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inkbyajm · 5 months

Text

of unspoken words

masterlist: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6

pairing: joel miller x f!reader

tropes: fluff, angst, hurt-comfort, slow-burn

warnings: 11 year age-gap (reader is 24-25, joel is 35-36), clothing description, arguing

word count: ~6300

author’s note: this took forever to put out because life got in the way, but i did have fun writing angst. this chapter takes course in a span of a year. goodbye, 2003.

————-　❈　————-

Five

He found her in the crowd of the Auditorium shores.

Four

Her back facing him, she stood in front of Tommy as he looked down at her.

Three

Grasping her shoulders, Tommy flashed her a smile.

Two

He leaned down, his face disappearing behind her head.

One

Joel didn't have to see in the darkness to know what was happening.

Happy New Year!

"Hey!" Joel snapped out of his daze, frowning at Tommy who was behind the wheel. "You sleepin'?"

"No, just...thinkin' of stuff."

"Good, 'cause we're here."

Tommy had begged Joel to go out drinking with him for some time, the latter never feeling up to it: he was either tired, busy, hanging out with Sarah, or whatever other excuses he came up with. The only reason they were walking up the steps to 'Lucky Luke's' was because he had lost the bet on how long their project was going to take. They finished much earlier than Joel had confidently anticipated. He had a suspicion his brother set him up for failure, but he didn't bother to bring it up, wanting to enjoy his evening after a successful job. They entered the establishment which turned out to be bigger than it appeared from the outside. The interior was old and rustic, everything from the chairs to the panels on the walls was made of hardwood. There were all kinds of lights strung up about the ceiling, the walls were decorated with pictures of patrons, sports-related posters, number plates, flags, and so on. The music, thankfully, was quiet enough for people to hear each other. The brothers sat down at the far end of the L-shaped counter, waiting for someone to take their order.

"Remind me why we didn't go to Buddy's?" Joel asked somewhat annoyedly. He wasn't the biggest fan of changing environments.

"Because fuck Luiz and his overpriced beer. Besides, I have a feeling you'll find this place a lot more interesting."

Rubbing his face, Joel scrunched his nose. "Christ, Tommy, we've never been here. How do you know their shit don't taste like flavored tap water?"

"I trust the person who works here." Tommy replied, looking ahead.

The eldest Miller followed his gaze and saw her there, rapidly getting two glasses from under the bar and serving a young couple their cocktails. Fumbling with her notepad, she made her way across to the pair, pen in hand.

"Hi, how can I help you?" and it was only then that she looked up to see Tommy and Joel with their arms folded in front of them, the former giving her a childish smile along with a wave. "What- how'd you find out I work here? Did you stalk me? Should I get the FBI involved?"

"Good to see you too, (Y/N/N). Heard some of the guys talk about a pretty lady workin' at Lucky Luke's. Description matched so I thought it was finally time to check it out and see your impressive skills for myself," he said, clapping Joel on his shoulder. "Brought this one along with me. You don't mind, do you?"

She looked at her employer, who only gave her a brow raise. They hadn't seen much of each other since the year started, since the countdown at the Auditorium shores, since she and Tommy shared a moment much more intimate than the one they'd had on Christmas Eve. He knew he shouldn't have involved himself, especially not with the babysitter out of all people; but she gave him a scarf, a scarf she took time to knit and embroider his initials on. It sparked something in him he hadn't felt in a long time, thinking she'd felt it too. Who are you kidding? She was young, she was ambitious, and he had no business involving himself with her unless he wanted to come off as a creep. So he stopped, and boy did it eat him up inside.

They watched as she looked at the clock and disappeared behind the door near the other end of the counter. They sat in confusion for a couple of minutes until the door opened again and she walked out without her apron.

“What are you boys having?”

Tommy squinted at the board next to them, “I’ll have a pint of Blood & Honey, pretty please. Joel?”

The other brother sat with his brows furrowed, having a difficult time making a choice. Possibly running out of patience, (Y/N) took three-pint glasses from the hanging shelf above her head and poured yellow liquids into two of them, the last one appearing brown. She slid the latter to Joel, then hopped up and over the wooden counter to take a seat next to Tommy.

“You have great timing, I happen to have finished my shift,” she said and raised her glass to clink it against his. “So, what’s new?”

While Tommy talked restlessly about the day they’ve had, the bet they made, and exciting events coming up, Joel quietly nodded along every now and then, but mostly he observed her. She seemed different in an environment made for adults than she did at home with his 12-year-old kid. Ripped dark-blue jeans, sturdy boots, a military-green tank top, and a plaid shirt – she seemed like she belonged. Looking was fair game, as long as he didn’t interact too much, everything was going to be fine.

One pint down, Tommy excused himself to the bathroom, leaving his brother in a situation he didn’t want to be in. The two sat in silence for a bit, looking at their folded hands on the countertop.

“We got married pretty young, me and my ex-wife,” he suddenly spoke, keeping his eyes low. “She was my high-school sweetheart, my world. Then we got married and it all went downhill. To be honest, I’m not sure what happened even to this day. Maybe she felt suffocated, overwhelmed; I remember how hard the pregnancy was for her. In the end, a short time after Sarah was born, we had…an explosive argument. She loved her, she did, but it wasn’t enough to commit to that life. So she left, and I never saw or heard from her again.”

(Y/N) sat unmoving, then took the last sip from her glass. “Why are you telling me this, Mr. Miller?”

The formal address stung more than it should have. “Thought you deserved to know.”

“Is this what you’ve been contemplating for the past three months you’ve been freezing me out?” she laughed bitterly, looking at him for the first time since she sat down. “’ Should I or should I not provide additional lore on the mystery that is Joel Miller’?”

“(Y/N/N)-”

“Respectfully, sir, you don’t get to move the boundary lines whenever and however you want. You don’t want to be friends? That’s perfectly fine, I’ll remain respectful from now on-”

“No, just- I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t mean to freeze you out, I-” he stared at the empty glass in his hand before she took it and hopped back over the bar to refill both of their drinks. “I don’t really have friends, and I certainly wouldn’t want our relationship to affect yours with Sarah-”

“You don’t trust me to do a good enough job despite my feelings?” she looked less angry then, more dejected.

“I do. I trust you to look after Sarah more than I do that meathead over there,” both of them looked at the far end of the room to find Tommy, with an already half-empty glass, talking with some townsfolk. “It’s myself I don’t trust.”

(Y/N) looked at him then, at the hint of sorrow displayed on his face, and leaned against the counter, their faces merely inches away from one another, “You were doing just fine, Joel. Just talk to me, okay? I promise I’m as reasonable and as patient as they come.”

He could beat himself up over having his heart squeeze at the sight of her smile later. At that moment, all he wanted to do was get to know another side of the woman he could proudly call a friend.

————-　❈　————-

Summer came much quicker than any of them had anticipated. And while (Y/N) had already made plans to stay with her family until September, her schedule for the first half of June was empty. And thankfully it was because if there's one thing she did not have in her 2002 bingo card, it's a cruise trip in the Caribbean.

"What's this?" she said as she stared at the envelope given to her by Joel. Sarah sat in the living room, whatever she was watching on the television long forgotten as she tried to concentrate on the conversation going on in the kitchen.

"Open it."

"Are you paying me early this month?" she chuckled as she began to carefully tear it open. Her hands froze when she pulled out the printed tickets.

"An all-expenses-paid trip to cruise around with us in June," he pointed at the black-and-white printing, noting her silence. "Shit, I didn't think of- You're not busy, are you?"

"N-no, I'm leaving on the 17th but," she looked up at him. "Joel, I can't take this."

"What do you mean?"

"I- this is crazy. It probably cost you hundreds of dollars, I mean it's too generous-"

"I bought the tickets at a cheaper price months ago. Think of it as the other half of your Christmas present," he explained, his body filled with dread at the idea of making such a bold gesture. "Look, I don't want to make you feel like we're forcing you into anything. If you don't want to go, it's fine. I can get a full refund-"

She jumped on him then, with her arms tightly wrapped around him, she was almost hanging off his neck. He gladly caught her, chuckling in relief. "Of course, I'll come, I'd be more than happy to."

Rapid steps were heard coming from the living room and just as (Y/N) had detached herself from the man in front of her, a smaller body crashed into hers. "You're coming! We're gonna have so much fun!" said Sarah, jumping up and down excitedly.

The young woman wasn't exactly sure of what there was to do on a gigantic boat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. However, she soon found out they had programs for the entirety of their 4-night stay, which included karaoke, dancing, games, and trivia nights.

On the first day, (Y/N) found out the Miller brothers had pipes on them, singing and jamming to songs from Radiohead and the like. She’d never seen Joel that relaxed, carefree, or joyful; he moved as if nothing else in the world mattered but that moment they were living in. She and Sarah performed ABBA and Hallican Drops songs, riding on the confidence boost given by the crowd cheering them on enthusiastically.

Another day passed, and while Sarah went to join kids her age for ‘Youth Night’, the adults hit the bar for ‘Trivia Night’. The following things were facts: Joel and (Y/N) are equally competitive, Joel is a sore loser, (Y/N) gets loud when she’s passionate, and Tommy is there to have a drink and a laugh. Despite the small disputes and a few I-told-you-so’s, team ‘Lucky Jackasses’ managed to secure second place and win $120 worth of beverages as well as a three-course meal dinner for all the team members.

After the event, once everyone was settled with drinks in their hands, Tommy walked towards the railing to find (Y/N) leaning against it, gazing at the vast ocean.

“Whatcha doin’?”

Her head turned, the startled expression replaced by a smile as he put his jacket around her shoulders. “Just lookin’, admiring.”

“For such a nice lady, I didn’t think you could turn so intense so quick.”

She laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed at the amount of times she’d slammed the table or wildly gestured with her hands. “Yeah, I can get really competitive when it comes to games and such. I can take a loss, though, not like a certain someone.”

“Now imagine how I felt growing up. Thank the lord I was never like that, or else we woulda killed each other a long time ago.” he reminisced.

“Where is he anyway?”

“Went to put Sarah to bed. Think he might have hit the hay himself, the old man.”

There was a minute of silence where both of them just stared at the daunting darkness ahead of them.

“He ain’t the slickest when it comes to things like this. You gotta be more obvious with him, or else you’ll torture yourself for a long time until he finally makes a decision.”

She felt pressure in her chest. Of course, Tommy would find out. “What are you referring to?”

“Come on, (Y/N/N),” he chuckled, looking at her with sympathy. “You’re not exactly hiding it. Look, Joel’s a great guy, and I’m his brother, I’d take any occasion to shit on him.”

“Tom-“

“It takes a lot to get through to him. His fear from past experiences and the need to protect Sarah hold him back, he might not even know that you’re feeling what you’re feeling. You do what you want to do, but my advice is: show him what it is you need him to see and make no room for ambiguity.”

She wanted to share her thoughts, express her doubts to the man she considered a close friend. But she couldn’t, not at that moment. So she spoke the very next thought aloud instead:

“It is so crazy to think we’re floating on a piece of metal in the middle of a large mass of water. So many creatures underneath us, so many people on board. Have you seen Titanic?”

“We are not talkin’, let alone thinkin’, about the Titanic right now.” Tommy said as he began physically retracting himself from the conversation.

“I can’t help-”

“Don’t,” he said firmly, pointing at her like one would at a misbehaving dog. “I am not letting anything or anyone fuck up my relaxation time.”

The two walked back to their adjacent rooms, slightly tipsy. They noted the darkness as soon as Tommy opened the door to his shared cabin - Joel was asleep until he wasn’t. Woken up by the faintest noise, he noticed the jacket she wore and the tired smile her face carried, indicating they had been out there for a long time. His hands clenched under the blanket at the sight of her hugging his brother goodnight as she whispered in his ear before departing.

—

The next day, as the ship docked at Cozumel, an island just off the coast of Mexico, the family decided to go out and explore what it had to offer. The activities mainly consisted of scuba diving, which Joel had reserved in advance due to Sarah’s insistence, swimming in crystal clear water, and exploring ruins. The eldest Miller seemed content and at peace, or at least he did at the beginning of their little expedition. (Y/N) couldn’t help but notice the cold emanating from him, the way he’d be quick to glue himself to Sarah even when he didn’t need to, those moments he’d be more interested in studying the bushes than interacting with her. Tommy was right, she needed to be more forward. The trip was an opportunity she didn’t want to waste. Realistically, the worst thing he could do is reject you and/or fire you, she thought, then you can go back to living your life without this anxiety. Or you could curl up in your cabin and cry.

It started with small gestures: offering him water from her bottle, asking to take pictures of him and Sarah on her film camera, and pointing at pretty things during their diving session. Then, once she felt there was less resistance, she moved on to bumping shoulders with him, exchanging facts about the ancient Maya civilization, and splashing him with water as they all played in the sea. Just before they went out to swim, Sarah asked her babysitter if she could help with her sunscreen application. When she turned back to her towel, her eyes landed on a shirtless Joel. Her soon-to-be-35-year-old employer was exactly the kind of fit she imagined a father who works in construction to look like. He caught her staring, and to avoid drowning in embarrassment, she offered to apply sunscreen on his face. The entire process seemed way more intimate than it was. He stood very still, watching her work with such focus, gently gliding over the skin on his chin, his cheeks, under his eyes, his forehead, and his nose. Upon making accidental eye contact, he saw her get visibly flustered, causing her to take a step back.

“Could you get my back too?” he asked tentatively. “‘Afraid I’m not as flexible as I used to be.”

Whispering a quick ‘sure’, she began rubbing the cream on his shoulders first. She believed she had the green light to ease the tension in his muscles while they were at it. Unbelievably stiff at first, Joel relaxed under her touch with every circular movement of her thumbs. Feeling like she’d been at it for far too long, the young woman pulled away, earning a genuine ‘thank you’ accompanied by a smile. She had made great progress that day, showing just the right amount of affection to not spook him away. He wasn’t put off by any of it, however, which gave her a great sense of relief, an indication she’d been going in the right direction so far.

Once the evening came, the group split into two pairs: Joel and (Y/N) went on a stroll on the beach not far away from the pier while Sarah and Tommy went to quench their thirst at the bar further away. Though they shared a few jokes and remarks about the beauty of their surroundings, their walk was mostly filled with comfortable silence. At some point, Joel’s phone went off, prompting him to walk further away from the waves.

Something smacked itself against her leg and looking down, (Y/N) realized it was a straw-coloured boater hat.

“Sorry! That’s mine.” she heard someone exclaim above the waves crashing onto the sand. A young man, seemingly her age, jogged up to her with a warm smile. “Wind’s picking up, blew it right off my big head.”

His comment made her giggle, handing over the headwear, “No problem, it happens.”

“Are you from the Voyager?”

“I am.”

“Where’s your family? You didn’t go on a cruise all by yourself, did you?”

“No, that would be kind of sad,” she chuckled. “I’m here with the family I babysit for.”

“Wow, you must be a damn good nanny,” his brows raised in astonishment. “Do they need a cleaner by any chance? A driver, maybe? I don’t ask for much, I can live in the basement. Hell, a closet would do!”

This made her burst out laughing, triggering him to do the same. “I also do all of those things, not sure I want to compete with someone over a job I like.”

“Alright, so if we look at the CV of a successful nanny, we have,” he said, putting on imaginary glasses and comically squinting at the equally nonexistent paper in his hand. “Intelligent, talented, able to grow arms to flip pancakes and iron a t-shirt at the same time, strikingly beautiful obviously, excellent cook because of course you are, am I missing anything?”

“I happen to have a natural talent for board games,” she smiled, proudly. “You can actually ask my boss, he has yet to beat me.”

But as she turned her head, she saw Joel rapidly making his way further away from them.

“Sorry, it seems I’ve got to go,” she muttered, giving him an apologetic look as she walked backward. “It was nice to meet you, take care of that hat!”

(Y/N) was forced to jog up almost 30 feet to catch up to the brooding man.

“Hey, why didn’t you call me? Is it Sarah? Is Tommy alright?” The latter’s name seemed to deepen his scowl.

“No, just thought I’d leave you and Harold Lloyd to yourselves.” he grumbled, looking strictly ahead.

“I’m sorry for getting caught up in the conversation. He was being nice, you know, friendly tourist banter?”

“He was hitting on you, (Y/N), and if you can’t see that then you’re more naive than I thought.”

He had never treated her like anything but his equal, so naturally being called childish not only hurt her but woke something up inside her as well, all of the pent-up frustration suddenly coming to the surface.

“Fine, so he was flirting. Is that a problem?”

“No problem at all,” he said unconvincingly. “Just doing my job as a wingman.”

It took her a second to realize what, or rather who, he was referring to. “What the fuck does this have to do with Tommy?” He didn’t answer her immediately, taking long and quick strides along the sand. “Joel!”

He only stopped when she abruptly tugged at his arm, finally meeting his eyes. “You like him, don’t you?”

The question almost came as a slap. Where was this coming from? “What? Since when?!”

“Since you first laid eyes on each other last Christmas. Or since your kiss on New Year’s Eve. I don’t know, I’m not exactly keeping track.”

Instead of tugging at her hair, a need she strongly wanted to give into, the young woman rubbed her face with frustration instead. "I know you aren't stupid, and Tommy did warn me about how oblivious you can be, but good God, to this extent?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I care about you, okay?" she shouted, sounding somewhat desperate.

Heavy silence passed, the only sounds being the relentless lapping of the waves accompanied by her heavy breathing. The two of them stared at each other as if truly seeing one another for the first time.

"I don't understand-"

"I like you, Joel. And I'm tired of tiptoeing around it." She sensed him battling with himself, his own emotions, his thoughts.

"You can't, you-" something resembling despair crossed his expression. "(Y/N/N), you're young-"

"Jesus, Joel, stop acting like you're decrepit!" she approached him then, noticing the way he took a couple of steps back. "You're just a guy in his thirties, raising a daughter, looking for...companionship in this messed-up world."

They were much closer now, chests almost touching, neither of them breaking eye contact. She caught him glancing at her lips for a millisecond, afraid to move even the slightest muscle. Her name didn't fully leave his mouth when she crashed her mouth onto his, shutting him up for good. She felt lightheaded yet more alive than ever, relishing in the feeling of his hands gently taking hold of her waist. They parted then to bring air back into their lungs as she pressed her forehead against his.

"You don't want to do this." he spoke in an almost pained whisper.

(Y/N) caressed his cheeks, maintaining eye contact. "Don't tell me what to do, Miller."

————-　❈　————-

Was the concept of love complicated in and of itself, or was it the people involved that made it unnecessarily difficult? The question floated around in his mind for months, like a ghost that needed to be laid to rest. Jane Eyre had fallen in love with the ever-brooding Mr Rochester. Elizabeth Bennett, too, succumbed to her feelings for the stubborn and slightly awkward Mr Darcy. And while it was common for young women to see older men in that period of history, an age gap as large as theirs was harder to deal with in modern days.

The months that followed their shared moment at the beach felt like torture. Joel tried to balance out his life, spending as much time with his daughter as he did working to make it a fun break for her. If there was one thing he didn’t want to be remembered for it’s being a negligent parent, someone who put their work before their own child. He also spent those long suffocating summer days thinking about her and wondering what she was getting up to. She had only sent one letter to the Millers for the entire duration of the season - it was a beautiful postcard along with a picture of herself and her friends surrounded by greenery. The back of the card read:

Dear Joel,

I hope your summer is going well. Mine certainly is! I sent you a picture of me and my friends in the middle of a hike, which was very difficult but oh so worth it! The views are spectacular here, I wish you could see it for yourself. Many kisses to you, to Tommy, and especially to Saz.

With love,

She seemed so happy, her face beaming despite her sore limbs and sweaty skin. She deserved that kind of life, the kind where she would smile and laugh more often than she cried or frowned, the kind where she could rely on her partner at all times to have her needs met and her concerns heard, the kind she would feel supported even for the smallest things. Joel wanted to give her that life, but he wasn’t sure if he could. What she didn’t deserve was unanswered calls, postponed dates, tired exchanges, weird glances, constant worry, concerned comments, or countless excuses. It wasn’t a certainty that life with him would be like that, but it was a possibility, which was already too much of a risk. She might have reconsidered her feelings already, using her time away to really think about what she was getting into. He didn’t know when she’d be back, either, so instead of obsessing over it, he decided to occupy his mind with other things.

When his 35th birthday came around, it started just about how he expected it to. He woke up, feeling just as old as ever, got dressed, and went downstairs to be welcomed by the sight of Sarah setting up his birthday breakfast with Tommy’s very generous help. Afterward, they packed Tommy’s truck for the day, drove the child to school, and went to work. In the evening, on their way home, Joel noticed how weirdly non-talkative his brother was, letting the radio fill the silence instead.

“What’s going on?”

Tommy looked at him confusedly, “What do you mean?”

“You’re awfully silent.”

“What, am I not allowed to be?” he chuckled in response. “Do you want me to talk? ‘Cause I can. In fact, I was thinking about how Johnny-”

“Never mind, just- just forget I said anything.” Joel sighed, dismissing the conversation with a wave of his hand.

Once they parked in front of the garage, the absence of light in the house didn’t go unnoticed by the owner.

“Did Sarah tell you about goin’ to a friend’s?” he asked, suddenly anxious.

“I don’t recall. Maybe she went to bed.” his brother shrugged, prompting his brother to check his watch. It was only half past eight.

Carefully, he walked up to the door, its unlocked state rendering him vigilant, and cautiously walked into the pitch-black living room.

“Sarah?” he called out into what seemed to be an empty room.

Before he could take another step, all of the smaller lights turned on simultaneously as a group of people yelled ‘Surprise!’, each of them wearing some kind of silly party accessories such as a hat, oversized colorful glasses, or a boa. He also noted the sudden presence of confetti on himself, turning his head to see Tommy grinning with a party popper in his hand. The individuals standing in his home were all the closest he had to ‘friends’: people he had worked and gotten along with, a couple of dads he befriended through Sarah’s soccer games and the Adlers. Everyone took turns to hug the birthday boy before engaging in conversations in separate parts of the room. Sarah was the last and he gladly swept her into the biggest and warmest hug, immensely proud of his little girl.

“Did you plan this?”

“Yeah, Uncle Tommy helped. Do you like it?”

It was only then that he really looked at the way the space was decorated with streamers, balloons, cut-outs, and a big banner that read ‘Happy 35th, Joel’.

“I love it, baby girl, thank you.” he squeezed her one more time before letting go and walking over to catch up with every guest.

Everyone served themselves to the food put out on the coffee table, something the guests contributed to: deviled eggs, cheese pretzels, small cups of hummus and veggie sticks, fried shrimp, and a very well-assembled charcuterie board. After about an hour of chatting, Sarah announced it was time for his gift. His eyes were covered with a bandana then he heard her scurrying away towards the kitchen, turning the lights off on the way. He sat there for a few seconds and then heard it. He wasn’t sure if his ears were deceiving him, making him think (Y/N) was singing happy birthday to him. The pit in his stomach grew. She isn’t here, you’re making it up, you are losing it. But she sounded so vivid. When the song was over, he lowered the bandana with shaking hands and saw her standing in front of him, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the candles on the cake held by his daughter. Without thinking, he took a couple of steps and crashed his lips on hers rougher than he intended to. The deafening applause and cheering were drowned out by his emotions as he felt her flesh under his palms, desperately clinging onto her waist with one hand and her head with the other. Once they parted to catch their breath, he pressed his forehead against hers, wanting to keep her as close as possible.

“I missed you,” he whispered, the most vulnerable he’d ever been in front of others. “So damn much.”

“I missed you too,” she gently ran her thumbs across his cheeks, feeling many butterflies at the sight of his smile. “I meant what I said on the beach. I want to do this and a million more things with you.”

Their moment had to be interrupted by Tommy shoving a camcorder in their faces, asking to ‘say hello to the future’. Joel’s only response was to try and get the camera back (to no avail). The candles, long blown out by Sarah, were lit once more so he could properly make a wish. And all he could hope for as he stood there, surrounded by the people closest to him, was more moments just like it.

————-　❈　————-

Things only looked up for the pair from then on. They celebrated every single holiday together, dressed up for Halloween (after much pleading from (Y/N), who did not spare Joel’s little brother from her shenanigans) to enjoy the festivities with Sarah, organized countless movie nights and board-game sessions, and even frequented Sarah’s soccer games together more often than not. Everything was going smoothly until after her graduation when both of them realized what it meant for their future.

The weeks that followed were nothing but tense. It started with Joel distancing himself for no apparent reason, which naturally caused his lover to start asking questions. She was frustrated she had to pry him back open after they’d spent so much time together. He was avoidant, he was cold, and he made excuses, leading to the biggest argument they’d ever had after she barged into his house one evening when Sarah was away. It was a lot of yelling, many accusations, and even more words neither of them really meant.

“I can’t do this if you don’t talk to me, Joel.”

“Then don’t. Go,” he was heaving. She’d never seen him so angry. “I warned you. At the very beginning. I warned you and you didn’t listen, so this is all on you.”

She stepped out into the summer night with her face stained with endless tears, her eyes puffy, and her throat raw, hiccupping all the way to her car. As soon as the door closed, she broke down again, pouring her grief onto her steering wheel. That night was the last time she would visit the Miller residence. She said goodbye to Sarah alone a few weeks later, just before hitting the road. She would, however, see Joel again months later.

————-　❈　————-

September 26th, 2003.

09:06 pm

She walked down the street in downtown Austin, heading towards the bus that would take her on an hour-and-a-half trip to San Antonio. Vehicle in sight, she was only a few feet away from leaving the city behind before a voice called her name. She didn’t need to turn around to identify it. She wanted to be dramatic and petty and just get on the bus and not dwell on the past, but the past caught up to her. The past stood behind her as she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, cursing her treacherous heart, her stupid heart, her naive heart that got her into this mess in the first place. Love and hatred pulled her in opposite directions, and she realized then that despite seemingly having made her mind up at the start of summer, she was to decide her future right then and there: standing at the border of two lives with little to no time.

He called out for her again, and she gave in, owing herself a proper resolution to that affair.

“Hi, Joel.” she said, her tone flat as if talking to a stranger.

“I thought you left months ago.”

“I went on a trip around the country with some friends. They canceled my flight in San Antonio last week, and rescheduled it to 5 am tomorrow.”

The rescheduling was a pain in the ass. It meant she had to either book a cheap hotel near the airport and pray she wouldn’t miss her flight, or worse, sleep directly at the terminal. She had a strange sensation the universe was trying to stop her from going anywhere.

“Oh, well,” he mumbled, his hands in his jean pockets, finding sudden interest in his shoes. “I’m sorry.”

Feeling like this interaction was going nowhere, (Y/N) bid him a good night and resumed her walk towards the bus.

“For everything. I’m sorry for all of it.” his voice came closer. The feeling of deep-rooted sadness battled with the sensation of pent-up anger for control of her mind and body.

She scoffed, revealing a bit of that irritation, “And you call me difficult.”

“Look, I know, alright? I know I’m a stubborn asshole. I know that I can be cold and distant, I know I’m not very good at communicating. I wish-” he paused to catch his breath, or maybe think about his words before they slipped out. “I wish you hadn’t seen that side of me. God knows I haven’t felt so…at peace until I met you. I like who I am when you’re around, you balance me out. It’s selfish, very selfish, I mean you’ve got a whole future ahead of you, so many promising opportunities. And I guess I wanted to spare you from crashing and burning down the line, chained down to some guy going through a midlife crisis in Austin. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did that night and I won’t ever forgive myself for it, but I couldn’t bear the thought of you believing those words, so here I am.”

By the end of his monologue, small salty drops stained the ground beneath (Y/N)’s feet. Her heart ached for two reasons: the reassurance that he didn’t grow tired of her after all, and the grief of having to lose her love once again. She turned back to face him, noting his pleading eyes, and silently went up to wrap her arms around his neck, feeling his warmth, taking in his cologne, for the last time.

“I forgive you.”

“You don’t have to-”

“I forgive you, Joel. Happy birthday.” Her hands stroked the back of his head soothingly. She realized he was crying too, her jacket bunched up in his fists, his heart audibly breaking.

This wasn’t a fairytale, like the ones she used to read to Sarah. It wasn’t one of her period romance novels. Their story came to a bittersweet end; she felt thankful, however, that it had an end at all.

“Please be happy, okay? I don’t want you sulking around just because I’m not here to act as your personal cheerleader.” she spoke quietly, holding his face, her world, in her hands.

Joel chuckled through tears, “Don’t worry, Sarah can cover for you.”

The mention of her name caused another round of tears to pool in her eyes. “Tell Saz I’m sorry, and that I love her greatly. Tell Tommy I’ll miss him too; his snoring, not so much.”

After another beat of laughter and silence, the two reluctantly parted, acknowledging that her bus was to leave at any minute. Before he lost her for good, Joel pulled her in for one last kiss, sharing her pain and heartache.

“Be good.” she whispered into his lips before forcing herself to board the bus with a heavy heart.

She saw him outside her window, putting up a palm against the glass for her to mimic. As the bus drove away from its station, she watched as her lover became smaller and smaller before receding from her view. With the family she cared for behind her, the young woman observed the disappearing scenery of the city she called her second home with a fresh set of tears.

————-　❈　————-

masterlist: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6

tags: @elliaze @joeldjarin

#joel miller fanfic #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller one shot #joel miller x reader #joel miller fluff #joel miller x fem!reader #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x you #joel miller angst #joel miller x reader angst

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carabalism · 5 months

Text

nuisance part two

pairing(s) twd x teen!reader, daryl dixon × teen!reader (platonic)

warning(s) canon-typical violence/gore

wattpad link , masterlist , previous part

it was barely midday, yet it had already been a more than eventful day at the campsite. everyone seemed on edge and rightfully so, people were at each other's throats. y/n had the unfortunate luck of getting stuck in the crossfire of all the chaos.

"you've caught us at a bad time, i promise it's not always like this," lori sighed, rubbing a hand over her face in frustration, "we're grateful for the food you brought.. with daryl."

"that's a shame," y/n leaned against a cushion in the back seat of the rv, a smug look on her face, "seems fun here."

lori blinked at the girl, slightly puzzled by her. fun? the world was ending and society as everyone knew it had collapsed and this little girl thinks it's fun? lori nods, deciding to look past her comments, "okay.. dale told me your name's y/n, is that right?"

"mhm," y/n hummed in response, getting comfortable on the cushions, "man, this is way better than sleepin' on a tree."

"you've been sleeping.. in trees?" lori asked, "how long have you been on your own?"

y/n shut her eyes, resting her arms behind her head, getting comfortable in the back of the rv, "the biters can't get ya up there."

lori hummed in acknowledgment, y/n was a smart kid and lori could see that, "can i ask you about your family?"

y/n opened her eyes and stared at lori for a few seconds before responding, "how 'bout you ask me one question and then i get to ask you a question."

lori laughed, "seems only fair, fine then... where's your parents?"

"my dad's in atlanta probably with his buddies or somethin' by now, but i left 'im to go to my mom, she's in the countryside and i've been making my way there."

lori furrowed her eyebrows at the mention of atlanta, "honey... atlanta was bombed.. there's nothin' left there."

y/n squinted her eyes at lori, "you sure?"

"i'm so sorry.." lori gulped, "my son and i were headed to atlanta when this all happened, we never got close since the highway was so packed... then there were bombs. they bombed the entire city, i'm sorry honey."

y/n nodded, taking in the information and let out a sigh, "hm. that's a shame."

"guessin' you didn't have a great home life then?" lori frowned at the girl.

"hey? we agreed only one question, s'my turn now," y/n shot a pointed look at lori, "rick.. your husband?"

"he is," her face fell slightly at the mention of him, he was currently getting ready to go on a rescue mission for a piece of shit, "my turn... let's see... what is... your favourite colour?"

lori raises an eyebrow at the girl with a wide smile on her face. she knew not to touch the subject of her family again and decided to keep the questions lighthearted.

"seriously?" y/n scoffed, "that's your question?"

lori feigned offense at her response and scoffed back at the girl, "well excuse me little miss, you said i could ask anythin' i wanted and right now i'm dyin' to know what your favourite colour is."

y/n chuckled at the woman's enthusiasm, the slight increase in her southern drawl brought a smile to y/n's face. she rolls her eyes at lori, her mouth scrunching up to the side to hide her smile, "i dunno, probably green?"

"guessin' you've been seeing a lot of it nowadays," lori nodded, a soft smile on her face. the kind of smile that only a mother was capable of, it made y/n feel warm seeing it.

"what's daryl's deal?" y/n questions, her face scrunching up at the thought of the man, "seems like an asshole."

"hey, watch your mouth." lori points a finger at the girl.

"sorry, ma'am." the girl's manners were a surprise to lori, she hadn't expected it. y/n was plenty sarcastic and seemed pretty guarded, but she could also be polite and respectful. it confused lori, but she just assumed that y/n's parents were strict on manners.

"it's alright, hon," lori smiled at the girl.

"so what's his deal?" y/n repeats her question, tilting her head, "how do you people know each other?"

"well.. we don't really know each other all that well. shane, rick and my son are the only one's i know from.. well, before." lori explains, fidgeting with the necklace around her neck, "most of us met on the highway, we were all stuck there for a while and eventually we ended up here... as for daryl, no one really knows much about 'im, but he provides for the group, so none of us can complain."

"what about his brother?"

"it's my turn to ask a question," lori chuckles as y/n frowns at her, "how old are you?"

"i'm twelve."

"you're the same age as my son," lori smiles, "and another girl here, carol's daughter."

"cool.." y/n pauses to think of her next question, "what's one thing you miss from before?"

lori chuckled, a few things coming to mind, "oh wow, it'd have to be my phone, i miss texting my friends.. askin' when the next book club was gonna be... probably sounds boring to you, huh?"

y/n smiled at the woman and shook her head, "no ma'am, my mom was the leader of her book club, serious business."

"well, maybe me and your mom could start our own new book club," lori smiled back at y/n. she had to admit that the girl was nice to talk to when she let her guard down and dropped the sarcasm. lori had been given the job of figuring out what y/n's 'deal' was - whatever shane meant by that.

"she always tried to get me to join her meetings," y/n stared at her hands, as she fidgeted nervously, "i used to hate it. i struggle with readin' so.. never liked it, but now i wish i went with 'er more."

lori smiles sadly at the girl, offering a reassuring pat to her shoulder, "i know it may not be the same, but dale's got some books, we could read together one day, until you find your mom that is."

y/n looked up at lori and chuckled, "tryin' to get me to join a book club?"

lori laughs and shakes her head, "can't blame a gal for trying, can you?"

before y/n could respond, the rv door opened and shane stepped inside, "hey.. how's it goin' in here, everything okay?"

"just talking about starting a book club, weren't we y/n?" lori looked at y/n with a smile.

"yes ma'am." y/n nods, her eyes watching shane carefully as he stands by the door. something about him rubbed y/n the wrong way, it was an unexplainable feeling - just something in her gut.

shane nodded back, "okay then, rick's about to leave if you wanna speak with him."

"you gonna be okay for a few minutes, hon?" lori asked y/n, her face scrunched up in concern.

"yes ma'am."

"okay," lori nodded, she didn't take the girl's sudden switch in attitude personally. the two may have been joking and swapping stories previously, but lori understood that y/n may be on guard around people she hadn't yet spoken with, or maybe she was just shy. she was an interesting character to say the least - one she hoped would stick around.

lori left the rv, but shane stayed inside, watching y/n. he had already said his piece to rick, so he had no need to leave.

"y/n, right?" shane raises an eyebrow at the girl, taking a few steps closer to her. the floor of the rv creaks ever so slightly under him.

"yes sir." y/n crossed her arms over her chest, staring back at him intensely, trying to read the man.

"sir?" shane chuckles, running a hand through his hair, "ain't you polite?"

"i can be." y/n hisses.

"okay, okay, i get it, you don't know me so you're a little on edge, i get it," he raised his hands up to show he meant no harm, "just have a few questions for you s'all."

y/n stayed quiet for a few seconds and nodded to tell him to ask his questions.

"you on your own out there?" shane leaned against the door to the toilet, his body blocking the walkway that led to the exit. she knew he did it on purpose, but she hadn't intended on running out anyways, "ain't got no folks out there waiting on you?"

"i'm alone."

he hummed in response, impressed with the fact she had survived, "where's your folks at?"

y/n rolled her eyes and turned to face the window across from her, "is that all you people are gonna ask about?"

shane scoffed, rubbing a hand through his hair, "well excuse me for being curious why a kid's runnin' wild 'round the woods alone like some kid raised by wolves."

"y'know, curiosity killed the cat." y/n turned back to look at shane, shrugging her shoulders.

"how'd you survive out there?" he ignored her previous statement, not wanting to entertain a threat from a little girl.

"slept in places biters couldn't get me. places people wouldn't be lookin'."

"hm. that's smart." shane nodded, "you goin' back to the woods, or you gonna stay here?"

y/n raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised that her staying at the camp was even on the table at all, "stay?"

"the others are thankful for the food you 'n daryl brought back," shane paused, readjusting his stance to face y/n, "you know how to survive, you're resourceful. that much's obvious. we could use someone like you. besides, i ain't gonna send a kid away."

y/n squinted at the man, looking at the way he held himself. she rolls her eyes at him and asks a question that shane didn't expect, "you a cop?"

shane squinted at y/n, his head tilting to the side, "how'd you guess?"

"the way you're talkin' n' the way you carry yourself," y/n shrugged, she could have guessed with her eyes closed that the man was a cop, she had seen a fair few of them around her father growing up, "i was thinking military earlier, but that chokehold ya had on daryl seemed like you've been wantin' do that for a while.. now you can since the law don't mean nothing now."

shane laughed, "you got some brain in that head of yours."

"ain't got no time to be stupid."

"so you wanna stay or not?" shane repeated his earlier question, "you're free to leave any time."

y/n looked at her hands for a few seconds, debating whether or not she wanted to stay, "might as well, i caught those damn squirrels, it'd be a shame to not eat."

"watch your mouth." shane raises an eyebrow at her language.

"yes sir."

"no need to call me sir, this ain't nazi germany. shane's just fine," shane laughs, shaking his head slightly, "now c'mon out, meet some of the folks here, we won't bite."

y/n let's out a deep sigh. she knew that she'd have to meet the other people, but with how on edge everyone has been since her arrival, despite her not being the cause of the camp's anxiety, she'd rather not talk to any of them.

"hey there again," dale smiled at y/n, crossing his arms over his chest, "what're you up to now?"

"i'm supposed to meet the people at the camp. shane said i should and decide whether i want to stay or not." y/n surveys the campsite whilst explaining her plans to dale, scouting the people she'd have to talk to.

"well are ya gonna stay for dinner at least?" from what dale gathered, y/n was on her own in the woods and he didn't feel right sending a child back out there. not after what he had seen.

"duh," y/n rolled her eyes, "i caught more than half of that, i ain't letting y'all rob me."

dale laughed in response, amused at her words, "well, let me take you to meet everyone then, huh? i'll make sure each conversation is nice and short so you're not stuck listening to people go on and on."

y/n let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes again, "fine, but if i poke your side it means i wanna stop chattin'."

"just pat my arm, no need to poke me kiddo."

"she doesn't act like she's a child. she definitely doesn't act her age at least.." lori muttered, staring at the newest addition to the group from afar. y/n had been sat talking with carl and sophia for a while, so lori kept a watchful eye - she trusted the girl enough to be around her son and she trusted the people at the camp, but she couldn't be too trustful. something about the girl didn't seem right, "it's just the start of all this mess and she's already more mature than she should be..."

"maybe that's a good thing," shane shrugged, "the world's changed, kids gotta toughen up now."

lori let out a sigh, shaking her head, "you don't get what i'm sayin' shane. she's the same age as carl for crying out loud. if she's grown up that fast, it's only a matter of time before carl stops being a kid too," lori brushed her hair out of her face anxiously, "this can't be the world, kids need to be kids, families shouldn't be broken apart- hell, kids shouldn't be armed with weapons, she should barely know how to use a knife like that."

shane rolled his eyes and sighed, "i get it, you don't want your boy to grow up too fast, but it's not a bad thing she knows what she's doin'. could be an asset to us, you seen the haul she 'n daryl got together? we'd never go hungry lori. carl won't go hungry."

lori nodded, acknowledging y/n's skills, "you're right, but i still feel sorry for her, she's clearly on edge around this many people... don't know what she's been through, but it doesn't seem like anything good."

"so... d'ya talk with rick?" shane's arms tensed at his own question.

"we talked," lori nodded, "shane. you have to understand that what we were doing is over. you told me my husband was dead, i didn't know any better."

shane clenched his jaw, tilting his head to the side to pretend he was watching the other people at the camp, "i thought he was dead, okay? i wouldn't lie about that, not rick."

y/n glanced over at lori and shane sat on a log speaking in hushed voices, but she could tell by their body language that neither of the two were happy, or comfortable.

"what's that guy's problem?" y/n gestured over at shane.

"oh, that's shane. he's my dad's friend," carl shrugged, "he saved me and my mom, he's cool."

"seems intense," y/n muttered, looking over at sophia, who just silently fidgeted with her fingers, "you okay?"

sophia looked up from her hands and nodded, a polite smile on her face, "yes.. thank you."

"sophia's not really good with new people, she's shy," carl explained, "there's a few other kids at the camp, but they're with their family right now."

"cool," y/n nodded, wondering when dale was going to return from his bathroom break to relieve her from the awkward conversation with the two kids.

"how did you survive on your own? it's none of my business, but my mom said you were out there alone.. is that true?" sophia asked, her voice meek and cautious, y/n recognised the voice as the one she'd used around her father. instantly y/n had figured sophia out, y/n knew she could trust her.

"started hunting and tracking when i was first able to, i've been doin' that to avoid people and catch dinner," y/n shrugged and readjusted the way she was sat. she sat with her legs crossed on the dirt, the position reminding her of her time at school.

"you were on your own?" carl asks, his eyes wide with amazement.

"yeah."

"that's awesome!" carl grins, admiring y/n's ability to survive on her own.

"awesome?" y/n questioned, frowning at the boy, "you really think that's awesome?"

"uh- i mean... yeah?"

y/n scoffs at carl, her eyebrows furrowing together in frustration at his naivety, "really? awesome? if you had been out there by yourself, you wouldn't think it was awesome. people die out there."

"well, you didn't?" carl responds, unsure why y/n seemed so irritated, he meant what he said as a compliment.

"that's 'cause i know what i'm doing, but i stand just as much a chance as everyone else out there." y/n crosses her arms over her chest, looking back at the rv to see if dale was back yet. he sure was taking his damn time.

"i think you have a better chance than most people.." sophia smiles shyly at y/n. y/n seemed unpredictable and sophia was slightly intimidated by her, but sophia was hopeful that she'd win y/n over and gain a new friend.

"yeah! you can hunt and stuff and you have a bow." carl nods in agreement with sophia. he admired y/n. she was the same age as him, yet she knew things that he didn't. he could learn a lot about survival from y/n if she stayed.

"i've seen people get shot for no reason other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. i've seen biters tear people's limbs and organs apart. nothing about anything that's happened is awesome. you have to take this shit seriously, or you die. got it?" y/n talks with a serious tone, but keeps her voice down to avoid adults overhearing her.

carl and sophia both share an uneasy look after listening to what y/n said and they both aren't sure how to respond. they're silent, horrified by the thought of what y/n had seen, but luckily dale was back to relieve them from the unnerving conversation.

"hey carl, sophia," dale smiles at the other two children, "i see you've met y/n."

dale takes note of the expressions on carl and sophia's faces. they seem distraught, but they nod in response to dale.

"hey kid," dale taps y/n on the shoulder, "there's something i need your opinion on, follow me?"

y/n nods and stands up from the ground, grateful to have an excuse to leave carl and sophia. she follows dale into the rv and he sits down in the booth, gesturing to the seat across for him for y/n to sit down.

"what happened out there?" dale asks, raising an eyebrow at y/n, "they looked a bit pale, did you.. say something?"

y/n realises that dale didn't need her opinion on anything and she sighs, shrugging her shoulders, "i just told 'em what they needed to hear."

dale's face holds an unamused expression as he looks over at y/n, leaning his arms on the table that separates them, "i know you've probably seen a lot out there during your time alone, but carl and sophia haven't.. you might want to be a little.. sensitive."

"sensitive?" y/n's face scrunches up in disagreement, "i'm just tellin' them how it is. sheltering them does nothing. if anything, it'll just get 'em killed faster."

dale sighs at y/n's response, "what i'm trying to say is that you might scare them."

"good. they should be scared. everyone here should be scared, this ain't some game or family camping trip," y/n scoffs, leaning back in her seat.

before dale could respond to y/n, the rv door opens and lori walks inside.

great. y/n thinks to herself. those little shits ratted on me.

"hey dale, could you give us a minute?" lori smiles at the older man as he leaves the rv. dale was slightly relieved that lori wanted to speak with y/n, he hoped that she would have better luck getting through to y/n.

"hey y/n." lori takes a seat where dale previously was sitting, "how are you liking the camp so far? i hope everyone's been nice to you so far."

"cut to the chase," y/n rolls her eyes, "i know carl ratted me out."

"he didn't rat you out, he's just worried about you," lori smiles nervously at y/n, there really was no beating around the bush with this girl, "apparently you said some things that made him and sophia concerned?"

"they're the ones that said me being on my own was 'awesome'. i was just trying to tell them they were wrong and they shouldn't say stuff like that."

"well, they both are sorry that they upset you, they didn't mean to be insensitive to you," lori pauses, nervously chewing on her lip, "in the future, please don't say things like that to them.. i don't want them to be too scared to sleep.. it's been hard enough recently."

y/n thinks about the countless sleepless nights she's had, the long nights where she feared for her life. oh, but she wouldn't want carl and sophia to struggle with getting to sleep.

"yeah, whatever." y/n was done with the conversation at that point. she had nothing else to say. she did partially feel guilty for saying those things to carl and sophia, it was a little harsh and after all they just wanted to befriend her.

"squirrel's ready to eat, some of the others were cooking whilst rick and the rest left," lori turned towards the door and looked back at y/n, "c'mon before it's all gone."

y/n didn't respond, but she nodded at lori before following her out of the rv.

lori could tell that y/n's demeanor had changed, she was much quieter, but definitely more alert. she observed, or at least that's what y/n had been doing whilst they ate - not once did y/n's eyes stop watching the other people around her.

"you don't have to be on guard here, you know that right?" lori whispered, rubbing y/n's back softly. y/n flinched from the touch, but didn't push her away. lori takes note of how y/n's body stiffens at her touch and takes note of it, her reaction confirming the thoughts lori had been having about y/n and her life before.

"you always gotta be alert," y/n shrugged, staring at ed with a frown on her face, "you figure people out faster that way."

"figure out people? what do you mean?" lori's face scrunched up in confusion.

"my dad was a lot like ed," y/n looked up at lori, "i'm guessing that's sophia's dad."

"y'know, you could've been a really good detective." lori complimented her, "what were the clues?"

"i figured carol was her mother, i saw carol and ed together - my mom and dad were like them before they split up..." y/n sighed, "i was like sophia when i was younger."

"she's your age, y/n?" lori chuckled.

"i know, but i..." y/n rolled her eyes at her own words and sighed, "i don't know what i'm saying forget about it."

"i know we just met, but there's not many other people around nowadays, so we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other, if you do stay that is", lori shrugged, attempting to make y/n feel like she had a choice whether she left or not, though lori wasn't so keen on letting a child leave a safe place with adults. lori didn't want y/n to feel caged in, "you can talk to me whenever you want about anything you want, okay hun?"

y/n nodded and went back to people watching, "this fire should be put out soon, you keep it up any longer biters will show up, or people."

lori nodded and passed the information onto shane. y/n remained at the fireplace, watching people like she had been doing before.

sophia slipped away from her mother's side and sat down next to y/n in front of the fire, "hi again.."

y/n glanced at sophia from the corners of her eyes, "hi."

"i'm sorry about carl..." she sighs, "it's been so long since there was a new kid at the camp, we were just happy..."

y/n smiles a little, trying to reassure sophia. the last thing y/n wanted was to make her feel like she did anything wrong, "it's okay sophia."

"no problem..." she smiled back nervously, "you must be pretty brave though, right?"

y/n frowned at sophia and tilted her head to the side, "no. i hid the entire time i was on my own. that's not brave."

sophia shook her head and smiled, "if i was on my own, i don't think i'd survive."

"you would," y/n replied almost a little too quickly, "don't say that."

"i guess being on your own makes you a pretty good liar too, huh?" sophia giggles, making y/n laugh.

"shut up, i'm serious."

"i'm glad there's a girl my age here now.. i was getting bored of just talking to carl," sophia whispered, "we're going to have so much fun."

y/n smiled at sophia, she didn't get mad by her words like she had at carl earlier. she figured the two hadn't seen anything yet. never saw a man get torn apart in front of them. never seen another kid get shot point blank. none of it. they had been shielded from it all and as much as she felt it was unfair, she didn't want to be the one to ruin their outlook on life. they still had hope. she wasn't going to take that away from them.

who knows, maybe y/n could allow herself to be a kid for just a bit longer. there were a few capable people at camp that could protect her. maybe she could allow herself to befriend sophia.

"yeah.. can't wait."

#twd x teen!reader #twd x reader #daryl dixon x teen!reader #daryl dixon x reader #twd fanfiction #carabalism

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asimplearchivist · 8 months

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‘ 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓼 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓯𝓵𝓪𝓽 . ’

𝐂𝐇. 𝐈𝐈 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

[𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓽'𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽] [ 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 ] AO3 | SPOTIFY | PINTEREST summary ☾ ⤏ the instant marc laid eyes upon you, he knew without a doubt that you were steven’s soulmate. ⤏ he never stopped to consider that you might be his, too. pairing(s) ☽ steven grant/reader | marc spector/reader word count ☾ 14.0k a/n ☽ ⤏ this isn’t an actual soulmate au, despite the summary, but after reading @astroboots’/@thirstworldproblemss’ and @softlyspector’s flawless renditions of marc, I’ve been absolutely normal about him. (lying. he’s starting to consume me, even though I am still very much a steven simp and adore jake as well. I love one mk system—they’ve become such integral comfort characters to me, it’s not even funny.) ⤏ [but seriously y’all go read Moonstruck, Tales Untold, and Red Flags, rn this instant if you haven’t, as well as all their other works! they’re such inspiring, stunning writers that I envy dearly, and you’ll be enriched by their breathtaking prose for it. Oh, and their smut is phenomenal, too! ;)] ⤏ hope you guys enjoy! :) ☽ MASTERPOST ☾ ☾ PREVIOUS CHAPTER ⤎ ☥ ⤏ NEXT CHAPTER ☽

The first time Steven had met you, it had been strictly by happenstance.

The first time Marc met you, officially, it was an accident.

Don’t forget the interview tomorrow, buddy.

Steven scoffed a laugh, lips curling at the edges at the mere thought. “Me? Forget about that? Who exactly do you think I am?”

Marc huffed softly, half-dozing in the headspace as he idly observed Steven’s measured movements: a chipped mug fished from the overflowing dish drain, a cursory glance at its interior in the dim lighting to make sure no residue remained after its last wash, set on the counter while the wailing kettle was tipped over to pour in steaming water. Kettle down on another burner, tin of loose leaf valerian and chamomile popped open, infuser filled and submerged; sugar and oat milk to taste after a moment of cooling blows—too damned sweet on Marc’s tongue, but Steven hummed in satisfaction and set the mug to the side while he dutifully put away the supplies in the cubicle Marc had set up in the corner of the countertop specifically to contain Steven’s frequent messes.

Just reminding you. You haven’t stopped talking about it since last week. Steven would be crushed if he missed out on his interview to get back on with the museum—HR had already cautioned him of a lengthy probation period after the circumstances of his suspension, despite having long since paid off the property damages incurred that spring, but Steven had been too thrilled to go back to take any negativity to heart. He’d seen a position open up for a tour guide online and hadn’t allowed it to leave his mind since—or his mouth, for that matter.

“Well, as long as you don’t take off for Cairo or the other side of Europe while we’re sleepin’, I don’t think I’ll have much to worry about, yeah?” Steven retorted, taking his mug with him to his desk. The empty Thai takeout container was pushed to the side in favor of his piping drink, and Steven was soon cozied up in his chair and plucking his readers from where he’d tucked them into his sweater to perch them on the end of his nose. Marc had stopped paying attention to the text hours before, convinced he’d go cross-eyed from staring blankly at too many more of the incomprehensible glyphs (because in whose right mind would an ax represent anything other than an ax?). Steven’d always had the attention span of a bloodhound—zipping back and forth across pages and books until fixating on something and following the trail to its very end. It was exhausting to Marc, but he had to admit that it had been integral to saving the world (and their own life), at least. “There is a reason I’ve been brushin’ up, you know.”

You’ll do fine. I don’t know why you’re afraid you won’t get hired—they’d be stupid not to, as much as you’ve got crammed in your head. (…Their head? Marc was still uncertain.)

“...It’s not all this I’m worried about, necessarily,” Steven responded after a beat, eyes rising to the window reflecting their shared face. Marc raised a brow at him. “Donna’s got her fingers all up in management, you know—the only reason they’re humorin’ me is ‘cause of a dare hopin’ I’ll make a fool of myself, I’m sure of it—and after everythin’…” His expression pinched, a look far too like Marc’s own for his liking. “...they thought I was bonkers.”

To be fair… Marc began wryly.

“I know, I know. Don’t change the fact that I was mentally unstable in their eyes. Worse, maybe—a maniac.” Steven’s eyes dropped back down to the dusty old tome, his tone growing despondent. “This is probably all just a courtesy to formally dismiss me, and I’ll make a proper fool of myself, then.” He paused, then sighed, dejected. “But what else can I do?”

Go somewhere that’ll actually appreciate your talents, Marc answered firmly. Donna’s a bitch. And if she keeps you from getting this job, I’ll make her regret it.

“You’ll do no such thing.”

Watch me. We wouldn’t have anything else to lose at that point. Marc paused, took in Steven’s melancholic expression, and he blamed his blunt candor on his exhaustion. They don’t deserve you, you know.

“I do know, but I don’t know where else to go. We won’t be able to live off your merc money forever, so at least one of us needs to have a real job since you’re not…bounty huntin’, or whatever it was you actually did, anymore.” Steven scratched his hairline and dug his fingers into his curls to tug them while in thought. “I suppose if they don’t take me back, I’ll have to look into somethin’ else. But for now…” Steven’s jaw unhinged as a yawn pried at Marc’s weariness. The readers were set down upon the page, and Steven rubbed at his heavy eyelids. “Guess stayin’ up wonderin’ on ‘what if’s won’t help much, will it? No, don’t think so.”

Not really. Marc settled further back into his receding lucidity, basking in the serene warmth it provided—just like the soft fibers of finely knit cashmere against his skin. Good luck.

“Thanks, mate.” Steven stood, downed his tea in a long draft, and turned to head for the bathroom to freshen up—but Marc was already fading fast. “Talk to you tomorrow, Marc.”

‘Night, Steven.

Read the rest of the chapter here! :)

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fanartandfanfiction · 11 months

Text

Ominis/MC drabble featuring Meatball

based on a modern AU text post I wrote, and @slythersloots suggested I write a drabble, so here you go! Eventually this will be a chapter in my "Saga of Meatball" series but I thought you all would enjoy it now.

Ominis was sitting at his desk studying when he heard knocking on his door.

“YOOOOO-HOOOO! OMINISSS!”

He smiled to himself. It was Melody. He got up and opened the door and was immediately met with a hug.

“You’re so soft. I think I’d like to stay here.” Melody rested her head against his chest.

Ominis sniffed. “Melody? Are you drunk?”

“A little.” She replied against his chest.

“Would you like me to escort you back to your dorm?”

“Noooo I wanna play with Meatball! Hello my little cutie patootie.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Meatball asked as Melody picked him up and muttered incoherently.

“She’s drunk. She drank alcohol and it lowers your inhibitions and makes you quite silly.”

“I’m gonna try something real quick, hang on.” Melody looked Meatball intensely in the eyes “ HIIIISSSSSiiiiisssssIIIIIssss!”

“What the fuck?”

“Melody, what are you doing?” Ominis asked.

“Speaking in parseltongue. Did he understand me?”

“Yes, he did.”

“What? It was nonsense, I don’t think it was even words, just sounds.”

“Yes, but it’ll make her happy.” Ominis replied.

“I’m tired.” Melody said.

“Let me take you back to your dorm.”

“Nooo I just wanna snuggle my lil Meatball!” She brought him over by Ominis’ bed. Meatball’s long body was too much for drunk Melody.

“Um, a little help?” Meatball asked.

“Here, let me help you.” Ominis stepped forward and picked up Meatball’s tail. “How about you just sit down right there, alright?”

“Sure, sure. And you.” She grabbed at his shirt.

“No, not me. Just sit there for a-HEY!” Melody pulled him downwards onto the bed. “Melody!”

“Both my boys.” She hummed happily as she stroked Ominis’ hair. “My pretty little snake boys.”

Ominis’ could tell she was getting drowsy, and he needed to get away from her. He didn’t want her to do something she’d regret and he was, unfortunately, very sober and very aware of her body against his on his bed. He stood up abruptly and she whined. “Just stay there and get some rest, ok? Meatball will stay with you.”

“Ok.” Melody said and laid down. Meatball crawled over and layed on her protectively.

“I’ll keep her safe.”

“Thank you. I need to step out.” Ominis left, flipping the light off and leaving Meatball and Melody. He headed to the one place he knew he would be alone and comfortable: the undercroft.

He really needed to address his crush on Melody. To be honest, it was more than a crush. He loved everything about her. Her laugh, the feeling of her soft hair when it brushed against him, the warmth of her hand. She felt like a ray of sunshine after a lifetime of standing in the rain. What was he going to do?

Sebastian opened the door to their shared dorm. It was dark, so he figured Ominis was asleep. He stepped into the room and heard a low hissing. He looked towards Ominis’ bed and Meatball was sitting up and at attention, hissing at him and looking angry. “Hey, hey, it’s me. It’s fine.” Meatball relaxed slightly but still eyed him warily. The person on the bed stirred and sat up.

“Melody?!”

“Heeeey! It’s Sebastian!” Melody said excitedly. “Hey buddy!” She got up and stumbled over to him and hugged him. She looked to be wearing a party dress.

“What are you doing here?”

“Sleepin.” She answered.

“I get that, but why are you HERE? In our room?”

“I wanted to see Meatball. And Ominis.” She suddenly burst into tears.

“Hey, woah, what’s the matter?” He held onto her as she cried against his chest.

“He’s MAD at me!”

“Who’s mad at you?”

“Ominis! He left!”

“What do you mean he left? He just left you here by yourself?”

“With Meatball.” She sniffed. “He’s mad at me. I don’t want him to be mad at me!”

“Hang on, let me text him and see what’s going on.” Sebastian said reassuringly. Why don’t you sit back down with Meatball?”

About a half an hour after he’d left, Ominis’ phone buzzed.

Sebastian 11:35 PM: Ominis.

Ominis 11:35 PM: Yes?

Sebastian 11:35 PM: Would you like to explain why Melody is in our room, drunk and in your bed with Meatball wrapped around her on a Saturday night and you’re not here??

Ominis 11:36 PM: Oh, I meant to text you. She showed up drunk and said she wanted to cuddle Meatball. I made her sit down and she tried to take me with her. So I left her and Meatball on my bed.

Sebastian 11:36 PM: So Melody was drunk and tried to climb into your bed with you and you ran away?

Ominis 11:36 PM: Of course. She’s drunk. Are you saying you would have let her crawl into bed with you?

Sebastian 11:37 PM: I wouldn’t do anything, if that’s what you’re implying, but I’d stay with her. And by the way, now she’s awake and crying because she thinks you’re mad at her.

Shit. He shouldn’t have left her. She was drunk and confused and upset. He had just been overwhelmed and anxious. His phone began buzzing again.

Melody 11:38 PM: r u mad at me? 😣

Melody 11:38 PM: I just love Meatball

Melody 11:38 PM: And u

Melody 11:38 PM: whoops

Melody 11:39 PM: cats outta the bag!

Melody 11:39 PM: who put a cat in a bag anyway? Thats mean

Melody 11:39 PM: where did u go?

Melody 11:39 PM: O no. U dont like me

Melody 11:40 PM: Im sorry

Melody 11:40 PM: dont be mad, k?

Melody 11:40 PM: sorry

She loved him? Did she mean it? Or was she just drunk? And did she mean it like “you’re my friend and I love you” or “I LOVE you?” She seemed surprised she’d sent it. Regardless, he needed to reply to her.

Ominis 11:41 PM: I’m sorry, I’m coming back. I’m not mad at you, I shouldn’t have left. And this is a discussion we should have when you’re sober.

Melody 11:41 PM: 🐍🐍🐍

Melody 11:41 PM: that was meatball sayin hi

He needed to go back and handle this like an adult. He’d been foolish to just run away because he was scared of his own feelings. He headed back to their dorm.

“Melody, please put that down.” Sebastian said as Melody held up a trophy.

“What’d you win an award for? Being a big DORK?” She asked and then giggled.

“You’re kind of a mean drunk.” He grumbled. He stood up and took the trophy and she tried to reach for it. He held it up out of her reach and she huffed. Then she jumped on him.

Ominis approached their door and heard weird sounds coming from inside. Were they fighting? He pushed open the door and heard Sebastian.

“Melody! Stop it!”

“I wanna SEEEEE!”

“Get off of me, you leech!”

“What the hell is going on?!” Ominis said from the doorway.

“Your girlfriend here is a handful when she’s drunk. She keeps grabbing my stuff.”

“You won’t let me see it!” Melody protested.

“It’s glass and sharp and you don’t need it!”

“Ugh!” Melody huffed.

“Perhaps I should have kept him safe from her. He crumpled like a leaf when she jumped on him.” Meatball said.

Ominis chuckled. “Melody, hey, come sit down, alright?”

“Ok.” Melody said as she got off the floor.

“I think you bruised me!” Sebastian grumbled.

Melody sat on the bed and Meatball slithered over. “Hey little buddy.” She said and stroked his head.

“I’m sorry I left you. I’m not mad at you. Are you alright?”

“Fine.” She leaned over and whispered loudly “Sebastian is kind of a wimp.”

“I heard that.” Sebastian replied.

“Melody, do you want me to take you back to your dorm?”

“No. I wanna stay here. Slumber party! Woohoo!” She grabbed Ominis’ pillow. “PILLOW FIGHT!” She leaped towards Sebastian and Ominis heard the “THWUMP.”

“Merlin’s beard, why are you so violent?!” He attempted to shield himself as Melody giggled and beat him with a pillow. She finally collapsed into laughter and sat beside Sebastian and gave him a side hug.

“Ominis.” Sebastian said flatly, clearly annoyed.

“Melody, how about you come sit over here with Meatball and leave Sebastian alone?”

“I wanna fight him!” She replied.

“No, you’re not going to fight Sebastian. What exactly did you drink?”

“Whiskeeeey! Garreth snuck it in.”

“If I sit here with you, will you get some sleep?”

“Yep.” She said happily.

“Here.” Sebastian tossed her an extra pair of his pajamas. “We’ll step out, you change, alright?”

“It’s fine!” Melody stood up and began unzipping her dress.

“Woah, woah! Ominis is blind, not me. Hang on.” Sebastian grabbed Ominis and hauled him out of the room.

“Was she taking her clothes off in front of you?” Ominis asked, red tingeing his cheeks.

“She just unzipped the top of her dress. It looked pretty uncomfortable, so I gave her some of my pajamas.”

“That was nice of you, considering she wanted to fight you.” Ominis smiled.

“Yeah, tomorrow I’m asking Garreth what exactly he snuck in, because she was aggressive.”

They both turned their heads at the sound of music inside. Ominis sighed. “What now?”

“Do we assume she’s dressed?” Sebastian asked.

“Hang on, stay out here.” He opened the door enough for Meatball to hear him.

“Did she put on the clothes?”

“Half of them. Just the top half.” He replied.

“Shit. She doesn’t have pants on.”

“You’re up, buddy.” Sebastian said, patting his shoulder.

Ominis sighed and pushed the door open. “Melody. Please put some pants on.”

“Too big! They fell off.”

“Her bottom is covered, if that’s your concern.” Meatball said to him.

“Fine. Sebastian, you can come in.”

Sebastian tentatively stepped into the room. Melody was dancing around wearing just his shirt, but due to their size difference, it was basically a nightgown on her. “Sebby! Dance with meeee!”

“Melody, you said you’d go to bed. Come on, time to rest.” Ominis said, guiding her to the bed. Sebastian flipped the music off.

“Stay with me.” She said.

“If I do, will you rest?”

“Yep.”

“Fine.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and he felt Melody crawl onto the bed beside him. She snuggled against his side and Meatball wrapped himself around them both.

“Aaaaaaw.” Sebastian said as Melody fell asleep.

“Don’t even.” Ominis glared.

#hogwarts legacy #fanfic #hogwarts legacy fanfic #hogwarts legacy modern au #hogwarts legacy texting #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #meatball #meatball the snake #hogwarts legacy ominis #hogwarts legacy sebastian

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sarahs-secrets2 · 1 year

Text

We Both Know (Phillip Graves x Reader) 18+࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

something short while I work on sugar daddy graves! just for funsies! Pretend this is the first time I've ever used this Phillip photo LMAO I've used them all I think so I'm just gonna rearrange them in this new format.

Based on We Both Know by Bryson Tiller

gn! (no use of Y/N)

Word Count: 810

Warnings: NSFW, light smut, douche alert!!!!, fxck buddy Graves, pet names (you know the deal), swearing, low-key toxic oops

₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

Being a Shadow wasn't easy, especially when your Commander was Phillip Graves, the handsome blonde Southern boy. You had put effort into not falling for his charm which seemed to work on everyone. Your attempts to not fall for him were successful for about 6 months. Once the Commander had his eyes set on you, it was like hunting his prey, and he always won.

He started off by catching your eyes across the room, then lingering touches on your arm, then your waist. His final attempt, which worked, was when he caught you in the hallway. He grabbed your arm lightly as you walked past each other, whispering in your ear to meet him in his room later.

That night was the first time of a long string of hookups with Graves. Being the Commander meant being his fuck buddy came with rules. Phillips Graves’ friends-with-benefits rules consisted of being professional in public settings, do not expect anything more than sex from him, and he does not belong to you. These rules he established allowed him to be free while still getting his dick wet, quite the charmer he was. As much as you hated Graves’ stuck-up rules, it was nice to have a place to release the pent-up energy, plus he wasn't bad in bed.

As time went on, the rules became looser and the line blurred, you had started to catch feelings for the Commander. It wasn't something you had expected, and you didn't know where he stood on how he felt toward you.

On this particular night, Phillip had allowed you to stay in his room instead of sending you back to yours, like usual. The two of you laying together in his bed made you think of if there was any potential for a future with him.

“Would you ever settle down?” your voice breaking the silence in the room.

“Not now, too busy,” his eyes were half-lidded as he spoke, you could tell he was tired.

“You would never want to get married? Just fuck the rest of your life?”

“Damn right”, he laughed thinking it was supposed to be a joke, “What made you ask that anyways”, he yawned, turning to face you in bed now.

“I don't know, I don’t want to get into it”, you hoped he would be tired enough to drop the conversation so you didn't have to explain your newfound feelings towards him.

“I’ve got all night doll, lemme hear it”

“I’m just saying if you wanted me to, I’d wait for you”, you turned to lay on your back, in an attempt to avoid his eyes.

“We got our rules hun, don’t wait for me, this ain’t nothing besides sleepin’ together,” he adjusted so he could see your face, his hand stroked your cheek, “You knew the rules gettin’ into this, yeah?”, all you could was nod in response.

The silence coated the room again.

Your mind was racing as you finally decided to speak up again, “Then I'm not playing games with you anymore”, you swung your legs off the side of the bed grabbing your t-shirt off the floor before leaving the Commanders room, letting the door slam a little louder than usual.

Graves smirked to himself as he watched you leave knowing how you wouldn't be able to stay away from him, and he couldn't stay away from you.

It had been two days since you walked out of Phillip Graves’ room, and you had been fighting every urge to go back since. You had since decided the friends-with-benefits needed to end, it wasn't doing you any favors at this point, only growing your feelings towards the Commander.

Shockingly you heard a knock at the door, even more shocking was Graves at the other side of the door.

“I just wanted to apologize for what I said darlin’, bit harsh wasn't it” he half-smiled as he scratched the back of his neck as he scanned your eyes looking for some kind of sign. To his dismay, your face gave nothing away as you motioned for him to come into your room.

“Whaddya say, can we get back to it?” he walked towards you, resting his hands on your hips. As much distaste as you had for him at the moment, you couldn't deny how his touch set you on fire. His hands caught the edge of your t-shirt, he looked at you for confirmation as you nodded he began slowly pulling your shirt up. His lips connected to your collarbone pushing you towards the bed.

“I missed this” he muttered against your skin in between kisses.

“This is the last time” you breathed out as Phillip was unbuttoning your pants while you tried to slip his shirt off of him.

He laughed, “We both know that isn't true, now is it darlin’?”

#Spotify #phillip graves smut #phillip graves cod #phillip graves #philip graves x reader #phillip graves x reader #warren kole #cod graves #cod mw2

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catierambles · 7 months

Text

for @kingliam2019 because they smashed a perfectly good mug (rude) and @shinisenko because they politely asked for more

They stared at each other for a long moment before she turned and ran, heading for her room.

"Wait!" He called after her, but she didn't stop, running into her bedroom and closing the door, throwing the knob lock. She didn't hear anything for a long moment before there was scratching at the door along with a low whine and she unlocked it, seeing Sy on the other side.

"Get in get in get in!" She said hurriedly, ushering him into the room and he hopped up on her bed, sitting down. "Buddy, I know you're a sweetheart and everything, but you couldn't have bitten the half naked home invader?" She asked, looking out the door but not seeing him anywhere. "I know he's a big guy, but I like your chances better than his."

"Well, here's the thing..." She whipped around, seeing him sitting on her bed, one of her pillows over his bare lap. "I'mma explain. First off, I'm Kyle Syverson, nice to formally meetcha."

"Syverson." She said and he nodded.

"Yes, ma'am." He said and she paused before giving a sigh.

"Sy." She said and he nodded again.

"Yes, ma'am." He said with an embarrassed smile. "Can you grab the pants? They're right outside the door." Turning, she opened the door again and looked down, seeing the sweatpants on the hall floor. Picking them up, she handed them back to him and he took them. She kept her back to him as she heard him get off the bed and put them back on. "I'm decent."

"Explain." She said, turning back around and he ran a hand over his shorn hair.

"I'm a shapeshifter."

"Fuckin' figured! You shifted from another shape!" She said and he nodded. "You've been here a week and you didn't think to clue me in?! What was your grand plan?!"

"I...didn't really think that far ahead." He admitted, "I got a Karen for a neighbor and she called Animal Control even though I told her that "my dog" was harmless and wouldn't bother her. I was in my own yard and everythin'. Comin' across you was just a stroke of luck. Thanks for coverin' for me, by the way, you didn't have to do that. Don't know what I woulda done if I had been taken to the pound."

"No problem." She said, "Wait...you slept in bed with me."

"Yeah." He said, giving her another embarrassed look.

"I was in my underwear one night!"

"It was a warm night and your bedroom is West facin'." He said with a shrug.

"Did you...turn back while I was asleep?"

"No, I did not." He said, "I can't sleep and stay shifted at the same time, so I just stayed awake all night, sleepin' when you went to work."

"But you fell asleep on my lap a couple of times."

"Very nearly, but not quite." He said, "You're comfortable, and it felt nice when you ran your fingers through my fur."

"Why didn't you just leave after the first night? Why stay?"

"I dunno, really." He said with a shrug, "I was bein' looked after. I knew it couldn't last forever, though." He gave a sigh, "I know this is weird, but I was a good dog, wasn't I?"

"Yeah." She said, "You were a good dog." That got her a smile and she had to admit, it was a nice smile. "Though, it's probably more accurate to say you were a good wolf?"

"Yeah." He said with a shrug, "Technically speakin'. But don't worry, I ain't gonna suggest we just go back to how it was. That'd be weird seein' as you know now."

"A bit, yeah."

"But I don't just want to say "thanks for everythin'" and leave entirely, you know? I like you. You took care of me when you didn't have to." He said, "You coulda just taken me to the nearest shelter and washed your hands of it, but you didn't."

"So?"

"So, maybe, I dunno, we can get to know each other better?" He suggested, "Not askin' for anythin' inappropriate, seeing how we met, but I'd like to spend time together when I'm not covered in fur on all fours." She was quiet for a long moment.

"Yeah, I'd like that too." She said another nice smile pulled at his lips.

#henry cavill #captain syverson

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starfxkr · 3 months

Note

hiii can u do rafe being a girl dad please🥺 i can’t stop thinking abt this

im also a rafe cameron girl dad truther!!!

shes his bestie im tellin you, like when he found out you were pregnant he was a nervous wreck because of how fucked his dad was. so when he finds out its a girl? hes ecstatic.

he practically took over prepping for her, from her clothes to her toys to her room hes literally planned 5 years ahead so you can seamlessly transition her from a crib to a big girl bed.

whichhh was kinda useless bc the moment shes big enough shes sleepin in there with yall 🙄 because she wants to be with her daddy!

and when you protest that she has to learn how to sleep alone he hits you with “you never did, now leave my girl alone!”

and what’s even worse is she looks just like him. its like you werent even in the room 😭 what a betrayal that after 9 months of carrying her you look like the nanny.

he takes her everywhere fr! shes his new golfing buddy even tho her club is plastic and her chubby little legs cant do much running she’s right there

he also cannot stop buying her stuff she is truly the princess of tannyhill she’s taken over: clothes spilling out her literal walkin closet (shes 2 what does she need that for???), toys everywhere, a trail of barrettes and bangles from where shes been playing strewn across the house

and tafe DOES do her hair and he does damn good thank you. he watched YouTube videos and tiktoks til his eyes burned when you were pregnant

#✨.txt #rafe cameron prompt

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smallestapplin · 1 year

Note

I can't wait for Arthur to break out the baby pictures 🤣🤣🤣

Honestly.

You’re gonna come over for dinner, Ingo and Emmet in tow.

You’ll be greeted by Arthur, who’s wearing a pink lovedisc apron and making dinner.

But once that’s been left to shimmer, he’s slamming not just one, but two giant (very nice) albums.

He’s very involved with his family, and very close with his sons.

Hell, the only reason you didn’t meet their dad soon was just because of work, and how exhausted they were.

So you’ll be sitting next to this giant of a man, while Emmet is trying to get the albums away.

“Dad, please.”

“Emmet.”

Emmet loses once again.

Though both Ingo and Emmet try to hide their faces, as they are just so embarrassed.

Blushes darkening when they hear you coo and awe at how cute they were!

“Oh, this picture was taken after Emmet learned how to walk.”

“DEAR DRAGONS NOT THAT ONE-“

Arthur chuckles “You think he’s a menace now? The second that boy learned how to move his legs, there was no stoppin’ him. He’d take off like a zubat outta hell.”

The picture in question shows a baby Emmet, dressed as a little train conductor, with what looks to be Arthur’s hat in his hands.

Being help up by the scruff by Pepper the Herdier, who doesn’t look too amused.

“He managed to snap a pork chop, that I had yet to cook, and bolt the second I had my back turned. Luckily Pepper was already on him.”

“And somehow, in the span of two minutes, Emmet had already left the area, teething on a raw pork chop.” Ingo chimes in, cackling at the offended gasp his twin lets out.

“I am Emmet. And I hate both of you.”

The three of you laugh, knowing Emmet is just playing.

But it’s hard not to laugh when he’s sulking like that.

“Ooo what about Ingo?”

Oh that gets Ingo to fall silent.

“Yeah dad! What about him?” Emmet’s grin turns evil.

Arthur hums for a moment, flipping through a few pages before tapping on a picture.

“Don’t know if you noticed, since it’s healed up so well. But Ingo’s got a scar on his hand, because when he learned to walk, he wanted to play with all my Pokémon.”

You remember the twins telling you Arthur worked as an engineer, and worked on keeping the subway safe.

His team was made up of a Herdier, a Ferrothorn, a Klinklang, a Excadrill, a Conkelder, and a Lampent.

You also recall earlier seeing pictures of the Ferrothorn(named Buddy) with styrofoam balls on each of his spikes.

“He wanted to pet Ruby, my Excadrill, but she was sleepin’ when he crawled over. She’s a good girl, and is mindful of her claws, but he spooked her. She jerked her head up and cut his hand.”

You look at the picture, and see it’s baby Ingo, being held up by a very guilty and sad looking Excadrill, meanwhile despite the cut, Ingo looks happy to be held by the Pokémon.

Arthur snorts “He’d throw the biggest fit if I tried to put him to bed, he wanted to sleep on the Pokémon’s bed with ‘em.”

“We have videos of it.”

Arthur’s eyes light up at the mention of the home videos.

The large man is quick to get up and go looking for them.

You look to your boyfriends with a smile.

“I like your dad.”

They both sigh, they are so relieved you do, but now you’re going to happily sit through every childhood story.

#oc.arthur #submas oc #submas’s dad #pokemon #pokemon imagines #submas #submas emmet #submas ingo #pokemon x reader #submas dad has got me down bad he’s all I want and I think he’s a real chad-

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zenaquaria · 6 months

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The best sleepin' spot~

Whenever Risi woke up from a bad dream, she naturally gravitated to the safest place she could find. It just so happened to be behind her new friend Maxwell's knees.

A little snippet from TMiF's Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign, where my lil halfling Risi has habitually cuddled up against the backs of her buddy Maxwell's legs. He don't mind none; really it's stranger to him now for her to not be there, than to be there.

She just fits there so well~

Do not repost, edit, alter, trace/copy, use/redistribute my artworks without my permission

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #lost mine of phandelver #lmop #tmif plays lmop #halfling #monk #tiefling #paladin #my ocs #risi swiftmist #others ocs #maxwell veltherion #art #not pony #humanoid

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buckleydiazmp4 · 1 year

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for mel @emeraldcas' 30 for 30! happy birthday dear, i hope you had a wonderful day <3

911 - buddie - 2.6k

prompts: muppets/romance/gifts/secrets

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Christopher loves Kermit the frog.

"I'm starting to think he loves him more than me", Eddie says one morning, sitting dejectedly on the loft's couch with an adorable little pout.

Buck laughs to himself and keeps browsing the internet for Kermit-themed stuff, hoping to find the perfect gift for Chris' birthday next week. "You know that's not true, Eddie."

"You don't know that", he says, pressing his finger to Buck's chest, and he attempts not to freak out about it. Ever since he accepted that he's been head-over-heels in love with Eddie for ages, every little touch makes him scream mentally.

Buck sits up a little straighter, gently pushes Eddie's hand off. He's so close he can see the freckle under his eye, perfectly placed like a little star where the universe made it to be.

"Eds. You're his dad. Nothing will ever win over that."

He just grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Okay", Buck says, turning to face him fully. "What's really going on?"

Eddie's incredibly brown eyes meet his. He sighs, admitting defeat. "I just... miss him, you know? I guess it's stupid. I mean, I see him every day. But it feels like—"

"You're not hanging out much?"

"Yeah. Is it my fault? Am I at work too much? Am I too tired to spend time with my son?"

Well, Buck is having none of this. It's completely unacceptable. So, butterflies be damned, he places his hand on Eddie's left shoulder, letting his thumb slide slightly above the collar of his dark blue t-shirt, just sitting there against his skin. He knows Eddie doesn't ask for comfort nearly enough, despite the fact that he deserves it more than anyone. If Buck has to be the one to give it to him, he'll be more than happy to do so for the rest of his life.

"Listen to me. You're doing nothing wrong, okay? Trust me. Chris is just— growing. The love is still there, he just wants to discover some stuff by himself. He needs to do his own thing, hang out with his friends. But he'll never love anyone or anything more than you. I promise."

Eddie deflates under Buck's touch. "Okay. Okay, you're right. It's gonna be fine. I knew this would happen eventually, it just... it's a bit sad, is all."

Buck frowns sympathetically. "I know, man. But hey, if you ever want some company when Chris isn't around, you know you have your own friends too, right? We can get a couple beers, some pizza, watch a shitty horror movie that makes us laugh..."

The last of Eddie’s worry is replaced by one of those blinding smiles that Buck can never help but mirror. "That actually sounds fun. I'll take you up on that offer later", he says cheerily, before they're interrupted by the first bell of the morning.

Eddie's smile stays plastered on Buck's mind for the rest of their shift.

It’s not until Wednesday, two days later, that Eddie reminds Buck of their conversation. They’re working out before the start of their afternoon shift, and Buck is trying with every bit of his might not to stare at Eddie’s arms while he does push-ups. He’s really, really trying.

They finish their sets and grab their stuff, walking towards the locker room, when Buck remembers something. “Hey, I haven’t told you! I found the perfect gift to give Chris on Monday”.

Buck watches Eddie muster his best bitchface in real time, trying not to giggle like an idiot, because how can anyone be that cute?

“Let me guess. It’s something to do with Kermit?”

Buck adds a bounce to his step and grins. “Yup. But I’m not telling you what. You’ll have to see it when Chris opens it.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m so excited.”

Buck can’t hold it anymore. He laughs until his belly hurts a little, smacking Eddie’s back. “Oh, cheer up, Eds. I promise Kermit isn’t out to replace you.”

“Well, Kermit might not be, but Chris’ friends sure are. He’s sleeping over at Tommy’s on Friday.” He stops walking to stare at Buck and breathes, building up courage. Buck has seen him do that a lot recently, and is more overwhelmed with pride than he probably should be, because Eddie’s finally relying on the people who love him instead of trying to do everything on his own.

“I was wondering if I could cash in for that offer you made on Monday. Shitty horror movie and pizza?”

Buck’s grin widens. “Of course! Your place or mine?”

Oh no. Did that sound too much like a date? No… He’s just hanging with his best friend so he doesn’t feel too lonely while Chris isn’t around. That’s it. Just a movie and some drinks. No biggie.

He’s halfway through his thought spiral when Eddie answers. “Is it okay if you come by? Tommy’s mom is picking Chris up, so I might take too long driving to yours after.”

Buck nods, shaking off his paranoid overthinking. “Yeah, yeah. That’s great.”

It shouldn’t feel this weird, right? They’ve been doing this for ages anyway. Sit together, laugh at corny lines and bad special effects all night, eat pizza until their stomachs beg them to stop. Buck can’t count how many times he’s passed out on Eddie’s couch after a movie night, tired from his shift or having drunk too many beers. Eddie’s also stayed over at his before.

So why does Buck feel jittery and anxious for the rest of the day and all the way through his Thursday shift?

By Friday afternoon he’s managed to make himself act normal. After all, they’re Eddie and Buck. They’ve got each other’s backs, whether it’s to pull each other out of burning buildings or to keep each other company on a Friday night.

Still, seeing Eddie all messy-haired in a green henley and sweatpants when he answers his door really does not help at all. He stares at the dark strands of hair falling every direction from Eddie’s head, curling against his forehead, and all he can think is pretty, pretty, pretty.

He stares a bit too long, because Eddie notices and runs his hand through his hair, trying to flatten it. “Sorry, I fell asleep a little. Turns out Tommy’s mom picked Chris’ stuff up earlier and just went to get him directly from the school. He was so happy when we talked on the phone. Said he finally got to ride in Tommy’s ‘cool car’.”

Buck chuckles. “Oh, yeah. He told me about that. It’s a red truck with a huge sunroof, apparently. And get this, it has Kermit the frog and Gonzo bumper stickers.”

Eddie’s bewildered expression combined with his hair, which he’s messed up even further, make Buck double in laughter, holding onto the doorframe to avoid simply falling face-first onto his chest.

“How do you find out this stuff? I’m starting to think you know more about my son than I do”, he complains, but the slight crinkle around his eyes tells Buck he’s amused.

“Well, since you refuse to indulge him on his love for Kermit, he decided to start telling me about it.”

Eddie shrugs. “Fine by me. You can handle that, I’ll handle the math homework.”

Buck nearly misses Eddie waving him inside, too busy trying to pull himself out of the delusional, sickeningly domestic fantasies in his head where he gets to be a part of the little Diaz family, and they have the same kind of conversations they just had on the doorway, splitting Chris-related tasks and laughing about his adorable adventures.

When he walks into the living room, he feels like his heart is being ripped apart and sewn back together at an alarmingly fast rate. He’s in love with his best friend and he is so gonna ruin everything they’ve built for years.

He sees himself everywhere. There’s a navy-blue hoodie he left last week, still draped over the back of the couch, and a pair of slippers right next to Eddie’s and Chris’ against the corner closest to the hall. The duck-shaped mug he bought for himself to use in the Diaz household is on the coffee table, sitting on top of a wonky coaster he tried to crochet when he was healing from his broken leg and which Chris insisted to take home.

He’s been haunting Eddie and Christopher like a clingy ghost, and he still wants more. He can’t ask that from either of them.

He thought he could do this. He thought he could live with the fact that he’s in love with Eddie without ever doing anything about it. He thought he could keep offering to pick Chris up from school every once in a while, occasionally sneak into the Diaz zoo trip to make Eddie and Chris laugh with his ridiculous fun facts. He thought he could keep making coffee for Eddie at the 118’s kitchen, with one and a half teaspoons of sugar just like he loves it. He thought he could do all of it without changing everything, without having to fight the urge to hold Eddie’s hand every time they’re at the supermarket, without having to ignore the wish to kiss Chris on the forehead when he scrapes his knees.

Maybe he’s weaker than he assumed.

“Buck. Are you okay?” Eddie’s hand on the crook of his elbow coaxes him towards the sofa. “Hey. It’s okay. Sit down for me, yeah? Just breathe, Buck. I’m here.”

Buck unsticks his eyes from the duck mug, lifts his head up and stares. Eddie’s eyes are so brown and shiny. They’re soft and framed by long lashes, and they’re warm and pretty, and they’re worried, and… no, they’re supposed to be all crinkly and happy, and Buck is ruining everything.

“I’m supposed to be here to cheer you up and now you’re all worried”, he croaks, and Eddie’s frown just deepens.

“No. What? No— Buck, you’re here because I want you to be. Because you’re my best friend and I’m happy to spend time with you any day. I’m not— I’m not using you to make myself happy, I would never do that. Buck, I could never be happy when you look this scared. Of course I’m worried. But it’s not you fault. I just—I want you to talk to me, please. What’s wrong?”

Buck’s trembling breaths feel like lead running through his airway. “Eddie. I’m sorry, okay? I am so, so sorry.”

Eddie slowly wraps one of Buck’s hands between his own. “What are you sorry for?”

“I—” Buck swallows. “I’m everywhere, Eds. And I— I know you just said you want me to be here, but if… but if you knew what I wanted, I don’t know if you’d say the same. I just don’t— I’m gonna ruin everything, Eddie. I don’t wanna ruin everything. I can’t.”

Eddie’s grip on his hand tightens just slightly, and Buck lets himself feel it, every inch of it, just in case he never gets to again.

“Buck. What are you talking about?”

“Eddie… I love you. Just— I’m sorry if this doesn’t make sense yet.” Buck pauses. Closes his eyes. Eddie’s soft eyes and the warmth of his hands envelope his heart. “You’re my family, Eds. You and Chris. And I don’t just mean you’re my best friend. I think… I think a while ago you started being much more than that. And I was too much of an idiot to even notice, for so long… I’m in love with you, Eddie.

"And I am terrified of every word that’s coming out of my mouth right now. Just a couple days ago I thought I could just learn to live with it, but then I saw you today and you told me I could handle Chris’ love for that silly little frog and you would handle the math homework and I knew that I really, truly wanted to have that for the rest of my life. And then I came in here and I saw all my stuff strewn around as if I lived here, and I realized that I can’t lie to you about this, Eddie, I can’t. Because I’m taking stuff that isn’t mine to have, and using space that isn’t mine to live in. And I don’t want to lose you, but I also don’t want you to keep having me in your life with only half-truths. I owe you much more than that.”

That’s about as much courage as Buck had in him. He stares down at Eddie’s hands, still wrapped around him, unmoving, and tries not to get up and run out of the room until Eddie’s said something. He waits, watching Eddie’s eyes trace the room the same way he did just a few minutes ago, until they land back on Buck’s.

“Evan, this house has been yours for years. You said it yourself, you are everywhere. And I—” he looks up at the ceiling and grins, and oh. There are those little crinkles. “I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t.

I haven’t moved your hoodie from the couch because I love seeing it there every day when I come back from shift. I drink tea on that dumb duck mug because it’s the one I keep at the front of the cabinet. Your Top Ten Worst Natural Disasters book is still on my nightstand since the weekend you stayed with Chris while I went to Texas. I honestly wouldn’t really mind it that much if Chris rambled about Kermit the frog to me, but I love that he goes to you instead, and that you spent like four days googling Kermit stuff just to buy him a birthday present that he’ll love.”

Buck’s heart is about to take off running and never return. He turns his palm up, and Eddie’s fingers intertwine with his, and his smile is blinding, and Buck doesn’t need any other sight.

“Buck, this stuff is yours to have. All of it. And… and more, if you’ll have it. The early school mornings and the road trips and the movie nights, and the fights with ignorant teachers and the leak that we still haven’t fixed in the kitchen. And whatever obsession comes after Kermit, and even the math homework if you feel like it. And I’m sorry that I made you believe that this wasn’t a possibility. I guess I didn’t think it was, either.”

He grabs Buck’s face in his hands and pulls him close, close enough that their foreheads touch and Buck can feel the soft little strands of Eddie’s hair against his skin, can feel him vibrate with laughter, can count every one of his eyelashes, even through the blurriness starting to gather on his eyes.

“We’re ridiculous”, Eddie laughs, and closes the remaining space between them.

It takes Buck a couple of seconds to convince himself that this is real, that his best friend is kissing him in the middle of his living room, surrounded by all their stuff, telling him he can have everything he’s been wanting for so long. And when he does, well. He doesn’t let go for a long while.

They end up watching the Muppet Movie (if you can call making out with a movie in the background “watching”), and Buck doesn’t even have time to laugh at the irony of it all. He has much to thank Kermit for.

He thinks the Kermit-shaped mug Chris unwraps for his birthday on Monday says enough. It quickly owns its place next to the duck, at the front of the kitchen cabinet.

#i'm a tad bit late and i wrote this on a whim so it's not very thoroughly checked!! but i had a looot of fun writing it :)#again i hope you had a wonderful birthday mel!#emeraldcas30 #sara writes #buddie #911

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