#hope ya'll like it!

[zamoimagines]

Women of Abbott Elementary - First Date (Headcanons)

A/N: Hey ya'll! I have so much fun writing for these girlies, I love them all so much. If you guys want more of them, please let me know! - Headcanons under the cut - **DISCLAIMER: None of the gifs are mine, all credit goes to the original creators**

Ava Coleman:

If there’s one thing about Ava Coleman, it’s that she loves luxury

Anyone who is with her is bound to know that and she’s more than happy to share the wealth with someone she cares about 

A first date for her is definitely at some hip new bar she found on social media with lots of fancy cocktails and champagne, maybe a few shots here and there

She insists that she pays for everything since she has a lot saved up (surely not for a potential zombie apocalypse, but she could afford to dip into her funds) 

She absolutely spoils you and tells you to get dressed up. She’s definitely in a sleek cocktail dress with a faux fur coat, or maybe a really fashionable jumpsuit. It’s whatever she’s feeling that night. Regardless, she looks hot and expensive 

The whole time you guys have drinks, she’s flirting hard with you. Unlike her other dates, she also spends some time getting to know you and asks you about where you’re from, where you see yourself in ten years, who your favorite celebrity couple is, etc. All the important first date topics 

Definitely calling you every nickname under the sun; baby, princess, cutie, baby cakes, honey, sugarboo, you name it, she’s calling you that 

Also making sure to take plenty of pictures of you, making you pose and encouraging you to be confident in how gorgeous you look

You stop her when she almost tries to make a tik tok video, but she respects you. Just means she has more pictures of you to look at later on her own time 

Absolutely making sure to touch you as much as possible, whether that means touching your hand, lightly jabbing your shoulder, maybe even playing with your hair a little bit

She definitely has a stare that could see right through you and while it’s intimidating, she also knows exactly how to make you squirm without doing anything at all 

After you guys are a little too tipsy, she’d surely take you to her favorite club. She’s dying to get you out onto a dance floor, especially when you both look so damn good together 

As soon as you guys arrive, the bouncers immediately let you through the door and you guys skip the line. She pulls you right out to the floor and encourages you to fuck it up 

The more you let loose for her, the harder she’s simping. More than likely, she’s grinding up against you, holding your hips to hers, rocking with you and making sure to keep you close

God forbid if ANYONE tries to dance with you, they’re getting kicked out of the entire club. She doesn’t give a fuck 

Straight up, she would make sure to put her arm over your shoulder just to be more possessive of you and make sure that everyone knows your her date. She respects you, she just doesn’t like it if someone doesn’t respect you

During a more slow song, she holds you super close so that you don’t get too far from her. She’s much more comfortable being vulnerable with you in a setting like this 

“I had a good time tonight. You’re so cute- Forreal, I can’t keep my hands off of you, baby” 

Right after, she’d lean in really close to your ear and ask you in a very husky voice, “You wanna come home with me, baby? I could take really good care of you.” 

Absolute best sex of your life as a nightcap, Ava is fully on board with having sex on the first date- especially if it’s with you.

Barbara Howard:

Barb is the most traditional out of all of them. After all, she’s a good Christian woman

She picks out the cutest local restaurant that’s not too snooty, but not too cheap. She also happens to be a regular there, but she doesn’t give that away immediately 

She’d meet you there, showing up a little early so she could have the table ready and waiting for you. When you arrive, she stands up and makes sure to give you a very tender kiss to your cheek and a little squeeze to your hand 

When the waiter comes by to ask for a drink order, Barbara makes sure to get a simple cocktail and urges you to do the same since the have the best ones in Philadelphia (in her own opinion)

For a while, you two start to talk. You both talk about work, then maybe move onto other first date topics like favorite movies, colors, foods, etc. Eventually, you both get on a topic in which Barbara tells you everywhere she’s traveled and you learn how much she loves cruises. 

You guys finally order, and you’re still not sure what to order because the conversation has gotten away from you. She most certainly asks for your permission, but offers to order for you to ease your mind a little. You give her your consent, and she tells the waiter exactly what to bring. Absolutely hot to you that she could take care of you in so many different ways like that. 

The more she finishes her cocktail, the more comfortable she becomes. You could tell she was slightly nervous before, but since it’s going so well, she comes into her own a little more. That signature Barbara confidence shines through with vigor and it only makes you swoon more 

She gets as bold as to hold your hand for a moment, and even takes time to gaze into your eyes while she’s speaking to you. When she laughs at your jokes, you could swear that she could be the personification of sunshine 

The food arrives, and you two eat happily to which you compliment her decision on picking this restaurant in particular. The food is delicious and she ordered you the perfect meal 

At the end, the chef surprises you both with a cute little dessert that’s sharable. It takes Barbara off guard, especially when they insist it’s on the house. You both feel like giddy teenagers in that moment, but you share it anyway 

Barbara would notice that there was a little speck of something on the corner of your mouth and would say, “Oh- Sweetheart, let me get that for you-” 

She’d take her napkin and start to wipe it away, but your heart would race at how close her hand was to your face. She’d notice how close she was too when the napkin slipped out of her hands 

There’s a moment where her hand is literally just caressing your face and neither one of you can move, completely swept up by the moment 

Once she snaps out of it, she apologizes to which you tell her not to worry. Secretly, you’re hoping she’d touch you like that again 

As you two finish up, you grab out your wallet to pay but she insists you put it away 

“I invited you out to dinner, darling. Let me take care of it.” 

You know better than to argue with Barbara, and so she pays for the whole meal. When you two leave the restaurant, she walks you right to your car to make sure you’re safe and taken care of. 

“I had a wonderful time with you, dear. Thank you for coming. I’ve been looking forward to this all week, and it was even better than I imagined it would’ve been.” 

Which is so cute to think about Barbara planning this whole thing just for you, and you make sure to thank you and assure her that you had a good time as well

There’s an awkward silence between the two of you as she takes in every inch of your presence, just silently swooning over how much she adores you

She cuts through the silence and softly asks, “May I kiss you?” 

You’d nod, but you can’t believe she just asked that question. You never thought in a million years that Barbara Howard would’ve been taking you on a date 

As you’re swimming in your thoughts, she’d lean forward and give you a firm yet sweet kiss to make sure she makes it perfect for you. 

You’d kiss back in an instant (how could you fucking not), and as soon as you accept her love, her hands move to hold your waist as she pulls you in closer, her other hand moves to caress over your cheek

She’d rest her forehead to yours and admit, “I’ve been waiting so long to do that” 

She’s certainly a lady and respects your boundaries enough to not invite you home, but you bet your sweet ass that she’s most certainly asking you on a second date. 

Janine Teagues:

Janine is a pretty classic girlie and takes you to see a movie 

At first, she’s trying to psyche herself up to see a drama or a horror movie, something that is way too serious for her tastes because she wants to impress you

She offers to pay for everything- The movie tickets, the snacks, she even tries to shove gas money in your face 

You try to insist that you can split everything, but she’s incredibly stubborn 

Once you have your drinks and your food, you guys go into the theater 

She made extra careful plans to sit in the perfect spot so you two could have enough privacy but be far enough from the screen to see everything 

The movie starts up and it’s clearly too much for her, you can tell by the way she’s getting tense and how she’s trying to hide her face every five seconds

She gets way too nervous and steps out to use the bathroom, but after she’s gone for so long, you make sure to go and check on her 

You’d use a line like, “You left your purse under your seat” or something along those lines 

To which Janine would completely crumble and let you know that she was acting all out of sorts just to make sure you’d still like her. She’s terrified of being too boring or not being “cool” enough for someone else 

You’d definitely have to reassure her very tenderly because you went on this date knowing it was Janine. Clearly you love everything about her, even her little quirks. You’d have to make sure to tell her that upfront so she could finally relax

Once everything was out in the open, she’d finally calm down. 

She’d say something like “Good- I was kinda hoping we could see Paw Patrol because my students have been going nuts over it. I heard it was a pretty wild time.” 

She’s definitely nervous about admitting that, but as soon as you’re on board, you two refund the tickets for the next showing of the other movie. This time, you make sure to get the drinks and you guys settle in.

You can clearly see she’s more excitable, laughing and being adorable as ever

She’d even hold your hand and make sure to whisper little things to you so that she didn’t get too lost in the movie 

Once it’s over, you guys would hit a little coffee shop and just talk for a while. Really gushy stuff, like laughing about how Janine picked the worst movie for a first date initially, maybe she goes on about how much she liked the actual movie she wanted to see. You guys stay for hours and talk about everything under the sun until the cafe closes.

“Well uh… Guess that’s it then.” She’d fidget a little, definitely super nervous about how to end the night. You’d let her know that you had a great time 

Which would give her enough courage to launch herself forward and kiss you right on the lips

Right after, she’d pull away and blush super hard and start apologizing and rambling like she does

But you’d cut her off and give her another kiss. In return, she’d just melt in your arms and you two could just let yourselves get caught in the wholesome gay vibes that the whole night had been leading up to <333

Then she’d most definitely ask you to come back to her place to hang out and cuddle, maybe play some board games she’s been dying to show someone. Absolutely more kissing- She wouldn’t be able to stop kissing you once she knew it was okay to do so.

Melissa Schemmenti:

Definitely plans a date at her place

Who needs a fancy restaurant when she’s the best Italian cook in all of Philly? 

She’d invite you over and everything would be super casual, she’d probably insist on it just so she could make you comfortable 

But nothing would be quite ready whenever you got there 

In fact, you’d get all dressed up in your best

And Melissa opens the door in jeans, a tank top and her denim jacket she always wears around her house, hair up in a ponytail with a small kitchen towel hanging off her shoulder

“Damn- You really thought you were coming to the Met or something, huh?” She’d definitely laugh it off, but she’d assure you that you look incredible. She’d even apologize for not being more specific or for not dressing up herself 

Her idea of an adorable date is letting you help her cook. Being able to make a meal with her loved ones always makes her feel at home, and you’re no exception to that 

She’d definitely teach you how to make a kick ass risotto and would hold your hand the entire way

If you did something wrong, she wouldn’t be nearly as harsh as she would’ve been with Jacob or Janine. She’d lightly redirect you and even show you how to do it by guiding your hands with her own

And for the most Sicilian thing to do, she makes sure to get out a bottle of wine so you two can indulge in some drinks while the meal is getting prepared 

She has on her favorite tunes in the background, and the more tipsy she gets, she definitely starts to sing to you which is so sweet (even though her voice is completely off key, still super charming) 

Absolutely letting you be a taste tester, offers you the cooking spoons or makes you eat something out of her hand 

She won’t say it out loud, but she loves how you go with it. It’s adorable to her that you’re comfortable enough to trust her and lowkey she thinks it’s kinda hot how your mouth feels around her fingers ANYWAY

Once the food is done, you help her set the table and get all the food set up. She cracks open another bottle of wine so you guys can still drink during dinner 

You literally wanna pass out because the food is so good. You had no idea that she could cook like this, and it’s very clear she takes a lot of pride in her work with that pleased smirk on her face.

She’s also just so happy to see you so happy and in her space being so comfortable, that’s all she wants in a partner and you’re fitting in so seamlessly with her life

You guys talk about everything under the sun; About work, about annoying people, she tells you crazy stories from her family, maybe some about her antics and how she’s run away from the law, in return you’d tell her stories of your own 

Before you know it, dinner is completely gone and so is half the bottle of wine 

You both are much more tipsy than before, but it feels so cozy and warm. Melissa is even gazing back at you with her chin resting against her hand, just taking in how beautiful you are

“Mm.” She’d hum a little bit while she’s just silently staring at you, to which you ask her what’s on her mind 

“Oh, nothin’. Just was thinking about what it would be like to kiss you.” 

There’d be a small pause before she just leans in and presses her lips to yours 

It’s heated almost immediately, because this woman does everything with as much passion as she possibly can- But she’s also so tender and makes sure to hold you while she’s getting closer to you

Melissa doesn’t care about rules, ya’ll are going straight up to her bedroom if you’re comfortable with that. If not, she fully intends to cuddle you on her plastic wrapped couch 

#abbott elementary headcanons #wlw #abbott elementary fic #ava coleman x reader #ava coleman #barbara howard x reader #barbara howard #janine teagues x reader #janine teagues #melissa schemmenti x reader #melissa schemmenti #hope ya'll like it!

[hostess-of-horror]

Mask in the Mirror

A Metadede Phantom of the Opera AU Fanfic

@minnesotamedic186 @tibli @thereaderinsertlady @darkmedolie @lemonbaloni @boom-fanfic-a-latta @lulu-baked-beans @hotpinkboots @nonbananon @tiramegtoons

Disclaimer: This is my very first time writing anything Kirby-related, so there's no sort of lore tied to this story whatsoever. Also, I may or may not have written these characters accurately (the Kirby anime is literally the only kind of portrayal I know of). This is all just for funsies, especially since spooky season is already here on Tumblr! This idea all came from a random shitpost I made a few months ago, and after seeing how much traction it got, I decided to finally write a short story about it. I am also planning to draw this AU, too, so stay tuned for that!

Content Includes: Flirting and Slight Suggestiveness (no explicit NSFW)

---

“He fills me with horror and I do not hate him. How can I hate him, Raoul? Think of Erik at my feet, in the house on the lake, underground. He accuses himself, he curses himself, he implores my forgiveness!...He confesses his cheat. He loves me! He lays at my feet an immense and tragic love. ... He has carried me off for love!...He has imprisoned me with him, underground, for love!...But he respects me: he crawls, he moans, he weeps!...And, when I stood up, Raoul, and told him that I could only despise him if he did not, then and there, give me my liberty...he offered it...he offered to show me the mysterious road...Only...only he rose too...and I was made to remember that, though he was not an angel, nor a ghost, nor a genius, he remained the voice...for he sang. And I listened ... and stayed!...That night, we did not exchange another word. He sang me to sleep.”

Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera

---

“Mi rey...” spoke the mysterious voice, “Mi vida... Come to me...”

King Dedede, draped in his white laced night garb, snapped out of his concentration. Glancing over his shoulder, he rose from his desk with expectancy. He searched around his royal chamber. A week ago, the voice had promised him that they will finally meet when the time comes. Tonight was that very moment. “Stranger! I can hear you, but I don't know where you are! Where are you?” Dedede responded aloud.

“Tonight, I shall no longer be a stranger. As I have promised, I will present myself to you.” the voice echoed, “Look into the mirror... Your Dark Angel awaits inside.”

Dedede glanced at the mirror. Look into the mirror? But there's nothing behind the mirror – he was sure of it! Out of all the secret entryways, emergency escape routes, and hidden corridors, a mirror was the last thing Dedede was concerned about. What could a mirror possibly hide, he thought to himself. But as the mirror across the chamber began to creak open and the gaping crack oozed with billowing fog, he got his answer.

Behind it was darkness, and in the darkness was a mask.

The mask was silver and ornate with black jewels. It faced Dedede, and as Dedede looked closer, he could make out a long black cape below it, wrapped and almost camouflaged. He stepped closer. But he could not make another inch – hesitation took over his instincts. He swallowed, pushing himself to walk towards his Dark Angel. His struggle melted when a hand appeared and lifted itself from underneath the cape, reaching for Dedede's hand. Mesmerized, Dedede inched even further towards the mirror. His curiosity and fascination overpowered his second-guessing. The Dark Angel was here and it was far too late to turn back now. The king placed his hand over the Angel's, and gently did he hold on. Before he knew it, Dedede was being whisked away into the darkness, leaving behind the comforts of his chamber.

Dedede did not know where they were going. He could not see anything at first. But then lights – gold candelabras hanging on stone walls – illuminated their path. With his sight finally clearer, Dedede could now make out who this mysterious stranger was. And what a mysterious character this Dark Angel was! In fact, nothing about his appearance was angelic. Dedede turned to glance behind. “Ah, mi amor, por favor...” the masked Angel pleaded, “Do not look away. I promise that no harm will come to you. I have waited so long for this moment, and at long last, here we are. Together, as destiny foretold.” Further down the candlelit stone hallway they went, stretching deeper into wherever it lead. Soon, the Dark Angel, his hand still holding on to Dedede's, pressed a hidden button among the stone bricks. As the button activated, a secret door opened right in front of them. There behind that concealed entrance was an astonishing sight.

The large chamber was completely adorned with candles in almost altar-like fashion, shedding light on the various carvings of melodramatic scenes. The figures, some semi-nude, eternally displayed in almost every corner, posed with such a passion Dedede only found in film and novels. He blushed at the very sight; his eyes continued to wander. There before them was a massive organ, masterfully crafted in gold and polished wood, placed in the middle of a mural. Where did all of this come from? How did this Dark Angel manage to get this setup within the castle?

Or rather...Underneath the castle?

With a dramatic flip of the cape, the Dark Angel welcomed the confused yet enchanted king. “Here is where light ends and darkness reigns. This is where music is born – worshiped! Here, music is the breath of life! Here is where I reside.” he spoke to Dedede, “And here... is where you will know the truth.” Dedede watched as his masked host approached him. His eyes – eyes that glowed beneath the mask – softened as they met Dedede's with an overwhelming adoration. “Mi rey...” the Dark Angel cooed, pulling a bright red rose from behind, “The love that I have for you is beyond mere words. I have seen you from afar – from within the shadows – and I have longed for our romance to bloom. Ah, but I must confess; a thousand apologies for not introducing myself properly. I... am the Phantom Knight... Your Phantom Knight.” Dedede could feel his feathers poof from his chest, the warmth burning bright all over his face. His heart raced with such vigor that he could almost faint from surprise. Delicately, Dedede accepted the rose.

“I... T-thank you...” Dedede politely said, trying his best not to be afraid. Although he was familiar with the Phantom Knight – his voice for the most part – everything was becoming a blur of emotions. Flustered... Scared... Bashful... Concerned... The Phantom Knight, gently, as if he could shatter his royal object of affection into pieces, caressed Dedede on the cheek. “It pleases me to know that you are not afraid of me. Many in this world fear me, so much so that I have to hide away in these walls.” The Phantom Knight continued, “Ah, your majesty... Magnifico....Your handsomeness has bewitched me. It blinds me. Si, it does! And I speak with greatest sincerity.”

Dedede began to lean against his hand, just ever so slightly. A newfound amorous sensation blossomed within him as a soft smile began to crack. He could not help it. A sigh escaped his lungs as he begins to swoon. Pulling Dedede close to him, the Phantom Knight whispered so sweetly, “Eres mi hermoso angel... You belong to me, and to me alone...”

#TA-DAAAAA!!! #my very first Kirby fanfic #and it's an AU! #with Metadede! #hope ya'll like it! #kirby franchise #kirby #kirby nintendo #king dedede #meta knight #metadede #my writing #fanfiction #otp fanfic #ship #shipping fanfic #Phantom of the Opera #Phantom of the Opera AU

[rottmnt-residuum]

part 12

lol i forgot how i did the glow half way through

⇇ | ⇽ | index | ⇾

#rottmnt #rottmnt michelangelo #rottmnt leonardo #rottmnt rapheal #rottmnt april o'neal #rottmnt splinter #rottmnt residuum comic #residuum #c #g #mystics are cool to think about #... i hope ya'll like my interpretation ahahah

[daily-odile]

Odile patting Molly Epithet Erased on the head, you know why

have two bc i care them

#in stars and time #isat #epithet erased #molly blyndeff #isat odile #I've been trying to draw this for like... 5 days straight.... #Thank you for making me obligated to draw this. honestly might not've if it wasnt an ask #anyways ya'll so hear me out. odile mother/grandma figure to molly #Honestly after thinking about it a little more Odile is actually quite different to Calliope based on descriptions alone? but #I think having a Dependable Trustworthy Adult in her life is. She needs it #We don't know a lot about Calliope and idk what parallels odile has with her; but I hope she reminds Molly of her mom at least a little bit #And for Odile's pov? I think she'd really really like Molly #She's more mature than most for her age and she's extremely observant and intelligent. Those are things Odile respect #Cue a dead mom joke though and odile very quickly goes to ''ok there's something wrong with this child'' #I don't think I have the idea fleshed out enough in my head to say anything for sure? But Odile and Molly having a Talk about her home life #would be Extremely interesting #Oops! Rambled in tags again! Teehee! #also do you think odile will ask molly for her full name only for molly to hit her with the #''molly wolly doodle all the day blyndeff'' and odile instantly regrets it #validation for bonnie #edit: rearranged tags just in case #day 19 #crossover

[from-the-clouds]

texas sun - joel miller x f!reader - vol. xiv

series masterlist | series playlist | writing masterlist | previous chapter | chapter summary: The final chapter pairing: joel miller x f!reader words: 9.2k (I love being insane) chapter warnings: SMUT (18+only) - unprotected sex. Insecurity/Jealousy. Angst/arguments. Discussions of death, blood and injuries. Alcohol & Marijuana use. Fluff. Bisexual reader (happy pride ya'll!). As always please dm for more specifics. a/n: This could probs use another round of proofreading but it would've delayed this even longer sooooo.... Here we go! I feel pretty emo right now and I might make a more in-depth post about my thoughts at a later date bc I just finished writing this in a hot daze so I can't put all my thoughts coherently together. But I just wanna say thank you to everyone who supported and gave love to this story. This is by far the most popular fic I've ever written, and I don't really know how? Or what I did to deserve all the love but I just want you to know how much I appreciate it. Thank you for sticking with me through all the angst and delayed updates and everything. I'll never forget you and I'll never forget Joel x Reader!! Thank you so much, I hope the finale lives up to your expectations! ❤️

**I DO NOT HAVE A TAGLIST. Please follow @ftcwriting and turn on notifs if you would like to be notified when I update my works :) **

I’m not the kind of man who tends to socialize I seem to lean on old familiar ways….

-May 16, 2024-

“Are you sure you’re okay if I leave you here alone?” 

Ethan’s voice jolts you out of a daze, and you blink your eyes open, realizing that you’d dozed off while sitting upright in a patio chair, the cheesy romance novel you’d been reading still lying open on your lap. Turning to look over your shoulder, you find him standing with one foot on the deck, and one foot still inside, cut in half by the sliding glass door.

Clearing your throat, you straighten up and nod. “Of course. I’ll be fine.”

Ethan studies you carefully, like he’s not entirely convinced. He’s been hesitant to leave you alone unless it’s absolutely necessary – only stepping away from the house to go on patrol shifts and to bring home meals from the mess hall. Recovery has made you feel like a burden to him – to all your friends in the community, really. Everyone….well, almost everyone, has been supportive, but you’ve never been comfortable being openly vulnerable.

Unfortunately, it’s too hard to deny the pain that you’ve been in since the accident, the trouble you have getting around, the exhaustion that clings no matter how many long naps and twelve-hour nights of sleep you get. According to the doctors, being so tired is just part of recovery – rest is important, but the concoction of pain medication you’ve been prescribed only makes your drowsiness and confusion worse. It had been a big deal that tonight you’d mustered the energy to drag yourself outside to sit in the fresh air. 

“I’m fine,” you assure Ethan, once again. “Have fun on your date.”

“It’s not really a date,” he says, almost a little too quickly. “We’re just hanging out.”

“Right,” you say, matter-of-factly. “Do I know who this person is?”

Ethan looks at his feet. “You remember the day this shit happened?” he asks, gesturing towards you. “Before you left on patrol, the girl that said hi to me? It’s her. Her name is Alex.”

“Oh?” you tilt your head, give him a small smile. “She was cute. How’d you ask her out?”

“Well,” he begins, scratching the back of his neck. “I may have…uh, gotten some advice.”

“You didn’t think to ask me?” you’re able to muster up a small smile.

“I would’ve, I just…..” he shakes his head. “It seemed stupid…with everything you have going on.”

“It’s not stupid,” you say, feeling a wave of guilt. Even though he’s the one looking after you, you haven’t spoken to him much about anything going on in his life. In fact, you haven’t really spoken to anyone in a long time, beyond thank you’s and blanket statements like I’m doing better. You feel disconnected, and more lonely than ever. If you ever get enough energy to leave your house, you expect most of the people in the community to have forgotten you exist. “Who’d you ask?”

“Uhm….” Ethan runs a hand through his long dark hair, shifts his weight. “….I’ve been assigned on patrol with Joel Miller a lot lately….so….”

You almost laugh when he uses Joel’s full name. Joel has been such a huge part of your life – sometimes the hero, sometimes the villain – that you don’t need to hear his last name to know who Ethan’s talking about. You could know a thousand Joel’s, and he’d still be the first person that came to mind. But Joel is still a sore subject, and Ethan knows it, which is why you suspect he’s avoided telling you this in the first place. You feel your eyebrows knit together, only able to let out an unenthused. “Oh.”

“I just, you know….he’s a guy. And it sounds like you even liked him at one point so….he must know something, right?” 

“That was a long time ago,” you say quickly, regardless of the fact that he’s right.

It’s probably not fair to blame Joel for everything that has happened to you. You know this, deep down. But you’ve been so helpless and isolated since you’ve woken up in that hospital bed that you’re desperate to find someone to hold accountable. And Joel hadn’t visited you in the hospital once. By this point, he’s abandoned you so many times that your resentment feels justified, even if your current state is not directly his fault. Because it was you, after all, who had walked into the path of those men, too angry to think clearly, too weak to take them down alone. The only person you can blame is yourself, and you really don’t want to.

“Did he tell you to take her out on patrol, make her cry, and almost get her killed?”

Ethan clicks his tongue, looks down, almost ashamed. “No. He did not.”

“You should be careful with Joel,” you warn.

“I was…” Ethan says. “But I don’t think it’s that simple. I think he’s actually alright.” 

“So you’re friends with him now,” you state, hoping he refutes. But instead, he looks up at you, frowns, and lifts his chin.

“What happened to you was horrible. It shouldn’t have happened. And yeah, maybe you think he’s the reason you almost died…. I don’t know the specifics so you can believe whatever you want. But I know that he’s the reason you’re still alive.” Ethan’s voice breaks, and you feel tears brimming your eyes before he continues. “He brought you back here, he donated his blood, he-”

“What?” you cut him off.

“What do you mean, what?” Ethan asks. “He was the only person there who had your blood type. You would’ve died if he didn’t. They didn’t tell you this?” 

“Whatever it took to make him feel less guilty, sounds like,” you say, dismissively.

Something hot burns in your veins, something that must have always been there since you woke up, but you’re only feeling it now. It’s unsettling, Joel being a part of you that way. Your lives had already seemed intertwined enough already. But now, he’s inescapable.

“Well, he stayed by your side every night while you were asleep. Fuck, I mean, he was probably there just as often as I was. He made sure I ate, and slept and showered and… and he never once asked for anything in return. He cares about you as much as I do, clearly, so I don’t think it’s wrong to think he’s a good guy….”

You must not care about me that much, you want to say, but you stop yourself. Because it’s not true, and you’d only be saying it to hurt him. You have nothing to defend yourself with, no way to convince him otherwise, and so you just stare at him until he shakes his head and slips back inside.

Ethan is stubborn, he always has been. And it’s a special kind of stubbornness, fueled by anger – so common in most of the young people you meet these days. You understand why they’re all like this. When you’re robbed of your childhood – you get stuck there….waiting….. Like someday you’ll have a chance to do it all over again, regardless of how obvious it is that you won’t. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

-May 25, 2024-

Things get better, albeit slowly. You begin to wean off the pain medication, which makes you more alert. It’s still difficult to leave your house, but you can move around it more easily, and you don’t spend all your days sleeping. Luckily, you aren’t as stir-crazy as you’d been expecting. 

One afternoon, Ellie Williams shows up on your doorstep with a bag full of groceries. 

“Maria wanted me to bring these to you,” she says when you open the door. “She told me to tell you she’ll be over tomorrow, but she wanted me to give you these to tide you over.”

“That’s very nice. Thank you for bringing them to me,” you try to take the bag from her hands, but she steps back just a little, like she’s unsure if you should be carrying anything. You let your hands drop to your sides. “Would you like to come in?” 

Ellie hesitates for a split second, adjusting the bag in her arms, and then nods. “Sure.” 

Stepping to the side, you allow her into the home. Because of how warm it is outside, you’ve opened all the windows to let the breeze through. 

“Sorry for the mess,” you say, Ellie following you into the living room. There are stacks of books and pill bottles with instructions scattered on your countertop. You haven’t swept the floors in awhile and all the hard surfaces are covered in a thin layer of dust. It’s not really that bad, but you don’t have the energy or strength to be on your feet for long – let alone to clean the house. 

“I don’t mind,” Ellie says. “It’s not even that bad. I don’t know why older people worry about leaving your house messy and shit….no offense.”

“There was a time it used to matter,” you tell her. “And I see where you’re coming from, but my thing is – if you’re going to live somewhere, you should do what you can to make yourself feel comfortable.” 

Ellie purses her lips, as if you’ve made a good point but she doesn’t know how to answer. Instead, you continue. “Can I get you anything? Water?” 

“No, I’m okay,” she puts the bag on your kitchen counter.

“You can sit if you’d like,” you tell her. “I just need a moment to put these away.”

When you walk into your living room a few minutes later, she’s hovering near your record player, looking through the vinyls. The turntable was already in the house when you’d arrived years ago, but it was buried in the closet and broken. Ethan had managed to fix it after a little troubleshooting and scavenging for parts. Now, you both were always looking for records to bring home, and had amassed quite the eclectic collection – jazz, funk, hip-hop, and everything in between. 

“Wow,” Ellie says, running her fingers along the shelved records. “You found all these?”

“Some of them were already here. But yeah. Ethan and I are always on the lookout on patrol. I can play you something. What do you like?”

“Eighties, I think,” she says. “But…I also haven’t heard as much.” 

“Well here,” you thumb through the records, pull out a worn copy of Speaking In Tongues. “How about some Talking Heads?” 

You pass the record over to her, and she stares at you blankly. It’s only then that you realize — she’s never used a record player before. There’s a familiar pang of sadness before you show her how. 

“Are you feeling better?” Ellie eyes you wearily once the music starts, and you settle onto the couch, feeling a little worn out after being on your feet.

“Yes,” you say. “I’m older now, so it seems like healing takes a lot more time.”

Ellie nods, then bobs her head to the music a little. “This is better than most of the stuff Joel likes.” 

“Oh yeah,” you smirk, and instinctually, you recall his enthusiasm for all things old-school country. “I remember that,” you say softly.

With so much time on your hands lately, you’ve found yourself thinking of Joel a lot, reminiscing on the time you’d spent with him and Sarah. What Ethan had told you about him staying by your side was definitely making you reconsider your assessment of him, even if you were still hesitant. It was probably a trap to think you’d ever be able to feel those things with him again, but if remembering them brought you comfort, you weren’t going to resist it. 

“You’re more than welcome to come over to listen anytime,” you offer, and she nods excitedly. 

Ellie stays for longer than you expect. You talk a fair bit. She tells you about what she’s learning in school – but mostly how ‘fucking useless’ it is. She wanders around your living room and pokes through your stuff without asking, but you don’t think to stop her – you just answer her questions and let her be curious.

Eventually, the sun dips below the horizon, and she excuses herself to go home, insisting that Joel will ‘fucking kill her’ if she’s out too late. Even though you’re exhausted after entertaining her for a few hours, you find it feels nice. Being on house arrest, essentially, had left your starved for connection outside Maria and Ethan.

You see her out the door before returning to your refrigerator to look for something to eat. Ethan will be back from patrol any minute, so it may be nice to make him something even if you have almost no energy.

But when there’s another knock on your front door, you’re shocked to see who you find staring on your porch. 

Joel.

You almost forget to speak at the sight of him. It’s been weeks since your accident and he might as well have moved away from Jackson since you hadn’t seen him at all. 

“Hey,” you say, tentatively, taking him in. He seems preoccupied – cheeks flushed, hair rumpled, and out of breath, like he had run all the way to get here.

“Have you seen Ellie?” he asks, not even greeting you in return. “I’ve looked everywhere and I-

“You just missed her,” you cut him off, not because you’re trying to dismiss him, but because he's clearly distressed. “I’m surprised you didn’t see her on your way over.”

Joel sighs, eyes closing in relief. “Thank God.” For a second, you glimpse the frazzled and overworked father you used to know. “She stayed out too late, had me worried sick.” 

“She’s fine,” you say. “Although she did say you might kill her if she didn’t get home soon.” 

Joel gives you an almost imperceptible smile, but seems mostly irritated by Ellie’s suggestion. “I would do no such thing.” He shakes his head and takes two steps backwards. “Thank you. Didn’t mean to be a bother.” 

Your mind floats to a memory of Joel on your front porch, late getting home from work and looking for Sarah, and you can’t help but feel a bit of sadness and longing for a simpler time, a surge of affection. 

Joel is halfway down your front porch steps when you speak again. “You aren’t bothering me.”

He pauses, turns to look over his shoulder. There’s something he wants to say, you can feel it, and you step outside, letting the door fall shut behind you and remaining huddled against the siding, and he turns to face you fully, sighing. “I’ve been meaning to stop by, actually….” 

“Oh…really?” you can’t keep the surprise from your voice, and he notices.

“Yeah,” Joel rubs his fingers together, a nervous habit of his you know all too well. “Yeah. I- well, I wanted to apologize to you.”

You’re so startled by the words you can’t answer right away. But the split second of hesitation causes Joel to continue, looking to fill the empty space. 

“I’ve been waiting to find the right thing to say….but it doesn’t seem like that’ll ever happen. I’m not even sure I know where to start.” 

“Oh,” is all you can manage, still taken aback. The only thing that doesn’t surprise you about his admission is the sincerity. You could say a lot of things about Joel, but he isn’t a liar. He always tells the truth. Maybe it’s why he pulled away from you to begin with. It’s easier than the alternative – spending time with you, which would force him to be honest. For how much you’ve changed, you’d probably do the same. 

But the thing with Joel is that you’re exhausted. You’re tired of the back and forth, of the push and pull, of the constant struggle to hold your care over each other's head, hoping the other will break first. Maybe this is a fresh start. 

You step closer to him, and you see him study the way you move. Of course, you’re trying to look strong, but he can surely sense the weakness. He’d always been good at that, better than any of the others. Your hand comes to rest on the porch railing for support. 

But…..

There’s that voice in the back of your head, the one that tells you this is a mistake. The one that reminds of the pain you’ve often earned through vulnerability. It likes to think it’s served you, protected you, and it has. But it’s not always right.

“I suppose I owe you an apology, too,” you say. “At the very least I should thank you for what you did.”

Joel shakes his head, dismissively, but looks to where your hand rests on the porch railing, looks back up to you as he reaches out. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” 

His hand clasps over yours, and to anyone else, this might be nothing. It’s so innocent, unassuming. But the effect it has on you is palpable. He squeezes once, and you flip your hand over, squeezing his back, giving him a gentle smile. “I am too.” 

Joel’s eyes fill with a warmth you haven’t seen in twenty years, and your stomach flutters, your heart races. A part of yourself that you’d considered long dead seems to rouse.“Would you like to stay for dinner?”

“I told Ellie we’d go to the mess hall together,” Joel says. “Otherwise I would.”

You blink once, and Joel sees it, immediately continuing on. “But maybe Ellie and I can come another time, join you and Ethan?”

“Yeah. He’d like that,” you say. “That might be nice.” ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

-June 20, 2024-

You think that at the end of a long winter, bears must hate coming out of hibernation. 

It must suck. They spend months sleeping, doing almost nothing, and then suddenly they’re forced to function again – to hunt, to eat, to roam, to survive and socialize. You imagine there has to be a learning curve, a desire to crawl back into their den and never leave again. 

Or maybe you could be wrong, and they love it. And you’re just a wimp who hates feeling uncomfortable.

All you know is that you’re huddled in the back corner of the Tipsy Bison, nursing a whiskey – and it’s the last place you want to be. 

You’re overwhelmed. 

And despite the fact that you regularly used to attend community events, it’s been so long since you've been out in Jackson that you feel like you don’t belong. To some extent, you’ve always felt this – too hardened by the outside world to fully assimilate, especially when the town throws dances. But in the past, you at least attempted to convince yourself otherwise. 

Two weeks back, the doctors had cleared you to go about your daily activities as normal  – within reason, of course – but you hadn’t exactly jumped at the opportunity. Tonight, Ethan had accused you of becoming ‘antisocial’ and ‘reclusive’. You had agreed to attend – but only to beat those allegations. So far, you are definitely not. 

You scan the crowd, taking in the people spinning around the dance floor. Some of the women are wearing dresses. You can’t help but feel a little envious of how easily they’re able to perform femininity, which is something you’d given up on a while ago. It hadn’t exactly served you before arriving in Jackson, and you predict it would be humiliating to start trying now. After all the things you’d experienced, you were left marred with scars and wrinkles, stretch marks and loose skin. Since then, you’ve remained loyal to the combination of men’s denim and tank tops with flannel-button downs overtop. 

It doesn’t always stop the men in the community from descending like vultures. You might be the last pick – there are plenty others who are younger and prettier – but you’re still an option. Bea, your old partner, had always theorized that some men were particularly drawn to sapphic women, that it was ‘the ultimate challenge’. Maybe there is some truth to her theory, but you like men….sometimes. So there is always a part of you that yearns for their validation, for as many times as you tell yourself you don’t want it. But it never feels good to get it after you’ve watched them exhaust all their other options.

It’s pathetic, but it makes you think of Joel. He and Ellie had been over to yours and Ethans last week for a nice dinner, and you had tried to gauge whether there was any romantic connection between you still. Occasionally, you’d caught him looking at you with a wistful smile, but he could have been lost in thought. It’s not like you needed that from him or anything, but it might be useful information. After all this time, Joel is still so handsome, and probably has an impressive selection of potential partners here in Jackson – women of all ages. You hope he’s not here tonight – you can’t see much besides the dance floor at this point – because the thought of him cozied up to anyone here, combined with the acrid taste of the drink in your hand, makes you want to gag. 

You take another look around the room. Eugene, your partner in crime – quite literally – is walking towards you, which helps quell your spiraling mind . If you talk to him, say hello to Tommy and Maria, maybe Ethan will see the effort you’re making and you can sneak out without having to deal with anyone. It’s wishful thinking, but it’s worth a shot. The sooner you can get home tonight, the better.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Joel can’t stop staring. 

He knows it’s impolite. He knows that he’s not being subtle. He knows that if any other person in this bar followed his eyeline, they’d pick up on what he was doing in an instant. But every minute he doesn’t get called out for it, he becomes more and more emboldened. 

It’s the first dance he’s ever been to in Jackson, and the only reason he’s here is to placate Ellie and Tommy. But even they have abandoned him in favor of better companions – his brother is deep in conversation with Maria, sitting across from him in a booth, and Ellie is out on the dance floor dancing with one of her new friends, Dina.

Joel just can’t help himself. He still feels guilty for what he’s done, but he can’t shake the feeling of a soft hand clasped within his own – the first time he’d felt any semblance of hope since arriving here. Tommy and Maria had already slyly let him know about all the women who were interested, but he couldn’t bring himself to entertain their advances. There’s only one he wants, and she won’t even look in his direction.

When he’d first noticed you, you were whispering with Eugene on the opposite side of the dance floor. According to Tommy, you spend a fair bit of your time with the old man, which Joel initially thought to mean that you had some sort of entanglement. At first, Joel thought that couldn’t be possible. But you were deep in focus as you listened to Eugene’s words, nodding and leaning in closer and closer, and Joel thinks Tommy might be right. He wants to understand what you see in this man – tall and unkempt, covered in tattoos with long, graying hair and a beard to match. But Joel catches himself in his judgment, he’s probably just as unappealing – not just because of how he’s aged, but because of how horrible he’s been to you in general. 

The next time Joel sees you, you’re at the bar, chatting with a man who Maria had introduced him to not long ago, a resident who is new in town. Joel had been too busy focusing on the fact that he’d been in Jackson long enough to not be its newest resident that he couldn’t remember his name. He wishes he had, so he could keep tabs on him. Of course, he can’t blame the man for being drawn to you – Joel knows very well that you’re hard to miss in a crowd. 

Still, Joel bristles when you both step away from the bar, and the man’s hand lands just above your sacrum. He actually finds himself tensing up, resisting the urge to intervene, because it’d likely only make you angry. Plus, maybe you are interested. That question is answered quickly when you reach behind your to clasp the man's hand and place it back at his side. Where it belongs, he thinks.

“Joel!”

He snaps his attention to what’s in front of him – interrupted, and probably for good measure, lest he get himself too worked up. Ethan approaches with a girl his age, her arm linked through his. Joel stands to greet them. 

The terse understanding between himself and Ethan while you were still in the hospital had somehow turned into a friendship, especially after they’d begun getting paired up on patrol. Ethan reaches out for Joel’s hand to dap him up, slinging an arm briefly over his shoulder.

“How’s it going, kid?” 

“Good, good,” Ethan nods, pulling back, and gestures to the girl next to him. “Joel, this is Alex.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she says. “Ethan’s told me all about you.” 

“Really?” Joel asks, feeling a little bewildered. 

“Only good things,” Alex says quickly, as if she senses his apprehension. Ethan puts his arm around her waist. Joel recalls a few weeks back when he’d asked for advice on how to ask out a girl. Joel hadn’t pried at the time, but now he seems to understand, and is surprised by the swell of pride he feels. “Ethan says you’re a fucking badass,”she giggles after she swears.

Joel looks over at Ethan. “I don’t know about that.” 

He shrugs, changes the subject. “Since when do you come to these things?” Ethan asks.

“Ellie dragged me out,” Joel answers.

“I did the same with my aunt,” Ethan chuckles. “But now I can’t find her, and I’m pretty sure she’s escaped.”

“Oh, is she here?” Joel plays dumb, like he hasn’t been aware of exactly where you have been all night. “I haven’t seen her.”

“I think she was with Eugene earlier,” Alex has to stand on her toes to speak into Ethan’s ear. Joel watches Ethan’s nose wrinkle. 

“Do you know Eugene at all?” Ethan turns to Joel. “I’m trying to figure out what’s going on there, but she won’t say anything.” 

Joel wishes that he had more information. “Tommy says they seem close.”

“I know that,” Ethan says. “I wish she would just be honest with me. It’s not like I would be mad. Whatever,” he shakes his head. “We can talk about it another time. I just want to find her so I can introduce her to Alex.”

“We should say hi to Tommy and Maria first,” Alex says, and Ethan nods in agreement before saying goodbye to him. Joel claps a hand on Ethan’s shoulder as he moves past him, and Alex gives him a shy smile in acknowledgement. 

Focusing back on the crowd, Joel realizes that you’ve vanished in the short span of his last interaction. Maybe you’d rejected that guy, and then he’d retaliated. Maybe you’d gone home with Eugene. Joel shakes his hand. It’s none of his business. He doesn’t need to get involved. It’s not his job to look after you, regardless of how much better he feels when he does. Old instincts. He can’t help himself.

He settles on watching Ellie and Dina spin each other around on the dance floor. Eventually, Tommy and Maria, then Ethan and Alex all trickle out of the booth to go get another round or head to dance. Joel stands to release the booth to someone who actually needs it – and is left in the corner, nursing a nearly empty beer that’s now flat and warm. He looks towards his family and friends, but for some reason, he still feels alone. 

Joel isn’t sure how long he stands sulking, but he starts when someone approaches from behind.

“Having fun?”

You’re a pace or two back, one thumb hooked through a belt loop, a whiskey in your opposite hand. Joel looks back at the crowd a moment, then at the ground. “No.” 

“Neither am I,” you commiserate, stepping alongside him. 

Joel considers offering that Ethan was looking for you, but selfishly does not want to give you a reason to leave, so he stays quiet. You observe the dance floor like he is, smiling slightly at the sight of Ethan and Alex dancing. The flannel you’re wearing over a gray tank hangs loosely off one shoulder, and Joel wants to reach out and touch the exposed skin. You take your last sip of whiskey, bring a finger to swipe under your bottom lip, and Joel wishes he knew what you might taste like right now. He scolds himself for fantasizing.

You don’t speak either, and you stand in silence for a while, until you eventually pop your hip, shifting closer to him. Maybe you don’t realize it, but you’re already standing so close that your arm gets pressed up against his. Neither of you acknowledge the contact, but Joel is acutely aware of how your skin burns hot against his own. He feels comforted by the affection, even if it’s unintentional.

“Want to leave?” Joel asks, and can hardly believe that the words came out of his mouth, even if he wanted them to. 

You look over at him, not bothering to hide your surprise, but your expression evens out quickly, and you give him a single nod. “Yeah.” 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Joel’s still not convinced this is real. It feels too much like a dream, the weather outside is so pleasantly warm it feels like he’s floating as you walk down the street. He had never expected you to agree to leave with him, and now he doesn’t know what to do, or what to say.

The greater distance you put between yourselves and the bar, the quieter the town is. Most of Jackson’s residents are at the dance, save for the guards at the front gate and the handful of people that had been mingling just outside.

He heads in the general direction of the neighborhood, even though he lives on a different street. 

“What are we supposed to do now?” you wonder out loud, and you sound a little incredulous, like you’re equally as shocked to find yourself beside him. The question carries a bit more weight than it would have coming from anyone else.

Joel contemplates. He’s not sure what he wants from you – there are a lot of things, actually – but he doesn’t know if he really deserves any of them. For now, your companionship is more than enough.

“You’re welcome to come back to mine,” he offers.  “But if you’re looking to keep drinking, all the booze is back at the bar.”

“I’m good.” You shake your head like you’re uninterested, but look over at him with a sparkle in your eye. “I have something better….” 

You reach into the pocket of your flannel and produce a rolled joint between two fingers, looking over your shoulder. “Those dances are usually terrible, so I always come prepared.” 

Joel can’t help the chuckle that escapes him, and the sheepish grin he gets in return makes his cheeks feel warm. “Where’d you even get that?”

“You’ve never been on patrol with Eugene, have you?” you ask. “He has a place just out of town where he grows it. I’ve been helping him since we first got paired up, and in exchange, I get to sample the supply.”  

Of course. Joel would’ve never imagined that was the reason you were so close with Eugene, but it suddenly makes incredible sense. He shakes his head in a combination of relief and amusement. “You really haven’t changed.” 

“Oh, I’m sure I have,” you answer, smiling to yourself and looking at the ground. “But of course I haven’t shaken all my bad habits.”

“That’s not true,” Joel mutters.

“Well, you haven’t changed either, for as much as you’ve tried to convince me,” you nudge him gently, offering him the joint. “What do you think?” 

Joel plucks it from between your fingers and puts it between his lips. “I think I have a lighter at home.”

“Sounds perfect.” 

In the front hallway of his house, you slip out of your tennis shoes, shuffling behind him in your socks, pausing occasionally to study some of the doodles that Ellie had drawn and hung on the walls – it wasn’t exactly a priority to decorate these days, but they certainly livened up the place. He knows how much Ellie likes you, despite the fact that she doesn’t gush, but the odd comment here and there says as much. Joel remembers how difficult it had been to keep Sarah away, and Ellie now is no different. He doesn’t seem to be able to help himself, either. 

You sit next to Joel on his wicker couch, curling your feet up under you as he lights the joint and study him while he takes the first few puffs. He does it without thinking. That’s how soft Jackson has made him. Normally, he’d be too stressed about being out of his wits. But he can’t see how hypervigilance has served him since settling down. He feels safe here, and somehow especially because he’s with you. 

When he passes the joint your way, you look at him wistfully. “Old times,” you say with a grin. 

Joel nods as he exhales, coughing. “Old times.” 

“Oh yeah,” you say, as if you just remembered something. “You can’t tell Ethan about this. He doesn’t know, and he will give me shit about it. I need him to take me seriously.” 

Joel shakes his head. “Well, you know, it sounds like he and Tommy both think you and Eugene are together.”

“What?” your head jerks forward in shock, eyes going wide. “Oh my god, no. Do people think that?”

“I’m just sayin’,” Joel wants to mention how he had seen you whispering to each other at the bar earlier, but then realizes it’d give a bit too much away. “That’s what they think.”

“Well....historically speaking I might’ve liked older men…. but not that old.”

Joel purses his lips. “You’ve lived here awhile, huh?” When you nod, he continues. “Has no one caught your eye?” 

“Uhm….not really. But….” you trail off, looking into Joel’s backyard. “To be completely honest, I  don't think about that much these days. I guess I feel like I have a lot to be grateful for. I don’t want to push it.”

Joel understands, and nods pensively.

“What about you?” you ask. 

“I guess I feel the same.”

That causes you to smile a little bit, look over at him. “I bet you already know this. But the women here would line up down the block for you.”

Joel can’t help but roll his eyes, though he wonders if you would, too. Even if you did like him, that didn’t seem like your style. 

“I’m serious. I’ve heard the things they whisper behind your back. All their fantasies about you are pretty creative...”

“Fantasies?” He grimaces. He imagines none of them know anything about who he really is. You’re the closest thing, and all he’s done is hurt you. “I’m sure you were quick to set them straight.” 

“I don’t say anything,” you say, then continue on, a little quieter, looking at him from under your lashes. “I like to keep you to myself.” 

Joel isn’t sure how to respond to that. You have every right to tell all of them that you were once together, and all the ways he’s hurt you since. Yet for some reason, you’ve chosen to protect him. 

“So….all this time….” you wonder. “You had to have been with other people, right?”

Joel doesn’t think to hold back. “I had a partner for a long time. Tess. First, it was all business, I helped her smuggle things in and out of the Boston QZ…and then, I don’t know….we got along, we trusted each other and…” Joel trails off, hoping you’d put together the rest before he has to go into too much detail. “She was real fuckin’ tough. Scared me a little at first. You would’ve liked her.”

“Well, we already have one thing in common. What happened?”

“She’s the whole reason I ended up out here….with Ellie,” Joel explains. “But I lost her a little over a year ago.”

He hopes you don’t ask how. Maybe someday he’d be willing to go into detail, but talking about it generally is hard enough as it is. But fortunately, you seem to pick up on his hesitance. “I’m sorry, Joel,” you say softly.

He shakes his head. “I was an asshole. To her. I should've....after Sarah died I didn’t want to get attached, so I kept her at arms length and I... I wished I hadn’t in the end. It only made things worse.”

“Yeah,” you nod, look down. “I’ve made that mistake before.”

Joel doesn’t want to linger any longer on the memory. “What about you? Were you with anyone?”

“Uhm, yeah,” you fidget, looking uncomfortable. “I had a partner….for like ten years."

Ten years? He had been with Tess for more, but something about that information feels jarring. He’s shocked Tommy never told him this. Did Tommy even know? Suddenly, it dawns on Joel everything that could’ve happened to you since you’ve been apart. Entire lifetimes. And he’d said such horrible things when you’d fought. He remembers your face when he’d told you that you didn’t know what it was like to lose a child. Maybe you had. He’d been so cruel and inconsiderate just because he was uncomfortable. 

His throat feels tight, almost scared to learn anymore. “What…what was his name?”

“Well, Bea….was her name.” 

Joel is sure he doesn't hide the shock well. “Sorry, I didn’t know…”

“Yeah,” you say. “I don’t think I did either. Well, I sort of did, but I was too young I think when I first realized to make any sense of it, but…. I met her and…yeah,” then, you smirk. “I mean, I went to an all-girls school and I had a really bad relationship with my dad so…it definitely makes sense. ” 

Joel considers this, smiles along with you. “But anyways. Her and I met shortly after my brother died and it was kind of the same. We kept each other alive, things developed from there. We ended up getting involved with this group who lived in the middle of nowhere. That’s a whole other story, but…” you wave your hand. “I loved her, and I lost her right before Ethan and I got here.” 

Joel sees all the pain in your eyes, and wishes he could say something to take it all away. He knows he can’t. You look back out into the woods in his backyard, take a deep breath, and reach back towards the joint that you had put out not long before, lighting it again. Joel gets the sense that both of you had done the most amount of sharing possible for the time being. 

“Look at us,” you take another drag before passing it over. “Old times.”

“Old times,” he repeats, a smile working its way onto his face. 

“This used to be my favorite thing to do with you.” 

“It was nice,” Joel agrees….hesitates before continuing. “But I can think of some things I liked better.” He gives you a knowing look, and you roll your eyes, laughing easily at his joke. It feels so good to make you laugh, to see you smile. Why had he spent so much time resisting?

“Touche.” 

What happens next spills out of Joel so quickly he doesn’t think to stop it. “I tried to look for you….after all this happened. I didn’t have Sarah anymore, and I thought maybe….I don’t know. It was the only thing that kept me going for a while.”

“I did too,” you confess. “But…I was with Vincent and Ethan, and I felt like I couldn’t leave them alone for something that might just be…. I always hoped you both made it. And I’m so sorry she’s gone. I really did love her.” 

“I know you did,” Joel reaches out to take your hand. “I know. And I shouldn’t have said those things I did. I’m still not sure why you’ve been so patient with me.”

“Hmm,” you shift so that you’re closer to him. “You waited around for me back then. It’s only fair that I’d wait around for you now. I want you in my life. I don’t care what that looks like. But it’s too hard to forget about a person that you loved.” 

Joel wants as much from you as you’re willing to give, and he can’t tear his gaze away from you. But he wants you to see him, all of him, before he takes it. 

“I’ve let a lot of people down. I’ve done a lot of h-horrible things,” his voice cracks, and tears well in his eyes. 

“I have, too, you know? Those things still live with me. But I think what matters is who we are now,” you reach out, fingertips brushing the scar on his temple, and Joel swears that even if you don’t know the story behind it, you can see right through him. “And I know who you are.” 

“I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have.” 

“You won’t,” you say. “No more than anyone else has. And if it makes you feel better…when people hurt me, I’ve gotten pretty good at hurting them back.” 

“If I do, I’d hope you would.”

“I will. I promise,” your thumb strokes his cheek, marveling at him. “I would suggest a blood oath or something but….I heard we kind of already did that…”

He’s given you every warning, every barrier, and you’re still here. He can’t believe it, and he doesn’t think he can hold back any longer. “Come here.”

He kisses you. He wishes that he could be slow and tender and gentle like he used to be – and certainly he’s still capable, but he realizes that he’s been depriving himself of something he wanted for so long, and can’t seem to control himself. 

Your hands land on the side of his face, and he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you onto his lap. Maybe you’re somewhat taken aback by his urgency, you hum against his lips, but you don’t resist at all. Joel maneuvers you so you’re straddling his thighs, and he grips your hips, your ass, coasts his hands up your side. Your lips part in a moan, and he slips his tongue into your mouth. 

For a while, he stays there, savors the taste of you, whiskey and smoke still lingering on your lips. His hands cup your jaw, feel your body, grip and squeeze and stroke and you let him, continue to let him. He tries everything, wondering if you’ll tell him to stop, if you’ll decide you’ve had too much, but you don’t. Then again, he should know by now that you’re a woman who knows what she wants. He just finds it’s hard to believe that he’s the thing you want.

You break away from him, just a little, and Joel presses his nose to your neck, kisses your pulse point. 

“Should we go upstairs?” your voice is raspy and breathless. “Will Ellie be home soon?” 

“Probably not for a while. We can be quick.”

“Hopefully not too quick,” you raise your eyebrows. Joel can’t help but laugh a little. He relishes in the way your hands rake up and down his arms, exploring him, touching him. Of course he wants you, but even just this would be enough. He’d be content with less, he hadn’t realized how starved of affection he’d been.

You’re able to pry yourselves off one another to make it up the stairs, and Joel guides you with a hand to the small of your back. When you get to his bedroom, he opens the door, but stops you before you go inside. 

“Hold on,” Joel mutters, winding one arm around your waist, the other behind your knee.

“Joel, what-no, you’ll–” he pulls you into his arms. 

“Do you really think I’m not strong enough?”

“I didn’t say that,” you chuckle as he carries you over the threshold and into the bedroom, breath puffing against him before he lays you down on the bed. 

When he hovers over you, your fingers wind into his hair, nails raking against his scalp. He savors every sweet sigh he’s able to pull from you, hands cupping your breasts and squeezing your hips. You’re so pliant and open beneath his body, it makes it easier to not feel guilty about what he’s doing. He knows he shouldn’t feel guilty, you’ve said as much, but it might take some time before the feeling will die completely. Hopefully, he has enough time with you to see it off completely.

Clothes are removed quickly, intentionally, as you both bare more and more of yourself to each other. And while he wishes he could’ve been there to see the ways in which your body has changed, you’re still as beautiful as ever. 

Joel, however, is hesitant to give himself away completely. When you tug at the hem of his shirt, he hesitates. 

“I don’t know if-” he pauses. “If you want to see all that.”

“Joel,” you stare at him knowingly, kneeling across from him as he stands at the edge of the bed. “I do.” 

So he releases your hand, and lets you pull it over his head. Carefully, you study him, his body littered with scars. He knows he’s not as in shape as you remember. These days, he hardly can look at himself in the mirror after a shower. He expects you to be disgusted, or at least see it flit across your face before you compose yourself, but you don’t. Your fingertips drag through the smattering of hair on his chest and down his torso, tracing several prominent scars – each one with a story – but you linger on the one at his abdomen, frowning. 

He sees the question on your face, but you don’t ask it. Instead, you return to press yourself against him. “I’m so glad you’re still here….”

You kiss him, then, and Joel can only kiss you back. 

Joel isn’t the only one with battle scars. Some of them he feels are his fault, but you seem less self-concious about them, which gives him a surprising amount of confidence. Maybe it’s just a reality of what happens when you make it this long. 

When you’re finally bare beneath him, he admires how you look, stretched out and waiting, chest heaving and shivering with anticipation. He slides his hand between your legs – feels you already wet and warm, sinking two fingers inside. Your walls flutter around the intrusion, back arcing off the bed when you sigh out his name. Joel.

He’d forgotten how nice it felt to hear that. 

Joel is already thinking about what he’d like to do to you next time. He’d be more careful, more patient. He’d bury his face between your thighs to see if you tasted as good as he remembers, he’d let your fingers curl into his hair. But right now you both seem desperate for the same thing. 

He pumps his cock a few times with his hand, he can’t remember the last time he’d been this hard – the last time he’s wanted anyone this badly. Even with Tess, it had always felt like the both of them were hurrying to scratch an itch, her eyes would wander like she was thinking of other people, and maybe he was, too. 

Joel lines himself up with your slick cunt, teases you a little, and you roll your body down to meet him, gasping when his blunt head slides in – just a little. 

He can’t hold back. You practically suck him in, so tight and hot around him he finds it immediately overwhelming, but he doesn’t even think to pull out. Only when he’s fully seated inside you, and given you a chance to adjust, does he start to move. 

It’s euphoric. You’re both older now, more mature, but he still remembers all the things you liked, even if it takes a moment for him to find the spot inside you that makes you cry out, legs wrapping around his hips. 

Unlike before, you don’t bother trying to hide from him. You kiss him, hold him, touch him, look him in the eyes, tell him how good he feels – you don’t hold back. Joel relishes every word you say, clings to the praise and gives it back. Your lashes flutter when he tells you how pretty you look.

He can think of nothing else other than bringing you pleasure, can tell you’re getting close when you begin to rut against him, and he reaches down to let the pads of his fingers slide over your clit.

When you come, you whine his name, lock your lips with his own and he swallows your moans. The feeling of you so impossibly tight and wet and pulsing and squeezing him so tightly has him following closely after. 

His head is still buried in the crook of your neck when you speak again. “God, I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

The second Joel pulls out, he starts missing how close he felt to you. But you fix that by rolling over onto your stomach, curling up at his side, head on his chest, and arm across his stomach. 

“Joel. Fuck, you’re so perfect.”

He’s far from it. But he’s starting to think if you say it enough, maybe he’ll start to believe it. He turns his head to kiss you gently, slowly. “So are you.” 

“We can do this again, right?” you ask. 

“Yes,” he says. “Yes, we can.”

“Good,” you settle back against him, and very slowly, he dozes off with you right beside him. He doesn’t want to sleep alone again, and luckily, he doesn’t have to. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

-December 4th, 2026-

When you return home from patrol, you find Joel in his living room – boots off and socked feet propped on the arm of the couch. You don’t notice his eyes are closed, that he’s asleep, until you get closer, see the book he’d been reading resting on his chest as he snores lightly. You can’t help but feel for him – he’s probably exhausted from constant patrols, so he must be tired. 

But mostly, you’re just overwhelmed by the love you feel for him, catching him in a quiet moment of vulnerability. Hesitantly, you reach out and squeeze his foot. It’s gentle and tender enough that he blinks his eyes open and looks around, taking in his surroundings, rather than jolting awake like he often does. When he sees you on the opposite end of the couch, he melts back into the pillow he’s propped against. 

“Hey, stud,” you lean against the arm of the couch. 

“Hey,” Joel answers, voice still gruff with sleep. “How long was I out?”

“I don’t know,” you shrug. “I just got in.”

“Hmm,” Joel closes his eyes again, folds his hands across his stomach.

“You’re wearing the glasses I got you,” you point out. They’re simple. Rectangular black frames. You’d found them on patrol, and brought them home after Joel had been complaining that he could barely see when he read before bed. But he’d tried them on and insisted he hated the way they looked, so you’d ended up using them most of the time.

“They do work,” he grumbles, like he’s ashamed to admit it. “But I still think they look stupid.”

“You look like a sexy librarian,” Joel rolls his eyes, but you can tell he’s suppressing a grin. There’s always a bit of defiance about him, he can’t fully admit how you get him so flustered even after you’ve spent so much time together. You press your thumb into the arch of his foot and he groans. “That feel good?” you ask. 

“Yes.”

“Whatcha reading?” You gesture towards the book. 

“Some book about the moon landing,” Joel lifts it off of his chest, where it lay face down and open, looks at the back cover. “For Ellie.”

“How sweet.”

“It’s a little dry,” he deadpans. “But she likes this stuff.” 

You shift your massage to his other foot. Joel stretches, his arms lifting above his head, the shirt he’s wearing rides up just so, so you see a sliver of his lower belly before it disappears again, throwing an arm over his eyes. 

“Are you tired?” you ask. 

“Always,” he says through a yawn. 

“Me too,” you yawn along with him, since they’re contagious. He pulls the glasses from their perch on the bridge of his nose and shuts the book, placing them both on the coffee table in front of him. You take your hands off his feet and he sits up a little straighter, holding out his hand. 

“Come ‘ere,” he says, and you do. 

He grunts as you settle into his arms, head nestled against his chest, sprawling out almost on top of him, the only way you both can fit like this on the couch.

“You’re so warm,” you say softly, letting him wrap his arms around you. 

“You’re cold. Your hands are freezing,” he holds them in his own.

“It’s cold out.”

“Don’t know why you left today.”

“Obligations. Patrol.”

“Fuck that.”

You laugh into his chest, pausing for a moment before speaking again. “You know, I think we might be boring.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, we don’t really leave the house. We spend all day reading. And we’re old.”

“We’re not that old.”

“But we’re getting up there.”

“Sure, but…” Joel trails off. 

“Everything’s so quiet, so calm.”

“I think that’s what most people would describe as content.” 

“Are you content?” you ask, lifting your head to look him in the eyes. 

“I’m happy,” he says softly, tucking a piece of hair behind your ears. “Are you?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Then don’t worry about the rest.”

“Okay,” you settle back against your husband's chest, feel his lips brush your forehead.

His fingers search absentmindedly for the ring on your finger he’d found while clearing out a pawn shop not too long ago. The one he wore looked nothing like your own. But the marriage had been long overdue, and neither of you cared what the rings actually looked like. 

Nowadays, you split your time between his place with Ellie, and your own with Ethan, but end up in his bed every night. At this point, you don’t think you could sleep without him. 

Years ago, another lifetime, you’d had a conversation underneath a sky full of stars. You’d told him that for you, good things had never lasted. Joel had made a promise. 

This will.

It took time. There was a lot of pain. But in the end, he had told you the truth.

-

-

-

#i hope ya'll like this??? #i feel like i am pretty proud of it tbh #AND TLOU 2 never happened!!!! #joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel miller series #joel miller imagine #joel miller fanfic #joel miller x you #the last of us #the last of us writing #tlou #tlou writing #pedro pascal #troy baker #tommy miller #joel miller fluff #joel miller x f!reader #the last of us hbo #tlou hbo #ellie williams #maria miller

[surely-sims]

working on a chaotic amount of 70s menswear right now

#cc wip #i wanted this for me but I hope ya'll will like it too! #almost done with base textures #the coats still need to have their painting finished

[friedunicornstudio]

I think it’s a good time for a whole bunch of pokemon speedpaints! Less than 2 hours on each

#pokemon #Pokemon Fanart #artists on tumblr #speedpaint #vaporeon #swadloon #salandit #xerneas #drifloon #flygon #fried unicorn studio #digital art #Digital Illustration #I can't believe I forgot to post all of these over here #So I hope ya'll like pokemon #There's a bunch more where these came from #I should do another batch of these

[mothwingwritings]

Ma'am can we please have some general sfw/nsfw Jun Guevara hcs we're starving

On my knees begging he's such a menace to society and your writing's so good

Call me meals on wheels how I be feeding the masses. (⌐⎚u⎚)

Heh heh heh, I have been meaning to try and write more Jun goodness. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ Thank you for providing the opportunity and thank you for your kind words!!!

I hope I did our beautiful boy Jun some justice with this one! NSFW at the end, so 18+ only please!

This man is one of the world’s biggest show offs, ESPECIALLY in your presence. The moment he hears your voice or spots you across the room, he starts posturing. Gloating about his various achievements, flexing and showing off his body whenever you pass by, dropping names of famous people he knows or exotic places he’s been, anything to try and get a rise out of you or to get you fawning. The man is not shy about singing his praises in a multitude of ways to paint himself as the ideal man for you.

If he has to spend any time away from you for any reason, all of his free time is going to go towards contacting you. Texts, phone calls, video chats-there is nothing that boosts his spirits like hearing your voice and seeing your face. Even just a simple text from you saying ‘good morning’ is enough to send him over the moon. Expect a rambling paragraph response back to any message you may send, littered with romantic prose while simultaneously begging you to send him pics (either lewd or just a normal selfie, doesn’t matter to him as long as he gets to see your pretty face/body).

He’s got a plethora of nicknames for you, ranging from sweet and loving to downright obscene. He loves seeing you blush and squirm, so he’s more apt to use the raunchy ones in public.

Despite his big ego and penchant for inappropriate flirting, he is a huge romantic. You are his one and only, his soul mate, and the thought of spending the rest of his life with you by his side never fails to fill him with butterflies. Nothing fills him with joy quite like waking up with you each morning and falling asleep with you each night. His most peaceful moments are when you are tucked in by his side, sleeping soundly under his protection.

He’s a rather jealous person, so he always gets grumpy when you aren’t giving him your full attention. If you so much as glance at your phone while on a date he gets moody, and isn’t above taking any electronic devices you may have away from you and stashing them out of your reach until you have to part ways with him. If it’s another physical person you are giving your attention too, he will become insufferably rude/standoffish to them until they either get the picture and leave on their own, or you are so mortified by the encounter you leave yourself, dragging Jun with you.

Family is very important to him, and he is extremely eager to bring you into his family’s fold. It didn’t take long in your relationship for you to become acquainted with both his close and extended family, and though you were nervous as hell to meet them all so soon, they accepted you with open arms and put you at ease upon your initial meeting. They were quick to usher you into their home, provide you with a warm meal, relay story after embarrassing story of Jun in his youth. If you are someone who doesn’t have a family/has a bad relationship with your family, all that changes now as you have been fully adopted into the Guevera home, his family quickly becoming your own. Otherwise he’s just as eager and adamant to meet your family, and will invite them to every Guevera family gathering in the future. Just prepare yourself for the onslaught of ‘when can we expect a grandchild?’ questions to roll in, and that all of them will be responded with ‘We’ve been hard at work, so as soon as possible’ or something similarly suggestive by Jun.

He has a tendency to be SUPER pouty. If you get into a disagreement or spat, even with how much he loves you, he wants to be the one who comes out on top. If you prove him wrong in an argument, any sense of victory you may feel is going to be overshadowed by how damn whiny he is going to be over the next several hours. It can get so annoying that sometimes you give in and apologize, even though you did nothing wrong, just to get him to shut up. Regardless of if you concede to him or not, he is super clingy during the whole ordeal, wanting you to shower him in affection and attention as a means to ‘apologize to him for being mean to him.’ (He is an incorrigible brat. ^^;)

Sometimes Jun will just stop and stare at you for elongated amounts of time. At first it unnerved you a bit, unsure of what caused him to halt what he was doing and just… Look at you. When you finally worked up the courage and asked him why he would sometimes look at you so intensely, he simply explained that he often gets so caught up in your beauty that he can’t bring himself to tear his eyes away from you. From that day forward you can’t help but blush bright red when you catch him doing it, which in turn always makes him produce a devilish smirk.

Though he lives to make you a blushing, stuttering mess, you also have the power to fluster him as well. Whenever you earnestly express your love for him, or go out of your way to show him you care, he turns into a flushed, mushy mess. He catches himself pretty quickly, but you always savor the moments when he slips and loses his macho façade, finding ruffled Jun quite endearing and cute.

NSFW UNDER THE CUT!!!

As stated before, family is a top priority for him, and he is obsessed with the idea of making a huge family with you. This man has the biggest breeding kink, and any kind of love making he does never stops at one round. He needs to make sure he pumps you nice and full, eager to realize his dreams of a huge family ASAP. He practically salivates over the thought of how you will look stuffed with his children, thinking of how hot you’ll look round and full making him that much hornier and work that much harder to impregnate you.

He has an extremely hard time containing himself, and if you tease him in anyway (whether it be with sexy clothing, coy flirtations, or potentially just something you are doing unwittingly) he can and will take you right then and there. Who is he to deny himself the pleasure of you, when you so boldly flaunt your sex appeal before him? If you are in public he (usually) has the decency to pull you somewhere more private before he begins his assault, but he doesn’t do anything to try and muffle or hide what he is doing with you. In fact, he takes pleasure from knowing you may be caught or heard-people should be aware of how good he is at pleasuring his woman and be jealous of the fact that he can have you anytime he desires, and they never will. The ONLY time he shows any restraint is if children are present, but even then it doesn’t take long for him to shoo them away so that he can have his way with you without the fear of scarring any innocent minds.

Despite the thrill he may get over people potentially walking in on/hearing you two making love, he is EXTREMELY possessive and gets majorly pissed off if anyone other than him sees you in a compromising position, or ogles you for too long. He’s the kind of man that will make you wear an oversized tee and board shorts to the beach just to keep wandering eyes from lingering on you too long. Your body, wanton expressions, and your sultry moans-they are for him and him only. If someone else did manage to catch you two in the act he will hunt them down later and beat their ass, accident or not. The only exception would be if it was someone he trusted, but even then they are on VERY thin ice.

He likes to film his sexual encounters with you, and loves even more to make you watch them with him afterwards. Even if it embarrasses the hell out of you, he thinks it’s completely unfair that you don’t get to see how goddamn sexy you look when he’s plowing into you, and insists on sharing the experience. He happily narrates the whole thing to you as he holds you perched on his lap, rewinding his favorite moments to he can play them again and again for you. He’ll almost always touch you while the video plays, doing his best to coax the same noises and reactions from you as you are doing in the video. These viewings of course also lead to more sex, as there is no way in hell he isn’t hard as a rock once he’s done viewing it.

Jun is very perceptive of your mood and can always tell when you are in a self-conscious rut. He can’t stand when you demean yourself and gets agitated when you tear yourself apart over your appearance. Don’t you realize how fucking beautiful you are??? Don’t you see that you are literal perfection??? Well, if not, he’s just going to have to show you, isn’t he? He will take his time worshiping every inch of you, giving extra care to the parts of your body you are comfortable with. Every part of you is flawless, and if you have trouble seeing that on your own he has no qualms over helping you realize this. As long as it takes, he won’t stop lavishing you until you yield to him and realize just how incredible you are.

As much as he loves watching you when you are making love, he loves holding you during the experience even more. His favorite positions are the ones where you are a close, intertwined mess of limbs and carnal desire. He wants to feel you in your entirety, and there is no such thing as close enough as far as Jun is concerned.  When you are pressed against him you can feel each other’s heartbeat, and it’s easier for him to whisper in your ear about how much he loves you, tell you how fucking unbelievably good you feel. He is absolutely obsessed with you in every way, and he’ll keep you as close as he can for as long as possible, savoring the unity he feels with you beside him. You are half of his soul, and he feels incomplete otherwise.

#Thank you for the ask <3 #baki x reader #baki the grappler x reader #baki the grapper reader insert #baki the grappler headcanons #baki reader insert #jun guevara x reader #jun guevara x y/n #jun guevara #baki x y/n #jun guevara headcanons #baki the grappler x y/n #baki the grappler #I am also kind of loling because maint in in my apt rn fixing my broken ac #and they have been like right next to me while i type this #do they know? could they have any clue I am writing baki smut rn? #this goes out to them loool #mothwingswritings #Love ya'll hope you enjoy!

[ferahntics]

So this is a character I've had in the back-burner for a few months now. Didn't show him before, because admittedly he's a very minor one, but wanna introduce him still.

His name is Cobalt Edge - a Wild Edge species, veteran mercenary who joined the GSA and became their blacksmith and craftsman in terms of creating various weaponry and armory. He took Udova into his care when he stumbled onto her younger self, and is unable to speak, so he can be difficult to understand. Despite his dark past, he's got a heart of gold and has since resigned to be a gentle giant.

#mine #my art #wanted to make a smithy oc for so long so here he be #idk how much I'll draw him but <3 #i like him still #and i hope ya'll like him too #kirby #kirby oc #fan character #cobalt edge

[hermitthebee]

More of my Charlastor Feedback Au. (Since you all liked the first one so much)

I apologize for any mistakes, as I stated I’m in no way a writer. That being said, if anyone wants to use my ideas for their own stories I’m completely okay with it! If you all enjoyed this let me know. I’d be happy to share more about it.

(Link to part one for anyone interested )

—----

Somehow Alastor has accidentally started to care about the hotel residents. He hadn't realized just how much they had grown on him. He even started seeing them as friends. He hates it. To Alastor friendship is just a weakness anyone can exploit. It’s something others can use to control him. Friends are just setbacks to his rise to the top. He’s terrified, He needs to be on top. In control. He would have left this rotten hotel if it wasn’t for the deal he’s trapped in. He still needs Charlie for his plans. Closing himself off is the second-best offer. Stop this friendship nonsense before it gets worse.

It had been easy enough to wane himself away from the other residents. Half of the residents were still skeptical of him. Husk and Vaggie practically avoided Alastor for him. And the other half was easy enough to push away and distance himself from. Like ignoring the spider demon until he got bored and went to bother someone else. Alastor did have to snap at Niffty to distance himself from her. He does not feel about it. He doesn’t hate every time she hesitates around him now. That’s what he wanted after all. Distance. Unrelatedly, He avoids Charlie's gaze every time Niffty pauses (stupid bond.) The distance is nice he enjoys all the time he has without those annoying residents. He is not lonely. He doesn’t miss everyone. 

Everyone except Charlie. Who for some reason wouldn’t leave him alone. Even with their annoying bond  (that he is trying frantically to fix) she couldn’t care that much. She was simply being stubborn. But it was a minor setback Charlie will see he's a lost cause, beyond redemption, soon enough..right? She just forgot who he was. 

Charlie isn’t stupid. She knows who Alastor is, and what he's done. That being said, He’s still her friend. Through the months she's grown increasingly close with the deer demon. Especially over the month with their shared bond. Alastor, without her realizing, had become one of her closest friends. (She’s adamantly avoiding thinking about how her heart pounds around him) 

She can feel (though he tries to block it) how much he's hurting. Alastor is right about one thing Charlie is stubborn. Too stubborn to stand by as someone she loves cares for is suffering. She’ll stop at nothing to help him. 

—---

Wounds from angelic weapons aren’t something that can be healed quickly. The holiness acts like a slowly seeping poison eating away at a demon’s soul. To heal it you need to quite literally drain the holiness out of the wound with magic. Draining too much at once can also poison the demon though, so it has to be done in phases. On top of all this, it takes a lot of energy to keep the holiness from spreading faster, which drains magic. Often this leaves demons too weak to heal the wounds themselves. (It’s also why the extermination goes for weaker Sinners with less magic).  For a wound as big as Alastor’s it could take up to 2 months to be fully healed.

Despite this Charlie insists on helping him daily. Charlie insists that she (loves) cares for him, and wants to help. Alastor is unconvinced. Alastor tried a total of once to deal with it himself, to show the princess he was fine on his own. (the attempt ended with him almost passing out, Charlie having to steady him) but decided that Charlie could waste some energy if she wished. It just gave him more power. 

It becomes a nightly routine. After the others go to bed Charlie heads to Alastor’s room. She works on draining the wound for about 30 minutes.  She uses a little more energy than she should, but she has to. Alastor got hurt defending her hotel, it's her fault she should at least try and make his recovery as quick as possible. It’s surprisingly pleasant. They have conversations that last hours after the session ends. (they both secretly look forward to it every day)

Charlie keeps Alastor’s injury a secret. Which isn’t the best move, when Alastor is asked to help with the hotel just as much as she is. But Alastor tries so hard to avoid being seen as weak. She can briefly feel the rush of adrenaline Alastor gets when he’s asked to perform a usually effortless task. How could she betray his trust and tell everyone just how weak he was currently? She can’t. So she just starts taking his jobs for him. She tells the others to come to her first for tasks. (refusing to answer why.) It’s double the work now, on top of healing Alastor but she’s fine. A temporary solution until Alastor is back on his feet. She didn’t tell Alastor about the extra jobs, convinced he’d worry too much. not because she knows just how thin she's pulling herself.

The others are suspicious but no one has figured out why Charlie is always tired and working or why Alastor is acting weird. (well weirder than normal at least) Charlie’s not the best liar and typically just changes the subject when asked about it. Alastor is a great liar about his issues but is just as confused/worried as everyone else about Charlie.

—---

The extermination didn’t only affect Alastor. The other residents have their own issues. They all deal with the aftermath in their own way. Charlie works hard to try and help them, along with helping Alastor. This doesn’t leave a lot of time for her mental health, but that's okay. She can deal with it when everyone else is content again. Everyone is dealing with so much, what right does she have to worry about her as well? She’s just a bit tired.  Her job as manager of the hotel is to care for her guests and coworkers, which comes first. The others need her. She’s adamantly ignoring the glances Alastor sends her. She refuses to acknowledge the worry she can feel through Alastor. She’s fine. 

—--

Charlie is getting nightmares bad enough that they wake Alastor. He jolts awake in a panic that is not his. It’s always so loud, too loud to drown out. Even when she wakes the bond doesn’t calm till hours later. He doesn’t mention it at first. Hoping it's a one-off thing. But he decides to watch her just in case. Not out of worry, it would just affect his plans if she’s not mentally well. Once he starts though he can’t stop noticing how off she's been.

 She has almost a frantic energy as she helps around the hotel. Her appearance is slightly messy, with ruffled hair and a lopsided bow. Her smiles felt fake, strained. Her feedback (now that he's not blocking it out) felt wrong too. Simmering around him it felt almost jittery. Like tiny needles pricking his skin. As the days go by this feeling only grows. 

The biggest thing he notices is, however, how exhausted she is. Her drooping eyes seem to have darker bags every day.  Her movements are sluggish and delayed. And More than once he’s caught her nodding off at her desk, only to jolt awake seconds later. One time she had even fallen asleep during one of their dinners. Her head rested on Alastor’s shoulder as he panicked debated on whether to wake her or not. (He was still debating 15 minutes later when she woke up. She apologized for another 15 minutes afterward.) 

 It’s only after the 4th time he’d been woken up in the same week that he decides he needs to do something. After all, he and the princess need sleep to execute his plan. It's completely selfish. He isn’t increasingly worried as Charlie looks and feels more and more tired. Her feedback becoming more and more frazzled as time went on. 

The next time Alastor is woken up he quickly goes into the kitchen. He makes two cups of tea before heading to Charlie’s room. When she sees him, Alastor can’t help but notice how the bond calms almost immediately. He doesn’t understand how she can feel safer with him around. She’s super apologetic, she hadn’t realized her ridiculous nightmares were enough to wake Alastor. But Alastor just brushes off the apology and asks what’s wrong.  She’s unusually tight-lipped at first. He urges her to talk about all the nightmares she’d been having. It takes a lot of gentle prying to get the details out of her. In her dreams, she’s back at the extermination, when their bond suddenly cuts off. It's completely silent as she rushes to him. Finding his bloody and beaten body, she tries hopelessly to help him. But nothing is working and he’s gone. Charlie wakes up after that. But even with their bond active his feedback a steady hum she can’t sleep. 

Alastor is shocked. He’d assumed her dreams were about the extermination, but he assumed it was about losing the hotel, not him. It hadn’t even crossed his mind she was worried about losing him. He has a million questions he wants to ask. But Charlie falls asleep soon after. She’s comforted by the steady static Alastor makes. A constant reminder that he’s safe and here.

It becomes the norm for Alastor to go to Charlie’s room when he’s woken up. (More often than not he ends up staying the night)

—---

During the day, Charlie starts using the hotel as a reason to be around Alastor. Suddenly She and Alastor are Co-Hosts and need to have meetings to work on the hotel. She starts (forcing) enforcing morning meetings, and mid-day meetings. Any actual work rarely gets done. Morning meetings are just having breakfast together. Mid-day meetings are no better as they usually and quickly devolve into just hanging out. Any time Alastor tries to get out of these meetings, Charlie will invent problems they “have to” fix. Charlie will also add a ‘surprise’ meeting whenever Alastor’s feedback feels wrong. It is designed to comfort Alastor as much as she can. He tries to hide it but she can tell he's hurting even if Alastor won’t admit it. These meetings feel different, softer. Alstor is often quiet so Charlie just talks. She rambles about the hotel, her day, and anything else that comes to mind. She pauses in case Alastor decides to speak and then continues when he doesn’t. She hopes he’ll eventually talk to her but until then she’ll comfort him any way she knows how. 

Immovable object meets unstoppable force.

Alastor didn’t eat dinner with the group anymore. In turn, Charlie starts to seek him out to eat with her. Now they can both be found in Alastor's room eating together every other night. 

Alastor tries to get out of “group bonding activities” but suddenly, Charlie insists that as co-host, he and her must set an example.

This is only made worse with the bond. 

He’s as stand-offish as possible with the princess without ruining his plans. But, despite his best efforts, she hasn’t been put off at all. It's like she can see right through him. If anything she’s spending more time with him than before.

Alastor is confused annoyed. He’s annoyed by how much Charlie acts like she cares about him. How she, despite his best efforts, wants to be around him.

—---

Alastor is quickly at his breaking point. He’s a few earnest acts of kindness from shattering. Letting his walls down and letting her in. So he deflects. He tries to scare her off. Talking about the worst things he’s ever done. Going into gorey details as graphic as possible. Any other demon would run for the hills. Charlie doesn’t. She doesn’t even feel scared..just worried. 

Scaring her isn’t working so in a last desperate action to push Charlie away, he tries a different tactic. He focuses on sending nothing but hatred through their bonds. He draws as much malice in his voice as he starts his performance. He’s as cruel as possible. He picks at every insecurity, every failure. Doubling down each time her feedback sparks with hurt. He calls her worse than the cruelest overlords. How she ruined his life and wishes they’d never met. Anything to get her away from him. and the emotions he feels around her. It works.

She completely shuts down. She runs out of the room in tears mumbling a quick sorry. Alastor refuses to acknowledge the guilt he feels, blocking out Charlie’s feedback as much as he can. he feels nauseous, he’s shaking slightly and all he can think about is the look on Charlie’s face.

Charlie hadn’t wanted to hurt Alastor. She feels awful realizing how much she had. Yet deep down She’d already known that it was her fault. Her fault that he was here, her fault he was injured. She’d almost gotten him killed. For what? Her stupid dream?  She has to fix it. To make amends. She leaves him alone as much as she can. She takes up more of his tasks (even ones he’s completely capable of doing.) She still heals him every night fixing another one of her mistakes. but it's a silent affair and she leaves right after. She pushes herself harder to heal him, doing it longer with more energy to heal him. It takes a lot more out of her but it is the least she can do for him. She also takes great care to close off the bond as much as she can. Closing both the give and take of their bonds. So he doesn’t feel her negative emotions and so she doesn’t invade his privacy. 

Alastor hates it. He’d wanted the princess to shut him out but now that he has it he misses her. He’s left alone during meetings and left out of activities. There are no mandatory meetings or dinners anymore. Hell, most days he doesn’t even see Charlie till night. It's too quiet now, he realizes. He changes his schedule more than once to try and see her but it seems like no matter what he does she avoids him perfectly throughout the day. She’s withdrawn at night only giving one-word answers at his attempts at conversation. Her feedback has never been more quiet.  He doesn’t even feel her nightmares anymore. (but judging from the bags under Charlie's eyes, she’s still getting them) Her bond was always so honest before. He didn’t know how she could be so truthful about it. And due to his own actions, it was more guarded than ever. It seems she was blocking him out too. 

He’d tried a few times to get Charlie to come to him using their bond. Sending a brief pulse of sadness or anxiety. Something she’d react to. She doesn’t. 

He’d gotten so used to Charlie comforting him when his feedback sent something to her. (So much so that he unintentionally started to seek her out when he was distressed.) It’s jarring and especially hard for him when she stops. When that source of comfort he’d gotten so used to is gone. And he’s the only one to blame. He cared a lot more than he realized about her efforts to reach him. He’d never admit it but he was so surprised someone thought there was something good in him. He honestly didn’t expect her to care that much. He could feel how earnest she was too. He doesn’t know what it means for him if not even Charlie can see good in him anymore. Thinking about it for too long though makes him feel sick. 

He still tries to convince himself that this was the right move. it's less and less convincing every time he repeats it. 

—---

Charlie is overworking herself. The constant work and healing, the not sleeping taking its toll on both her mental and physical health. It eventually catches up to her. She’d felt fuzzy all day. But insisted on helping everyone despite her discomfort anyway. It had only gotten worse as the day progressed. It's bad enough that she considers canceling her and Alastor's session. But that wouldn’t be fair to him. Alastor’s wound is almost fully healed by this point, Charlie just needs to push herself a little harder. Alastor notices something wrong as soon as he sees her, but he doesn’t know what. (it will occur to him later that it was her eyes that had bothered him. Unusually dull and unfocused). 

She ends up fainting during the session. It turns into a nasty fever soon after. She’s delirious and bedridden for a week. Alastor refuses to leave her side the entire time. He keeps her cool gently dapping her with damp rags. He gently tries to get her to eat and drink a little. He uses his shadows to do any work that needs to be done around the hotel. The first few days he tries to play his worry as an act. Playing his worry as a joke, at least to the other hotel staff. It’s a lot harder to try and convince himself. He can still feel the jolt of fear he felt when she suddenly dropped. The rising panic as he tried to wake her to no avail. Not even her feedback was present. Like she wasn’t even there.

 By day three the act is convincing nobody. He still plays up the worried doctor bit (which is starting to feel less like an act as time goes on). But It’s hollow, without any real conviction. And everyone can tell. 

On day four, He takes to talking to her quietly as she sleeps. At first, it's just news about the hotel. Then Alastor scolds her for her actions. Using her own words against her he comments on how he “Cares about her and how she doesn’t have to do everything herself.” 

Day five, He’s more quiet when he talks about being sorry, and talks about missing her. He’s thankful Charlie won’t remember such sappy nonsense. Unfortunately for him, Charlie is more lucid by this time. She’d been confused as to why he was there and kept silent. Listening to everything he said. Fortunately for him if there's one thing Charlie is good at it's second chances to her friends. 

—----

#More sleep deprived rambles #I really hope this is comprehensible #If I were writing a fic this would be Act 1/3 #Working on posting things that aren’t perfect lol #Let me know if ya'll liked this #charlastor #radiobelle #alastor x charlie #charlie x alastor #hazbin hotel

[otiksimr]

A Sapphire Star

And a gentle, simple sailor

#wof #wings of fire #wof fanart #my art #skywing #monster hunter #mh #monhun #mhw #safijiiva #safi'jiiva #I had no idea what to do for a celebration work #so you get a painting #drawing it was fun #but actually doing the rendering was a pain #hope ya'll like it

[bless-thou-soul]

They're all based on Cambrian critters lmao.

#The final evos of the fakemon critters #Hope ya'll like my concept sketches cause that's all I'm posting on this blog #[EIM Insanity]

[crescentbunny]

For everyone’s favorite Commander — Happy N7 Day Ya’ll!

#commander shepard #mass effect #n7 day #n7 day 2022 #Jane Shepard #resident badass #my retinas have burned off #happy n7 day ya'll #I love the ME community with my whole ass heart #ya'll are great #I hope you like this gift

[insertsomthinawesome]

I can't normally share my studies because I'd very much need to get permission from the original creators I'm studying from to post them. But this time since it was a movie I can get away with it >:D Nothing too exciting, I just pulled up a fight sequence from the Cowboy Bebop movie and drew frames that looked interesting. It was fun for shutting my braincell off but still feeling like I was doing something to move forward :)

#InsertSomthinAwesome #isa's fanart #isa's art studies #June2023 #Cowboy bebop #Spike Spiegel #Elektra ovirowa #I did not know she had a full name!! The more ya know :D #The desire to draw the titular “I love a woman” screenshot asdlkfjLSDKJGSDLJGLSDJGDSJ #Spike cowboy bebop #Elektra Cowboy Bebop #These were fun. Some of them are so bad. but like. it was for learning and I was choosing to let go of my perfectionism for this xD #IDK how often I'll share stuff like this. but I thought it might be neat. I felt like it so YOLO hope ya'll enjoy seeing some of the more #random behind the scenes stuff???? IDK that makes me sound so much more professional than i am xD #I need to watch this movie again sometime ^^;;

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Introduction Post (Updated 3/23/2024)

Hello strangers and acquaintances, friends and enemies, welcome to the blog! I'm HotCheetoHatred (or just Cheeto, if you prefer) she/her, fanfic writer, broke college student, and mayonnaise hater! I mainly engage with Linked Universe, but I may occasionally reblog other things. My ask box is open!

For more information, including common tags and a planned chapter list for my fic Blood Drops on Roses, and links (heh) to some of my other works, see below the cut.

Note: BDOR is on Hiatus until May

Common Tags:

My general tags:

#cheetoasks #cheetotalks #cheetoanswers

Tags for my writing:

#bdor #blooddropsonroses #cheetowrites

Other common tags:

#not mine #cheetoficrec #pretty art #miracle whip propaganda #cursed consumables with cheeto #blessed consumables with cheeto

Chapter Lists (Subject to Change):

Blood Drops on Roses (Arc 1):

The Beginning 

A Quiet Morning 

Chasing Cuccos 

An Oddity 

Negotiations Pt 1 

Negotiations Pt 2 

Broken Pt 1 

Broken Pt 2

Little White Lies

Reunion

The Matriarch

Doubts Pt 1 

Doubts Pt 2 

Failure

A Trail of Blood and Shadows Pt 1

A Trail of Blood and Shadows Pt 2

A Trail of Blood and Shadows Pt 3 

A Trail of Blood and Shadows Pt 4

Settling In

Bargaining: The Third Stage of Grief

A Stressful Night (D:<)

Noble's Warning

The Wolf

Differences

A Friendly Spar

Rito

A Monster Fight (D:<)

Stitches

Guardians

Hateno Fort (D:<)

An Unfriendly Spar

A Covert Meeting (D:<)

Bows and Beetles; Stars

Too Quiet

A Frantic Search

A Call for Help

Heal

[Redacted]

A Midnight Snack

Little Talks Pt 1

Little Talks Pt 2

A Conspiracy

Rusting on the Forest Floor

Omissions

Sink or Swim

[Redacted]

Cooking Pt 1

Cooking Pt 2

Lunch and Dinner

The Heavy Mantle of a Hero

Ruse

Ancestry

Onto the Next Adventure

Centenarians

A Question of History

A Golden Rupee

Home

An Esteemed Guest Pt 1

An Esteemed Guest Pt 2

An Alley Fight

Fireworks Pt 1

Fireworks Pt 2

A Soft Night

Trust

Resolutions (D:<)

[Redacted] (D:<)

An Interesting Request

Returning

Scolding Pt 1

Scolding Pt 2

Interrogation

Lies

The Last Straw

[Redacted]

Storm

A Last Stand

Settling In

Warnings

A Sweet Memory

The Haircut (?)

Exchange

Blood Drops on Roses (Arc 2): Coming Soon!

:D

Prologue (Really Subject to Change):

The Yiga and The Sheikah (7/7)

A Haircut (5/5)

Ballrooms and Buffoonery (1/1)

The Sword that Learned to Speak (2/?)

The Wolf that Learned to Sign

The Trap (1/3)

The "Prank"

Memories

Horseshoes and Storm-y Tempers

Runaway

The Wolf in the City

ABC's and Black Eyes

Alla'yall'd've

Revali's Gale

Daruk's Protection

Urbosa's Fury

Mipha's Grace

After the Calamity

No Air to Breathe

FebuWhump:

Individual Stories:

Day 1 — Helplessness (Time POV & Legend)

Day 9 — Bees (Wild POV & Wind)

Day 10 — Killing In Self Defense (Sky POV & Warrior)

Day 12 — Semiconscious (Four POV)

DAY 24: "I'm Doing This Because I Care About You" (Legend POV)

Modern AU "Wild's Wolf"

Day 2 — Isolation (Wild POV & Wolf)

Day 4 — Obedience Pt 1 (Time POV and Wild)

Day 6 — "You (They) Lied to Me" (Time POV & Wild)

Day 15 — "Who Did This To You?" (Time POV & Twilight)

Who Heals the Healer?

Day 3 — "Bite Down on This" (Four POV & Warrior)

Day 7 — Suffering In Silence (Hyrule POV)

Day 21 — Unresponsive (Legend POV)

The Captain's Sacrifice

Day 5 — Rope Burns (Wind POV & Hyrule)

Day 16 — Human Shield (Warrior POV & Legend & Twilight)

Day 17 — Hostage Situation (Warrior POV)

DAY 22 — "You Weren't Meant to be There" (Wind POV & Warrior)

Cracks in the Ice

Alt 7 — Last Words (Twilight POV)

ALT 5 —CPR (Legend POV & Wind)

The Yiga

Day 19 — "Please Don't" (Legend POV)

DAY 25 — Waterboarding (Wild POV)

DAY 26 — "help them" (Time POV & Legend)

The Dangers of Dungeon Diving

Day — 14 Blood-Stained Tiles (Warrior POV & Legend)

DAY 23 — Presumed Dead (Sky POV & Twilight)

A Sick Dog

DAY 27: left for dead ALT 10 — Last Man Standing (Twilight POV, Four, & Wind)

DAY 28 — "No... not like this" (Hyrule POV, Wild & Twilight)

DAY 29 — Not Allowed to Die (Wild POV & Twilight)

Congrats on making it this far, go drink some water. The list above will update alongside new releases. I will strive to release one chapter of BDOR or Prologue every weekend, and if I am putting out a lot of Prologue, know that the main fic is fighting me (even though it's already 90% written, it's just rude to me D:) and send help XD.

#I hope that I did this right #everyone else did a intro post #I wanted one too #bdor #blooddropsonroses #cheetotalks #linked universe #linkeduniverse #should I be doing an introduction post in the main tags? #sorry ya'll please be patient with me #I am new to the internet XD #intro post #blog intro #I SEE ALL OF YOU LIKING THIS BEFORE I FINISH IT #QUIT IT #cheetowrites

[sundaywithoutgod]

i'm back my bitches and bros and non-binary hoes

#decided to get more creative! hope ya'll like it :) #and yes you hear me laughing like an idiot lol #watch me kill shit #counter strike 2 #counter strike #cs2