#but they buzz over and just wander on my hands and sit calmly

[characternerdocs]

🎥 (Rox)

Send 🎥 for a random scene of my muse’s life ||| @icybreaths

Slumping as they sat on the edge of their bed, Rox pried open the top of the bottle in their hand. They weren't sure what it was, they had just snagged the first bottle they saw on the shelf behind the bar. Surely No one would miss one bottle. Nobody had ever complained before - That was the City of Dis for you though, vice and sin was king here and as long as one indulged nobody seemed to care. And therefore theft was also no big deal, long as one had the means to hold their own if the "rightful" owner came calling.

Rox didn't - not really. Sure, they had the sass and lip to fearlessly berate and mock anyone who challenged them, but the skill to actually hold their own if it came to fists ... or worse? Rox was a good as mice meat. Especially right now, with Levi gaap knows where, feeding that unappeasable hunger of his or prehaps just wandering completely dazed and unthinking in another battle in the prolonged fight with his forgetful self. Without their self-proclaimed "big brother" to play protector for them, Rox was again easy prey. They were an outcast, a freak, even in the eyes of demons and devils, a castoff even among the most loathsome society of all societies. A revolting half-breed, a bastardization of demon blood. Treated no better than a hell hound, their standing lower than an imp's.

If it weren't for Levi aggressively adopting Rox, they would still be harassed whenever they step out of their dwellings. Now it was only within their residence that Rox needed to be concerned about being assaulted without any form of aegis.

Rox started to gulp back the drink in hand, hoping that whatever they pilfered was at least strong enough to dull the nagging buzz of their dark thoughts. Thoughts that spoke only of their short comings, their flaws, and the disappointment Rox's existence brings.

The more Rox drink however, the stronger the buzzing seemed to grow. Steadily it got louder and louder and the sound threatened to consume Rox's remaining shred of sanity when they realized that buzzing was not in fact in their head.

Springing from their bed, Rox was appalled at the sight of a monstrously large fly perched upon the pillows of their bed. The fly's head tilted and twitched as she regarded Rox, before rubbing a hair leg over the rosy pink bow a top her head.

'Yeck! Beelzebeth...' How did that pampered little pest get into their room? The nerve of her to come invade their space, and of all the place to sit she just had to being sitting on Rox's bed. The fly flitted her wings teasingly at Rox as she stepped in place on their pillow, digging her six feet into the fabric.

Rage welled in Rox as Beth openly mocked them. Again the brassiness of this putrid bug, to come into their room and put Rox's buttons. Rox snarled as they wound up. "Piss off you repugnant primadonna."

But before Rox could throw the bottle at Beth, their wrist was caught by somebody standing behind them. Then intermeddler spoke and Rox's stomach and their bottle fell, the latter shattering upon the flood.

"Pyrox~" Beeyel started in that sing songy way which calmly, even playfully seemed to threatened. "How many times must I tell you-" Then his tone shifted, and Beeyel threw Rox on to the floor. "NOT TO HARASS MY CHILDREN?!"

"Beelzebeth fuckin' started it!" Rox contested as they scrambled to their knees, only to have Beeyel kick them over and out into the hallway.

"I don't give a crap about who started it!" He bent down picking out a shard of the broken bottle before dragging Rox up by the collar of their shirt. "I have made it very clear what is expected of you in this household, Pyrox, and I have always be remarkably lenient with you despite the circumstances. Yet it seems of late you have forgotten your place and your duties. Something I'd expect from the dimwitted dogfish you've seemed to have befriend, but you."

Beeyel began to snicker as put his arm around Rox's shoulder and forced them to walk with him down the hall, all the while Beeyel kept the serrated piece of glass uncomfortably close to Rox's neck. "You seem to need another reminder, Roxy. And seeing that you've been awfully rude to my precious Beelzebeth and her siblings, let's start with your responsibility to keep my Lord Flies fed."

Thanks for the request @icybreaths I hope you enjoyed the glimpse into Rox's angsty teen life. I didn't go into the feeding, but I'm sure you can use you imagination on how Beeyel would like Rox tp provide his carnivorous fly babies with the nutrients they need.

#rox #Scene #Beeyel #Beth

[infinityshadows]

Bravery Bleeds *Warning: Includes Mature Language and reverences of Death*

A numinous boom came down from within the heavens, which brought forth the wrath of hell itself down upon the citizens of Kazakhstan, Russia.  Several armed forces arrive on the scene, instantly looking up to the clouds above. The skies that once shined with bright blue enigmatic and lush colors suddenly tore into a black cauldron of Darkness.  Twas it was the Darkness, an entity of sort.  Just hours prior, the satellites hovering above Russia's airspace detected something… or someone moving at increasing speeds.

This thing had been moving at such velocity through our Solar System that it would now be described as a "Transient Near Extrasolar Event."  

As the clouds began turning towards the Darkness, the Russian Federal Bureau of Aeronautics dispatched all troops to their Cosmodrome.

Civilians began running abruptly towards the colony ships, grabbing whatever they could carry and leaving behind what could remain. A mother and a daughter waited in line for the colony ships to move.  The mother clutches her daughter’s hand tightly, almost breaking it, and as for the daughter, all she could do was stare at someone across the station.  The young child looked at a man, a person almost younger than the other soldiers there.  His ginger orange hair and beard to match was seen for he had not worn a helmet. The man wore sunglasses and held onto his assault rifle tightly to his chest.

When his eyes wandered over to the young girl, she hid behind her mother, fearful of how the man would react to her gaze.

He walked over to her, making his way through the crowd of people in line.  The man reached her and brought with him a warm smile.  A smile that warmed the face of the fearful daughter and brought reassurance to the concerned mother.

The man cleared his throat and took off his mask, showing the girl the rest of his face.

"My name is Cadet Aiden Fennec, I am a transfer from the US Marines, and I am here to make sure you both get on that ship safely," he spoke calmly.

The girl stood behind her mother, a little frightened as she gave Aiden a shy wave, "hello."

She made Aiden smile and even made Aiden smirk.

Aiden looked over to his comrades and noticed a worried look.  He went over to inspect the trouble.

"What's the matter?" Aiden questioned.

His captain, Stanislav (Stan), turned to Aiden slowly.  He had sweat and worry under his brow, something Aiden had not seen before.  "It's Zhenya; his platoon investigated some strange zone across town; he hasn't radioed back," Stanislav answered.

His soldiers gave each other worried looks, obviously terrified of the situation.

Stanislav cursed to himself silently.  He looked up at the glass windowpane above him and saw the Traveler, sitting above the clouds.

Suddenly, a radio buzzed on one of the soldiers’ jackets.  A feint voice sounded; the static noise muffled it, however.

Aiden grabbed the radio and fine-tuned it with some tools, he worked on the radio for a few minutes and awaited the result.

Finally, his radio picked up a transmission.  It came from Zhenya.  Stanislav hurried to the radio and called out frantically, "Zhenya?  Zhenya is that you friend?" A few seconds went by as the radio buzzed until Zhenya answered.

"Captain, my troop and I are in Zone Beta, so far nothing seems to be going on here, maybe it was a false alarm?" he wondered aloud.  One of Zhenya's men spotted something in the sky, barreling towards them.  "Oh…my…god," Zhenya said.

Stanislav reached for the radio replying, "WHAT IS IT ZHENYA?  ZHENYA?!"  

"May the Traveler save us," he spoke. The radio went off.

 Something then picked up a strange chittering noise, almost like on of a cricket.  Those chitters quickly turned into roars.  The entire station fell silent as everyone them gave their ears to listen to the echoing radio.

They could hear screams of soldiers bellowing, gun shots humming, loud and heavy footsteps of something large.

It stopped sounding, all there was to listen too, was a static.

Red lights filled the room with fear as explosions ran outside.

Hundreds of soldiers ran to the windows to see what carnage awaited them outside.  A captain took out his binoculars and looked around outside.  His eyes widened as he and his soldiers could not believe what was going on.  Several tanks and cars burned and were flipped upside down, dead civilian bodies, riddled with holes, and scratch marks.

The black mists slowly consumed the lands piece by piece, shrouding it inch by inch.

On the intercom above, it rang "All civilians to the Colony Ships Immediately!  We are under attack!  All Soldiers and Cadets to your battle stations!  DO NOT LET IT GET IN!"

Every single civilian scrambled in a hurry towards the Colony Ship doors hastily.

Aiden immediately ran to get his gun and help his fellow comrades, but he was stopped by the young girl who tugged onto his jacket.

She looked at him with such worry and fear.  The girl then hugged Aiden before her mother grabbed her by the hand and the two whisked away towards the exit.

Aiden ran over to Stanislav and awaited his orders.

The Darkness crept outside and covered the building in black.

"Ready up soldiers," Stanislav said to his soldiers.  They nodded to one another and started loading their guns.

One soldier got onto his knees and prayed to the heavens.

Aiden kneeled to him and laid his hand the soldier's shoulder.

"We got this, this is what we are trained for," he said.

Aiden offered his hand to the soldier for him to stand up.

As soon as the soldier reached out, the Darkness broke through the ceiling window, causing massive amounts of glass to shatter.

Stanislav and his men immediately started firing off at the black clouds.  It struck fast like thunder and crashed into the soldiers like lighting.

One soldier crashed into Aiden, causing both to fall onto the ground. Aiden looked up and saw the soldier slowly losing his life as his comrades around were disappearing one by one.

Aiden quickly got up and carried the soldier to the exit doors. In the distance, he saw Stanislav firing his pistol into the black mist.

His eyes land on Aiden and the other soldier.  "GO!  GET OUT OF HERE!" the man yelled.  Aiden ran towards the captain, but the doors shut in front of him.

Aiden turns and sees the soldier pressing the button with one hand and clutching his gut wound in the other.

As Aiden looks on behind the steel doors, he saw his platoon getting swarmed by the Darkness.  A hand clasps the window in agony as it slowly disappears from Aiden's view.

"You have to get going Fennec," the soldier said.

Aiden turned around and saw the trooper leaning against the wall, his blood slowly pouring out of his stomach.

Kneeling, Aiden inspects him.  He removed the soldier’s hand and sees that a large claw mark ripped open the man's stomach, his intestines slowly spilling out into his hand.

"How bad does it look?" the soldier asked Aiden.

He looked at him and saw the pain in the man's eyes as it drifted to and from the wound.

The soldier chuckled and winced.

"Damn, and here I thought I was heading home today," he said. “You gotta protect that little girl."

Aiden looked confused at the soldier to who he was referring.

"That girl, I saw the way she looked at you, she needs you, they all need you," the soldier said pointing to the Colony ship sign.

Aiden turned and saw the steel door slowly being beaten down.

"I need to get you out of here," Aiden said to him.  He tried to get him up from the ground, but the man screamed in pain.  Setting him back down, Aiden looks into the man's eyes as it slowly drains away at life.

The glass windows crack one by one, and the black mists began filling the room.

"Cadet!" the soldier yelled.  Aiden turned to him quickly.

"SAVE HER!  SAVE THE GIRL!" the soldier yelled.

Aiden nodded and handed the wounded soldier his spare pistol.

The soldier went to check the pistol and saw five bullets in the chamber.

"Go kid, get out of here," the soldier said, waving Aiden off.

As Aiden began to leave, a question arose in him.

"Hey, I never got to ask, what's your name?" Aiden asked the soldier.

He then grabbed his dog tag from his neck and tossed it to Aiden.

Aiden looked at the name which read "Barney- Alexander-Nelson-Garland", or BANG for short.

He chuckled and ran off to the rooftop station.

The steel doors finally gave way, and all Aiden could hear were the final gunshots from Dom's pistol.

Minutes later Aiden arrived just in time to see the ships began to take off.  He looked over the balcony and saw the black mists crawling up the building.

As everyone began boarding the ship, the mother from earlier frantically calls out, "Harmony?!  Harmony?!"

The guards immediately guided her towards the seating areas.

"Where is my daughter?!  Where is she?!" she screamed.

Aiden turns his head back towards the exit and sees a bunny rabbit on the ground.  His mind races back and remembers the girl who carried one with her on her backpack.

A guard runs up to Aiden noticing his military mark.

"Sir, you need to get on, there's only room for one more," he said.

Aiden looks back and sees the bunny on the floor.

He kneels and picks it up.  The words "Harmony" was written on it.

"No, there's a girl back there that needs to get on that ship," Aiden answered.

Turning to the guard, he asked, "Is there any way for you to stall for a few minutes?"

The guard looks at the other colony ships’ jet's warming up.

"You have 5 minutes, and these ships are leaving!" he answers.

Aiden nods and runs back into the Cosmodrome.

He frantically searches for the girl, checking the bathrooms and lockers. Finally, he found her, hiding in a janitor's closet.

She squealed in fear as Aiden picked her up.  He carried her in his arms comforting the child.  "It's okay, It's okay, you're safe now," Aiden said.  "I’m going to get you back to your momma.”

Harmony nods and sees the black mist breaking through the glass windows. Aiden quickly holds Harmony tight to his chest and runs out of the hallway and up to the roof.

As he runs, Harmony’s eyes see the black mist covering everything behind them.

They reached the rooftop and Aiden shuts the doors behind them trapping the mist.  Unfortunately, the door slowly buckles off, losing its mass, about to break open any second.

Aiden carries Harmony to the Colony Ship, reuniting her with her mother. “Thank you, sir,” she said.

Harmony then gives Aiden her stuffed bunny, placing it in his hand.

The Colony Ships fire off one by one, all flying off into the air.

As Aiden smiles towards Harmony and her mother taking off, it quickly fades as the mist breaks out of the door and stops in front of him.  It almost mimics his head movements, swaying side to side.  It then looks up at the Colony Ships and chases after it with intense speed.

“NO!” Aiden yells.

The Colony Ships were quickly swarmed one by one, causing them to explode in the air.  It rumbled the ground causing him to fall off the station roof as the other guards were overrun.

Aiden fell straight to the ground, crashing hard into the pavement below.

He reached out to the Colony Ship, his arm weakly raising minute by minute.

Aiden slowly turns his head up to the sky and sees the Traveler getting swarmed by both the Darkness and its Black Fleet.

As his eyes slowly closes, easing into the pain, he could still see the look on Harmony’s face as the ship exploded.  He finally succumbed to the pain, his body falling weak to the ground.

#exo #destiny fanfiction #destiny game #destiny #fan fic prompts

[mountswhore]

𝐝𝐨𝐞 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 — jesse lingard

summary: jesse was afraid to lose you, but you have to reassure him that his money and fame mean nothing to you.

notes: requests are open, ask away!

for @bite-me-en-la-boca

Jesse was afraid to lose you, as simple as that. He wasn’t blind to the double takes people do when you walk past them, or the comments from men at the club when they pass. You were stunning — and Jesse knew that, along with everyone else.

Even his own friends would make little comments, obviously they knew they wouldn’t act on it, so did he, but his girlfriend was wanted by even his closest mates. It definitely made him hold onto you a little tighter. Whenever you’d visit him at training, or go to an event with him, he’d keep you close and constantly shower you in affection, so everybody knew you were his.

The Instagram comments were the worst, not only would his be littered with ‘she’s fit’ or ‘lucky man’, but yours were so vivid that you’d refuse to open them. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t scroll through them every once in a while to see what people were saying, only to return to you a while later with a heavy heart.

The whole of the UK male population were after you, which is why tonight was the worst for Jesse. You were celebrating Marcus’ birthday, and it was completely unlike him to want to go clubbing, but you both agreed anyway.

Jesse watched with a sick feeling in his stomach, almost feeling the need to grab his phone and text his best friend that he was too sick to go. And keep you at home. He knew what tonight would be like, he knew that someone would make a comment, or give you a suggestive glance, and it would ruin his night.

“How do I look?” You asked, smiling innocently up at your boyfriend. Even with heels on, he towered over you. Jesse pushed his negative thoughts to the side to compliment you.

“Wow. Where’s Y/N gone?” He asked, holding your hand and twirling you around slowly. You met his eyes once again with a pout, and Jesse kissed it away. There was never a day he didn’t compliment you on your beauty.

“Real funny. Are you ready?”

“Do I look ready?” Jesse countered, standing back from you and showing off his smart casual attire. You laughed and smoothed the fabric of his shirt down, smiling up at him. He looked back down at you with so much love in his eyes, you’d forget he was hiding his intrusive thoughts behind those eyes.

The pair of you left, getting an Uber to the club you were supposed to arrive at 20 minutes ago. Marcus was waiting inside, sitting in a booth with a few other United boys. The second Marcus spotted you, he moved out of the booth to greet you both.

“Jess,” Marcus spoke, pulling his best friend into a hug, “how’ve you been?”

Jesse just nodded, watching his attention divert from him to you. He squeezed you tightly and almost lifted you from your feet. He knew Marcus would never betray him like that, no matter how hot you were. He trusted Marcus entirely, but it was just adding fuel to the fire. Jesse felt tense from the moment he entered the club, the boys greeting you and having a laugh with you. It was off-putting, he just wanted to go home and watch your rubbish tv. He’d sit through hours of it if it meant you weren’t here getting preyed on.

Throughout the night, you’d had shot after shot, begging Jesse to dance with you an hour in. And he was keeping you close to him, eyes watching intently as you swayed your hips onto him. Your eyes were on him the entire time, not paying mind to the people around you. Jesse so badly wanted to enjoy this moment with you, but those eyes surrounding you were slowly pushing him over the edge.

“What the fuck are you staring at?” He snapped, causing a small space to form between the pair of you. You stepped back in shock, staring at your boyfriend who angrily stared at the people surrounding you.

His eyes had found yours again, but you were gone. You’d approached the booth Marcus was sitting at, wedging between him and Jadon, a frown on your face.

“What happened, Y/N?” Marcus questioned, an arm around your shoulder as you looked visibly upset. You saw Jesse sat at the bar now, head in his hands with a drink in front of him.

“He just shouted in front of everyone, it’s so embarrassing.” You stated, folding your arms and stealing a drink from the table. You didn’t know who the victim of the stolen drink was, quite frankly, you didn’t care. Jesse had bursted his anger in front of everyone, and even though it wasn’t directed at you, it still embarrassed you.

The next half hour was torture, you were slowly losing your buzz and the night was becoming boring. You were sandwiched between the two boys, and they refused to let you have any more drinks. Jesse was still sulking at the bar, but you didn’t care. You’d let him sulk there for the remainder of the evening, if need be.

“Guys, I think I might head home,” you mentioned, standing up and wiggling over the line of boys, “I’m super tired now.” You waved sweetly at Marcus, wishing him one more ‘happy birthday’ before you were leaning against the wall and waiting for your Uber.

Jesse looked back at the booth, wondering which boy had an arm around you this time, but you were gone. The space between Marcus and Jadon that you occupied had now disappeared. His eyes frantically searched the dance floor, but you were nowhere to be seen. It was only then that he started to regret shouting. He could lie and say he didn’t know what came over him, but he did know. He was jealous.

“She’s gone home.” Marcus spoke into his friend’s ear, patting him on the shoulder. It eased Jesse’s thoughts a little, but he still felt horrible. Jesse had gotten an Uber home not long after you, finding the house completely dark apart from your shared bedroom.

You were tucked into bed, Netflix in the background as you scrolled through your phone. You could see Jesse standing in the doorway, but didn’t acknowledge him as he walked in and sat on your side of the bed. His hand rested on the lump in the duvet that was your leg, waiting for you to say something. But you didn’t.

“I’m sorry.” He blurted out, his voice soft with guilt. You didn’t even react, you just kept scrolling. “Really, I am. I’m sorry for ruining your night.”

“It’s done now, you need to go to bed. You have Hope tomorrow.” You replied, a lack of emotion in your voice. He knew you loved when Hope was round, the pair of you got on immensely. But you seemed bored now. Bored of listening to him. You had gotten out of bed and left the room, wandering downstairs to distract yourself with something else.

“It’s not done, babe.” Jesse spoke, following your footsteps as you turned into the kitchen. You stood at the counter, grabbing a coffee pod from your cupboard and beginning to make yourself a coffee.

“What else do you want to say, Jesse?” You argued calmly, Jesse almost jumping at the mention of his name. It was always silly pet names, never his name. He could see by the look on your face that you were over this, you were tired, grumpy, getting slightly hungover.

“I know I should never have shouted like that, in front of everyone,” he spluttered, alcohol still in his system. His words were not stringing together very well, which presented a bad case on his behalf, “the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you because of my own insecurities.”

Jesse wasn’t the type to show his insecurities to anyone, not even you at times, but you knew they were there. He was stuck in the mindset of sweeping them away, out of sight and out of mind. You wanted to badly to help him work through them like he did with yours, but he’d never disclose what was bothering him. You turned to look at him, the argument long forgotten now as you wanted this to be the chance he finally opens up.

“What insecurities, Jess?” You wondered, slowly approaching him. Your small hands held his cheeks, you could’ve sworn you’d seen a glint in his eyes.

He shook his head, the window now closed. The opportunity for the pair of you to sit down and talk about what bothered him, it was gone. You were back to pretending not to see his tensed jaw and white knuckles from squeezing his fist together. You sat at the island in defeat, your headache prominent now.

Jesse’s hand fell upon your shoulder, your eyes meeting once again. Your face contorted as a tear fell from your eye, Jesse now going into full on panic mode. He sat beside you, pulling you into his chest and holding you close. You could hear his heart pounding in his chest, you weren’t the only one who wished he could say how he felt.

“How are we ever going to move forward together if I don’t know how you’re feeling?” You asked honestly, holding his bare arm and pulling it close to you. There would always be this barricade stopping you from moving forward, his insecurities stopping you both from being able to talk to each other.

Jesse pulled away from you, his fingers fiddling with the expensive ring on your finger. He’d gifted it to you on your two-year anniversary, it was a beautiful night. “I just get jealous. I see your Instagram comments, and mine. I see the way random men look at you on the street, in the club, in the fucking supermarket. Even the boys are always complimenting you, being touchy with you. It might sound stupid and it might seem like it’s nothing, but it makes me fucking jealous.”

“You know I’d never do that to you,” you turned to Jesse, now clutching his hand tightly, “you’re the only one I want.”

“I know that, love. I have been fucked around before, girls always go after my money and my name. You don’t even shoo these boys away. It’s like you enjoy their attention.” Jesse accused, his tone still soft with you. He never raises his voice with you, and you never have with him.

This comment hurt you, your waterline burned with tears once again, hearing your boyfriend even fathom these ideas. “I don’t pay these boys any mind. You’re the only one I want attention from, I barely give the rest of them a second glance. And I’m sorry that your friends are touchy with me, I just give them lots of hugs and squeezes because they’re your friends, I want them to like me. I know how important they are to you. So they’re important to me.”

Even though Jesse thought you liked the attention, and wanted him for his name and wealth, even though it deeply pained you for him to think these things of you, you kept it cool. He was hurting, these were his insecurities. You looked up at him, giving him your infamous doe eyes, the ones he fell for in the first place.

“If I only wanted you for your wealth and name, I wouldn’t bother with Hope. I love that girl, she’s my best friend. I’d do anything for her,” Jesse smiled at your comment, his hand smoothing over your cheek, “I wouldn’t bother with your family, I wouldn’t call them up everyday asking how they are. I wouldn’t bother with your career, making sure your training kit is washed and you have appropriate lunch.” You emphasised the word appropriate, as Jesse would sometimes leave with just one of Hope’s lunchables, or just a yoghurt.

Jesse let out a laugh, both hands now holding your face close to his. “Thank you. I’m sorry for doubting you.”

“I won’t take your name when we get married, just to prove that I’m not in it for fame and wealth,” you admitted, a smile on your face, “I don’t know how you do it if I’m honest, you can’t even walk around the shop without someone approaching you. It’d get on my nerves.”

“Of course you’re gonna take my name,” Jesse cooed, kissing the bridge of your nose and looking down at you once more, “and you better get used to it, because I’m not giving you up.” He held you tight to him, the both of you still reeking of alcohol and the coffee long forgotten.

#jesse lingard drabble #jesse lingard #jesse lingard one shot #jesse lingard blurb #jesse lingard imagine #jesse lingard smut #jlingz

[mrs-march-ahs]

Fashion Show for Kai

🎶I hit 600 and I’m at my peak Let’s all get excited for my Kai Week🎶 sorry that there’s so much author’s note today

Summary- Kai is sick of you loitering and bothering him, so he gives you a one time offer to go shopping and buy anything you want. The type of clothing you chose makes him realise giving you his credit card was a good choice, for both of you.

Warnings- Soft Daddy! Kai, knife & blood kink, nerd alert (Words- 2.5k) (Tag list- @tatestripedsweater​) 

Requests- “ Can u do a kai x fem!reader smut where kai is actually a soft daddy?? I know it sounds kinda impossible for kai but it really makes me feel nice to imagine him as a soft daddy so yeah. And reader's not a virgin but it's her first time with kai. Maybe like after a cult meeting.” Yes miss girl <3

“#52 & a lil bit of knife play with divine ruler?😇 you’re so talented ily <3 - @daddyevanpeters​” I didn’t use the number prompt which I hope is okay, I think you’ll like this<3 no i love you

“CONGRATULATIONS ON 300 FOLLOWERS!!!! You are so inspiring and talented. I just joined the fandom recently, and you have been such an amazing person to look up to! I heard that you were taking requests, sooooooo do you think you could do a head cannon for James, Kai, or the Evans (if you want) on how the would react to seeing reader in lingerie for the first time!! THANK YOU!” I hope you’re still here! This request is clearly from a while ago, but this was the perfect opportunity! I love it, thank you you’re sooo sweet<3

you’ll need this picture for later, enjoy ;)

----

You slowly walk downstairs, and try to take a quick glance to see whether Kai’s cult meeting is coming to an end. Although you were almost always welcome, when it came to an upcoming murder, for some reason, Kai didn’t want you involved. And to keep you as safe and indifferent as possible, he didn’t tell you anything about it. But now that you were having a few days off work, you found yourself wandering around the house aimlessly, wanting to be with Kai even more than usual. You were usually welcome at the meetings, and it felt unnatural to you to have to avoid them. When you peaked your head around the corner of the bookshelf, Kai instantly notices you and hedges in his sentence, looking to the floor and sighing. He rubs his eyes before looking back up at you.

“I thought I was clear, can’t you keep yourself busy?”, he snaps at you. You walk over a little closer to him and sigh in exasperation.

“Can’t I just sit with you? I won’t even listen I swear-”, you don’t bother saying anything else when Kai stands up and burns you with his eyes.

“Go away”. You sulk at his words but continue to stand there, your eyes flicking around the floor, searching for something else to say and as you open your mouth to beg to stay yet again, another loud sigh interrupts you. He shakes his head and reaches into his pocket, before taking out his wallet and then credit card. He holds it in front of you and speaks with his regular authoritative tone of voice. He had to make sure that everybody at the meeting knew that he was completely in charge of you.

“Here. Don’t go crazy, but go somewhere and keep yourself busy”. You hesitantly take his credit card from his hand and nod at him, but when you pick your arms up to give him a grateful hug, he pushes them back down to deny it and snaps at you once last time.

“Do not come back here until I’m done with my meeting”

You nod and promptly leave, knowing that Kai doesn’t expect an answer, and just expects you to understand and follow every order he gives you. You quickly get dressed and leave the house, knowing Kai will get more mad if you sit around and don’t take advantage of what he gave you. Though he never particularly showered you with money, he always made sure he spoiled you some way or another so you would stay close to him.

You cautiously but happily spend Kai’s money, unsure how much you have or how much he is willing for you to spend, but in order to make sure that he wont regret giving you this gift, you decide to treat him too.

Within a little more than an hour, the very complicated plan of murder is clear to everybody in the cult and the meeting comes to an end. At that very second when most people begin to scatter, your phone in your pocket dings loudly, making sure you hear it. You’re in huge trouble if you don’t reply to Kai’s messages and calls, so to avoid having your phone taken away you never put it on silent or vibrate, and immediately read his messages. He asks when you’re planning to return home, and even though you were on your way for a coffee, mostly done with shopping, you don’t want to make him wait for you. Your thumbs dance around the keypad as you plan a message when your phone buzzes in your hand with another message from Kai.

‘Come home now’

Although his anger and fierce dominance strikes fear in others, and sometimes in you too, you go home with an innocent smirk on your face, already excited for angry Kai.

When you walk through the door Kai shuts it instantly after you, making you flinch, not having noticed him behind it. You attempt to hide your bags behind your back, but to no avail.

“I got a scam alert”, he says calmly, turning the key in the door to lock it.

“Uncharacteristic purchase from Victoria’s Secret”, he says quietly. Kai inches closer to you and puts his hands on your waist with a tight possessive grip, before looking over your shoulder at the bags behind your back. Most of them pink, one of them black. He exhales deeply in satisfaction at the sight of tissue paper, already excited for the show you’re going to put on for him.

Without a single word, he goes upstairs, and you follow him like a little lost puppy following its owner. He walks into a bedroom and sits on the end of the bed, facing the door. As you walk in behind him, he leans back on his arms and looks you up and down, examining your fully dressed body. When his eyes once again reach yours, he shakes his head to the side once, and you quickly nod.

“Yes, Divine Ruler, I’ll be right back”. You leave the room and go to the bathroom and weigh your options on which lingerie to show him first, but wanting to look as innocent as possible for him, you quickly rip your clothes off and jump into the shower for a minute, gently caressing your skin with body wash before dressing up for him.

As soon as Kai hears the water running, he sighs, and starts to look around the room, needy and already thinking of ways to punish you for wasting his time.

But soon enough, you gently step towards the bedroom Kai’s in and open the door, making Kai sit up when he hears the creak. You stand before him in your baby pink lacy underwear and bra and slowly walk over to him, making your steps as light as possible.

“I showered and oiled up for you, Divine Ruler”, you say seductively making Kai moan breathily at the sight of you glistening. When you get close enough, he puts his hands on your waist and slides them down to your thighs, one of his favorite places on your body, before putting his face to them. He runs his lips along your thighs and moans at how soft you feel under him. The soft sounds coming out of him turn you on immensely, and how his rough and dry lips slide along your thighs makes them tingle.

Kai’s hands rubbing over your ass makes your mind wander to the filthiest thoughts you have, ones you’d only share if Kai made you. A recent scenario that often came to your mind in the shower was one from a week ago, where Kai bent you over his desk as per usual, but instead of fucking you right away, he spread your cheeks and used his heavenly mouth on you, something he doesn’t do often. His hands on your thighs brought back every memory you have of him between them, making you cum over and over again until you grip his hair in the excitement, which always results in him putting you in handcuffs. Unexpectedly, Kai bites your thigh, making you gasp and break out of your trance of dirty thoughts.

“You’ve picked the perfect day to be sensitive, my love”. Kai’s new nickname for you instantly heals the temporary pain caused by his teeth, and you look at him, completely smitten and in love.

He stands up and kisses your lips once, very softly, before turning the two of you around and pushing you on the bed. But today, he does so gently, and you fall onto the mattress and feel the soft covers hug your skin and make you feel a way you never feel. Loved. It was obvious that Kai loved you, and even though he never said it, he showed it by prioritizing you over any other member of the cult, and trying to protect you from certain cruel things the world has to offer. He knew you were the strongest and most dedicated member and he always felt the devotion you gave him when you volunteered to do things for him that the other pussies were scared to do. Your heartless dedication to commit murder and crimes for him was what made gentle and innocent moments like this so special to him. Your naivety and trust for him made him hard.

He straddles you and looks at you beneath him. His eyes were as dark and lustful as always, so you put your hands up to the bed frame, all ready to be tied to up at his mercy. He smiles at your obedient actions ever so lovingly, before cupping your cheek and leaning down to you.

“Not today, little lamb”. You slowly put your hands back down confused by his words, almost worried by him not being as dominant as always, but all worries melt away when he kisses you once again, not forcing his tongue in and not making you feel like you must please him. Instead, kissing you so passionately that you are left breathless and occasionally forget to kiss back, enjoying your master taking care of you and kissing your gentle lips. He moves his attention to your neck, sucking on it gently leaving the tiniest bruises that will fade away within hours.

“Do you trust me?”, he whispers against your skin, giving you goosebumps.

“Of course, Divine Ruler”. Your instant response makes Kai smile against your neck and sit back up on you. He reaches into his pocket, and slowly takes out his pocketknife, flicking it open.

“I’m not going to tie you down, Y/N, so you need to stay still, you understand?”, he asks deeply. You look at the blade in his hand with pleading eyes and gulp at the idea of him hurting you.

“You want to… cut me?”. You ask, trying to sound as sure of yourself as possible. Divine Ruler hates weak girls.

“Of course not, I won’t cut you. If you don’t move”, he says as if it’s all so obvious. No matter how unsure you were about this, his confidence made you rely on him even more and you nod your head, willing to do whatever it is he wanted from you. His warm smile at your willingness to take whatever he does to you melts your heart and you take a deep breath before relaxing your body completely. You close your eyes and Kai shuffles down to sit over your legs, looking at your boobs and thighs in the gorgeous underwear you wore for him. Just for him.

He lays his blade against your boob, and slides it down your chest, making you open your eyes nervously but stay completely still. He hums as he slides it down your stomach, before getting to your panties and unexpectedly puts the blade under them.

“I like these”, he simply states, before in one quick motion slicing them off at one side.

“We’ll have to get some more”

He slices them off at the other side, and peels them away from you, making you bite your lip. No matter how many times Kai does a multitude of dirty things to you, your stomach fills with butterflies whenever you feel his eyes on your naked body.

He puts his knife against your lower abdomen and pushes it down slightly, making it dig into your skin without breaking it. He carefully inspects the dent in your skin as he moves it down your thigh, pushing the blade at an angle that won’t cut you. Kai is intoxicated at the incredible sight of you with your panties cut off, and staying still for him with fear behind your eyes. The vulnerability of you under his knife makes his cock harden, and he puts his other hand on your thigh with a tight grip. He gives it a harsh squeeze which not only sends a pool of arousal to your pussy, but also makes you gasp and move unintentionally, his blade digging into your skin making serious contact this time. But Kai continues to move it down, creating a slice in your thigh that begins to drool blood. You wince at the feeling but say nothing, willing to take it to see Kai pleased.

“Doing such a good job baby”, Kai mumbles under his breath, his eyes glued to the sight of you bleeding. The soft praise sticks in your mind, standing separate to the usual degrading you receive from Kai during sex. He puts the blade in front of his face and licks the blood off it, keeping strong eye contact with you, making you wet.

Just when you think you can’t get any more turned on by Kai’s sudden nurturing, as you feel your blood drip down almost to the bed sheet, he leans down and licks the blood up, then sucking the blood out of your scar. The stinging only adds to the pleasure, as you are far from new at pain and pleasure combined.

He continues sucking and kissing your thighs, getting dangerously close to where you yearn to feel his face, and starts mumbling sweet nothings against them.

“Took it like such a good girl, you know”

You lean your head back not being able to handle the praise, and bite your lip in excitement knowing you make Kai this happy.

“You’re gonna get a treat for this”. Kai sits up and puts his hands under your knees and picks up your thighs, taking a longing glance between your legs as he spreads them.

Although it takes everything from you to not sit and take the treat like a good girl, you hope the happier you make him the more he’ll do for you, and you use all the strength in your body to interrupt him.

“Kai, wait”, you say softly. “I have another outfit I think you might like”. He looks at you and considers your suggestion, before putting down your thighs. You quickly sit up and practically run to the bathroom, not only desperate to get your treat, but also knowing that the outfit will take a second to put on.

When you come back out to see Kai, his eyes widen and he resists the temptation to throw his mouth open, and clenches his jaw instead. He carefully examines you from top to bottom and back, soaking in your costume. You have a black sports bra with ropes on it, khaki shorts with a gun belt and a pistol, and your hair in a braid. Divine Ruler liked sweet obedient girls, but it was obvious the inner nerd in Kai would lose his mind at your outfit.

You walk over to him as confidently as possible, the hunger in his eyes giving you a huge ego boost, and he stands up to look down at you.

“Looks like you’re ready to be my naughty girl again, correct?”, he growls, and you nod at him. He smirks and walks over to the bed stand, taking out your handcuffs. But instead of following, you stay stood and look at him with a raised eyebrow, trying to look intimidating. He looks over at you and throws the handcuffs on the bed.

“Hurry up Lara, I have some digging and exploring to do”.

#american horror story #ahs #american horror story cult #american horror story smut #ahs cult #ahs smut #kai anderson #kai anderson x #kai anderson x reader #evan peters characters #evan peters character #evan peters smut #kai anderson smut #ahs kai

[narrators-journal]

Interruptions

oh boy, we get a little bit of conflict in this part!

CW: Hisoka, other than that, a bit of cockwarming, Illumi’s naked, that’s really about it.

Previous part: Here

First part: Here

The next morning, when Illumi woke up, you were still cuddled up to him, laying on his chest with his dick still snugly inside of you. He enjoyed the sight quite a lot. However, just as he reached to thread his pale, slender fingers through your (h/l), (h/c) hair, his phone buzzed, making him still again. He waited a few breaths until he was sure you wouldn't wake before reaching to grab the buzzing cellphone.

      "speaking," he hummed, trying to keep his monotone voice somewhat quiet as he pet you with one hand and held the phone to his ear with the other, expecting Gotoh to be calling to tell him of a new job to prepare for, or maybe his mother calling for their daily chat, but instead he heard a familiar voice that was annoying for another reason.      "Ah, there you are~" Hisoka hummed in a sing-song voice, "I was wandering if maybe you required my help again. I had fun with that last little task you asked me to assist with, and I have nothing to do..."  The assassin rolled his dark eyes, laying his head back,      "No. I do not require your help again, I'm not working a job right now." he said calmly, but it was like the magician could read the uninterested, flat voice Illumi had, and not in the sometimes helpful way his mother could.      "Mmmmm, in that case what are you doing?~" He asked, and though the question was simple chatter, Hisoka's playful tone blatantly announced that he already knew what the answer might be. Of course the pervy creep would have a keen sensor for intimacy.     "I'm laying down currently,"     "With who?~"     "No one." Illumi said blandly, and Hisoka hummed knowingly, annoying the dark haired man with how he never hid when he knew he was lying. Illumi had asked how Hisoka had learned to read him so well, even threatened the magician with his needles for an answer that wasn't either suggestive or flippant, but the odd hunter had only gotten a predatory gleam in his gold eyes and purposely given aggravating answers that discouraged the assassin's threats with sheer discomfort.      "Who is she?" He asked, and when the stoic man didn't answer he added with a curious lift in his words "or he?"      "No. one." Illumi's voice got firm, making the magician chuckle,      "ooooo, is the unfeeling assassin possibly going so far as to share a bed with a woman? Mm, I'm sure Killua would've heard of you getting married at the very least...gasp! Are you not m-" Illumi hung up on the man before he could complete that thought, crushing the cellphone in his hand in a brief moment of annoyance. Finally, you stirred, drawing his attention back to you while swiftly reining in his aggravation as you raised your head to look at him, momentarily stiffening but than relaxing after the initial startle of meeting his lifeless eyes when you were half awake,        "Morning..." you mumbled, pushing your hair from your face,        "Morning, (y/n)," he hummed, tightening his hold on you so you couldn't sit up just yet, though your attempt seemed to bring the feeling of fullness to your attention,        "Um?? What..what is that?" you squeaked, your (e/c) eyes widening while your body gave away just how flustered you were if a dark blush didn't do that already.        "My dick is still inside of you," Illumi said flatly, as if it was obvious, because it was. Why would he pull out and let his cum drip out? It was supposed to be inside of you, after all.       "U-um, could you maybe p-p-pull out?" you asked, your eyes wide as you looked back up at him.       "I suppose it's been long enough," he relented after a moment of thought, loosening his hold on you and letting you sit up, mostly so he could watch your face twitch and your embarrassment increase when the movement pushed his member deeper into yourself briefly. He could tell you were trying to resist the urge to squirm, your eyes flitting around your living room, looking anywhere but down at him or acknowledging his hands while they rested on your hips. "everything okay?" he asked, amusement slipping into his voice, just to further fluster you since he loved the way you got so awkward and shy. After a nod and another moment of hesitation, you carefully got up, letting slip a tiny noise at the sudden emptiness. From there, you simply stood, doing your best to scoop up your clothes and hide your intimate bits, though Illumi pretty shamelessly continued to move either himself or your clothes to admire the marks he'd left and the simple sight of your naked body. Finally, he sat up, tugging you back into his lap, enjoying the way you squeaked and shuttered slightly when his still-naked member pressed against you.        "Do you think that we could maybe..." the assassin smirked against your neck, running his fingers up your side, making you breathe out a shaky sigh in response. However, just as his hand was slipping from your hip to your thigh before sliding easily between them, his second, spare phone pinged, a job had apparently come up after all. Of course, he didn't let the twinge of annoyance show, he simply grabbed his phone and checked it, letting you get up again and begin getting dressed again. He soon stood as well and pulled his pants up,       "When i get back, we should do this again," he suggested, brushing his long black hair over his shoulder once his clothing was back in place and smoothed from their disheveled state,       "Maybe next time you could get undressed as well." you joked, once again doing your best to match his hint of flirtation,        "Not to worry, the next time we have sex, I'll make sure it's far less rushed and will strip down too." he assured, and before he left you swiftly kissed his cheek, just a light peck really, but it still made him pause and look at you.        "Sorry, just...wanted to," you muttered, acting as if you still had to mess with your clothing to avoid looking into his hollow eyes. He only hummed in response, it wasn't as if he'd not enjoyed the kiss, but it was odd, so he didn't really acknowledge it and just left for the job

#Yandere Illumi #illumi x reader #hisoka #yandere #x reader #hxh #fanfiction #quotev #part 9 #hunter x hunter #Illumi zoldyck

[vampiredecay]

Can I request a Star x Female reader where she meets someone at the Boardwalk that she really likes, like they have been meeting up for awhile and wants to introduce them to the boys in order to join their little family? <3

OKAY so this was so cute that i kind of completely ran away with it lmao. i really hope you like it!! i wrote it in stars pov i hope thats okay. 

Crescent Moon Earrings

rating: everyone

word count: 1,804

tags/warnings: its all fluff my dudes, star x female!reader, female pronouns used, stars pov

---

Nights like these weren't new for Star. Wandering the boardwalk, either with Laddie or the boys, getting lost in the sea of humanity, looking for a good time or a good meal. The moon was bright and full, and she could feel the pull in her skin, making her sway with the weightlessness of it. Laddie was clinging to her hand, leading her nowhere in particular. Stars' eyes glanced around her, watching the families and couples and tourists buzz around, happy and carefree. It made her a little bit hungry. 

However, before she could be pulled too far, something caught her eye. Or, rather, someone, standing at a clothing stand, looking over the ridiculously priced items at hand. 

The young woman browsing was beautiful. Her expression was content, focused on a particular dress that caught her eye. She looked at the price tag, and cringed, her eyebrows furrowing and mouth tipping down. Star thought it was really cute. 

Laddie was tugging at her hand, confused at what she was looking at. "Star?" he asked, and she looked down at him for a second. The brunette squeezed his hand and smiled reassuringly. When she looked back over to the girl, she was walking away from the shop. 

"Come on, Laddie." Star said, quickly walking in the direction the girl went. 

The human stopped eventually, in front of another shop, this time for jewelry. Star slowed down, biting her lip. She turned to Laddie and kneeled in front of him, asking "Can you stay here for me, love? I need to do something." The boy nodded, giving her a big smile. Star thanked him, giving him a quick hug before turning back to the jewelry stand. Thankfully, the girl was still there, looking at an earring display and thumbing her ear. 

Star walked over calmly, looking over the girl's shoulder, seeing a pair of crescent moon earrings in her hand. She smiled, "Those would look great on you." 

The young woman jumped slightly, turning around and almost bumping right into Star. When she realized that it was Star who was behind her, and how close they were, she giggled shyly and backed up. "Oh- thank you!" The human looked back at the jewelry in her hand. "I've been thinking about piercing my ears for a while, I've seen stands around here." 

Star shook her head at the mention of the cheap piercing stands. "They're a rip off." When the girl looks disappointed, Stars quick to amend with "If you want your ears pierced, I'll do it." 

She giggled again, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "That'd be nice, thank you…" She paused, and the brunette realized that she was asking for her name. 

"Star," She stated, holding out her hand to shake. The girl smiled sweetly and took it. "Star." She repeated, and the way she said it made Star giddy, "I like Star. I'm Y/N." 

Star couldn't help but let out her own giggle, rambling just a tad, "Y/N.. Y/N's good, I like Y/N." 

There was a pause, and they were smiling at each other, but then a familiar ache came crawling into the vampires stomach, and she sighed a little. 

"I have to go… I'm taking care of my little brother," Star looked behind her, and was relieved that Laddie was still standing and waiting, "But if you want, I'm going to be here tomorrow. We can pierce your ears then." 

Y/N looked thoughtful, playing with the earrings still in her hand and chewing on her lip. After a few seconds, she nodded. "Okay, maybe we can meet back here?" 

Star couldn't keep the biggest smile off her face, nodding enthusiastically. "Can't wait!" 

When Star finally tore herself away from Y/N, she collected Laddie from his spot, swinging their linked arms and skipping. Laddie was laughing, enjoying Star's good mood. He had an idea of what was making Star so happy, and he hoped that it would work out for her. 

____

The next night went well, it went really well. Star pierced Y/N's ears, and put in those moon earrings, and she really did look beautiful in them. After that, they decided to hang out the rest of the night, walking and chatting and getting to know each other. Y/N was funny and charming and absolutely radiant. When they had to say goodbye, and Star had asked if she'd like to meet up again, Y/N didn't hesitate to say yes. If Star's heart could still beat, she bet that it would be pounding loud in her chest. 

____

The rest of the week, Star spent with Y/N, and she knew that the boys were starting to get suspicious. There were only so many excuses that she could make, before they would start to know that something else was going on. She knew that Dwayne tried asking Laddie about it, but the boy was a saint and just shrugged. 

Star had entertained the idea of letting the boys meet her, maybe test and see if she was ready. There were a lot of worries in her head, because she knew that their… lifestyle wasn't for everyone, but Star also knew that she liked Y/N so much, and the easiest way, the best way for them to work out was for her to turn. 

So, Star came up with a plan. She would formally introduce Laddie to her first, warm her up to the idea of seeing her family more. If Y/N took to Laddie, Star would soon introduce the rest of her family, her boys. 

When the day came that she met up with Y/N, Laddie in tow, the humans eyes lit up and she smiled. 

"Hey! You're Laddie, right?" Y/N asked him directly, and he beamed and nodded. The boy offered her his hand to shake, and said "It's nice to meet you Y/N. Star talks about you all the time." 

Star stuttered, eyes wide, but before she could defend herself the human laughed brightly and shook his hand. "All good things, I hope!" 

Then Y/N looked at Star with a hint of a smirk and mischievous eyes, and any arguments fell out of Stars head at that moment. 

After that, the three of them hung out all night. Y/N took Laddie on rides and bought him ice cream, and even won him a small dinosaur plush. It reminded her so much of how the boys took care of Laddie, especially Dwayne, and it made Star's heart ache with affection. Maybe this could work out, maybe Y/N could make a new addition to their family.

Towards the end of the night, Y/N was insistent that they go on the ferris wheel at least once. Star agreed, but Laddie said he wanted to stay behind. 

"Are you sure?" Star asked, and the little vampire agreed. "Yeah, I wanna sit down here." 

The brunette thought that was strange, but she didn't argue. The two girls paid for the tickets to ride and they were shown to a little two seat cart. It was a bit of a squeeze, and Star and Y/N were pressed up against each other as the ride started. 

They talked a little as their cart slowly made it to the top. The stars were shining brightly, you could see the waves crashing on the beach nearby, the few remaining people walking the boardwalk looked like little ants. The only other time Star got this view was when she was flying. 

There was a moment of silence, then Star heard Y/N's voice ask, a little timidly, "Star?"

The vampire looked at the human. "Yes?" she replied, and grew a little concerned at the look on Y/N's face. Maybe it turned out she was afraid of heights?

"What's wro-"

Before she could finish her question, soft hands were cupping her face, and suddenly she could feel warmth on her skin, and Y/N's chapped lips pressed against hers, a gentle pressure that Star didn't know how to process. 

Y/N pulled away when Star failed to respond, she could hear the thundering of her human heart, but before the fear of rejection could settle into Y/N, Star quickly pulled her back into another kiss. She squeaked in surprise, making Star giggle against her lips. They both pulled away this time, and the cart started to climb back down. 

Yeah, Star was praying for this to work.

____

It was a few nights later when David finally cornered Star at the hotel, arms crossed and looking serious. She was honestly surprised that it had taken this long to confront her, but it didn't make her any less nervous. 

"Alright Star, I've been plenty patient, but will you please tell us what's going on?"

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Star supposed this was it, it was time to see if her plan would work out in the long run. 

"I just…". She started, then trailed off, before taking a deep breath and gained the courage to say, "I've met someone." 

The reaction from everyone was immediate, save Laddie, who already knew everything.

"You what?!" Paul shouted, running over and slamming into David's back. David bit back a growl as he glared at Paul. "Since when? Who is he? He got a name? Details, Star!" 

Marko and Dwayne quickly joined the party, just as eager to hear about this mysterious person that Star met. If they didn't meet up to standard, there'd be hell to pay. 

Star smiled at Paul's enthusiasm, raising an eyebrow. "Well, for starters, her name is Y/N. We met a little bit ago. She's lovely, I care about her a lot." 

There was silence as the boys processed what Star had told them. She knew that it didn't have anything to do with your gender, they were just protective of their pack, their family, so her meeting anyone made them want to think about it. She would feel the same if it was one of them who had a special someone outside of them. 

Finally, David spoke up again. "We need to meet her." There was an edge of finality in his statement, leaving no room for argument. The rest of the boys nodded amongst themselves in agreement. 

"I know." Star replied, knowing that whether Y/N would be turned or not, they would need to meet her. "But please don't scare her off, okay?" 

Marko snorted a bit, probably about to say something snarky, but Dwayne beat him to the punch. "We won't.”

Star sighed and nodded her head. Well, it was now or never. She just hoped that Y/N could bite what they were offering her to chew. 

#the lost boys #babyloutattoo89 #the lost boys 1987 #the lost boys x reader #the lost boys star #the lost boys star x reader #star x reader #female!reader #lost boys fics #decay fic tag #requested

[vhsrights]

A Fast Pass To Love

Pairing: Jemily

Summary: Emily had never been to a theme park, much less Disney Land before. JJ decides to the change that with a week long extravaganza, but some fun things happen on day 1...

WC: 4.7k words

For Mom, Mama, and the rest of the kids of the wack house. (i love all yall) @dykejareau @prentitss @dragisthegame @bridget19 @jay-writes-jemily @ssa-urnansironingboard

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

“Emily, the first rule of theme parks is to wear comfortable shoes and no short shorts. You’re going to get a sunburn.” JJ sat on the bed, watching her towel-laden girlfriend look through her suitcase.

“But these ones make me look cute. Fine, I guess I’ll just have to wear these ripped jeans and my green flannel with the graphic tee. Are you all ready?” Emily finished rifling through her things and slipped into the bathroom.

“Yeah, I’m all dressed. I just need to put on my mascara, hat, and shoes. We still have like 20 minutes before we leave, so just go according to that.” JJ tugged at her watch and moved to the edge of the bed, leaning towards the wall mirror to apply her mascara.

Emily spends little time in the bathroom, zipping through her routine and deftly putting on her clothes. She washed her face and put on moisturizer before throwing open the door and reentering the quaint bedroom. Their room had a view of the buzzing city below but was drab with bland walls and sparse artwork. A king bed decorated the middle of the room positioned directly opposite the magnanimous flat screen. The room may have been drab, but its accessories all but made up for it.

“Your mascara face is cute,” Emily announced, watching her girlfriend carefully apply the product, her lips just barely parted.

“Oh, really?” JJ finished her left side and paused, turning to look back at the brunette. She grinned at the devilish smile on her girlfriend’s face and faced the mirror once more.

“Yeah, I think you should do it more often.” JJ looked at Emily through the mirror and playfully rolled her eyes. She then felt the bed sink under Emily’s weight as the brunette climbed on from the other side.

Emily inched forward, careful to not disrupt JJ’s mascara. She knew from experience that it was not a good choice. Coming up behind the blonde, Emily snaked her hands around JJ’s waist. She set her head gingerly on JJ’s shoulder, beaming at their reflection. This trip was a first for her and she couldn’t think of anyone better to do it with. After another minute, JJ brought the tube down, carefully sealing it and setting it off to the side. She leaned back against Emily and placed her own hands on top of hers. “Babe, come on. I’m done. Are you all set with the backpacks and stuff?” She spoke quietly, relaxing into Emily’s embrace. No matter the time, she always found sanctuary in the brunette’s arms.

“But how about, we just sit here? I don’t want to move.” Emily fake pouted.

“Sure, if you want to miss the water rides and all of the food shops,” JJ answered calmly, knowing that Emily simply needed a little incentive to get moving.

“Oh, never mind. Let’s go. I think everything is packed. Here, I have the list so we can go over it.” Emily fished around in her pocket for a quick second before pulling out a neatly folded piece of lined paper.

JJ chuckled and moved to grab the dark backpack from the edge of the bed. Grabbing its zippers, she opened it quickly and waited expectantly for Emily. The brunette muttered the first part of the list as she quietly checked with herself for the things that she was responsible for.

“Okay, I have all of the snacks and the water. Do you have the medkit, the socks, the fresh shirt and pants for us both, and sunscreen?” She repeated each item slowly, double-checking with the blonde. The method was tried and true, and once they’d gotten through it all, they were out the door.

————————————————————

“Never? You’ve got to be kidding. There’s no way. It’s not possible.” JJ sat on the carpet on top of her folded legs. She had an incredulous look, not understanding how what Emily was saying could be true.

“Nope. I’m serious, never. Mother just was never the kind for theme parks. Plus, she always had a stick up her ass so because she didn’t want to go, I couldn’t either. She would just find extra lessons to stick me in.” Emily sipped her dry, red wine.

“It was odd never knowing what got kids so excited at theme parks. I mean, what’s so cool about waiting in line for hours on end just to be thrown around in a metal car?”  

“Oh. My. God. I cannot believe you! That’s it. You, Emily Prentiss, are coming with me on a trip to Disney World. We are doing a full week-long trip so that you can see the magic that so many kids that go there, love. I used to go there on school trips and once with my grandparents. It’ll be perfect.” JJ turned back to her wine, missing the love that was so apparent in Emily’s expression.

“Perfect, just like you?” Emily couldn’t stop herself from the sappy comment. She was tipsy and over the moon in love with JJ.

“Yes, you sap. You really are a hopeless romantic. Pen was right.”

“Of course she was. Pen is the “All-Knowing Goddess” and she never fails to live up to it.”

“You know that I like you very much, right?”

“Always, I’m irresistible.”

“Oh my god, no, you’re insufferable.”

“You love that about me.”

“Got me there.”

————————————————————

The bus ride was turbulent but neither minded. Emily was jittery with excitement and JJ was calmly seated. The brunette had the map to the area that they were visiting in her hands. To her, it looked like someone had drawn spaghetti and put random locations for things on it. But, despite her struggle, Emily refused to ask for help. It was a pride thing. That, and she had told JJ she could do it. She couldn’t go back on her word now. Watching Emily’s internal struggle was amusing for JJ, knowing that the woman would never be able to figure out the map.

“Ah, Magic Kingdom. This is our stop, Jen,” Emily stated boldly with hopes that JJ couldn’t tell that she had no idea where to go next.

“Alrighty, Map Master, where to next?” JJ raised her eyebrows at Emily as they stepped off the shuttle. This is going to be interesting.

“Uh, we can take a left here and go to the Hulk part. Wait, no, that would be a right. Hold on, I know what I’m doing.” Emily’s eyebrows furrowed as she tried to make sense of the winding paths on the page in front of her.

“Sure you do. Take all the time you need.” JJ stood by her, arms folded in amusement.

“Okay, follow me.” Emily faked her confidence, starting off in the left direction. She silently prayed that wherever they ended up was somewhat decent.

After nearly an hour, neither the Hulk ride nor the other options that she had suggested were visible. They had wandered up to the Adventureland area, currently standing in front of what looked like the show’s bar.  They had managed to stop by a couple of the drinks stands and buy things there, but the rides that Emily had wanted were nowhere to be found.

“Do you want my help?” JJ finally chipped in, ready to let Emily stop stressing over the godforsaken map.

“No!” Emily answered immediately, but instantly remembered that she was getting them nowhere. She followed up with another answer, this time more quiet. “Yeah. But only because this stupid map is super confusing and whoever designed it needs to take a map drawing class.”

JJ chuckled and took the reins. From there, they walked for a few short minutes before arriving at the ride that Emily had been searching for. She had just missed the pathway and taken a wrong turn. The blonde beamed over at her girlfriend, who playfully rolled her eyes.

Weaving through the crowds of people seemed much easier with JJ in the lead. They made their way through several rides, including Splash Mountain. The subsequent gift stores that they visited were very attractive as well. Emily and JJ were not immune to their charms, buying a Stitch plushie that both felt was perfect. Its soft, fuzzy texture and inviting look made it exactly what they wanted. Emily even had the thought that they could pass it down to their kids. It would be a memento for the day, one that she knew she would never forget.

————————————————————

JJ and Emily came up to a small area in front of the castle. Emily’s stomach had growled about three times in the past 30 minutes and they still hadn’t gotten any food. She hadn’t eaten more snacks because JJ had asked her to wait for the Dole Whip that she wanted to try. JJ, on the other hand, was tired. She hadn’t done the whole theme park shebang in years, forgetting the physical toll it took.

She let out a deep sigh, pausing to lean against the partition. A few steps in front of them, two Disney princesses were having a lively conversation. Cinderella, who was a bit taller than Belle, was blushing at whatever the other princess had just told her. Their giggles barely reached Emily and JJ’s ears. Emily smiled at the lighthearted demeanor of the women. They weren’t currently in character, but their costumes and attitude alone were enough to make the Disney World experience magical for children.

Cinderella looked over Belle’s shoulder and caught Emily’s eye. The woman beamed and waved. The gleeful energy radiated off of her. Belle turned around upon seeing what Cinderella was doing. She also waved at the couple, getting a nonchalant wave from JJ and Emily.

JJ pulled out her phone, looking up if the restaurant she had wanted to go to for dinner was still open. The sun’s rays beat down on the couple but JJ and Emily had learned to weather it after years of travel. As she was scrolling to find the link to their website, Emily and JJ heard a squeal in their vicinity. Both of their heads jerked upwards, searching for the source of the outburst.

Their eyes landed on a child that looked roughly 7 years old, dressed in a Belle costume that was similar to the princess that was standing next to them. Poofy fabric and dazzling sequins made the little kid’s gown look extravagant. The petticoat twinkled and flew back against the air as the young princess made their way up to the adult Belle. JJ and Emily didn’t realize what had happened until the princess tugged on the older Belle’s dress, head tilted back to showcase eyes full of wonder.

“You look just like me! I’m princess Belle.” Their voice was high-pitched, sounding almost like an animation in real life. “Mama, look! It’s princess Belle! We look the same!”

The child turned back to talk to a group of people. Emily and JJ’s eyes followed the young princess’ and saw a small group of people. Two women stood close together, the taller one’s arm placed on the other shoulder. On their right, a child had one of the women’s hands in her grasp. She looked between both Belle’s, excitement apparent in her expression, their mouth forming a little “O”. They were dressed as Rapunzel, the light and shimmery purple of the dress popping against their darker, red hair. Accent spots of gold were scattered around the costume, shining amidst the entire ensemble.

The women were not in costume, but their outfits were nonetheless stylish. The taller woman had on a light beige shirt, its sweater-like fabric tucked into light-wash blue jeans that were ripped at the knees. The ensemble was completed with a dark leather jacket that was sleek, not having many embellishments. Beside her, the woman that was holding Rapunzel’s hand was in a sundress. Its material was light and flowy. Patterned lavender flower bouquets were spread across the dress. It had a deep neckline, offset by the floppy sun hat on her head.

Seeing those women and children made JJ’s heart soar. They were exactly what she had pictured in her head of Emily and herself, far off in the future. Getting a glimpse of what that life held for them was overwhelming. In one sweeping motion, the blonde turned Emily’s head to the side and kissed her. Her other hand laid on the brunette’s waist, pulling her closer so that she might never have to let go. When they eventually pulled apart, Emily looked at her with amazement. She didn’t know what had given JJ the sudden need to kiss her, but she wasn’t mad about it.

“Any reason for that kiss, milady?” Emily added the joking lilt to her voice, hoping to understand what had overcome her girlfriend.

“Just, that you’re perfect. Also, those kids, they remind me of what I want our life to be like. Not now, but later in the future. It’s just everything I imagined, and I can’t wait for us to be there.” JJ’s eyes were wide and doe-like, melting Emily’s heart on the spot. She brought her hand up to rest on JJ’s cheek, her thumb brushing against it lightly.

“OH MY GOD. YOU CAN LIKE PRINCESSES TOO?” The women all but jolted up when the shrill voice broke through their bubble.

They turned to the origin of the sound, eyes once again falling on the miniature Belle. Their finger was pointed at the couple. A dazzling smile sat on their face, the jubilation barely containable. Emily recovered from the shock and realized what was going on first. She knelt down, making eye contact with the child.

“Of course you can. You like princesses, princes, kings, queens; whatever you want. Look, you see her?” Emily pointed back at JJ, waiting for the little princess to nod. “I really like her, and she happens to be my queen.”  She watched the child’s eyebrows raise, laughing softly at their mirth.

“Wait, can I tell you a secret?” She leaned in as did the kid, their ear tilted towards Emily.

“Well, actually the thing is, I love her and I’m gonna tell her tonight. What do you think? Is it a good idea?” Emily smiled while the thought of telling JJ she loved her filled her with warmth.

The young princess stood back up, switching glances between JJ and Emily. They noticed the way that JJ looked at Emily. Even if the brunette couldn’t see her girlfriend, JJ looked at her like she held the world in her hands. Luca, the child, started jumping up and down.

“Yes! Yes! Do it! Do it!” Enthused, Luca turned to the grownup Belle. They switched glances from Cinderella to Belle, deciding whether or not to ask the question on their mind. “Is she your princess too?”

Luca pointed to Cinderella, asking Belle. The woman in the leather jacket took a couple of steps forward, reducing the distance between herself and Luca. She placed her hand on the kid’s shoulder and looked over at the women gratefully. Emily giggled and so did JJ. Belle, shifting her eyes from Cinderella to Luca and her mother, snapped back into character to answer the question.

“Why yes, she is. We have our own castles too, so whenever we can go to see the Fairy Godmother and the Beast whenever we want! You have to admit, she’s pretty cute too.” The princess snuck a glance back at their girlfriend, excitedly spinning the tail of their “fairytale romance”.

Luca gasped, their expressions amusing everyone around them once more. However, this time they turned all the way around to face the other woman and little kid. Stopping to think for a second, Luca rested their head in their hand. Coming to the conclusion that they wanted, Luca beamed and pointed at the little Rapunzel. Everyone’s eyes followed their finger.

“B! B! B! You’re Rapunzel and I’m Belle! You’re a princess and I love you!” The child that had hung back’s face lit up with the statement.

“Oh my god! We are! I love you too!” The young princess was practically shouting across the short distance between them and Luca.

The words sounded funky because of the slight Irish twang that pervaded her accent but melted everyone’s hearts regardless. Wasting no more time, B broke out into a sprint towards Luca who did the same. They collided mere seconds later, wrapped in the tight hug. Around them, “Mama” returned back to the other woman. Both children stood wrapped in each other’s arms, delighted at the realization that they had come to. It was the innocence and naivety that made that moment so much more beautiful.

After nearly a minute, B and Luca let go and looked back at the two women that they had come with. Emily and JJ noticed their stance, for example, how the woman in the sundress so slightly leaned into the other’s hold. They watched the way that “Mama” looked at her, noticing the softness that couldn’t be categorized as anything but love in her eyes. They caught on to the way that the couple’s hands linked, their fingers entwined behind their backs, almost as if to hide it.

During those moments, JJ and Emily didn’t notice the two children walking up to them. The couple only broke their gaze when Emily felt a light tug on her flannel. Looking down, she saw B and Luca standing with their hands joined together. Wondering what else the children had to say, she playfully raised her eyebrows to nonverbally ask them to talk.

“My name is Luca, and this is B, my princess. They’re really pretty and I love them a lot. I think you’re really cool and that you should hang out with us sometime. Bring her too.” Luca spoke and pointed at JJ as they finished their sentence.

The two adults joined the children, smiling.

“I guess since Luca and B have already made their introductions, we should as well. I’m Lauren and this is my friend Hannah. Luca is my kid and B is theirs.” The woman in the leather jacket looked down at Luca and B, and then over to Hannah.

“I’m Emily and this is my girlfriend, JJ. It was nice to meet you. You as well, B and Luca. Maybe, we can hang out the next time we meet. Enjoy your trip princesses.”

With that the 6 people parted, leaving Belle and Cinderella back at their post. Emily and JJ made their way to get Dole Whip. They made a few pit stops along the way, picking up souvenirs that were just tacky enough. It started when Emily caught JJ trying on a pair of rainbow Mickey Mouse Ears. She admired her girlfriend from afar, watching her admire the way the headband sat on top of her blonde hair. Emily walked up behind JJ and wrapped her arms around her waist.

“I am so buying you that. You look so cute.”

“Only if you get one too. We have to be matching or Pen won’t let you hear the end of it.”

“I guess you’re right. I would look good in that. You think she’d let it slide if we got her something too?”

“She might, but I wouldn’t,” JJ smirked at their reflections.

“Okay, okay. How about I get us some shot glasses and these and we call it even”

“Deal.” Emily picked up the shot glasses, with decorations and prices that reminded them that they were having the time of their life in Disney World.

Now, with their Stitch plushie, shot glasses, and rainbow headbands, JJ and Emily looked like proper tourists. Emily usually preferred to blend in with the locals and stay low. The more untraceable, the better for her. But somehow, standing JJ in their themed gear and countless souvenirs, the memories seemed worth it. She had her arm pulled tightly around JJ’s waist, feeling the blonde’s body heat against her own.

The sun had begun to set. It left the sky painted with several different shades and tints of pink and orange; the blue having faded away in the last hour. Each color created a mosaic-like glow down on the people as they prepared for the fireworks. JJ had raved about the fireworks show since that first night that Emily had confessed of her inexperience. The brunette was still slightly hesitant but decided that if JJ loved it, then it was good for her too. She pressed a soft kiss into JJ’s hairline as they weaved through the crowds of people to find a good spot for the show.

The last of the sunset passed rather quickly, leaving the crowds under the luminescence of the park’s decor. The rides that they had wanted to go on were already over, so this was the last thing on the first day’s itinerary. Emily was just about to ask JJ when they should expect the show to start when an employee in a decorated, Disney jacket approached the crowd with a megaphone. They spoke loudly and clearly, reciting memorized instructions on the show that was to begin in 2 minutes and the manners that the crowd had to use for it.

Promptly as announced, the fireworks began in 2 minutes. The display was gorgeous. Each little buildup created a unique pattern of firework in the sky. Emily found her attention captured, the magnificence making her heart glow. Everything around her was too much. She felt overwhelmed with love and remembered the secret that she had told Luca. It was now or never.

“Hey, Jen?” She felt the blonde’s weight shift from where she was, tightly tucked into Emily’s body.

“Yeah?” Emily’s neck tickled with the puff of air from JJ’s words.

“Today was perfect. Every day, actually, is perfect with you. I don’t know how you do it, but you make the world seem magical. Everywhere I look, I see something beautiful, and with our jobs, I didn’t even think that was possible. Being with you, made me realize that the world is good and can be good. It made me want to be good, better actually, just for you. So I guess, what I’m trying to say is that I love you. I love you and everything about you. You opened my eyes, Jen. I don’t think I’ll ever have the words to thank you enough for it.”

JJ held back tears at Emily’s words. The pure emotion that she heard in the woman’s voice was enough alone to make her sob. Her heart felt like it was glowing. Emily had that effect on her since they had met. Being here, standing by her side felt surreal. They were at Disney World, arguably the “most magical place on Earth”, but JJ thought differently. To her, anywhere by Emily instantly became enchanting. She didn’t waste a second in replying.

“I love you too, Emily. You were one of the best things that ever happened to me. I could shout it from the rooftops, but fireworks at Disney World work too.” JJ smirked and hugged Emily tighter. “I had dinner reservations at a restaurant that I came to as a kid for after this. Are you up for it? I just think that it would be a nice way to end today.”

“Of course. I was going to suggest take out for dinner, but that sounds so much better. We can head out as soon as the show is over.” Emily answered her and then turned her head to look up at the illustrious show once more.

They stayed for the show, even clapping when the fireworks subsided and denoted the end of the program. JJ and Emily sauntered through the flow of people, looking for an exit. On the way there, Emily stopped them in front of the magnanimous tree. Its decorations shined strongly against the dark, night sky, twinkling almost as brightly as the stars. Placing JJ strategically against the fence, she snapped a few photos. Jumping when she felt a light tap against her shoulder, Emily turned to see Hannah’s wide smile. They gestured for her phone, asking if Emily wanted a picture of the couple.

“Why don’t you hop in there next to her? I can take the picture of the two of you.” Emily obliged them, taking quick strides to join her girlfriend’s side. Their smiles were radiant.

Only two pictures had been taken before purple and yellow things ran out from behind Hannah. The couple didn’t realize what was happening until JJ nearly doubled over with the force that collided into her side. She looked down to see B, and the kid was clinging to her shirt. JJ didn’t have time to respond before the same thing happened to Emily. Luca had made their way to surround the brunette. Both kids had a mischievous smile on their faces, adoration in their eyes.

“Oh, I am so sorry. Kids, come back here. Let these two lovely ladies have their pictures.” Lauren’s voice rang out from behind her friend.

“No, it’s okay, let them stay. After all, we have to take pictures with the princesses in Disney World. Come in close for the picture guys!” JJ laughed and responded, earning delighted agreement from B, Luca, and Emily.

“You two are too kind.” Hannah shook their head and readjusted the phone’s camera angle.

The family took their leave of JJ and Emily, leaving the happy couple smiling as they made their way out of the theme park. The journey to their car was long, but it felt like two minutes to the women as they talked about their adventures of the day. It was a sweet resolution to a long day of fun. Arriving at Rigatello’s right on time, JJ and Emily were seated with haste.

JJ was buzzing with the high of their confession, grasping Emily’s hand tightly. Her mind was zipping with memories that they had made today. She had come to this theme park as a kid, and Emily had rejuvenated that childhood passion that she had for places like it. It reminded her of the fun that she used to have with Roslyn. All that confirmed was that Emily was perfect for her, through and through. Emily couldn’t keep her eyes off of JJ. The baby blues were reminders of how JJ was changing her view on the world, one step at a time. The blonde was the key to her future, and maybe one day they could have kids just like B and Luca. The thought of their own children was exhilarating to Emily, knowing that she had almost given up the hope of motherhood before JJ. Those kids were goofs, but so cute. We are definitely making yearly trips to Disney with our own, and maybe I’ll be able to convince JJ to dress up with them.

The couple was making light conversation when a short, stockier waiter approached their table. Their face was lit up and animated, the enthusiasm apparent in the waiter’s words. Taking a good look at JJ and Emily, Pablo, as the waiter had introduced herself, immediately began listing off items that they believed the pair would like. The interaction was short and lively, Pablo off soon to get their waters. Not a few minutes had passed before they returned once more, however they had some extra beyond what JJ had ordered.

“Don’t worry, it’s on the house. You two deserve it. Y’all are a beautiful couple. Thank you for coming to Rigatello’s. Now, do you know what you want to order?”

“I’ll have the beef cannelloni and she’ll have the chicken scampi? Yeah, one chicken scampi for her.” Emily gave out their orders and soon they were left alone again.

The food was decadent and the wine, which they learned was a house specialty later, was rich and smooth. JJ and Emily talked about kids, what Emily loved about the day, and the future. That day had been their first day of seven, and Emily had already fallen in love with Disney World. They left great compliments with the waiter and went on to their hotel. The women dragged themselves into bed after changing into their pajamas. Both were asleep within seconds of their heads hitting the pillow, arms wrapped tightly around each other.

#jemily #userluthor #a trip to disneyland #a first i love you story #i love this one so much #idc if i say that about every single one #jennifer jareau #emily prentiss #cm #bau #writing #prompt #mc content hours

[ab1tofsp1ce]

A Warmer Refuge

Chapter 7: Someone Else Again

Masterlist HERE

A/N: A special thank you to @mandos-things​ for your kind message, so here’s the next part!

Pairing: Din Djarin x Fem!Reader

Words: 2.3K

Warnings: Just some fluff (and a little bit of angst)

Description: Finally, you both reach Kistern - now what?

“Okay, but you have to promise me something,” I said, one eyebrow raised.

“What?” He grumbled slightly when he asked that question.

“Don’t… don’t open your mouth.”

“Why would I do that,” he asked incredulously.

“Just – just don’t, okay? I really don’t want to get my fingers in your mouth.”

“And what would make you think I would want your fingers in my mouth?”

I sighed exasperatedly, although with light-hearted intentions. “Never mind. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

I reached my arms out, feeling around the air as I shuffled forward until my right hand bumped into his shoulder. From there, I anchored myself by grabbing his other one with my left hand. They felt stocky and warm under my grasp; the only thing separating his skin from mine was a thin shirt. I let out a playfully dramatic sigh, shaking myself slightly, and then began to trace up his shoulders to his collarbones, then his neck, his jaw, and finally I was cupping his face in my hands. He had a ragged stubble that scratched my fingers slightly, and I smiled and hummed contentedly at the feeling under my palms. I tickled my fingers slowly up the side of his face to his eyes, to which he grunted and muttered something about how I was poking him. His eyelashes were surprisingly long, and I could feel his skin was aged, yet still smooth – probably as it was consistently hidden from sunlight. I traced down the center of his cheeks, past his nose, and to his lips, which I ran my thumb over gently. At this, I felt two hands snake their way onto my hips, and he peppered a small kiss onto my fingertips.

“Why did you want to do this?”

I didn’t answer right away, because truthfully, I wasn’t sure how best to word it without sounding ungrateful or cold. So, I deflected.

“What do you mean?”

“You could just look at my face, if you wanted.”

“Is that what you want,” I asked. I didn’t want to pretend I knew what he wanted, but I had my suspicions.

“I don’t know what I want anymore.” He sounded so dejected, and what made it worse was how he also sounded brutally honest.

“Did you want to take it off?”

There was a moment of silence. “Yes. But I had to.”

“Well, if you were forced – ”

“No,” he said, shaking his head lightly. “I wasn’t forced. I wanted to, but it was more than that. I – I needed to.”

I nodded. I appreciated what he was trying to say, and it didn’t take a genius to see it was hard for him to articulate. He was doing a better job than I was, standing here like an idiot not knowing how to explain myself without sounding like a bitch.

“The truth is, I’m scared,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I’m scared that once I open my eyes it’ll be real.”

“Would that be so bad?” I knew what he wanted me to say by asking that question, and so I felt guilty that I knew my answer right away.

“Yes, because I can’t stay here. In a few hours we’ll be on Kistern, and then I’ll go my way and you’ll go yours and… if I see your face, I don’t think I could ever do that. And I know that I have to do. So…”

“So, you can’t,” he sighed, and I felt a hand leave my waist and caress my cheek slightly. He understood.

“No. No, I can’t.”

His weight shifted and there was a momentary puff of his breath against my face before his lips came into contact with mine. It was a gentle kiss, as delicate and precarious as this all felt right now. It was a cruel trick of the universe, that just as I finally found a home, I would have to leave it. Right now, he felt so far away from the man in the suit of armor – it was hard to even believe they were the same person.

He pulled away slowly, as if it was a chore, and pressed a soft kiss against my cheek before starting to move behind me. But I grabbed him by the hem of his shirt and, eyes still closed, pulled myself into his chest, wrapping my arms around him. He obliged, in turn doing the same, and with my head in his chest I could smell him so clearly. It was something warm, like a foreign spice of sorts, mixed with rich woody tones and salt, like what I imagined the ocean to smell like. I felt him bury his face in my hair and sigh deeply, rocking me slightly with his overbearing frame. We stood like that for a while, and I soaked up every second of it, knowing when I let go, he would go and adorn his armor and be someone else again. Out there, he would be the Mandalorian but here, in my arms, he could be Din.

I tried to pretend it didn’t affect me. Sitting in the passenger’s seat, I allowed my focus to be enveloped by the view of my new home, rather than the dread of leaving what I had. As we jumped out of hyperspace, I got my first look at Kistern. What struck me as new and strange was the number of other ships around us. Larger stations orbited the planet, and I had never seen so many New Republic ships before.

As we came into the planet, there was a buzz through the intercom.

“D50 Genesis, this is landing tower 5, you need clearance to land on Kistern. Do you copy?”

The Mandalorian leaned down and pressed something before responding to the call.

“Landing tower 5, this is D50 Genesis. I have a passenger with eligible refugee status, and I am the accompanying chaperone.”

There was a crackling pause over the intercom.

“D50 Genesis, may I please speak to the refugee?”

The Mandalorian looked over at me, nodding his slightly as a gesture for me to speak up. “Uh, yes?”

“Am I speaking with the refugee,” the woman asked.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Do you have your completed paperwork?”

“Yes.”

There was another brief pause.

“D50 Genesis, you're cleared for landing on terminal 14. Do you copy?”

The Mandalorian shuffled forward in his seat as I sat back down.

“This is D50 Genesis, I copy. Over and out.” The intercom switched silent.

I paused, feeling suddenly how loud my heart was beating. I couldn’t believe it. I was finally here, about to land. I felt only apprehension.

“How long do you get on Kistern,” I asked him. “I mean, I’m assuming they don’t just let you wander free down there.”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted, staring forward as we entered the atmosphere. “I’ll take as long as I can get.”

I leaned back into my seat and stared at the roof of the ship, swallowing hard. He said it so calmly, like nothing had happened between us. How could someone feel so close to me and yet so far away? He didn’t even seem to care.

Part of me wanted to ask him, but the truth was that wouldn’t be fair. Because if he asked me the same question, I would be completely clueless. I wasn’t sure what to do, or what I wanted from him. I wasn’t even sure if there was anything he could give me. What would I do, trek around the galaxy with a bounty hunter? Not that he would ever want me to…

The ramp lowered and we were greeted by an officer, flanked by two guards. All three seemed rather taken aback at the sight of a Mandalorian escorting me down from the ship, although seemed to withhold any reaction.

“Welcome to Kistern,” said the officer, his eyes sliding from the Mandalorian to myself. “Can I see your papers?”

I dug around in my rucksack before producing a few slightly crumpled documents. The officer pilfered through them, occasionally looking up at each of us, almost skeptically.

“These are in order,” he said at last. “You can come with me to get your authorizations. We’ll, uh, give you two a moment.” His voice was laced with unease.

“Hold on,” I said, frantically. “He… you’re not sending him away, are you?”

The officer turned back to me with an eyebrow raised. “Well, he can’t stay… surely you know that. He has no jurisdiction on Kistern.”

“Can’t you make an exception,” I stammered, getting a bit desperate. “Just for… just for a couple of days? I – I just…” I could see the officer wasn’t buying it, so I reached over and took the Mandalorian’s gloved hand in mine. I could feel him tense up slightly under my touch, but he didn’t react. I pulled out my best desperate expression. “Please. I’ll never… I’ll never see him again.” Well, it wasn’t a lie.

The officer sighed. “I can give you 24 hours, no more. Come with me.” As he turned away, I exchanged a look with the Mandalorian, who seemed a little baffled. “Uh, thanks.”

“Hopefully it’s enough time…” I said, diverting my gaze and slowly letting go of his hand. “It’s better than nothing,” he admitted. “Come on,” he gestured, and I followed him after the officer.

Apparently, Kalbier had known nothing about Kistern, although this didn’t surprise me. The planet was not desertous like Yak’ish Temeen, and in fact, couldn’t be further from it. The city we were in was covered with a grey, dull sky, and was bordering a large ocean. The air was salty and somewhat humid and smelt of oil and smoke. The only immediate similarities I noticed between my home planet and this one was the variety of creatures inhabiting it. Once again, like that outpost on Utaran, many of them seemed to stare at us as we walked past, and I kept my eyes trained to the ground as best as I could.

We were taken to the New Republic’s post, where I was given a starting balance of 500 credits and keys to a lodging to which I had access to for four weeks. Their behavior was curt and professional, and I had to bite my tongue so as to not make my resentment apparent. I blamed them in part for what had happened on Yak’ish Temeen, and after everything they hadn’t done, they still treated me with civil disregard. I couldn’t be more pleased to get out of there.

The Mandalorian escorted me through the city streets; tall metallic buildings that created thin and crowded alleyways and backstreets. The streets were muddy and well-trodden, and the place was far less than pleasant.

“Kistern is notorious for pirates,” said the Mandalorian, placing a hand gently on my lower back to guide me through the crowds. “No wonder the New Republic wanted to get it under control as quickly as possible. But that doesn’t make it impenetrable. I’m sure there are plenty of pirates who would love to get back on this planet. Like our friends on Utaran…”

I tried to focus on what he was saying, which was valuable information, but I could only feel his gloved hand gently resting on my skin as we shuffled through the alleys.

We finally reached the lodgings, a dilapidated multistorey apartment covered in graffiti and adorned with flags and washing lines that hung out the windows between the buildings.

Inside, the room was small and minimally furnished. I walked over to the opposite wall and looked out the window, which boasted a view of the city sloping down to the docks. I heard the door shut and lock behind me.

“Keep the door and windows locked at all times,” said the Mandalorian. “And don’t stay in this town longer than you need to. I’ve heard there are far safer cities inland, and ones where your skills will be useful.”

I turned around and leaned against the windowsill, looking over at him. He was by the door, and there was something passive about the way he stood; he was trying to distract me from asking.

“Can I… what if I came with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“To find your… the person you’re looking for. You only have 24 hours here, surely you could use some help?” I knew my voice sounded desperate, but it was hard to hide how I was really feeling.

“No,” he said, with a tone of finality. I knew it was pointless trying to convince him, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t try.

“I’m not entirely useless,” I said, rather unconvincingly. “I’m sure there could be something –”

He interrupted me with a morose sigh, looking down at the ground. “Of course you’re not useless, but you’ll only tie me down while I’m out there.”

“Oh,” was all I could muster. Ouch. I tried to hide the pain in my voice, but he noticed, looking up at me.

“I didn’t mean it like –”

“It’s okay, really,” I said, mostly meaning it. “You’re right. I don’t know anything about doing what you do.”

He sighed. “What I meant was I’d worry too much. I wouldn’t be able to focus if you were with me…”

It still hurt, hearing what I already knew. It made me realize how starkly different we were and snapped me back into the harsh reality of our situation.

“Well,” I said, gathering what composure I had left. “I don’t want to keep you here. You’d… you’d better get going.” I avoided the eye contact he was so intensely trying to give me. He seemed to take a hint, and slowly turned for the door.

I couldn’t hold back. “Will you – will you come back to say goodbye?” He didn’t need to be looking at me to hear my pain as I choked on my words. I felt stupid, bleating it out like a child, but at the same time, I didn’t care.

“I’ll try,” he said. And then he was gone.

#the mandalorian #star wars #din djarin #din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #mando x you #the mandalorian fanfiction #the mandalorian fanfic #the mandalorian fic #din djarin fanifc #din djarin fic #din djarin reader insert #din djarin x ofc #the mandalorian imagine #din djarin imagine

[alwaysachorusgirl]

Almost Perfect

Pairing: Frederick Chilton x Female Reader

Word Count:    2,595

Square: Date Gone Wrong

TW: none, just a lot of sweet, romantic fluff (because I like my Frederick soft, sweet, and romantic) 

Tagging: @thatesqcrush, because it’s her Bingo

Notes: So, this ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would. And it looks like some of my paragraph formatting got screwed up when I copy/pasted from MS Word. Sorry about that!

Frederick Chilton took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and mustered up every ounce of courage that he had. He wasn’t expecting you to say yes to having dinner with him. In fact, if he was being honest with himself, he was fully prepared for rejection. He could only hope that you wouldn’t laugh in his face. He took one more breath and knocked on your office door.

           “Come in!” You looked up and smiled when you saw your boss, colleague, and friend enter your office at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

           “Good Afternoon, Y/N, I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

           “Of course not, Frederick! Please, come in! I always have time for you.”

           Your smile was warm and kind and made Frederick’s heart skip a beat. He tightened his grip on his cane, hoping it would be enough to hide the slight shaking in his hand. The other hand was holding a patient file, his excuse for coming to see you.  His eyes followed you as you stood and walked around your desk to stand in front of him. He had fallen hopelessly in love in with you months prior, after the “incident” with Abel Gideon. You had been there at his bedside when he’d woken in the hospital after surgery. Somehow you managed to come visit him every day, all while getting your own work done, helping to run the BSHCI, and picking up his slack. After he’d been released from the hospital you had organized and scheduled his home care nurse and physical therapist. You had come to see him after you got off work, bringing groceries, cooking meals, and even helping with his laundry. You never asked for anything in return, always claiming that seeing him getting better and stronger was all you needed. He still didn’t completely understand it all, why a beautiful goddess, such as you, would even bother with a miserable wretch like him. But you had, now poor Frederick was too far gone to turn back.

           “I, uh, came to return this patient file,” he said, holding out the folder to you.

           “Thank you,” you said, taking it from him. “I hope everything was in order?”

           “Oh, yes! Your notes are impeccable, as always,” he replied. “You always notice the smallest details that everyone else misses. It makes my job easier in regard to prioritizing cases.”

           “Thank you, Frederick, that’s very kind of you to say,” you blushed at his praise, and nervously tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. An awkward moment of silence passed before Frederick spoke up.

           “Actually Y/N, there’s something else I’d like to speak to you about, if that’s alright?”

           “Of course, it’s alright, Frederick, why don’t we sit down?” You looped your arm through his and led him to the couch. He waited for you to sit down and make yourself comfortable before he occupied the spot next to you. “Now, what did you need to speak to me about?”

           “Ah, yes, well…” he paused, completely at a loss for words, and horribly second-guessing himself. His eyes met yours. You were giving him the sweetest and most gentle look. You truly were the most rapturous beauty he had ever seen. He was completely undeserving of you, and he was so certain that there was no way you would ever agree to going out with him.

           “Frederick? Are you alright?” Your eyes were now full of concern. You took his hand and held it between both of yours. You could see that he was anxious and nervous about something.  You slid closer to him, knowing that your presence seemed to have a way of calming him. “It’s okay, Frederick, I’m right here. You can tell me anything.”

           “I truly adore your company,” he finally stammered out.

           “And I adore yours as well,” you replied. He breathed a sigh of relief at that.

           “Are you, by any chance, busy tomorrow night?”

           “No, Frederick, I’m completely free. Did you have something in mind?” You felt the butterflies fluttering in your stomach, and your hopes rising. Was he about to finally ask you out?

           “Would you be interested in having dinner with me? I mean, I understand if you’re not—” He was shocked into silence by feeling of your soft lips kissing his cheek. Then he saw the radiant smile on your face.

           “I would love to have dinner with you, Frederick, nothing would make me happier.”

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

           The following evening Frederick arrived promptly at your apartment at 7pm sharp. You buzzed him in and checked your make-up one final time. You didn’t know what restaurant you were going to, you had asked him to “surprise you”, and the only hint that he had given you was that it was a newer, upscale place. You heard his knock on your door, and looked down at your dress, hoping it would pass muster. You checked the peephole to verify that it was him and unlocked and opened the door.

           You couldn’t help but smile when you saw him standing there in the hallway. His suit was different than the one he’d been wearing at work that day but was still clearly designer and perfectly tailored. His cane was in one hand, a bouquet of red roses in the other. His own jaw dropped when he saw you. He couldn’t help but wonder as to how he’d gotten so lucky.

           “You look beautiful, my dear,” he breathed. He held out the roses. “These are for you.”

           “Thank you, Frederick,” you said, kissing him on the cheek, “They’re beautiful, and you look incredibly handsome as always. Come in, please; do I have time to put these in water?”

           “Plenty of time, “Frederick replied, stepping inside, “the reservation is for 7:30 and the restaurant is only a few blocks away.”

He glanced around your apartment while you went into the kitchen to find a vase. It was small, but cozy and warm, and decorated to suit your tastes. He wandered over to the shelves where you kept your books. He wasn’t at all surprised to see all of Jane Austen’s works, along with collections of literary essays and criticism of her work. He pulled your well-worn copy of Pride and Prejudice off the shelf. You had started reading it to him while he was in the hospital, but he had been released before you could finish it, and the place where you had left off was still marked.

“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going tonight?” You called from the kitchen.

“How do you feel about La Tempio’s?” He answered, putting the book back on the shelf. You came out of the kitchen with roses now in a vase, and your eyes wide.

“That new fancy vegetarian place that all the restaurant critics are raving about?”

“The very same.” He checked his watch. “And I think we should get going.”

You put the flowers down on the kitchen table, and grabbed a light shawl and your purse, double checking to make sure that you had your keys, phone, and wallet. You heard a fire truck go by outside, sirens blasting, but thought nothing of it. You took Frederick’s arm and let him lead you outside to his car. You were so busy looking at him that you didn’t even register the second fire truck screeching by your apartment building, or the dark gray storm clouds gathering overhead.

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

             You and Frederick saw the commotion as you turned onto the street where the restaurant was. There were two firetrucks outside one of the local businesses. Firemen in full gear were scurrying around. Well dressed people were the standing across the street looking concerned. Frederick pulled his car into the first open spot he saw and turned off the engine. You both and walked a bit closer to investigate. You saw a young woman in black dress pants, a white button-down shirt, and a matching maroon vest and necktie and called out to her.

           “Excuse me? Miss? Do you know what’s going on?”

           “Kitchen fire at La Tempio’s,” she answered, walking over to you. “One second I was serving a table, and the next thing I know, there was smoke coming out of the kitchen, and the Maître D was asking everyone to evacuate quickly and calmly. If you had a reservation, you might want to reschedule. I don’t think the firemen are going to be done anytime soon.”

           A loud clap of thunder rumbled overhead, and you all looked up at the darkening sky.

           “That doesn’t sound good, “the young woman said. “You might want to head back to your car before- “She was cut off by the deluge of rain that suddenly fell down from above. You quickly thanked her and took Frederick’s arm. You didn’t want him slipping and falling, and you were both already soaked to the bone.

           You tried to get back to the car as quickly as possible, but that was when one of your heels slipped and snapped off. You felt your ankle twist at an odd angle as you lost your balance and fell forward. Frederick’s arms reached out and caught you before you hit the pavement, but you felt a sharp pain shoot through your ankle.

           “Shit!” You cursed. “I think I just twisted my ankle!”

           “It’s alright, Y/N, just lean on me, I’ve got you. We’re almost to the car,” Frederick desperately tried to comfort you. You reached down and took off the broken shoe, limping while Frederick managed to get you both back the car. Once you were inside you both stopped to take a breath and figure out your next move.

           “My dear, I’m so sorry. How’s your ankle? Would you like me to take you to the nearest emergency room or urgent care? Just go back to your place?”

           “I think I’d much rather go back to your place, if that’s alright,” you said, taking his hand and squeezing it reassuringly. You weren’t ready to give up just yet. You knew how nerve-racking it had been for him to ask you out. He needed this. You needed this, and you knew there had to be a way to salvage the evening. “You need some dry clothes and I’m sure you have something that will fit me. We can order take out and stay in, maybe watch a movie? Your couch is extremely comfortable…”

           Frederick kissed your hand and nodded. He couldn’t believe how calm and understanding you were being about all this. He started the engine, carefully pulled out of the parking spot, and started the drive back to his place.

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

           If anyone had told you that you would wind up on injured on Frederick’s couch tonight, you would have told them they were crazy, but here you were: lounging as comfortably, wearing a pair of his soft pajama pants and one of his button down shirts, your injured ankle in his lap while he tended to it. He finished wrapping and securing the ace bandage, then picked up the waiting towel and ice bag from the coffee table. He draped the towel over your ankle and carefully placed the ice bag on top of it.

           “There, “he said, appearing to be quite satisfied with his work. “How does that feel? Has the pain reliever kicked in yet?”

           “I think it’s getting there, and you’ve done a wonderful job, Frederick, thank you.”

           “It was the least I could, especially given how horribly things have gone tonight.”

           “Frederick, please, none of this is your fault! There’s no way either one of us could have predicted what happened.”

           “All the same, Y/N- “he was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. “Ah! That would be dinner!”  He carefully moved your ankle off his lap and onto a pillow. The couch was full of extra pillows and blankets that he had retrieved while you had been freshening up and changing clothes in the downstairs bathroom earlier. You stretched out while he went to the door. He came back a few minutes later with a large paper bag in his hands. He placed it on the coffee table, then went to the kitchen and came back with silverware, napkins, a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a corkscrew. He had ordered take out from your favorite Italian place, and you watched hungrily as he pulled various containers out of the bag.

           “Baked Penne with meat sauce, and extra mozzarella,” he announced, handing you a container and a fork.

           “Thank you, Frederick, I love how you always remember my favorite take out orders.” You took the food and dug in. It was perfect, just the way you liked it.

           Frederick sat and stared at you for a moment, completely mesmerized. After the way the night had gone, he had fully expected you to reject him, but you were still here, with your kind eyes and sweet smile. He also got a secret thrill from the sight of you wearing his clothes. He thought you looked better in them than he did, but he would never say that aloud. Instead, he reached for the television remote, turned on the TV, and handed the remote to you.

           “Put on whatever you like,” he said.

           You took the remote and started searching through Netflix until you found exactly what you wanted. You looked at Frederick hopefully.

           You okay with The Princess Bride? It’s my favorite.”

           “Whatever makes you happy, Y/N,” he replied, opening the wine and filling the two glasses.

           You both sat in comfortable silence, eating, drinking and watching the movie, pausing it briefly so that Frederick could clean up and put your leftovers in the fridge.

“Would you like another glass of wine?” he asked when he returned. He saw that you had rearranged yourself so that your ankle and the pillow under it were resting on the coffee table.

           “No thank you, but do you know what I would like?” You patted the space next to you, and he sat down, a bit confused by the question. You lifted his arm and put it around your shoulders. You restarted the movie and put the remote to side before wrapping your arms around his sturdy torso and snuggling against him. You placed your head on his chest. Frederick had gotten the message by this point and wrapped his other arm around you. You smiled and snuggled as close as you could. “There, that’s much better.”

           Frederick gently kissed your forehead.

           “I’m sorry again for everything that’s happened, “he said softly. “I just wanted everything to be perfect.”

           You looked up at him and it broke your heart to see such sadness in his eyes. You reached up and caressed his cheek with your fingers.

           “Frederick, stop apologizing. This is perfect.”

           You pulled his lips down to meet yours, soft and tentative. Frederick went stiff for a moment from shock, but recovered, pulling you close, his lips melting into yours. He had dreamed of this, but never thought it would happen.  He could have sworn your lips had been made for his, the way they fit so perfectly. You pulled away to catch your breath and smiled.

           “You know, I usually don’t kiss on the first date, but I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.”

           “So have I, Y/N, for months now, in fact. So, does this mean you’ll give me another chance at taking you out to dinner?”

           You kissed him again and snuggled into his chest.

           “Yes, Frederick, I’m yours.”

#thatesqcrush vday bingo #frederick chilton x reader #frederick chilton #hannibal #hannibal fanfiction #fan fiction #writing #raul esparza

[kjack89]

AITA

My bestie’s latest quarantine hobby is trolling through AITA on reddit and sending me ones she thinks will make me mad, so. I got inspired.

E/R, modern AU.

The sun was bright and the mood, all things considered, was high, as the crowd gathered by the river in preparation for the march downtown to call for defunding the police. Black Lives Matter was leading the protest, and Enjolras had volunteered Les Amis to serve as support and allies in whatever way they could, which mostly meant making sure folks were wearing masks and that no one decided to try something stupid with the cops.

“Good crowd,” Courfeyrac remarked, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet as he glanced around before looking back at Enjolras. “As much as I’m sure it’s killing you that they’re only calling for defunding and not abolition.”

“Yeah, well, not even a year ago, no one was talking about defunding the police,” Enjolras pointed out, a little sourly, adjusting his mask, which was emblazoned with WHITE SILENCE IS VIOLENCE. “I’ll take what progress I can get.”

Courfeyrac smirked. “You sound practically moderate.”

Enjolras scowled. “Take that back, or—”

His threat was cut off by the arrival of Joly, Bossuet and Grantaire. It was hard to tell by the masks all three wore, but Enjolras was pretty sure that all three were grinning, and judging by the way Bossuet was swaying, just slightly, it wasn’t just because they were in a good mood.

“I’ll take it you three decided to hit up a brunch spot on your way here?” Enjolras asked, even more sourly than before.

“A man has to eat,” Joly said innocently, which would have gone over much more believably had he not giggled at the end.

“Besides, we only ordered one drink,” Bossuet assured him.

Enjolras pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let me guess,” he said dryly, “you each ordered a bottomless mimosa.” He didn’t wait for any of them to confirm it. “And how many refills of said drink did you also order?”

Joly and Bossuet looked at each other and laughed, and Grantaire pulled his mask down to grin lazily at Enjolras. “Let me put it this way,” he said, “more than one and less than ten.” He paused. “Probably. I did lose track after about seven.”

Snickering, Joly and Bossuet headed over to join the rest of Les Amis, but when Grantaire made to follow, Enjolras blocked him, his arms crossed in front of his chest. “You’re drunk,” he said accusingly, and Grantaire’s grinned widened.

“Well, I’m sure as shit not sober.”

“Put your mask back on,” Enjolras ordered, less concerned for himself, as Grantaire was part of his quarantine bubble, and more for everyone else milling around before the march started. Especially any journalists who might love to get a shot of BLM protesters breaking the mask mandate. “And go home, Grantaire.”

Grantaire slowly pulled his mask back up over his mouth and nose, smoothing it into place before looking at Enjolras plaintively, all trace of humor vanishing from his expression. “Let me stay here,” he said, his voice soft, and not just from the cotton that covered his mouth.

Enjolras shook his head, well aware that even if Grantaire might suddenly sound sober, he wasn’t. “Go home,” he repeated. “The last thing we need is your drunk ass picking a fight with the cops or something worse and turning this whole thing into a riot instead of the peaceful protest its organizers intended.”

“What, you think I’m incapable of going two or three hours without starting a brawl?” Grantaire asked, incredulous.

Enjolras arched an eyebrow. “I think you’re incapable of a great many things.”

Grantaire’s lip curled. “Like believing, thinking, willing, living and dying?”

“Only you seem to think you’re incapable of dying,” Enjolras said quietly, before repeating, one more time, “Go home.”

But Grantaire shook his head, taking a step toward him. “If you’re so worried about it, then send Bahorel home, too!” he insisted. “Send home Joly and Bossuet who are just as drunk as I am. Or else let me stay.”

“No.”

Enjolras said the word calmly, but Grantaire recoiled as if he had shorted. “And why not?”

“Because I trust them!” Enjolras burst, his temper getting the better of him, and he scrubbed a hand across his face before adding, what he hoped was a calmer way, “I trust them to actually listen to my instructions and keep themselves out of trouble.”

But something in Grantaire’s face clouded as soon as Enjolras had said that he trusted them, and Enjolras had a bad feeling that he hadn’t really listened to the last part. “Right,” Grantaire said, a little dully, already turning away. “Well. I’ll see you later, I guess.”

“Grantaire,” Enjolras sighed, reaching out to catch his arm, but Grantaire shrugged him off, wandering towards the river, the hunch of his shoulders the only indication that he had any care in the world. Enjolras stared after him for a long moment, his expression troubled.

----------

Four days later, Grantaire rolled over in bed when his phone buzzed. He picked it up off his nightstand, saw that it was a text from Enjolras, and immediately tossed it down again, groaning.

He hadn’t talked to Enjolras since that morning of the BLM protest, and at this rate, he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to. Not when he knew that Enjolras didn’t trust him.

Joly would tell him he was being dramatic, and Bossuet would tell him to just text Enjolras and apologize and move on, and since Grantaire wanted to hear neither of those things, he also wasn’t talking to Joly or Bossuet.

Instead, he rolled over onto his stomach, grabbing his phone and stubbornly ignoring the text message from Enjolras still sitting, unread, in his messages. Instead, he clicked on twitter, figuring if he was going to sulk, he might as well sulk while reading about someone else’s misery.

A half hour later, Grantaire had scrolled through what felt like half of twitter before he stumbled upon a random tweet that linked to an ‘Am I the Asshole?’ post on the subreddit of the same name, and he glanced at the clock before deciding he had enough time to waste a couple of hours on a whole new level of misery.

He might’ve kept scrolling for hours, when he stumbled upon an AITA post that was surprisingly familiar.

Suspiciously familiar.

Like he had lived it.

He hesitated for only a moment before clicking on the post.

Posted by u/RadianceoftheFuture 8 hours ago AITA for kicking my friend out of a protest?

So I (25M) was attending a BLM protest the other day with the social justice organization I run. One of my friends, who we’ll call ‘R” (28M), showed up drunk and, IMO, looking to start a fight. This was the last thing I wanted, since we were there to be good allies, and starting fights or inciting a riot as white folks who will get away with it ain’t it. So naturally, I told him to go home.

Now here’s where I may be the asshole. R started arguing with me, and pointed out that some our other friends who were also there were also drunk, and one of our other friends who was there has a history of starting fights, so he asked me why I wasn’t making them leave. I told him it was because I trusted them.

Which is true, but not exactly how I wanted to word it, and I could tell that he was hurt by the implication that I didn’t trust him. And I do trust him, but I also didn’t want to spend the entire time worried about him. Anyway, he left, and he hasn’t talked to me since. If I’m the asshole, I want to apologize so that we can go back to being friends, and even if I wasn’t, I still want to figure out a way for us to talk again. I miss him. So tell me, AITA?

Grantaire stared at his phone, torn between something warm spreading in his chest at the fact that Enjolras cared enough to ask anonymous strangers on the internet about this, and freaking out because Enjolras had posted about their disagreement on the internet.

The man had only two speeds, it seemed, and somehow, Grantaire always ended up dealing with Enjolras on the highest speed.

Numbly, and mostly in an attempt to gather his thoughts, Grantaire scrolled through the comments on the post, unsurprised to see a decent mix of judgements from the redditors. More than expected YTAs (you’re the asshole), plus a number of NTAs (not the asshole), and, predominantly, a smattering of NAH (no assholes here).

Halfway down the page, he paused, realizing that the person who had written the post had responded to a question.

u/oldcoats_oldfriends - 7 hours ago INFO: why do you trust your other friends and not R?

u/RadianceoftheFuture - 6 hours ago Because R has a history of getting himself in trouble, whether by running his mouth off when he shouldn’t or picking fights with guys twice his side, and the trouble he gets into tends to happen after he’s been drinking. So when you put the two together, I was worried he’d do something stupid and get himself locked up or worse. And since keeping an eye on the rest of the protest was important, I knew I couldn’t afford to be distracted by also keeping an eye on him.

And for the record, I trust R with a lot. He’s not as ideological as a lot of us, doesn’t even have a lot of the same beliefs, but I know he would never do anything to hurt the cause, or me. Of course, he might not HELP the Cause, or me, but still. I’ve never once doubted that R would take a bullet for me, if it came to that. I would just never in a million years want him to.

Grantaire swallowed, hard. Of course he would take a bullet for Enjolras, or more, but it had never occurred to him that knowing that might make Enjolras worried. Worried that Grantaire would do something stupid.

If only the man knew that Grantaire worried about Enjolras in exactly the same way.

Hesitating for only a moment, he decided to leave a comment of his own.

u/MyFullGlass1832 - 1 minute ago NAH. Sure your friend shouldn’t have been drunk and you were right to kick him out, but drinking doesn’t make him an asshole (though not talking to you might). I am curious why you would have been worried about him. He’s a grown man and not your responsibility.

He quickly closed out of reddit, not wanting to do something stupid and refresh until Enjolras responded, but he only half-paid attention to the tweets he scrolled past, glancing at the clock to see if it was still pathetic for him to check for a response.

But to his shock, when he finally gave in and checked forty-five minutes later, Enjolras had answered, and something in Grantaire’s stomach twisted to know that he was still checking the thread, still seeking a resolution.

u/RadianceoftheFuture - 39 minutes ago Maybe ‘worried about’ is the wrong term, but he’s my friend. I didn’t want him to get hurt, or worse, because he was drunk. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten hurt on my watch, and everytime it happens, it’s awful. And not just because he won’t shut up about it for the next six months - I always feel so guilty, like I should’ve been protecting him. I know that’s not realistic, so the very least I can do is send him home when I think he’s liable to hurt himself. That way I can sleep at night knowing I did what I could.

The breath caught in Grantaire’s throat, and his chest felt tight, especially as he read the follow up comments.

u/valiant.artisan - 34 minutes ago INFO: Are you and R gay?

u/tremble_b4apoppy - 26 minutes ago Dude you may be in love with R.

u/timidinrepose - 21 minutes ago OMG this is the sweetest thing I’ve read all day.

u/Lymantria_dispar - 12 minutes ago. Pretty sure this might go a little beyond just friendship. Either way, I’m glad you care about your friend, and even though you weren’t TA, you should call him and explain why you told him to go home. 

Grantaire couldn’t seem to stop his stupid smile as he stared at the computer, and this time, he didn’t hesitate, opening his text chain with Enjolras without reading any of Enjolras’s previous texts. He didn’t need to read them know.

NTA.

He sent the text and held his breath, wondering if Enjolras would acknowledge it, immediately, or try to play it cool. His one word answer indicate the former: Sorry?

But Grantaire wasn’t nearly as willing to play it coy. Not anymore. Your AITA post. I’m giving you my judgment. NTA.

In his mind, he could see Enjolras blush, that same way he did when he was frustrated, two spots of color rising high in his cheek as he stared at Grantaire. You saw that?

Even in his mind, it was a beautiful sight. Yeah

Then you should know, I agree with the majority opinion.

The image of Enjolras blushing disappeared, leaving Grantaire blinking at his phone, his brow furrowed as he tried to think of what the majority option would have been. Oh?

NAH.

Grantaire grinned, but before he could respond, Enjolras texted, Want to come over? I think I owe you an explanation in person.

I thought you’d never ask.

----------

u/ RadianceoftheFuture - 45 minutes ago UPDATE: AITA for kicking my friend out of a protest?

(Original.)

Thank you all very much for your feedback in the original post. There were a variety of perspectives on this, but some of the comments on the original post made me realize that I may in fact feel something more than friendship towards R, and it’s a good thing I figured it out, because he found the post, and even commented on it without me knowing! Anyway, we talked, I explained how I felt, and it turns out R’s had a thing for me pretty much since he’s known me. Anyway, we’re dating now, and while this isn’t exactly going to solve my problem of worrying about him, I also think he’ll be on somewhat better behavior now. For my sake at least.

We still have a lot to work on together, but we’re moving in the right direction. And to think, I probably never would’ve figured it out if it weren’t for reddit, of all the websites. 

u/MyFullGlass1832 - 3 minutes ago WIBTA for hijacking my boyfriend’s reddit post to tell him that I love him?

u/ RadianceoftheFuture - 2 minutes ago YTA for sitting literally two feet away from me and responding to a reddit post when we could be doing something far more exciting.

u/MyFullGlass1832 - 1 minute ago ...good point.

#enjolras x grantaire #exr #enjoltaire #enjolras #grantaire #les miserables #fanfiction #modern au #reddit au #that pained me to type #anyway #developing relationship

[unholyhelbig]

We Sold Our Souls | 001: Beca

Summary: A small-town rock band continues to play even smaller venues well past high school graduation. Aubrey, Beca, Emily, and Chloe struggle with newfound fame and the long bloody road to get there.

[Based off of "We Sold Our Souls" By Grady Hendrix"]

Read on AO3 | Dt to the amazing @ifionlyhadmorepaper

Beca’s fingers were split and callused where Chloe’s were warm and protected. They were covered in bandages of all shapes and sizes, little adhesive papers that browned at the edges from dirt or from blood that hadn’t been dabbed away. They were wrapped, lacerated where she had pressed too hard on the velvet cords of her guitar. Beca Mitchell would play until rustic oozing syrup covered the face of the instrument.

They stung, sometimes, but right now she leaned into the numbness that the temperature in the office provided. She wanted to spread them in an equal motion over the glass of the desk so each finger lined up with a toe in her Doc Martins. Instead, she placed them calmly in her lap and stared at the silver pen that rested next to the contract.

She picked silently at the ace bandage that she had strategically wrapped around her pinky finger. It had been the newest slice; a wound still fresh to the sterile room. She was sure it would drip one, maybe two drops of red on the white linoleum.

Beca glanced up from the writing utensil and saw nothing but a suit, a slate and dull grey that blended perfectly with the rest of the room. There were no photos on the wall, nothing but a bland black leather sofa and a glass coffee table that matched the same desk they sat at now. She wanted to look through the floor to ceiling windows but saw nothing but white. Everything was white.

She was the darkest thing in the room.

Her boot tapped against, a low and thumbed rhythm. She waited for him to say something, to say anything. But she realized quickly that he may be darker than her. She could stare into the abyss that was his face, into the shadow but it would mean nothing. There were no defining features other than a crisp, business-like smile.

She had switched from pulling at the dressing of her wounds to picking at the frayed edges of her black jean jacket, littered with patches and permanent marker. Beca traced a signature that Chloe had drawn on one drunken night.

They had popped a bottle of champagne and the bubbles made the cuts on her fingers burn something fierce. But she let the golden liquid slosh onto the carpet of the hotel room, and bubble up in her throat until she couldn’t quite hold it between her lips anymore. Chloe kissed her and she tasted like weed and cherry.

It was the first night that their song was played on the radio.

The four of them huddled around a radio, its antenna stretched to the ceiling of that dingy room. The lights buzzed as much as the static, and it was close to three am; too late for the bar handlers to be heading home, and too early for the suits to be warming up their cars. But they played it- they played it.

They could quite possibly be the only four people in the entire world to hear the first song from the DEMO that Beca slid under the studio door.

When she leaned forward, the leather her pants made an ungodly noise. She didn’t’ want to read through the stack bound with a thick black clip. The first page was highlighted where she needed to initial and bolded at the most important parts; the parts that distracted her from what really mattered.

Her father was a stockbroker before he was dead, and he would tell her every single time he brought home a new contract, that they make the glittery things darker. That’s not what she was supposed to read; she was supposed to look at the little pieces of text that had stars next to them. People liked to trick you with shiny things.

Beca moved her finger across the large stack; the paper was cool to the touch and caught on the adhesive of her ace bandage. “What exactly are you offering me here?”

Summer 1985

It took her four whole months to save up for the old white Charvel that sat at the back of Shawl's pawn shop. There were bars strapped across the windows and an ugly neon orange sign that let Beca know when they were closed and when they weren’t. She would cling to those bars when old man Shawl would tell her to buy something or get the fuck out.

He stared at her even harder when she emptied the shoebox of change and crumpled up bills stained with sweat and sticky substances onto the glass counter, but even he couldn’t turn down a profit. She waited for ages while his liver-spotted hands counted the money carefully. Then he pursed his lips and pulled the beat up guitar down from his perch above his shoulder.

In later years, Beca knew she didn’t have nearly enough, and she thanked him silently for taking pity on her and passing it over anyway. She was driving all of his customers, she reasoned, by sulking on the hot sidewalk in front of the shop, letting banana flavored popsicles drip onto her fingers until it was nothing but a stick left.

She had fastened the worn leather strap around her chest and straddled her jet red bicycle. Beca had never peddled so fast in her life. The Mid-August heat clung to every inch of her was humming with sweat by the time she skidded to a stop in front of her house. She let the bike drop and got an instant hit of relief when she crossed the threshold into the open garage.

Beca scooted past the dusty Monza that barely fit in front of the door leading into their kitchen. Her mother had bought it off a stranger that came into the diner back in 78’. There were questionable stains in the backseat and an odd scent of Clorox that they could never get rid of. But it ran back and forth, and that’s all they needed.

She pulled open the honey blossom fridge and grabbed the closest thing they had to a cool drink. Beca drank tang straight from the pitcher, letting it drip down her face and soak into the collar of her shirt. She was noisy when she drank, and oblivious to her mother watching her from the archway as she tied her apron around her waist.

“We have glasses, Bec’s”

Her mother didn’t’ comment on the guitar strapped to her back. She figured that her daughter had picked up another hobby. Last year it was basketball, and the year before that she begged and begged for a set of baseball cards from the local hobby shop. After they were shoved under her bed she was told to fund her ventures on her own.

Beca swallowed the last of the orange flavoring on her tongue and took a savoring breath to fill her burning lungs. She turned to the woman and smiled “That would just dirty two things instead of one. Besides, you don’t drink this anyway.”

She couldn’t argue with that. Her mother wrestled silently with the faux pearl earrings that matched the beaded necklace against her collarbone. The soft blue tone of her uniform washed out her skin and made her look pale despite the summer heat that lingered well into August.

Beca placed the glass decanter back into the bottom half of the fridge before she mock saluted her mother and wandered back out to the garage. Her skin instantly became slick with sweat. She pulled an empty milk crate a few inches from the line of the setting sun.

She finally pulled the old Charvel from her back and situated it in her arms. It was far from a perfect fit. She reached over the neck and felt the way the side dug into her ribs uncomfortably. The strings were frail and sounded rough as she dragged her thumb against them.

Beca had only learned the start of one song, the first few cords of Black Sabbath’s Tomorrows Dream. They had printed the cords on the back of the record sleeve, each specific note highlighted in a comically large dot. Beca would breathe in the dust of the garage and listen to the record on a constant loop, pressing her fingers down against the notes.

She took a deep breath and started to follow the instructions that she had completed a million times over. The strings were too tight and it sounded choppy, sharp, and thick all at once. She cringed at her half-hearted attempt and the way the cords cut so deeply into her fingertips they stung.

She ignored the old car pulling out of the garage, and the way she had to squint at the darkness after a while. There was still the sour taste of orange on her tongue and sweat dripped from her nose. But she played and played, and played until there was blood against the white face of the instrument and tears pinching at her eyes. It sounded somewhat like Black Sabbath.

“You like metal?”

Beca jerked her hand back quickly and drew in a sticky warm breath of air. She had been so wrapped up in her task that she hadn’t realized she wasn’t alone anymore. A girl stood in the dull light that leaked from the garage and into the pavement. She didn’t’ quite pass the threshold- instead, she lingered.

A certain chill had invaded the air and the girl folded into herself. Her wild mane of orange hair fell around her shoulders and ghostly blue eyes lit up optimistically at the sight of a guitar.

“Uh,”

“That’s a Charvel, right? I begged my parents for one last Christmas but they got me an acoustic instead. Hooked me up with lessons from Miss Jensen. I learned one country song and started pocketing the fifty bucks a week instead.”

“Yeah,” Beca swallowed hard “It’s a Charvel”

“That’s cool,” she rocked back and forth on the souls of her sneakers. The cold didn’t’ seem to get to her much anymore. Beca tried to place her. Her ears were ringing and her fingers hurt. The crickets were hissing their own song. “You go to Kennedy don’t you?”

“I’m second year”

“I’m third.” She beamed “I live right next door, I’ve seen you around.”

Beca lifted her chin; she had seen the girl around too. It usually followed loud screaming and slamming doors. She would sit on her stoop and stare at the way her cassette player would turn. Beca had seen her flip a tape four times once- still like a statue until the music stopped and hat to be reset.

“Listen, I uh- don’t want to intrude, but maybe we could play together sometime?”

“Yeah, I would like that.” She found herself saying, the orange drink in her system making her stomach churn. She nearly felt bad, felt a pang of sadness for the girl. “I’m Beca.”

“Hi, Beca. I’m Chloe.”

Winter 1994

Beca let the case fall shut a little too loudly. The acoustics on the small stage seemed to catch all the wrong things. She couldn’t get her voice to carry earlier in the night, but the fur-lined box that they housed their amp in bounced all the way to the entry of the little venue in Portland.

She blinked hard, trying to ignore the harsh red lights that covered every single inch of the place. There were bumper stickers covering the spotty paint of the walls and a bar that was more piss and peanut shells than anything. Emily gulped down warm beer and struggled to keep it down momentarily. She didn’t look up at the noise, her stare trained on a coaster, and the crumbs that lie next to it.

Beca leaned back on her heels and pulled in a thick breath. She smelled like sweat and blood and alcohol. Her little stunt had drawn the attention of Aubrey, the woman wrapping the cord to a different amp around her forearm and palm. She narrowed her unripe stare.

“This was fucking shit,”

“I’m doing my best”

They spoke at the same time. She knew that Aubrey’s anger was buzzing, it was festering until it finally burst. She looked pale under the red lights, the same tattoo they had all gotten two years ago stretched under her tank top and down to the gap between her jeans.

She knew what Aubrey was going to say. Her best wasn’t good enough, and it never was; they had been doing this for years, eight long years and they were still playing the shit-stink venues in even shittier towns. They barely had an audience tonight, and it had all been Beca’s fault. The whole room was thinking it, but no one had the balls to say it other than Aubrey.

Chloe moved from the corner of the room, “We’ll get a better place, Bree.”

“Yeah? When? I’m tired of giving my all to an audience that doesn’t’ fucking exist. We’re not kids anymore.”

“We’re shit broke.” Emily turned in the creaky barstool, swallowing the foam at the bottom of her glass. “I don’t even think we have gas in the van.”

“How much from this gig?” Chloe asked.

Her hair was matted with sweat and her thumb pulled at the chain around her neck. It was fastened with a marbled red pick, one from their first real venue ever. She had nervously wiped away the gold lettering and now the smooth plastic was all that was left. Beca hated disappointing her, and she did it often these days.

“Five hundred.”

“Five hundred? Beca that’s barely enough to cover the hotel rooms.” Aubrey let the wrapped cord fall back to the stage “We don’t break even on this. It’s not fucking worth it. It never was and it never is.”

They all knew what came next. Emily stared down a coaster she had begun to shred. The remaining foam on the glass culminated at the very bottom of the glass and she knew she couldn’t muster enough change to order another one. So she sat with the sour taste in her mouth and festered.

Aubrey would mention Julliard.

“I could have had everything.” She hissed instead.

Beca didn’t dignify it with a response. Instead, she leaned down and pulled the amp up with nothing more than a grunt. Instead, she walked out into the cold Portland air and let it make her skin tighter. She blinked away the red light and searched for the keys in her pockets. She had left them inside.

#Beca Mitchell #Chloe Beale #Bechloe #Emily Junk #Aubrey Posen #Junksen #band au #rocker au

[ammocharis]

100 days of writing / WIP whenever

I decided to follow @cleverblackcat's example (thanks for the tag!) and combine a prompt from @the-wip-project with the WIP game (thank you for tagging me two weeks ago @crackinglamb!). I'd like to tag both of you back and also @samuraisaucefrites, @dreadfutures, @a11sha11fade, @tejaswrites, @maythedreadwolftakeyou and anyone who feels like sharing their WIP or trying one of the prompts from the 100 days of writing challenge.

Day 37 (July 7th, 2021):  Post your favorite line of dialogue that you’ve written recently

(For context, the following excerpt describe some details from the time my Avvar Inquisitor visited Val Royeaux for the first time. She really didn't like being there.)

Then, Vatna sensed a change in the Land of Dreams. Somewhere nearby, another person crossed the Veil, but it was no ordinary dreamer. She would recognize him anywhere.

Solas.

She kept avoiding him, even after he lent his hand in retrieving Tyrdda’s staff.

If she wished to get away from him, she’d have to push her way through this awful swarm. Perhaps she’d be able to find a door that would lead her elsewhere, away from the city.

Except she didn’t want to do that. For the first time since they met, her instincts didn’t scream at her to either fight or flee from Solas. She didn’t feel the urge to press him for answers or to accuse him for the crimes he committed. Aside from the hold-beast, he was the only familiar figure on this side of the Veil whom she could talk to.

Vatna stopped by the opposite side of the bench that Solas was sitting on. She might not have wished to avoid him that night, but it didn’t mean she would come any closer than thrice an arm’s reach.

“It’s so crowded,” she said instead of a greeting. Her gaze rolled over the sea of sleeping souls, still bewildered by the sight. “I can’t believe something like Val Royeaux can exist and not sink into the ground.”

To her surprise, Solas didn’t question her behaviour. He was watching the Orlesians wandering around the streets with a placid expression on his face. When Vatna approached him, he only gave her a brief glance and a raise of an eyebrow, then returned to his observations.

“The sheer size of a city is not enough of a reason to cause its decline,” Solas replied.

His eyes were set on a pair of Orlesians who argued over something. From the fragments of their squabble that could be heard over the rest of the commotion, it became clear that they disagreed about the most appropriate adornment for their masks – sapphires or pearls – but whether it was a real issue that got reflected in the Land of Dreams, or a completely dreamed-up problem, Vatna couldn’t guess.

“It certainly wasn’t the sole impetus behind Arlathan’s fall,” the elf added after a pause. “Though I imagine you didn’t mean ‘sink into the ground’ literally.”

Vatna shook her head. “No, I was just wondering if…” She bit her tongue. Admitting how uneasy she felt, both inside Val Royeaux proper and its dream-mirror, would be a mistake.

“If this place breeds discomfort in anyone else,” Solas finished the sentence.

Vatna responded with a tentative nod, briefly turning her face towards the elven Dreamer.

“To a degree, it does, just as being in the presence of a corrupted spirit,” he said. “All somniari, due to their nature, are more attuned to disturbances in the flow of magic. The Veil amplifies these aberrations even further, similar to how the walls of a cave might reflect screams to produce an echo. Though with time, it’s possible to adapt to almost every situation.”

“I doubt I would ever become used to living here,” Vatna objected. “There are so many dreams, it’s too much to comprehend.”

She finally sat down on the bench, still keeping her distance from Solas, and the hold-beast settled between them.

“This is one of the reasons Dreamers are so rare in this world,” Solas declared. “Born in a city like this, most of them wouldn’t survive very long – especially without proper guidance.” He looked at the falcon at Vatna’s side, and then at the Avvar.

“How can anyone survive like this?” the woman reached out with her arm, encircling the mass of people that surrounded them from every side.

“Very few dream like you do,” Solas said calmly.

Like us, she thought to correct him, but she didn’t open her mouth. For once, she wanted Solas to keep speaking, to drown the buzzing of a myriad of dreams manifesting all around her. The noise bore resemblance to a beehive built by a meadow in full bloom.

“Even fewer live alongside spirits,” Solas continued. “The people dwelling here do not find these circumstances as unsettling as you might. They do not miss the fellowship with spirits. You cannot yearn for something you have never imagined.”

His voice carried a melody, a faint one, but she could hear it even through the tangled dreams.

#100daysofwriting #wip #wip whenever #favourite line of dialogue #vatna #solas #dragon age #watch the skies

[redrobinhoods]

with you I fall (down) | Whumpay 2021

CW: None

Summary: Cal knew that the Nightsisters used the Dark Side of the Force, but not until that power is used to heal him after a skirmish with the Haxion Brood did he realize how deep that connection was. [5/11]

AO3 Link | Whumpay Index | Chapter 1, Chapter 4, Chapter 6

Cal closed his eyes as he set his boots down beside him on the riverbank, letting his feet breathe for the first time since that morning. He heard Merrin’s boots hit the ground beside his and the sound of her laying down on the rock he was leaning on.

“I do believe we agreed on a water break, not a nap.” Cere laughed from somewhere behind him.

“Well, we don’t want our feet to rot off do we?” Cal grinned. “I don’t suppose you grabbed any spare socks?” A few seconds later he felt a small bundle hit the side of his head. “Thank you.”

“Do you want new socks, Merrin?”

“Not right now. I have magick boots.”

Cal heard BD-1’s scanners activate before the droid let out a conclusive beep.

“Do you really?” Greez asked.

Merrin confirmed BD-1’s conclusion. “No. Why would anyone enchant their boots?”

“You’re the one who said it!”

Cal chuckled as he reopened his eyes and pulled the new pair of socks on before reaching for his boots, careful not to brush his hand against Merrin’s as she also reached down for hers. Cere was sitting by a rock near them, similarly pulling her boots back on as Greez watched the three of them, perplexed. “How are humanoids the dominant species in the galaxy when you have to do this?”

“We walk faster than you.” Cere teased as she stood up to stretch out her back. “But we’ve still got another days walk ahead of us, even so.”

“Then we should get moving.” Cal agreed as he too stood, bracing against the rock when his head began to swim.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Just a head rush.” He smiled reassuringly at Cere.

He regretted not taking that break a few minutes later. As they continued to pick their way through the forest floor, Cere and Merrin cutting their way through the underbrush with Trilla’s and Cal’s lightsabers when the foliage was too thick to penetrate, the pain in his side continued to grow with every step. With each contact of his boot on the ground, some deep Force of the planet shot up into his body. He had sensed it before, on his quest for Tarfful, but it hadn’t resonated like this.

“You okay, kid?” Greez asked at his side, reaching out to steady him when he swayed on his feet.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Cal lied with a smile. “Just caught my foot on a root.”

“If you say so.” Greez continued, muttering something Cal didn’t catch about the dominant species and their feet.

Cal began following after him, reaching out to touch the bark of a young Wroshyr tree to steady himself, but when he took his next step he found himself surrounded in a deep shadow.

“Greez?” Cal stumbled forward into the brush before him. “Cere? Merrin?” He should have been able to see the glow of their lightsabers, heard them as they buzzed through the air, but the only thing that reached his ears was an oppressive silence.

He turned back in the direction he had come from, pushing aside plants that he could not see as he listened for anything. Though he could feel the leaves and branches of the plants against him, he could not hear them as they moved under his touch or brushed against his skin. Not even his footsteps rang out as he spun in circles, looking for anything.

When he could make out a dim light in the distance he followed it, stumbling over the rocks and roots he could not see in his path until he reached a small clearing. He stopped at the edge at the sight of a black-haired woman, sitting alone with her back turned towards him, tenderly stroking the head of a Wyyyschokk.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Cal cautioned, taking a step into the light.

“Why?” She turned her head towards him. “It’s not like it can hurt me anymore.”

“Am I dead?”

Trilla shrugged. “Are you?”

Cal took another look at the Wyyyschokk before walking into the light of the clearing and sitting down on her left side beside the spider. “Am I?”

“If you are, you’re doing a poor job of avenging me.”

“Well, the galaxy doesn’t revolve around you, does it?”

Trilla smiled and let her hand fall from the Wyyyschokk, allowing it to wander away into the darkness Cal had come from. “It felt like it did, before. That’s what the Dark Side does to you.” She took a moment to take him in. “As you know.”

“You think I’ve fallen?”

“Haven’t you? I can feel it.” She reached out to poke a finger against his chest. “Here.”

Cal looked down at the spot that Merrin’s hand had lain on when he had awoken after the crash. “You’re wrong.”

“I have a feeling that I’m not. Your friends, if something happened to them and the only way to save them was to use the Dark Side of the Force, would you use it?”

“That’s a very unlikely situation.”

“And that’s a very telling answer.” She tucked her hands into her lap and leaned forward. “Jedi are supposed to be able to let go. If something happened to your Nightsister, knowing the agony that would explode inside your chest if you lost her, would you be able to let her go?”

“Don’t you dare threaten her!” Cal bared his teeth as he leaned forward to stare Trilla down.

“I wasn’t.” Trilla calmly straightened up before rising to her feet. “But think about it, Cal Kestis, and think of how far you would fall.”

Cal buried his hands into the earth underneath him to rise, nearly knocking his head against Greez’ as he pushed himself forward.

“Woah, Cal.” Cere said as she reached down to steady him. “It’s just us.”

“Are you okay?” Cal felt the arm around his waist loosen and he looked back to see Merrin, who had been holding him against her chest.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got woozy for a moment there.”

“We’ll take an hour’s rest and eat.” Cere ushered Greez away from Cal’s face. “Give you some time to recover.”

“Okay.” Cal slumped back into Merrin’s chest, letting her wrap her arms around him once more. And for the first time since the crash, her touch was soft upon his skin.

#whumpay2021 #collapse #cal kestis #merrin #cere junda #greez dritus #trilla suduri #merrical #my fics #star wars

[vanillann]

pancakes for dinner ii (spencer reid x reader)

part i

warning: swearing 

word count: 1.9k

“Spencer?”

Spencer turned around quickly. He stood in the middle of my kitchen with batter sticking to his cheek.

“Pancakes?”

The tone in his voice sparked up, causing it to crack. The roller bag was long forgotten in the hallway, my feet not stopping until I stood in front of him.

“You got my message,” I spoke mostly to myself but the comment itself brought a smile to Spencer's face.

“I did.”

Not another second was wasted, my lips crashing onto his. I felt like I was floating, like I was on cloud 9. The way his teeth ran over my bottom lip made shivers run up my spine, I felt completely helpless in the best way possible.

His hands grabbed both sides of my face, slowly bringing me farther away from his own.

“Wake up.”

Huh?

“Wake up (Y/N).”

The sight of Spencer was gone in seconds, the overhead light of the plane taken over my vision.

“Hiya sleepy head.”

I turned back to my right, Lizzie's smiling face was a nice sight, but I was so mad it wasn't Spencer leaning in for another kiss.

Well, dream Spencer.

God, dream Spencer was just as hot as real Spencer.

“We are about to land,” Lizzie said as she grabbed my phone from my hands.

“What are you doing now, calling my boss?”

“Nope, putting my number in your phone.”

I smiled to myself, watching as my new found friend typed her number quickly into my phone.

*

Spencer fell back into his seat, a sigh leaving his lips as he looked at the loads of paperwork on everyone's desk.

“I need to call Savannah,” Morgan spoke quickly, stepping off to his office, his phone in his hand before he rounded the corner.

The talk of a phone call bought Spencer mine back to the voicemail (Y/N) had left him, sitting in whatever inbox the stupid thing had.

He looked through the glass door, the sight of the BatCave door was enough to have Spencer standing from his chair.

He pulled his phone out of his front pocket, knocking on the BatCave door because it was always nice to respect people's private space.

“Enter.”

Spencer pushed the phone open, trying to figure out how to work this weird tech box.

“What’s up Boy Wonder?”

Garcia's voice was smooth, as always.

“(Y/N) left me a voicemail but I can't get to the inbox.”

Without another word Garcia pulled the phone from his hands and typed away quickly.

“Speaker or handheld?”

Garcia looked up through the frames of her thick purple glasses, reminding Spencer of his old art teacher from college.

“Speaker is fine.”

Spencer didn't want to hold that stupid tech box with thousands, 17,000 to be exact, to his face if he didn't have to.

Garcia did her classic dramatic tape, the sound of (Y/N) voice made it all worth it.

“Hi Spencer, it’s me (Y/N).”

The first thing Spencer picked up on was the edge of (Y/N) voice, did something happen?

Are they kidnapped?

God not again.

“I have a feeling you and the team are on a case or something so you probably aren't going to get this until Pen teaches you how.”

“Burn,” Garcia said, making a fist and fist bumping the phone screen.

Spencer rolled his eyes, the sound of a faint laugh sounded through the phone, a note (Y/N).

No.

Just no.

“Okay, um here goes everything.”

Garcia and Spencer made eye contact at the same time, both confused looks burned into their brow.

“I wanna eat pancakes for dinner with you, I know that doesn't make sense to you and all but-um.”

Okay, something was definitely wrong, someone had to have a gun to your head if you were talking in code or something.

“A stranger on the plane told me a crazy story about the love of her life-”

Love?

“-dying in a plane crash and eating pancakes for dinner and I realized that I can't keep acting like I don't want you.”

Garcia dropped the phone, quickly jumping from her chair to pick it back up and hold it in front of both their faces, The bright screen lit up both their faces, both sided eyes and full of awe.

“And right now I’m horrified that this will end horribly but right now I’m stuck on this plane and if it crashes or I disappear or some serial killer finds me-”

Please don't bring up a serial killer killing you, not again.

“-I need you to know.”

Both FBI agents were bundled together in the middle of the room, both faces glued to the phone.

Hotch opened the door to the BatCave, opening his mouth to speak but Garcia hushed him quickly.

Oh god, In front of Hotch!

“I love you Spencer Reid-”

Hotch even took as small a gasp of air, not as big as Garcia but still louder than Spencer.

“-I always have and I can't help it that I wanna eat pancakes for dinner with you.”

Hotch closed the door, walking deeper into the room. He stood beside Spencer,  his face still stern but the hit of a smile playing across his face, his dimples almost on full display.

“I can't help it that you might be the love of my life and I might die today-”

“No,” Spencer yelped out, Garcia quickly held a finger up this mouth and gave him a Hotch look.

“-so if you don't feel the same it's okay but I just need you to know, um yeah bye.”

The sound of a harsh click ended the call, but no one in the room spoke.

“Oh god, if you don’t marry her I will, you can be the best man if you want,” Garcia spoke at lighting speed.

“She called me the love of her life.”

Spencer couldn't focus on anything in the room except the tech box that (Y/N) perfect voice was just flowing out of.

“How about I take your stack and divide them through the team?”

Hotch laid a shoulder on his shoulder, breaking him from the daze he had fallen into.

“Here take my car,” Garcia jumped from her seat, handing Spencer here keys with a Minecraft character, maybe, hanging for the side.

Spencer grabbed the keys and left the BatCave within seconds.

*

I placed the key into my apartment, a small voice in the back of my head telling me Spencer would be on the other side of that door with pancake batter on his face.

I pushed the door open, keeping my head focus to keep my disappointment at bay. I clicked the lights on, finally looking up to see my kitchen completely empty.

I felt the sigh pass my lips, dragging the roller bag, which felt extra heavy now, to the side of my couch.

I looked over my shoulder, the clock on my wall making me want to cry.

2:35am

The time zone was off now and I couldn't sleep, the thought of work in the morning was what made a few single tears roll down my cheeks.

“I hate being old.”

My phone buzzed, my hopes that it was Spencer were gone when I saw Lizzie name pop across my screen.

Lizzie: home yet?

I typed a quick yes, shoving the phone back into my pocket, walking straight to the coffee machine.

If I was going to be stuck watching stupid movies until work might as well have some liquid energy.

The closer I got to the pot the sooner I realized that I had no more coffee beans.

Did the universe hate me, like really hate me?

I played with my keys between my fingers, the thought of running to the small supermarket down the street couldn't hurt.

I didn't think twice, walking back through the front door and closing it behind me.

*

I wandered down the coffee aisle, looking through the many selves of beautiful coffee beans. I grabbed my normal brand and turned left.

I saw the crowd of people standing around the exit, the thought of pushing through them right now made me cringe. I instead turned right, making my way to the other end of the aisle.

My phone buzzed again, I smiled to myself just knowing it had to be Lizzie since it was going crazy.

Lizzie: i think i should paint a picture of you

Lizzie: like with fruits on top of your head

Lizzie: looking like the hot ass human you are

I started to laugh until my head hit a hard surface, but definitely not wall hard. I reached out to the nearest thing to me. the feeling of soft yarn could be felt on my finger tips.

“I’m so sorry-”

I looked up, the sight of Spencer Reid's flusher face had my hand moving off his arm in seconds.

“S-spencer-”

“(Y/N)-”

The way his voice jumped three octaves made the nerves float from my body, just like his voice always did.

Suddenly the memory of the plane was crashing against the side of my brain.

Oh no, it’s weird it’s weird.

“You’re home!”

I watched Spencer's eyes dart around my face, his smile full of nerves.

I shook my head, my eyes going to focus on the white floor of the supermarket floor before something caught my eyes.

A box of pancake mix was held firmly in Spencer's hands.

Pancake mix, oh jumping Jehoshaphat pancake mix!

“Spence-”

“I’m more of a waffle guy but I’m willing to settle!”

The words came out rushed and for some reason his hands flew above his head, like he was going to get arrested or something along those lines.

The blush that was creeping up my neck was making my body feel hot, I nearly forgot there were people all around us in the supermarket.

“I’ll give up waffles completely if that's what you want-”

“How about waffles for breakfast and pancakes for dinners?”

I didn't know how the hell I said that so calmly, I felt like my body was going to explode.

The feeling from the plane came back when he slowly started to smile, the feeling of the clouds passing by at a slow pace.

“Yeah, good compromise. You’ve always been good with compromises-”

I watched his lips move at rapid speed, wanting to actually kiss him.

I wonder if it would be as good as dream Spencer?

His mouth didn't stop, I could even focus on what he was saying anymore.

Only one way to find out.

I grabbed his tie, crashing his lip onto mine, his lips sinking into my bottom lip from where he was talking.

I felt my eyes flutter close, the way his hand ran up from my shoulder to the side of my neck.

His tongue ran across my teeth before a loud cough echoed from behind me. We broke away from the kiss, I looked over my shoulder to see an older couple watching us, both giggle to each other.

“May we get around you both?”

I shook my hand, sliding to the side. Spencer's hand didn't leave the side of my face, my hand wrapped around his tie.

Both smiled, the women stopping themselves and smiling.

“Might want to clean that up.”

She pointed to the floor, the sight of a broken box of pancake mix laid messy across the floor.

criminal minds tag list:

@itsarayofsunshine

pancakes for dinner tag list:

@friendlyweirdobaby

#spencer reid/you #spencer reid/reader #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #bau #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds

[happylifefanfic]

Safe Place Chapter 8

Emma sighed deeply before pouring what was left of her coffee down the drain.

“Oh no,” Maddie said from behind her. “Coffee making you nauseous?”

“Everything makes me nauseous,” Emma moaned. Maddie gave her a comforting pat on the arm.

“Try peppermint.  That always seemed to settle my stomach when I was pregnant,” she advised.

“I’ll do that,” Emma said with a weak smile before sitting down at the table.

“Take a few more minutes to rest before you head back out to the floor,” Maddie said as she left the break room. Emma nodded just as her phone began to ring.

“Hello?” she said.

“Hey, babe,” Eddie cooed from the other end. “How are you feeling? Any better?”

“Oh, Edmundo,” Emma sighed. “You are the sweetest ever, and no, I’m not feeling any better.  I’ll be okay though.”

“I’m sorry, love,” Eddie said softly. “Why don’t you see if you can take the rest of the shift off and go home?”

“We’re already short staffed today,” Emma said. “I’ll be fine. I can power through.”

“Babe, you don’t need to power through. You need to be resting. You are due to give birth in less than three weeks,” Eddie chided.

“I know,” Emma sighed. “I promise I won’t overdo it. Promise me you’ll be careful on shift tonight.”

“You know I will,” Eddie said. “I love you, Mrs. Diaz.”

“I love you too, Mr. Diaz,” Emma replied before hanging up the phone and getting up to head back to work.

Several hours passed by quickly with call after call at the 9-1-1 center. Emma stretched her back after her last call and checked the status of both Athena and the 118 on her screen. Athena was at a domestic disturbance call and the 118 was in route to a structural fire. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right when her computer buzzed with another call.

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” Emma said calmly.

“There’s been a bad accident at the intersection of Wells and Reno. A transfer truck plowed into the side of a firetruck,” the voice on the other end of the line said hurriedly. Emma’s heart sank in her chest. She knew exactly which fire truck that was. Before she could say anything, Josh was at her side taking over the call while Maddie grabbed both her and Emma’s bags. Both women headed straight for the elevator without saying a word. Just as they stepped off, Emma’s phone rang.

“Athena, do you know anything?” she said as she and Maddie hurried towards the parking garage.

“I’m on my way there now,” Athena replied tersely.  “Just remember to breathe and stay as calm as you can for that baby’s sake.”

“I’m trying,” Emma replied as she got into the passenger seat of Maddie’s car. Emma put the phone on speaker as Maddie drove them through the streets of L.A. towards the hospital closest to the accident. Athena didn’t say much, but kept them updated as much as she could.

“Buck, Bobby, Chim, and Hen are all okay. Just a few bumps and bruises,” Athena said through the phone. “They just loaded Eddie into an ambulance. He’s unconscious at the moment.”

“How severe are his injuries?” Emma asked going into doctor mode.

“It looks like he has a broken ulna and possible collarbone as well,” Hen’s voice came through the line. 

“So why is he unconscious?” Emma asked as Maddie pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. Both women hurried out of the car and towards the ER entrance.

“Head trauma,” Hen said quietly confirming what Emma already suspected. Just as she and Maddie reached the intake doors of the ER, an ambulance came barreling up to the entrance. Buck and Hen jumped out pulling a stretcher behind them with Emma’s husband lying on it. She rushed over to see Eddie for herself.

“I’m here, Eddie,” she said as she leaned down to kiss his forehead. The hospital’s team of doctors and nurses took over forcing Emma to move away. A pair of arms came around her and pulled her into a strong chest. 

“He’s going to be okay,” Buck whispered against her temple. All Emma could do was nod her head in reply.

Hours later, Buck sat next to Eddie’s bedside and watched the monitors connected to his best friend beep quietly with Eddie’s heart rate. Across the bed, Emma was asleep in a recliner. Buck was glad she had finally fallen asleep. He’d been so worried about her ever since he’d first seen her in the ER. She looked like she was about to drop to her knees at any given moment. Eddie would never forgive him if something happened to Emma or their baby on his watch.

“Buck?” a tired voice asked, breaking his train of thought. Buck’s eyes widened when he saw that Eddie was looking at him.

“Hey, man!  I’m so glad you’re awake,” Buck said as he rested his right hand against Eddie’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“My head is killing me,” Eddie said quietly before his eyes wandered over to the woman asleep on the other side of his bed.

“She was so exhausted, man,” Buck said. “I was afraid she was going to go into premature labor, but she’s a trooper.”

“Who is she?” Eddie asked, looking back at Buck with confusion written all over his face. Buck’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Eddie, that’s Emma. She’s your wife,” Buck said quietly. Eddie’s eyes narrowed before he looked back at the woman. 

“Buck, I’ve never seen that woman before in my life.”

#9-1-1 #9-1-1 fanfiction #Eddie Diaz #eddie diaz fanfiction

[cakesunflower]

Who’s Gonna Love You Like Me? [Brother’s Best Friend!Calum AU] Part 4

A/N: hello friends! i hope wherever you’re reading this, you’re quarantined and staying healthy and safe! this is a tough time for all of us and if you or a loved one is feeling sick, i wish you a speedy and easy recovery! i hope this chapter or any of my writing provides you with even a little bit of distraction.

stay safe, stay healthy, stay inside y’all! and happy reading!!

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

When Josie pulled up to the driveway of the house during her hour long lunch break, she pursed her lips at the sight of the black Range Rover parked behind Luke’s car. Josie sighed, shutting the door of her car and jingling her keys in her hand as she walked through the threshold of the house, confused gaze immediately landing on a suitcase that was settled on the ground next to the couch.

“Luke?” Josie called, her voice traveling through the house as she wandered into the kitchen. She was in dire need of some leftover spaghetti—so much so that she made the trip back home just to eat some for her lunch break. “Oh, brother of mine—where you at?”

“Why are you yelling?” She heard Luke huff as she crouched down slightly to pull out the dish of spaghetti, straightening and shutting the door with her foot. Her brother stood at the entrance of the kitchen, blonde hair pulled back in a bun, looking unfairly comfortable in his lounge wear. Someone decided to skip work. “And what’re you doing home?”

Josie lifted the bowl to show him before settling it on the counter. As she moved around to grab a bowl and fork, she answered, “Needed sustenance. What’re you doing home?” 

Luke crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow as he asked, “Didn’t you check my text?”

Scoffing dramatically as she shut the microwave to heat up her bowl, Josie faced her brother and returned, “I don’t check my texts at work or while I’m driving, Luke. I’m a responsible adult.” Sure, she remembered her phone buzzing with a text or two from him, but that didn’t necessarily mean she stopped what she was doing to check them.

He rolled his eyes, used to the playful sarcasm she’d become an expert on perfecting over the years. Fixing her with a pointed look, he said, “Calum’s moving in.”

What?

The air ceased from circulating in her lungs, prompting Josie to remain still where she stood as the smile she wore froze on her face. The beat of silence that passed between the two felt like an eternity in Josie’s ringing head, her grip on the counter behind her tightening as she forced herself to process Luke’s words quicker. Less time to make him feel suspicious as to why she was internally losing her goddamn mind. Her heart had picked up its pace, fast in the way it lodged itself in her throat as she blinked quickly.

“I—uh, why?” She hoped the smile on her face wasn’t as nervous as her voice sounded in her ears. “And where’s he gonna sleep? You don’t have another extra room.” The only spare bedroom was now hers.

Luke scratched his beard as he pushed himself off the wall, walking over to the bowl of fruit on the center counter he’d been eyeing earlier. He picked up a red apple as he informed Josie, “Something about a burst pipe? I don’t know, I told him he could stay with us. The couch’s a pull-out. It’s only temporary—he should be fine.”

Josie desperately wanted to ask why Ashton or Michael couldn’t house their friend, biting her tongue when she remembered Ashton only lived in a one bedroom apartment and Michael and Crystal were currently going through a very stressful move from their own apartment to a new house. Despite the lack of bed, Calum moving into Luke’s place was the most logical decision. Even if it had Josie’s heart racing out of pure guilt and nerves. How the hell was she supposed to keep her mind off of him when he would be sleeping down the fucking stairs? Josie had known moving to L.A. would significantly increase her chances of running into Calum—but in the living room? Fuck.

“Wait, shit—I should’ve asked you first, right? I mean, this is your place now too and, like, if you don’t want—”

Luke’s rambling broke Josie out of her guilt ridden thoughts—as did the sudden beeping of the microwave—and she blinked her wide eyes before interrupting her brother. “No, no, it’s fine,” Josie assured him with a gentle laugh, almost forced, as she quickly turned to take the bowl out of the microwave. Her nerves didn’t even allow her to acknowledge the hotness of the bowl burning her fingers before she set it down. She felt a pang ricochet through her chest at her brother’s sudden worry of not clearing with her if his friend could move in to his own home. As an attempt of covering up her guilt, nerves, whatever the fuck it may be, Josie added with a gentle laugh, “I thought I wouldn’t be caught in another sleepover with you and your boys after you moved out.”

Apparently that was enough to have Luke break out into a short bout of laughter, grinning around the red apple as he bit into it with a sharp crunch. Her brother winked at her, moving to leave the kitchen as he said, “You can’t escape us that easily, Jos.”

She could wish, though.

Rather than retreating to the living room or to the dining table, Josie hopped up on the couch, placing a small tray in her lap so the bottom of the hot bowl didn’t burn her lap as she twirled the pasta around her fork. Josie ate her lunch absently, able to vaguely hear the music playing upstairs and the two pairs of footsteps, not at all making a move to go up and see her brother and new temporary roommate.

Luke was only being a good friend by having Calum move in with them, but of course he wasn’t aware of the complication that tensed Josie’s muscles at the thought of Calum living with them. That being said, Calum knew. He knew first hand how awkward it could potentially get with the two of them being under the same roof—the last time they were, they’d crossed the line that had disappeared since. They were already around each other more than it was helpful; this temporary living arrangement wouldn’t be doing them any favors.

Letting out a sharp breath through her nose as she chewed, Josie’s shoulders slumped, disenchanted gaze casted down to her bowl. Was she overreacting? She couldn’t clearly tell and couldn’t bring it in herself to care. Looking her brother in the eye had become hard enough—now the reason for that was living with them. The universe seemed to be against her.

So lost in her thoughts, Josie hadn’t even been aware of the footsteps that were approaching until there was another person in the room, looking up to see the man who had consumed her thoughts lingering by the entrance. She looked up, sensing him before she even saw him, slowly swallowing the mouthful of pasta as her eyes met his dark ones. Calum didn’t say anything, didn’t try to. She recognized, wryly, the reluctance he wore on his face, lips pursed as they silently stared at one another.

Josie lifted her chin, raising an eyebrow as she repeated the same words he’d said to her on one of her first days in L.A., right here in this kitchen. “You could’ve given me a heads up.”

“Thought I’d return the favor of giving you a surprise,” Calum returned smoothly, moving further into the kitchen. He went to the fridge, which happened to be on Josie’s immediate left, given that she was sitting on the counter right by it. Josie’s expression dropped into a deadpan, and Calum scoffed as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. As he uncapped it, he looked at her, letting out a sigh as a meaningful expression flashed across his face. “It’s only temporary. It’s not a big deal, Josie.”

She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head. “Do you seriously believe that?” she challenged, not entirely satisfied by his statement. He didn’t even sound like he believed it, so how was he going to try and convince her otherwise?

Calum sighed sharply once more, facing the ceiling briefly—Josie fought the urge to eye at the expanse of his neck, at the way her lips had once felt on it—before looking down at her with a tired, almost bored expression. Calum spoke quickly, an irritated rasp in his voice as he retorted, “No, Jos, I don’t; but I can’t stay at Ash or Mike’s and I couldn’t give Luke a legit reason to deny his offer other than the fact that I fucked his sister.”

Her eyes grew wide, absently glad she didn’t have a mouthful of spaghetti she would’ve definitely choked on upon hearing Calum’s words. With her free hand, she smacked his arm, gaze darting towards both entrances of the kitchen, looking into the living room and towards the hall leading to the stairs in case Luke was anywhere near. Her heart had jumped in her throat, feeling a fire spark in the pit of her belly as Calum’s words resonated in her head.

“Are you serious?” she hissed, incredulous gaze on him as Calum rolled his dark eyes, taking a sip of the beer. No longer did he look as reluctant as he had when he first came into the kitchen, now adopting a demeanor too casual than the situation called for. He looked like he could care less about the situation, meanwhile Josie felt her heart pick up its pace. Whether it was at Calum so casually flinging around his words or at the reminder of a night she would never forget, Josie wasn’t sure. Most likely both. She shook her head at him. “Shut up—Luke might hear you.”

“He went to take a shower,” Calum informed, unfazed by the tension in Josie’s voice. She hated how calmly he stood there, and it only made her believe that she truly was overreacting over the whole situation. But she knew Calum—or, well, liked to think that she did—and she remembered the way he had looked so tense on the night of her welcoming party. If her being in the same city as him had his teeth grinding, Josie believed it was fair for her stomach to be in constant knots because of him staying in her house.

“Look, just—” Calum sighed once again, running a hand through his growing hair, resting it at the back of his neck as he looked at Josie. He dropped his hand to the side, offering a shrug. “Just relax, okay? It’ll be fine. You work during the day and I work at night so I doubt we’ll be seeing much of each other, okay? It’s only temporary.”

It’s only temporary. It was only that one time. The latter were words that echoed in the back of Josie’s head every time Calum came into view. She had a feeling the former would come back to bite her in the ass someday, somehow. 

Her eyes met his once more, her lips pursed, and Calum did his best by offering a small smile before turning to leave the kitchen once more. Josie watched him, took in the delicious expanse of his back under the soft material of his red shirt, the tattoos on his arms feeling as though they were only there to make her want to trace them with her fingers. The black ink looked so pretty against his skin, art on art, and Josie hadn’t realized she’d been chewing on her lips until she parted them to speak up without much thought.

“You’re telling me you’re not the least bit worried?”

About this? About us? About Luke finding out and about everything falling apart all over again even though it was barely put back together?

Calum stopped, shoulders lifting briefly before he looked at her over his shoulder. He shook his head with a proper shrug of his shoulders, raising his eyebrows as he asked, “What’s there to be worried about? So long as we keep our mouths shut, we’re fine.”

Josie wanted to laugh at his words, giving an unconvinced tilt of her head and an almost sad raise of her own eyebrows. In that moment, Calum had become too good at masking his emotions, his thoughts, and she found the frustration gnawing at her when she couldn’t get a good read on what he truly thought. “You seriously don’t believe that, do you?” she still tried by asking.

Calum’s gaze averted, looking towards the wall to his right. With the view she had of his profile, Josie picked up on the way he clenched his jaw, the muscle jumping, sexy and tense and complicated. There was a heavy silence for a minute, the tension of their situation weighing them both down as Calum finally sighed. He shook his head, turning away from her as he continued his way out of the kitchen, not before answering, “I’m trying to.”

The three word answer Calum had given Josie sat with her for the rest of the day when she went back to work to finish her shift. She moved mechanically, an interested facade put up to please the clients she met with despite her head begging her to focus on something else—to focus on Calum and what he had said.

In the midst of washing and drying and cutting hair, Josie couldn’t shake it off. I’m trying to. He was trying to what? Believe that they would be fine? That everything would be okay? Did he think that things between the two of them would never be the same after what happened? The thought of it, the thought of her friendship with Calum getting knocked down several pegs, left an ache in Josie’s chest she couldn’t quite voice. Of course things would be different after the night they spent together in her dorm. You can’t just look at someone, much less a person who was your good, close friend, the same way after they gave your five mind blowing orgasms in one night.

Shit. Fuck, that was besides the point. Even if she couldn’t stop imagining the way he kissed her every time she caught him biting his lower lip, or feel her knees quiver as she remembered the way he carried her to her bed in the dorm. . .

God. Of course things wouldn’t be the same between them after that night. She wondered if Calum had to fight similar thoughts from infiltrating his mind, if he had to remind himself that he couldn’t be thinking about her the way she thought about him. At this point, though, what was the use? They’d already overstepped physically. Thoughts couldn’t hurt anyone.

Though they were torturous. And as Josie continued with her shift, they only settled heavily on her heart. Both of them knew sleeping together would fuck things up, but they went through with it anyway—because they were selfish. Because they’d only been thinking about themselves and their needs, not about their friends or her brother. They had just been chalked up as consequences they would have to deal with later, and later was now and Josie had no idea what to do. Maybe Calum had the right idea, to just try and pretend it was fine. Fake it til you make it, that sort of thing. They’d come this far, right?

Yet each step forward seemed to be harder than the last.

When she’d returned home from work, Josie was quick to rid herself of her makeup and change into her pajamas before collapsing on the bed, the softness of the mattress and pillows and cool blankets inviting. She didn’t quite remember when she fell asleep, but she did remember being pulled out of it in the middle of the night, hours later with a dry throat and desperate need for water.

Sleepily, she got up from her bed, bare feet padding towards the door as she pushed her blonde hair out of her face. As Josie made her way down the hallway towards the stairs, her eyebrows furrowed as a sound greeted her, distant but still in the house. Slowly, she made her way downstairs, and with each step she descended, the more distinct the sound became, recognizing it as uncomfortable grunts and huffs.

She walked into the kitchen, flipping on the stove light which was the dullest, and as she filled up a glass of water, her gaze wandered to the kitchen where the sounds kept coming from. Glass in hand, Josie stepped over to the entrance of the kitchen that opened into the living room, and with the dull light on the stove, she could make out Calum’s figure tossing and turning on the pullout mattress of the couch.

The grunts were coming from him, annoyed and uncomfortable, and Josie realized that as nice as the couch was to sit on, the mattress was probably not the same. She rolled her lips into her mouth, eyebrows drawing together at his clear discomfort. Aware of his schedule, Josie knew he probably got home from work about an hour or so ago, probably battling for a comfortable position since then, and before she had the chance to truly think about it, she was making her way into the living room and where he lay.

“Calum,” she spoke, her voice quiet as to not startle him, standing by the makeshift bed. “Hey.”

He stopped before sitting up, dark eyes meeting hers as he blinked in mild confusion at the sight of her. The blanket pooled at his lap, hands brace against the mattress and providing Josie with the sight of his biceps, in full view thanks to his muscle tee. She pushed back the image of when her nails had dug right into the muscle, of the feeling of his arms wrapped around her in something more intimate than a hug.

“Josie,” he frowned, tired and a bit puzzled. “You good?”

She fought the smile that threatened to upturn her lips. “I should be asking you that.” She eyed the mattress, raising an eyebrow. “Is it that uncomfortable?”

“Uh,” Calum paused with a slight chuckle, looking at what he was laying on as if he was seeing it for the first time. “Prison beds might be more comfortable.”

Josie pursed her lips. For all his money, Luke should invest in a better pullout. She gave herself a moment to consider her thoughts, knowing the danger of even thinking them, but she couldn’t just let Calum suffer through a night of terrible sleep. Things between them were weird, both of them trying to navigate through uncharted waters, but she couldn’t use that as an excuse to allow him to sleep on an uncomfortable bed.

“Come on—” she ticked her head towards the stairs before she psyched herself out of her decision. “My bed’s a lot comfier.”

Calum’s gaze met hers, saw something unknown settle in his features as he asked her, “You sure that’s a good idea?”

There was a burning in her cheeks, grip on her glass tightening as she forced her expression to remain neutral, not effected. “We’re just sleeping,” she told him, hating that she felt her voice waver as if she was trying to convince herself of the truth. That’s all they would be doing. Sleeping.

He hesitated for a moment, eyeing her from where he sat, and Josie merely looked back at him with an expectant raise of her eyebrows. Her head kept telling her it was a bad idea, but she told it to shut up. The worst thing she could’ve done had already taken place—she couldn’t let him sleep so uncomfortably after being behind a bar all night. Besides, it’d only be for tonight; tomorrow, she’d tell Calum to hint at Luke in getting a new couch, and if Luke found out his best friend had a shit night on his own couch, no doubt the blonde would buy another one.

When Calum finally let out a breath and got up, Josie took a step back, glancing down at herself as she rolled her lower lip into her mouth at the sight of her clothes. Her pajamas consisted of sleep shorts and an old softball shirt cut to be a crop top, and under the sudden weight of Calum’s gaze, Josie felt a bit too exposed in front of him.

As he stood before her, tall figure easily looming over hers and dark eyes traveling from her blue painted toes all the way to her eyes, Josie’s skin flushed as she told herself she was being ridiculous. He’d fucking seen her naked; she couldn’t get more exposed to that.

Breaking their gaze because the fluttering of her heart was becoming too much, Josie silently turned to head back up the stairs, Calum’s presence behind her one she couldn’t hope to ignore as they silently moved through the dark house. Their footsteps were light as they approached Josie’s room, though it wasn’t needed—Luke could sleep through an earth quake.

Her bedroom was dark, which Josie was grateful for as she went to the right side of the bed, setting her glass down as she sat on the edge and was all too aware of Calum moving around to the other side. Josie’s back was still to him as she felt the mattress shift underneath her because of his weight, and she played with the blanket as she eyed the wall ahead of her. The room was suffocatingly silent, one she really wanted to get rid of. She didn’t want to be weird in front of Calum—too late for that, the voice in her head mocked—but she couldn’t help it. And not for the first time, while Josie didn’t regret what they’d done, she did hate the tense aftermath of it all.

As if she was trying to somehow reassure herself, Josie didn’t look back at Calum as she asked, “This isn’t gonna be weird, is it?”

He was silent for only a second. “No. It’s fine if, y’know, you don’t think about what happened the last time we were in bed together.”

The casualness in which he spoke in had Josie huffing with a drop of her shoulders, bringing her legs up so she could lay on the bed, though she paused as she shot Calum a look. Even in the dark of her room, she saw the smirk curling at his lips as he copied her position. She had nothing substantial to say other than, “Literally, shut up,” through flushed cheeks as she dug her legs under the blanket. Calum merely snickered, feeling a lot more at ease than she was, and she narrowed her eyes when she caught him just staring at her. The amused playfulness danced in his eyes, shamelessly raking his gaze on her as he sat with his back agains the headboard, an easiness in his features Josie felt overwhelmed by. With a heat in her cheeks, she subtly wrestled with the blanket and told him, “Stop looking at me like that.”

Her words prompted a laugh from Calum, raising his eyebrows as he tilted his head almost challengingly. “Really?” he hummed, picking up his phone. His face lit up with the screen, shadowing the sharp features of his face as she watched him set up an alarm for half an hour before Luke’s went off. Eyes meeting hers once more with a smirk, he finished, “You didn’t seem to care when I was literally in you, like, three month ago.”

Josie’s jaw slackened, an incredulous squeak getting caught in her throat as she stared at him in a mixture of disbelief, feeling the entirety of her skin flush at the blatant reminder of a night she couldn’t ever forget. “Stop,” she stated through gritted teeth, no real annoyance or anger in her tone as she huffed and laid down, turning her back to him as she added pointedly, “Goodnight, Calum.”

Assuming sleep would come easy when there was an achingly familiar warm body next to hers would be foolish on Josie’s part, the blanket brought up to her chin as she stared at the digital clock on her bedside table. The green numbers read 2:56 A.M. and Josie suppressed a sigh. Her shift wasn’t until ten, so not getting enough sleep wasn’t a concern. It was just the act of falling asleep itself, with Calum in the same bed as hers, that kept her brain kicking and muscles tense.

It was silent only for a few moments until Calum’s voice spoke up. “So. . . How’ve you been?”

Josie’s eyebrows raised where she lay, unsure of what he was playing at or why he was trying to start a conversation right now. He was fucking with her, wasn’t he? “Calum, it’s three in the morning and the only reason why I suggested sleeping in my room is because I’m a good person and you were being too loud.”

She could hear the damned smirk in his voice as he didn’t miss a beat and instantly retorted, “You think that’s what your neighbors were saying when you were screaming my name that night?”

Josie’s eyes squeezed shut as she brought her hands up to cover her face, preventing herself from screaming into her palms as she felt Calum’s body shake subtly with the deep chuckles that were escaping him. She hated that despite the memories his words brought up, she felt the tension in her muscles surprisingly ease, no longer feeling suffocated in her own room. “Calum, I swear to God I will kick you off my bed.”

“I’m just playin’, Josie.”

Despite the sound of his laugh making her heart thrum, Josie felt her jaw tighten as she remembered their conversation earlier in the afternoon. So she turned to face him, propping herself up on her elbow as she peered down at his laying figure. Calum’s dark eyes instantly met her blue, and she saw the way his expression faltered when he noted the mild hardness in hers. “You’re completely going against what you said earlier today, remember?” she demanded with a challenging quirk of her eyebrow. “Trying to pretend that we’re fine isn’t gonna happen if you keep bringing up what happened.”

“I was wrong.” Calum propped himself up on his elbow as well and Josie didn’t pull back despite the sudden proximity. She could smell his familiar cologne that still stuck to his skin, tickling her nose. With this new closeness, she saw the way his eyes flickered down to her lips, sending her heart to her throat as his low voice spoke, “You and I—we’re fine. No pretending necessary.”

Josie was having a hard time ignoring her racing heart, her own gaze on his kissable mouth, feeling the familiar pull tugging her towards him and doing her best to fight it. “Unless we’re with everyone else, right?”

His lips curled upwards in a small smirk. “We’ve made it this long,” Calum responded with an agreeing tone. Josie’s heart stilled when Calum’s hand reached up, fingers pushing back a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear, her teeth pressing together when his fingers just barely grazed her cheek, igniting a fire in their wake. He still had that effect on her. “We got this, pretty girl.”

Her lungs were robbed of air as he spoke, and Josie subtly raised her eyebrows as she shot him a look. Her voice was quiet in the dark of her room, teeth lightly grazing her lower lip as she told him softly, “We won’t if you keep calling me that.”

Calum had been watching her bite her lower lip and Josie wondered if it was just as difficult for him to not lean in and close the gap between them as it was for her. Calum half-smiled, dropping his hand from her as he finally said, “G’night, Jos.”

He settled back down, back towards her, and Josie tilted her head back to look up at the ceiling. She could feel the heat of his body next to hers despite the space between the two of them, and Josie rolled her lips into her mouth as she settled down as well, her back towards his. Yet another bad idea for the books.

At this point, she might as well become the poster child for stupid relationship decisions. Sooner or later, it would come to bite her in the ass.

--

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