#i KNEW it was instant coffee i should have trusted my instincts

[iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid]

accidentally just made instant coffee in a drip coffee maker. hm

#me #i KNEW it was instant coffee i should have trusted my instincts

[julieloveupstead]

"It Was So Close" - Upstead 8x07

Description: They came so close to losing the most important person in their lives in an instant, but after all, they are police officers and that's their job risk, right?

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Hailey was still asleep when Jay left her suite. They were going to start working separately that day. Jay, Adam, Kevin, and Kim were working on the Becerra brothers of the Latin Players, who Ruzek had been working on for the past few days, and Hailey had some paperwork due that had her at her desk all morning. She didn't know why, but she had the radio on on their shared frequency and was listening to something she didn't even know what exactly. Maybe she wanted to kill the boredom and the silence in the room or she wanted to make sure that the work the team was working on went according to the plan and that nothing unexpected happened, although she did not expect anything special to happen. She was almost finished with her report when Kim's voice came over the radio

- 5021, Eddie, 10-1, 10-1! Shots fired at police. We're at 4200 South Justine.

- Sergeant! - she called out and immediately a grey head emerged from her office.

- We have undercover officers firing shots. - Kim could still be heard.

- Let's go - decided the boss. Hailey took her jacket and ran to the car. When she heard her friend's words her heart stopped and the darkest thoughts came into her head and she didn't know how to throw them out. After all, Jay was surely fine, right? Shit what if he's lying there right now with a hole in his caltrop and oh god what if he's bleeding out right now and I'm not there with him? No, no, no, no. I'll never forgive myself for not being there, and I suggested to Jay that he wanted me to go with them, but he told me to get some sleep. Oh my God, what if this morning was our last? I'll never see his green eyes again, his wonderfully gallant smile that is reserved just for me and that makes my knees soften and butterflies dance in my stomach. Oh god, oh god, Hailey get a grip on yourself damn it nothing happened because if something bad happened Kim or Kevin would report it, right?

There was a war going on in Hailey's head, and her heart was rumbling in persi, and squeezing unpleasantly in her stomach. She was trembling all over her body and could barely keep herself from crying, but she knew that with Voight around, she couldn't afford to.

For Hailey, it took forever to get to the scene of the shooting, and when Voight finally parked, she took off running, praying that Jay would be okay and that she could scold him for freaking me out again.

- Jay! - shouted Hailey as soon as she saw Kim, who was waiting for backup. Apparently they had arrived first, which probably meant that nothing bad had happened, but as she got closer she saw a black cloth and a piece of shoe sticking out from under it. She froze at the sight and couldn't even move or breathe. She didn't hear someone say her name, she didn't feel Kim touch her arm. All that mattered was that she was late. That she wasn't where she needed to be, that she had let him down. She had promised Jay that she would always cover his back, that she would always be there for him. She was mad at herself for daring to tell him so late that he had long been more than a partner and friend to her. She regretted that they had so little time to themselves. She hadn't had time to tell him that she loved him, that she wanted to become his wife and grow old with him. Yes they had only been together for a month and hadn't really talked seriously about the next steps in their relationship, but it was so obvious to her that he was the one for her that she hadn't considered that something like that would happen. Or should she? She dropped to her knees a few inches from where the body was and, with trembling hands, reached to hide the bag, but then, as if from an abyss, a voice emerged that always brought her out of the dusk. She closed her eyes and let out a few tears that came unexpectedly, she wanted so badly to remember that sound.

- Hailey - she heard someone calling her more clearly now, but she still didn't open her eyes. She was afraid that if she opened them she would not see the most calming and amazing green of Jay's eyes in front of her. - 'Hailey, open your eyes, please,' she heard someone whisper, and someone's hands drawing unknown patterns on her shoulders. Just because she smelled a familiar scent she slowly opened her eyes. At first she thought it was a dream, but then when she studied with her eyes the whole face looking at her with worry, and steam escaped from his mouth, she believed that she was not dreaming that there was a whole and healthy Jay kneeling before her. Then all her senses seemed to awaken from their winter sleep and she realized what she had done, what a circus she had put on. Because of her, it was probably now anyone's guess that she and Jay were together. Damn.

When her breathing normalized and her thoughts returned to normal, she wordlessly got up from her knees and moved away from Jay, who now really looked worried and she knew he wanted to talk, but her survival instinct told her to put on the mask of a professional cop and go back to work as if nothing had happened. Because, after all, nothing had happened. Jay was alive and that was the most important thing, and they could talk later when they got back to her apartment after work. She let Jay know that she was okay and that they would talk later, and then she walked off in the direction of the arriving officers.

There was no time to talk for most of the day, about what had happened that morning. Hailey buried deep in her memory what had happened and did her best not to over-intellectualize the stares her colleagues were sending her, especially not to give into Jay's constantly sending her stares. She tried to work and act like she did on any normal work day, which was to say, professional and cold-blooded, as if it wasn't happening. She worked and functioned better that way. The only upside was that she wasn't avoiding Jay she just knew that command wasn't the place to talk, last time they broke that promise and she's pretty sure Kev suspected something. She'd promised herself she'd never let that happen again, and oh this morning it all came to a head, and now she was sure everyone knew about them. Damn. She could have acted more professionally, but emotions got the better of her.

On the other hand, no surprise there, right? Jay had already escaped death almost twice in front of her eyes, until now she sometimes wakes up at night with the sight of a bloody and unconscious Jay in that damn basement. More her reaction shouldn't surprise anyone and it doesn't have to mean anything right away. I'm sure I'm just exaggerating all these looks. She kept repeating to herself. Her head was starting to hurt from all this, so she got up from the desk she was sitting at and headed towards the breakroom with the intention of making herself some coffee.

Adam and Kim went to talk to Adam's CI, Kev disappeared as I suspect to call Vanessa who got a job in the drug department. Voight, on the other hand, went to see Deputy Inspector Samantha Miller, so it was just Jay and her left in the break room.

- Hey - she heard Jay's voice behind her who she didn't even know was standing behind her, she was still consumed with thoughts from the whole day and which she was trying so hard to keep out of her mind. She turned with a small tired smile towards the man. Jay also had a similar smile on his face, but she could also see that he looked worried and as she guessed probably because of her. This guy was unsmiling. He had barely escaped with his life recently, and he would always worry more about her than himself. Sometimes she felt guilty about it, because she didn't want to cause him even more problems, and now since they were together she felt overwhelmed by it, because no one in her life and the early one where parents in any normal family should do it and the later one when she grew up no one cared about her like he did. At every step he proved how much she meant to him. She almost felt like a princess with him. And maybe that's why losing him scared her so much back then.

- Hey, you want some coffee? - I asked, trying to sound as natural as possible, but it only took a glance at Jay to know that he didn't believe her one bit, but he slowly nodded.

Jay sat down on the couch waiting for Hailey to make them coffee in peace. He wanted to give her a moment to sort out her thoughts, he didn't want to rush her, his goal all along had been to reaffirm that she could always count on him, that he would always be there for her, despite everything. This was, after all, how their thing had started and how it would be until the end, because this was how they functioned. So without rushing, he waited patiently for Hailey to open her heart and soul to him. He did not care if it could be today, tomorrow, next week, next month or even next year, for him the most important thing was that in the end he would entrust her demons to him. And even the smallest secret from her childhood, or what she felt, would fill him with unbelievable love and pride, that she was able to trust him.

And so they sat in the kitchen, in the department and sipped their coffee unhurriedly. Jay often tried not to look at his girlfriend, but sometimes he couldn't help thinking what a damn lucky guy he was to have such an amazing woman by his side. When he heard the shots his first thought was Hailey and the guilt he felt for letting her down again, for breaking the promise he'd made to her a year ago and he'd repeated that promise last week, that he'd always come back to her. He couldn't do that to her, not when his biggest dream had come true. She was the only thing that had kept him alive for four years now almost. When he heard her calling him there that morning he felt so relieved that they still had time and a chance for everything that awaited them on their journey together. What bothered him, however, was the state Hailey was in and he knew full well it was all his fault. This overbearing little person must have been terrified and it reawakened old memories that they both wanted to forget.

- When I heard over the radio that there had been gunshots... - Hailey spoke so quietly, but Jay would have heard her even at the end of the world. He gave all his attention to his girlfriend, he would always want her to know that she was the most important thing to him, so he sat quietly letting her calmly express her emotions, he didn't rush her. - And then when she saw the two bags.... - he didn't need to see her face to know that there were tears in her beautiful ocean blue eyes. Jay stood up and slowly walked over to her. He set his cup down on the table and knelt by the woman of his life.

- Hey, Hailey will you look at me? - he asked himself just as quietly. His heart was breaking into a million little pieces when he saw how scared she was. He slowly wiped away the tears running down her cheeks with his thumb, then took her hand with his and squeezed it tightly. He wanted her to know that he was here, that he would not leave her. He did everything slowly and calmly, he didn't want her to cringe inside, to suffer. He dreamed of taking away all her pain, fear and anxiety and all the weight she carried on her back. - I'm sorry I scared you, I'm sorry it all came back again, I'm sorry you had to go through this again. - With every word, he looked centrally into her eyes. - I can't even imagine what you went through today. I'm so damn sorry, Sunshine.

- It's okay, Jay, it's our job, right? - she said trying to sound more confident, but Jay knew her too well. The green-eyed man merely nodded, knowing that slowly Hailey was trying to end the conversation, and he didn't want to pressure her or force her into anything knowing that then she would shut down completely. That's why he sent her a small reassuring smile, he hoped she could read from his gaze, his face, everything he wasn't able to convey with speech. He stood up and hugged the girl sitting in the chair and kissed her head.

Back then, Jay didn't know that he would soon feel a substitute for what Hailey probably felt every time she saw him in a more dangerous situation. Now he was more determined to be more careful, because the kind of fear and helplessness he'd felt out there under the warehouse when they'd managed to catch those responsible for that morning's shooting and when it got hot and he didn't have a good place to shoot he didn't wish on anyone.

Today was so close to both of them losing what is most important to them, but all the more reason for both of them to be determined to keep fighting and never stop.

#upstead #upstead fic #upstead fanfiction #jay halstead #hailey upton #chicago pd #chicago pd 8x07

[owl-with-a-pen]

In honor of season 6, could you write a prompt on how you think the “pinky promise” scene would go in the trailer? I’ve heard a lot of guesses but I’m curious to see yours.

- I just managed to type this out in time! I had a lot of ideas about this, but this is the one I settled with in the end. Hope you enjoy! x

Nia found him outside.

She should have expected it; after hours of being under Alex’s observation, the watchful eye of Lena’s security cameras looming over his makeshift hospital room, Nia couldn’t fault Brainy for wanting to go somewhere a little less… restrictive.

He’d been improving steadily over the last few hours. The monitors had been unhooked from his systems for a while now, and the only thing left for Alex to prescribe was a hell of a lot of bed rest.

Finding the bed empty hadn’t surprised Nia. Brainy wasn’t exactly the type to stay in bed for any longer than required. And something told her that – in Brainy’s mind, at least - this was way past necessary.

The windows that overlooked Lena’s lab weren’t fancy, but they were big, providing a good enough vantage that Nia was able to catch the silhouette of Brainy on the other side.

After a moment’s consideration, Nia ducked her head, stepping out onto the balcony to join him.

Brainy didn’t turn to her, all she could see was the windswept nature of his dark hair as it ruffled in the breeze, the simplistic elegance of his purple suit that shimmered under the last few rays of daylight.

She’d grown so accustomed to seeing him without his inducer over the last twelve hours, it was almost weird now that he was back under its pretences. Having it on right now served no real purpose, exactly, although it certainly hid any lingering effects of radiation poisoning. Maybe that was the image Brainy was hoping to convey, a means to prove that he was strong enough to join their next fight against Lex Luthor. Whenever the bastard made his play, at least. He’d been unnervingly quiet since Brainy had gotten hurt, and even with Kara, J’onn and M’gann out looking, they’d yet to find anything to suggest when he might rear his head.  

Still, even in a human guise, there were things that Brainy couldn’t hide from her. Like the clear tension he held in his shoulders, or the rapid motions of his hands as he folded them over each other again and again and again. It was difficult to tell from this angle, but Nia was almost certain that Brainy was making special care to avoid brushing against his ring.

Then, Brainy made a sound. It was harsh, strangled, barely choking its way out of his throat. When that sound was met with a sudden heave of his chest, followed by a brutally hollow-sounding sob, Nia finally understood.

Her heart twisted with sympathy. Even in the low light, she could see that he was trembling. More small gasps broke the quiet of the fast-approaching evening as Brainy desperately fought to rake in enough air to breathe.

He’d come out here to be alone, Nia knew, for the simple act of being able to exist without scrutiny. So that he could drop his guard completely in an environment that he trusted - where no one might walk in uninvited.

Nia glanced down awkwardly at the coffee cup in her hand. She’d barely left Brainy’s side since Lena had first corralled him to that lab, and yet the second Nia had left to get a drink, he’d made himself scarce.

Did that mean… did he count her on his list of people to avoid?

Nia swallowed.

One way to find out, she supposed.

She made it all the way to the ledge without detection. It was only when she sat, placing her coffee out of reach, that Brainy jerked, choking out a startled breath.

“Hey,” Nia said softly, careful to keep just shy of his personal bubble. “Sorry. I- I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

“’s fine,” Brainy said hurriedly, wiping at his face in a futile attempt to hide his expression.

It wasn’t fine, one look at him told Nia everything she needed. There were salt tracks strained across Brainy’s cheeks and his eyes were puffy and red rimmed. Wayward tears threatened to drip from his chin, though he quickly removed them with a practiced swipe of his knuckles. Even without them, Brainy’s chest was spasming with silent hiccups, his lips pursed tight enough that Nia knew he was fighting every instinct not to fall apart all over again.

Nia tried to ignore the knot twisting its way inside her chest, keeping her gaze locked firmly out ahead of her. “How’re you feeling?” she asked.

She caught Brainy straighten in her peripheral, followed by a quick sniff as he tried to regain a little of his composure. “I am improving,” he said, offering a tight smile. “My implants should be fully functional in-”

Nia sighed. “I didn’t mean it like-” She stopped herself, sucking hard on her lip.

This shouldn’t be this hard; or at least, she wished it didn’t have to be. The truth was, they’d been making so much progress communicating with each other before…

Before the break-up? Before Brainy started working for Lex? Before he nearly died?

It felt like a century and a second ago all at once. Brainy had changed so much in so little time, and a lifetime – an instant - ago, Nia had promised to be there for him. No matter what. To support and help him with whatever changes he might face without his inhibitors. She’d wanted him to flourish, to be able to come to terms with his fully uninhibited mind. To be exuberant with every part of himself.

But then Lex had happened, then these lies had happened, and the Brainy she’d glimpsed for just a moment at Al’s bar had all but disappeared, like he’d never existed at all.

Now, though?

Nia glanced towards him, hesitant to come any closer. She wasn’t quite invading his space yet, but he was still near enough to her that she could feel his warmth against the chill of the air. Carefully, she eased herself towards him, enough that she was able to brush her arm against his. When Brainy didn’t react, Nia sighed. “You don’t need to hide this from me anymore,” she said, trying hard to keep her voice steady. “So, tell me, really, how are you feeling?”

Nia didn’t miss the way Brainy’s eyes clouded at that question. His lips trembled. “I--” He bit the inside of his cheek, shaking his head. “I don’t understand.”

“About what?”

Brainy laughed abjectly, clenching his eyes shut. “How- how you can all be so forgiving. How you can- how you can even look at me, after everything that I did. The guilt is, is, is like a pit inside of my chest. Everything I did- everything I shut out I-” Brainy bent in on himself suddenly, clawing helplessly at his centre. “It’s too much.”

Nia’s own eyes were beginning to sting. “You’re overwhelmed.”

More tears trickled down Brainy’s face. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he admitted lowly. “I was meant to- to realign myself with the Big Brain, give myself time to restructure my neural pathways so that I would be fit to accept my fully uninhibited self.” He hissed out a sharp breath, shaking his head. “But, I could not- to fool Lex it was imperative I acted as impartial and logic driven as possible and so I- I pushed it all aside. I never made room, I couldn’t make room, couldn’t allow that part of me access—” He choked out a laugh. “Because- because if I had, I would have never been able to keep this secret from you.”

“Brainy,” Nia murmured.

“I broke your heart.”

“I understand why you had to,” Nia said, although even she could hear the thickness in her voice, the bitterness that trailed behind it. She sighed, lifting her hand. “And Brainy, feeling this way, I can see how much it’s hurting you, but it’s going to be okay, I swear.” Gently, Nia ran her fingertips along the side of Brainy’s face, peeling a few damp strands of hair from his cheek. She smiled when Brainy’s eyes fluttered shut, the stutters of his chest easing to something far calmer. “I promised you I’d be there for you through this,” Nia continued, “and that hasn’t changed. I want to help, in any way that I can. But… I need you to promise me something, too.”

With that, Nia offered her hand out to him, pinky first.

Brainy stared at her hand quizzically for a long moment before understanding twitched at the corners of his mouth. He glanced up to her, eyes still glittering with fresh tears. “Anything,” he said.

Nia smirked, wiggling her finger. “No more secrets,” she told him solidly, her expression softening. “Look, Brainy, I don’t want you to feel like you need to hide anything from me. And not just about secret plans to dismantle evil alien organisations.” She rolled her eyes. “But, how you’re feeling, too. You can tell me anything, no matter what, and we’ll figure it out together. Promise?”

After some trepidation, Brainy managed a small smile, linking his finger with hers. Another tear rolled down his cheek as he squeezed her tight.

Nia smiled back, shaking their hands together to finalise their pinky swear.

“I promise,” Brainy said.

And, for the first time in months, Nia knew that he was telling her the truth.

#supergirl #supergirl season 6 #brainia #nia nal #brainiac 5 #i've written nia forgiving brainy a bunch so i thought i'd use this opportunity to focus on another thing i think should be brought up #ie exactly want kind of backlog brainy must be facing after hiding so much of himself away like that #querl dox #brainy #dreamdox #my writing #my prompts #anon

[scholarlypidgeot]

34?

The war council had to be put off until the triplets went to bed, which was supposed to be around eight. Detective Ash Sterling and Doc Agon didn’t arrive until eight-thirty due to the weather. Eva insisted on making tea for everyone, and even went out of her way to make Ash and Prince Charles some coffee upon request. It wasn’t until after nine that everyone finally settled down around the coffee table, with all of the detective’s paperwork organized in front of them. 

“So, to make sure I have all my facts in order.” Ash took off her (frankly ridiculous) hat and set it aside while she began to braid her hair. “Mr. and Mrs. Blake- you two were members of the Hunt?” 

“My uncle was a member, and involved in my teenage years,” Eva explained. “I’ve never really acted on that training outside of defending myself and others.” 

Ash looked to Ren, who seemed sheepish. 

“I was...very angry, after I left Aurbea.” His voice was soft, and Eva took his hand. “They gave me shelter and food, and I used my training as an Aurbean auxiliary. It wasn’t my proudest moment.” 

“But you’re both experienced.” 

“Yes,” they said, together. 

“Good.” She turned next to Charles. “Sir Prince, with all due respect, I don’t believe you should directly involve yourself.” 

“It might just cause political complications,” Charles agreed. “I stay near a phone and be ready for an emergency call. The only reason I’d consider coming at all would be if Trisha insisted on going as well.” 

Ash’s eyes flicked over to Pat, who suddenly felt very seen. Not in the way that Vlad saw her - it was much closer to Prince Erik. Like the detective could analyze her every thought, desire, and flaw in an instant. She knew before she said it that the detective had already processed her answer. 

“I’m going.” 

“You shouldn’t,” Charles said, but Ash held up a hand. 

“Why?” she asked. It sounded so casual, but there was an authority behind that tone that Pat couldn’t refuse. 

“Vlad knows me,” Pat said, firmly. “If anything goes wrong I tell him it’s a courtesy call.”

“And if it’s not Vlad there?” Doc asked. 

“What-” Pat caught herself before she freaked out. “What do you mean? I thought you were sure-” 

“-I said I was as sure as I could be, given the circumstances,” Ash corrected her. “The circumstances can change. We need to consider every possibility.” 

Pat chewed on the inside of her lip, then shook her head. “I’m a Keeper. If it’s Erik I could tell him I’m just there to observe and record.” 

“Observe and record what, exactly?” Doc tried to begin, but Ash gave him a very pointed look. 

“You leave the answer to that to me. And Pat - nice work on that. Very convincing lie.” She smiled, and it seemed genuine enough, although Pat had learned that her instinct couldn't always be trusted.

“What if it’s neither of them?” Eva asked. 

“What do you mean?” Ash replied, tilting her head and tying off her braid.

“The Golden Crown has a number of proxies who could be living in this house. Breaking and entering to find potentially stolen information and being found by one of the Princes is one thing. Being found by a spy nobody knows about…” 

“Another issue entirely,” Doc confirmed, sitting back and scowling. Even Ash looked serious for just a moment.

“On the one hand, this all sounds very illegal.” The detective’s expression went from stern to pleased in an instant as she turned to her partner. “On the other hand, this all sounds very fun. So, what do we do?” 

Doc sighed and avoided eye contact like he already knew the answer. “Fun option?” 

Ash fitted the broad-brimmed hat back to her head, looking very pleased with herself. “...Yup.” 

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Time to meet another pair of cast members, Detective Leanne "Ash" Sterling and Dr. Roland "Doc" Agon! If you want to know more about them just ask! And ignore the blank draft I posted I'm sorry

@that-catholic-shinobi @bespectacled-ghost @mad-ad @borgesperovago @a-beautiful-crow - if you'd like to be added to/removed from this list, please let me know!

Thanks for the ask! The list for this prompt can be found here! Feel free to send more!

[babylooneytoonz]

Warnings: Well, I just want to apologize in advance for what you're all about to read. Your truth is revealed, not to Bucky. You are not who you think you were.

Coffee Stains Masterlist here.

"Hey, look at me, you're alright, okay? Nothing's gonna happen," Bucky's warm flesh palm felt over your bump, and instinctively, you winced when his fingers brushed against something just underneath the base of your bump, towards the left. That's when he felt something sticky and warm in his palm.

He was pulled into the grip of silent panic, his eyes wild and his pupils dilated as he looked at the blood coating his fingers; it was only then that he realized what had happened. You had been shot. His heart had begun to race, and his temples throbbing in an incoming headache, like a bomb that had exploded in his brain.

"Buck.. I don't feel so good."

"It's just a graze, love. It's nothing, trust me, yeah?" Bucky's metal arm slid underneath your thighs and in one sweep, he pulled you into his arms, and reflexively, your eyes now droopy, you let your head rest against his chest, feeling the symphony of his breaths, that seemed to be relaxing you.

Bucky used his other hand to slide his phone out of his pocket and the first person he dialed was Steve.

"Y/N has been shot. I'm taking her to the hospital," he looked down at you to see that your eyes were almost closed now, but you were breathing, although shallow, "it's not looking good, Steve. I need you here. I need you right now. Please." 

You let out a cough, which was more of a laugh, but it sounded like a cough as air was lodged to your throat, mumbling barely incoherent words, "Winter... Soldier, you really need Captain...America..to save your ass don't you?" He just smiled, pulling you tighter against his chest, as though you were slipping away, "Fuck Winter Soldier, you know I'm nothing without you now." You were trying ... fighting to stay awake, even more so upon hearing his words, as you clung on to your boyfriend, your hand locked around his neck. You somehow managed to open your eyes, and your eyes caught the sight of a hospital.

"Bucky?"

He looked down at you, and a weak smile draped over his lips when he saw that you're awake. What you said to him, however, broke his heart into two and he wished that this hadn't happened to you.

"Will you promise me something?"

"What?" He asked.

"If something does happen to me, make sure you don't raise this one alone, you should raise them with Natasha."

He blinked, struggling to mask the tears that had now surfaced in his eyes as he bit down on his tongue, and shook his head. The two of you fought like cats and dogs, but he couldn't think of you not being here, even for a second.

"I would never promise you such a thing, because there's no one else I want to raise our kid with. And I mean, you."

You parted your lips, and all that came out was a weak sounding exhale, so you just succumbed against his chest, humming slightly so he knew that you had heard him, but just didn't have the strength to reply.

"I've seen you single-handedly take out five men, and that too, pregnant. You kicked some ass that day," he chuckled, finally letting that thick, warm tear roll down against his cheek, "And if you're telling me, it's one fucking bullet that's gonna be the end of you and end of us, you're just crazy."

He tried to make talk with you, hoping the back of the mind that you will find this urge to stay awake and to fight this for him as the hospital came into view. He muttered something under his breath; pulled out his cellphone again and saw that it was Nick Fury calling him. He received it, and was instantly greeted by a bark on the other end. The call didn’t last long, but Bucky informed him of the hospital that he had taken you into and he told him that he was bringing Y/N's doctor along, as he knew all your stats and vitals.

The instant Bucky stepped into the hallway of the hospital, a glimpse of his metal arm was enough for them to know that he was the Winter Soldier. He laid you on a gurney, and looked at the nurse who was looking down at you questioningly, “Yeah, well, my girlfriend's been shot. She’s seven months pregnant.”

“Sergeant Barnes, you’ll have to wait here, we’ll have to take her in –“

Before either Bucky could reply, or the nurse could even complete her sentence, Fury and a short heighted man dashed into the hospital, and headed straight towards where Bucky was, Fury instantly bending over the gurney so he could look at you.

“I’m her doctor,” you were wheeled into the trauma room and Fury and Bucky fixed themselves on either sides of the hallway, Bucky glancing down at his hands that were coated in your dried up blood. This was all his fault, if only he had been honest with you, honest enough that what happened today could have been avoided.

“I told her that she was making a wrong choice.”

Bucky’s strained, blood shot eyes lifted themselves and he fixed them on the man with the eyepatch who was leaning by the wall on the other end, as he continued speaking, “but she didn’t want to listen to me. She kept telling me that you were the best thing that had happened to her. Look where it’s gotten her now, Barnes.”

“Fury –“ Both Bucky and Fury turned towards the source of the voice, as Steve, Natasha and Sam rushed to where the two men were, Steve leading the way. “leave him alone. Y/N is a grown woman, who can make her own decisions. Besides, how is any of this Buck’s fault?”

“T’s alright, Punk, he’s right though –“

“Excuse me, Sergeant? Mr. Fury?” Y/N's doctor stepped out, his white gloves having turned bright red.

“Doctor, is she okay? Are they okay?” Bucky mumbled as all the Avengers crowded around him.

“Well, although things don’t look bad, the bullet did rupture the amniotic sac, which is why, we’ll have to do an emergency C  - section. Sergeant, looks like you are going to meet your child sooner than you anticipated. You can go and meet her before we wheel her in.”

“Holy shit.” Bucky took a step away, his jaw almost hanging, and his eyes wide; this felt surreal. He felt unprepared suddenly and scared. “Bucky?” Steve’s hand on his back pulled him back from his thoughts and his head snapped towards his bestfriend, Steve noticing the fearful look on his friend's face, “Want to talk about it?”

He swallowed, looking down at his feet and then back up again, almost shaking his head, “Do you think I am ready for this Stevie? I just, I am freaking out.”

Steve gave him a soft smile, reaching out and placing a steadying hand at the back of his friend’s neck, “You’re ready Buck. You’re just scared, but trust me, when you’ll have that little Barnes right there in your arms, you won’t feel so scared anymore. Now go and talk to her, I’m sure she needs you right now daddy.”

“Yeah, punk. Do not say that again.” Steve just chuckled, and Bucky kept smirking as he walked towards the operation room where you were being prepped for that emergency c section.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

You were laying down on the operation table, your fingers delicately kneading over the fabric of your hospital gown. The bullet wound had already been taken care of, but you could feel the sting from it, along with a throbbing pain radiating from inside your belly. Bucky stepped in, his eyes falling on you, and his heart almost snapped into two when he saw the state you were in.

“I’m so fucking sorry, I’m such an idiot,” he muttered in a low voice as he made his way to you.

“Five minutes, Sergeant.” The nurse whispered, as she stepped out, leaving you and Bucky alone inside.

He pulled the stool, lowering himself on it and placed his palm on your forehead, stroking over your warm, sweaty head. You smiled, blinking at him, your eyes coated with your tears; you weakly lifted your hand and placed it on your boyfriend’s metal hand, that was resting on your stomach.

“How are you holding up, daddy?” You grinned, in a weak voice and he just snorted, leaning close to your face.

“Shit scared, I am freaking out, I’ll be honest, I thought I had two months to mentally prepare myself.”

You nodded, clasping your fingers against his metal ones. “Cold feet yeah? Listen, it’s going to be okay. Whatever happens, I know, that you’ll be there for our kid.”

“Hey, you’re not gonna go anywhere. Don’t say that.”

“Mhm, we don’t even have a name yet. Jesus, we are so unprepared. Are we bad parents, Buck? What are we going to call this one when they're here? Little Buchanan Barnes?” You drawled, squirming slightly so you could get a little comfortable.

“Its time Y/N,” your doctor stepped in, and this was Bucky’s cue to leave, so he stood up, placing a chaste kiss against your sweaty forehead, whispering, "Don't worry , this doesn't make us bad parents, we didn't know that little Buchanan Barnes will want to join us early. Now I'll be outside, waiting for you to give me a healthy little mini you." He smiled down at you, before walking out of the operation theater.

Once he had left, the doctor walked up to you, and gave you weak smile, almost shaking his head, “He deserved to know, Y/N.”

“He would have shattered, doctor. I can’t do this to him. Besides, it is my call right? I’m asking you to save my baby by doing this.”

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

“Something isn’t right, what the hell's going on in there? It’s been two hours.” Bucky ’s pacing didn’t stop, no matter how much Steve or Natasha tried to get him to calm down, and to sit and relax. Something kept bothering him at the back of his mind, something didn’t seem right. Y/N's conversation kept ringing at the back of his mind, on repeat, whatever happens, I know, that you will be there for our kid.

However, the first cry of his little child, from inside the operation room made him forget all his fears. Steve pulled his bestfriend to his chest, clasping his back in a congratulatory way, even Nick Fury was smiling for a change.

The door finally opened, and the doctor stepped out, holding a tiny, wailing bundle in his arms. Bucky swallowed the lump in his throat, his breathing hitched and he gasped, taking a step closer. The baby was so tiny, so fragile, his heart strummed inside his chest just at one look at that baby, “Is it–”

“Its a girl, a healthy little girl.”

Who could have known that the Winter Soldier would finally break at the sight of his own daughter? Tears freely fell down his eyes, and he could feel his lips quiver as the doctor placed his little girl into his arms. He was so scared, he didn’t let his metal arm near her. It was as though she was made of glass, delicate and breakable. That morning he held his new daughter, this was the most perfect feeling he had ever known as it swept through him. He knew he would do anything in the world for her. He would be her hero, her keeper, the one who gave her cuddles and kept her safe. He would be this little girl’s Winter Soldier.

“She is beautiful,” Natasha cooed, staring at the little girl, in awe. Although she wasn't her mother, and she could never be one, the sight of a newborn baby always made her heart swell. She placed her palm softly over the baby's fuzzy little hair, stroking over her matted black hair, “I’m sure you didn’t think of names?”

“I - Y/N would want to name her I think,” Bucky whispered , looking down at her, and suddenly, he looked up at the doctor. “How is she? When is she going to wake up?”

“I, uh..”

Bucky raised his eyebrows in suspicion when the doctor didn’t answer him and instead, averted his eyes.

“How is she?”

After almost a minute of silence, the doctor looked down at his feet, and then back up again, mumbling in a low voice, “We, uh, we couldn’t save her. She couldn’t make it.”

What was once whole suddenly shattered and the baby that wailed in his arms, the happiness of watching her didn’t feel as warm as before. Where there was once was peace , suddenly it was just emptiness, and now her words made sense. She knew this was going to happen, but she chose not to tell him.

“Take her, Steve.”

“Buck, it’s –“

“Not now.” He growled, his eyes raging red, as he slid his baby girl into Steve’s arms; and walked out of the hospital. He didn’t know where he was going or what he was going to do, but he felt betrayed, and suddenly, left alone.

He lost her.

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

Five weeks later,

“Oh, you’re one happy baby aren’t you?” Natasha looked down at the baby. She sat in the recreation room, the little one month old girl they now called Sasha Y/M/N Barnes, as she rocked her on her knees side by side, playing with the girl.

“He still won’t step out of his room?” She asked, when she saw Steve dejectedly step into the recreation room and he just shook his head.

“Let him be, he will be here when he feels he is ready.”

“I’m here now.” A voice called out, from behind Steve, and all heads turned towards Bucky. He stepped in, his hair a mess, his eyes swollen and puffy like he hadn’t slept well in ages but he walked up straight to where Sasha was and threw out his hands towards her. Natasha stood up, gently handing him his daughter whom he immediately brought close to his chest, rocking her slightly.

 Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, in an old HYDRA base in Hungary, you stood in a room, in a center, with almost a hundred men in HYDRA uniforms surrounding you.

“Джоанна, ты позор для ГИДРЫ.” (Johanna, you’re a disgrace to HYDRA.)

You bit your lip hard, running your hand through your short cropped hair, as you mumbled something under your breath, “ Если бы ты не продолжал посылать своих людей выслеживать нас, моя дочь была бы жива.” (If you didn’t keep sending your men to hunt us down, my daughter would be alive.)

“Твоя работа заключалась в том, чтобы заполучить Зимнего Солдата, ни тебе это не удалось, ни ты не мог дать нам ребенка.” (Your job was to get the Winter Soldier, neither did you succeed in that, nor could you get us the baby.)

You threw your hands in the air, exasperated, as you growled in frustration, “ Опять же, мой ребенок не умер бы, если бы один из йойренов не выстрелил в меня.” (Again, my baby wouldn’t have died if one of your men hadn't shot me.)

“Просто забери ее. И приготовь ее стереть все воспоминания.” (Just take her away. And get her ready to get all the memories wiped off.)

You took a deep breath, but didn’t argue or protest when you felt arms grab you by your arms and started dragging you towards the lab. But your mind kept thinking of the things that you had witnessed, before they wiped it all off.

Your name was Y/N, but HYDRA knew you as Johanna. You were a HYDRA infiltrator, working undercover at SHIELD. James Buchanan Barnes had been your mission. You were expected to get close to him, and bring him back, but little did you know, that he will get through to you, and you will end up falling in love with him. You had exploited him, exploited his past, used the torture and the pain that he went through, and fabricated everything. There was no Danny, and no Wallis. Well, there was Wallis, but he wasn’t your real husband, just a decoy that the two of you used when on HYDRA missions. You knew you had to eliminate him, to make sure no one doubted you and that your story looked believable to all the Avengers, and so far, it worked. However, when she came into your life, your little girl, you wanted nothing more than to protect her life; and the love you felt for James Buchanan Barnes grew even stronger, making you run away in the end. But somehow , Bucky ended up finding you and bringing you back, and your plan failed. You had thought that maybe you will pull yourself out from the mess you had landed yourself into and make a home here with Bucky, and your baby, but HYDRA just kept coming back, again and again, trying to get you.

You had to do something, so you could end this once and for all. And it was only one of the two options. You could tell him the truth, of who you were and risk him throwing you out, along with your baby. Or, you could leave your baby with Bucky, and leave him so he could be with the woman who made him feel human once, long time back, Natasha Romanoff.

As for HYDRA, your super serum baby was dead, atleast that's what you told everybody. You doubted now that they would find out about her for a while now, for she was safely at the Avengers Towers, with people who could protect her. You knew that she was safe, safe with Bucky, who would love her more than any other thing in the world. And you were dead, at least for the records. At least for James Buchanan Barnes.

It was a weird night, when thousands of miles away, in the city of Manhattan, Bucky and Natasha stepped into the penthouse suite that belonged to Tony Stark, Natasha holding your daughter against her chest as she cooed to her in Russian, stroking over her little head. Bucky had remembered the promise he never made to you, and perhaps, he owed you this much in death, so he decided to request Natasha to help him raise his little girl with him. At the same time,  somewhere far away from them in an icy cold base in Hungary, you were ready to be put into that memory wiping machine, and be made ready to go for your next mission, whatever it was going to be, but deep down you were at peace, knowing that the man you loved, and your beautiful little girl, were safe and together.

"Till we meet again, my soldier," You smiled, and let the doctor place a metal helmet over your head, and stuff the rubber in your mouth to bite down on.

(Well, bam. I know you guys exploded. Really sorry about that. Well she's HYDRA, and he's just .. always ready to kick HYDRA's ass. Now wouldn't it be a scandal when he finds out that you're not dead? And you're actually one of them? Keep tuned, book 2 will be following this one, and it will be a much darker theme, as compared to this one. Thank you to all of you for reading this one, and for all the love! ❤️)

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@really-dont-forget-it @thepeakygurl @all-art-is-quite-useless @baumarvel @janajjj @chipilerendi @nyotamalfoy @skittychat @allidoiswritewritewrite @jessyballet @x0xchristine @evansgirl7 @supraveng

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#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #james buchanan barnes x reader #james buchanan bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #winter soldier #winter soldier x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes fanfiction

[jojo-reader-hell]

hi could i please get a rohan x sibling reader during the events of DIU?? and if u dont mind, could the reader be around 15ish and a stand user?? sorry if this is too vague

No worries! I had to do a bit of research for this one, so I hope you enjoy it regardless! I didn’t know his character too well, let me know if I did Rohan justice!

Rohan Kishibe and Sister!Reader: Tales from Moominvalley

“Are you reading that pathetic excuse of chicken scratch again?”

You looked up from your Moomin anthology, a scowl on your face when your eyes met with Rohan’s. You never understood why you got the short end of the stick with this piss poor excuse of a brother. He mocked everything you did, most brothers would protect their baby sisters from any harm in the world. A normal big brother would sacrifice life and limb, climb any mountain, face any foe, stop his own heart to pull his baby sister free from a centuries long curse. Rohan called you a basement dweller because you held weekly sessions of Dungeons and Dragons at the cyber cafe in town (it used to be held at your home, until Rohan started coming in and making fun of the plot you’d created). He would demean you as a person for getting less than perfect marks at school. Put on a good enough show for the adults that worshiped him and for the fans of his works, but treated you like a disease.

“It’s called literature, Rowboat. As in, the artist is also an accomplished writer who understands world building and human emotion. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? Go back to your cartoons.”

You had to be harsh, to protect yourself from him.

“What did you say, you little basement dweller?!” He growled.

“I said you’re nowhere near the accomplishments of Tove Jansson, artistically or in terms of writing. Now shut up and leave me alone. I’m reading about REAL emotions.”

You both continued like this back and forth, until Rohan refused to cook you dinner and you stormed out of the house in a huff, not letting him see the tears that fell down your cheeks as you slammed the door. He knew you didn’t have much money, but the way you insulted him, he couldn’t take the abuse lying down.

Not even if he had to be the responsible one, because your parents didn’t want to take care of a child anymore. Not even if he’d been the one to come and claim you, never alluding to how much he’d cried when he was told that the courts approved his request to become your legal guardian, or how excited he’d been to have the privilege of raising such a fine baby sister such as you were.

Pride got in the way. Useless pride, and perhaps even a bit of envy when he first heard you telling stories to your Stand. Defying Gravity always sat perfectly still when he saw her through the crack in your door, her head cocked as you went on and on about the worlds inside your head and the characters you thought of. Some of them seemed so familiar, and it was when he’d taken you on some outings in the city for school supplies that he noticed you were very quiet and contemplative, always watching everyone else around you live their lives as though you were watching fish swimming in an aquarium. It was always pride, because no matter how many times Rohan used his Stand on others he couldn’t seem to connect the dots like you could. Understanding people and emotions, it came so naturally to you, and yet it never seemed as though you were able to read your own brother accurately.

He noticed as he trekked to the kitchen to make some coffee that you’d left your Moomin book on the table. Strange... you never put the stupid thing down, and he never had a chance to see what it was about even though he could have easily gone to the store and picked up a copy himself. He noticed heathen that you were, you marked pages and smiled to yourself when no one was looking.

When he picked up the book, perusing random pages, he noticed you had starred some very important text bubbles, and sinking into the chair, he decided to thumb through the pages and read every bit of text that you deemed important.

“But one needs a change sometimes. We take everything too much for granted, including each other.”

“I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream!”

“All things are so very uncertain, and that's exactly what makes me feel reassured.”

“It’s funny about paths and rivers, you see them go by, and suddenly you feel upset and want to be somewhere else – wherever the path or the river is going, perhaps.”

"Oh! I should like to live in that shell. I want to go inside and see who is whispering in there."

"It's only the sea. Every wave that dies on the beach sings a little song to a shell. But you mustn't go inside because it's a labyrinth and you may never come out."

“I used to stand before the mirror and look deep in my unhappy eyes and heave sighs such as: ‘Oh cruel fate!’ ‘Oh terrible lot’ ‘Nevermore.’ And in a few minutes I felt a little bit better.”

Such beauty in words, he could hardly put the book down and continued to thumb through it, gaining a little bit more insight into the cunning and beautiful thoughts you must have had every single day. He teased you because he envied you. Manga was all practicality. Never any freedom because his editor always breathed heavily down his neck at any original thought that would not sell and make Rohan an instant success. This was the fault in his craft, and he envied you because you were a dreamer. You lived your life skipping barefoot in the clouds of your imagination, but only crashing down to earth again when he jarred you with his mean spirit. To read about the words that inspired you from your favorite book, and to know you as he never could if you were standing in front of him, it felt so raw and open that his heart ached in such a way that it never had before.

And then he was shot in the chest again, because the very last passage you had underlined made him choke up with guilt.

“I put my trivial surroundings aside and mused more and more about myself, and I found this to be a bewitching occupation. I stopped asking and longed instead to speak of my thoughts and feelings. Alas, there was no one besides myself who found me interesting.”

Didn’t he have a hand in that? You used to want to tell him stories. You used to be so excited and blooming with life that no matter how many times he tried to recreate that pure enthusiasm he always failed. It was something so uniquely belonging to his baby sister that was like a daughter to him. Your sparkle, is what he called it. Your sparkle used to shine so brightly when you tried to explain the world within you, only to be shot down cruelly because he had a deadline to meet. He had a manuscript to complete because the bills were due and he had to get you a new uniform and new shoes, had to struggle and pull the strength out of himself to keep you happy and healthy, only to push you away and make you angry at him.

He was unreadable to you, Rohan realized, because you couldn’t comprehend why someone you loved and trusted with your true self rejected you so harshly.

Guilt ate at him as he put the book down where it came from, instinct pulling him into the kitchen where he began to chop vegetables and cook rice for a simple meal to be waiting for you when you returned. Rohan knew you didn’t have enough money, maybe for some chips from the convenience store, but not enough for any kind of a meal that he could take the time to cook. He had four days off, he could make you something that gave you substantial leftovers and even get to work on a lunch for you to take to school tomorrow, he could start off new. Show you how much he loved you and cared for you, his only baby in the whole wide world that he ran himself ragged for.

#jojo’s bizzare adventure #jojo’s bizarre adventure diamond is unbreakable #jojo’s bizarre adventure x reader #rohan kishibe #rohan kishibe x reader #little sister reader #jjba #jjba stand oc #jjba stand #jjba x reader #jjba diu #reader insert fiction #moominvalley #i go hard for them moomins #moomin #tove jansson #reader is a stand user

[eirian-houpe]

Disparate Pathways - Chapter 20

Belle worried when she woke with a start to find that Jefferson hadn’t returned and three hours had passed from when she lay down to sleep. She held no illusions, not any more, that their escape had been a lucky one, and that if Jefferson hadn’t been so skilled, things might have turned out very differently. Her mind descended into pessimism then. What if their luck had run out? What if something had happened to Jefferson?

She had no idea where she was, much less who she might call for help. At first she began to pace, until she realized that the constant movement added to the throbbing in her head, so then she sat, fidgeting, clasping her bandaged hands together.

The sound of every engine made her strain her ears for any sound that might be Jefferson’s return - or worse - until even that exhausted her, and she tried to curl up on her uninjured side and get a little more rest. She dozed, but it was not peaceful. Images of men with guns, and thugs in various states of undress all coming at her… pushing them away to watch them fall; heads bursting like melons on the marble tile below; the woman in black reaching, phantom-like from the screen of the computer, claws for fingers, and blackened eyes - soulless - claiming Belle for her own, her touch scalding like acid until—

“Belle… Belle, it’s okay,” the familiar voice, and the rapid but gentle shaking of her shoulder pulled her from the nightmare, and she gasped as though she had forgotten how to breathe until he had woken her. She sat up, and immediately scrambled back toward the rickety oval that served as the headboard of the bed, blinking her eyes to clear them, to see Jefferson, sitting on the side of the bed, hands raised in a gesture of ease to demonstrate his lack of threat.

“Easy,” he said softly.

“Dream,” she gasped, and swallowed hard.

“So I gathered.” He nodded as spoke. “You… want to talk about it?”

She shook her head, and instantly regretted it, feeling suddenly very nauseous, to accompany the symphony of timpani in her head. She must have paled, because Jefferson’s expression went from concern to alarm in an instant, and catching the arm she raised instinctively in self defense, reached to lay a gentle touch to her forehead.

“Damn it,” he said softly. “You’re burning up.”

“I don’t feel so good,” she agreed with his sentiment. “My head is pounding and—”

“Don’t move, okay?” he got up from where he sat, and crossed the room to unwrap one of the plastic cups that sat, still unused, beside the coffee machine, and then took it over to one of the bags that she hadn’t noticed he’d brought in with him. She watched as he pulled out a bottle of Gatorade, cracked the seal with a series of audible clicks, and poured out some of the orange liquid into the cup. He brought the cup to her, and set it carefully into the least bandaged of her hands, and then reached into his jeans pocket to pull out a bottle of Tylenol and then shook two out into the palm of his hand. “Here,” he said then. “At least it’ll bring your temperature down.”

She looked at him for a moment without speaking, as though she hadn’t understood the words, and then hesitantly reached for the pills in his hand, one at a time, washing them down with the liquid in the cup and making a face of distaste.

“God, that stuff’s foul!” she managed once she’d swallowed the medicine down.

“Maybe so, but it’s the fastest way, short of a saline IV, of re-hydrating, and I figured we could both use it.” He took the cup when she thrust it out to him, and he carried it away, before turning back to her. “You have a little while to rest if you want to. We won’t be leaving just yet.”

“Oh?” she asked mildly.

“Couple of things I need to take care of first,” he told her. “Be right back.” She watch his retreating back as he headed for the door, but when there he half turned and said over his shoulder, “There are snacks in the bag too, if you’re hungry.”

Then, he was gone. She was tempted to investigate the bag, looking for something sweet, a candy bar; nothing big. She wasn’t really hungry, just needed something to give her a boost. He was probably right about the need for the Gatorade.

She crossed the room tentatively, and poured herself another cup, before poking around in the bag, and finding a small candy bar, tore off the wrapper, and bit down into the creamy chocolate. The sweetness of it made her jaw scream in protest, just as Jefferson returned, carrying a heavy looking case, and she couldn’t decide whether it was made out of plastic or metal.

Either way it was locked. Numbered padlocks that were part of the case itself which, after setting the case down on the other bed, he spun too fast for her to see. He flicked open the catches, and then tossed the lid of the box away from him, revealing a veritable arsenal within. He didn’t reach for any of the weapons though, not at first at least, but took out a small, slim looking phone and it’s charger, which he brought to the outlet, and plugged in. Then he sat down beside the case, and looked over at her, and by way of explanation told her, “Going to need to be able to make a few calls.”

“To… your friend,” she said as much as asked, and Jefferson nodded in the affirmative. Then he ran a hand across his face, and sighed. As his hand dropped away, back into his lap, she noticed how tired he looked - his eyes rimmed red, and the space beneath them just a little pink and swollen. Had he been weeping?

“It’s a ways from here,” he said quietly. “Where we’re going, I mean.”

She reached into the bag and pulled out another bottle of Gatorade, which she carried the small distance to where Jefferson sat, shaking it at him when he didn’t immediately take it. Then she returned for her own bottle, abandoning the disposable cup, to drink directly from the bottle as she retreated to sit on her own bed, legs tucked under her.

“Tell me something,” she said, watching as Jefferson cracked his bottle open and took a swig.

“What do you want to know?” he asked.

“Who are you?”

“I told you. My name’s Je—”

“Jefferson, yes, I know, but that’s not what I meant,” she said. “You said you’re one of the good guys, but… we seem to be running from everyone that I would have said fell into that category. The police, the FBI,” she paused, “Aren’t you FBI?”

“Yeah,” he said, and snorted a humorless laugh. “Undercover. Have been for years.”

“Why?” she asked, and he frowned.

“I don’t understand the question,” he said flatly.

“Why so long?”

“It’s taken this long to get close… build trust,” he said, “make them think I’m loyal to their cause and it’s always fragile at best.”

She didn’t miss the vitriol he spat with the words.

“So that’s why we’re running from the law too?” she made the leap. “Either to keep your cover, or because you’ve been so convincing that the law thinks you really are one of them, that you turned or something.”

“Something like that,” he said. “I told you back at the house, and after we wrecked the car that there was no way to know whose side anyone was on, or who was in whose back pocket.” He rubbed his thumb against his fingertips as if counting bills. Then he took another swig of his drink, and closed his eyes for a moment. “Don’t know who I can trust.”

“Your friend?”

He gave another huff of wry amusement. “Yeah - except him. Pretty much know where I stand there.”

Belle frowned. “Doesn’t sound as though you’re too sure of that.”

“He owes me,” Jefferson said. “Men like that, like him - what am I talking about there are no men like him - Gold… he always keeps his promises; pays his debts.”

“And that’s his name? Gold?” Jefferson nodded. She thought she saw a brief flash of something cross his eyes, but it was gone before she could truly identify it.

“You should get some rest while you can,” he said then, and began reaching into the case again, taking out some of the weapons she had seen inside, seemingly giving them the once over; matching ammunition to gun. She knew without a doubt that he wasn’t going to answer any more questions about his friend, or where they were going.

With a sigh, she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of Jefferson arming himself, before he began moving around the room they’d briefly shared, and which she knew they would soon be leaving.

#rumbelle #violence #gun violence #implied torture #implied drug use #implied noncon #angst #hurt/comfort #ust #eventual smut #first time #drama/romance #disparate pathways #i will always write jefferson

[synthsizedproductions]

Short #1: Life Debt

CW: Strong language, abuse of power, cat attack

Have I told you the one about how I got my first pet? No? Oh, you’re in for a treat.

I lived a pretty normal life back then. Just a high school kid with a dead-end job, absent parents, and more mental instabilities than the whole of the Glennbrook Institution. You can bet I’m glad that madhouse didn’t exist when I was that age. The stories that come outta there…Tales for another time, eh?

Anyway, I walked everywhere because damned if I could afford gas. Or a car. Or a bike. Like I said, dead-end job. On top of that, my parents decided since I had a job, I should pay rent and shit. They said it was to teach me “responsibility” and “frugalness”. You know what it actually taught me? Landlords are dicks. Remember that lesson, kid. It’ll come in handy. Trust.

So, I’m walking to work. It’s this little shithole office with gray walls, gray carpets, and gray people. It didn’t help that the place was poorly lit. When I first started working there, I came in with a smile and a goofy bowtie covered in purple rubber dupkies. I thought it would make a good icebreaker with my new co-workers, and maybe I could make some friends for once. All I made was a scene when the boss man flipped his shit about it being loud and distracting. Good thing I need the job more than I wanted to sock that ass right in the nose. Now I learned that bosses were dicks, too. Another solid lesson.

Hm? What’s this got to do with my first pet? Gimme a minute, kid. Geeze. You first years are so impatient.

Anyway, so, I’m walking to work when I hear a cat screaming. Sounded like a fight. Normally, I wouldn’t bother investigating that kinda thing, but something didn’t sound right. Like, this fight wasn’t gunna be a fair one. I glanced at my watch. I was ahead of schedule. There was no way this would take longer than a few minutes. Just had to scare off a couple of cats, maybe a street dog or something.

So, I round the corner and that’s when I realize there weren’t just two cats facing off back there. It was a whole mess of cats, dozen or so, ganging up on this scrawny tabby cat who they had cornered between two buildings. These cats were mad. I had no idea what that one cat had done to piss off a whole colony, but I was certain it wasn’t going to survive this encounter.

I was considering booking it when the cat’s eyes locked on mine. One was blue, the other green. I could see how scared it was. Pits, I could almost feel how scared it was. My survival instincts, what few I had, disappeared and all I could think of was rescuing the tabby cat. I barreled my way through the crowd of felines, scooped their target up, and ran like it was my life on the line. When I heard the colony hissing and spitting behind me, I was no longer sure it wasn’t my blood they wanted. The tabby hissed over my shoulder, its tail whipping about and smacking me in the face as I fled.

I yelled in agony as one of the cats leapt upon me, digging its claws and teeth into my skin and ripping my work shirt. I threw the offender off and picked up my pace, my heart pounding harder than I’d ever felt before. I winced when the cat in my arms dug its nails into my shoulder, but my pain was forgotten when a shot of adrenaline hit me. I sprinted down the road faster than I’d ever gone before. I wasn’t sure how I was pushing myself that hard, but I didn’t care. I needed to get away from that crazy colony and maybe I could still make it to work on time.

I practically tumbled through the building’s entrance, scrambling away from the door when razor-sharp claws swiped at me from beneath it. I backed up until my back hit the reception desk.

~~~~~~

“Might wanna change up your cologne, hun. Looks like you’re attracting the wrong kind of pussy.” Maribelle grinned at me, but her expression fell when she saw my back. “They were out for blood, weren’t they? Better grab a shirt from lost and found before the boss sees you. Why were those cats coming after you?”

I moved to lift the cat I’d rescued to show her, but it was gone. I didn’t remember it leaving, but I figured the chase still had me on edge and I could have missed it. “Um, I guess I just pissed them off.” Before Maribelle could ask any further questions, I darted into the storage closet, found a shirt that would fit me, and made my way to my desk like it was any normal day. I sat down and began my data entry, losing myself in the monotony.

My concentration was broken when I felt something brush against my leg. I looked under my desk to find the eerie feline staring at me. “There you are. How did you get up here?” I looked around before scooping the cat up and placing it in my lap. It purred louder than my brother’s motorcycle. I’d never had a pet. My parents were both allergic to pretty much every animal. I tried to talk them into getting me one of those newfangled Fazyn since they’re designed in the lab to be hypoallergenic, but they also cost more than my family made in a year.

I smiled down at the content creature. “If you behave and stay hidden, you can stay.” It settled in my lap, purring in great contentment as I pet the cat. I didn’t let myself get too distracted. I still had a job to do and the end of my shift was hours away. Despite the mountain of tasks on my plate, I calmly meandered through them, taking a moment to pet the tabby after every few files.

“Gravtik!”

I fell out of my chair when my boss screamed my last name, looking up at the red-faced Dwarf in utter confusion. I whipped my head around to find the cat, but it had disappeared.

He glared down at me with his hands on his hips. “You’re behind on your daily quota. I told you the next time I caught you slacking off that your ass was on the line. I do not have time for lazy losers like you. Get up, get back to work. You’re working through lunch.” He stomped away before I could respond.

I righted my chair and moved to sit in it, but stopped short before I sat on the tabby cat. “You certainly have a knack for disappearing at the right time.” I shooed the cat from my chair and sat down. I held a hand in front of its nose when it tried to jump into my lap again. “No, no, no. I need to focus. You’re bad for my focus.”

It blinked at me and tilted its head one way and then the other, its ears twitching. I stifled a yelp when the cat bit my ankle. I leaned down to scold the animal but was suddenly hit with a wave of energy like I’d downed every coffee in the city all at once. I gazed at my computer in a daze and placed my hands on my keyboard. My fingers went into overdrive as I ran through the documents I was working with. I completed more in ten minutes than I had in the last week. I panted when all of the assignments were complete, my hands all but useless. The tabby rubbed against my leg before leaping into my lap again and I laid my shaking hands on the feline’s back, its warmth and purring soothing the aches in my joints.

“Gravtik!”

I closed my eyes and sighed when the burly man in a suit stormed over to me. “What’s up, boss? I finished all of my work.”

He crossed his arms. “I saw that. You even did it with higher accuracy than is actually possible for a person. What did you do? What program did you download on our computers?”

I shook my head and stared at him in bewilderment. “What? I didn’t do anything that I don’t normally. I guess I just really wanted my lunch today.”

My boss grinned at me with a wicked look in his eyes. “I actually came down here to tell you that since you did such a fast, efficient job, the execs want you to work through lunch anyway. I told them you wouldn’t mind.”

My computer beeped and my task list filled in an instant. I felt a mix of anger and despair which burned in my chest. I watched my boss leave, my hands clamped around the arms of my chair. The cat mewed at me and the heat of my rage cooled. “How did he not see you?”

I watched my coworkers shuffle away to eat their gray food in the gray breakroom and my stomach growled. “I really could have used that lunch break. Gilbert’s is still open and I could go for some nice hot chili.” I closed my eyes and imagined the mild, smoky smell Gill managed to balance just right. I could practically smell it.

That’s when I realized, I did smell it. When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by an enormous takeout container filled to the brim with chili, steam wafting into the air. I looked around and tried to find whoever left this feast for me. There was no one. No one but me and the tabby. I narrowed my eyes at the cat who had an oddly satisfied look. “How did…did you…? No, that’s not possible. Maribelle must have snuck up here.”

I knew I should have just gotten back to work. If the boss caught me eating at my desk, that would be it for me. My belly growled to remind me I hadn’t eaten at school. Or before leaving my house. The delicious scent was too enticing to resist. I shoveled my food into my mouth as I worked, trying to push myself to work at the impossible pace I had minutes before to no avail.

“Gravtik!”

I froze with my last spoonful of chili on my spoon, my heart sinking when he stormed his way to my cubicle again. “What do you think you’re doing? How did you even get that in here? You know what? I don’t care. This is the final straw, Gravtik. Pack up your desk and get out before I have security escort you out. Good luck getting another job in this field. I’ll get you blacklisted so fast your head will spin.”

The tabby jumped onto my desk and stoically stared at my now dumbfounded boss with contempt written on its face. I didn’t even think cats could make expressions like that. “I would reconsider whose head is up for spinning, underling.” My boss and I stared at the creature on my desk. Its mouth hadn’t moved, the words projected into our minds.

My boss took a step back as his face paled. “What the fuck is going on? Gravtik! C-control that animal!”

The cat and I looked at each other and I shook my head. “I think you might be confused about the relationship between me and…um, what’s your name?”

Its tail flicked so fast it appeared the tabby had multiple tails. “You would not be able to speak my name. Even if your vocal cords could make the correct sounds, it would likely drive you mad to speak. But you may call me Tom.”

“Tom? Like, a Tomcat?”

Tom tilted his head. “I had not considered that when choosing my name. I’ll have to keep that one.” The cat’s attention snapped back to my trembling boss. “You have been quite cruel to my new friend. As he has saved my life, I owe him a life debt. However, I cannot stand cruelty for cruelty’s sake., so this one is free.” Tom flung himself at my boss and a black hole appeared underneath him, swallowing him whole and closing just at the cat’s feet touched the ground.

My eyes went wide. “Where did he go? What’s going to happen to him?”

Tom dug his claws into the carpet and stretched as far as he could. “He is in the cruelty box. What happens next is up to him. You are unlikely to see him again. He seems like the stubborn type.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “So, how do I explain his disappearance?”

Tom gave me a puzzled look. “Why would you need to explain this at all? He is gone. He will be replaced. The universe will right itself.”

I flopped down in my chair. “What is that supposed to mean? What are you?”

Tom climbed into my lap again and settled. “What I am is complicated. To put it in a way you will understand, I am an Elder Deity and I am trapped on your plane of existence. I seek a way home but have been unsuccessful thus far. I was trying to blend in with those cats, however, they were less than pleased by my presence.”

I scratched him behind his ear. “Wait, why couldn’t you just do to those cats like you did to him?”

Tom purred with a satisfied grin when I found a good spot. “I was running low on Magic. It takes quite a bit to maintain this form so I may walk among you Mortals.”

I frowned, uncertain I wanted the answer to my next question. “Then how did you do it now?”

Tom yawned and I caught sight of an impossible number of teeth in his mouth. “You chose to save me. I chose to empower you so we could both escape. As I said, I owe you a life debt. A life debt that now connects us until the universe has deemed our transaction complete.”

I tried to process his words…thoughts…This was all so confusing. “So, are you saying you’re feeding off of me so you can fuel your Magic?”

Tom laid his head on his paws. “If that is how you wish to see it, though you are describing a parasite, which I am not. This isn’t a one-way exchange. Did you not appreciate the help I gave you with running or getting your work done? Did I not make your life a little easier?”

I couldn’t refute his words. It had been nice to feel more than just a scrawny teenager with no future prospects. “So, what am I supposed to do now?”

The cat shrugged and stretched out on my lap. “That food I retrieved for you smelled very good. We should get more.”

Before I knew what was happening, I was walking out of the building with Tom draped over my shoulders and straight for Gilbert’s Bar. “Hey! This is my body. You don’t get to just control it.” My body stopped moving and my feet felt rooted.

Tom hopped down and stared up at me with glowing eyes. “We should come to an understanding.” His shadow morphed into a far larger creature with six tentacle-like tails. One of the shadow tails shot at me, burying itself in my chest and wrapping around my heart. “This is OUR body right now. I owe you a life debt, but do not forget which one of us holds the power in this exchange. I cannot kill you, but I can make your life miserable and filled with pain. Do you understand your predicament?”

I nodded, gasping when the pressure on my heart dissipated. I took shaky breaths and touched my chest, my heart beating in an irregular way until Tom jumped onto my shoulder again. “So, how about we get that chili.”

~~~~~~

And from that day forward, Tom was my constant companion. Hm? Where is he now? Sorry, kid. That’ll have to wait for another day. Go on. Get to class before I get you in trouble.

This story was inspired by this tweet from @hoplitnet.

#Enlightened #Content Warnings #Shorts

[i4z-0892-il]

Monster House 7

Summary: Posing as Newlyweds Sam and Y/n set out to investigate what’s killing the visitors of a secluded Inn, and attempt to keep their working relationship professional.

Pairing: Sam x Reader

Word count: 4884

Warnings: NSFW, 18+ Only, suggestive themes, language, smut

A/N: tropes, tropes, tropes!! Well here’s another wall of text y’all! 

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Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

No one wants to tell you how much effort is involved in digging up a six foot deep grave armed with nothing but a couple of old rusty shovels and sheer willpower. No one wants to tell you how long it takes either. The Sun was going to be up in the next hour or so, and the cover of darkness was a necessary precaution when it came to gravedigging. When Sam’s shovel struck something hard and hollow you could not have been more thrilled. Your eyes met his, as he moved to get a better angle. 

Sam jammed the spade of his shovel between the lid of the coffin and the side prying it open with creaking wood and a crack of relief as the lid came loose. 

“…The hell?” Sam’s face twisted in confusion as he lifted the top, hazel eyes moved back to you as he shoved the lid to the side of the hole revealing an empty coffin.

“Well that can’t be a good sign.” You announced, just as puzzled as Sam.

“You’re sure he said he was buried here?”

“No Sam, I just made it up so we could pointlessly dig a hole in the middle of the night for fun.” You rolled sarcastic eyes at him.

“Hey, I know how much you love digging holes. So if he’s not here-”

“Then just where the fuck is he?”

Together, you and Sam dug up the next grave, Mrs. Wellington’s body- also gone.

 In less than an hour the night sky would turn and Sunrise would come all too quickly. Time was up, none left to double check the coffins of the children, but the conclusion was that it would be a fruitless effort regardless. They would likely be gone. The two of you shoveled the dirt back into the holes and set to hike back to the Inn.

“So… How do we stop a ghost that doesn’t have bones?” You asked, wiping sweat from your brow with the back of your dirty hand.

“Better question is what took them?” Sam replied. 

The snap of a branch echoed through the trees and you both stopped in place, cautious eyes scanning the woods around you. In an instant you were transported back to the Wilderness of West Virginia, that fateful day. Had it followed you? Was that even possible? Was there more than one? You never spoke about it, never spoke aloud what happened to your family in fear that the White Thing would somehow find you again to finish the job. 

Sam put a large hand on your shoulder, gathering your attention and pointing about thirty yards north to a little blip of light strobing between the trees. You certainly weren’t alone, but your anxiety quelled at the notion of it being literally anything other than the White Thing. When you and Sam moved it was in stealth, following the light back to the rotting house you found the day before. The light turned off, and the shadow of a tall man wrestled with the lock on the door for a moment before the loud clattering of chains fell to the forest floor.

“Same guy from yesterday.” You said. Same height, same hunched over posture. The bag he dragged behind him had a body in it no doubt. The stench from the kitchen was far to foul to be anything other than a body, it wasn’t a far leap to guess what this bag was filled with too. He disappeared into the house followed by the sound of clacking locks. You followed Sam to the back of the house to the busted basement window. It was easy going in when no one was home, far harder to screw up the courage when you didn’t quite know what was locked in the house with you.

“Are you strapped?” Sam asked, you gaped at him. What nerve. You tugged up the back of your shirt where your handgun was tucked into the lining of your jeans.

“Uh, yeah Sam. I’m not an amateur.” You snarked, it came out a little bitchier than you’d intended, but Sam didn’t seem too bothered giving you a dimpled grin in response. To be fair you had a right to be sarcastic. You’d been doing this just over half your life. Left home at 15 and never looked back. It was rough in the beginning, learning the ropes. Thankfully you were a pretty quick study; save for some bumps, bruises and scars along the way, you managed. 

Sucking in a deep breath you readied yourself to climb back into that dank basement. Sam was looking at you, you could see him in your peripheral, sizing you up and gauging your reactions. Surely he noticed your hesitation, but he gave you the much needed moment before offering to step in for you. The idea of Sam, gigantic, humongous, Sam trying fit through that tiny ass window? Ha! You’d pay good money to see him try but now wasn’t the time.

You let out a huff, breath coming out as mist dissipating in the air, before setting to your task and climbing into the window again. Boots hit the dirt floor with a soft thud as you allowed time for your eyes to adjust to the pitch. Barely visible shapes of shelves bloomed in your sight, your hands slid along the wall careful of your surroundings as you tried to make it blindly to the cellar door. Sam watched you disappear into the dark, moving to the door for the tell tale sound of the log being moved. 

A full minute passed, and the edges of paranoia crept in. You were still trying to find your way, it was too dark in there, he should have given you a light.

30 more seconds. He’d give you 30 seconds to find the door. Much too impatient for that he stepped back to the broken window, whistling a bird call. When you didn’t reply with a call of your own his panic was full blown. Something was wrong. 

He wouldn’t fit through the window. He couldn’t break through the log sealing the cellar doors, and even if he thought he could, it would waste too much time trying. The open window on the second floor was too high, even for his height. There was no way he’d break through the locks on the front door. The windows were all boarded from the inside. The scenarios whipped through his head like a meteor shower, all of them landing back exactly where he was, helpless. 

A loud crash from inside the house ripped him from his thoughts, then gunfire. And another crash. Before he had a chance to think again his feet moved, following the sounds of struggle, and pain. Fingers dipped into a soft spot along the outside of the wall, he stopped on the spot, brow furrowing in thought. The wall was squishy there, bloated with water, mold, and old termite damage. He pressed both hands into the wall and like a sponge it gave way, just enough to give him hope.

Another scream ripped from your throat, and it was all the confirmation Sam needed to plow his shoulder into the wall, and tear through it like tissue paper. He stumbled into the room with the closet pulling his gun from the back of his jeans. Another scream, more in pain than the last, and he rounded the corner into the kitchen, a struggling body writhed on the table, as something pinned it to the table face down.

“Y/N!” Sam shouted, unloading three rounds into the back of the shadowed figure. It stood upright, and turned on heel to face him, taller, and broader than even Sam was.

“Sam! Ghoul!” You screamed as you rolled off the table , hitting the ground with a thud. Sam adjusted his aim, Ghouls meant headshots. With a bang the silver bullet let loose ripping through the forehead of the shadow, reducing it to a heap on the ground. Over as quickly as it had begun. On instinct Sam found you, pulling you into his arms.

“Hey, you alright?”  He asked, helping you to your feet. Out of breath and exhausted you let out a laugh.

“Just fuckin’ peachy.” You muttered. You snagged the ends of the body filled plastic bag the Shadow had drug in, clutching the tender spot at your side with a grunt. “Lets’s get the fuck out of here.”

Sam agreed, grabbing the body of the Shadow, and leading the way out the front door. The moonlight illuminated your attacker. Probably the groundskeeper based on the coveralls, and the smell of sweat, dirt, body odor and death; you were now sure the putrid scent wouldn’t wash off no matter how many showers you took.

“Jinkies. Why is it always the groundskeeper?” You said, enthusiasm lacking severely in your tone. Sam crouched tearing a hole in the black plastic trash bag. Sure enough, a body,

“Nolan…” He sighed, disappointment setting in. The man from the parlor earlier that night. “He said his wife was sick, he looked pretty rough himself.”

“Worse now.” You replied.

“How did this happen right under our noses?” Sam questioned. He should have seen it coming. Sam usually got more involved in cases than you did. He always found a way to connect with people, always cared. People trusted him, it was the puppy dog eyes you thought. He just had a specific charm that cut through the walls of anyone. You loved that about him. Other people loved that about him. On the other hand, you were not so warm and fuzzy. Of all the descriptors in the world “people person” was not among them; you never knew what to say to make it better when he beat himself up over a loss. But you admired that he gave a damn enough to still feel anything anymore.

“Sam, we were out digging graves all night. We couldn’t possibly have known. Hell, we were pretty sure it was a ghost until like literally right now.” You said, dropping a hand to rest on his shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. Looking past him at the body it became clear what Sam meant. The body was still warm, but Nolan was sickly looking, not just the dead kind of sickly, spent, and sallow, greying in pallor even for a freshly dead body. The Ghoul hadn’t even gotten the chance to chomp into him yet. “Did he say how long he was sick for?”

“No. But I got the impression that whatever the Wife was sick with hit her pretty quick.” Sam said with a shake of his head. This explained how parts of the bodies were being found. The Ghoul ate what it wanted and scattered the rest throughout the grounds.

“ If I’m right, and I usually am- If this was the groundskeeper, how much do you want to bet he was talking to one of the Overly-Friendly Innkeepers yesterday?”

“Think they’re in on it too?” He asked.

“I have some suspicions.” You answered. Fucking. Esmeralda. That woman rubbed you the wrong way from the first second, if there was something else fishy going on you’d stake your life on the claim that she was behind it. Something wasn’t adding up, and it stunk, like Esmeralda. Ugh, no. She probably wears designer perfume and smells amazing.

Disposing of the bodies was quick but messy. Nolan deserved to be salted and burned, but the ghoul… just to be sure it was dead you and Sam dismembered it, and buried it in the dirt basement. Time seemed to speed up with the Sunrise, and you barely made it back to the Inn before the sky lit up entirely.

Sam helped you shrug out of your jacket. A fresh, but shallow bite mark on your left shoulder was just one of two injuries you sustained, The other was a piece of wood sticking out just over your ribcage. That was going to suck. Bumps and bruises aside you walked away from the fight in pretty good condition. You’ve suffered far worse on hunting trips, this was cake.

“What happened in there?” He asked, the shame in his voice was palpable. It was guilt. Guilt that he wasn’t the one who climbed in and got hurt. Guilt over the fact that you didn’t even want to be there, that you hated this job, that you hated this lifestyle, and he put you in danger. It should have been him.

“I don’t know- he grabbed me out of the black, and the next thing I knew he was trying to take a bite out of me.” You answered. Sam’s  fingers brushed over the supple skin at the back of your neck raising goosebumps in the wake of his touch as he pulled the collar of your blood soaked shirt to the side to inspect the bite. Turning into a monster was the last thing you wanted to worry about, but you couldn’t remember if Ghoulishness was communicable or not. No, of course it wasn’t. Well… maybe. No. It’s not. But it could be. How the fuck were Ghouls even formed? You couldn’t think straight with Sam’s hands on you. “Is it bad? I’m not going to turn into a Ghoul am I?” 

“Uhm… I don’t think this is a bite.” Sam replied, humor in his tone, as he looked at three large dots in a perfectly straight line just above your shoulder blade. Either it was the oddest bite mark on Earth or…

“Well what is it then?”

“Best guess. A fork?” He answered.

“What?”

“It uh- it looks like you were stabbed with a fork. You’re up to date on your tetanus I hope?”

“Are you serious? I got fucking stabbed with a fork?” You questioned, standing up to inspect it yourself in the mirror hanging on the wall. 

“Better than being bitten right?”

“Ah ha ha ha. You think you’re funny don’t you?” You snarked, a pleased little smile graced Sam’s lips as he poured alcohol over the little punctures, like pouring lemon juice over papercuts, and then placed a single wide bandaid over it. “Thanks, Doc, am I cured now?”

“Not yet, let’s see those ribs.” He commanded. A little more than happy to oblige you struggled to tug your soiled t-shirt over your head. Some of those stains weren’t coming out, and it was one of your favorites. Sam stepped up to help, fingers grazing over your bare skin as he freed you. There it was, over your left rib cage a large black and purple bruise, with a large chunk of wood buried deep under the skin and out the other side. Hed it been any less intriguing to look at his eyes certainly would have fixed lower than you face. He could see you half naked a thousand times and you would never stop taking his breath away. But he was a gentleman, and you had made your professionalism clear, even though you called to him in your sleep. 

“Oh gross.” You exclaimed upon seeing the biggest splinter you’d ever gotten. No, not a splinter, you straight up got stabbed with a piece of wood. 

The struggle was real, he caught you completely off guard, you didn’t hear him, didn’t know the houl was down there in the dark with you until he clamped a large hand over your mouth and wrapped you up in arms too thick and strong for you to do much. But he wasn’t counting on you giving him the struggle of a lifetime. 

“I’ve never had living flesh before.” He taunted. Kicking and biting all the way up the stairs you finally saw an opportunity and dug your feet into the doorframe refusing to go any further, pushing back hard enough to knock him off balance and drop you. You hit the floor and rolled yanking your handgun from the back of your jeans and unloading 3 rounds into his chest, but he kept coming stalking towards you getting angrier with each bullet. He whipped a hand across your face, before grabbing you by the shoulders and slamming you onto an end table which collapsed beneath you splintering into shards, then pain. Yanking you up by the hair he threw you into the kitchen table and then he was on you. That sick rancid smell of rotting meat and death permeating every sense. Until gunfire, and Sam.

“You know this means we have to stay longer.” Sam stated, as he set to work trying to figure out the best extraction method. It was deep but nothing punctured, a clean through and through. Best thing to do was just pull it out. 

“Yeah, I figured as much. I’m not thrilled about it, gotta say.” You replied. Sam responded with a  half smile, focused on the task at hand, with a quick motion he yanked the shard of wood straight out of your side. “OW!” You yelped, and shoved his shoulder in mock offense.

“Hard part’s over now.” He said, before pouring more whiskey over the open wound. With a wince you shoved him again. Sam just smiled, and began the less than fun process of sewing up the two large puncture wounds. It would have been easy to watch him work forever. It would have been easy just to watch him do literally anything forever.

“Why are you nervous in the woods?” He asked, out of the blue, and feeling like walking straight into a wall.

“What kind of question is that? You know why, you know what’s you there.” A half truth. Sam saw through it, saw through you.

“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s just that. You’ve been on edge since we pulled in.”

“To be fair I could be back home stuffing my face with pizza rolls with a six pack, binge watching Outlander. But instead I spent the night digging graves. You should be on edge too.” Mmm… Jamie. You had a full docket, wasn’t that enough reason to not want to go traipsing around the woods digging up empty graves under the scrutiny of the weird Staff and getting stabbed with a fork? It was more than justifiable to you.

“That’s how you’d spend your week alone?” Sam asked with a chuckle, snipping the ends of the suture.

“Pfft, I’m not telling you all my secrets.” You replied. Oh but he could imagine the things you might do by yourself. Did you ever think of him? Just once even. What he wouldn’t give for confirmation. The little sounds as you touched yourself, the things you might be thinking in your own head. The thin layer of sweat glistening in the cool night air. His name falling from your lips in a gasp as you came apart. But there was only one secret he was truly interested in.

“Okay, then just tell me one. What’s going on with you?” He said snipping the ends off of the final stitch.

“Look, Sam I’m not going to give you my damn- origin story. I just don’t care much for the woods is all.” You snipped. End of conversation. Shut that shit down. You never told anyone what happened. It was something you intended to take to the grave. It was something you intended to keep locked away even from yourself. So much time and effort went into fighting the memory of that day, you couldn’t just drudge it up for anyone. Sam wasn’t anyone. Could you do it for him?

“Okay. Maybe I misread you. But- uh… If you did. Want to give me your origin story, I would be more than happy to listen.” He reassured, taking your hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Suddenly you felt guilty for not sharing. It was your story to give if you wanted to, but now it felt like you were just hiding something.

“It’s violent, and bloody, and traumatizing, like everyone else’s. There’s nothing more to it.” You dismissed, moving to grab clean clothes to sleep in, and a towel.

“I don’t think you’re like everyone else.” Sam replied, stopping you in your tracks. If you turned around, if you looked at his face, you’d cave. So you didn’t.

“That doesn’t matter. It’s the same old song and dance. You see something, you lose someone, you search a little too hard and then you get sucked in.” You said and disappeared into the bathroom.

After a night like this, the best cure for any ailment was a steamy shower with the water cranked as hot as you could stand it. Letting it wash over you, carrying away the dirt, the blood, the sin, it was as close to tranquil as you’d ever get. And you were not one to miss out on a shower at a nice hotel. Great water pressure, perfect temperature. Ah, it was like heaven. The nagging in the back of your mind was impossible to ignore. Open up. Just tell him. Just do it. You might feel better. You’ve only kept this secret for a decade and then some. Speaking it into reality doesn’t make it any more or less real or true. It happened, it couldn’t un-happen. You can’t undo it, and it wouldn’t make the pain of that any more bearable if you shared it with someone. And of all people… it was Sam. 

Stepping out of the bathroom finally your eyes immediately landed on Sam pouring over John’s journal. There you were again getting lost in his visage, still covered in dirt, and exhausted beyond measure. You walked up behind him and leaned over his shoulder, between the sweet and floral scent of your shampoo and the feel of your breasts as you leaned against him, he could have melted into your arms. Soft, and warm, if he paused in his mind he could trick himself, for a brief moment, that this was how it always was. 

“Someone’s been busy.” Your eyes scanned the various papers and notes spread over the table in front of him, picking up one of the papers your brow nit at the list. “Vampire, Vetala, Djinn… What is this?”

“I don’t think Nolan and his wife were sick. You saw his corpse he looked sucked dry. I’m trying to find anything that takes the life force to feed. It happened fast, but over time. So it’s not a wraith, or Okami, or a Banshee.” He explained. Something just wasn’t adding up for him, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

“That’s a pretty short list.” 

“No kidding.”

“You’re brilliant, it’ll come to you.” You said, dropping the paper back on the table, and moving to the chair beside him. Pausing and starting and pausing again, you struggled to find the words. Being vulnerable was not a speciality of yours, in fact you did your damndest not to let yourself feel that way. It only led to pain and digging up shit you’d buried for reasons.. But with Sam you weren’t afraid. You knew his story, yours was just as unbelievable, it was only fair. “So, uhm… When I was 15, I was walking through the woods behind our house, it was basically a straight shot home from school, and I used to play in those woods, like… all the time as a kid. But one day it was like the forest was alive and threatening me.”

You made the mistake of looking at his face, fixed in confusion, concern, maybe even adoration. He’d dropped everything, the monsters in the book before him suddenly meant nothing.

“I know how it sounds, but trust me, they- the trees moved, and switched on me, and I got lost, and then. Then there was this stillness, like a vaccuum sucked out all of the air, you could hear a pin drop. And the… White Thing. “ A chill ran down your spine, raising goosebumps, he took your hands in his. “And it was the most terrified I’d ever been, I thought I was going to die, but it handed me this little stone.”  He didn’t believe you, or you were convinced he didn’t. Either way it didn’t matter, you had proof. You stood and walked to the bed, yanking your bag from under it, and rifling through the pockets, finding it with an ah-ha you returned to the table and set the little green stone with a carving in it on the table. Sam’s brow creased as he picked up the stone, his mouth moving to speak, but you cut him off.

“I left it there in the woods. I didn’t touch it. I ran straight home, and eventually passed out I guess. In the morning I got up and uh-… I went to find my brothers, and my parents, It was a blood bath, They were dead, all of them, and this stupid fucking rock was left there. That thing killed them, it was in my home… I was asleep. I didn’t even know.” Sam gave your hands a reassuring squeeze thumbs running over your knuckles as he leaned in until there was nothing but him in your vision. There was empathy in his eyes, no pity, or disbelief. You took in a breath to steady yourself, emotions beginning to peak more than you were comfortable displaying. You sniffed back the tears that threatened to gather.

“I tried to throw it out, back into the woods. Down a well. I buried it. I smashed it. I threw it into a river, a lake, the ocean. I threw it out of a car. Sam I’ve tried to get rid of this thing for almost 15 years. It just keeps coming back.” You said with an exasperated sigh attempting to catch your breath, gripping his fingers tightly. “Anyway… It wasn’t long after that I went searching for answers, and found the life.”

“And here you are.” He said, eyes like a field of sunflowers fixed on yours mesmerized by you.. Heart jumping into your throat you leaned in, closing the space between you to practically nothing.

“Here I am.” You whispered. He was close enough you could feel the warmth from him, you could practically taste him. You wanted more than anything in the entire world to know how his lips tasted. More than anything he wanted to know what yours tasted like.

Knock! Knock!

Nearly jumping out of your skin, and now boiling you turned a rage filled head to the door stomping to it more than happy to give that perfect little shit a piece of your mind. It was barely past 6am and Esmeralda was already trying to sink her claws into Sam? Yanking the door open you started in.

“Look I don’t know what your deal is but-” It was Derek! And he looked mortified. “Oh, shit I’m sorry! I  thought you were someone else.” Not that it made it any better.

“Good morning, Mrs. Wesson, I thought you might be awake. Pardon the interruption. Breakfast will be served shortly, but I wanted to deliver you this. For the Masquerade Ball tomorrow night.”

“I’m sorry, did you say Masquerade?” The dumbfounded look on your face must have been entertaining because Derek chuckled and handed the box to you. Sam stood up and walked to the door, hearing Derek’s voice and hearing about a delivery was more than enough for his interest to pique past disappointment at what just transpired- or rather, what didn’t. He stepped in close resting a hand at your hip, happy to play the territorial husband.

“Yes, in carrying on the tradition set down by the Wellington’s. This year’s theme is Heaven and Hell.” Derek explained.

“How charming. If there’s one thing I love more than a Ball, it’s a Masquerade. What is this box for?” What’s in the box? What’s in the boooxxx?! Brad Pitt. No, but really there better not be a human heart or something weird.

“Well, forgive the assumption, but you don’t strike me as the type to typically shop for such occasions, I sent for a few things for you.”

“You- I’m sorry, you sent for a few things?” You clarified, because clearly there was blood in your ear or something. Peeking into the box you gasped, and shook your head trying to hand the box back. “This is like a lot of money’s worth of a few things Derek. I’m sorry I can’t accept this.”

“But I insist, you may return them after the night is over, but in the meanwhile I think they will suit you.” Derek said, not taking no for an answer and stepping away from the door.

“Thanks…” You replied, unsure and a little confused. Turning to face Sam you kicked the door shut.

“There’s a really fancy dress and jewelry and stuff in this box.” Panic. You were in panic mode now. You were expected to wear that stuff- and lets not even touch how creepy-weird it is that the fucking Innkeeper just “sent for a few” really expensive, but also really pretty things for you! Ew! Weird! Pretty… You were expected to wear high heels.

“Well, if we’re going I guess I need to go into town later.” Sam said.

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#Sam Winchester #sam winchester x reader #sam winchester smut #sam x reader #monster house

[pilferingapples]

TMA S2 Natter I guess!!

LORE LORE LORE LORE WHOOO

under the cut for massive major spoilers of course

- I’m really glad I’m binging this, it helps me remember things to have a big chunk of story and lots to pick up on all stacked together and reinforcing itself. I still have to check and double check the Fan Wiki for names here and there, when I hear someone I KNOW I recognize from earlier; I’ve inevitably run across some spoilers that way, thanks to the structure of the wiki, so I’m really glad I’m needing to do that less and less as the show goes on; I don’t think I had to check anything in the last ten episodes, thought I did still have to go to the wiki to get links to the Transcripts, because 

- I find the tunnel-echo effects make the dialogue pretty unparseable no matter how loud I have the show, unfortunately. I could understand Michael,and not much else. (I mean,I could understand Michael’s voice, the Spiral’s motives and all are fairly opaque to me still.) The voices and acting lend so much ambiance, I would have been happy to watch along on the YT vid with subtitles , but it doesn’t have subtitles? Frustrating, but I do  really appreciate there being transcripts! 

- Michael makes me really, really sad. He was just a kid who stayed out in the rain a second too late! It wasn’t even his idea! And he got Marked and he lost his whole damn life to this thing before he was even old enough to have a good grasp on what reality is in the normal swing of things. Poor kid. Poor Michael-that-should-have-been. (ETA so I don’t answer this multiple times: I’m aware Lightning-and-Tower Michael might not be Hallways and Hands Michael, but this is just name-association, really.  Also, there’s a growing horror in S2 in finding so many people who seemed to escape their encounters showing  up again in much worse shape in other Statements...)

- Thanks to Tumblr Osmosis , I’m  sure the Endgame OTP (at least so far) in Jon/Martin, and while I’m currently not a fan of that (though totally prepared to change my mind according to character/relationship development!) I am  delighted to be able to enjoy Jon and Basira’s relationship without worrying that her character is going to be suddenly smashed flat to make her The Love Interest. I love their weird uneasy alliance!  I hope she comes back but also hope she goes somewhere Far Away and lives Ordinarily Ever After. 

-on that note, Daisy Daisy Daisy bring back Daisy, I don’t usually get into cop characters but WEIRD CRYPTID FORCE COPS are apparently a potential weakness for me  (..also I know, I know  they are probably Hunt-aligned. I’ve already said I’m unfortunately Weak for The Hunt ).  

-I miss Actual!Sasha >:

- Tim is seriously the only person in this whole damn institute with any self preservation either supernatural or normal??  “Yeah you’re right I don’t like the boss who stalks me and keeps secrets about a situation which is directly about my own personal safety like I was the enemy and takes his trauma out on me directly while I’m recovering from,in this case , exactly the same trauma thanks “

Martin: Wow Tim you’re so selfish, how can you even think about fleeing our supernatural hellscape, why aren’t you more concerned with the guy who is very overtly considering you a potential enemy and crossing all boundaries in a way that, in any normal job, would right off be enough to get HR and maybe the cops involved?  WHY ARE YOU BEING SO UNREASONABLE, TIM??...Now excuse me while I run to my probable death with no preparation in defense of a guy who seems to go out of his way to hit my very obvious emotional weak points and considered me so useless  he thought I might be dead already, because unlike you I am making good decisions!!! LEEEROY JENKINNNSSSSS”

-honestly the apparent connection between why the Institute/Elias accepted Martin as sacrifice an employee and Martin’s emotional Everything is both screamingly apparent and worth an essay all on its own , that’s some Good Charactering

-I never trusted Elia-- Never Trust the Boss Of Shadowy Organization With Mysterious Backers, that’s my motto-- but HE KILLED THE INFODUMP SOURCE. HOW DARE. INSTANT LEAST FAVE.

- I KNEW LEITNER WAS A RESEARCHER I KNEW IT I KNEW IT, who has a vast occult library BUT never really figures in any accounts of actually DOING anything?? AN OCCULT NERD DOING RESEARCH.  (I say, well aware that *I* did not do my research as fully as I’d like here, to avoid spoilers, and thus may be forgetting a Big Thing he apparently did)

- I did NOT know he was still alive?? and totally didn’t see him working with Gertrude (it was actually Gert’s Occult Book Hunting that made me slap my head and go OH RIGHT about Leitner!) 

-I want to know more about Gertrude 

- The OH NO moment I had during Leitner’s description of obvious multiple entities working together to just wreck his shop!!  BAD, BAD, THE INJUSTICE LEAGUE OF AAAAAH IS BAD 

- also now I know for sure that the Web and the Stranger are enemies? this puts at least 2/3 Fear Entities that could, I am aware , pretty much have me as a pawn for a cheap ice-cream cone allied against the one  Entity that makes me absolutely go into Screaming Phobia Murder Mode, I don’t know if everyone’s feeling the same way or if this is just the show happening to find my particular keys like that 

-...listen Elias is THE WORRRRSSSST and I am sure The Institute is Not Good but if The Stranger existed and was A Thing like this then they wouldn’t have  to Play me to get my assistance on taking it out , every single episode about it makes me go Mad Raccoon in A Box ,  I want it gone, the enemy of the Stranger is my ...slightly less enemy 

-Jonnycakes Sims is the Avatar of the Human Trainwreck, but I did not realize until this episode that he does not drink coffee??  I’m torn between thinking he should and thinking all caffeine should be taken away from him forever. 

-Also, Dammit, Jonet, this “keeping info about supernatural horror schemes from my team For Their Own Good” nonsense?  BAD , you are not a Victorian patriarch and they are not your children, GIVE THEM A FIGHTING CHANCE YOU GOOBER, DID YOU EVER READ ONE GOTHIC NOVEL, IGNORANCE IS DEATH 

- ..HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO SMASH THE TABLE YOU. GOOBER PIE.   I take it back, definitely Jonny needs to drink all the more caffeine. 

--in conclusion, ELIAS TOOK MY LORE HOOKUP AND HE MUST PAY FOR HIS CRIMES. 

(Supplemental:P) 

I'm getting the impression, from responses to my earlier little post, that people don't? like Tim ?? and I am Afraid this means he is Something Horrible?? but he's fun and friendly and smart and reacting like a human with normal human self-preservation instincts + a touch of Heroic honestly?? why do people not like Tim, is he a secret Horror, NO DON'T ACTUALLY TELL ME but  D:  NERVOUS NOW

#TMA natter #long post sorry #also not particularly focused I'm tired and wanting to hear S3 XD

[midnightzephyr]

#4

like all weekends, my best friends and i would always go out and spend nights in a place located somewhere we all don’t know. a place that is distant from where we stayed in. somewhere vacant, with nothing but the ground and the sky, and the stars and the galaxy.

that one night was tiny bit different. apart from the guys brought girls along, and i wasn’t one of them. i was sort of lonely, even though i had the other guys with me. it just felt wrong somehow. it felt as if i should have brought my own girlfriend, a person whom i could snuggle and hug and pepper kisses all over without being judged.. but melancholically, i don’t even have a girlfriend. girls just didn’t want me more than just a friend. or maybe my standards are just too high.. i don’t know.

three of the guys had their girlfriends glued to their sides with arms wrapped around their waists, and the leader of the whole group brought his little sister. the thing that wasn’t magnificent was that the group of girls tagged along another one, another best friend to complete the whole squad of five. she wasn’t dating any of the single members, and it just so happens that i’ve always been in love with her.

basically the seven of us guys and the five girls, rode two vans driven by the ones we all trusted the most. i would have got into the truck we guys took on our way to meet the girls, but it ended up in a jumbled mess. the girlfriends sat with their boyfriends, and the leader’s little sister was elsewhere. i was startled when there were no seats left in that van, but i guess it was for the good.

i sighed and hung my head low as i trudged my way to the other vehicle, feeling worn out even before the trip even started. i kicked the air, honestly i didn’t even have a clue why i was so upset. it wasn’t the end of the world, i know.. but i just really didn’t feel like i was in the spirit to have fun. not at that time.

i reached the other van, it was placed merely ten feet from the other one, but it sure felt as if i walked ten miles. i grabbed the door and pulled it open, scanning around the vehicle for the best seat. i had multiple choices, there were a lot of empty seats in this van. i kept on glancing at the empty seats, i couldn’t make up my mind until..

“can’t you hurry up?“ james snorted and started the engine.

i wasn’t always the one who gets surprised the most, but his voice was so strangely loud i felt like my heart dropped. i got into the van and before i could even place my bum properly on a seat, he drove off in the speed of 100 km/h. who even drives that fast when you just started getting on the road?

i crashed onto an empty seat, but unlucky me, half of my body was pressed against someone. the upper half of my body pressured on the person beside me. she jumped in surprise, and i swore to myself i could have gotten my dick cut off if this girl was anyone’s girlfriend.

the movements in the van were inhumanly insane and i kept on hitting against the window, and to her. i couldn’t even sit up straight, not until the car slowed down on the highway to track down the other vehicle. that freak.. what was he thinking? did he want us all to die?

i finally got the chance to sit up and straighten myself. i brushed my hair off my forehead in annoyance and grunted in slight moodiness. i was mad, but crashing in the seat beside the window was a great thing. i held the sill before sliding the windoe open. the midnight breeze felt amazing, and the scent of the grass filled my nostrils. it was beautiful, the moon shone brightly and i’ve never thought it could be that ethereal. it was.. amazing. and it felt so close to me that i could just touch it, and feel it with the tips of my fingers.

but then i felt soft eyes pierce my head behind me. that’s when i realize that i should apologize to her, to the person i caused so much pain just because i couldn’t get a grip of myself.

i closed my eyes as i turned my head, praying to god she wasn’t anyone’s girlfriend or sister. but i prayed harder hoping that girl wasn’t her.. wasn’t the one that has a hobby of making my heart race. that would be so embarrassing.. ah i’m already blushing at the thought of her face.

i opened my eyes, and the first thing i saw were her irises. her dark eyes, reflecting the moonlight beautifully. i could see myself mirrored in her orbs, and no one can deny that she is the most beautiful creature god has ever created.

she was looking at the moon too, like what i was doing. it was rather stupid of me to think that she actually was looking at me, but when i stared in her eyes unintentionally, her pupils moved and focused on me. her head tilted slightly so it was aligned parallel with mine. our lips were far apart, but i was nervous as if she was close enough to kiss.

i attempted to apologize for the chaos, but my words choked me and i had trouble breathing for a split second. she got worried, her hands flew upwards and held me by the sides of my face. i didn’t know what she was trying to do, but all i knew is that the person i love is holding me tenderly, looking at me in the eyes with worrisome. i cannot not love her, she’s the greatest.

she asked me if i was okay, and i, unaware of what i was doing, remained still and stared at her. she repeated her voice, and finally i snapped back to reality. i nodded and gulped in the piling saliva in my throat before sitting myself back on the seat like any sane person would. this sure is going to be a long trip.

she giggled, and god i hope nobody had any superpowers that could read minds and hearts bcs i swore my heart skipped a beat. her laugh.. oh her gentle voice. i was so weak, and defeated. i was so in love i could honestly drown in a pool of her voice.

i stammered an apology. it was so hard to even say anything, ah i was a mess. i could feel it in my bones.

she pulled her hand and draped it on her thigh, intertwining with her other hand and squeezing them together. she replied saying it was okay. i knew it was not. at least i thought it was not. my heavyweight body pressed on her and crashed on her so suddenly, i was sure she was culture shocked by it.

i tried to maintain a relaxed posture and an empty mind, i tried my best to not tilt my head to my right and stare at her unknowingly. it was hard, and i was just so pressured by it but i knew i had to it in order for me to not seem like somekind of freakish stalker.

i stared outside the window, my eyes roamed across the empty road. the flowers were colourful even though it was dark. the moonlight reflected beautifully against the surface of the sea. the waves hit the shore rhythmically, and the smell of the cold midnight breeze was amazing. i couldn’t wait to get out of the van and lay on the sand. i missed nature, i missed being able to love and think about it freely. it had been a week, and it was torturous for me to be hooked up in the studios. but my stresses were getting lifted, my shoulders were coming to an ease and i can finally smile a distressed smile.

the sight was as beautiful as her. i still remember the first time i have ever encountered her beautiful smile. it was the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, it also felt as if all my sins were washed away. she was that beautiful. the instant my eyes landed on her, i was loss for words. i choked on my drink when she first started a conversation, it was embarrassing and she laughed at me. but i knew that she knew she was beautiful.

it all started on that one day. daniel wanted to go to a coffee shop that morning to have a fun talk with his little sister since she was busy with her college life and he was busy in the studio. at that time i woke up to pee, but the water was so insanely cold i couldn’t fall asleep because my goosebumps were so high up it nearly touched the sky. he invited me along, and i supposed why not. i needed something to warm me up, and coffee should do the trick.

i bought espresso for myself, and daniel bought his own drink with a bagel. we sat down on a table of four, sitting side by side because he wanted her sister to seat opposite him. i didn’t care, i mean i was just there for coffee anyways.

it took her a couple of minutes to arrive, and daniel stood up to squeeze her in a hug. i was staring outside the window, until she greeted me and told me to get up. i was lazy, she knew how i was anyways so i was rather annoyed that she wanted me to stand up. however my instincts tingled saying to just get up, so i did it anyways.

she grabbed me by the elbow and dragged it in front of someone. she wore a pinkish peach cardigan, with a white shirt and white jeans. daniel’s little sister said my name, and another name. and i didn’t notice she was introducing us to each other until she grabbed my hand. all i knew was that her eyes are pretty, and her smile is too.

she grabbed my hand rather gently, and shook it a couple of times. her skin was so soft, and i didn’t have a clue anyone’s skin could feel that feather-like. it was as if she touched the clouds, and the essence of it seeped through her tissues. although logically i’ve never held a cloud in my life, but i know they are soft. the gases combined made it look like cotton, gentle cotton. and i wouldn’t need to wish to touch the clouds, all i need was to wish i could hold her hands.

i sat down and scooted to the window, giving space for my great friend to sit. she sat in front of me, her hands were grasping each other against the table. she had a couple of bracelets on, and the scent of her captivated my smell buds. i could barely smell the scent of the espresso anymore even if i place the lip of the cup against my philtrum. the smell of roses and jasmines, god.. she drove me insane.

she started a conversation, and she asked me the things no one has ever asked. she wanted to know about what my opinion on flowers, and what were my favourites. i didn’t know what to say, since it was a rare question and particularly i didn’t have a huge admiration for flowers. i didn’t want to say the truth of my not liking it, since she seemed so in love with plants and i just couldn’t cope with seeing her smile fade. so i ended up saying i liked it, and flowers are my escape even though honestly that will never be true.

she grew eager to know about my favourite plant was. i was reluctant in answering, i was afraid that flower didn’t even exist. i told her my favourite was.. what is it called? uh.. it starts with a c, and ended with a sis.. the name was so scientific, i was sure i just blurted that name because i couldn’t think. but then she said the flower suits me. she said coreopsis held the meaning of always cheerful, and that’s what i am.

ah.. that’s the name. coreopsis. i guess she mentioned the non-scientific name, but i forgot. i think it’s called thickseed? yeah, something like that.

she told me her favourite ones were mostly white. i forgot their names, but they held sincere and pleasant meanings. truthfully i didn’t know what she meant about the meanings of these plants, or whether she goes to classes or writes a dictionary about it. she seemed to know it all, and as she spoke her knowledge, i fell in love deeper and deeper.

the only thing i remembered was that she said someday she wants someone to send her a bouquet of baby breaths, nothing much, just that. she told me it meant everlasting love, and she told that it would be beautiful to have someone as thoughtful as that in life.

day by day, we talked more. she knew me by heart and in the end she got to know that flowers weren’t my actual escape. but she wasn’t furious, she was rather delighted. she wanted to tell me more about plants, and the beauty behind the language of flowers, as long as i was willing to listen. it was her anyways, i couldn’t resist. of course i was willing to listen and pay attention. her voice was as sweet as honey, and i could get diabetes if honey could bring diseases.

i grew more in love with her, and somehow a couple of months, or years maybe, we parted. she went abroad, to continue studying language and graduating in england. she changed her number, she didn’t contact me anymore. i would have asked daniel’s sister, but i was afraid if it turns out that she was done with me. i was afraid she didn’t want me to know more about flowers, and literature. so i avoided. but until this day, this exact second, the moment she’s sitting beside me again.. i still loved her the same. perhaps even more than before. she was right there by my side in the tight area inside the van.

the loud noises from the others in the van muted down as they all drifted to sleep. i, wasn’t even a glimpse tired. my eyes were wide open and my brain was fully functioning. i was sure the only ones awake were me and james. she was lightly snoring beside me, and i didn’t even have to glance at her face to know she still looks drop dead gorgeous even with saliva drooling down her chin.

the vehicle came to a stop, and the other van parked right beside ours. i looked outside the window, and adam was there grinning and raising his eyebrows. that jerk couldn’t be even more stupid, i was already embarrassed having to sit beside my beautiful girl the whole ride, and here he was poking me over the edge of a cliff. my cheeks were burning, it felt as if i was a volcano that was about to blast.

everyone woke up just before we stopped, so it didn’t require me cooing her name and shaking her gently to make her eyelids flutter open.

we got down and took our bags. i didn’t know where mine was since i wasn’t the one loading them. i went to the boot of the van i rode, but there were only tents and hammocks. who even brought that? there weren’t even trees here.

eventually i got my hands on my bag and helped them carry the tents and food. the guys built the tents and campfire while the girls gathered the food. i don’t have a clue what time it was, but i knew it was late enough for the temperature to drop low. it was freezing, and she couldn’t handle the cold. i knew it, i always caught her shivering.

the girls cooked and served, and we ate in our sleeping bags because it was too cold. it was really cold.. i had two jackets on and i still shuddered as the temperature hit my bones. i glanced at her, her small hands were pale and she held her meal in shaking hands. i just wanted to pull her tight in a hug, but she was stones away from me. ugh.

i tried my very best not to stare at her and instead join the conversation they all were having. but i couldn’t help it. sure, i was a laughing dumbass through the night, but i constantly caught myself glancing at her to take a glimpse of her beauty. why am i like that honestly?

after finishing our food and cleaning up, everyone took place and laid down in their sleeping bags. we all watched the sky, staring at the constellations and making out possible shapes. like there was one that looked like a horse one of our friends pointed out, and i spotted a combination of stars that looked like lily’s small hands.

slowly, each and one of them fell asleep. i was the last one, even though i didn’t get any sleep in the van but again.. i wasn’t even a glimpse tired. i smiled to myself, i was glad i could finally lay under the blanket of stars again. it’s great, i really felt alive at that time.

i glanced to my left and saw caitlin curled up in a ball beside adam. they always did that unknowingly, and when the guys and i told them how they sleep together, they protest. if only i could take a picture and prove it to them.. but i was too lazy to get my phone. it was in our bags inside the tents and i was already comfortable in my sleeping bag. guess i just really couldn’t care to bother.

i tilted my head to my right, and i saw her. my girl. well okay.. the girl i wished i could call mine. she was hugging her knees, and was leaning in my way. i don’t know how i could not notice that.. how in the world could i not even notice her body being inches away from leaning against mine? i didn’t even know she was laying down beside me.. what the fuck was wrong with me?

her eyes were closed and her lips were apart. her nose was slightly red, and so did her cheeks. she was cold and freezing. she was asleep, i knew that she was already in deep depths of her dreams, so i didn’t hesitate to turn my body and face her.

i laid on my side, my right arm folded and tucked under my head while my left arm hung low on my waist. i admired her beauty, i was falling in love with her all over again. she was different, she was definitely not like any other girl. she looked fragile, and delicate, like a flower petal of her favourite.

something struck into me and for some reason my left arm rose and my fingers danced against her cold lips. the strains of hair covered her face weren’t a bother to me because every inch of her was beautiful. there was no such thing as beauty covering beauty right?

my thumb rubbed against her cheek, and my index finger traced down the bridge of her nose. i could just touch her like this until the next life comes. i can just run my fingers through her until they get numb because i would never get tired.

she shuddered in cold, and without me realizing, i scooted closer to her. i don’t know if my eyes played tricks or they were being real, but her lips curved in a small smile. it was as if she felt the warmth in my body, even though i was cold myself but at least i could share my last drips of heat in me with the girl i loved the most.

i got closer, and she leaned nearer. her cute figure came closer to me and almost instantly, my arm pulled her tightly in an embrace. her face tucked in the spance under my cheek, and i could feel her breathing against the skin of my neck. she laid herself cozily there, and her fingers grasped the patch of clothing near the left side of my chest. i was sure she could feel my heartbeat, and i was sure she was smiling at how nervous i was.

she puffed out a small smile, and it was as if she was trying to tell me to relax. i reconsidered the thought of her actually sleeping.. maybe she was awake the whole time and noticed the way i stared at her sleeping and touching every structure of her face. i was doomed.

after some minutes and i was sure that my heart rate was reaching a normal pace, i tried closing my eyes. but still, i couldn’t drift off to sleep. she was in my arms, snuggled tightly and i was holding her tenderly. her fingers grasped my shirt and my fingers were tracing shapes against her back. it was surreal, i just wanted to yell and scream and shout and tell everyone about this.

i smiled and opened my eyes. i stared at her instead since i couldn’t get a slice of sleep. i didn’t want to miss an opportunity to look at her like this again. this was just a once in a lifetime experience.. i can’t lose it.

her small voice cracked but her eyes were shut. i wasn’t aware if she was conscious or just sleep talking, but somehow i wished she was awake still. i wanted her words to be true. i wanted her to say it again and again and kill me again and again. i wanted to hug her closer and kiss her lips and feel her hands on me because that would be the only thing that need to complete my whole life.

as she spoke her words, my grip around her tightened. i leaned my cheek against the crown of her head and my muscles under my flesh moved as i smiled.

“under the skies and above the grounds, i will always be yours,” she whispered delicately.

—

#fiction

[lavishedinjimin]

coffee break -> jhs

↳ pairing: hoseok x reader ↳ genre: mover!hoseok, fluff ↳ word count: 2.1k ↳ warnings: none — synopsis: Just a simple coffee break with the cute mover boy wouldn’t hurt at all -- right? 

a/n: This is a little short oneshot idea that I had for Hobi! I hope you guys like it x

You didn’t know why you would think that moving to a new home was easy.

It wasn’t.

There were huge boxes and loads omnipresent as the moving company that you hired scurried everywhere to get everything done quickly. You had your hair up in a bun so that your hair wouldn’t disturb you as you were double-checking every detail.

“Excuse me miss—” a man carrying two medium-sized boxes say as he tried to move through the hallway.

“O-Oh, sorry,” you quickly move away, letting him pass.

Looking around you, it seems like everything was going smoothly. The house was getting emptier as each hour passes by. At this exact moment, you notice how large the area of your living room was without the huge unnecessary coffee table in the middle. That darn table – which did nothing as it only murdered your poor little toe every once in a while.  

You walked out of the house and observed how they were transferring loads inside a large truck. People were constantly going in and out to get all the remaining items, and you tried to calm yourself down with the number of people around your house. Everything was happening so quickly for you to completely wrap your head around it.

On top of that, it was five in the morning, and you were yawning every three minutes.

“Wait, wait!” you stopped a man carrying a purple box that you intended to put your expensive china tea sets in. He pauses immediately and looks at you with a little smile. 

“Don’t worry, miss Y/n, I know.” He gestures to the bold red letters that you wrote on top of the box – ‘PLEASE BE CAREFUL! THIS IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ANY OF OUR LIVES COMBINED’.

You laughed at yourself, slightly embarrassed as you crossed your arms in front of your chest. “Okay, I trust you—” your eyes fly to the name tag attached on his blue shirt, reading his name, “Hoseok.”

The man smiles wide, witnessing how his eyes turn into little crescents. He seemed to be the same age as you, his black hair parted in the middle, dimples appearing on his cheeks as he grins.

You didn’t know what it was, but there was something about his appearance that wanted you to know him better. He just looked like a person that anyone can get along with. You watch him place the box carefully inside the truck, placing it specifically against a corner, other boxes compelling against it so that it wouldn’t move along the ride. He smiles brightly at you once he was done, raising a thumbs up.

“How long have you lived here?” He suddenly asks, joining you as you walked back inside the almost-empty house. You cross your arms in front of your chest as you think. “About four years. I decided to move because this area is so far from my workplace, and I have to drive for a long time."

“Yeah, I understand. And especially with all the traffic and all that,” He speaks and you nod your head. “Mhmm, and I really hate it when I arrive late. But with the new house, the ride is only thirty minutes.”

Hoseok attentively listens. He has now ditched all of his responsibilities and was latched onto you like a fly over a lightbulb. Maybe it was how you looked with your hair up in a messy bun, or how the morning light shone over your face – illuminating it, he just thought that you looked so beautiful. He finds it cute whenever you’d get hassled, or how you’d still feel so sleepy when he catches you yawn every now and then. He was utterly attracted to you the first time he laid his very own eyes on yours.

You and Hoseok didn’t think of anything much about the situation – a little conversation between loads can do no harm, right?

“Oh, do you want some coffee?” You asked him. You had previously prepared your coffee maker earlier this morning for the workers. And by the looks of his reaction, he apparently didn’t know. Hoseok quirks an eyebrow up, “There’s coffee?”

You giggled at his response, grabbing his wrist as you quickly brought him to the kitchen. Hoseok, on the other hand, felt sparks ignite his body when he felt your touch. Sure, other employees were staring at the two of you, but he was too in his feelings to care. He hasn’t felt this way in a long time, and it felt almost new to him. A smile crept up his lips when you led him to the wooden island where a coffee maker stands in the middle.

“I asked almost everyone if they wanted some coffee – but only one person agreed.” Hoseok smirks as he watches you get a new clean mug and prepare his drink.

“Am I that one?” he grins, and something about that smug look on his face made you blush the slightest bit.

You look down, chuckling as you poured the hot liquid. “Nope,” you said, popping the ‘p’. His laugh fills the room, and you could’ve sworn that you’ve never heard such a wonderful laugh like his.

Once you were done, he held the mug and carefully bringing it up to his lips, blowing on the hot steaming liquid a little bit. “Thank you, angel.”

Angel? Did he really just called you that?

You watched him as he sipped on his drink casually, as if nothing has happened. Maybe that was a normal thing for him? Nevertheless, your cheeks were painted in a shade of red, getting a bit shy. You immediately looked away in embarrassment once he locked eyes with yours. “Uhh, anyway –”

“Jung Hoseok!” a male voice suddenly calls from the doorway and you both whip your head to his direction. You notice how the man looks at Hoseok, then at the coffee on his hands, then at you and he smirks. “When you’re finished with your coffee can you please lend a hand with Jaeho to carry the last few boxes?”

Hoseok nods once, “Sure, I’ll get to it as soon as possible.”

You watch as the man exits as he carries a large yellow box on his hands. You snort when you remember that those were your books that you still ought to read.

“Umm, Y/n?” Hoseok says to grab your attention and you swiftly look at his eyes. “Yes?”

“If you don’t mind me asking…” he drags his sentence out and you quirk an eyebrow up, “do you have a boyfriend? O-or someone you’re currently into?”

Your eyes widen in surprise, not expecting him to ask you that question. You felt your cheeks redden, a smile forming your lips involuntarily. “Um,” you look down on the floor, trying to hide your blush. “I don’t.”

Hoseok chuckles at your cuteness, taking a sip on his hot drink. He felt relieved on the inside, the question that he was dying to know earlier this morning finally out of his chest. His heart jumped when you looked back up at him, eyes locked together.

“T-that’s great,” he stammered a little bit as he couldn’t hide his smile.

“Great?” You smirked, crossing your arms in front of your chest.

“Yeah.” He stated simply. He had a playful look on his face, and you knew what those eyes mean. But you didn’t want to jump into any more conclusions, though. You didn’t think about it too much.

Soon enough, Hoseok finishes his mug and places it on the sink, turning the faucet on but you were faster to move him away. “Hey, hey,” you giggled, “I’ll do it.”

Hoseok chuckles as he observes you washing the mug. You feel his eyes at the back of your head and you quickly spin around, “Aren’t you supposed to help someone?” you smile up at him.

“Oh, right,” he claps his hand once, making you laugh quietly, “I’ll go ahead.”

You sigh once he’s disappeared from your vision and you continue to wash the mug. Hoseok seemed like a pretty cool guy, and he was nice to be around. The two of you somehow clicked instantly, and it feels like you have known him for a very long time whenever you talk to him. He always has this certain grin whenever he talks, and just thinking about his smile makes you smile.

~

You were a very sentimental person, that’s for sure. You couldn't help but reminisce the past memories that were created in your old house. It was one of the big purchases that you had, and it will always have a place in your heart. 

However, you mentally prepare yourself for the number of boxes and items you have to work with. You only wished that everything can just magically organize themselves in a single snap of your fingers – but that’s not real life, sadly.

You sigh once you parked at the front of your new house, climbing up the white steps and you jiggled the key in the lock. Opening the door, you snort at the sight. The image that you had in your head was clearly the same as it is in front of you. Boxes were piled up – neatly – in the living room, all shapes and colors.

“This will be a long night,” you muttered to yourself.

In an instant, your eyes caught an unfamiliar bright blue box settled in the middle of the kitchen island as you were taking a look around the house. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you didn’t remember packing anything in a blue box like this. Should you ignore it and just place it somewhere else? Or should you look inside?

Your instincts went with option two and carefully opened the box with nimble fingers. Your mind went to the moving company, thinking that someone might’ve left this here because they were the previous ones to enter the house. Could it be a housewarming gift from them? You find yourself chuckling at your own thoughts, shaking your head.

Once you opened the lid, you gasp when you saw the coffee maker that you used yesterday. Memories of you and Hoseok came into mind, and your hand immediately flies to cover your mouth in shock. You spot a piece of paper beside it, and you quickly pick it up and read it.

‘Y/n, I think that you forgot to pack this up, so I did it for you. No worries though, think of this as a reverse housewarming gift! Also, I think we should hang out sometime. 

Here’s my number, __, hit me up whenever you see this ;) 

Hoseok.’ 

You could’ve sworn that you’ve never smiled any brighter than this moment. You grab your phone from your back pocket in excitement, immediately dialing the written numbers. Your hands were sweaty as you waited for him to pick up, your foot tapping on the marble floor in anticipation. You truly felt like a giddy little high school girl at this time. 

“Hello?” his voice spoke through the line, and you felt your heart jump. Your other hand flies up to play with your bottom lip involuntarily. 

“Hey, it’s me, Y/n.” 

Hoseok can hear the smile in your voice, making him chuckle. He runs a hand through his hair, leaning his back on the chair he was sitting on. “You read the note?” 

“Mhmm, I did. Thanks for packing up my coffee maker by the way.” You spoke as you turn your body around to lean against the island. You can hear him laugh over the phone which was music to your ears. “It’s not a problem angel, don’t worry. Have you start unpacking yet?” 

“Absolutely not,” you laughed, shaking your head. “I haven’t even started.” 

“Do you want me to come over and help you if you want? You know you can’t do all of that on your own.” 

“Is that your form of ‘hanging out’?” You playfully said, but you had no problem with it at all. You just wanted to be with him, whatever circumstance it might be. 

“...Well kind of, yeah.” he giggled, “You’re talking to a mover boy, Y/n.”

“Okay, okay,” you said in defeat, “You can come over, Hoseok.” 

“Great, I’ll be there in twenty. See you.” You said your goodbye and he was the first to leave the call. You sighed, clutching your phone to your chest. “Who knew you’d like a mover boy, Y/n,” you spoke to yourself, “all started from those darn teacups.” Speaking of which, your eyes widened as you immediately scurried back to the living room to find the purple box, wanting to see if something happened to your precious China tea set. 

~ 

a/n: I didn’t know how to end this, but oop oh well. Give it a note if you liked it, it will really inspire me to do more <3

#hoseok #hoseok x reader #jhope #jhope x reader #jhope fluff #jhope x reader fluff #hoseok fluff #hoseok x reader fluff #hoseok scenarios #jhope scenarios #hoseok imagines #hoseok oneshots #jhope oneshots #jhope imagines #jhope cute #hoseok cute #hoseok icons #bts fluff #bts oneshots #bts masterlist

[mintymiknow]

Pause [Bang Chan]

This drabble is part of the 50 Kisses Drabble Challenge! [Requested: Number 20 + Chan]

Number 20: Kissing in a stairwell, giving them an artificial height difference.

A/N: I said I was going to work on something for Felix (trust me, I am!), but when Stray Kids released the Unveil Track/teaser for Road Not Taken, I just had to write some DJ!Chan you know what I’m sayin? My bias wrecker has done it again, so now have some DJ!Chan based on the Road Not Taken teaser! 

A certain blonde-haired individual made his way downstairs. It was all so quiet – not a single sound was heard in the seemingly empty basement. Somewhere within that dark room was an entrance that was very much like a metal garage door. He pressed a button to the side, causing the door to roar open and reveal another smaller room made of steel. The sound of Chan’s boots hitting the metal floor strongly resounded within the place, and the lights came to life when he turned the switch on. There was a distinct buzzing sound from the electricity filling the room. Chan dumped his bag on the floor and flicked a few more switches on and soon, his DJ booth came to life.

Slipping his headphones on, Chan became absorbed in mixing new beats and sounds as if he were cooking up some new dish. He nodded his head to the beats and tapped his foot from time to time, a satisfied smile curling on his lips.

“What’s got you smiling there?”

Chan doesn’t hear you through his music, and you can’t help but sigh. His eyes were closed too; it was something he did when he was trying to come up with a hook or drop to experiment on. You were used to this type of situation, especially when he was super focused on what he was doing. You didn’t hold it against him though, as you knew that he was just being passionate about his job.

With a smile, you quietly approach your boyfriend, taking advantage of the fact that he still had his eyes closed. You gently wrap your arms around him from behind. Chan quietly chuckles and halts whatever he was doing and slips his headphones off, “Does my baby need anything?”

You chuckle before stifling a yawn, “Not really. I’m just checking up on you.”

He turns around to face you and leans against the table where his booth was set up. He removes your arms from around him so that he could holds your hands in his. “It’s really late. You shouldn’t be down here at this time.” he gently smiles at you.

“Oh, by ‘down here’, do you mean the basement under our shared home?” you giggle, “Because I could say the same to you. You should be sleeping.”

Chan chuckles, “Yeah, but I’m not the one who has a meeting in the office tomorrow.”

You playfully roll your eyes at your boyfriend, “Yeah? But music producers need their sleep just as much.”

Chan nods, “I know, but I need to finish this track in two days, babe.”

You pout your lips and play with the collars of his shirt. “One day, Chan. Just one day that you get to sleep properly is all I ask.” you sigh.

“I understand, but – ”

“But what, Chan?” you cut him, “You’ve been living off on coffee and instant ramen the past week with barely 3 hours of sleep everyday. I know this is your job – to make music and all – but think about yourself too.”

“Y/n, I’ll be fine, I promise. Just a few more minutes. I’m close to completing this track.” Chan tries to explain.

“Then what? Those ‘few minutes’ would turn into a few hours?”

Chan sighs, a hint of exhaustion in his voice, “Y/n, please.”

You shake your head and let go of his hands, “I agreed to let you have some mini studio-slash-DJ-booth here at the basement…but you also agreed that you would take care of yourself. That means you’re not going to work ‘til death.”

You reach up and touch his cheek, gently caressing the pale skin as you peer into his weary eyes. “I can see how exhausted you are, babe. Sometimes you need to hit that pause button and take a break. Your face says it all. It’s not good for you, you know? And please, don’t make jokes about your eyebags being designer. Hyunjin says that too much.”

You say the last bit with a gentle smile, causing Chan to chuckle to himself. He grips your hand and gives it a soft squeeze, “I am pretty tired.”

“Hmm.” you hum contentedly just as he pulls you close, wrapping his strong arms around you.

Chan nuzzles his face in the crook of your neck, and you tangle your fingers in his hair. You feel feathery kisses being planted on your skin so you bite your lip to stop a giggle from escaping. “Let’s go up and get some sleep, ok?” you say, soothingly running your hands up and down his nape.

“Ok.” Chan mumbles against your skin.  

He releases you from his hold. You walk ahead as Chan shuts the system of his booth. You’re already by the stairwell when Chan closes his “studio’s” door and flicks the light switch off. He quickly catches up to you, and you both ascend the stairs in a comforting silence. Just a few steps before you reach the landing, Chan whispers, “Y/n.”

He gently grabs your wrist and spins you around. You are immediately met with his arms snaking around your waist. Instinctively, your hands rest on his broad shoulders for support. “What now?” you giggle.

Chan was definitely taller than you, but with you having higher ground thanks to the stairs, it was rather funny imagining that this is what it would be like if you were taller than the male. Chan looks up and stares into your eyes, a fond and gentle smiling presenting itself, “Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you?”

You break into a smile, “Hmm. Does being sleepy make you more romantic?”

Chan laughs at this, his dimples revealing themselves. You get lost in each other’s eyes for a few more seconds. You brush away a strand of hair that curled at his forehead before tracing the features of his perfect face as if you were painting on a canvas. Chan simply smiles at your actions. When you finish your little expedition on his face, your hands fall back to his shoulders. He takes this chance to lean closer and captures your lips in his plump ones.

Your arms immediately lock around his neck as he pulls you as close as possible. Despite both your initial weariness, Chan kisses you with so much passion and fire that you suddenly feel very much awake, the sparks burning in every inch of your body. His hands slowly caress the curves of your waist as he gently nibbles your bottom lip while your fingers dance through his platinum locks.

You both finally pull away. “Ok, let’s get some sleep now, yeah?” Chan giggles against your lips.

You chuckle, “That was the original plan.”

Chan’s hands clasp around yours as he leads you up the stairs and into your shared bedroom. Once settled in the bed, Chan whispers a soft “I love you” before slowly closing his eyes. You reply with your own gentle “I love you too”, and soon, you let his warmth engulf you while you both drift off to sleep.

#stray kids #bang chan #chan #chan scenario #bang chan scenario #chan imagine #bang chan imagine #chan drabble #bang chan drabble #skz #stray kids scenario #stray kids imagine #stray kids drabble #scenario #drabble #imagine #chan x reader #bang chan x reader #stray kids x reader #dj au #au #dj #50 kisses drabble challenge

[dune-thedewcollectors]

Caladan Chemistry

By Toby

“Come in, Ylexi”. I stepped into the training room. He was sitting opposite the boy, a marble table between them. They were in the middle of a game. I could not tell who was winning, but he seemed relaxed, while the boy was, as always, intense, studying the pieces with his head poised above the board. I saw those deep eyes flick towards me by instinct. They held me for an instant, then looked back towards the game.

“Another test, Yueh?” the boy said. “Why are you the one trying me on chaumas, when I know you could never really do me harm.” I shuddered. He would not ask me to push the boundaries of the test, but he is not the only Atreides whom I obey. The boy looked at me again, and I breathed in carefully – he had noticed my response.

“Thank you Ylexi. I’ll take my afternoon drink now!” The boy proclaimed with bravado. He watched the boy and approved. So too would Thufir Hawat, who had given me my orders. Hawat had watched me prepare the drink. 

“Better the boy die then be a fool. If he’s not a fool he won’t die.” 

He’s probably still watching now from his secret places. 

Three cups of coffee, thicker and sweeter than the boy liked. Sweetness to conceal: something for the boy to remember and anticipate. Layers upon layers of meaning for his lessons.

“I do not like your coffee, Ylexi.” I could not stop myself from reacting with a start. I had the boy’s full attention now. I did not trust myself to speak.

“In what other house than a Duke’s would the physician’s pet apothecary prepare the coffee. A Baron’s, perhaps?” the boy said, “It makes me wonder about you and her, Yueh.” The boy smiled, and he chuckled along with the act. All their eyes remained serious though, as always. 

I set the tray down and stood back from the table. Three cups of coffee, one with a deadly dose. I bit my tongue to stop myself from shaking. The boy didn’t even sniff the drink. Instead, he took one cup for himself. Swigging the coffee with complete confidence, he grimaced at the sweetness and reached toward the other cups. His hand hesitated, then chose the middle cup. “Fancy a drink, Yueh?” My heart raced.

He took the cup, perfectly relaxed, and raised it. The boy moved faster than I could see to grip his wrist a moment before the poisoned cup reached his mouth. “No, no, Yueh, what would my father, the Duke, say if I let you die?” The boy spoke with real affection. He put the cup down, carefully, then took the third cup and drank. 

Calmly: “You cheated. Your poisoners won’t be amateurs in the future, whose eyes you can watch to see which drink is poisoned.” I grimaced. “You must learn to sense the poison by smell, not rely on your mother’s arts to read the reactions of the poisoner.”

“I smelled it, too, Yueh, before she even set down the tray – it was an extract of Black Guelph.” 

“Yes, but you already knew. It is quite another thing to be able to sense poison without knowing where it is coming from, or when.” A pause. “You may go now, Ylexi – you did well.”

As I closed the door the boy began to raise his voice. “When will the games end, Yueh. I’ve passed every test. When will we…”

He knew, but he did not stop me! How could he do that, in spite of the conditioning? Was it another test of the boy, or me? Or himself? 

I shuddered, because the way he took the cup from the boy told me something that had been on the edge of my consciousness for a long time. I’m not a weirding witch, or a duelist who can read the feelings of her opponent in their movements. I’m not a mentat, thank Buddallah! But then, there, I knew he wanted to die, now. 

When he told me that I would not be joining the household in their new move I was terrified. “You have been an excellent assistant to me, Ylexi, but you should stay here on Caladan. Arrakis is full of chemists, and I won’t need you there. Perhaps you should even continue your training somewhere closer to the center of galactic science and culture.”  I wanted to argue. It was ridiculous! The Atreides were throwing themselves into a world of poison, so they needed someone who knew cures. He took too much on himself. Wasn’t I loyal? Didn’t my loyalty matter? I wanted to say this – and other things – to him, but I couldn’t. I could never break through the determined sadness in his eyes, a complete defense against my feelings. Instead, I walked wordless from the office, and only cried when I was back in my storeroom. 

They took most of my stores to Arrakis, and he needed me to acquire more from my guild sources besides – no need to buy more mélange, of course! Hawat’s last order was even more complicated. My shelves are bare, now, but who other than a few farmers and the remnants of the garrison will need anything from a galactic-trained apothecary? He didn’t even offer to write me a letter of introduction, whose recommendation would give me an entry into any family in the Imperium. But I’ll find another position soon. I looked at the last list of compounds and tools that he asked me to requisition, now loaded up in a medicine chest on the frigate, somewhere in folded space-time between Caladan and Arrakis. Kaytor root extract and a lot of raw Elacca. A dozen different anti-venoms, many of them poisons themselves, if prepared wrongly. No surprise. Some new dental tools. Ten different sedatives: seems like overkill for just the Duke’s household. Liquid sortilge and Z-33 in gel form. I do not understand those last two. Why would anyone want those, except to make a capsule of poison gas?

[risottostitties]

I want to see father/son interetion between Joseph and Joestar!Risotto.

Ask and yee shall receive. Its not like as father-son bondy as I initially thought but I’m more or less happy with how things turned out. Under a cut because its kinda long

In retrospect, it was the moment he locked eyes with the old man that Risotto knew his day wasn’t going to go as planned. As Capo, free time was a luxury hard to come by and it certainly wasn’t one he wanted to squander helping some old tourist hobble around Naples in search of his wife. In theory, she should be about as old as he was, right? How he managed to lose her was beyond the ken of the significantly taller Sicilian man.

His day had started nicely enough.

There were no emails detailing a hit that needed to be carried out awaiting him in his inbox this morning. A day where the boss wasn’t calling for someone’s head was rare indeed so he’d taken his leave of the shithole they called their (temporary) base before one of his men could get to him. They’d figure out they had a free day when Risotto wasn’t handing out jobs with breakfast. Even in his nondescript outfit Risotto preferred to keep himself invisible with the aide of Metallica. It was difficult to keep a low profile with his height and build. He had only dropped his cloaking to have a cup of coffee at one of the less busy cafes when it happened.

The old man didn’t look out of place in terms of clothing or appearance. He was hunched over a cane, a tan coat keeping him warm against the mild winter chill. He had a rather pitiful expression, one Risotto knew well. The look of a lost tourist was easy to pick out for any local. Locking eyes with him had been a complete accident, but seeing someone watching the man hobbled over and immediately began questioning him in a truly pitiful accent.

“Eh-Ehscoosi, lee paerla English? St-Sto ceercandu” Risotto lifted a hand.

“Yes. What do you want?”

The man smiled, seemingly ignorant of Risotto’s gruff tone.

“Thank god! I’ve been separated from my wife, have you seen her anywhere? She’s originally from Venice you see, and she’s a flighty thing. Must have wandered off while I wasn’t looking.” The man was significantly more relaxed now that he was speaking in his native tongue, and Risotto sighed.

“Have you considered waiting at your hotel?” Risotto adjusted his sun glasses and his eyes narrowed as the man took a seat across from him. Awfully relaxed for someone who until a few seconds ago looked like a fish out of water. And, supposedly separated from his wife?

“I don’t remember where the hotel is.” Of course he didn’t. That would be too easy.

“The police?” A laughable suggestion, but a tourist from America wouldn’t know how useless the Italian police force was.

“Suzy doesn’t trust them a lick.” Ah right, his wife was a local.

“Smart.” Was Risotto’s only response.

Seemingly unable to take a hint, the old man pressed on, describing his wife in detail as Risotto slowly came to the realization, he wasn’t going to be able to shake this talkative stranger easily.

“What hotel are you staying at?” He cut the elder across from him off. The sooner he got this man back to his hotel the sooner Risotto could get back to enjoying himself. He certainly wasn’t about to go galivanting through the streets of Naples in search of one ‘flighty old bird’.

“Ah… Romeo Hotel I think. Let me check my wallet, I have the room key in-“ As he spoke, the gentleman patted down his coat pockets, eyes widening slightly in alarm before sighing. He looked more resigned than anything. “Ah, it seems my wallet it gone. Must have been that blonde boy I met earlier.”

If this old man was wealthy enough to stay at the Romeo no wonder he got pick-pocketed. Whichever kid made off with his wallet must have gotten a nice chunk of change. Risotto almost envied the brat. Perhaps his wife had her wallet still, she wouldn’t be stupid enough to get pick-pocketed if she was a native.

“I’ll show you back to your hotel.” Perhaps he’d get something out of it too.

“What a kind young man you are.” The older man was grateful as his face broke into a soft smile.

Kind was not a word Risotto could ever remember being associated with him. He didn’t glorify the older man with a response, choosing instead to get up and place a few bills on the table to cover his drink. Taking that as his cue to get up as well, the older gentleman struggled to his feet (leaning heavily on the cane for support) and soon the two were off.-

And that brought them to their current circumstances. Risotto taking small, slow steps as the older man shuffled beside him, listening idly as he talked about his family. That seemed to be the topic everyone told him about. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d heard the words ‘please I have a family’ in his line of work. Although this time as he half listened to the man ramble on about his great granddaughter jo- something, it wasn’t laced with a manic fear. Admittedly, despite the inconvenience his meeting with the man caused, it was a nice change of pace.

The drone of one-sided conversation came to an abrupt halt with the clattering of wood against cobblestone. Risotto’s quick instincts allowed him to act fast, catching the man before he could topple over without the support of his cane.

“Ah, it must be the cold weather. This old thing always acts up when there’s a nip in the air.” Leaning on Risotto still for support Joseph pulled the glove off one of his hands. “Now where did I put that lubricant… or perhaps a screw came loose…”

“Let me look.” Without waiting for permission Risotto pressed down on the palm of the metal hand.

Metallica was over it in an instant, poking and prodding until it found what he was looking for. A screw had become jammed, probably due to the metal around it constricting during the cold. It was a quick fix. Risotto shifted a small plate with his fingers, pretending to have done something effective to cover his tracks. When he looked up from his ‘work’ his eyes narrowed again at the smile on the man’s face. It seemed almost… knowing.

“Are you a mechanic?” He asked, flexing the metal fingers and finding them much more mobile.

“Yes. A plate shifted out of place. Get that looked at.”

Thankfully, the man let the subject drop.

“You’re a tall one, aren’t you? What are they feeding you boys over here?” Risotto hummed as he bent to pick up the cane, handing it over to the man who by this point had put the glove back over his hand. “Ah, to be young again. What did you say your name was again?”

They were moving now, thankfully.

“Caesar.” Risotto spoke the first name that came to mind. It was popular enough to be impossible to trace back to him.

“That’s a common name here, isn’t it? A good one.” Risotto just hummed, sparing the man a sideways glance through his tinted glasses and noticing an expression he couldn’t quite place.

He’d seen it on people enough to know what it meant though, so he allowed the conversation to again drop. This time, there was no idle chatter to fill the void. Risotto was fine with that. The next thing that broke their quiet was a loud scream. They were close to the entrance of the hotel, when a blonde woman dressed in a fine fur coat rushed them.

“Joseph Joestar you had me worried sick! One minute you’re right next to me and the next I’m half way across Naples and you’re nowhere to be found!” Ah, so the man’s name was Joseph. And this would be his ‘flighty old bird’. Funny, she behaved quite differently from what he would have expected.

“Eh, Suzy dear! I’m sorry for worrying you love. I’m just fine, this young man helped me find my way back to the hotel.” Joseph gestured to Risotto who had yet to say anything.

“Oh, signore, thank you so much. I was worried sick, his mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be and he’s such a sweet man. I can’t thank you enough, here signore, for you troubles.” Suzy launched into rapid, grateful Italian, digging through her purse to pull out an impressive stack of bills before taking one of Risotto’s hands and pressing the bills into it. She cupped her hands together over his, tugging him down so she could press a quick kiss to either cheek.

He’d allowed it to happen, mostly because for the first time in a very long time Risotto Nero had been caught by surprise.

“Its nothing. Someone stole his wallet, I would address that soon.” Risotto responded, and Suzy huffed an annoyed sigh as she let him go.

“I’m not surprised. Joseph dear, have you thanked the man for bring you back here?” She switched between Italian and English with no trouble at all. It was clear that Suzy was a sharp one. He vaguely wondered where the ‘flighty’ part came into play.

“Oh, you’re right! Thank you, Caesar. For everything.” Joseph’s voice was surprisingly clear, more so than it had been all day. He offered a hand, and Risotto found himself accepting.

“Don’t get lost again.” The gruff words had no affect on the man’s expression. Similar to the one before, but lighter.

What caught Risotto’s attention more though, was the brief flash of purple that wound its way around their connected hands. The thorns pressed against his skin, but did not pierce the flesh. Before he could react though, the vines were gone and Joseph released his hand.

“I’ll be sure to get my hand looked at.” The old man winked as his wife pulled gently pulled him towards the hotel.

Risotto chuckled as he turned and started to walk, counting the bills as he vanished from sight

#risotto nero #joseph joestar #risotto nero is a joestar #i guess #small giorno cameo if you squint #this takes place idk when because giorno is blonde but la squadra are still part of passione lmao #timelines don't matter anyway #suzy q #jjba headcanons #jjba writing blog #JoJo's Bizarre Adventure #jjba part 5 #Vento Aureo

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Of Dust and Ashes (Chapter 12)

Good morning, loves. Did you miss me? Or rather, since I was here last week (and every day, I have no life, don’t judge me) did you miss Dee? 

Clint x ofc, Rated M, chapter warnings: None

As some of you are surely aware by now, December 4th is my birthday. I have a ticket to see Betrayal that night. The problem is I’m on the other side of country. Check out my jewelry posts for handmade chainmaille and other pendants I’m selling to raise funds for the trip (Because life happens and money is tighter than we expected) or feel free to buy me a ko-fi. 

@redfoxcrafts is the sideblog where you can find all the jewelry. 

Masterlist

~~~~~<3

Chapter 12: One foot in front of the other (about one month post snap)  

It was warm, though rain continued to patter against the roof. She felt warm and comfortable. Deanna didn’t want to open her eyes and face the day. Under her nose, the ear of the stuffed fox tickled her and she tried to ignore it. For a bit, she was successful and continued to doze as she nuzzled deeper into the firm warmth.

Wind gusted and the RV rocked slightly. The movement was enough to shift the bodies in the bed. Trust let out a whine as he rolled over before snorting a breath. The firm mass of warmth seemed to tighten around her, holding her closer somehow. It was the most restful sleep she had since… something? It didn’t matter. A few more minutes of sleep and she’d get up and make breakfast for the kids. A soft snore left the mass of firm warmth and she realized with a start that it was a man she was cuddled next to.

She jerked away harshly. Trust lifted his head, checking for the source of her commotion only to rest it back down on his paw. The warmth wrapped around her bare waist tightened, causing her to pull back with more force on instinct alone.  

~~~<3

Clint was forced awake with a start. There wasn’t much he was aware of in that first instant, yet in some ways he was aware of everything. His arm tightened around to body pressed against him as every part of him tensed. He listened and upon finding no reason for the panic, he let his arm go slack as he sat up.

“Dee, what’s up?” He mumbled, rubbing his eye. She kept scooting and right before she reached the edge of the bed, he reached out for her. “Hey, hey. You’re going to fall off. What’s wrong?”

“I… Clint?” The sound of his voice calmed her.  

“Yeah, Dee. It’s me.” Sitting up, he reached for her. It’s hard to say if he reached out for her to calm his own frazzled nerves or to calm her. To his own relief, she allowed him to scoop her into his arms. She clung to him as he held her, tears giving away her silent cries. “What happened?”

“I-” Clint lead her through a deep breath before she tried again. “I’ve been alone so long. I realized I wasn’t and…”  

“It scared you?” Clint asked. “I’m sorry. I- I shouldn’t have.”

“Stop.” Thin fingers dug into his arm where she cling to him, his arms wrapped around her protectively. “You were going to say you shouldn’t have stayed, right?”

“Yeah. I didn’t-”

“You didn’t upset me.”

“You nearly fell out of the bed to get away from me.” Clint pointed out.

“It’s been almost a year since I’ve woken up with a man in my bed. And with everything that happened… I- It startled me is all.”

“Tonight, I can-”

“Stay. If you want, that is.” She finished for him. “I slept better than I have in months. It will take some getting used to. Everything takes getting used to now.”

“Time helps.”

“Will it?” She asked.  

“It will. It won’t ever go away, but it helps.” Clint was waiting for time to pass, himself. Each day after the snap was one day farther away from the day he failed his family.  

“I was so comfortable. I was so relaxed.”

“What changed?”

“I was thinking how I should enjoy it until… They woke me up. Because the bed was so warm, I felt- I felt safe.”

“You are safe.”  

~~~~~<3

Clint was kind, helping Deanna to gather her clothes and stepping out for her to dress. Her ex husband had never been as considerate. When she called him back in, he had his shirt slipped back on. A part of her that had been dormant for far too long had whispered in disappointment to see his firm chest and defined abs covered by the clingy cloth.

“What’s the morning chores?” He asked after helping her hobble into the living space.  

“Normally I check out the windows for anyone hiding outside. Then I go outside and walk around, checking that nothings weird.”  

“Ever find anything?” Clint asked, checking out the front of the cab and beginning to work his way around.  

“Once.” She answered, shortly. It was clear that it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about.

“Guess it’s a good thing you handled it well enough to still be here.” Clint made his way out from the bedroom, brushing his hand across her lower back as he checked out the window in front of the sink. Just as it had the night prior, the simple touch of affection and reassurance gave her warmth. “Everything looks clear. I’ll go do the walk around.”

“It’s raining.” Clint smiled at her concern. It felt good to have someone worry over him stepping out in the rain.  

“I promise not to melt.”  

Deanna laughed as he slipped his boots on. With his bow and quiver slung over his shoulder, he gave her a warm smile. Then he slipped out the metal door, leaving her standing in the living space with a bemused smile on her face. Could this be something she got used to? Was this something she wanted to continue after her ankle healed and she could drive again?

With a shake of her head, she opened the curtains over the sink. It felt safer, knowing that he was outside, checking the area. It felt safer, knowing she wasn’t alone. Deanna put such thoughts out of her mind, instead focusing on keeping weight off her foot while preparing first coffee. Once that was accomplished, she started on getting a simple breakfast going.  

The coffee pot was almost full and eggs were sizzling in one pan when Clint came in through the door, announcing an ‘all clear’ ruling as he slipped out of the muddy boots. In the second pan, she had slices of ham cooking up. It wasn’t bacon but it was better than nothing. On two places to the side were slices of toast, fresh out of the toaster.  

“Smells delicious.” Clint offered, wasting no time in doctoring him a cup of coffee before making one for her. “How do you take it?”  

“Just some sugar is fine.” Deanna slipped eggs onto plates before adding the ham.

With the burners turned off, she picked up one plate and handed it to him. Clint set it and his coffee on the table next to the mug he made for her. Deanna took a step, forgetting momentarily about her foot and as pain flared to life, watched as the plate of valuable food slipped out of her fingers.

She expected it to hit the ground, a waste and mess both for her to lament for the rest of the day. Instead, Clint reached out and in one hand, caught the plate and all it’s contents. His other hand slipped around her waist, taking the weight off her foot before she could crumple to the ground.

Setting the plate aside, he slipped the now free hand under her knees and swept her up off her feet. “You’ve got to take it easy. Let it heal.”

“I just feel so useless.” Deanna grumbled as he set her on the dinette bench.  

“Well, you feed me- that’s a task on its own.” Clint smiled, sitting down across from her. “It will heal and then you’ll be as good as new.”

“I hope so.”  

“The weather’s terrible today. We can head out or ride the storm out, your choice.” Clint offered, between bites of food.

“How far is it?”

“A few hours to my place.” He shrugged. “Could be longer depending on the weather. It's about a hundred miles, give or take.”

“I guess we’ll wing it.”  

“So, tell me about your set up?” Clint leaned back, plate cleared of food. It was so damn nice to not be eating out of a can. “How did this end up being your plan?”

“It wasn’t really my plan.” Deanna admitted before launching into the story of Lewis, her first short lived companion. When she fell silent, he reached out and took her hand in his. It made sense to him now why she feared for his life. They each had seen a lot of death in the last handful of weeks but he knew how speaking of it seemed to make it feel all the more 

“It’s a pretty smart set up.” Clint offered when her story was finished and she seemed steady once again. “The solar panels can keep you in power for years. At least on clear days. Having a functioning shower, way to store a lot of water, a way to keep waste out of it, a way to store and cook food... you’ve got everything you need for the first year, assuming you can keep warm through the winter”

“A lot of good the solar is doing us now. Batteries will be dry soon.” She scoffed.  

“I saw the generator on the back. I can start it up, if you want to hang here. Or we can get moving and stop later.” Clint offered and she shrugged.

“It’s not like I can drive.”

“Hey,” With a squeeze of her hand, he waited for her to look at him again. “I’m not taking over, okay? For as long as we’re together, we’re a team. We make decisions together and you get final say. Okay?”

She nodded and he squeezed her hand again. “Okay.”  

“What chores still need doing?” Clint added, when she was about to protest, “You’re ankle needs to rest.”  

“Trust needs feeding and to be let out. While he’s doing his thing I normally check the plants in the greenhouse. Then I kinda just… do whatever? I’ve been meandering around, trying to decide where I want to go before it gets cold and grab what supplies I need on the way. I didn’t really have a long term plan. I guess I haven't really thought more than a few weeks 

“Makes sense. The government said they would be providing aid. You have no reason to doubt them.”

“Clint, is there any aid coming? Is anyone coming to help?”  

“I… I don’t think so. Not anytime soon on a federal level, last I heard.”  

“Last you heard? What does that mean?”

“That I’ve fallen off the grid a bit. I just… I couldn’t face them. But last I heard, there are massive holes in the government. A lot of people are not sure who they are reporting to right now and just doing the best they can. A lot of those who didn’t get Dusted abandoned their posts.”

“Is there even a United States anymore?”  

Clint shrugged. “Not really, no. I wouldn’t say so at least.”

When Deanna didn’t ask anything else, Clint stood and picked up the dishes and made quick work of the washing up. As if it had always been his duty as he poured kibble into Trust’s bowl and refilled the water dish before grabbing a jug of water for the plants. With boots slipped on and a nod her way, he disappeared out the door, leaving Deanna with her thoughts.  

~~~~~<3

Clint stood motionless outside the door for a moment. He felt the heavy weight in his chest as it threatened to suffocate him. If he wasn’t careful, that weight could crush him. It was hard to say if he deserved to be crushed by that weight.  

Looking up, he let the rain fall on his face. It was more of a misty sprinkle now but dark clouds were on the horizon. The rain was dirty, falling from a dust filled sky and left a oily residue behind.  

Part of him wanted nothing more than to rush though his tasks, rush the Dog through his potty break and head back inside. Dee would surely let him take a shower. A hot shower would feel amazing too, washing away the grim and grief and be clean of it. That was until it collected again.  

Another part of him, that part that hated himself for how easy he had found it to fall into the embrace of a woman who wasn’t Laura wanted to stand out in the rain all day. Let the oily dust and ashes cover him, soak into his clothes and hair. Mark him up for the failure, for the traitor he was.  

Thunder clashed in the distance. He needed to get moving, if they were going to cover any distance today at all. A storm was coming. Someone at SHIELD had mentioned something about storms being expected to be an issue in the first year. He couldn’t for the life of him remember who it was who said it or why that was. Probably dust and ash and electricity or something along those lines. It hadn’t mattered at the time.

Laura had always loved storms. He hated them, they made working and hunting harder. But she had always seen the positive side of things. She reveled in the show of nature. There were many times when she would disappear from the house after the kids had gone to bed. Clint would find her standing on the porch, mug of tea in hand and eyes glued to the sky as lightening danced in the distance.  

Laura. Now she was a part of the thing she had so loved, in a way. That brought the slightest comfort to his troubled heart. With a heavy sigh, he made his way to the greenhouse on wheels, opened the door and sat on the dirty ground. With his head hanging in his hands, he tried to think straight.  

A bolt of lightening cut through the sky in the distance and part of him wondered if it was Laura, giving him a sign. It was irrational at best. Still, it made him think. While this weight was trying to crush him alive, he had to stop and ask himself: What would Laura actually think? What would she want him to do?

Move on. Move forward. Find his way.  

She wouldn’t want him to live in the past. She was gone. The kids were gone. Natasha had said it herself, the Stones were gone. There was no undoing the decimation. No one could bring them back. All anyone could do was move forward. There wasn't a rule book saying how long he had to take, how soon was too soon.  

Perhaps Dee had been a blessing. She was smart and quick. She was managing to survive after her own children were turned to dust, much like his. Together, they could offer each other a measure of comfort. Together, they could try and move forward.  

“Oh, Laura.” Clint sighed the words as he stood up, feeling his age now more than perhaps ever before. “Forgive me.”

Seemingly meant just for him, a bolt of lightening danced across the sky. It was large and bright with many branches. It was the kind of bolt Laura had always been excited to catch sight of.  

Clint smiled, feeling the weight around his chest lighten just a hair and made his way out of the oily mist and into the greenhouse. The plants needed watering and he would do well to check the trailer’s connections and stability of the greenhouse shed while he was at it.

~~~~~<3

Deanna hobbled her way about the RV, taking a careful shower while Clint worked outside. While she scrubbed herself clean, she tried to talk herself out of feeling whatever it was she was beginning to feel. The man had been a familiar face and nothing more not even 24 hours ago.

He had the weight of the world on his shoulders. In his heart, he held the grief of being the lone survivor of his family. She had no business wanting anything from him more than simple kindness and to drive her RV until she could.  

It wouldn’t do to let her heart get ahead of her. It would be best if she prevented emotions from getting wrapped up in what was surely going to be a simple short companionship. He was kind. He was sweet. He was thoughtful. He was flirty. He was confident. It didn’t have to mean anything more.

Shutting off the water, she toweled dry and dressed. Hobbling out of the bathroom, she smiled up at him when Clint walked through the door. “You’ve got to be chilled. Go, take a shower and rinse that… grime off of you.”

It was easier to call it ‘grime’ than what it was. Dust. Ash. Residue of what had once been people.  

“I hoped you would offer.” Clint laughed, pulling his wet shirt up and over his head.  

Deanna tried not to look as he leaned outside and twisted the fabric. Dark water poured out of it but she wasn’t watching that. One deep breath in and she closed her eyes. He was only a friend.  

“We can stop in the next town, hopefully I can find some dry clothes until we get to my place.” Clint set the still damp shirt in the sink as he made his way inside. Trust, knowing better than to go into the living space with the grim and mud on him took his place behind the seats in the cab of the RV.

“Sounds good.” Her voice was tighter than she would have liked.  

“You okay?” Of course he noticed. If there was anything she had ever wished he didn’t notice in the last 24 hours, that would be it. At least, she reasoned, he didn’t call her out on the way she was looking at his exposed torso- if he even noticed at all.  

“Fine.” The answer was too quick but he let it slide. “I’ve got a generator at my place, we can hook you up to it and you won’t have to worry about power. I’m sure I’ve got an electric heater we can use to heat this so you’re not running gas as much too. The well water is clean so we won’t have to worry about that.”  

“I don’t want you to burn through your generator’s fuel for me.” Sitting down on the couch, she was thankful to at least be off her feet. It was easier to avoid moving her ankle if she wasn’t standing.  

“It’s not a problem. It’s kind of self fueling.” Clint shrugged, making his way toward the shower.  

“What, like Stark Tower?” She called after him.  

“Yeah, on a much smaller scale though. Tony wanted to see if he could out fit it on a small scale and have the power source remain stable. I’ve got the first successful test. He had hoped to take it public in the next few years but...” Clint shrugged and she understood. The world changed and now, there was more pressing matters on the minds of those who remained than something like ‘free power’.

~~~~~<3

Tag List:  @usedtobegoodfriend96, @0-0-0-0-0-0-0-7, @theoneanna, @alexakeyloveloki, @toozmanykids, @j-u-s-t-4, @missaphrodite23, @winterisakiller, @tnystrk-exe, @bambamwolf87, @nonsensicalobsessions, @tinchentitri, @carissime72, @xoxabs88xox, @queenoftheunderdark, @myoxisbroken, @wegingerangelica

#clint barton x reader #clint barton x female reader #clint barton x ofc #clint barton x oc #clint barton x you #dark fic