few times, though most of the year was riddled with anxiety.

felt overjoyed? 💃

Yes, and I remember the specific moment. A rare moment this year when I thought to myself that life is totally worth it.

felt blessed? 😇

Probably, here and there.

felt amazed? 🤩

For sure, when I was travelling.

fallen in love? 😍

Nope.

had your heart broken? 💔

Nope.

got a new car? 🚗

Yes! Well, not new, but my parents finally gave me and my sister their old car and got a different one.

graduated? 👩‍🎓

Nope.

experienced something miraculous? ✨

I doubt it.

had a better year than last year?

No, 2022 was definitely better.

had a worse year than last year?

Yup.

been to see the doctor? 👨‍⚕️

Actually no.

been to the hospital? 🏥

Nope.

had a severe allergic reaction? 🤧

Nope.

had COVID? 🦠

Nope, as far as I'm aware at least.

found out someone you knew had COVID? 🦠

Yeah, my dad did for a week in September. And probably a few other people too, but honestly, it's not that big of a deal anymore.

used an epi pen? 💉

Nope.

had a fever? 🥵

Nope.

had a migraine? 🧠

Nope.

gone on a date? 🌹

Nope.

written in a journal or diary? 📔

Well, I'm working on this survey blog a bit more seriously now.

given someone a hug? 🤗

Yup.

cut your hair? 💇‍♀️

Yess, I cut off most of it, now it's shortish. So much easier to deal with.

danced around your living room? 💃

Yes, ahhh I love dancing.

prayed? 🙏

Nope.

worshiped Jesus?

Nope.

read the Bible? 📖

Nope.

discovered a new favorite book? 📕

Tbh, I don't know if I read Convenience Store Woman at the beginning of this year or the end of last. So I'll say maybe.

gone to church? ⛪️

Nope.

went for a walk in the fall? 🍁

Yup.

set up and decorated a Christmas tree? 🎄

I haven't, but my mum has.

threw up? 🤮

Thank God no. Last year was traumatic enough. And by that I mean I threw up once and almost had a panic attack.

almost threw up? 🤢

No no, let's move on from this now.

discovered a new music artist you really liked? 🎤

Dreamcatcher is pretty cool.

discovered a new song you really liked? 🎶

Of course, plenty. I'll go with Like Crazy by Jimin though. Or Amygdala by Agust D.

seen snow? ⛄️

I have indeed.

seen beautiful fall foliage? 🍁

Yesss.

gone to the beach? 🏝

Yes, we went to the beach near Rome. Didn't swim though.

rode a bike? 🚴

I think I did. I wanted to do it more.

rode a horse? 🐎

Nope.

swam? 👙

Yup.

worn makeup? 💄

A tiny bit.

done a craft project?

Nope.

made a scrapbook page?

I think I did at the beginning of the year. I have to get back to that.

written an essay? 📝

Yes.

painted something? 🎨

Nope.

drawn something? ✍️

I doodled here and there. I'm terrible at it, but I love it.

sketched in a sketchbook?

Same answer.

written someone a letter? 📝

Not this year.

been to a concert? 👩‍🎤

Yup, but sadly nothing too spectacular.

driven a car? 🚘

Of course.

kayaked? 🛶

Nope.

gone on a cruise? 🚢

Nope.

made a big purchase?

Well, plane tickets and apartment booking for Rome.

moved to a new home? 🏡

Nope.

got a new pet?

Hmm, well not technically, but we kind of have another cat. She comes to our backyard every day and we feed her, so she mostly just chills there. She doesn't like being touched, though, but she's still always around. We got her neutered this year too.

lost a pet?

Nope.

gotten a tattoo?

Nope, but I'm very much thinking about it.

gotten a new piercing?

Yup, got one and changed the other one.

started a new hobby?

Kind of, I'm finally going to the gym and taking different classes there. My company is paying membership, so I had to take advantage of it.

worn a mask? 😷

Nope.

felt afraid to leave your house?

Nope.

celebrated your birthday alone?

I didn't celebrate it, alone or otherwise.

celebrated Christmas alone?

Nope, family lunch as always.

went for a long walk through the neighborhood?

Oh yeah.

Favorites of this Year (Pick one for each.)

Song:

Gah, fine, Like Crazy by Jimin.

Book:

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata.

TV show:

The Fall of the House of Usher this year for sure.

Youtube channel:

This year I've been back into gaming and discovered the MoreAnt channel, so I've been binging his horror games and other stuff.

Food:

Sushi.

Dessert:

Chocolate souffle.

Drink:

There's this wonderfully delicious strawberries and cream soda in our new K-food supermarket. I'm absolutely obsessed with it. Fruit soju too, but I can't always drink soju.

Friend:

Sam.

Thing you did:

Went on a first proper trip with my friend group.

Place you went:

Transylvania!

Person you spend time with:

My sister, most of the time.

Thing you did for your birthday:

Went to a goodbye party to see off a friend who moved to Germany. It was a fun little picnic.

Celebrity:

BTS.

Website:

Youtube.

Emojis:

I like the teary eyed one, I'm on my laptop so can't be bothered to do it, but yes. Also the deep in thought one.

Colors:

Blue, black, purple.

Restaurant:

Moon Sushi.

Tea flavor ☕️:

Idk, been drinking a lot of mint.

Final Questions!

Would you say this past year has been a good year overall?

Well, not really. I mean, I had plenty of good moments, looking back, it's just that mentally I wasn't doing so well most of the time.

What are your goals for the new year?

Travel somewhere new, maybe try solo travelling. Read more. Write more (not just for work). Keep up with the gym stuff. Try to say yes to more opportunities. GO BACK TO LEARNING JAPANESE.

How old will you turn next year?

Why do these questions like to torture me... 29.

Did you make any big mistakes this past year?

Nothing much comes to mind.

Do you have any big changes coming?

Well, just adjusting to driving the car around a big city and paying all related expenses.

How will you be celebrating New Year’s Eve this year?

I'll be at my favorite cover band's New Year gig with my friends.

What was the best day of this year for you, and why?

I think probably 15th or 16th July. It's kinda silly, but basically, I went to a gig with my friends and we had a ridiculously good time. My friends' brother and I were making up these weird choreographies for songs, everyone seemed to have really enjoyed themselves, the energy was just awesome. Then I was walking home early in the morning as the sun was coming out and just thinking to myself how these moments are what life is all about.

What did you spend the most time doing this year?

Working, probably.

Happy New Year everyone!

#personal #surveys

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hungercityhellhound · 5 months

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hiya!!! santa back again ❄️

your playlist looks awesome! i’ll def have to give it a listen :))

i’m from australia!

nordic practices sound interesting! i don’t know anything about them so if you’d be ok with it i’d love to hear more about that :)

i meant modern music artists - stuff kinda 00s - now. although it’s also interesting to know people’s favourite visual artist as well so feel free to share that also (mine is man ray)

some new questions:

- top 5 songs that you’re listening to right now?

- your top 3 movies of all time?

- 3 favourite animals?

hope to hear from you again soon :3

Australia is cool. I'm a herpetologist (study reptiles/amphibians) and invertebrate zoologist so Australia has so much cool stuff in that realm.

Covering a whole religion/spirituality is hard. I celebrate Yule/Jul with her which is a solstice based celebration. It celebrates a turn toward longer days again and moving toward the end of winter. I'll have to dig up some pictures of the Yule goats we make. If you have any specific questions ask.

Oh.. um. I love music so this will be hard. I will stick to bands that formed in the 2000s and later.

H.E.A.T., Leather Duchess, Orion's Reign, Crash Midnight, Kataklysm, Carach Angren, LA Cobra, Firewind, Heilung, The Midnight Devils, Roadwolf, Sweet & Lynch, Tailgunner, Asomvel, Tengger Cavalry, Tragedy, Wildstreet come to mind off hand but I am sure there are more.

Artists.. I love Dali. More recent art, I love the Bowie art done by Rena Kasuya. The photography of Joel Sartore. Photo Ark is one of my favorite things even if it has a sad reasoning for existing. The purpose is to catalog all life in a way that shows it as beautiful, to get people to be interested and care before they are gone. Another along the same vein is Gregory Colbert, especially Ashes and Snow. A lot of his photography showcases the connection between man and nature/wildlife in an attempt to show the value of being connected and reconnecting with the rest of life. The videos are wildly moving, even more so than the photography which sometimes makes me cry to look at it. I have prints of these two pieces I need to get frames for so I can put them up.

I'm on a huge W.A.S.P., Steve Vai, Stryper, and Metal Church kick right now. The Inviolate album by Steve Vai I have probably listened to everyday for the past week. The album The Dark by Metal Church and especially The Headless Children and Babylon by W.A.S.P. Stryper I am re-deep diving into their discography since I haven't in a long time.

Top movies.. oh that is so hard but as far as go to and love to watch. I would say Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the 1981 Clash of the Titans.

I'm a zookeeper.. favorite animals is such a hard question. I love toads, giant insects (the bigger the better), and crocodiles.

What are your answers to those questions? and a few from me..

What are your favorite bands that started before 1990?

Do you have a favorite holiday season song?

Do you like live shows? Gone to any recently?

#srs23

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aspenmissing · 9 months

Text

𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 (𝙿𝚝 𝟷)

Sam and Theo watches as the employee slides a corpse from their compartment.

"Here he is, Detectives" The corpse has stitches running along his chest, stomach, shoulders and throat.

"That's a pretty nasty bite" Theo says.

Mm-hmm"

"You know what bit him?" Sam asks. The employee adverts her eyes.

"I haven't quite determined that just yet"

"Come on, Doc. Off the record..." Theo says.

"Okay, way, way off the record..."

"Sure"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the guy was attacked by a wolf. But unless I know that the zoo is missing one of their lobos, I’m going with pit pull" The employee eyes at them "I like my job" Sam and Theo chuckle.

"Yeah, we hear you. One more thing. This guy - was his heart missing?" Theo asks.

"Yeah, how did you know that? I haven't even finished my report"

"Lucky guess"

Dean is sat in his bed, cleaning his guns, Theo next to him, helping. Sam walks over to the fridge and grasp a beer.

"The lawyer guy the first heart-free corpse town?" Dean says.

"First man. Over the past year, several women have gone missing. Dead bodies all washed up later in the bay, too deteriorated to draw firm conclusions" Theo says as Sam grabs a chair and comes over to the two.

"But no hearts?"

"No hearts" Sam opens his beer bottle “They were all hookers working Hunter's Point. Now, cops are trying to keep things under wrap, but they’re looking for a serial killer" Sam takes a sip of his beer.

"And the lunar cycle?"

"Mm-hmm. Yeah, month after month, all the murders happen in the week leading up to the full moon"

"Which is this week, right?"

"Hence the lawyer" Theo says, cocking a gun

"Awesome" Dean says, standing up.

"Dean, could you be a bigger geek about this?"

" I'm sorry, guys, but what about "a human by day, a freak animal killing machine by moonlight" don't you understand? I mean, werewolves are badass. We haven't seen one since we were kids"

"Okay, Sparky. And you know what? After we kill it, we can go to Disneyland" Theo says.

"You know what the best part about it is? We already know how to bring these suckers down" Dean says holding up a silver bullet "One of these bad boys right to the heart. So, what's our next move?"

"Talk to the girl who found the body"

A brunette young woman leads Sam, Dean and Theo inside and to her living room.

"I don't understand. I already gave my statement"

"Right, well, we just need to verify a few things" Theo says.

"This is my neighbour. Glen. Glen, this is Detective..."

"Lanids. This is Detective Lawrence" Theo waves "And Detective Dante" Dean pats Sam on the back. Glen, a bearded man wearing a 'Mission Church' T-shirt, stands.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to it"

"Okay. Thanks for the casserole"

"Oh, how thoughtful" Dean says.

"Just call if you need anything" They watch Glen leave.

"He's sweet. He came over to check on me. Have- have a seat" They sit down at the kitchen table.

"You must be pretty shaken up. You were Nate Mulligan's assistants, right?" Sam says.

"For two years, yeah"

"So, you knew all about him?"

"Probably knew more about him that he did. Nate was..." Madison smiles "he was nice"

"But?"

"Nothing, really. I - He had a few scotches in him, and he'd started hitting on anyone in a five-mile radius. You know the type" Sam and Theo notices Dean practically salivating over her.

"Yeah. We do, actually" Dean lecherous grin fades as he hears Sam's tone and sees Y/N's glare, and he becomes serious.

"Did, uh, did he have any enemies?" He asks.

"What do you mean? It sure looked like an animal attack"

"No, yeah, we're just covering all the bases. Anyone that might have had a beef with him - a former client, an ex?" Theo says and Sam notices her think of somebody.

"What?" He asks.

"Well, this is embarrassing, but my ex-boyfriend, Kurt-"

"Kurt have a last name?" Dean asks.

"Mueller. After we broke up, he went kind of nuts. He's...well, he's kind of been stalking me. He got it in his head that something was going on between Nate and I. He showed up at my office"

"What happened?" Sam asks.

"Kurt got into it with Nate, threw a punch before security grabbed him. I was lucky to keep my job"

"When was the last time you saw Kurt?" Theo asks.

"A few nights ago. Actually, the night Nate died. We were all grabbing drinks at this bar, and Kurt showed up"

"And?"

"Nothing. It was...like he was watching me. Then he was gone. To tell you the truth...he scares me"

Sam, Dean and Theo exit Madison's apartment.

"So, what do you think?" Dean asks.

"Stalker ex-boyfriend? He hates the boss. And he was there that night"

"Think he's our dog-faced boy?" Theo says.

"Well, it's a theory"

"We've had worse"

"Yeah"

"What do you saw we pay Kurt a visit" Inside the apartment, Madison hears something outside. She goes to the window and, gasps, seeing Kurt, watching her from the lawn. When she looks again, he is gone.

The three arrive at Kurt's apartment. Theo picks the lock and they enter. While they are looking through the kitchen, they don't notice an animal watching them from the corner.

"Anything?" Dean closes the fridge.

"No, nothing but leftover and a six-pack"

"All I found was some dirty socks"

"Dean, check the freezer. Maybe there's some human hearts behind the Haagen-Dazs or something" As Dean turns to the freezer, they hear a door open and close, followed by a crash. Theo steps out the sliding glass door and onto the balcony. On the wall of the building, she notices claw marks, in the concrete wall that slides all the way down to the ground.

"Sam, Dean, come here!" The brothers join her "Check it out" They stare at it for a couple of minutes before they hear a gunshot. They race down to the street, only to find a policeman's body completely mauled.

"I'll call 911" Sam says. Theo and Dean bends down to examine the corpse.

"I'd say Kurt's looking more and more like our Cujo" Dean says.

"Ya think"

"Guys, if he's out here, we better check on Madison"

The siblings knock on Madison's front door. Across the hall, Glen opens his door to see the commotion.

"What's going on?" He asks.

"Police business, Glen" Theo says. Madison answers the door.

"What is it?" She asks. Sam glances at Glen.

"Well, maybe we should talk privately. Later the four are in the kitchen and Madison is pouring the siblings coffee "Has Kurt been here?"

"Not exactly"

"What exactly does "not exactly" mean?" Theo asks,

"Well, he was outside last night. Just...looking. Just looking at me" The siblings exchange a look "Had he done something?"

"We're not really sure"

"It's probably nothing, but...we just don't wanna take any chances. In fact, one of us should probably stay here with you? Just in case he stops by. Where does he work?" Y/N asks.

"Ho owns a body shop" Madison says.

“You mind grabbing that address for us" Dean asks and she nods and leaves the room "Thanks"

"All right, you two go. I'll stay"

"Forget that. You two go after the creepy ex. I'm gonna hang here with the hot chick"

"Do I not get a say in this?" Theo says but they ignore her.

"Dude, why do you always get to hand out with the girl?"

"'Cause I'm older" Dean drinks his coffee and smiles with satisfaction. Sam looks at him with incredulity.

"Younger by 5 minutes" Theo mutters as she drinks her coffee.

"No, screw that. We settle this the old-fashioned way" Sam his and Dean's coffee cups and sets them down, then raises his fist for Rock-Paper-Scissors.

"You guys are children" Dean plays alone, choosing scissors while Sam chooses rock.

"Dean, always with the scissors" Sam says with mock concern and slaps Dean on the shoulder.

"Shut up, shut up. Two out of three" Sam sighs but they lift their hands to play once more. Sam's rock once again beats Dean's scissors.

"God!" Dean yells in frustration.

"My go" Theo lifts her hands up and Sam does the same.

"And you called us children" Dean says.

"I am the definition of a child" Theo says as she chooses rock, but is beaten by Sam's paper.

"Like Dean, Two out of three" This time Theo chooses Paper as Sam chooses Scissors.

"Dammit!"

"You two bundle up out there, all right?"

Later that morning, Madison is checking through the mail while Sam watches from the kitchen table. He smiles uncomfortably at her.

"Um...do you wanna sit on the couch?" Madison asks.

"No. No, no. I'm okay"

"It's more comfortable"

"Ah, I'm fine" She comes back to the table with a basket of laundry. Dumping it onto the table, she begins sorting through her underwear, pulling up a tiny lacy thong "You know, I think I will sit on the couch" Madison smiles. Sam sits there awkwardly until his phone rings, and he picks up.

"Let me guess. You're sitting on her couch like a stiff, trying to think do something to say" Theo says as her and Dean are on a street.

"Did you find Kurt?" Sam asks.

"No, he hasn't been at work all week. But because we're good, and I mean really, really good, we got a line on where he might be" Dean and Theo gets into the car "What's she wearing?" Dean asks.

"Bye, guys" Sam hangs up."

"Oh, Sammy" Dean chuckles.

"Our baby brother is growing up" Theo says. Back with Madison and Sam. Madison comes to sit by Sam on the couch. She turns on the TV to a soap opera. Sam makes a face, visibly annoyed by the choice of programming.

"I saw that"

"Saw what?" Madison smiles.

"Okay, this is the deal: my TV. I never get to watch my show. So, suck it up. Later, after the credits have rolled, Sam is sitting forward on the couch, completely riveted.

"Wait, so, so, Kendall married Ethan's father, just to get back at him?"

"Yup. And now she’s set to inherit all the casinos that were supposed to go to Ethan"

"What a bitch!" They laugh.

"Admit it, you're hooked"

"No, no, no, no, no, no. I wouldn't say I'm hooked" Maddison giggles "You know, can I ask you a question? It's - it's a little personal"

"You've seen my entire underwear collection. Go ahead" Sam smiles and nods.

"Okay, um...well, you're- you're clearly smart. I mean, your house if full, is full of great books, you know? And you're independent"

"Uh, uh"

"What were you doing with Kurt?" Sam asks. There is a short pause.

"I don't know. I mean, it's not like he introduced himself, like, "Hi, I'm possessive and controlling and I like to punch people. Wanna be my girlfriend?" The two laughs.

"Yeah, well, I guess we all make mistakes"

"Yeah, well, mine's wanted by the police" There is a small pause "You wanna know why I stayed with him? Really?" Sam nods "I was too insecure to leave"

"I find that hard to believe. I mean, you don't really seem like the type"

"Yeah, well, some stuff happened. My life changed, I changed. For the better, I think"

"What happened?" Sam asks.

"Well, for one thing, I got mugged" Sam seems surprised.

"And that's supposed to be a good thing?" Madison laughs.

"I know, it sounds strange. And don't get me wrong, it rattled me. But - then it hit me. I could keep feeling sorry for myself, or I could take control of my life. I chose the latter. First thing I did was tell Kurt he had to go"

"Smart move

"Apparently. Everything else just opened up, blossomed. It's all been wonderful, really" Sam shrugs "What? Doesn't everybody think that being a victim of random violence is the best thing that ever happened to them?" Sam laughs.

"Yeah, no so much" There is a small pause "You're...unusual" Sam says awkwardly.

"Unusual, like..." Madison circles her finger, pointing to her head, meaning 'crazy' "unusual?"

"No. No. No, no, no. Unusual, like...impressive" Sam says earnestly.

"You think so?" Sam is about to answer until his phone rings. He smiles apologetically.

"Sorry" Sam answers it "Hey"

"We found him" Theo says as her and Dean stand in a strip club. Theo behind Dean looking away from the stripper.

"Good, don't take your eyes off him" Dean, taking his eyes off a stripper, glances at Kurt. He is sitting across the table also watching the stripper. Dean looks back at the woman.

Oh, yeah, Dean's eyes are glued alright" Theo sees some men looking at her "Hey! Take a picture it will last longer you assholes. Go and suck one!" They stop looking at her. Dean takes the phone, not taking his eyes of the stripper "Hey!"

"We gotta let you go. I, uh, I don't wanna.... don't wanna miss anything" Dean hands the stripper a dollar bill and hangs up, smirking.

"I wish I stayed with Sammy now" Theo mutters and walks off to the bar.

Later, Dean and Theo are standing outside Kurt's house. They see a light turn on inside the house and they get their guns ready. Suddenly, they hear glass shattering. They look back up to see the lights off in the house.

"What the-?" They look at each other before running into the house and bursts through the door. Entering one of the rooms, they see a woman hovering over Kurt's mauled body. She turns towards Dean and Theo. It's Madison and she's a werewolf. Though she still looks human, her eyes have turned on electric blue, her teeth have turned to bloody fangs, and she has long claws.

"Oh, shit" She growls and runs at the two, Maddison shoves Dean into the wall, knocking him out. She then shoves Theo into the wall but Theo cuts her arm with her knife- Madison growls in pain, and runs out the open window. Theo then loses consciousness before passing out.

It's now morning. Sam is still at Madison's apartment, awake, and getting a glass of water. He answers his ringing cell phone.

"Theo, you two, okay?"

"Yeah, now that we're conscious. The werewolf knocked us out. Sam, it's Madison"

"What?"

"Yeah, awesome job of keeping an eye on her" Dean says. Sam enters Madison's bedroom to see that she is sound asleep, apparently naked, in bed.

"Guys, I've been here the whole time. She's in bed, asleep"

"Well, she wasn't an hour ago. Check her right arm below her elbow. I nicked her with a silver knife" Theo says. Sam hangs up. Madison rolls over and wakes up, noticing Sam.

"Morning" She shits up and notices that she is naked, covered only by her bed sheet. Sam sees the wound on her arm "Um...where are my pyjamas?" Sam, upset, leaves the bedroom "Sam? What's going on? Where are you going?" She jumps out of bed, wrapping the comforter around her, and follows him to the living room, where he is locking the front door.

"I'm not going anywhere. And neither are you" Sam says.

#supernatural #older sister winchester #oc insert #supernatural fandom #supernatural fanfiction

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baronessblixen · 3 years

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I would like to propose a prompt for fictober ☺️ of course no need to follow up on it I’m sure you’ll get a ton of those. Okay here goes nothing 🙈 prompt: Diana didn’t die. Mulder is so caught up with her, visiting, talking etc. that he doesn’t realize Scully begins to move on. Lunch dates coffee dates whatever. Everything else is up to you ☺️thank you and you are my fic pick me up when I need some cheering up 💚💚

Last day! Thank you for this prompt. Here's some jealousy, some angst and some much needed communication. Set in early season 7. Tagging @today-in-fic and @xffictober2021

Wc: 1140

Fictober Day 31

Coffee With Mulder

"Mulder, wanna go grab some lunch?" Scully's stomach grumbles, reminding her that they've been working past their usual lunchtime. She turns to him with a soft smile, happy that he's back in the office. His physical wounds have been healing nicely and he seems to be in a good place. They both are.

"Sorry, Scully," he says, looking at the time. "I'm going to visit Diana at the hospital. They might release her soon."

Shadows descent over her happiness and darken her smile. Diana. Scully is glad the other agent survived. One day she might even thank her for helping her find Mulder. Not any time soon though.

"That's okay," she says, trying to keep her disappointment out of her voice. "Maybe tomorrow then."

"Yeah, maybe."

Tomorrow doesn't happen. Neither does the day after tomorrow or the day after that. Every moment they're not working, Mulder is spending with Diana. The realization dawns on her when she meets her mother for lunch one day and she inquires about her favorite almost son-in-law.

"Mulder's really... busy these days. A friend of his is-" she swallows the other words, the other definitions. His ex-girlfriend. His ex-partner. "A friend of his got hurt badly and he's catching up."

"Poor Fox," her mother says. "You know Dana, there's this fine young man at the church. His name is Jason. He recently moved here to be closer to his family. I think the two of you have a lot in common. What do you think?"

Her mother has been trying to play matchmaker for years. It's close to Christmas, to New Year's Eve and Mulder is god knows where, spending his time with Diana. So for the first time in years, Scully finds herself nodding and saying yes.

They both have lunch dates now - just not with each other.

"I'm off for today." It's early afternoon and Scully is meeting Jason at the café down the street. The one she used to go to with Mulder on slow days. There have been many slow days lately, but she and Mulder haven't gone anywhere in weeks.

"You're leaving? It's barely 2 pm."

"You're not the only one with a life, Mulder."

"I don't-" but she's gone before he can finish.

Jason is a sweet guy. He has a fine sense of humor and laughs a lot, making her laugh, too. Her cheeks hurt from laughing; she realizes she hasn't laughed this hard in a while. Not since she and Mulder played baseball together. She dismisses the memory. It has no place here between warm coffee cups and Jason's carefree smile.

He's a teacher and spends time with his nieces when he's not working. All in all, Jason is perfect. On paper, anyway. He checks all the boxes. Every single one of them. Scully can imagine herself with him. They'd adopt a dog, go to dinner at his mother's house or hers, and live a happy, simple life.

She takes a sip from her coffee; it's too sweet, too milky. It's not what she wants at all and it's making her sick to her stomach.

"Are you okay, Dana?"

"Yes," she says. "Yes, I'm fine. This coffee is just- excuse me a moment, Jason. I'm getting a new one."

There's a line and while waiting, Scully watches Jason. He smiles at a mother and her two children before he sips his coffee, looking out the window. They've gone to dinner, been to the symphony, had several coffee dates. Everything is just nice enough. But they're only nice. Why can't she just madly fall in love with him?

"Hey, stranger." Mulder gets in line beside her, nudging her hip with his own. "Funny meeting you here. I thought you'd left for the day."

"I'm here with someone."

"Oh?" He looks around, seemingly unperturbed. Why would he be bothered? He's made it clear that she's been misreading all of the signs. The baseball lesson. His 'I love you'. Him saying she's his touchstone.

"That him?" Mulder points at Jason who luckily isn't paying attention.

"Yes," she hisses. "Leave him alone, Mulder."

"Who is he?" He's invading her personal space, half of him pressed against her side and her back. There's enough space here in line. His behavior is deliberate.

"Jason," she replies simply. "We're... going out."

"Is it serious?"

"Mulder, this is none of your business. I don't ask you about Diana, do I?"

"Diana is a fellow agent." Scully lets out a snort before she can stop herself. "You don't- hey, you don't think Diana and I are dating, do you?"

"It doesn't matter," she says. They've finally made it to the front of the line and she feels Mulder's eyes bore into her while she orders her coffee.

"It does matter to me," Mulder says with a quiet urgency. "I was worried about Diana. They didn't know if she'd pull through and she doesn't have anyone so of course I went to visit her but Scully-"

"Here's your coffee, Miss." Scully mouths a thank you and grabs her cup. Instead of returning to her table, she storms outside, in need of fresh air. The bell above the door chimes a second after her and she knows Mulder is on her heels.

"Hey, wait a second. We need to talk about this."

"We really don't, Mulder."

"We do. Listen. If you'd spoken to Diana yourself," she turns away from him. "If you had, Scully, you'd know I'm talking about you all the time. Not just our work but you. Unlike you, Diana knows I'm not interested in her. I may not have made it clear in the past year, but I have now. There's nothing between me and her. Not anymore."

His words sound too good to be true but she knows Mulder. Trusts him implicitly. One look at him and she knows he's telling the truth.

"Just the other day she asked about you," Mulder says, his voice soft now. "You know what she called you?"

"Do I want to know?"

Mulder laughs. "She called you Agent Super Scully. Because of the way I talk about you. It's you, Scully. I thought it was obvious but I should have known you need proof."

"I do," she admits, keeping eye contact.

"I hate to do this while you're on a date with another guy, but..." He leans down and oh so delicately kisses her. It doesn't last; it's just a taste of what might be. It's exactly what she's been craving.

"Mulder?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to come to dinner with me at my mother's this Sunday?"

He blinks in surprise. "Yes. Yes, I'd love that."

"Great. Now excuse me, I need to tell someone I won't be seeing them again." She hands him her coffee and pats his chest. She won't be long. There's only one man she'll be going home with today and it won't be Jason.

#fictober21 #it is DONE #i didn't feel like writing today #then i started #and fell in love with every word #even if no one else likes this story #i am extremely happy with it #thank you so much anon #msr #xf fanfic #my writing #my fic

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thatwasthenightthingschanged · 2 years

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hello hello friends, I actually wanted to talk abt this in my 2021 recap post but I feel emotionally exhausted today so here's a quick rant for you under the cut (so u can scroll past it) tw mental health issues and stuff 😃

so basically I've spent this entire year feeling like shit and I keep trying to get better but fail and yes I will have regular therapist appointments by end of January/beginning of February but it still feels like this'll take forever to happen and I just basically drag myself through every day looking forward to sleeping only yet I haven't had a good night of sleep in MONTHS and then I also recently told my best friend that a therapist told me I most likely got a mild depression and she was like "as if, has that therapist ever heard of seasonal depression? therapists are weird" and I know that she only said that bc I haven't told her how truly shitty I've been feeling this year and bc I jokingly told her abt it but it sent me spiraling again because I constantly feel as though my mental health struggles are not serious enough because at least I can still "function" normally yet I put on a happy face to everyone bc I feel like I'm not allowed to be sad and burden them with my stuff bc it'd just be like me asking for attention or pity and I don't want that but I genuinely feel down for no real reason several times a week and I've gone back to my self-destructive behavior which I thought I had unlearned for good years ago yet I feel like shit after every social interaction because my mind immediately analyzes all the ways the other person I talked to could find me weird or annoying or exhausting and then I wonder why I ever expect something else from ppl or even romantically for someone to truly love me when I know how shitty I am deep down and how they'd think that too if they really knew me and it's so stupid being with the world's greatest person and watching yourself destroy that relationship bc you are scared and feel sad all the time and cannot put your stupid feelings into words so u just keep silent and things keep pestering and pestering and also family stuff is still. hard. like my mum keeps gifting me Christian books and I know she probably means no harm by that but for me it just reads as "if u just believe in God hard enough you'll turn straight again" AND I WANT TO BELIEVE IN GOD I love church and the youth group I used to go to but I feel like I'm not welcome in any of these spaces and I haven't even told my mum I'm bisexual bc I know she wouldn't get it and I've been fucking keeping my entire relationship a secret in front of nearly everyone for her for nearly two years now and it makes me feel shameful and like I don't deserve to be loved for who I truly am but she keeps finding excuses for me to carry on being secretive about it despite her initially having said to only keep it a secret until mid-January next year and I keep looking for that mum I never had in other ppl but I still love her because I KNOW she's not a shitty person at all she's actually very loving abt everything else but I can't talk to her abt how shitty I feel bc I've tried before and all she does is come at my with homophobic opinions because she never truly listens to what I have to say and I'm just so fucking tired of always having to fake being happy and content for everyone around me just so they are happy and comforted while my mental health goes to shit 😃

#delete later #sry

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vickypoochoices · 5 years

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ABC Fluffs.

Thank you to @krsnlove for requesting this. It’s been sat untouched in my drafts for a while, so I thought I’d finally get around to satisfying your needs!

I’ll make this ZigxLyla because she’s my most recent MC so I guess she’s still fresh in everyone’s mind. I'm gonna refer to events in Partner In Crime quite a lot so if you haven't read it and are confused, give it a read [HERE].

The L ove confession answer is a little segment taken from an NSFW chapter of PIC. I promise it's tame, I wanted to keep this clean, but consider this your warning. (I don't think it even counts but i just want to make sure no one gets upset at a slightly suggestive piece!) Apart from that, I think it's all cute and fluffy!

Also, I started writing this from Zig's perspective and it just kind of stuck.

Tagging: @zigortega4life @emerald-bijou @littlegreenmoo (I fear the fluff may kill you off, but it feels wrong not tagging you!) @krsnlove @itsalliepg @choicesthot @hustacks

If you want to be tagged/untagged in any of my future stuff, let me know.

[MASTERLIST.]

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them? We literally spend every spare second of the day together! I guess things aren't too different to how they were before. As best friends (and roomies) we always used to be around each other the majority of the time anyway, and as we share the same friend group, hanging out with them has always been something we've done together. We're still the same excitable big kids that chase each other around the apartment half naked. But I have somehow managed to persuade Lyla to join me at this new dance class once a week. She's got two left feet and hates every second of it, but my girl drives a hard bargain. I'm stuck with all the jobs she hates doing taking the garbage out and she's demanding a full body massage as well. I know she loves to moan about it, but I'm sure deep down she's happy to be doing it with me. Maybe.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them? Everything! Every single inch of her is perfect. From her fluffy bedhead hair first thing in the morning to the tiny little scar on her ankle left from when she had chicken pox as a kid. I think what has always drawn me to Lyla though is her sense of humour. We have this banter together that I've never really experienced with anyone else and it's kind of a huge turn on for me.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.? I'm not exactly an extravagant person, and it's not like I have the money to do anything over the top. For me, it's all about the little things. I know Lyla well enough by now to determine what's going to cut it, and whatever it is, I'll do it. I'll run a hot bubble bath or make a last minute dash to the shop for chocolate/ice cream/wine. And making her favourite meal is always going to be a winner. But sometimes patience and understanding is all you need. If that means holding my girl for an hour whilst she smears make up all over my top and let's it all out, then that's what I'll do.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o? In a slightly bigger apartment for starters! Don't get me wrong, we both love our little space, but I guess we both know one day in the future it's not going to be the most practical. Obviously both our mothers have already brought up the subject of grandchildren daily. I'm sure that will all come one day, but for now our dreams have only stretched to getting a pet together. Apparently Lyla is a hundred percent a cat person, but I'm hoping I can work some magic and persuade her that dogs are awesome too. I think that basically sums us up. We haven't planned out what we want to do with our lives or what career paths to take, but our biggest goal is to have a dog pet together!

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive? I wouldn't say either of us are like overbearingly dominant or anything, but if I had to give you a name, i'd say Lyla just about has the edge over me. I'm not saying she walks all over me or that she wears the trousers or anything like that. But sometimes I'll just go along with something for an easy life.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting? If you ignore the little disagreement about what pet we should get and all the shit that went down with Dean, we really don't ever fight. Don't get me wrong, Lyla is stubborn as hell! But I learnt a few things growing up with a house full of sisters, so I'm more likely to let things slide. The only thing I struggle with is when the green eyed monster comes out in Lyla.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them? I know this is so cliche and people always say how lucky they are to call their other half their best friend, but I genuinely can say that. Everything is just so easy with us and Lyla knows me like the back of her hand. There's this other side to her that no one else ever gets to see and I love that it's reserved for me. Just doing simple things like walking around holding hands, showing my girl off to the world, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world that she feels the same way about me. Author's Note: We all know Lyla has every reason to be grateful for the absolute sweetheart that she's bagged herself, despite fucking him in a closet and then running away to her controlling fiance, then telling him to stay away. You sure you're grateful Zig?

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything? I'm making a point now of not keeping anything from Lyla after that spectacularly backfired on me with the whole Cherry thing! Safe to say I've learnt my lesson! I want to protect her with every fiber or my being, but I know a relationship is nothing without honesty and trust.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems? I guess you'd have to ask Lyla about this one for her. I know things were a little crazy with Dick Dean, and I'd like to think I helped her as best I could through all of that during the aftermath. For me though, going through it all pushed me to realise just how much I need Lyla. I depend on her more than I ever thought possible. I was this empty shell of a man that didn't want to get out of bed when she left. I know, I know. It sounds a bit over the top, but it really is true what they say; You don't know what you have until it's gone. And I plan on holding on tight to my girl from now on, and never letting go.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it? I'm not gonna lie, it sucks when I catch a guy checking Lyla out. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna be a dick about it. Knowing I'm the one that gets to take her home to our apartment to sleep in our bed makes things a little easier too. I think she's completely oblivious to any male attention anyway. And as for Lyla, she does have a touch of the green eyed monster from time to time. It's difficult sometimes, especially knowing how strongly I feel for her, and I hope I do a good job of showing her that on a daily basis. But I know that's the kind of thing we have to talk about, instead of letting it blow out of proportion like last time.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like? A reminder of how their first kiss went;

And then their lips collided in a frenzy, neither of them sure who made the first move, past the point of caring. Zig’s nose squished against hers repeatedly as their lips smacked together messily, Lyla’s kisses quickly intensifying, her tongue insistently pleading with his, desperate for permission to continue.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o? Again, a reminder of how that went down;

“I can’t do this when you’ve been drinking. I can’t take advantage.”

“Take advantage? It makes no difference if i’ve had a drink or not. I’ll still love you when I wake up in the morning.”

Zig shook his head sadly, hating the stab of hope he felt inside at the words she’d just said. “And I’ll still love you. Partner in crime, right?”

Lyla pulled back, tearing herself away from his neck. She looked him straight in the eye, hers wide and serious as she spoke. “You’re not listening to me. I’m in love with you Zig. And I’ll be in love with you even when the bubbles are gone and the hangover wears off. I...”

He crushes his lips against hers, walking her backwards and pinning her against the wall, his hands tangling in her hair which had come loose at some point. He pressed his body firmly against her, letting Lyla feel the full affect she had on him. Her hand drifted downwards, fingers stroking his full length through his suit trousers. Zig groaned, before slamming his lips against hers once more, leaving her breathless.

“Tell me again.” He hissed, pressing sloppy kisses down her jawline.

"I’m in love with you Zig.”

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like? It's not something we've talked about but there's no doubt in my mind, Lyla is the love of my life and there's nothing I want more than for her to become Mrs Ortega. One day though. There's no rush right now, despite what our Mum's might want from us. I want to do it right. After all that shit with that sham of a wedding to Dean, Lyla deserves to have the perfect day. I'm not saying i've thought much about how exactly I'd propose, but I do know it would be in the apartment. Regardless of if we still live there or not, that's where it's happening. Candles can make anything look beautiful right? As for the wedding, it can be whatever Lyla wants. We could get married in a castle, church, hotel, barn, even the middle of a mall if thats what makes her happy. As long as our friends and family are there and it's Lyla saying 'I Do', that's all I need.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o? Damn Aaron and his catchy nicknames! Lyla has taken to calling me Ziggypop since I let slip how much I kinda actually hate it. And she's a fan of rolling out my full name from time to time. As for me, I guess I'm kind of boring. I stick to babe/baby. And let's not forget beautiful, because I love how that still makes her smile every time I say it.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings? Well judging by how I reacted after our brief time apart, I'm a miserable prick without Lyla, so I'd say it was pretty obvious for others just how much I love her. I don't really know how to answer that one about what I'm like when I'm in love because it feels like I fell hard for Lyla the minute I laid eyes on her. I've spent years clutching on to those feelings, and hoping people didn't cotton on. We're both guilty of expressing those pent up feelings freely, now that we can.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching? We're definitely that couple that everyone hates. I love Lyla, and I don't care if we're in a room alone or surrounded by people. If I want to kiss my girl then nothing and no one will stop me. And it's not like Lyla holds back either!

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship. I think I'm quite good at reading people, females in particular. Definitely a benefit from growing up in a house full of girls! Nothing really scares me or surprises me now with the opposite sex.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative? What wouldn't I do to make Lyla happy? I've sat through every soppy chick flick known to man with Lyla and I know I'd do the lot. Kissing in the rain, the iconic lift in the water, some sexy pottery making...Seriously though, I know I might joke about it, but all I really want is to see my girl smile, and to be the one making her smile. Whatever she wants, it's done. I might not be full of amazing romantic gestures, but I'll still try my hardest all the same.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them? Lyla will rule the world one day I'm sure of it. I mean, if that's what she wants to do. She's been stressing out recently because she doesn't have her whole life figured out yet, but I'm doing my best to convince her she doesn't have to. She's amazingly smart, and she can pick things up quickly. Whatever she eventually decides on, I'll be there to support her the whole way. Lyla has this awful saying that apparently all of the cool kids say 'Live your best life' that she constantly says to wind me up. And annoyingly it seems to do the trick. I'm planning a few more dance classes just for starters, so she might end up regretting those words of encouragement.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine? Spice up our relationship? That makes me cringe, I hope we never get to that point! Lyla is all about routine in everything. I've watched her do the same things day in, day out for the last three years. And now we're together I'm here to shake things up a little bit. I said shake, not spice! I'm not really making her try out new things forget about those dance classes. I just think life could still be fun if instead of getting up an hour early for work to eat breakfast and slap make up on, she spent that time in bed with me instead. She's too beautiful to hide behind make up, and obviously I wouldn't say no to an extra hour in bed with my girl.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic? Pretty good. I know that Lyla's favourite coffee is a salted caramel machiato with a heart drizzle on top but she doesn't even know that herself. I know she bought a load of cakes in the first time she met my Mum because she wanted to make a good impression, and ended up telling her she'd baked them all herself. The lie still lives on, and Lyla has to fill the sink with dishes everytime Mum visits! And I know that she got her stubborn streak from her father, which explains a lot!

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life? There is no comparison. Aside from my family, Lyla is the single most important thing to me. That question is like asking a fish how important water is to them, that's what she is for me. I don't just love her, I need her.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

"Babe, have you seen my jacket?"

Zig stopped in his tracks, his mouth falling open and his eyes widening in disbelief as he drank in the sight of Lyla.

The shiny black leather was a stark contrast against her pale skin, a touch of pink barely visible as it crept along the exposed flesh of her neck, her long hair twisted to one side.

She stood with her back to him, head cocked to the side as she peered at him from over one shoulder. Her teeth sank in to her full bottom lip in an attempt to suppress a giggle.

Zig swallowed hard as his eyes slowly lowered. Past her small shoulders, the excess material bunching up and hanging off of her. His tongue slowly traced around his lips as his gaze lowered further still, finding her hands bunching up a fistful of leather, the curve of her bare ass now visible. Her hips swayed seductively from side to side, her voice vibrating in her throat as she let out a low purr "This one?"

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle? I think the problem with us has always been that we're too affectionate. Not that I'm complaining! When I hold Lyla it's like I've got the whole entire world just sat there in my arms and I never want to let go. The fact that I can hold her all night long and kiss her sweet lips until we need to come up for air is just an added bonus! So glad we're out of the friend zone!

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of? Something like spending close to every waking minute of the day for weeks on end trying to find a way out of an unwanted marriage for her? Or is that too specific? I would do anything and everything for Lyla. Nothing is too much for the woman I love.

#choices #zig ortega #zig x mc #zig x lyla #fluff alphabet #choices fic #choices fanfiction #choices fandom #choices fanfic archive

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