#died after he was pinned down on pavement

[slaymitchabernathy]

Coming Home

| a companion to 'His & Hers.' |

Coriolanus anxiously taps his foot on the pavement. Around him is the sound of trains pulling in and out of the station along with the shouts of family and friends reuniting with one another after a trip. Loved ones throw their arms around each other, pressing kisses to cheeks and murmuring words of relief for their safe travels.

His loved one isn’t here yet.

She’ll be here any minute now. Unless the train has gone off the tracks and she’s died a sudden and gruesome death. But that hasn’t happened, he tells himself. Besides, he would have been alerted if such a thing was to happen.

Soarynn and several other Capitol ladies took a luxurious trip to District Four to visit one of the many resorts that the Capitol has. Soarynn had been so excited to see the ocean for the first time. She talked about it for weeks on end once he finally agreed to let her go. And Soarynn didn’t need his permission. Not when the trip was already paid for and she was simply to be an invited guest.

But she cared about his approval. His trust. Coriolanus knew that she wouldn’t go if he hadn’t been okay with it. And he wasn’t okay with it. A million horrible things could happen on this trip. The worst part was that he couldn’t protect her from any of them, not when she was outside the safety of the Capitol, out of his reach.

But all had been well according to Soarynn’s very detailed phone calls he got every night when she called him before going to bed. Soarynn had been nervous in her own way. Mostly because going on this trip meant leaving the most important thing in her entire life behind.

Petunia.

Coriolanus had rolled his eyes at the detailed checklist his girlfriend had written for him. Petunia was a cat, not a human. The list was ridiculous but Coriolanus made sure to follow each thorough instruction. Even if it meant brushing the feline three times a day. He didn’t even brush his own hair three times a day.

Soarynn had also been nervous to her lack of travel experience. She’d never left the Capitol before, not even before the war. Coriolanus hadn’t traveled as extensively as some of their other friends but he knew what lay out there in the Districts. Danger, hunger, desperation. And Soarynn was in the thick of it for the past five days.

A small part of him hoped she’d call him crying, asking for him to get her home immediately because she was scared but it felt as if he was given the opposite reaction from her new experiences.

“Oh, Coryo it’s beautiful! We went swimming today! We’re going to the spa tomorrow! I caught a fish today!” Soarynn had the time of her life.

Coriolanus was happy that she had a good time, that she hadn’t fallen ill or gotten attacked by a psychotic District citizen. He checks his watch again and frowns when he sees that her train is now two minutes late. The Capitol’s train schedule is known for its promptness. Not today it seems.

Coriolanus glances around the platform and pins down a Peacekeeper who looks like he’s doing a whole lot of nothing. He strides over to him, chest puffed out, head held high. “Excuse me, I came to inquire about the train schedules,” he says. The man turns around and grunts, “Of course sir. What train were you inquiring about?” Coriolanus pulls the neatly folded piece of paper out of his coat pocket which has all of the details about Soarynn’s trip written in her neat handwriting.

“It’s the three o’clock train,” he reads, “coming from the District Four Costal Resort.” The Peacekeeper nods and looks down at his own watch, “Hmm. Running late I see. A bit unusual.” Coriolanus nods but the man’s words do nothing to calm his nerves. “Let me go ask,” the Peacekeeper says before walking off to what must be the train control center. Coriolanus leans towards the white line that’s clearly painted along the edge of the platform. There are several large signs around the entire station that read: “Please do not cross the white line for the safety of all passengers.”

He hasn’t really paid it much mind in the past but now it seems to be quite the bother. How can he not cross it once he sees the love of his life? And as much as he loves her, Soarynn can be quite slow when she wants to be and he knows that she’ll take her sweet time getting off that train rather than leaping off and running into his arms.

He’ll just have to be patient.

The past five days have been short of torture. Waking up to an empty bed, to an empty apartment has been the worst. To know that she won’t be there when he gets home, won’t be smiling up at him and giggling. He found himself looking into their closet, expecting her to be getting dressed for the day only to find it dark and empty. Soarynn was his other half, the missing piece.

“It appears there was a weather delay.” The voice pulls Coriolanus from his nagging thoughts and he looks back at the Peacekeeper, “Weather delay?” He repeats, knowing that he’s never heard of such a thing. “Yes, there was some severe weather in Four. The train should be arriving shortly.” The man gives him a curt nod before walking away again and leaves Coriolanus with even more troubling thoughts. He’s definitely going to have a word with Festus Creed who organized and paid for this trip. Festus is dating Aurora Windsnap who’s a good friend of Soarynn’s and Coriolanus highly doubts that Festus has been as concerned as he’s been about his girlfriend’s wellbeing.

Clearly not considering the train station is lacking a certain Festus Creed or any of the other boyfriends for that matter. Once again, Snow lands on top.

He reaches into his pocket once again and feels the stem of the single rose he’s brought for Soarynn, and it gives him some comfort to know that it’ll soon be in her possession.

Then he hears it. The whistle of a train. He looks down the tunnel of the station and watches as the front light of the train gets closer and closer until it’s slowly pulling into the station. He tries to catch a glimpse of Soarynn through the train windows but he can’t see her. He tries to step closer but a sharp whistle prevents him from doing so. He looks in the direction of the whistle to see a train attendant pointing at the white line he just so recklessly crossed.

Coriolanus resists rolling his eyes and takes an exaggerated step back for good measure. Clearly, this train attendant doesn’t understand the severity of the situation. He watches people slowly descend from the train, luggage in hand. People are wrapped in their winter coats and scarves, and women hold onto their hats and gloves.

He holds the rose behind his back.

He can hear the girls before he sees them, shrieking about something that probably isn’t that funny. They’re also bundled up in their winter coats and they oh-so-slowly descend the train steps. Coriolanus is both impressed and somewhat concerned at the amount of luggage they’ve managed to bring for a five day trip. Soarynn is no better though, in fact, he had to put his foot down when she tried to take a sixth trunk of belongings.

“You’re going for five days, not five years darling,” he’d said to her as he took the trunk from her hands.

The girls notice him immediately although he’s hard to miss considering he’s the tallest person at the station. They all whisper and giggle as they point at him, the wonderful, devoted, and doting boyfriend who’s come to collect his girlfriend from the train station. He doesn’t doubt that their boyfriends have sent for cars to take them home but he didn’t want to wait any longer than he had to.

He cranes his neck and tries to see Soarynn but she has yet to make an appearance. Has something happened? Is she not on the train? Did they confiscate her Capitol documents?

Coriolanus had been very adamant about making sure that all of Soarynn’s Capitol documentation was in order before she left for this trip. The documentation included her Capitol citizenship papers, her birth certificate, her proof of residency and her citizens license. Soarynn has teased him about how thoroughly he’d gone about it but he would never forgive himself if for some reason she was detained for not having enough documentation. Better safe than sorry.

Finally, he sees her blonde head of hair. She’s wearing a light pink coat with a matching scarf and cream colors heels. She looks beautiful. She says something to her friends as she gracefully descends from the train, unaware of his presence. Her luggage follows behind her in the arms of a struggling attendant who clearly underestimated the weight of his girlfriend’s belongings. Soarynn is only carrying a small handbag, one he bought her specifically for this trip. Clemensia points in his direction and Soarynn finally sees him.

Her face immediately brightens up and she breaks into a big smile before she begins running towards him. Normally, Coriolanus Snow would behave with decorum and not run across the train platform. But he doesn’t quite give a fuck about manners right now. He takes long strides towards her, and his own smile grows bigger and bigger until she’s flying into his arms. Soarynn’s giggles fill his ears and they’re the sweetest melody he’s ever heard. Her arms are thrown around his neck and he wraps both arms around her waist, slightly lifting her off the ground and spinning them around.

He heard a few whistles and clap but all of their surroundings fade away the second Soarynn pulls away from the embrace and he lays eyes on her beautiful face. She looks even more tan which makes her eyes pop. The weather was clearly warmer than it is now in the Capitol. “Hi,” she says, unable to contain her excitement. Coriolanus chuckles and gently sets her down, “Hello my darling.”

He wastes no time in cupping her face with his hand and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. It feels like it’s been an eternity since he’s felt her lips against his. Soarynn sighs into the kiss, her fingers carding into his hair. They stay like that for a moment, re-familiarizing each other before they pull away. “I missed you,” is the first thing that leaves his mouth. He did. He really, really did. Soarynn being gone reminded him of a life before he knew her. When even though he had a place to live, he didn’t have a place to come home to, someone to come home to.

Soarynn was his home.

Soarynn smiles sweetly and nods, “I missed you terribly as well. I couldn’t stop thinking about you the entire trip.” Her words make his heart swell. To know that he was constantly on her mind is all her needs to know that this is the girl he’s going to marry. He pulls her closer against him, “Then we should never leave one another again,” he decides before leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. Soarynn giggles and gives his cheek a playful pinch, “You mean to tell me that you were without anything to do while I was gone?”

Coriolanus thinks back to how he’s spent the last five miserable days without her. Most of his time was spent at work. It had gotten to the point where his boss had to tell him to leave and get some fresh air. Coriolanus felt that work would serve as a good distraction from thinking about Soarynn every minute of every hour until she came back home.

He had dinner with some friends, all of whom were also missing their girlfriends since they were also on the trip. He also spent some time with Petunia which was awkward for the both of them. Soarynn was their common ground and Petunia was constantly pacing the apartment, meowing for Soarynn. She’d be happy to have her home.

He shakes his head, “Absolutely nothing.” They both grin and Soarynn gives his cheek a peck, “Well I’m home my handsome boy. You’ll never be without me again.” If only she knew how much those words meant to him. Coriolanus is quick to present the rose to her and Soarynn softly gasps, “It’s beautiful Coryo. Thank you, it’s the perfect welcome gift.”

꧁ ꧂

Coriolanus feels himself teeming with pride for a job well done as they leave the train station. All of Soarynn’s belongings follow behind them on a large cart. Soarynn herself has been collected and is safely pressed to his side as they walk out onto the cold Capitol street. “Are you hungry?” He asks, looking down at his girlfriend who’s looking up at the gray sky. It’ll probably snow tonight. “Hmm? Oh no. We ate on the train,” she says, shaking her head. Coriolanus figures they should just head home then, let Soarynn get settled back in before it gets too dark. Maybe he’ll take her out to a nice dinner tonight to celebrate her homecoming.

He makes sure Soarynn is tucked away in the car before watching two attendants attempt to fit all his girlfriend’s luggage into the trunk. They manage it eventually and Coriolanus rewards their work with a generous tip before getting into the car himself. He nods at their driver, “We’ll be going home.”

Soarynn rests her head on his shoulder as the car pulls away from the curb. “It’s so strange being back home. I feel as though I’m a completely different person than I was when I left.” Coriolanus can’t stop from smiling at her innocent claims of being a completely new person after five days at a Capitol resort. He knows for a fact that she never left the property or interacted with any District citizens for that matter. Still, it was a big journey for her and he listened to her talk about all the things they did on the drive home.

Soarynn is still rambling when the elevator doors open up to the familiar sight of their front doors. “I can’t wait to see Petunia!” She says, bouncing on her toes. Coriolanus hums as he digs through his pockets to locate the keys. “She’s certainly missed you.” Soarynn being gone has to be the closest thing Petunia will ever come to as neglect. Five head scratches instead of ten, heaven forbid!

The moment he unlocks the doors Soarynn darts in, calling out Petunia’s name. Coriolanus brings in all her luggage, setting it down in the foyer before he ventures further into the penthouse to find Soarynn.

He finds her in their bedroom, lying on the bed with a white ball of fluff lying on top of her. “You two are the most dramatic women I have ever met,” he tells them, ignoring the hiss he gets from Petunia.

Soarynn is quick to soothe over any wounds, “Shhh. Don’t pay attention to him my darling. He doesn’t know how hard it’s been for the both of us,” she tells the cat. Coriolanus scoffs and walks into the closet, his coat is beginning to feel too heavy and he doesn’t want to sweat through a good dress shirt.

When he comes out he finds them in the exact same position he left them in. Petunia looks like she’s gloating from his point of view. She looks all too smug as Soarynn showers her with pets and kisses. “You remembered to feed her right?” Soarynn asks, looking up at him, “And to brush her?” Coriolanus hums, “It was quite hard to forget to do anything with that wonderful list you left for me.” He eyes the detailed list that sits on his nightstand. He'd followed the instructions religiously because he just knew that Soarynn would find out if he skipped a step.

Soarynn blushes but nods, "Well there's no harm in being overly prepared. Isn't that right Petunia?"

Coriolanus decides to leave the bedroom since they clearly aren't done with their reunion. Besides, he has a few things to go over in his study that relate to work.

꧁ ꧂

His study is as impressive as his office at work, filled with mahogany furniture, books lining the shelves, and comfortable armchairs. There's a small loveseat pressed against the wall across from his desk, right under the window. Soarynn and Petunia will often curl up on the loveseat, resting their heads on the window seal to watch the people below them. It's moments like that where Coriolanus feels that Soarynn most definitely could be a cat in the way she perches herself on the furniture.

He pulls out the files he's brought home from work and begins to go over them, making notes when needed. He glances at the clock that sits on his desk but his eyes travel to the framed photograph of him and Soarynn from a year ago. He loves the photo, loves how big Soarynn's smile is while he presses a kiss to her neck while she tries to pull away even though she loves neck kisses. He loves the way his large hands wrap around her small waist perfectly. They're perfect together.

A soft knock at the door reminds him of where he is and what he's supposed to be doing and he looks up at the door to find Soarynn peeking her head in, "Come in darling," he says, beckoning her to enter. Another thing he loves about Soarynn, she never enters his space without permission. The last thing he needs is a girlfriend who snoops.

Soarynn changed into some more comfortable clothes, pajamas to put it plainly which lets him know that they won't be going out to dinner tonight. Fine by him, that just means he gets her all to himself. "Are you busy?" She asks, stopping at the side of his desk, her blue-gray eyes scanning the documents that lay before him. He shakes his head, "Not at all. Is there something you need?" Soarynn bites her lip and rocks back and forth on her heels for a moment which is a tell that she's going to ask for something she probably shouldn't ask for.

"Well...Clemmie just called and I thought maybe she might have left something behind but it turns out that the girls are already planning another trip, and this time our boyfriends are allowed to join us!"

Coriolanus blinks once, twice. A trip with several Capitol couples sounds like somewhat of a nightmare to him. But he can see how excited Soarynn already is at the prospect of traveling together. "And this time you'd be with me," she quickly adds, "to protect me and keep me out of harm's way." Coriolanus chuckles at her convincing words, she's clearly put some thought into this proposition.

He rubs his temples, "Well I'd have to think about it Soarynn. It might interfere with my work schedule. And you know how I feel about the Districts."

Soarynn slightly slouches but she doesn't lose the smile on her face, "Alright. I just thought I'd bring it up." Coriolanus nods, "Thank you for letting me know." He turns back to his work but Soarynn doesn't make any moves to leave his study.

"Can I sit with you?"

Her question brings a grin to his lips and he pushes back from the desk, baring his lap to her, "Can't get enough hmm?" He teases as Soarynn carefully straddles him, her legs slightly dangling on either side of the chair.

Soarynn scoffs and gives him a knowing look, "I'm not the one who constantly demands physical affection." She's got him there. Coriolanus has always been the more physical one in the relationship. He craves it really, absolutely needs it from her and Soarynn has always given it to him without complaint. He knows she enjoys it too but she's not as forward as he is about it which is why occasions like this can be often rare. He gives her waist a gentle squeeze and presses a soft kiss to her lips, "Well after five days of being apart I wouldn't expect any less from you."

They both settle back down and Soarynn rests her chin on his shoulder while he continues to work. He keeps one hand wrapped around her at all times, even if it makes working a little more difficult. He doesn't mind. The smell of vanilla overwhelms his senses with Soarynn right on top of him. She feels so soft and warm. He really does have the perfect girl. He knows she'll fall asleep soon as she always does when they're in this position.

To have her back in his arms is the greatest gift he can be given, to know that she's safe and loved, all under his watch. Even though he wasn't the one who left, it still feels like coming home.

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

#slaymitchabernathy #coriolanus fanfiction #coriolanus snow #hunger games #the hunger games #soarynn snow #ao3 fanfic #coriolanus smut #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #wattpad #coriolanus imagine #original character #coriolanus fic #coriolanus oneshot #staywithmealways #coriolanus x soarynn #soarynn nightingale #coriolanus x oc #oneshot #oc #coriolanus drabble #drabble #stay with me always

[knowledgevariabledarcy]

#died after neighbour ‘filled home with insecticide that leaked toxic gas into upstairs property’ #died in fall after being ‘plied with dodgy booze laced with toxic methanol in kavos’ #died hours after £3 #died suddenly #died after he was pinned down on pavement #Youtube

[wishitweresummer]

Blueberry Muffins - Chapter Five

Word Count: 3064

Warning: Kissing. Kissinggg.

Somewhere between Bad's tickly ear kisses and whispered nothings Skeppy had caught the giggles. He was trapped with his back against the side of the car with Bad pressed against him, he clutched Bad's t-shirt with both fists at his chest as he giggled his heart out.

"Bad...", he pled helplessly.

They had pulled off at the closest food place the GPS could find and found it open despite the parking lot being delightfully empty. Bad insisted Skeppy stay put so he could open the car door for him like a gentleman, only to pin him against the car once he was out and tickle him until he screeched horribly loud for the public setting. Empty public setting, but still. Even though the rough tickles had ended awhile ago, Skeppy was still jumping at every touch. With the rush in his head and the flutter in his chest, he just couldn't calm down.

"What's wrong?", Bad murmured, nipping softly at Skeppy's earlobe to make him squeak.

This was such an exciting new chapter of their 'relationship'; getting to touch each other. Kiss each other. Neither were prepared for it. Completely intoxicating. DrunkBoyHalo, but off of Skeppy instead of Mike's Hard Lemonade. Trying out all kinds of new stuff just to get new reactions.

"You're annoying.", he whined, slyly slipping his arms up and around Bad's neck, his giggles a little squeaky at how vulnerable it left him.

'Fuck, I feel crazy.', his thoughts swirled. He gasped as Bad got a firm grip on his small waist.

"Here, let me help you calm down.", Bad said lowly, moving in and stealing his breath with a kiss. Skeppy's heart threw itself against his chest even harder, his nerves screaming all at once. Before he died right then and there, Skeppy pulled out of the kiss and dropped his head back, letting his unbridled laughter loose to the sky.

"That's not going to calm me down!!!", he huffed, cheeks heating at the effect Bad had on him.

"Then don't.", Bad growled playfully and attacked his neck again. Dragging more noise from Skeppy with an evil mix of tickly nibbles and maddening kisses, too soft and lasting to give the smaller boy any peace. Skeppy couldn't help but stomp his feet into the pavement where he stood. A crazy energy rushing through him, his giggling nearing hysterical as he held firmer around his attacker.

"Bad!", he whined.

~•~

Eventually Rat had barked at them from inside the car and snapped the two back into reality. Thankfully the parking lot was still empty, but they pulled apart in an instant anyway. Bad flushed shamefully and Skeppy squeezed his hand.

"No one's here. And we weren't doing anything wrong anyway! Nothing crazy. It's alright.", Skeppy stuttered over his words. His cheeks darkened as he realized he was trying to convince the other that the torture he had just put him through was okay. Bad calmed down after a few moments and nodded, leaning in again and kissing Skeppy's lips to prove he agreed. Skeppy clung on for dear life. Barely surviving.

After the two had collected themselves, Bad put Rat on a leash and they headed inside the small diner for lunch. Skeppy straightened the collar of his hoodie again nervously as he looked around, the ghost of previous touches still haunting him.

     They looked over the menus while playing with each other's feet under the table. Above was a casual discussion about burgers and hot dogs. Below was an unspoken war. Rat yawned and curled up, falling fast asleep beside Bad.

"You're giggles are gone.", Bad noted, smirking down at his menu. Skeppy narrowed his eyes, suddenly very interested in the menu again after already declaring what he wanted. "Too bad, they are just so cute.", Bad sighed. Skeppy's mouth opened slightly, then closed again. Completely flustered by Bad's confidence.

     Online it was easy to be the one on top. Skeppy found it easy, at least. In Minecraft he had more tricks up his sleeves. On his computer he had files and files of soundboards and memes to help him. Even a chat to egg him on and give him ideas. Here, in real life, this was all different. That little list of instances where Bad got the upperhand on him was suddenly growing as Bad could now use physical touch. Skeppy hated how thrilling he found it. He had seen the hints of this side, but having it focused on him left him dizzy. And competitive. The air was dense with the tension that buzzed between them.

     Skeppy's eyes slid to the side and he found the car in the parking lot. He longed to be back out there and alone with Bad again. It took an embarrassingly long time to collect himself, but he finally met Bad's eyes. He rolled them at Bad's little smirk.

"You're so annoying.", he tried. It came out as flustered as he felt, though.

                                        ~•~

     "How much longer is the drive?", Skeppy asked. Bad looked at his phone and started calculating as Skeppy pushed around his half-eaten burger and fries.

"Like...8 more hours.", Bad smiled and locked his phone.

"That's a lot.", Skeppy pursed his lips, willing Bad to just read his mind.

"It is!", Bad agreed, blissfully unaware. Skeppy watched as he snuck Rat another fry, making him smile a little.

"Might be dangerous. I'm pretty tired, aren't you?", Skeppy looked away, trying to sound casual. His heart skipped a little in confusion at his own actions. Since when can't he be direct with Bad?

"You're probably right. Maybe we could stop just for the night and then finish the road trip tomorrow?", Bad went back to his phone and typed away quickly. Skeppy's jaw almost dropped at how Bad actually had read his mind. "Yeah, we could be back on the road for noon and then get home around 8pm tomorrow. Instead of trying to finish it now and getting home around 3am totally exhausted.", Bad grinned at him. Skeppy beamed back, kicking Bad's feet softly under the table as he tried to get a handle on his excitement over Bad's use of the word 'home'.

     Of course, they both were skipping past the huge amount of time they had wasted for seemingly no reason so far. But, the part where they get home and face the world with all this new stuff going on was starting to be very daunting. No one was stopping them from hanging back, so they would. They were hoping for a chance to figure this out before they had to explain it to anyone without even knowing what it is themselves.

     So it was decided. Skeppy, Bad, and Rat would get a hotel room for the night.

                                         ~•~

     Things got a little awkward at the hotel counter when the front desk agent asked if Skeppy wanted a king room or a double. He tapped his credit card against the desk nervously as he looked over at Bad. Bad had trouble keeping eye contact for a bit, only offering a small shrug.

"King, please.", Skeppy took the leap.

     They had slept in the same bed the last two nights without it being a problem. It felt good, the leap. Felt great. Once they got their keys Skeppy pressed his palm against Bad's lower back and led him away towards the room. Bad's dumb little smile making all this scariness worth it. Skeppy savored it. Excited he also held the ability to make Bad weak in his knees. Trading this power back and forth between each other was exhilarating.

     They found the room to be much nicer than the last. It had a couch that Rat claimed right away.

"Dinner before bed.", Bad said as he dropped his duffel bag to the floor and started rummaging through it. Skeppy put away his stuff and flopped on the bed while Bad occupied himself taking care of Rat.

     He gave him a smile and a nod as Bad took off for a bit to give Rat a quick walk around the hotel. He laid on his stomach and scrolled through some pictures from that day. Bad and Skeppy grinning together in front of the duck pond. A few of Skeppy posed in front of the car holding Rat. One from inside the car with Skeppy and Bad's head together with Rat sat in the backseat behind them. All incredibly adorable. 'We look so good together.', Skeppy's mind whispered to him. He grinned as the inages made him think of a song. He grabbed the link from YouTube and opened Twitter.

                                         ~•~

     Skeppy admired the little picture collage he had made. He tweeted it out with the link to Dream's song "Roadtrip". He waited a beat and refreshed it to catch the first reactions just as Bad came back to the room.

"Come here!", he called, smiling at the fans spammed keyboard smashes and memes. "Oof-", he let all the air out of his lungs as Bad suddenly straddled his back and laid over him to look at his phone from behind his shoulder. Skeppy's cheeks heated.

"You're comfy.", Bad kisses the reddened cheek, not helping things. "What's this?", he asked happily.

"I wanted to show them our roadtrip so far.", he scrolled back to the top and hovered at the collage. Bad coo'ed and buried his face into Skeppy's neck from above him, drawing surprised giggles from the smaller boy.

"That's so cute!", he grinned into his neck.

"We're super cute together.", Skeppy said as he squirmed. Bad pulled his face back up and played with Skeppy's hair, humming thoughtfully as he melted.

"Yeah, we are really cute together.", he agreed, his cheesey grin obvious in his voice. "Who wouldn't look cute with you next to them though?", Bad pondered playfully, slipping his hands down and squeezing right where Skeppy's shoulders met his neck.

"Stop!", Skeppy whined, trying to softly buck him off as the giggles started bubbling out of him.

"So cute...together.", Bad continued, mumbling the words happily as he crawled his hands lower and dug into the back of Skeppy's ribs, his weakspot. His body jerked and he shoved his face down into the bed, muffling the loud shriek desperately trying to escape his lungs.

"Bad please!", he gasped out, squeezing his arms to his sides. Bad laughed.

                                           ~•~

     After brushing their teeth they each changed alone in the bathroom into pajamas; both were varying colors of t-shirts and sweatpants. Rat was already sound asleep on her couch in the corner. Neither addressed how early it was for them to be 'going to bed', they both knew they wouldn't sleep yet and it could go unspoken between them.

     The fans had already been sending them plenty of stuff to look at. They cuddled in close and Bad showed Skeppy his favorite thing he'd been tagged in so far. It was an adorable animation of Skeppy and Bad singing along to Dream's 'Roadtrip' on the radio with Rat hopping around in the backseat behind them. They were driving by all kinds of stuff, like muffins and diamonds. They were catching new things every time they rewatched.

"This is so cool.", Bad sighed happily, giving a sly little look over to Skeppy. They both flushed as they met eyes, neither realizing how close they had gotten.

"This has been the most fun I've ever had.", Skeppy hears the confession slip from his lips without his permission. Bad touched his forehead  to his and burst into giggles.

     While his reaction is a bit shocking, Bad's giggles were one of his favorite sounds in the world so he couldn't find any protests inside of him.

"What?", Skeppy asks quietly, hesitant.

"Oh…cutie, nothing bad.", Bad starts, brushing his fingers up against Skeppy's reddening cheeks. The word 'cutie' bouncing around his head. " I'm just so relieved to hear you say that.". Bad was still a little giggly.

"Why?", Skeppy pressed. He situated himself more into the cuddling and let his nerves relax. Bad would never make fun of him in a mean way. He closed his eyes and hummed quietly as Bad moved his fingers up and through his hair.

     "It's just...the last time you said that it sounded so sad. I had never heard your voice get like that. It hurt so bad. I know how you get, how the bad things stick with you for so long. I wanted to make you happy.", Bad kissed one of Skeppy's tears away before continuing, "I need you to be happy. My bubbly giggly Skeppy. And you just said it again, but you're happy. I don’t have to be worried. About anything. I've never been happier.", he breathed. Bad focused on trailing little kisses along Skeppy's wet cheeks, chasing every tear until they stopped and Skeppy was giggling again. Skeppy wasn't one to be left speechless, but his chest was too stuffed to the brim with love and feelings he couldn't bring himself to make a peep. He decided the tears said enough and buried his face into Bad's neck.

                                         ~•~

     It took a bit to recover from all of that. About an hour of just cuddling and playing with each other's hair and fingers. Every kiss missing lips and instead landing on eyelids and noses and anywhere that could spurt giggles and squirms from the other.

    

     It never really seemed like it took long to devolve into a tickle fight with each other. Neither really knew what was driving that strange force between them. Maybe it was like the little punches they gave each other in Minecraft. Maybe they were obsessed with each other's laughs. Or the closeness. It could be innocent. It could be...not so innocent. A punishment. A reward. An excuse to touch. The reasons kept changing so neither could grasp just why.

     The cute kissies to calm down the heaviness soon turned into contentious ones. Each trying to draw the biggest reaction out of the other until Bad lost with an embarrassingly loud squeal. It easily sliced through the weird fog of the room and melted it away. Now they were having their first tickle fight under the covers. They got tangled up pretty fast with Bad's chaotic squirming. Soon their faces were inches apart and they were softly trying to catch their breaths. Bad politely moved back.

     Luckily Skeppy felt a surge of bravery and grabbed Bad's t-shirt, pulling him back and kissing against his surprised little gasp. The kiss was a little rougher than all that came before it. Bad melted into it helplessly. This was the first time they had locked lips under the covers. It was warm...hot. Skeppy's mind didn't even realize that Bad had got on top of him until his lips abandoned him for his neck and he found himself staring at the ceiling. He flinched and whimpered embarrassingly at the feeling of Bad's lips on the side of his neck. He felt Bad grin proudly against the skin and he rolled his eyes.

"Shut up.", he murmured, only to be shut up himself with a bite, he squirmed.

     It didn't last long.

     They both knew it was too fast. Bad pulled away and caught Skeppy's gaze. Things were...unspoken. As always. Skeppy wondered which one of them would be actually brave. They untangled and slipped onto their sides, trading sweet kisses back and forth. Any words exchanged would have to be with mouths brushing together. They were finding it impossible to pull apart. The vibe in the air had taken another turn; sweet. Neither were mad about it. Hard to be mad like this.

     "We should probably talk before we do anything...crazy right?", Bad spoke softly against Skeppy's lips. They both seemed to know what 'talk' and 'crazy' meant.

"Probably.", Skeppy murmurmed, pressing more kisses into Bad's lips. He wondered if he could feel how hard Skeppy's world was quaking from how tender it had all become..

They had joked about the "tension" before. Bad had made dirty jokes pretending to be oblivious a thousand times before. This was miles past anything he could have expected. It was a whole new side of him. Kind of.

     Bad only laughed softly and played with his hair, every touch so startlingly innocent like Bad always was. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, Bad's heartbeat, and the loving fingers raking gently through his hair. If any of this was going to progress one of them needed to be the first to speak.

After a few minutes of cuddles he pulled away to find Bad's gaze, a mouthful of feelings ready to be shared bubbled up inside of him. Bad returned Skeppy's look with a wobbly smile and pink cheeks, looking absolutely love-struck. Skeppy pecked his lips and hid his face in his neck. 'Much too scary...', he shuddered.

     Skeppy convinced himself Bad would be better at bringing up the ooey gooey stuff. For him it was too sticky inside. He was unable to put it on the line more than he already had. It was all moving so fast, yet nowhere at all. The most scared and the most happy he had ever been.

They clung together through it all. The feelings that swarmed them. It was still so early in the night for both of them, yet they were worn out from all the whiplashing of feelings. The warm cuddles eased then to sleep.

~•~

Waking up like this was bliss. Bad kissed softly at Skeppy's fluttering eyelids and down his cute nose. He eyed the little smile his kisses had caused and felt pride in his work.

"I love you.", he whispered. Skeppy's nose twitched. "Love your nose.", Bad added, kissing the tip of it. This finally stirred Skeppy up and he only burrowed in deeper to the cuddles.

"Can't believe I get to wake like this forever now.", Skeppy mumbled sleepily.

     Bad stiffened a little at the words and Skeppy squirmed as the realization hit him. That sentence had a few implications to it. Like bed-sharing. And forever. Bad kissed the top of Skeppy's head and a few happy giggles spilled out of him.

     Maybe they could just stumble and slip up all their feelings until it all came out accidentally. They were both practically bursting with them. And so so clumsy.

#wishitweresummer #blueberry muffins #skephalo #mcyt tickle #tickle #tickle fluff #ticklefics #tickle fics #switch! skeppy #switch! badboyhalo

[fulleggsslimedreamer]

I'm working on a short story about chavs and a fat teen, this is the first installment

This would the 1st bit, let me know whatnot think.

Pete had always been fat. His dad had been a fat bloke but had died of a heart attack when he'd been 7.

It was then his mother had met Sam, and married the man 2 years later. Pete was a mummy's boy, she doted on the lad, indulged his love of food, never criticising him and shielding him from people who critisied.

Then, when he was 13 Pete's mum died suddenly, leaving him alone with Sam, a stepfather he hated, and who hated him.

To make matters worse, Sam sold their old house and moved them into a flat in the Park Grove, the roughest part of town.

So, in the week after Christmas, when he was 14, Pete had to start school at the local comprehensive. He knew no one, and no one knew him, but what did that matter?

The first day was medical day, when all the children were measured and weighed. They went into the nurse in pairs. For Pete it was bad enough that he had to strip to his socks and underpants, so the whole class could see his overhanging belly and stretchmarks, but when he stepped on the scales and weighed 22st 3lbs, word soon went round.

When it came time to head home all the other children started asking him if he really did weigh that much, with one lad sticking a pin in him to see if he burst.

And just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, it got worse.

As he rounded the corner 3 chav lads were blocking the pavement. They were all dressed in white trainers, grey Nike tracksuits and wearing skinny puffa coats.

"Where you going fat boy?", the one in the middle asked.

Pete knew he was in trouble, and instinct took over, he turned and ran, but it a hopeless effort. He ran as fast as he could, and could feel all his flab bouncing under his duffle coat, but that fat preventing him from being able to run very fast, and after jogging behind for a while as Pete got more breathless, the chav who spoke to him earlier jumped on his back, causing him to crash to the floor.

By now Pete was totally out of breath and sobbing put of fear and frustration as the chavs stood looking down and laughing at him.

He expected to be beaten, and very soon one of them sat on him, punching him, while the other two started kicking him.

It was then that Marco appeared.

#chav attitude #fat chav #chav lads #puffa jacket #puffa #puffer #puffajacket #puffa coat #puffer coat #hoodie boy

[theladybarnes]

READY TO COMPLY - CHAPTER ONE: IT’S YOU

“ Should I give up? Or should I just keep chasing pavements? Even if it leads nowhere Or would it be a waste? Even if I knew my place, should I leave it there?”

▸ summary: cheers to the newly weds?? ▸ characters: tony stark, natasha romanoff, sam wilson, & bucky barnes ▸ word count: 4,141 ▸ warnings: slight angst, semi pinning ▸ series masterlist

The two of you stood in front of the roaring fire. Allowing the deep orange and yellow embers to be the entertainment. It’s always like this around this time of year. The two of you meeting together, forgetting all schedules or plans that you both might have that day and lock yourself up in Tony’s home. 

 This year was a little bit different considering he presented you with an early Christmas present. A brand new townhouse in the city. For months you had spent time back in California that you almost forgot you couldn’t go back into the compound. Not when Steve was still living there. Running a tight hand on the team you weren’t allowed on. 

 “You know, I was almost a little worried you were going to make me go all the way to California. Which, I wouldn’t mind. Snow reminds me too much of...” The words died off as he reached for his glass of gin, sipping at the harsh liquid softly. 

 “Well Pepper wouldn’t keep me from you. She knows how much this time of year means to us..besides I missed you.” You smiled a bit, trying to give him a brave face. It was the longest the two went on not talking and you knew it was killing your brother inside. “I do hate the snow though, I miss palm trees covered in lights.” 

 “Yeah, she knows I got you in the divorce. Wouldn’t dare keep ya from me.” He joked, reaching out to poke at the fire with the poker. The log flickered a bit, shooting small bits of embers around. “I guess we’re just not that into Christmas.” 

 “Says the guy that decided to buy me a whole town house. I am just one person you know.” 

 Tony glanced at you with a shy smile. “Feeling generous is all.” Turning around, you looked over the place, admiring some of the furniture decisions that Tony made on your behalf. He fortunately knew what type of style you had grown to love over the years and added different cool tone colors as the main theme of the home. 

 “Well, thank you. But I’m also kinda pissed it puts my cufflinks to shame.” This year you had gotten Tony custom made cufflinks that looked a lot like the ones your father used to wear. It wasn’t a big surprise, but he seemed to love it nonetheless. 

 “It’s my new favorite accessory and I’m going to buy a dozen more suits just to wear them.” He smirked, setting down his drink to wrap an arm around your shoulder. “Anything you give me would be my favorite.” 

 Leaning your head on his shoulder, you took notice at the time, reaching your hand up to place on chest. It’s been years and yet it’s still a pain you can’t let go. You can only imagine the turmoil that Tony goes through every year. 

 “It’s crazy to think it’s been twenty-five years since it’s happened..”

 He took a look up at the digital clock you two set up on the mantle of the fireplace before back down at you. “You’re twenty-five too..God, when did the years go by.” He sighed, suddenly sounding a lot like his age. “Just yesterday I had Happy teaching you how to ride a bike.” 

 You couldn’t help but crack up a bit, recalling one of the many occasions that Happy had to teach you. It was probably near seventeen years and your eight year old mind matched with Tony’s chaotic one. Leading you to go down big hills on the bike. Tony swears he almost died of laughter watching Happy run after you.

 “And now you’re buying me town houses so I don’t run into my nearly one hundred year old ex boyfriend.”

 He chuckled a bit at that, shaking his head before he got back his glass to down the rest of the liquid. “Let him keep his stupid boyband. You’ll always have a place here on Team Stark.” He teased, acting like it was actually a thing. 

 “I’m always happy to be on your team, Tony.”

 It was hard to keep the mood from turning somber. Maybe it was the weather, or the dark skyline glooming in the room, or simply just the reminder of the day itself. 

 The clock began to do its countdown, making you two grip onto each other tighter. Like you both were each other’s only life line.

 [00:11:59:20]

 “I wish you could have known them..just for one day..” He rubbed his hand against your shoulders and you realized you were shaking.

 [00:11:59:40] 

 “I know.” You whispered, feeling your voice drown out. Glancing at the side of your eyes you noticed how much Tony’s had glistened. It made you wrap your arms around him tighter. “..me too.” 

 [00:11:59:59] —————— [00:12:00:00]  DECEMBER 16TH, 2015

  The sounds of various announcements in the terminal drowned out the sounds of your worried friends’ pleas.  Making you smile a bit at them as they continued on with their jabbering. 

 “How can you be leaving for six weeks?”

 “Why Romania? Didn’t you want me to join you in California?”

 “Wait, you two were going to hang out in California without me?”

 “Sam, you’re Steve’s friend. You have to do things with him now.”

 The look on Sam’s face almost had you covering your mouth. His dark brown eyes glanced over at you, already annoyed with the fact that you all got there at six. Which you told him he didn’t have to come, which only made him more upset at the idea of not being able to say goodbye.

 “Look, that was the original plan. But after spending some time with Pepper and then Christmas with Tony, I realized that I need to break away from everyone and venture off on my own for a bit.”

 Natasha raised a brow up at you before reaching over to pull you in for a hug. “I hate the idea of you alone out there. But I understand.” She sighed, pressing a light kiss to your cheek. “The minute you need me, call and I’m on my way. Doesn’t matter what I’m doing.”

 “Even if you’re out beating up some bad guys?” You joked, looking over at the red head when she pulled back. 

 “I’m there no matter what.” She smiled before Sam shoved his way in. An annoyed chuckle came from the women as the man wrapped his arms tightly around you. Giving you a crushing hug. 

 “I’ll probably get to you like a normal person would considering I don’t have her ridiculous resources but if you’re ever in need of my expertises I’m there too.”

 Snuggling a bit into his chest, you hug him back, trying to hold in the emotions these two were making you feel. One of them being guilt. It wasn’t like you could probably explain why you picked Romania or why you felt you wouldn’t be alone there. But to have them worry about you so much and be willing to come to you at the drop of a hat had your stomach tense up. 

 “Guys, I should be okay. Nothing is going on there as of now. I set up a place that’s already connected to FRIDAY and I can hold my own.” The two shared a glance, knowing the last words meant a lot to you. Ever since the fight with Steve, it’s been a struggle for you to get that message across. 

 Sighing in defeat, the both take turns again giving you a tight hug. Helping walk you over towards the security. “How come you didn’t just ask to take Tony’s jet. Wouldn’t it be easier?” Natasha asked as she adjusted the strap of your bag over her shoulder. 

 “It would have caused some kind of press to find out I’m there and I’m still under the radar a bit these days.” You shrugged. “It’s a smaller flight so I shouldn’t have too many problems.”

 “When will we be able to hear back from you?”

 Glancing at your phone, you calculated the time difference before answering Sam. “I’ll basically be your early morning wake up call. That is if you aren’t sent off on any missions while I’m there.” The man frowned at that, knowing full well it wouldn’t be long till they were both off again. “If anything, I’ll be sure to shoot you guys an email about what I did everyday. Tony’s requiring that already so I might as well get you guys in on the snail mail.” You promised, hoping to appease them.

 The three of you approached the small line to security, getting ready to finally bid farewell. Again they both took turns giving you a tight hug. Natasha being emotional enough to press a gentle kiss to your temple. “You better stay safe, Cолнышко (little sun), or else me and bird brain are dragging you back.”

 “She’s nasty for that comment,” started Sam as he squeezed in to instead hold the two of you in his arms. “But she’s not wrong. We will hunt you down.”

“And on that threat, I’m taking that as my cue to go.” Grabbing your bags carefully, you stepped away from the nagging pair and made your way towards the line. Stopping only after a few seconds to turn back and steal one last look. They both looked back fondly as they waved goodbye, making you feel suddenly emotional. “Dorks.” You chuckled, lifting a hand to wave back before you finally made your leave. Hopefully for the reunion that was sure to come.

TWO WEEKS LATER

 You scowled at the screen of your iPad. Wondering how you’ve gone two weeks with absolutely no luck on finding Bucky. If the big lug wanted you to come find him, then why did he make it so hard to find a single trace on him?

 Sure, he had other people looking for him as well, including people you personally knew. But if he was leaving behind sentimental parting words like ‘see you soon,love’ and looking at you the way he did that day, then why not leave other clues?

 The apartment you had rented for the intended six weeks was horribly outside the main city. Bucharest was the largest city, making you worried that you started off way too big in your search for Bucky. Not to mention Tony seemed keen on making you have a more natural view of the country. Which was considerate of him, since he did think you were just relaxing. But you could relax with city noise as well? After thinking it over, you decided to leave the lease early, claiming they could keep the deposit and promised to leave it in clean conditions.

 That left you setting up in hotels within the city. A hunch that you couldn’t shake off had you thinking he’d use the busy streets and fast pace people as a way to blend in. Which was smart, but also another pain in your ass. The second was the amount of recent texts and calls you had received from Steve.

 It was like the moment you left America he remembered that he wanted to talk to you. Making you annoyed at the fact that he could’ve called months ago if he wanted to fix things. At least a little. But even now as you read over some of the texts he sent, you couldn’t help but find yourself wondering if you even wanted him back.

 The friendship was something you missed, but maybe it wasn’t as strong as you always saw it. For too long you and Steve blurred the lines, making any kind of semi sweet moment turn romantic rather than just normal. And while you’re still feeling a deep love for him, you knew deep down it wouldn’t be the same ever again. Not when you knew he wanted a different version of you.

 The waitress pulled you out of your plaguing thoughts when she handed you the bill for your lunch, making you quick to thank her. Your Romanian was considerably bad, but the locals seemed to appreciate the effort as they gave you a weak thumbs up at most of your attempts. Packing up your belongings, you slip on your earbuds and start up the connection to FRIDAY on your phone. 

 The recent update on certain street cameras you hacked upon your arrival showed absolutely no footage. This trip was slowly turning into a headache and you realized it might be best to just leave him alone. If he truly wanted to talk to you, he’d find a way. And considering how little he knew of you, it was more than likely that he didn’t. It wasn’t his fault that you were the one having dreams about your encounters. Or running imaginations about what could have happened. 

 You were feeling low and weren’t feeling the love from Steve at the time. Any thoughts about him were just your own hopeful projections. Something that Bucky didn’t deserve because if you were going to go to him it’d be to help him only. 

 [TEXT MESSAGE: NAT 🦊]

 YOU: I’m starting to miss home. NATASHA: Home definitely misses you. Come back already. :(

 You couldn’t help but smile at someone as cool as Natasha using sad emoticons. Tapping at your screen, you ignore the people passing by you as you head down the street to your hotel. 

 YOU: I’ve paid for the trip. Might as well soak it up for the next couple of weeks.  YOU: But next time, I’m definitely bringing you or Sam along.  NATASHA: Wilson will only give us headaches. Let’s just ditch everything right now and go to Belize. I think it’s warm enough for swimsuits ;)

 Laughing at her last message, you don’t look up in time to avoid an overly large pair of shoulders. “Scuze.” Muttered the voice as he quickly made his way through. Not having time to say anything back, you only get a quick glimpse of the figure from the corner of your eye.

 Stopping in place, you try to wonder what stumped you. Was it his voice? Was it the fact that he didn’t seem all too sorry? Turning around, you try to catch the mystery person again. Scanning through the crowd of people till you notice the back of a larger male. His coat was covering up any distinct feature and the top of his head was covered with a dark cap. 

 There’s an attempt to not be so noticeably stalky towards the man as you quickly rush to follow him. Moving across the street, you quickly brushed past people, acting like you had to go somewhere important before you’re able to get a bit ahead of him. He pauses for a moment, looking around before you’re able to see his face finally.

 You try your best not to gasp so loud when you see him. But the smile that spread over your lips couldn’t be stopped when you realized it was Bucky. 

 He looked different from the last time you saw him. His hair was still long, only a little bit but still different from the usual hair men around the area seemed to have. His face was definitely scruffy and to your dismay, he looked more tired than usual. Like he could use an honest good night's rest. 

 Without realizing it, you found yourself following him. Keeping your distance as he went about his shopping. Despite the still winter weather, he wasn’t as bundled up as most people around you both. He simply wore a thick jacket, gloves, and a hat to keep the cool winds from hitting his skin. 

 But what got you more curious was to see how well he blurred in with the crowds. Acting like he wasn’t being hunted down by multiple organizations. It was amusing to you, seeing him interact now and then with clerks when checking out things he wanted to buy. He seemed to be going only one direction, making you wonder when the end destination would end up being.

 It was a struggle to think about why you hadn’t approached him yet. Greet him like a long lost friend and catch up. But the more you thought about it, the more you felt anxious about it. Bucky was doing seemingly well. He was living a life here. Doing something as normal as shopping in the middle of the day. Something so mundane that everyone else would take for granted. 

 But for Bucky this had to mean so much more. For a large part of his life he was used by the most nefarious people, who wanted him to murder, steal, and God knows what else for the past couple of decades.

 Sure, he said you were friends, but would you really want to come in and interrupt the first bit of peaceful life he’s had since he was..well since he was your age? It was only around this time he was pulled into war and now that it’s decades later, it was a chance for him to live normally. No war, no hydra, just him. Even if it hurt you to think of saying goodbye to him, you figured that it might be best to give him this life alone. He deserved it, and you would vow to never be the one to take it away from him.

 You noticed that he’s no longer in front of you, making you curse to yourself as you scanned around the streets again. Great, you were too busy thinking about leaving him that you didn’t think about him leaving you. 

 Turning back around, you’re about to pull out your phone and reply back to Natasha finally when you’re suddenly being pulled into an alley. 

 The arms of your captor were wrapped around your neck, pulling the hood you had on to cover even more of your face. Not allowing you to see any kind of feature on his face. His breath was hot and heavy on your neck, making you shiver in fear. The grip on you was too tight for you to twist your way out of. “кто ты? (Who are you?)” When you didn’t reply he gripped harder. “кого ты работаешь? (Who do work for?)” 

 You gasp a little, feeling your throat tighten up. He didn't seem to care as he gripped harderuntil you started to slap at his arms. “Please.” You whimpered, starting to feel light headed. Something in you must have sounded desperate because he suddenly dropped you, allowing your body to sag down to the ground. “I’m not Russian.” You coughed out, peering up at the man finally. 

 “Oh my God.” He gasped. Pulling your hood back, revealing your face as well as giving you a better look at his. “It’s you.” Bucky sighed, helping to pick you up from the floor. He helped stand up right before his gloved hand checked over your neck, over the area he had been pressing down on. “I’m so sorry! I just..I thought you were HYDRA.” 

 Shaking your head, you calmed down on your breathing before you placed your hand on top of his. “So did I.” Nodding his head, he slowly pulls his hand back before he checks over you again, probably feeling guilty still. “I’m okay, I promise.” Having him so up close gave you a better chance at seeing his face better. And God does it break your heart to see him like this.

 Without even realizing it, you reached out to cup this side of his face, pulling him in closer. His bright blue eyes widened at the motion, blinking a couple of times before he allowed you to continue. His hot breath shuddered for a moment, but having your warm hand against his skin must have been nice since he eventually relaxed into your touch, closing his eyes suddenly as you carefully looked at him. 

 It’s almost weird how close this is becoming like your dream from months ago. But you didn’t focus too much on that and instead allowed your other hand to cup up and trace some of the features on his face. Using the tip of your finger to run down the bridge of his nose and trace the slight line that was bagged underneath his eyes. 

 The freckles on the side of his eyes made you smile, causing you to shake your head at yourself. For only having seen him once up close before, your dream was surely detailed right in the way you envisioned him. Everything was just as it was, even down to the slight pink hue of sun kissed skin on the bridge of his nose.

 You were almost tempted to brush along the line of his pouty lips when he suddenly spoke again. “It took you a while to find me again.” A huff of an amused laugh fell past your lips and you nodded your head. “I’m glad to see you.” He added, fluttering his long lashes as he opened to look at you again.

 “It wasn’t easy finding you. I think the universe played a hand again in helping in my search.” 

 Letting go of his face you pat at his cheek lightly before moving to wrap your arms around yourself. “It’s good to see you though. It’s been a while.” He didn’t seem pleased to lose the contact from you and reached out instead to place his hand at your arm, letting it linger there. 

“How are you and Steve?”

 You felt a lump form in your throat, not sure how to even touch that subject yet. But Bucky was looking at you with such genuine curiosity, that you didn’t want to keep secrets from him. Not when he’s trusted you so much so far. “It’s kind of funny,” you chuckled, trying to figure out where to start. 

 “I could use a good laugh.” He proposed. Raising a brow at you curiously. It was the same kind of face that Natasha would make whenever she tried to read you and you hated how it made you automatically feel like spilling.

 “Mr. Bucky?” 

 The two of you glanced down the end of the alleyway to see two small children. The one who spoke out was a young boy, probably around thirteen with dark eyes and hair. At his side was a younger girl, who despite being the younger of the two looked like a copied version of the boy beside her.

 Bucky stepped back from you, turning to face them better before he replied back. Talking to them in Romanian before he suddenly wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. The two of you suddenly were walking now to join the kids. While his arm felt nice around you, the confusion couldn’t be swept off your face as he casually pressed a kiss to your head. Talking back to the boy again.

 “Go ahead.” Bucky said eventually, nodding at the boy. Smiling, the boy reached out his hand and offered a shake to you. “I am Luca. Mr. Bucky tells me you are his American wife.” You pinched the side of your thigh to stop the cough that wanted to come out from your throat. “This is my sister. We are..how is word again?”

 Did he just say WIFE?

 Bucky, sporting a very nervous but slightly amused grin on his face, now offered up an answer. “Neighbors. They’re my neighbors.” The boy's smile turned bright again as he nodded to Bucky thankfully.

 “Yes! We are neighbors. And now that you’ve found him again. You are neighbor as well.”

 The little girl feeling left out extended her small hand out. “I am Anyanna. It is pleasure to meet.” Her accent was much thicker than Luca’s and you had to bit down on your cheek from being too amused by it. Her next words seemed to throw you back off again as she pointed to the building you guys were beside. “Let’s go to homes,Mrs. Bucky. Before we freeze.”

 Luca, suddenly remembering what they had to do took hold of the girl's hand and led them to the building. “Anyanna is right! We have dinner soon. We hope to see you again, Mrs. Bucky!” You were barely able to give out a half assed wave before you and Bucky were left alone again.

 “Wow.” You gaped over at him. Feeling only a little bit annoyed with how okay he was by all this. Surely you wished now more than ever you could have understood what he told the young boy. But the whole interaction didn’t seem to throw him off much. 

 “Well, Mrs. Bucky.” He dragged out, pointing up to the building. “Would you like to come up?”

A/N: Well I hope you guys are ready for this! I’m happy to finally have Bucky emerged fully in the storyline now. Get ready for the perfect angsty boyfriend~ Also I love the idea of Bucky being good with kids so ofc the neighbor kids would talk with him. Even if they are misinformed 🥴

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x female oc #Bucky Barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes imagine #rtc

[tsushimanoonryo]

The Alley

He’d made a mistake. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, it really came back to bite Jin in the ass. He was hunched over in an alleyway, trying not to bleed out as he clutched at the stab wound on his stomach. The other guy was lying dead on the pavement in front of him but this was a pyrrhic victory if anything. Jin would clearly be joining him soon.

But then the woman came into the alley. She was followed shortly by a man, chasing after her eagerly as she shot flirtatious glances over her shoulders. Neither of them noticed Jin or the corpse lying near him. He wanted to call out to them, to let them know he needed help, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to have to explain why he was there with a dead body. No, that might be worse than just dying, especially if this got out to the police. He might live, but who knew what his uncle would do to him when word got out.

So he stayed quiet, watching the woman entice the man further into the darkness. As they came together in the dark, Jin could feel himself wanting to laugh. Of course the last thing he saw before he died would be someone having a dirty fuck in an alleyway. It was just his luck. If Ryuzo knew, maybe it would make his friend laugh instead of grieve him at the funeral.

Suddenly the motion between the man and the woman stopped. Jin squinted through the dark, fighting with his tunneling vision and saw the glint of something metal held against the man’s throat.

“Give me everything in your wallet, fucker,” the woman said.

The man started to laugh in disbelief until she pressed her blade harder against his throat. He let out a yelp and she threatened him again.

“Be quiet, or you’ll lose more than your cash,” she said. “Come on, I don’t have all night.”

“You bitch,” the man spat.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she said, almost as if she were bored. “Save it. Just give me the cash and leave. You can go home to your wife and cry about it later.”

Spewing profanities, the man reached into his wallet, pulled out a wad of cash and threw it at her. Instead of leaning down to pick it up, she kept the knife at his throat and slowly walked him back to the front of the alley. Jin heard her say something else before the man sped off into the night and the woman came back into the alley.

“Asshole,” she said to herself. “Let’s see how much you had on you.”

The cash had scattered everywhere and she leaned down to pick it up. As she did, she hit her foot against the corpse. She stopped and her eyes widened when she realized what it was.

“Oh fuck me,” she said. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

She shot up, backing away as if to sprint off. But Jin mustered up the energy to call out to her.

“Wait,” he croaked. “Don’t leave me.”

“Shit, is he alive?” she asked herself, looking down at the corpse again.

“Not him,” Jin called out. “Over here.”

The woman followed the sound of his voice and finally noticed Jin slumped against the wall.

“Please,” he said. “Help me. I can pay you.”

He knew people like her, thieves who would rob men blind in alleyways wouldn’t want to help a dying man without incentive. Especially with a dead body nearby. He could tell by the way she paused that his offer was at least tempting.

“I can pay you a lot,” he said again. “And I can make it so no one ever knows you were in this alley with me and this dead guy.”

The woman crouched down to him and looked him in the eye.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” she hissed.

With great effort, Jin lifted his arm and tugged at the lapel of his ruined suit jacket. The pin came off with little effort and he held it out to her. It was covered in blood, but the twin mountains of the Sakai family still shone through.

“You’re yakuza?” she asked, disgust in her voice. “I’m not risking my life for some two-bit chinpira…”

“I’m the patriarch of the Sakai family,” he said. “Jin Sakai.”

The woman squinted at him, looking at his face, trying to reconcile the battered, bloody visage in front of her with the face she’d no doubt seen in local tabloids. 

“Oh shit, you are, aren’t you?” she said. “Fuck me.”

“Please,” he said again. “You’ll be compensated and protected, I swear it.”

For a moment, she looked like she still might leave him in the alley to rot. But something won out in her and she leaned down to gingerly help him up, pressing her own hand over his to help keep pressure on his stomach.

“I’m Yuna,” she said. “And you are going to pay for everything of mine you bleed on, you hear me?”

Jin would have laughed, had he not been in so much pain.

“You’ve got a deal, Yuna.”

#drabble #when jin met yuna #blood cw #death cw #mugging cw #murder cw #violence cw #knife cw #anesan #drabbles

[anothershittyaccount]

Some of my recent dreams:

1. I dreamt my dead brother was alive. We were standing at the top of my parents driveway, suddenly he started overdosing and vomiting and collapsed into his pool of vomit and died.

2. I dreamt that my partner had died, I don't know how, but the whole dream was me running from location to location just bawling my eyes out.

3. The premonition dream the day before my partners disclosure of her financial expenditure. I dreamt that something mores serious was going on with the boyfriends and woke up and immediately went to the basement where she was working out to ask her if there was anything she wanted to tell me. She got snappy so I dropped it. The very next day she disclosed spending $100k on these guys. 2 days later I found out the amount was more than double that.

4. I dreamt that my partner and I were in nyc at night on a 3 lane street. I told her I wanted her to sleep in another bedroom. She hailed an orange and green taxi van, got in and it started to speed away. 2 blocks later, I see the sliding door open and she dove head first into the pavement. Her head was completely smashed and there was blood everywhere. She was dead. I started yelling "baby" and running towards her. The taxi driver got out and was distraught and started calling the police. The dream ended.

5. I dreamt I was at the movie theater, the movie had ended and I walked out into the lobby. A vintage car with pastel colors on its paneling came crashing into the theater, crushing a bunch of people. The car came to a stop and the young driver opened the door and got out and started running. I ran after them and tackled them on the sidewalk. Pinned them down for 15 minutes until police arrived.

6. I dreamt I was in the car with my dad who was driving. I was in the backseat. We were following my mom who was in another car. My dad suddenly starts to veer off the road and almost hits a tree, I realized he's asked out and I start yelling "dad." The car careens into a field, crashes through a farm fence, and collides with a cow before coming to a stop.

7. I dreamt that my partner was self injuring. She had burned the entirety of her torso and had huge inch wide gashes all up and down her legs. It was very distressing.

[choysum]

lune

I will tell you this much, just so you know I am ordinary. the one I keep writing to, the face I put up over yours- he isn’t gone. he’s just a ghost to me now, that’s the only thing wrong with him. died-and-came-back-wrong, only it’s the version where they are still themselves and it’s the one who loved them who cannot reconcile the before and after.

it’s the moon and the sea and the sun, if you want to be beautiful about it, and the moon chooses the sun and the sea can’t help but be pulled in by her anyway. there’s a post that says “the moon is very powerful tonight and im worried about the ocean because i know what its like to love someone who is larger than they realize” and and and. you know honestly I thought he was the sun when I met him. he had yellow hair then.

I write the ending myself. I decide how to be too much. the truly frustrating thing is you get left enough times, you’ll make your whole life a self-fulfilling prophecy.

the art got bigger and bigger. more elaborate projects, more obvious effort, more time, more materials, until it was practically screaming tell me to stop, until I was stitching out the words I love you so big it is killing me. the first time there was blood in it, he didn’t say anything. it became a violence I inflicted on both of us.

it’s an old story. I only have so many scripts in my hands, is the problem.

soleil

my lover is burning us down. my lover built the most beautiful city for us, I swear. oh, you should’ve seen the way the pavement glittered in the rain, all the neon and old signage, really it looked like a movie with a cheesy ending. and I wanted that cheesy ending so bad- he’s good at making grilled cheese, you know, and pasta, the guy I went on a date with last month makes terrible alfredo sauce but my lover makes the best, where did we go? oh my god, oh my god, catch me at the bank of the river crying, catch me on my knees in the wet sand and him beside me too quiet, still holding the match like he’s going to strike it up again. and what if he does?

there’s still time, to run through and douse everything. I’m not sure if I prefer things rotten or singed but I’ve lived a third of my life breathing in ash so what does it matter, what’s one more ghost town. but this! I want to crawl into your arms now and tell you every beautiful thing he ever said to me. he’s no poet, you know, but I think people like him are why we keep writing, they pluck these things out of nowhere and watch us pounce to pin it to a page.

I can’t forgive him for this. he needs to turn and speak. he needs to put down the match. he needs to say “we’ll go somewhere different, there can still be a place where it’ll be how it was”, only there won’t be, only he ruined it and how could he.

oh my god. what else is there to say. oh my god, he’s not really my lover he’s not really anyone’s lover, because if we never kiss then who could ever put him at fault, because where’s the fault? the winestain nights, darling they come to this, don’t be jealous of them they come to this. I thought he was my second soulmate, I looked into him and saw every good thing but now, he burned his own hair off and I can see his bones-! help me, oh my god I can see his bones.

and I love them still, I do. there was a time I would’ve dived into the freezing water to gather them all up, bundle them together and make something of a home for them. he won’t admit it’s burning! I would have loved every terrible thing about him, would’ve loved him with every sin. but my love, it is a good thing, it is a good thing and I am proud of it and he burned it with us, he pulled my heart from my chest and placed it in the inferno just so he could say I helped to fuel the ruin. why won’t he admit it’s burning?

my lover is turning my love sour, my love is trying to make this land somewhere I do not want to step. there is a betrayal in what he is twisting us into. I am angry.

“tell me we never get used to this.” I want to put your hands to my face. I want to put them down my throat while I scream so you can feel it, so someone else feels this. gossamer stranger, it feels a week goes by before I can eat again.

mer

I wrote another letter to him, after the sunburst. I said sometimes I think your hands are inches away from cracking me open, splintering a bone to see what would spill out. I borrowed words I’ve already said to you. I sat and I cried over my sunburns, and then I wrote it out of me and I went to the store and came home and ate well.

that letter will not join the bundle with the others, when they finally pass from my hands to his. I keep this one small, size nine font. he burned the city but I will not write it into our story. I am proud of the love I made here. I cut the dead leaves and save them in a drawer for only myself.

forgive me; I only meant to tell you who it is I write about. he infected everything for weeks. in the letter I tell him you’re in me now, you’re in my body. it was true. it will pass.

how is your heart, dearest? have you eaten?

(- I have no one else to tell of this. the thing is I love him and I want the people in my life to love him too. I’ve told only two of them about the summer sunburn and no one of the city fire. is it alright, to tell you these stories? I have so many. do you want one about us next time? what do you like to hear? I can spin you gold of any shade, do you prefer the truth or a fable? anything I tell you of us will be so caught up in metaphor even arachne couldn’t unravel it. we would be safe in the spiderwebbing.)

i think i don't have the capacity for deception enough to say you are ordinary. you seem extraordinary in every way that matters, perhaps in ones that don't as well. i can play the role of bale to your archer if that's what can bring on a little relief; surely it is harder to be the one who stayed and watched their other come back wrong than it is to mourn

"what is a confession of loveif not the original apologiy/ i love you/ i'm sorry." we have to deal and move on and maybe confess and maybe have it eat us from the inside out. when i was 9 i read with grotesque interest about the hagfish who devours carcasses just so and maybe there's a metaphor there that i can't quite crawl inside to reveal to you. can you stitch it together anyway? please?

you say he's not a poet, well, we have all been [poets] at one point in our lives? i don't think i am one. tell me the beautiful words he has said and i will fashion them wings and watch them stumble and flail and fumble and fall and take off, stuttering and self-conscious until you can be slightly more unburdened. perhaps this would be an unconscionable violation. tell me what i can do.

perhaps instead of poets we're entymologists pinning fluttering words to the canvas. is it morbid to watch for how long they try to regain flight. yes. betrayal and a thorn crown and a gaping bloodied hole in your chest and how to rebuild it all alone, i wonder? he is a plague and a blessing and whatever you make of him - he's taken you apart and now you have the right to do something similar if only it might help the slightest amount

tell me whatver you want, whatever you can share. i long for such a connection, i fear sometimes i will be alone from now until the end of time. i will answer your other letters now as i prepare for tomorrow's teaching and have an ill-advised drink

#thistledown stranger

[erius-vidi]

Four tram workers will be charged with manslaughter after dad, 29, died after he was pinned down on pavement

Four tram workers will be charged with manslaughter after dad, 29, died after he was pinned down on pavement Read Full Text

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#Politics #UK #US #World

[jackzillanyanut8008]

The Last Of Us Part 3: Fan Write (Part 5)

Author’s Note:

This fan write of the 3rd addition to The Last Of Us franchise is completely fan made, I own zero rights to the game, tv show, or merchandise. Any and all properties of this franchise are owned by Naughty Dog Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and PlayStation Studios. And of course, please support both the previous games, as well as the HBO series.

-Stone CL Williams

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

Chapter 13: Rip and Tear, Until It Is Done…

Thatch runs through the thick forest, dodging incoming arrows and gunfire as he darts through the trees. “Almost there, just gotta get across the state border and I’ll be in Wyoming within a few hours” he says, almost laughing with joy before crossing into an open highway before hearing that terrible sound…

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!

The sound echoes through the quiet highway like thunder, getting louder and louder as it speeds up in tempo…

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!

“No… nononononono NO!” he screams before an arrow flies through the air, piercing his calf as he screams in pain.“AH SHIT HOLY FUCK!!!” he screams as breaks the arrow and pulls it out, using some old rags to bandage the wound.

But it's too late.

His pursuers surround him. Some on foot, most in cars or off road vehicles like four wheelers and bikes. And the ringleader stands in front of him, like a king beneath his slave, atop a semi truck with a throne on the roof. It was covered in pipes and barbed wire, like something in an old biker flick. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t old Thatch Murphy. You thought you could escape after you ripped us all off all those winters ago… but now, after 3 years of searching and sacrifice, we got you by the balls” the ringleader says as they climb down the semi.

The ringleader was tall, about 6 feet by Thatch’s judgment, and fairly built. They had dark skinned arms and held an ax made from an old baseball bat and an old street sign. They also were wearing a black leather jacket, white tank top, and gray jeans. “What are you gonna do? Kill me? HA! Seems like more of a mercy than making me a slave or whatever gets you fuckers off, by the way how’re those Rattler dicks that died out last month? Heard they died nice and-” Thatch snaps before a soldier hits him in the face with a club knocking him to the pavement.

“Pin him to the car” The leader says. The soldiers obey their boss and pin Thatch to the car, Thatch meanwhile lashes out and spits blood at the bastards the whole time they do so.

“GO ON DO IT! WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOU FUCKERS!!?! WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IN!?!?!” Thatch yells before they cover his mouth. The leader then takes off his mask revealing himself, “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you, only makes you… Crazier” he says with a wide smile across his scarred face, his teeth yellow and his eyes sunken.

Chapter 14: Separate Ways

Deacon, Abby and Lev exit the truck and walk up to the tower. Much to no one's surprise, it WAS massive. “About 20 floors, you sure you’ll be alright Abby?” Deacon says as Abby grabs the duffle bag and a gas can “Yeah, me and Lev have been through WAY worse than this” Abby says as she and Lev walk up to the door. 

Deacon holds up a hand and grabs his banjo, this time playing the riff to “Stairway To Heaven”. Surprisingly, no infected came out or made any noise. “I don’t like that, Maria says the place was full of Infected” Lev says as Deacon throws the banjo over his shoulder. “Probably all went deaf, let’s try something else real quick” he says as he grabs his pistol and shoots a nearby squirrel. He then grabs it, skins it and flings it around a little. 

Much to Lev and Abby’s disgust, the smell attracts the Infected and the trio kill them off and move deeper inside…

After a few hours of “extermination work” the building is cleared and the three sit down in an old lobby “Worst. Job . Ever.” Lev says as he tosses his gun onto the table. “Try killing 5 Infected all fused together into one giant blob, now THAT’S a nightmare” Abby says, gloating about her past victories from her days in Seattle. “You mean a Rat King? I’ve only seen one, supposedly they’re only in ground zero areas of the virus. Hospitals, churches, schools, etc.” Deacon explains as he sits down before looking over Abby’s shoulder “Hey look, a recording booth” he says as the two look behind the couch and see the room. 

“Finders keepers D, I’m beat for the time being” Abby says, kicking up her boots “Amen sister” Lev says, mimicking Abby’s behavior. “Whatever, If I find anything good it’s mine, no bitching at all” Deacon says as he gets up and walks over to the studio.

Deacon enters the studio and finds what he expected to find: Some records, old radio equipment, and musical instruments. Except theirs one that really catches his eye, an old BC Rich Mockingbird guitar. He grabs the instrument and plugs it into an amp and begins to play.

Someday love will find you

True love won't desert you

You know I still love you

Though we touched and went our separate ways

“Nice singing' D” Abby says, Deacon jumps and sees her and Lev standing in the doorway with huge smirks on their faces. Deacon laughs, puts the guitar in its case, and throws the case over his shoulder. “Lets lock up and head back, we’ll get a cleanup crew set up tomorrow” he says as the three board up and barricade the lower floors of the tower before leaving for Jackson.

Chapter 15: Cuff Love

Thatch wakes up in an old apartment, he gets up before realizing he's cuffed to the radiator. “Ah shit” he says before the leader of his pursuers opens the door with a huge smirk on his face, his yellow teeth showing through just under his gums. “Morning fuckface! Martha made some Venison Gumbo that is to DIE for, try some!” the man says as he sets the tray down and slides it to Thatch. 

“Where am I? Hell?” Thatch says as he spit at the bastard who cuffed him. The man cackles with laughter as he sits down on a nearby stool “No, not that there’s much of a difference” he says as he turns to Thatch. “Oh right, we never formally met, Hi! My name is Sam, I’m the leader of this group. We call ourselves the Forgotten Ones” he says as he takes a swig from a canteen in his jacket.

“So why did you try to go to Wyoming of all places? Got some good loot? A settlement?” he asks as he puts the canteen back in his jacket. Thatch curls his finger, signaling Sam to come closer before spitting in his face and biting a piece of his ear off. The leader screams in agony as he covers his ear, his hand slowly filling with blood. “Well then, the hard way it is…” he says before whistling to his subordinates. Three enter the room, one with a bat, another with a crowbar, and another with a hammer. “He’s all yours guys, but try to not kill him… we still need some more slaves” Sam says as he walks out of the room. “No problem boss, we’ll be nice and gentle with this asshole” the woman holding the crowbar says as Sam shuts the door.

Back in Jackson, Deacon and Ellie are going over plans for fortifying the tower before a scream is heard all throughout Jackson. Ellie and Deacon race out and see the commotion and are shocked by what they see. They see Thatch shuffle on horseback before he falls over onto the street, his body covered in burns, bruises, and cuts. “Holy shit, DAD!!” Deacon says as he runs to his father, who only utters a few words:

“The Forgotten… are coming… leave… or be exterminated….” he mutters before Maria and Tommy send a few citizens to bring Thatch to the infirmary. 

“What happened to him?” Ellie asks as she catches up to Deacon. Deacon clenches his fists and grits his teeth “Fucking bastard, I knew I should’ve gutted him when I had the chance” he says before storming off in the opposite direction.

Abby comes in with Lev, who were both at the stables and walks up to Ellie “What’s up with D?” Abby asks Ellie. Ellie gives her a shrug “I don’t know, some old guy came in covered in cuts and burns, he must’ve known him” she says before Lev freezes in shock “Thatch” he says as Abby goes after Deacon.

#the last of us #abby the last of us #ellie tlou #lev tlou #tommy miller #joel miller #dina tlou #last of us fanfiction

[heniareth]

I am exhausted and having Thoughts(TM) about Zevran dealing with the Crows, and you're gonna get to hear about it (under the cut bc it's long):

First of all, I doubt he has a fully-fledged plan. Planning has, in his own words, never been his strongest suit, and I think we can take him at face value for that. This has the big big huge advantage that he can be very flexible and adap quickly to any mishap on the road. Grandmaster won't ally with him? No problem, he can just kill them. Nothing depended on that Grandmaster's collaboration (although it certainly would've been nice to have it). Zevran can allow himself to be unpredictable, he's good at being unpredictable, and I'm positive it drives the Crows mad as they scramble to try and figure out his next move.

In that vein, was there ever a day where he woke up and decided he had to take the Crows down? Or did it rather start with keeping their assassins off his back, maybe getting some revenge, and then snowballed into something bigger until he found himself taking the whole organization apart? I really don't know

In Antiva, he finds allies in people that have been holding a grudge against the Crows for whatever reason, and among those people are even some Crow assassins

But, but, imagine him establishing contacts (and profitable ones at that) with the local street urchins

Kids that weren't pretty or fast or smart enough to catch the Crows' attention, or who otherwise managed to escape the Crows' recruiters. Kids that know their city like the back of their hands and have survivied amidst the worst it has to offer. Why, suddenly Zevran has very inconspicuous eyes and ears in every public place in the city

I bet some days his only plan for the day is hitting the pavement and seeing what his kids (they are his because they are his coworkers) have been able to dig up. And then he takes it from there

Also, no more getting robbed blind after almost drowning in a river

Also also, imagine Zevran going to auctions where children are being sold and just outbidding the Crow representative that nobody dares to go against. He's got an alias and a disguise complete with a fake mustache. It's foolproof!! (Just kidding, he'd take the utmost care so that this shenanigan can't be traced back to him. Maybe he even disguises as a member from a rivaling Crow cell and now the Crow representative pins all the blame on that rivaling Crow cell and there are fights! And it was all Zevran!)

If romanced (and if the Warden has survived), he writes to his Warden and tells them about the kids. He tries his best to find safe places for these kids, to help them when they need it, and maybe he asks his Warden if they could adopt some of them?

At the same time, would he try and break some Crow recruits out of wherever they are being kept? Street urchins are already difficult to handle at times. Crow recruits have daggers and knowledge about poisons on top of that. They also have a whole lot of gruesomeness, ruthless competition, manipulation and a whole arsenal pent-up rage and fear. And Zevran is a Crow, but at the same time he's not; perfect target for a previous recruit lashing out. I get the feeling it would be a bit like handling explosives; it either goes very well or very, very poorly. Not to mention what would happen to those recruits if they absconded and then got recaptured by the Crows

But at the same time, Zevran probably remembers every recruit that died during his training, and damnit he can't let these kids die as well

So maybe it's a "get them out and get them away" kind of deal? I'm sure Isabela would help. Maybe the Crows aren't as keen to hunt people down on sea as they are on land? Idk

Another thing: Rinna might've had family (either blood relatives or found family) and friends outside of the Crows

Taliesen probably wouldn't. As far as I know, he came from a shipwreck and also doesn't seems like the type to cultivate close relationships with commoners

But what a storytelling opportunity. Zevran running into the one person who also loved Rinna. Zevran helping them, or them trying to take revenge only to learn Zevran's half of the story. Zevran gets to apologize. There might be no forgiveness, but maybe?? Maybe it's an opportunity to make sure Rinna's loved ones are safe, since he couldn't make sure she was

ANYWAYS, on a lighter note. You know who also hears and sees a lot? Prostitutes

Zevran, who has been raised in a brothel, who has been called "whoreson" often enough to almost recognise it as a name, frequenting brothels and taverns and getting to hear all about the things his former fellow assassins try to work out in the bedroom with these women. Learning about debts, favors owned, partnerships and rivalries, all the little social networks that make up the common ranks of the guild. It's a treasure trove of information

Alternatively, one day he desperately needs a place where to hide, lay low, or where he can stitch himself back together after a particularly close call. These women have come to know him as one of their own. He's helped them get rid of unwanted clients and claim money that had been withheld. Now they can return the favor

If he's particularly lucky, he might catch a former companion in one of those very brothels. Or, if he's very, very lucky (because secrecy is one of the most prized virtues by the Crows), he might get to hear about a whole mission a group is trying to hash out. He could then warn the target, get to them before the Crows do, surprise the group at the mission site, the possibilities are endless!

By the way: I'm convinced there's more than one rich family for which the Crows are a thorn in their side (be it because of blackmail, a grudge because house Arainai killed the head of the family a few years back (Zevran prudently does not tell them that it was most likely him who did the deed) or bc the Crows seized that very promising vinyard back in the provinces). Anyway, I'm just saying that Zevran needs resources as well as allies. A sufficiently disgrutled rich family could be ideal business partners

Or screw that, just plain having somebody on their side who is not afraid to take on the Crows can be invaluable for these rich families. They'd love a partnership even without personal grudges

Zev would have to be careful not to simply become this family's pet assassin though. He's not here to secure their second daughter's prosperous marriage. But if the Crows happened to interfere with said marriage... now that is something they could talk about

This is how Zevran finds himself attending several exquisitely fancy events in the appropriate eveningwear, shadowing a very suspicious fellow in a wide-brimmed hat and wishing he could've brought his Warden along as a plus one. He makes sure to hire somebody to provide a detailed sketch of the outfit after the fact. It suits him so very well and he couldn't deprive his Warden of such a vision

Tbh there are so many things he wants to show them about Antiva

And he misses his Warden so very much :(

Tbh, I don't know how much time he spends dismantling the Crows or how thorough he is about it, but... maybe Antiva will never be safe for him anymore. And by extension, not for his Warden either. There will always be somebody who's lost everything when the Crows fell, and if the Crows haven't fallen and Zevran is now up top, a Grandmaster or, Maker forbid, the big boss I forgot the title... If kings can be assassinated, I'm pretty sure the head of a guild of assassins can be as well. What I'm trying to say is that people are going to be out to harm Zevran for a long time

So, to recap: short visits? No problem. A cottage somewhere in the Provinces or a beach house near the sea? Should be safe. But living in Antiva city? That sounds very complicated to me, sadly (very sadly. Antiva is the perfect place to retire if you look past the assassins. Warm climate, the sea, lots of fruits and sun, what more could you want?) Please please if you have another opinion let me know (about any of this, really)

But! The Warden must visit Antiva. That is final. However and whenever, they will get to know Zevran's home city because it's so important to him (seriously, judging by the way he talks about Antiva, it’s really, really important to him. He loves that place!)

And that brings me to my last thought: the Warden is still a Grey Warden, but also the Hero of Ferelden, and in Antiva on some sort of official Warden business. They are accompanying the local Warden-Commander as they give the Hero of Ferelden a tour. Suddenly something catches the Hero's eye (or ear). Maybe it's a whistled tune. Maybe it's the shimmer of sunlight on fair hair against dark skin. Maybe it's a smile or a laugh coming from a person the Warden has never seen in their life, but that's Zevran's laugh (or smile)!

It is, of course, Zevran in disguise, and he's just as happily surprised as his Warden

But oh! they cannot be seen together in public lest the Crows should suspect something! And Zevran will not put his Warden in danger. So he sends a message. Probably through one of the urchins. An elvhen kid, about 8 years old, two front teeth missing, runs up to the Warden and demands coin in exchange for the message. It's a simple instruction: "Light your window red tonight". The handwriting and the -Z. signature clearly identify the sender. And so the Warden impatiently awaits the night. When it is finally, finally dark, they light a lantern, place it behind a piece of red cloth, and set it on the windowsill

Zevran has no trouble letting himself in: through a window, scaling heights he possibly shouldn't be scaling. Or dressed as a servant, bringing refreshments to the Warden's quarters

And, yeah, they're both very happy to see each other

Okay, I'm done now. Time to release my thoughts into the wild. Additions to this are more than welcome btw

#zevran #zevran arainai #the warden #the hero of ferelden #hero of ferelden #zevwarden #zevran/warden #the crows #dao #dragon age #dragon age headcanon #dragon age headcanons #dragon age origins #dragon age: origins #da: o #da: origins

[itsthestutterforme]

Thought You Hated Me (Matt Murdock x black!reader)

Notes: GIF is not mine, all mistakes are my own, angst sorry guys 😬

Prompt credit @scvrllet :

"this is not what I meant when I said I wanted you to fall for me"

--

"Let's talk somewhere in private," Matt suggests. "Believe me, you don't want to do that." You threatened, heat enveloped you the more you looked at him. Your hands pressed into fists at your sides. Matt could hear your heart racing as anger took over.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important," he whispers to you. You rolled your eyes and took his hand to pull him into the hallway. "You have thirty seconds," you crossed your arms.

"Elektra-" you scoff at her name and turned to walk away but he caught your arm. You spun around and pushed him into the wall. His cane clatters to the floor and you hate yourself for having the urge to pick it up for him.

"What do you want from me, Murdock." "We need your help stopping the Hand. Elektra is involved with them. She died in my arms, I buried her. And now she's alive and walking like nothing happened," his states calmly, your forearm pressed against his throat and his hands loosely held your arm.

"Why would you need my help? I'm a killer and you don't associate with killers, right?" "This isn't about me, it's about Hells Kitchen." "No, this is about you getting your girlfriend back,"

He went silent for a moment. "I'm mature enough to know when I'm in the wrong. I'm sorry, Y/N. About everything."

"So you're fine with me killing this Hand? I mean come on, what kind of name is that?" You divert, not allowing his words to get to you.

"You're not going to kill anyone," "You plan to stop me, Murdock?" He grabbed your arms and pinned you against the wall where he once was.

"I did stop you, remember?" "I chose to stop," "Because of my influence," you scrambled to get away from his grip but he kept you pinned.

"Get off of me," he lets go of you and bends down to pick up his cane. "Innocent people are you going to die without your help." Resting your head against the wall in defeat. "I'll need to get my gear." "Lead the way,"

**

"This is not what I meant when I said I wanted to fall for me," Matt says as you collapses on top of them. "You said you would catch me," "You didn't tell me when you let go. And all your screaming threw me off as to where you were coming from."

You and Matt were tracking down one of the members from Hand. You followed him into a construction sight and he kicked the ladder down after using it himself, leaving you with no way down. That's how the two of got into this mess.

The two of you groaned as you rolled off of him and you laid side by side. "I can't believe that you're still afraid of heights," he says, cracking his back and rolling his shoulder as he sat up. "I can't believe you're still a douche bag,"

Your knees cracked as you stood from the pavement. "Damn we're getting old," you extended your hand and pulled him to his feet.

You handed him his cane and looked to where the guy ran off. "He was fast," you stated. "But not fast enough," you looked down at your phone with a blinking red dot.

"You tagged him?" You hummed in response. "I missed fighting together," "Oh yeah? Who's fault is that?""It's been years, can't you just give me a chance?" Matt asks.

"No," "Why?" "Because you don't deserve it. You hurt me deeply, Matt. It was more painful than any torture I've ever endured. And it was done by someone who claimed to love me." "I do love you," "Bullshit," "Why is it so hard for you to believe me?"

"I don't believe anybody anymore. Benefit of the doubt is out the window." "Y/N," "Let's just focus on finishing this stupid mission so I don't have to see your face ever again."

**

"How long until the building collapses?" You asked Stick as you looked up at the shaking building. Matt and Elektra were still up there while everyone else was still safe on the ground. You rummaged through your duffel bag and took out a launching hook.

"You can't use that from the outside," Jessica says. "I have to try," you rushed up about twenty feet from the building and shot up to a beam that was sticking out of the building. You tested it out with your weight and it remained sturdy.

"You remember which floor he was on?" You yelled over your shoulder to Jessica. "Around the twentieth, I think!" She yells over the sirens and horns.

You pressed the trigger and it lifted you off of the ground. You didn't allow your gaze to fall to the ground so you looked up to the sky instead.

When you heard Matt's grunts, you clicked the trigger to stop pulling you and kicked off of the window to gain momentum. You braced yourself as you came crashing through the window. You hooked the gun around the desk so it didn't go anywhere.

"Matthew!" You yelled. "Y/N?" He said in disbelief as he held Elektra, waiting for the moment to end. "Y/N!" You followed his voice and a pang hit your chest when you saw him holding Elektra. You never had a chance. You thought to yourself.

"Come on, I have to get you guys out of here," you grunted as you helped Matt to his feet. "You're not safe here," "Neither are you. People need you out there," you tell him. He holds his side as you walked him to the opening you made. "You two can go down together,"

"No, then how are you going to get down," the building rumbles and you all fall to the ground. "You let me worry about that. Go!" Elektra put the wire attached to the gun into Matt's hand and wrapped her body around his. "We have to go, Matt."

"Y/N," "Go, Matty." You pushed on his chest and he stares in your general direction. He was about to let go of the gun when Elektra grabbed it and launched them both out of the window. "No!" Matt yells as he descends down the building and lands on the sidewalk.

"Why did you do that! She going to die up there." "She told us to go," "I don't know what I ever saw in you," "You didn't," Elektra walks away. "She's not going to die on my watch," Luke says as he walks passed them and stares up at you looking out of the broken window nervously. "Y/N, jump out! I'm going to catch you!" Luke yells.

"I can't!" You yelled down at him. "She's afraid of heights," Matt tells Luke. "You need to let the paramedics take a look at you," Jessica tells Matt. "Not until she's back down,"

"Y/N, I'm the only one that can catch you without breaking anything," your stomach cramped at your nervousness as you stared down below.

They all look like ants. There's no way you're going to survive this. You shook your head at him and turned away from the window. You held on to the desk as you saw the room started to spin.

You felt lightheaded and before you know it, you're falling to the floor. "She's gone," Luke says. "Y/N! You have to jump or you'll die! Y/N!" Matt yelled up at you but you couldn't hear him as the rumbling of building intensified.

The last thing you saw before closing your eyes was pitch black and the wind rippling through your clothes.

You were knocked unconscious from a falling rock and laid there in the rubble as a massive beam falls on top of you and crushes your body. Matt tunes everything out and listens specifically for your heartbeat. It was faint but he heard it and spirits into the rubble.

Some search and rescue people followed Matt to where you were and pulled you out of the rubble. They attached you into the backboard and carried you into the ambulance.

**

You've been in a coma for five days. Doctors were surprised that you even made it to the hospital. Nearly every bone in your body was shattered.

Everything except your skull. They put you on a morphine drop before they reset your bones before putting an entire body cast on you.

Matt hasn't left your side since you were admitted, but you weren't responsive. Foggy, Karen, Luke, Jessica, Danny and Stick all came to visit you at one point. They only came once because they hated seeing you so lifeless.

Foggy and Karen came by with new flowers, like they always do every day. But this time, your monitors were all powered off and Matt held your casted hand.

"She.. stopped breathing five minutes ago." "Oh my God," Karen whimpers. "Go get a nurse," Foggy tells her.

"There's no rush," Matt says softly. "No, you don't get to give up on her," "I never gave up on her! I never left her side! She held on this long because she the strongest woman any of us had ever known. But the pain.. it was too much," Matt snapped. A nurse came in and nodded to Foggy.

"I'll give you guys a minute," "Thank you," "I thought she stopped caring about me because of what I did. But she never stopped caring, even when I made the wrong choice." Matt says after a long silence.

#matt murdock #matt murdock x black!reader #mattt murdock angst #angst #daredevil x black!reader

[jaceyneedsabetterusername]

Do You Trust Me?

Pairing: Arvin Russel x Reader

Summary: When Lenora finds out she’s pregnant and another girl turns up pregnant and murdered, Arvin and Y/N take matters into their own hands. 

Warnings: Violence, Murder, Sexual Assualt, Teen Pregnancy, Cursing, Mentions of Rape, Bullying, Dark Religious Themes, Talk of Abortion  DO NOT READ IF THESE BOTHER YOU (Very similar things to the movie)

Word Count: 7000

A/N: So Lenora doesn’t die in this but that part is instead replaced by the Reaster girl being found dead (I named her Jeanette... I didn’t remember if they gave her a first name)

A/N 2: I know I’m writing characters that exist already but like I feel like I’m going to Hell for writing this. Any other Christians feel that way about liking the movie?

___________________________________

Secrets were hard to keep in such a small town as Coal Creek. Everyone knew everyone and if one person saw something, the whole town knew about it by next morning. That’s why Lenora had kept her secrets with Reverend Teagarden from all except you. Other than Arvin, you were her only friend in the world. It felt nice to have another girl to talk to because as much as she loved her brother, it was nothing like having a sister. Though you weren’t related, just friends from school, it was the closest thing she had. 

The two of you had bonded over the harassment from boys at school. Unlike Lenora, you had no problem dishing back threats and abuse. You were more like Arvin in that sense, not always terrified that the Lord was going to smite you for defending yourself. You and Arvin were close too because of it. 

The day you two met, he’d gone to pick Lenora up from school one day to find the two of you cornered out back by Dinwoodie and his boys. They called Lenora ugly, as per their daily routine, and said they wouldn’t fuck her with a bag on a her head. Tommy Matheson had a paper bag held over her face, holding her down while she squirmed. 

“There ain’t nothing alive that would willingly let you touch them, Dinwoodie!” You spat while Orville Buckman held you back, his arms wrapped around your body, keeping your arms . pinned to your side, “You’re a vile thing. Hell, I’m sure a dead pig wouldn’t let you fuck it.” 

Dinwoodie spun around and blew a hard smack across your face, “Lenora here ain’t much different than that. But you on the other hand, I’d take you whether you wanted it or not. I like a girl with a dirty mouth. And lucky you, I won’t make you wear the bag.” 

He fisted your hair and pulled your face close to him, trying to force a kiss from you but spat in his face, a massive drip of saliva landing in his eyes and smaller particles spewed across his lips. “You nasty bi-” Gene Dinwoodie reared back, ready to hit you again when suddenly Arvin came out of nowhere, sending a solid blow straight into Gene’s face, sending him flying to the ground with a crack. 

Orville let you go to go after Arvin and Tommy did the same to Lenora. You ran over to her and pulled the bag from her head, seeing evidence of her silent tears all over her face. Once you saw she was okay though, you ran over to help Arvin, who had found himself dragged to the ground by the three boys. Lenora got up too, screaming for them to stop. 

“Stop!” You yelled, pulling at Gene’s arms to try and get him to stop kicking Arvin. He shoved you back harshly by the chest but you caught yourself, returning with a sharp blow to his face with your locked fist. 

The enraged boy smacked you even harder than before, sending your ass to the ground with thud that you knew would leave a bruise. Your hands and knees got skinned up as you skid slightly on the pavement. Lenora kept pulling on the boys too, begging them to stop but to no avail. 

“Ha, sister fucker!” The three of them called out to Arvin before leaving the three of you alone. 

“Are you okay?” You asked the boy that you hadn’t met before, who was curled up in a ball on the ground and holding his stomach. He groaned in response, trying to push himself up but requiring your assistance. “Thank you for what you did back there. I’m sorry this happened.” 

He stretched, flinching at the slight movement. He sent a small nod towards you but then turned towards Lenora, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, Lenora.” Words couldn’t describe the guilt he felt for allowing this to happen. 

“It-it’s okay, Arvin. It wasn’t that bad this time. Y/N here took the brunt of it, unfortunately.” Lenora turned to you, “‘M sorry about that, by the way. You didn’t need to step in for me.” 

You had stood up about the same time Arvin did, brushing as much of the dirt off your bleeding and scraped up knees as you could without flinching, “Those guys are ass holes, Lenora. I did need to.” 

Lenora piped up, “Oh, um, Y/N, this is my brother Arvin. Arvin, this is Y/N. She just moved here.” 

“It’s nice to meet ya.” You greeted the boy with a pained smile, your face hurting from the blows you’d just taken. 

Arvin nodded, “You too.” He paused for a moment, “Can I give you a ride home? I don’t need them boys catching up with you again on the ride home. Besides, your face is getting mighty red. I might have something back at my house to keep it from bruising up too bad.” 

You looked over at Lenora, sending her a questioning look, like asking if you could trust this boy who had just come to your rescue, which may have seemed like an odd inquiry to have since he just tried to take on the guys harassing you, but your encounters with boys in this town hadn’t gone all too well thus far. The girl looked unfazed though with almost a hint of excitement that you could possibly be going to her home. 

“Um, yeah, I’d like that. Thank you.” You tucked a messy strand of hair behind your ear before looking back up at Arvin to see that he was already staring at you. 

That was months ago. You’d gotten settled into Coal Creek by now and the abuse from Dinwoodie had stopped entirely after Arvin had gone full vigilante to beat the shit out of them all. Speaking of Arvin, the day he saved you and Lenora, he asked you on a date and the pair of you had been going steady ever since. If there was ever a couple to not be fucked with, the town had learned it was you two. 

This weekend, you’d gone over to the Russel’s home for supper at their Grandma’s invitation. It was delicious, as usual, as that woman had the God-given ability to produce miracles in that kitchen. As you all finished up, Uncle Earskell asked Arvin to help with something upstairs so he left without a second thought to help his kin. 

Lenora had been looking at you funny all night, as if trying to catch your eye. After helping Grandma (which she insisted you call her as well) clean up supper, Lenora pulled you off to the side, “Y/N, let’s go on a walk. I need to tell you something.” 

The weight in her eyes told you how serious this was so you just nodded, “Yeah, yeah, of course. Let’s go.” 

She grabbed a lantern on her way out the door and towards the barn. It was already dark, despite only being seven in the evening. Lenora led you out there and then closed the door before sitting on the hay. “So what is it?” You asked nervously. Normally, you would have made a joke but something told you that this wasn’t a joking matter. Anxiety buzzed all around her. 

“Y’know the new pastor? Preston Teagarden?” Lenora began, wringing her hands together and beginning to hide under her long red hair. 

You nodded, the question having an obvious answer as everyone, including your God fearing Mama and Aunt, went to church every Sunday. “What about ‘im?” 

“Well… um… y’see. We… we had sex.” She whispered the last word like it was the dirtiest thing she could fathom saying. 

Your eyes blew wide and your mouth dropped open, “You what?” You whispered back in shock. 

“Shh!” She held her finger up to her lips, “He said that to bear yourself as God made his first children was to truly turn yourself to Him.” 

You were having a difficult time processing this new information. Arvin and you had both agreed that there was something off about that new preacher since the first day you met him but you wouldn’t have guessed it was anything like this. “Lenora, that makes no sense. God sees everything. He’s already seen you in your birthday suit. He doesn’t need the preacher to see it too.” 

Part of you felt bad for the way you were reacting, especially when you saw the way your best friend shrunk back a little in embarrassment. Clearly, he’d manipulated her into getting what he wanted, using her faith as a weapon for her sexual exploitation, but of course she didn’t see it like that because his words were specifically tailored to get her to believe him. Now as you said these things, though, it was becoming clearer to Lenora that she had been manipulated. 

“That’s not all…” She continued. 

You held her arm gently, “What is it?” 

Her eyes got wide with fear, “You can’t tell anyone okay? You gotta promise.” Her hand covered yours, gripping tightly to ensure that you grasped the severity of the situation. 

You swallowed hard, honestly scared by her reactions to whatever was happening. This wasn’t like sweet, simple, calm Lenora. Nonetheless, you nodded, “I promise.” 

“I think I’m pregnant.” 

You actually choked, “What? Are you sure?” This was bad. This was so bad. 

Her eyes began to well up with guilty tears, “Yeah, I am. I was pretty sick a few weeks back. Couldn’t eat nothin’ cause I kept throwin’ up. And I haven’t had that time of the month in  two months.” 

“Two months, Lenora? Shit…” You whispered, leaning back against the hay. Even before moving to Coal Creek, you came from a small town in Pennsylvania where this had happened to a few girls. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon in that particular town. Your daddy had been a doctor before he died so you’d seen more than a few cases of teenage pregnancy. For Lenora, though, this was practically unheard of. Good Christian girls don’t have babies before marriage. “Did you tell ‘im?” 

Lenora’s breath shook, “Yeah ‘nd he said I was crazy and delusional. Just imaginin’ things. Said we never did nothin’ in the car. Then he said that I had to get rid of the baby or I’d be branded as the town whore with a bastard son. Even said it’d kill Grandma from the shame of it all if anyone found out.” 

“That is not true, Lenora. None of it. You’re not a whore and it would be best for everyone if that baby inside you was a bastard. That disgusting man isn’t fit to walk the Earth we live on, let alone be a father.” It felt like the blood was rushing through your veins with full force, internally panicking about the situation. This was a big deal and, unfortunately, you weren’t sure if Lenora was emotionally capable enough to handle it alone. She’d always been quiet and lonely and an easy target for cruel people. “Are you keepin’ it?” 

Her breathing shuddered as if she’d started crying, “I can’t kill the baby inside me and go on livin’ with that. But I don’t know what to do. I’m so scared,Y/N.” Lenora threw her arms around you and you held her as her body rattled against yours. 

“Shh, you got me, alright? Me and Arvin. And I’m sure Grandma wouldn’t be ashamed if she knew what Teagarden did to you.” You insisted but she shook her head. 

“You must think I’m stupid for believin’ that man.” She sat up wiping her eyes with her sleeve. 

“No! I do not think you’re stupid at all. That monster took advantage of you, told you things to make you believe that his dirty, lustful thoughts were vindicated by the Lord. And he’s going to fucking pay.” You were furious now as you began to stand up, unsure of exactly what you’d do but you knew you were gonna do it. 

Lenora grabbed your arm and pulled you back down, “No! Wait! Please-” 

“What’s going on here?” Arvin opened the door with a concerned face. 

Both you and Lenora jumped at his sudden intrusion but were even more nervous about what he’d heard. 

“How much did you hear?” Lenora asked her brother, rubbing her hands on her thighs. 

He walked in and slammed the door shut behind him, kneeling down in front of you and his sister, “That someone took advantage of you and Y/N was gonna make ‘im pay. Now what happened? What’s going on?” 

This was one of the things that you’d always loved about Arvin. He had this protective nature over what he loved, ready to do anything to keep his loved ones safe, whether that was his sister, his girlfriend, or his grandmother. His brown eyes held so much sincerity and understanding for his younger sister but also fear for what had been done to her. 

When she didn’t respond right away, Arvin looked over to you with questioning desperate eyes but you chewed your lip, knowing that it wasn’t your secret to tell. Instead, you looked back over to Lenora sadly and nudged her slightly. 

“C-can you say? Please? I don’t wanna say it again.” Lenora begged you quietly, avoiding eye contact with Arvin. Though you could never truly know she felt, you tried to understand all the emotions that must have been running through her. 

Arvin met your eyes, begging you to tell him what had happened. “She’s pregnant. It’s that Reverend Teagarden’s baby. Said that he told her that the only way to get close to God was to show him her in the form of Adam and Eve. But now he’s saying that she’s delusional and that it’s not his.” 

Arvin’s temper flamed inside his chest. That explained the Reverend’s intense sermon about delusion this last Sunday. Nobody did this to his sister and got away with it. “I’ll kill him. I’ll fucking ki-” 

“Arvin please-” Lenora tried to calm him but it was a weak attempt, still trying to stay quiet so Grandma wouldn’t notice.

“No, I’ll end his life for what he did to you.” 

You watched your boyfriend reel around, hands holding onto his hat. He was livid, understandably so. 

Lenora wasn’t quite sure why she wanted to protect Preston Teagarden after what he’d done to her but she thinks it’s that she was more concerned for her brother. Besides, no matter what Teagarden had done, did he really deserve to die for it? 

“We don’t have to hurt him,” You spoke to your boyfriend, “If she wants, she can just have the baby and we’ll help raise it.” 

“But he said it’s not his and that I’ll just be considered some no-good whore. He said it’ll kill Grandma. I don’t want to kill Grandma.” She was almost crying again at the thought of their grandmother ending up six feet under because of the shame of having her as a granddaughter. 

“He said that?!” Arvin nearly yelled. 

“But what if he’s right?” Lenora thought out loud, “I couldn’t live with myself if I got rid of the baby but I can’t risk killing Grandma. Maybe it would be better if I were dead-” 

“No!” You and Arvin both said firmly in unison. You held her hand tight and Arvin knelt down again. 

He swiped his thumb comfortingly across the back of her hands, “Don’t you ever say that. We have both already lost too damn much to lose each other too, ya hear me?” 

Lenora nodded, tears falling down her cheeks when she closed her eyes. 

“Why can’t we just ruin him? You can have the baby and let everyone know what he did. Everyone will know that he’s the father and it’ll destroy his life.” Arvin suggested, all of the miserable ways this could end for the man twisting his heart in sadistic pleasure. 

You shook your head though, “No, they won’t. It’s different for girls in small towns like this. Doesn’t matter what happened, you’re still the dirty no good whore, even if you were raped. The man is treated like a victim for even having the inkling of an accusation brought up.” After a few minutes, you suggested, “Why don’t we run off. We’ll all go to a new town, somewhere where nobody knows none of us. We’ll tell ‘em that your husband died in the war, leaving you with the baby. I’ll go with. I’ll help you raise it.” 

She shook her head, “But what about Grandma and Uncle Earskell?” She did have a point. They were both getting on in age and would need more help than they already did. 

You all sat in silence for a few moments, brainstorming ideas of what to do. Eventually, Arvin looked at his sister, “Don’t worry. We’ll figure something out.”

The three of you went back to the house for the rest of the night, knowing that everyone would be getting suspicious if you were out any longer. 

The three of you kept the secret quiet, barely even speaking about it to each other. You’d been doing as much research on babies in the libraries at school, which earned you quite a few disapproving looks from people who assumed that you and Arvin were expecting. You were serious when you said that you had every intention of helping Lenora and so was Arvin. 

Weeks had gone by with relatively no news. Well, that’s what the town thought at least. After finding out about what the Reverend had done to Lenora, Arvin had told you about his plan to watch him. 

The pair of you had spent several afternoons staked out near the church, watching as he went to the place of worship and then left at night. But then you started noticing a frequent visitor. Jeanette Reaster. The pair would drive off to a little secluded field and, sure enough, Teagarden would have his way with her. Though you couldn’t hear what was said, it was clear that they’d been praying beforehand before she submitted to him fully. Now, you knew Jeanette Reaster and, much like Lenora, she was the last person you’d imagine having premarital sex for the fear of being struck down by God. Whatever this man had said to them must have been real convincing. 

“Piece of shit…” Arvin leaned forward against the steering wheel of his car while you sat beside him. You both watched on as the Reverend laid the girl down and began his assault of falsely “holy” acts. 

For respect of Jeanette, you both looked away during the actual act but when you saw her ride off, Teagarden got out of his car, a bunch of fabric in his hands and sniffed them as he watched her. “That fucking perv. How does nobody know about this?” You asked, disgusted. Reaster was a good girl. She didn’t deserve this abuse. 

“We know about it.” Arvin said, putting the car in reverse, “And that’s enough.” Less than a week later, word got out that Jeanette Reaster had run off. Grandma had told Arvin and Lenora that her mother had said to her privately that Jeanette left a note saying that she was pregnant but the father refused to believe that he was the father. To spare her family the shame, she ran away and begged them to just say that they had no idea what had happened to her. That’s what her parents intended to do for their daughter’s sake but had entrusted Grandma with the secret just so they had somebody to talk to about it.

The day after she disappeared, they found her body on the side of the road just a few towns over. Nobody had any idea of what had happened except for you and Arvin. Both of you were convinced that Teagarden had murdered her to keep his secret from getting out. 

The anger that was held between you and Arvin both was unparalleled. In part, you both felt partially responsible for her death. If only you’d said something, maybe you could have saved her. But neither of you even knew she was pregnant. That monster did to her exactly what he had probably planned to do to Lenora. 

“We have to set things right.” Arvin said, sitting in his car one night with you in the woods, “That girl is dead and I can’t help but feel like it’s on me.” His head hung sadly, the weight of another death weighing on his heart. 

You shifted sideways in the seat, your jeans rubbing against the vinyl car seats. You placed a hand gingerly on his cheek, “This is not your fault. This is the evil of a wicked man.” 

“A girl is dead, Y/N. He got her pregnant and murdered her. He got Lenora pregnant and tried to convince her she was crazy. He’s taking advantage of innocent girls out here and then tying up the loose ends.” Arvin sat there, so much hurt behind his brown eyes. Then an idea dawned on him, “Do you trust me?” 

The question took you off guard and it showed but you answered honestly, “Yes.” 

** 

Perhaps being quieter in church was for the best for this particular scenario. You’d never been as religious as the rest of your family or the rest of the town, for that matter. But this morning, you found yourself on your knees by your bedside. “Lord, please forgive the things that I am about to do. Please understand that I do this with the best intentions of protecting every other girl to cross paths with Preston Teagarden and to avenge the death of Jeanette Reaster. I pray that you please forgive Arvin as well as I know he is a man with nothing but good and love in his heart. In Jesus’ holy name, amen.” 

Almost on cue, your mom knocked on the door to see you on your knees, “Arvin is out front waiting for you.” She announced with a warm smile, noticing your outfit, “You look nice, sweetie! Since when do you clean up all cute for that boy?” She teased, a loving smile on her face as you smoothed out your yellow dress that hung just below your knees. The sleeves were tight and went about halfway down your biceps. It was far from revealing with a neckline that stopped just below your collarbones but it still was tight enough to accentuate the shape of your concealed breasts. A brown belt was tied around your waist, showing off your figure. 

“Yeah, well I figured that for once I might as well dress up and do something nice.” The lie slipped out smoothly despite the racing of your heart in your chest. 

She pulled you in for a hug, “Well you tell Arvin that I want you back by nine tonight! I’ll be going over to Mrs. Hadderson’s for quilting today, just so you know, in case I’m not home when you get back.” 

You picked up your bag and pulled her into a side hug, “Alright, Mama. Love you!” You hollered, running out the door. Arvin was dressed normally, just his blue jeans and t-shirt, but he still looked great as always. 

When you slid into the passenger seat of his car, he perked up and looked over at you, “Not used to seeing you like this on any day but Sunday.” He attempted to joke but found it difficult considering what the two of you were planning on doing. 

After driving a ways down the road, he asked, “Are you sure you want to be a part of this? Because I can drop you off with Lenora and I’ll take care of this myself.” 

Looking over at him to see his eyes scanning your face for signs of hesitation, you placed your hand on his leg, “I’m not letting you do this alone.” 

Not too deep down, Arvin felt terrible for allowing you to partake in this. Death had always seemed to follow him wherever he went; he didn’t want you to be stuck with the same curse. The two of you developed a plan but Arvin had created a backup just in case you decided you didn’t want to partake, not that he would blame you. He was terrified beyond belief himself but he’d decided that for the sake of every other girl in this town and any other one’s Teagarden had harmed in the past, he had to do this. 

The only thing making him feel remotely at peace with your involvement was the fact that you weren’t actually doing the killing. You were the diversion, he was the trigger man. Arvin sighed, relenting to the fact that you were in on this, “Did you bring the rope?” He asked, eyes flicking over to you and your bag between glances at the road that moved beneath the wheels of his car. 

You dug around in your little bag and pulled out a small length of rope, a weapon chosen for the lack of clean up. “Got it. You got the gun?” 

Arvin pulled his denim jacket back just enough to show the handle of the Luger that once belonged to his father. This weapon was chosen for its reliability. Once you guys started, you had to finish otherwise he’d tell everyone. 

Before you knew it, the tires were coming to a crunching halt on the rocky sideturn just around the corner from the church. A sudden wave of nausea came over you and you had to breathe deeply to settle it down. “You okay?” Arvin asked, reaching out for you. 

You swallowed hard, “Yeah.” Sweat began to bead up on your brow as a million different images of what could happen in the next few minutes ran through your head. 

Arvin watched as you zoned out on the dashboard and he knew exactly what was going on in your mind. It was the same inner conflict he’d had this morning before picking you up, when he first pocketed the gun.  “Whatever happens today, I need you to know that I love you Y/N.” 

You sucked a quick breath in. Neither of you had ever used the L-word before. Arvin was scared to because he’d lost so many people and the fewer people he loved, that fewer people he could lose. You had just never loved anyone romantically before and were too terrified that maybe you’d say it too early or think you felt it when you really didn’t. With Arvin, though, you knew it. “I love you too, Arvin.” You leaned forward and kissed him on the lips deeply, wanting nothing more than to stay against his skin for the rest of your lives. But, unfortunately, there was something you had to do first. 

“Remember, just get him to bring you to the field. I will be there waiting. I won’t let anything happen to you, you hear?” Your faces were close together, so close your foreheads almost touched, as he went over the plan one last time, trying to make sure that you knew that you were safe as long as he was around. 

“I know.” You gave him a small, reassuring smile, though it was far from a grin of actual happiness.

Arvin watched as you got out of the car, leaving the small bundle of rope behind, and walked down the dirt driveway to the church. You looked just like someone that pervert would fall head over heels for. There was an innocent sway to your hips and the way you held your bag close to your body screamed insecurity, but the kind of a young girl who doesn’t know how beautiful she is. The funny thing was that this wasn’t something totally out of character for you. Sure, you had a mouth and fist that could dish as much as it could take, and yeah, you and Arvin had been together for almost half a year, but there was still a youthful innocence to you. There was still a brightness in your eyes and a pep in your step, one that hadn’t been beat down by the tragedies of life yet. It was one of the things that Arvin found most attractive about you but it was also one of the things that Preston Teagard would as well. 

The doors of the church were cracked open just slightly when you approached and you could see the Reverend sitting in the pews, reading his Bible, through the gap. Taking one less final deep breath, you pressed the door open and stepped in, the heels of your little white chucks padding against the hardwood. Teagard turned around at the sound, “Why, hello, there.” He greeted warmly. It disgusted you how this man could act no different after knowing what he’d just done but the worst monsters were human. 

“Uh, hi there, Reverend. I’m sorry to bother but I just needed to talk to you about something.” You began, accentuated your Appalachian drawl while trying to make your voice sound as young and innocent as you could. 

He patted the pew beside him, “Well, my child, you’ve come to the right place. That’s what I’m here for. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?” 

Skin crawling as you walked, you forced your feet to move towards the man and sit beside him. Right away, his arm stretched behind your shoulders as he sat uncomfortably close. At first, you avoided eye contact, “Well, um, you see, I’ve been… straying from the light and I really want to get right with God.” 

This had to be the first truth you’d told anyone other than Arvin today. You felt too terrible lying in the presence of God so you’d found a way to genuinely get your feelings off your chest while still luring Teagarden into your trap. 

He rubbed his chin and hummed, “The fact that you acknowledge this means you haven’t strayed too far. God always comes back to his flock, even to those little sheepies who’ve gone astray. Why don’t you tell me more.” He urged. 

Your hands squeezed the strap of your bag tightly, “I… I have lustful thoughts sometimes.” 

Preston was lucky he’d had a lot of practice concealing his emotions because he’d be lying if he said that those words didn’t stir something in him, “Now are these just thoughts or have you acted on them?” 

“Oh, just thoughts, Reverend. I’ve never acted on any of them.” You reassured, finally meeting his eyes. They seemed to look at you with such understanding that you could see why Lenora and Jeanette had fallen for him. 

He nodded in approval, “And who are these thoughts about?” 

This was where you’d have to do a bit more lying, “I don’t really want to say.” You blushed bright red. You knew that Preston must have taken this as a sign that it was about him but it wasn’t. Your dirty thoughts never strayed from Arvin. 

Preston looked away and then back down at you, “You’re going with that Russel boy, right?” 

Silently, you nodded, not wanting to incriminate your boyfriend too much in this process of confession. 

“Has he ever touched you?” Preston pressed, his body getting closer to yours inch by inch until your legs were nearly touching. 

The red in your cheeks wasn’t part of the act anymore but genuine. You shook your head, “No, never.” You felt almost panicked at the question. 

“Have you ever touched yourself to these thoughts?” His voice became slower, more cautious as his inquiries got riskier and riskier. 

You found yourself unable to maintain eye contact with him anymore and looked back down at your shoes instead, just shaking your head, “No, I feel too weird. Like it’s a violation or somethin’.” 

Preston looked away, as if considering something, before turning back to you, “Can I show you some place? I find it helps me feel closer to God when I feel like I’m goin’ astray. Perhaps I could help.” 

Hook and sink. He’d fallen right into the trap. With a shy nod, you agreed sweetly, “Yeah, yeah, I’d like that. Is it far?” 

Teagard shook his head, “Oh no, not too far at all. But I’ll drive so we don’t have to walk.” 

Getting him to drive you to the spot was just as easy as you imagined it would be. With a quick glance in the rear view mirror, you noticed a car in the far distance behind you that you immediately recognized as Arvin following. Preston’s car came to a stop in the same field you’d seen him take Jeanette Reaster to a few weeks ago, facing the woods ahead. 

It really was quite peaceful and would have been a pretty sight if you weren’t with a sexual predator. Again, his arm slid around your shoulders and you breathed in deeply, the intense sexual tension making you uncomfortable even though you had every intention of finishing him off before he even got a hand up your skirt. 

“You said that Russel boy has never touched you. Have you ever shown him yourself?” The fact that this man had the nerve to ask you such questions disgusted you beyond belief but you kept up the facade. 

“Like naked?” You clarified, seeing him nod, “No, not naked. We went to the lake one time so he saw me in my bathing suit then but that’s not exactly the same thing.” 

Preston chuckled at your naivety, “No, no, not the same thing at all. You know how you’re supposed to save yourself for marriage to be right with the Lord. But there is nothing that brings you closer back to our heavenly father than to be as Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, the garden of pure paradise.” 

“How is that so?” You cranked up the childlike inquisitive nature as you looked up at him with big doe eyes. 

Preston had to fight the urge to take you here and now, looking at you like this, but he remained strong for the sake of the process. “They were made in his image. We all were but they were his original children. The pure, unaltered image of God himself, before the sin of man tainted it all. By showing yourself in your pure, unaltered image, you bring yourself closer to the light.” 

Your brows furrowed, “But didn’t you just say that premarital sex is a sin?” This may have been jeopardizing your mission but you felt inclined to point out the hypocrisy before you offed the man. 

He nodded, chest falling and rising with a heavy sigh, “It depends on who you’re with. I’m a man of God myself and I like to model myself after Jesus. I’d like to think that makes me an extension of His love and power and therefore an outlet for you to feel safe to do whatever you need to do in order to be right with Him.” 

With a shaky breath, you bit your lip, “Alright. H-how do I-?”

Preston watched as you fiddled with the hem of your skirt and let his mind wander to what else those fingers might be good at. “First, let us pray.” He reached over and held your hand, “Lord, Y/N is showing herself to you. See her Lord, as you made her. She presents herself to you. Give her strength. Amen.” 

“Amen.” You muttered after him, your fingers slowly going to unbutton your dress. This wasn’t how you’d imagined the first time a boy seeing you in your knickers going. In your mind, it had always been on a nice romantic evening with Arvin and a selfish part of you wanted it to stay that way but then you remembered why you were doing what you were doing and sucked down the reservations. At least you weren’t actually losing your virginity to the monster. 

Nervous fingers fuddled with the button for just a moment too long and Teagarden twisted sideways, hands coming to cover yours, “May I?” He offered his assistance. 

Your heart thumped so loud you could hear it but you nodded silently, letting your fingers fall onto your thighs. With deftly skilled fingers, he had your blouse unbuttoned before long and had pushed it off your shoulders. Your breath caught in your throat at this much exposure, your breasts just barely concealed under only the fabric of your bra. Lord, you prayed silently, please let this be over with quickly. 

Your eyes slid closed, trying to imagine that it was Arvin touching you instead of Preston Teagarden but then the mere thought of comparing the two made you sick to your stomach. They were nothing alike. 

A set of chapped lips kissed your forehead gently, then your cheek, and then, finally, your lips. At first, you drew back, but still kept your eyes closed, trying to mask the disgust with untouched hesitance. You forced your body to relax again and Preston took that as a cue to continue with what he was doing, his lips returning to yours. 

Wasting no time, he’d crawled over you until your back was flush against the seat. You placed your hands awkwardly and haphazardly on Preston’s shoulder’s, trying to feign inexperienced confusion. You and Arvin may not have ever gone all the way, but you’d at least gone this far. 

Preston’s lips moved down your neck and your breath got caught in your throat. As much as you hated it, he knew what he was doing. This man knew all the right buttons to push to make a nervous girl submit to his every desire and, though you were well aware of the game he was playing and had zero attraction to him, the physical reactions were almost impossible to stop. Your body shuddered when his stubble, something Arvin lacked, scratched the sensitive skin of your neck, sending a shiver down your spine. Your eyes were open wide now, just waiting for your boyfriend to finally show up and save you from this situation. 

Arvin approached the car and slowly and quietly as he could. The windows were up so it wasn’t too big an issue as long as he wasn’t clanging metal but he figured he didn’t want to take any chances. When approached the driver’s window, his heart wrenched and he immediately regretted putting you in this position. 

Preston was on top of you, his hands roaming all around your semi-exposed chest. He knew that you’d never been exposed like that to anyone before and he suddenly felt sick with himself for allowing the first time to be with anyone beside him, let alone Preston fucking Teagard. 

He expected to have to psych himself up for the actual kill, to have to convince himself to do it but when you locked eyes with him, a silent plea to get the man off of you, it came unnervingly natural. With the rope already wrapped around both of his fists, Arvin reached for the handle and threw the door open, looping the rope around Preston’s neck and dragging him back out of the car. Preston’s eyes were wide with shock and fear, “What the fuck?!” He hollered in fear, the words turning to gagging and choking. His hands grasped at the rope but Arvin had it pulled too tightly. 

Preston’s body was kicking against the grass but his neck and head were pressed against Arvin’s chest, who was kneeling in the field. 

“You really thought you could get away with what you did to my Lenora? To that poor Reaster girl you murdered? And then I bet you were willing to do the same to her over there too, huh?” He seethed, notioning over to you with a flick of his chin. 

The reverend tried to say something, anything to defend himself or get himself out of this situation but Arvin never let up so the words came out as disgustingly graphic chokes. You crawled out of the car, not knowing what you could do to help or secure the situation but feeling useless now. 

In a few minutes time, his lips had turned blue and the thrashing of his body had stopped. Arvin finally let up and the body slump into the grass. He crawled back and away from the man who had only moments ago been all over you, touching you. 

That was when he remembered that you were there still. He’d gotten so blinded by rage that he almost blacked out, caught up in the task at hand. But when he looked up, his heart began to beat again and he stood up, rushing to you, “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” 

Your face was pale and blank, almost as if you were in shock. Your top was still totally unbuttoned, white modest bra still exposed to the world but you didn’t look like you cared at all. If Arvin was being honest, this wasn’t how he’d pictured seeing you topless for the first time going. He always hoped it would be romantic and with more than enough time to compliment every inch of your perfect body. Instead, you looked scared and shocked and almost like you could be sick. 

“Y/N?” He urged, coming stand between you and Preston’s body, attempting to break your view of it. He reached down and began to re-button your blouse for you. 

“I’m fine,” You said flatly, only moving to look up at him, “Are you okay?” 

With a glance down at his knuckles, the rope burn was clear to see, but Arvin had been through much worse, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’m so sorry that I let him do that. This whole idea was stupid and now-” 

“No,” You interrupted, finally snapping out of your shocked state and bringing your hands up to rest on his, which were on your chest now, “He can’t hurt anyone anymore.” 

Arvin didn’t actually feel remorse for killing the man. The only thing he wanted was to take you back home, or rather far away, where there weren’t any reminders of today’s events. He wanted to show you how special you were, how much he loved you, and how brave he thought you were for being willing to be Teagarden’s last victim for the better good of the world. 

#the devil all the time #tdalt #tdalt fics #arvin russell #arvin russel x reader #arvin russel imagines #do you trust me? #dark fics #tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland one shot #tom holland x reader

[youryanderedaddy]

♡100 followers special♡

Guys, I would like to thank all of you for all the support since I started this blog, you are the best <3 Btw this is the fic Elon Musk doesn’t want you to see lol, jk jk 

Title: Humanity

Words: 3.6k 

Summary: When you get sold to an odd looking robot after the last failure of a rebellion, things go better than you had expected. Until they don’t. 

tw: robot/AI apocalypse au, dystopia au, slavery, slight non - sexual public nudity, discrimination, vulgar language, mention of death and child abuse (in the past), obsessive behavior, non - consensual touching, angst 

              AD 3061y., 14 September

 Your hometown was in ruins, shattered by the Forces and left without any source of food, clean water or reliable manpower. The rebellion had failed just like the first ten attempts and as much as you had wanted to believe this time would be different, your dreams stayed nothing more than a way to cope with the harsh reality. Any intelligent individual had either managed to flee before the prosecution or died in agony while trying. You could still hear their pained screams ringing in your ear, the desperate look in their pupils sealed forever in your mind along with the sound of heavy breathing slowly fading into the background like your own hopes for a better future.

 The ones who decided to play meek and close their eyes to the inhuman torture happening in the area were spared, but what awaited them could potentially be worse than death itself. You were part of the flock of pitiful weak humans who had surrendered to the heartless machines wanting nothing more than to see mankind squirm and kneel underneath their mechanic heel like a bug. And now you would face the hour of judgment – tired and exhausted, heavy rusty chains around your bruised ankles making every next step a little harder than the last one. But you were certain that the most painful humiliating event hadn’t taken place yet and the thought made your blood run cold. You could recall the countless stories you used to hear on the streets from your friends about androids stealing kids and selling them like cattle to the most powerful leaders of society. Back then you would laugh at them, finding the ideas ridiculous, better fit for a conspiracy theory or a legend rather than an actual threat. But during that time life was easier – the robots were still your friends, just your average citizens, equal to the humans in every manner. It wasn’t until ten years later that some of them realized just how much better, stronger and smarter than the people they really were. That’s how the apocalypse started and that’s how it was going to end. These days the mortals were becoming extinct with the population cut down to one million. You didn’t have names or rights to any possession. Your mere survival had one purpose only – to entertain the machines so they could feel human again. And right now you were being dragged to Soraq, also known as the biggest slave market in the country.

----

 It was just as terrifying as you had imagined it to be. The Capital was supposed to express wealth, luxury and maybe even happiness but your old human views were easily opposed when faced with the mud  covering what was left of the pavement and the pale exhausted bodies of the mortals wandering the streets searching for a hot meal and a little bit of kindness it was clear no one wanted to provide. You reached out to help a young girl sobbing all by herself on the ground but the Officer roughly yanked your shoulder back and ordered you to keep going – his cold hard touch was enough to bruise your skin.

 After a few long minutes of uncertainty your keeper finally stopped, pulling you up some black stairs leading to a small stage and if you weren’t too busy looking around for the others who were captured, you might have noticed the crowd gathered inches away from you. Soon enough you were forced to redirect your attention as you heard the approving screams and cheering below. There were hundreds of robots staring at you, smirking maliciously, pinning you with their cold calculating gazes. You finally realized that this wasn’t just a bad dream or a nightmare, something unreal you could easily run away from by opening your eyes. You were about to become property and the worst part was the way the cruel machines perfectly resembled people – they looked the same except for the dark red pupils each possessed which glowed when going into a fight mode. But unlike humans the androids had gotten rid of their most intimate emotions and fears, turning themselves into empty shells, shiny and murderous with no way to experience anything properly, be it pleasure or pain.

 “Ladies and gentlemen!” The Officers started off with a low chuckle, his heavy hand wrapped tightly around your arm. His voice should have been programmed to be monotone but now it had a playful edge to it. “Today our dear subjects have decided to be feisty yet again. They still haven’t learned their lesson it seems.” He grinned eerily, quickly followed by the mocking laugher of the crowd. Some even shouted slurs and insults but you tried to focus on controlling your feelings. You needed to stay calm if you wanted to survive. “We really can’t expect more from the mankind. They are primal after all, they just can’t learn from their mistakes.” The male robot paused for a second to fix his microphone. “It’s in their DNA code to be foolish and pathetic. That’s why we need to take better care of them.” He whispered the last line down your neck and despite knowing that the machines didn’t have actual lungs, you could swear you felt his cold breath on your sensitive skin.

 “The woman is in her early twenties. Her background is unknown, but she certainly looks like someone you would want in your collection.” The android continued talking as if you weren’t there, his hands all over your tinier frame. The mass was yelling, but you only made out the words „down”, „strip” and „human”. Your eyes watered involuntarily and you let the tears stream down your cheeks in spite of the weakness they showed. It didn’t matter – it couldn’t get any worse so you could at least let yourself experience such little bits of comfort. In the next moment the Officer ripped your old ragged t-shirt, exposing your breasts to the cold autumn air. The hot red humiliation washed over you as the degrading whistles pierced trough your heart. It was such a cruel unfair punishment and you couldn’t even keep your composure long enough to not break down ugly – crying right there.

 “The bidding starts at one thousand eros!” The robot’s evil voice echoed through the area, reaching the market borders. Suddenly all the attention was on your scared vulnerable half-naked self. More than ten androids raised their hands, making your stomach turn in terror. Most of them had unpleasant appearances, resembling old people, usually men. “Do we have two thousand eros?” The officer added quickly afterwards having seen the shown interest. This time there were only five bots willing to buy you for so much money – but the show was far from over. “Am I seeing three thousand eros?” Your keeper kept going, determined to drain your bidders off their wealth, but to his utmost surprise now there were only two robots with their hands in the air – one seemingly younger and the other looking all wrinkled and bitter at the world. You silently prayed that fate would work in your favor only this time and hand you over to the man who would treat you more like a living being and less like an object.

 “Ten thousand eros.” Suddenly the android with a kinder appearance declared out loud, his cold stern gaze fixed onto you. The other male hesitated for a moment, probably wondering whether or not you were worth so much money, but at the end he cursed under his breath and slowly put his hand down with a sour expression. “Sold to K-010 for ten thousand eros!” The automatic voice of the Officer was ringing in your ear like an alarm while the crowd was shouting and cussing, some going as far as to criticize your new owner for giving up his monthly salary for a “cheap human whore”. Next he was invited on the stage to sign off all the needed documents leading to your freedom being ripped away forever and you were injected with a tiny chip which would make your location visible to your buyer at any given time. The android looked at you soon after and in one swift move he managed to place his leather coat on your shoulders, muttering at you to cover up. You obeyed, embarrassed by the reminder that your upper half was still fully exposed to all the hungry prying immortals. When the chains were finally removed, the robot took you by the hand and led you to a small white flying car with a yellow lily drawn on top – the brand was popular among the most powerful members of the Forces.

 “Don’t even think about running away.” K-010 growled when he noticed the way your attention drifted to the nearby road before finally taking your seat. You knew it was pointless now that the tracking device was deep into your skin but deep down you still couldn’t kill the last bit of hope screaming at you to do something before you were too far away to find home again, wherever it was. “If you so much as look outside while we drive, I will use my lasers to turn you into ash. Okay?” You nodded meekly and sank into the soft comfortable seat, wishing that your body would stop shaking in fear but to no avail.

---

 The journey was long and silent but it made you remember the days when music was still allowed and you used to turn the radio all the way up in your mother’s car. You would sing loudly until your throat hurt and your friends would ask you to just shut up and focus on the road. Everything was so normal and happy back then. The stinging nostalgia threatened to overcome so you tried to focus on something else. You finally faced your owner in an attempt to study his appearance. He was probably in his late twenties, his hair white with some black locks here and there, a fashion trend you usually didn’t care much for. You couldn’t afford to bother with your hairstyle when you were constantly running for your life after all. The robotic male had sun-kissed brown skin, he was taller than most human men and his lips seemed softer than most robots’. But the biggest mystery laid in his deep dark eyes, they looked scarlet at first but the more you stared, the easier it was to realize the color was actually brown.

 “Are you a cyborg, K-010?” You asked in a small voice out of the blue, breaking the peace and quiet in the air. The android didn’t spare you much attention with his gaze fixed onto the open sky serving as a road, still he opened his mouth slightly to respond. “My name is Kyle, the numbers are just a formality.” He inhaled sharply as if he was reminiscing a bad memory. “And yes, I am biologically human – just with a few practical upgrades.” You had heard of such people before, the ones willing to become an experiment so they could join the high society oppressing their own neighbors, friends and relatives, setting the lands on fire and destroying the dying environment but you had never met one until today. Honestly, you felt betrayed. It was one thing to be some unfeeling machine’s plaything and entirely another to be owned by someone with a functioning heart even though they weren’t too keen on using it properly.

 “Why would you do that?” You couldn’t stop the question from leaving your lips in the next moment. “You should know what humans have to go through just to stay alive. Today hundreds of us were crushed and sold like some animals! Yet you changed yourself to appeal to their disgusting standards.” You raised your voice, the hot tears already spilling down your cheeks yet again, your fists clenched in pure anger at the foolish greedy man. He simply shook his head and leaned back. “I had my reasons, sweetheart. You don’t know anything.” With that the conversation had ended, you could try and argue or even blame him for being a selfish bastard but it wouldn’t have done you any good so you decided against it. It didn’t matter much anymore.

----

 A few months went by slowly even though time meant little to someone in your position. Living with Kyle wasn’t as terrible as you thought it would be – his mansion was big and spacious, luxurious even. You had your own room and you were allowed to explore the house in your free time. You didn’t have many duties to attend to, your work mostly revolved around cooking, cleaning and keeping company with your owner when he was too tired to keep the robotic mask on and just wanted something sweet, something weak, something more human around. He didn’t want much out of you so you tried to do your best and stay on his good side – there was always a warm meal waiting at the table at night, every window was carefully wiped from the previous dust and the glass was now shining brightly, and you would listen for hours on end to the cyborg’s ramblings no matter how dreadful it could be sometimes.

 But it couldn’t be denied that the man had some odd habits, even if you were to overlook him buying a living being instead of simply hiring a maid. For example, you knew how thin the walls actually were because you could hear him cry almost every night. The half-robot would hold you close any time the news were too loud or a bottle of beer had fallen and shattered on the ground. Still you weren’t allowed to leave his home so all the doors leading to the outside world were locked while he was away or at work. And there were these weird long cuts on his shoulders you had managed to take notice of the first time your master had asked you to bathe him. You hadn’t meant to prey upon his naked form, but the task had been so awkward you needed something to focus on to drive the unpleasant thoughts away. The injuries looked deep and the man would close his eyes any time the soap made contact with them. Finally one day you gathered the courage to ask him what had caused the raw scratches. You were messaging his scalp gently, applying jasmine in his roots, trying to soothe his nerves and get to the information.

 “ ’S not important. ” K-010 answered lazily while arching his back into your touch. More often than not the male would melt under your care and you couldn’t help but wonder just how lonely it was to be neither a human nor a machine. “She is dead now.” He whispered darkly, secretly hoping it wouldn’t reach your ear, yet it did. “Who is dead?” You questioned him after a while, stroking his wet locks until you heard him moan. You were getting better and better at provoking a reaction from the cyborg and despite knowing it was manipulative and a little devious, he was still the ruthless owner who held your one and only life in his palms. You needed to be sneaky if you wanted a safe, comfortable life.

 “My mother.” Kyle added quickly before looking at the blue ceiling, the glossy material copying both of your reflections. The mention of the woman made the sensitive skin of his nape crawl but he kept talking. “The crazy bitch used to beat me every. She even tried to kill me a couple of times.” A slight smile appeared on his full red lips. “It didn’t work out in the end, unfortunately.” So that’s where the cuts were from – he had been violated in his childhood by no other than the person supposed to look after him. You had always hated abusive parents taking advantage of their authority and even now your own imagination made your heart ache at the picture it painted. A small boy being hit over and over until there his whole body was bruised and bloodied. A child with no one to turn to. It didn’t excuse your master’s evil doing but it certainly explained a lot. “Don’t make such a sad face, darling.” He cooed at you, reaching out to pinch your cheek. “I will always be grateful to the Forces since they gave me the power I needed to finally free myself from her grasp. I even buried her myself after everything was said and done.” Kyle grinned from side to side like a little kid waiting to be praised for the picture they had drawn, except now the man was speaking of the way he had murdered his mother. You were at a total loss of words, suddenly too frightened to respond.

 “What’s so special about being a human anyways?” The cyborg grumbled, sounding almost offended of the words you still haven’t said but were definitely thinking deep down. You were staring forward unable to draw away from that one crack in the wall, his words flying above your head. Your confusion was interrupted by the man quickly raising to his knees and catching both of your hands with his strong robotized ones. The cold touch of the metal combined with the camouflage of a soft skin was enough to mess your mind even further into the maze that was his dark gaze. Next thing you knew the male had you pinned on the hard ground, spotlessly clean and reeking of abstergent. You tried to squirm away but the hold of your wrists was too tight and strong to even make your struggling worth the trouble. “Just look at how weak you humans are.” K-010 taunted you, smirking teasingly, cruelly, yet there was something desperate in his eyes, something hidden. “You are so fragile I could probably break you if I were to press harder on your flesh.” He whispered into your ear, breathing down your neck as he dug his icy fingers into your collarbone and made you whimper pathetically at the dull pain. “People are foolish creatures, illogical by nature. They try to fight authority yet the moment they are left with a free choice, they find a way to run from their responsibilities.” The cyborg chuckled maliciously while digging his nails further into your skin.

 “We might be doomed forever because of our emotions but there is something you fail to consider.” You finally spoke out despite your rapid heartbeat and fear so great it could defeat death herself. The predator already had you in his sharp claws and there was no pointing in playing coy anymore. The worst had come to worst. Your words caught the attention of the half-robot and he licked his lips in anticipation to hear what you had to say. “Unlike the androids we can still experience love. And at the end a life without love is a life wasted in the big picture. We might be mortal but you are the ones waiting to die instead of living.” You spat at the man fiercely, ready to face any punishment he would bestow upon your weak tired body for the sheer honesty. Instead he started laughed maniacally, the sound so loud it hit the ceiling and echoed through the house like a pained scream and so violent his shoulders shook to the sides. For the first time his eyes were glowing in a bright red color so saturated and vivid you couldn’t stand to look at them.

 “This is really funny, my little human.” Kyle pronounced carefully, having calmed down. He lowered his head so that his lips were ghosting over yours, just brushing against them. “I belong with neither humans nor robots so why does my chest ache every time I look at you? Tell me, darling, am I in love?” His voice was harsh, husky – as if he was purposely trying to sound evil but the tears in his eyes pointed at another feeling. A raw painful feeling.

 You couldn’t reply not only because you had no idea what to say after the confession but also because you couldn’t breathe properly with his pretty, wicked face so close to yours. Your silence only managed to stir the cyborg up further into his madness and he kissed you roughly, hungrily lapping and biting at your lips until they were sore and bruised, the robotic man more than happy to lick the small drops of blood off. For a moment you considered kicking or shouting for help but there wasn’t anyone willing to in the radius of kilometers. No one of significance cared much about the few remaining mortals. “I could never love you.” You uttered weakly, half – heartedly pushing the man away. You were all alone in this and there wasn’t really a point in fighting someone so much bigger and stronger, yet a sad little part of you hoped that Kyle would leave you alone if you made it clear enough just how much his actions were hurting you.

  “It’s fine if you don’t love me by choice.” Your master replied calmly in a cold piercing voice. His hands were wandering through your form stopping at your hips to draw them into his. The pretty dress you used to like so much was now crumpled and reeking of him, torn apart from your shivering body and thrown away. You wished you could cry but all the adrenaline had left you too uneasy to process the pain and fear. Kyle whispered in your ear while stroking your hair gently and it made you feel like a trembling sheep before a starved butcher. “I own you, little human.” He placed a small kiss on your hot sensitive neck. “And I have enough love for both of us.”

#yandere #yandere male #yandere male x reader #yandere ai #yandere ai x reader #yandere cyborg #dystopia #yandere love #yandere concept #yandere oneshot #yandere OC #yandere male oc #yandere oc x reader #yancore

[themandylion]

97 & 41 jaytim

Oh wow, this ended up long. /o\

97 (Time Travel) + 41 (First Kiss) + JayTim

He's boosting tires in the Bowery when the thugs find him. Crowd him up against a wall and threaten him with bodily harm for horning in on their territory, even though this part of the city is a free-for-all, with no one reigning supreme. There's three of them to his one, all of them full-grown men with bulging muscles and nasty tempers and Jason knows he's in his final moments, that there's no way he's escaping this. Still, that doesn't mean he's going to go down without a fight. He squares his shoulders, plants his feet, raises the tire iron in his hand, and—

Between one blink and the next, the back-most thug is on the ground, groaning and clutching his crotch. There's a blur of red, and then the next one's down on his knees, the crowbar he was gripping half a block away and the hand that was holding it pinned to the wall by a slim, sharp-edged disk.

Silver flashes through the night, and the final guy collapses in a heap, just sprawled out on the pavement like he's not even human anymore, just a pile of discard clothes over something lumpy and unmoving. Someone lands on his back, light and nimble and impossibly tall. "You okay there, kid?" the new person asks, crouching down so he's at Jason's level and smiling.

"…Batman?" He's only ever seen the Bat from a distance before, but he's heard about the cape and cowl, and this guy has both.

The guy shakes his head. "Nope, not him. I'm his partner, though."

"Robin wears green," Jason feels compelled to point out, because he's definitely seen Robin before, though always on the TV, when the Teen Titans are fighting really scary bad guys elsewhere in the world.

This time, a shadow seems to pass over the man's face, sad and unhappy. "I'm a different kind of Robin. Red Robin. I'm pretty new, it's not surprising you haven't heard of me." He leans back on his heels and glances around at the thugs, frowning. "I've got to tie these guys up and leave them somewhere the GCPD will find them. Do you think you can get home on your own?"

Jason gulps, staring up at him, at the way all that tight leather and spandex hugs his body. Gee whiz. "Yeah, I. I can take care of myself. Thanks!" He surges forward, practically smacking his mouth against Red Robin's cheek, before running off into the night. Maybe not headed home, but to as close as anything gets, these days.

---

Two weeks later, Batman catches him boosting tires on Crime Alley. A week later, he's going home with the man. Jason asks about Red Robin and gets a confused, clueless look, which is strange. With everything else happening, he forgets about the man in the black cowl with the silver staff, but he still finds himself drawn to that one particular shade of red.

---

He forgets until the memory is jarred out of the deepest depths years later on the other side of the multiverse, when he's bound to a chair and staring down the barrel of gun. A gun held by another Batman, a different Bruce. One who did all the things he thought he wanted his Bruce to do, only to end up a broken man as a result. Jason tries to explain himself and his presence, but it's hard to when he keeps seeing that suit in the case over this Batman's shoulder.

They reach an understanding, a kind of peace. Both of them, finally, for the first time in ages. This other Bruce offers him the suit, and Jason doesn't think twice before putting it on. He's traveled across the multiverse, seen places where dead people live again, where evil people are good and vice versa. It's not too far a stretch to believe that somehow, he's going become his own childhood hero.

When he finishes pulling on the last piece, Bruce looks on him with pride and announces, "Red Robin lives!"

"Red…?" Jason murmurs, more than a little startled. It's been so long, he'd nearly forgotten the name, but it fits, it makes sense. Finally, he's back on the right path, back to being someone the boy he once was could be proud of. Will be proud of, when their paths cross again, which he's sure they will.

---

The other Batman dies.

---

They get back, finally done traveling across the multiverse, fleeing across Apokolips, running from plagues and maybes and might-have-beens. Donna and Rayner return to wherever they call home, and Jason... He thought he finally found himself when he put on the cowl and became Red Robin, but with everything that happened after that moment, all the contrition he gained has been too long stewing in a half-broken heart. He isn't sure who rescued him when he was a kid, but it wasn't him, and it wasn't the long-dead Jason of another world. Maybe it was no one at all, and he made it all up and convinced himself it was real.

He runs back to Gotham, strips off the cape and cowl, the bandoliers and leather. Throws it all in the trash and goes to knock some heads and blow off some steam, anything to escape from what the rest of the Justice League brought with them—a sob story and a broken, days-old body.

---

The suit disappears from the can where he threw it, and he thinks good riddance to bad rubbish, but the person who's wearing it now doesn't understand the significance, the legacy. Doesn't know what it symbolizes, a last chance at redemption, a final loss of innocence.

The new kid distracts him, muddies the water and still Jason doesn't see it, doesn't realize what's happening. Even when the kid takes the cowl, adds it to his green-free suit, he doesn't see it.

Jason's too busy fighting, too busy screaming, raging, being angry at himself and the world to realize how things are swirling tighter and tighter, closing in, twining together, weaving themselves in an intricate, impossible mesh that's new and old and always existing all at the same time. The three of them—him and Dick and the new kid—push and shove and fight and scream and grieve in their own ways, trying to figure out who they're going to be now, what the world is without Bruce.

He ignores overtures of friendship, leaves the kid broken and bleeding out and thinks nothing of it, still too busy hurting and too busy denying he hurts.

Thinks nothing of Robin back on the streets in red and green and black and yellow, a different boy, an actual child.

---

Bruce comes back, but he's just as stubborn as always, and Jason burned the last of his bridges while the old man was playing possum. There's nothing left for him to do but lurk in the shadows and grit his teeth and watch Drake bounce around the city in a costume that isn't his, telling himself he doesn't care, that it doesn't rub him the wrong way.

Doesn't actually realize what's happening until one day he's watching as Drake races across the city, ready to step in and stop him if he dares to cross into Red Hood's territory when suddenly—

There's no one. The roof's empty, not a soul in sight.

He swings over, investigates. There's a strange acrid smell in the air along with the faintest traces of sweat and exhaustion, but there's no clue to where he's gone, no hint. Minutes pass and the sky is getting darker as evening turns into night. Just when he's given up, Drake reappears, but still, unmoving. One hand grasping his staff while the other touches his cheek and he stares into nothing, dazed and unfocused.

His attention snaps up, and Jason is too startled to move, still standing there in the middle of the roof, the two of them locked in place.

"Holy fuck." He can't. This isn't—

He's tried to kill Drake multiple times over the years. They've barely had a conversation that hasn't ended with Jason drawing a knife or a gun, and more often than not he comes out on top. Leaves the guy knowing that he's alive at Jason's mercy.

But now he's standing there, finally grown into the Red Robin suit and name, filling it in all the right places, all the right ways, grasping a staff that Jason somehow failed to recognize until this exact moment.

"I never—" He never thought to make the connection, always assumed it had to be someone else, some one huge. Big enough to match the larger-than-life figure that dominated a half-forgotten memory.

"Huh." Red Robin collapses his staff, clips it his belt. "Random time blip? I didn't even realize."

Which would explain it. Of course he didn't realize—no way would he have helped that other, younger Jason if he'd known who it was. Why save a boy who's going to grow up to become a monster bent on destroying him over and over again. "Sorry," Jason says, startled, confused, unable to wrap his head around it all as he stumbles backwards, tries to do what he always does when he's confronted with too much, too fast—run.

Red Robin—Drake—tilts his head to the side and then does something completely unexpected. He shoves back the cowl and studies Jason with cool, clear eyes. "I have a feeling this has been a weird night for both of us. You could stick around. We could figure this out together."

So help him, Jason hesitates. "Time travel is pretty weird."

"I was thinking more being kissed by my childhood crush. But yeah, that too."

"Your… what?"

"Come on," he says, holding out a hand. "I think it's time we finally talked. Maybe without the death threats this time?"

Gulping, Jason takes that hand in his.

It's not much, but. It's a start.

(The Fanfic Trope MASH-UP is still open for asks!)

#JayTim #time travel #Red Robin #ask meme #anonymous #themandylion writes #my fic #weirdly canon compliant in its own special way 🤔 #trope mash up