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squintyeyedjoel · 2 days

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Through Your Eyes | Part 3 - In the Blink of an Eye (Joel x Reader)

A/N: So this is the rest of what was chapter 2, but I broke it up to keep chapter 2 shorter, and good thing, too, because I ended up adding a lot more. 🤣 Also, I know in canon the garage is a separate building, and I have a plan for that, so bear with me, please.

I do not own The Last of Us or it’s characters. Sadly. But I carry them in my heart. Does that count for something? My soul says yes.

Warnings: Oooo, this one’s a doozy as well, but in a different way than the last one. So many things. (Let me know if I miss anything.) 😮‍💨 Some more original characters, lots of canon violence and swearing, (this one is a big one. Like a lot. There’s a hefty amount of swearing.) mention of attempted sexual assault without detail, Reader is a badass. We round it all out with obscene amounts of fluff and humor between it all, sweet moments, and just soft things. It’s me. I can’t not. No use of Y/N.

Word count: 13,464

Thank you to @fordo-kixed-rex for reading over this however many times it’s been now and fangirling over it when I was having my down moments. You’re the reason this still exists.

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Xxx

The next morning, your little band of six was up with the sun and making sure the horses were ready. Starting out with over fifteen, this smaller party felt like a speck of dust in the wind compared to the massive herd you were before.

Joel had introduced you to the remaining members, people he personally trusted, which from your brief time with him, you knew meant a lot.

First was an older man named Jack, closer to Joel’s age with graying hair and a laugh that was infectious. He was a whisperer when it came to the horses. Well, any animal, really. You could have sworn you saw a butterfly land on his fingertip when no one was looking earlier this morning.

He looked over both shoulders so slightly you almost missed it, but he did a double take when he caught your eye, a small smile spreading up one side of his face as you both watched the small winged creature take flight once again. Jack held his index finger it had been perched on up to his lips in a bid for your silence, to which you only pressed your lips firmly together and gave a single stilted nod to try not to draw attention toward either of you.

It didn’t work.

“What’re you doing?” Joel asked from your right, drawing out the words skeptically to match the raise of his eyebrows in question.

“Nothing,” you offered quickly, fastening your backpack closed and gathering the last of your gear before heading over toward your horse. Once your back was to him, you grimaced. That was much too fast to be convincing.

“Uh-huh. Sure,” he drawled sarcastically, mumbling something under his breath when you didn’t acknowledge him. Something along the lines of, “She ‘nd Ellie’ll be the death’f me.”

It was Jack’s whiskey that had helped Jane’s wound yesterday. He hadn’t hesitated offering his little hip flask out of a secret pocket on the inside of his jacket as soon as he saw the state she was in.

A man pulled you gently off to the side before you could make it over to Jane, Joel following quickly after you less than a step behind.

You didn’t know his name, just that he seemed trustworthy, and slightly tortured. His eyes held a closed off level of pain you’d seen all too often since outbreak day, once or twice in your own reflection, and you knew not to judge how a man chose to fight his demons.

So it was no surprise to you when he offered the stainless steel little demon chaser he obviously kept with him at all times, primed and ready. The liquid sloshed a little inside as he quickly tugged it from his hidden pocket. It was dented in a few places, worn and obviously loved. It had seen better days, but that was kind of the point…. It saw “better” days in order to help you see some better days yourself.

Or to help you sleep through them.

Whichever helped most.

It was the apocalypse.

Who were you to judge?

“Take it,” the man said, holding it out, his hand shaking slightly as he gripped the lifeline with just the tips of his fingers in a hesitant extension. “She needs it more’n I do.”

“Y’sure?” Joel asked, as you eyed the tremble of the man’s fingers. “Withdrawal is no joke, Jack.”

The man who you now knew as Jack’s features curled up in some sort of shame, then determination. He bounced the flask slightly in a renewed offer toward the two of you, his extended hand more firm as he worked hard to calm the tremors. “Neither is being stabbed. What she’s going through is worse than a few uncomfortable nights for me. I’ll survive.” Try as he might, the flask started to vibrate slightly, and he looked down at it like it had betrayed him.

And in a way, you guessed it had.

Reaching out to gently cradle his hand in both of yours, the tremors seemed to still for a moment. Holding his gaze, you took the flask from his grasp, not missing the way his grip tightened just a little before releasing it.

Withdrawing his hand back to his side after a delayed moment as if he had been shocked by some electric current, curling it into a tight fist and quickly stuffing it deep into his jacket pocket, Jack smiled brightly as he looked between the two of you. “Jus’ don’t shoot me when something crawls up my ass in a few days, Joel.”

“No promises,” the elder Miller grunted with a small grin, turning and ushering you toward Jane to make sure no one else interrupted you along the way.

Next was a younger man named Liam, who looked to be around Will’s age. Despite being new to patrols or going on runs and all they would entail, he was eager to learn and an excellent shot.

Turns out he’d also come from Texas, though was much younger when everything had happened, probably only twelve or fourteen years old on outbreak day, so you assumed he and Joel hadn’t crossed paths until later, somewhere closer to Jackson.

And you couldn’t help but feel like maybe Joel was playing a little bit of a favoritism card for his home state, allowing the much younger newbie to tag along with all the other more experienced travelers when he still had so much yet to learn. (You couldn’t blame him if he was. It was yours, too, after all.)

It wasn’t until you heard Liam mention how his family had worked for Joel’s contracting company ‘once upon a time’ - to which Joel had walked past grumbling something resembling, ‘I ain’t that old’ - that things started making a little more sense.

Less of the home field advantage, and more of the home grown kind.

It was becoming clear that Joel was a family man, although to be honest, that was obvious from the start. What you were coming to see was that family wasn’t all just blood.

And that was a decision he made long before the apocalypse.

That was just Joel Miller.

That was his DNA.

If you found yourself in his fold, you’d be okay.

Taken care of.

Even when the world went to shit and he ran into your kid thousands of miles away across the country when everyone was fighting against infectedâ€¦.

That boy would have a home.

You watched with a smile as Joel helped Liam adjust something on his rifle, then braced it on his shoulder and looked through the sights down the barrel with one eye squinted shut, before lowering the weapon and handing it back to the younger man.

Liam copied Joel before pulling away only a step to meet the elder’s gaze, and they shared some quiet words. Some muttered joke drifted to you about old eyes before Joel lightly cuffed him along the back of the head with a smirk and a smartass as he turned to leave, Liam grinning with a chuckle as he turned and secured his rifle to the side of his mount.

With your own grin pulling up your features, you turned slowly and surveyed the rest of the group as you stroked your horse's mane. “I think we may just make it, old girl,” you mused quietly, turning a skeptical eye on your mare when she chuffed at you. Rolling your eyes, you looked back to the group, and mumbled under your breath, “If Joel were a horse…. You’d be it, darlin’.”

The last newcomer to you was a woman named Kate, about your age, and a walking encyclopedia of every living thing in the forest. What you could eat, what you couldn’t, what was medicinal, what was flammable…. Before the outbreak she had been a nurse, and her skills were invaluable to have around on an excursion like this.

She had offered to help with Jane, but Will only let her supervise. No one could pull him away from the wounded seamstress. Under any other circumstance you would find it endearing, but at that particular moment, you found it anything but.

You tried to speak calmly, but the man was trying your last nerve. “Will, she knows what she’s doing. Let her help.”

He lifted his eyes to look at you from where he knelt on one knee on the other side of Jane, and you swore you saw tears brimming in them. If he blinked, you were pretty sure they would fall. But he hadn’t blinked as long as you’d been looking at him, which struck you like a bolt of lightning when you realized how long that had been. It was almost as if he was afraid to close his eyes. Like if he did, she would be gone when he opened them againâ€¦. Even if only for a second.

“I’m not moving.” He pulled his gaze higher to meet the sympathetic face of Kate. “But she can supervise.”

You began to argue again, but Kate put a hand on your shoulder. “That’s fine. I can do that.” Her voice was soft and soothing. “Let me go grab my kit, and I’ll walk you through it, Will.”

He swallowed roughly and nodded once, not looking directly at her, his eyes falling back down to look at Jane who hadn’t woken up since she’d passed out at the raider camp.

“You’re lucky she’s unconscious, or else she’d be giving you an earful right now,” you sighed, letting your weight slump back onto your seat. Resting your forearms on your bent knees, you studied Will cautiously as your head lolled to the right with a tired huff.

“I’d gladly take that over this silence right now,” Will said so quietly, you almost missed it. He held one of her hands in his own, so fiercely and yet cradling it so delicately, you couldn’t even begin to hope to describe it should you have to.

He maneuvered so her head was in his lap, and he peered down at her with a look you thought had died off on outbreak day. Something so tender, so soft, contentedâ€¦.

Come to think of it, you’d seen it on Joel a few times, usually when he was looking at Ellie, or Tommy, though the last was short lived.

Occasionally when he would look down at his watch, though that fluctuated between pain and this sense of peace and contentment.

Almost always when he was in his shop, tool in hand and project on the table.

And sometimes, when he thought you weren’t looking…. Like right now…. He had this look when he’d steal a glance at you.

Stealing your eyes over Will’s shoulder, you met the eyes of your current housemate, and instead of darting away like they usually did, he held your stare as he absently tended to his horse’s tack.

“It’s weird to see her so quiet….”

Will’s soft words pulled you back to the matter at hand. And you could have sworn you saw Joel grin in your peripherals.

“You’re gonna wish you never said that,” Jane mumbled, groaning as she rolled her head to the side, her face screwed up in pain. “Once I start going, I don’t stop.”

You grinned. “It’s true. She doesn’t have an off button.”

Jane reached out and whacked your arm. “Be nice to me. I’m dying.”

“No, you’re not,” Will said around his broad grin, maneuvering her head off of him so he could get beside her for a better view. The smile he gave her then was nothing short of brilliant. “Not if I can help it.”

Speaking of….

“Joel? Where’s Will?”

He smirked with a gentle shake of his head. “Don’t worry ‘bout it.” Gripping the reins of his horse, he clicked the side of his mouth quietly as he got near the creature's head, stroking it softly with one hand as the horse nickered at him.

You led your horse over toward him, reins pulled tight as the giant, powerful, dapple gray wonder named Delilah balked, digging into the earth and tossing her head side to side with a discontented snort.

She’s as stubborn as he is. Fact, I’m pretty sure they planned this. Conspired and everything.

“I plotted nothing with your horse,” Joel mused quietly, amusement heavy in his tone as you realized you said the last part out loud. “Only thing Delilah and I conspire ‘bout are sugar cubes n’apples.” He shrugged. “There’s the odd carrot talk here n’there, but….”

Joel sighed before you even really got moving, as if he were anticipating the whole thing. His head tossed back as he peered up at the sky as if to ask why.

Dropping the reins you closed the last few feet between you and Joel, arms coming to cross over your chest once you landed behind him. “Well, I’m gonna.”

Joel sighed again, resting his head against his horse’s, who let out a soft contented bray, before pulling back to look at you. “Will’s okay,” he said softly. “Now, leave it alone.”

“How do you know?” You swiveled to follow him as he walked over to gather your horse’s reins, shushing the large mare until she, too, was nickering at him, then he led her back over to you.

Joel shrugged, pulling his face tight in amusement as he placed the horse’s tack back in your hands. “Jus’ do.”

“If you don’t tell me….”

He mounted his horse with a groan. “I patrol with the man. I just know his little quirks, okay?” Looking down at you from atop his mount, Joel’s expression was unreadable as his horse stepped back and forth, eager to get going. He reached out to pat the back of the large chestnut’s head, muttering calming words. “Shhhh…. Calm down, Old Beardy….”

“Your horse's name is-”

“He’s not in trouble…. Yet,” Joel cut you off, sitting up abruptly, slightly wide eyed on the back of Old Beardy. “But if he keeps pesterin’ Jane like I think he’s wantin’ to,” his eyes narrowed in on you ever so slightly as he leaned back over his horses head to offer soothing circles of comfort on the side of his neck, “that could all change very quickly….”

You scoffed, arms across your chest cinching tighter. “Really?” They rearranged to your hips as you leaned toward him with each word, most likely for emphasis, but you weren’t entirely sure. “Was that a not so subtle dig at me to stop pesterin’ you?”

Joel shrugged, one shoulder going slightly higher than the other, as he sat back upright astride his horse and an amused grin started to pull up one cheek. “You said it. I didn’t.” With that, he nudged his horse forward, moving past you at a slow walk, and you could tell he was trying hard not to smile.

Xxx

Without Will here, the group traveled in relative silence. After a while, it became unbearable for you, and you steered your horse to sidle alongside Joel and his steed.

“Ellie told me Tommy was your patrol partner.”

Joel nodded. “Mmm-hmm. Usually is.”

You watched a butterfly fly in front of you, smirking as you glanced at Jack and found him already grinning in your direction. “So what changed?” You focused back on Joel and the road ahead.

Joel sighed, adjusting in his saddle. “He’s gonna be a daddy soon.” Your eyes bugged out of your head, making him chuckle. “Yeah, that’s ‘bout the same reaction I had.”

“Same reaction we all had,” Jack chimed in, making everyone laugh softly.

“I dunno. Seems like he’d be a good dad,” Liam posed.

“What makes you say that?” Kate had turned in her saddle to face the youngest of the group, her eyebrows nearly in her hairline.

“It’s just a gut feeling.”

“A gut feeling,” Jack agreed distantly, staring straight ahead. “And by that you mean the thought of it makes your stomach turn.”

As Jack passed by on your right, you reached out and shoved his shoulder lightly.

“What?” The man protested, looking at you wide eyed. “It’s true! Ain’t no way the words Tommy Miller and Daddy ever came up together naturally….” Jack grimaced as he turned back to face forward again. “‘Least not in any way I care to think about.”

“Watch it,” Joel warned teasingly. “That’s my baby brother you’re talking about, asshole. He may be a stick in the mud and about as sharp as two spoons trying to pick up pudding-”

Your face twisted in confusion as Joel took a breath. “Um, spoons could easily pick up pudding. That’s not an insult. You must be tired.” Joel turned his glare on you, and you simply grinned around it, continuing on. “I think you were going more for something like spoons trying to cut through stone?”

The group all snickered behind you as the two of you simply stared at one another, amusement hiding deep in your expression while annoyance clearly painted his.

“I concur with Liam,” you agreed instead after a moment. Joel huffed and turned his gaze on the young man who only shrugged in response before he was looking back at you.

“A Miller man an actual daddy,” you mused quietly, smiling softly as you stared straight ahead. “I don’t think the world could handle the awesomeness.” Looking back over at Joel, you expected to see him grinning at the playful banter, but instead he looked somewhat sad.

The same expression he had when he looked at his watch sometimes.

In fact, he glanced down to it now. It was brief, but you caught it.

It wasn’t the look Will had had with Jane. This was that sad, forlorn expression, like he was missing something. Like a piece of his soul was gone.

But as quickly as it came, it went.

Without a glance your direction, he pulled his eyes up to the path ahead and squinted as the horses pulled into another clearing and sunlight shone directly on his face.

“Yeah,” he finally gruffed, clearing his throat as he purposefully looked at the forest around him. “He’s gonna be great. Anyway….” He nudged his horse faster, seeming to head for the next pocket of tree cover a few yards away. But you weren’t that dense and could tell he was just trying to get away from the conversation, so you followed suit, falling into step beside him once again.

Joel sighed almost imperceptibly when he heard your horse's footfalls lining up with his own once again. You could have sworn his eyes rolled slightly, too, now that they were not squinted in the shade of the tall trees. But he went on regardless. “Maria’s been sick a lot more the further the pregnancy’s gone, so…. Told him t’stay home.”

Nodding, you kept your gaze forward, allowing Joel a respite from prying eyes. This was all a tender subject, and you still didn’t know why, but you could respect that. “Well, it looks like Will is a good one to take his place,” you mused quietly.

Glancing over, you saw how Joel’s expression brightened again, his eyes casting down to the ground like a bashful kid. “He’s alright.”

The group made it a decent ways, a handful of miles between all of you and the former bandit camp now that there were fewer of you, plus you didn’t have the cart to slow you down.

Even so, you still missed Jane and Will. They both added a quiet energy to the group even if they never said a word.

But they both always said plenty.

Joel had the group stop at an abandoned cabin on the very edge of the forest, letting the horses rest and grabbing a bite to eat from what was packed. Everyone was settled in and halfway through some sandwiches, when suddenly you could hear muffled galloping through the cabin walls. It was approaching rapidly in the distance, back in the direction you had come from.

The whole party sat up abruptly, food long forgotten as they reached for their firearms and listened closely.

“Everyone stay inside,” Joel mumbled quickly, striding over to the small fire in the cabin's hearth and setting his cup of water on the mantle, swapping it for his rifle already resting there, always within arms reach.

Jack and Kate cocked their rifles, clicking them over to safety and resting them across their laps while they remained in their seats by the fire, watching Joel head out the door. Once the elder Miller had passed the threshold, the door softly latching shut behind him, Jack clicked his safety off. Kate arched a brow at him, and he shrugged.

“Better safe than sorry.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “And if it’s nothing? And you get jumpy? What then?”

Jack huffed quietly at her whispered admonishment. “I don’t get jumpy.”

Casting her eyes down to his still trembling hands pointedly, she pulled her eyes back up to meet his and arched a brow. “Maybe you don’t, but that leftover whiskey in your system sure does.”

Flipping his hand under the barrel over to grip the armrest of the chair in an attempt to stabilize himself, Jack glared at Kate, but quickly turned the glare down to his hand when the tremor instead began to rattle the loose wooden pegs holding the seat together.

“Point taken,” he grumbled, flicking the safety back on before sitting on his practically vibrating palms, his rifle braced across his thighs. After a moment he hurriedly grabbed the rifle and rested it against the stone fireplace in front of him, sitting back on his hands and adding a bouncing knee to the routine. He looked at Kate and shrugged. “It’s gotta work its way out somehow.”

Turning away from the two by the fire, you spotted Liam still asleep in one of the long abandoned bunks in the cabin corner, and you couldn’t blame him. An actual mattress that hadn't gone to hell was hard to come by. You smiled faintly after remembering how he had plopped in it within five seconds of entering the structure.

“Anyone wakes me sooner than morning, clickers are gonna be the least of your worries,” he said, flat on his back and eyes already closed, followed by a contented sigh as he melted into the slightly redeemable box spring.

The dust particles that had filled the air in a violent swirl when his back hit the mattress had finally begun to settle. They floated through the lazy sunbeams that danced through the remaining cabin windows, dirty as they were, reminding you of lazy weekend afternoons back before the outbreak.

A lawnmower going down the street.

Kids laughing in the cul de sac.

The smell of barbecue from somewhere nearby, or just a fire as people stood round to watch it for fun in their back yard with a drink in hand and relax.

Not to rely on it for warmth like now.

For food.

Usually outside and in silence for fear of what lurked just out of sight.

You hadn’t thought about these things in so long….

Since before moving to Jackson.

Before Joel and Ellie….

Shaking your head, you shut your eyes to quit staring at the dust particles long enough to focus back on the matter at hand.

Liam. Hoofbeats. Focus.

Looking back at the peacefully sleeping young man, you grinned slightly. Shifting your weight side to side once, you sighed heavily through your nose.

Sorry, kid.

After absently adjusting the strap slung across your shoulders of the rifle you’d stolen from the raiders, tugging where it pulled tightly at the center of your chest, the weapon a heavy reminder at your back, you walked quietly over to him.

Gently nudging his shoulder with your left hand, you then held the index finger of your right up to your mouth to indicate silence as he stirred and began to ask what was happening in a bleary voice.

Liam turned his head toward you, his face screwed up like you had a flashlight trained on his face in the darkest of nights. “Who dares to distur-” The hand rubbing one eye froze mid swipe, and he stared at you with the other eye that was still exposed.

Suddenly fully awake, his palm trailed up to rest on his forehead as he blinked a few times then looked wide eyed around the cabin and saw everyone with their weapon either in hand or at the ready.

He sat up abruptly, his hand falling to his lap soundlessly as he continued to scooch closer to the edge of the mattress, miraculously avoiding every traitorous squeaky spring in the thing.

Once at the edge, feet still propped up on the tiny cot, he reached down seamlessly into his open backpack resting on the floor against the foot of the cot closest to his head, and pulled out a machete, bringing it up to rest on the bed beside him as he gave you a single nod.

It was a very Joel thing to do.

A snort of amusement pulled your attention back over your shoulder where you saw Jack looking on with a grin, nodding in approval. “Kid’s got the right idea,” he said just above a whisper.

“I learned from the best,” Liam mused around a grin.

“Yeah, Joel’s really been passing on some gems,” Kate said, looking slyly at Jack, and snorting in amusement when he turned a disapproving glare her way.

“The kid wasn’t talking about Joel,” he groused. “He’s my patrol partner, Kate. He meant me.”

“I actually meant Tommy.”

All three sets of eyes turned to Liam, before quiet snickers of laughter went around, the younger man beaming at the attention.

“Nah, I’m just joking.”

“We know,” Jack coughed softly, eyeing the door of the cabin when Joel still hadn’t returned, clearing his throat.

“I meant Ellie.”

This time the laughter was a bit louder and unrestrained, but still quiet. A thump on the cabin door was heard, then it swung open and Joel popped his head in.

“Hush!” He hissed to the four of you, the continuous growing sound of approaching hooves filling the following silence of his deathly stare. “You four are louder than a horde!”

The cabin door shut silently, but it might as well have been slammed with the finality it gave. The four of you exchanged looks.

“‘Least we smell better than a horde, though.”

Jack’s off handed comment made the rest of you snicker quietly as you tried to follow Joel’s request.

“Speak for yourself,” Kate grumbled. “Most of us do, ‘nyway.”

Jack and Kate shared another little stare off as the tension of the impending approaching hoofbeats grew closer.

Meanwhile, Joel had slinked around the side of the cabin outside for a better vantage point before the newcomer on horseback could get any closer. You were able to track him through two of the cabin’s windows before you lost sight of him. If he stayed on the path you’d last seen him on, then he would have made it just behind a pile of firewood and out of sight when the rapidly approaching horse crested over the tiny hill and came into view.

His footsteps were virtually silent, only the foliage crunching underfoot could give him away, and he was careful to not let it. Aside from one or two traitorous twigs that helped you all in the cabin follow his movements once he was past the windows, he was like a ghost.

Suddenly his footsteps shuffled carelessly, every leaf and twig breaking under his weight and being kicked to the side with little to no effort to mask his steps as he slid to a stop at the same time you heard a second male voice.

It was familiar as it yelled, “Woah, woah,” overlapping the sound of a horse breathing heavily as the galloping came to a stop. Then a thud as someone hopped onto the ground from a height, you guessed from the back of the horse, the foliage underfoot crunching from the impact.

You were so concentrated trying to place the familiar voice that had called out to the horse, you missed the pair of returning relaxed footsteps back toward the cabin. The low, muffled voices exchanged a murmured conversation you couldn’t quite make out even if you were paying attention.

The cabin door suddenly swung open, and there stood Joel, a grumpy look on his features, followed by an amused looking Will.

“Told ya he was fine,” Joel grumbled, holding your wide eyed gaze.

The other three members of the group let out a collective sigh, of what you assumed was relief, all of them stowing their weapons once again and settling back into the comfort and warmth that had been interrupted.

Will stayed outside to tend to his horse while Joel came back into the cabin, grumbling something about not signing up for this the whole way back to the fireplace.

As Joel passed behind Jack, he pulled the chair the older man was seated in back, making his friend reach out to stabilize himself before looking up at Joel skeptically. “And you do smell like a horde. Go use the rain barrel out back and clean up, ya ass.”

“It’s the shakes,” Jack mumbled, staring at the floor in embarrassment as he got to his feet before heading for the door. “They make me sweat somethin’ fierce.”

“Then use this as ammunition to never let the whiskey get you this bad again, Jack.”

Pausing halfway to the door, the older man looked up to meet Joel’s piercing expression, the embarrassment on his own melting away into determination. The two men held each other's gaze for a moment before Jack nodded once and headed out the cabin door.

“I’ll go with him. Make sure he’s okay.” Kate stood up, slinging her rifle across her shoulders and grabbing Jack’s from its spot still against the fireplace. “After everything, I’d prefer someone watch my back, too. Only fair I watch someone’sin return.”

Joel nodded and watched her follow after Jack. When the front door opened, you could see Will tending to his horse out front before it closed again and cut off the outside world. He, Jack and Kate traded muffled words before Will came inside, swiping his sweaty brow in the crook of his elbow with the sleeve of his outer flannel layer.

Once he got settled into the cabin, hogging a space by the fire despite a look from Joel as he adjusted to make room, and several pieces of beef jerky from the main stash despite you and Liam staring him down pointedly, an overly excited Will explained everything.

Hold your horses I’m getting to it! How he rode all morning …. Can someone pass me some water? I think I swallowed a bug on the way here …. after sneaking out of Jackson …. Jerky has never tasted this good …. to try and catch up with the group once again after …. Man, whoever built this fire did a good job. It is hot! …. after Jane ‘threatened to maim him’ if he didn’t get ahold of her sewing machine. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

He had a starstruck look in his eyes the whole time, and you were pretty sure it was because he was living out his secret agent dreams by sneaking out of town and back to the group, but it was especially evident when he talked about Jane, making you smile.

Does he realize he would have done it if she hadn’t even asked?

He was wrapped around her finger already.

Kate and Jack had come back in by now and were in their seats by the fire once again, watching Will with bemused expressions.

“We had to get out before dawn so the council wouldn’t put a stop to it. Things are crazy since we got back and those raiders wouldn’t say a word. Became freaking mimes.” Joel snorted in amusement.

“Security was doubled instantly after we told them about the threats, so I had to pay off the south gate watchmen. By the way, Joel,” he turned toward the older man, “they get to choose their next three patrols.” He shrugged at the exasperated look from the elder Miller. “Was all they wanted. I told them they had to be done within the next three months or no deal, and they said fine.” Joel arched a brow.

Will took a deep breath, wincing slightly like he didn’t particularly want to relay this next part.

“Spit it out,” Joel growled, adjusting in his seat in front of the fire to face it, holding his hands out toward the flames.

“The council aren’t too happy that you didn’t come back with everyone.” He looked around the room. “Any of you.” Then back at Joel. “But especially you, since you’re partially in charge of security, n’all.”

“Well, ain’t that nice,” Joel mused quietly, the side of his mouth ticking up as he continued to stare at the fire.

“They mentioned a disciplinary hearing once this is all sorted out.”

Everyone in the cabin groaned at the mention of more politics.

Everyone but Joel. He just grinned, rubbing his hands together in front of the flames. “Well, I think Ellie said it bestâ€¦.” He looked at you, then Will. “They can bite me.”

“Speaking of Ellie,” Will grabbed his backpack where it rested at his feet, pulled it into his lap and unzipped it, digging into its contents with purpose. “She was real worried ‘bout both of you when she heard what happened.”

He looked up, his hand withdrawing from the bag and gesturing between you and Joel with his index finger, then went right back to rifling through the bag, making one side of your mouth pull up slightly at his antics. “So she sent these with me.” Pausing in his search, he shut his eyes in exasperation and tilted his head back toward the ceiling. “Don’t ask me how she knew I’d be leavin’, before you start yellin’, Joel,” Will disclaimed preemptively, his voice tired already as he focused back on the bag, returning it to the floor and withdrawing two items. “Girl’s got a mind of her own.”

Will extended a hand to each of you, the one for Joel holding an old revolver that the man looked at fondly, his eyes softening as he took it from Will’s hand, and tucked it into the back of his pants. The younger man reached back into the bag and pulled out a bandolier lined with bullets for the gun that you’d seen Joel using his reloading press to make out in the garage a few times.

Ammo could be hard to come by, depending on the caliber, so when Joel happened on some reloading equipment on a patrol, he’d been ecstatic. It didn’t matter that he’d thrown his back out trying to get the heavy gear home. Stubborn as he was, he made it work, he and his horse somehow tag teaming the equipment all the way back to Jackson from who knows where. He had not allowed Will to touch it the entire way back, some stupid childlike claim waging between them like finders keepers or something along those lines - you’d stopped listening with a roll of your eyes as they’d bickered the whole way into the garage with the equipment.

“Come on, Joel. I helped you get it here!” Will’s voice carried from the garage, his breathing heavy as he tugged the makeshift sled the equipment was on the last few feet over the threshold.

“I said no! Now drop it,” Joel groused, the following silence after a loud clatter almost deafening.

“You said ‘drop it’,” Will said nonchalantly.

Joel’s hiss could be heard clearly all the way in the kitchen where you were doing dishes. “I meant the topic, not the tools….”

“Well, maybe I could think more clearly if I hadn’t just trekked thirty five miles with all that weight-”

“It wasn’t thirty-”

“Felt like it-”

“You’re acting like a child-”

“And you’re acting like a grouch-”

“Don’t test me, Will.”

“But grouch is nothing new for you, Joel.”

“Oh, just fuck off.”

“Make me.”

“Oh, I will….”

“Boys!” When you walked into the garage, the two of them were nose to nose, chests puffed up and about to bump into one another in a ridiculous display of strength. “Stop it. You’re both idiots.”

They both turned their heads to look at you.

“He thinks-” Joel started, overlapping Will’s “I didn’t-”

“What did I just say?” Your hands went to your hips in admonishment, brows knit together in an unimpressed glare.

Joel turned back to Will, a heavy puff of air passing through his nose before he smiled. “Fine. Finders keepers.”

Will scoffed in protest as Joel peeled off to start unloading the equipment.

“That’s not fair!”

“I said what I said. Now don’t touch my stuff, idiot.”

With a shake of your head, you left them to sort out their nonsense, letting the garage door close behind you and muffle their bickering as you headed back to the kitchen.

The night before you left, you’d seen Joel and Ellie out there together, working with the press as he taught her the basics of reloading. You wondered how many of those she’d made herself as you watched him take the bandolier delicately, holding it in both hands out in front of him like you would a newborn child. Practically cradling it.

The look in his eyes as he ran them up and down the lines of bullets, surveying each shiny casing, was much the same as that of a parent looking at their brand new precious offspring just after they’d entered this world. It was a look once adopted that never really left. Something a little precious, awestruck, filled with wonder and love, and a hell of a lot of pride.

You were ninety percent sure he was thinking about Ellie, and not the ammo, though.

Well, more like eighty percent.

Will cleared his throat to pull your attention back to him, jostling his hand still held out to you.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, looking down at the offering.

You saw your yellow fanny pack being extended to you, partly deflated and sagging as Ellie had obviously removed all your tools you wouldn’t need on the trip.

When you took it from Will’s hand, an unexpected weight inside caught you off guard. Unzipping the main compartment once you’d clipped the belt around your waist, you pulled out a pocket knife you had seen Ellie flipping open and closed almost daily.

She was never without it.

….Except now….

….Because she’d sent it with you.

The room began to swim behind your unshed tears as they threatened to fall, but you blinked them away rapidly. This wasn’t the time for that. Nor was it the time for that thing catching in your chest as you traced the tip of your index finger over the worn housing of the blade.

After a moment, you looked up at Joel, and saw the surprise on his face before his eyes pulled up from the familiar pocket knife to meet yours, something like fondness taking over his features as they softened. “That’s her most prized possession.”

“Besides the garage,” you shot back, trying to speak around the emotions building up in your throat, clearing it in an attempt to rid yourself of them. A wet chuckle took their place as you held his gaze, your grip tightening around the pocket knife protectively.

Joel snorted, shaking his head gently as he looked back down to the bandolier. “Don’t start.” He slipped the ammo belt over his shoulders and across his chest, adjusting it minutely like a man would a tie on Easter morning.

It struck you for a moment how much life had changed since outbreak day. Men used to adjust their ties and now they adjusted their weapons.

These were thoughts for another day.

Setting the knife back in the main compartment of your pack, you dug out the rock Joel had given you to rest against your black eye from your jacket pocket, and really looked at it for the first time since he had given it to you.

It was smooth, almost perfectly round, yet flat enough to hold in the palm of your hand easily. A rich dark gray, almost black with white streaks running through one part of it that made it look slightly off kilter. As it caught the firelight, the white streaks glimmered slightly. They were some sort of crystal, barely the width of a sharpened pencil, yet still they decided to shine.

You wanted to be like that rock. Solid and steadfast, it knew what it was, until sometime when it was forming, something else came along to meld with it and left a mark, a scar, a blemish, and yetâ€¦. It was still beautiful.

Glancing up, you saw Joel already watching you curiously, his brow raised in amusement. Unable to hold his gaze, you shook your head slightly before looking back down to the bag, and tucked the rock in the main compartment right beside the pocket knife like you’d meant to do before you’d gotten distracted.

The sound of the teeth stitching closed as you zipped the bag shut once again acted as an anchor to your wayward mind.

“I’ll protect it with my life.” Looking back up, you caught Joel’s eye, and something unreadable passed across his face, his gaze fluttering down to the bag, then back up to meet your own, before turning to Will as they started in on another topic.

Holding out a hand to halt the conversation, eyes shut tight in confusion, you stopped them. “Wait, wait, wait.”

Ignoring Will’s exasperated sigh, you forged on. Opening your eyes, you peered at him with furrowed brows as you lifted only your index finger, gesturing to your left a few times. “Back up.”

He lifted his eyebrows at you in question. Bobbing your finger slightly as you continued for emphasis, you arched your own brows curiously. “‘We’?”

Faintly, in the distance the same direction Will had come from, you heard a wagon wheel squeak as it rolled closer toward the cabin.

After only a moment of exchanged looks in hesitation, Will refusing to give away anything, you all piled outside to see who the newcomer was. Just cresting over the little hill before the cabin came a horse with a rider moving at a casual pace, the cart from before that had taken Jane and the raiders back to Jackson being pulled along behind them.

Everyone smiled while Joel groaned and cradled his head in his hand when it was clear it was pulled by none other than Tommy.

“You guys have all the fun without me,” the younger Miller yelled good-naturedly.

Joel groaned a bit louder, starting toward the cart with determination. “Raiders n’infected’ll hear us comin’ a mile away with that wheel. What’d you do?”

Tommy scoffed. “First your hinges, now this? Why d’you always assume it’s me?”

Once Jack, Liam, and Kate saw who was atop the cart, and that he and Joel were quickly slipping into their usual ways, the three of them wandered back into the cabin, shaking their heads and rolling their eyes as the two men continued to bicker.

Will, however, stuck around for the show. He was a firm supporter of Miller Entertainment. So long as there was something to see, he’d be there.

Oblivious to the reactions of the others, Joel continued towards his brother, taking the reins of the horse he was atop as Tommy hopped off. “Because it is always you.” He handed the reins back to Tommy as he went to inspect the wheel quickly before they both returned to the now dwindling group.

“Well, you’re fucking welcome, y’old fucker,” Tommy grumbled teasingly. “This wasn’t my idea, anyway.”

You smirked. “Jane got to you, too, huh?”

He looked at you with wide eyes. “That woman is frightening.”

You and Will laughed, as Tommy looked between you with the same, wide eyed look of fear.

After a quiet moment filled with your dying laughter and Joel’s grumbling as he glared at the wheel, Tommy turned back to his brother. “I just want you t’be happy, Joel.”

Knelt beside the wagon wheel, inspecting it up close now that they were beside the cabin, Joel didn’t even spare his brother a glance. “Then leave me alone, you ass.”

Tommy unhooked the horse, and you led it over beside Will’s where the two men started taking the gear off of them to rest for the evening.

After a long moment of messing with the wheel, Joel turned his head up to Tommy from his perch on the ground, wide eyed. “Who’s watchin’ Ellie?!”

Tommy looked down at his older brother, hands on his hips, unphased. “Herself.”

With a shake of his head, Joel got to his feet and paced in a small circle with his hands on his hips. The two Miller’s looked like carbon copies of each other, and it made you grin. “They’re all doomed. All‘f Jackson….” He rounded on his brother, both of them squaring off with hands on their hips and a stern, stony expression. “What were y’thinkin’?”

You laughed. “You may not have your garage to yourself when we get back, Joel. She may take matters into her own hands.”

After turning his hard glare on you, he turned back to the wheel, wrestling with it for a moment and finally yanking out a small twig caught up in the mechanism, before standing back up and dusting off his hands with a dry, tight grin. “For everyone’s sake, she better fuckin’ not.” He nodded to Tommy. “‘specially him.”

“Why me?” Tommy scoffed.

“You’re th’idiot that left a teenager unattended in my house,” he groused.

“There’s not much she can-”

Joel just leveled a glare on him. “‘member when y’threw that party when mom ‘n dad were out of town, and I was watchin’ you?”

Tommy huffed. “That was so long ago, Joel, and she’s way different ‘n I was. She ain’t the social butterfly like me,” Joel snorted, “anyway, it’s Jackson in th’middle’f a goddamn apocalypse. What the hell is she gonna do that’d be so awful?”

They shared a look, something unsaid that had Tommy’s expression shifting to some sort of understanding. He softly amended, “I’m sure she’s fine, Joel.” He clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “She’s stayin’ with Maria, anyway.” Tommy grinned at Joel’s groan. “I’m not entirely useless, big brother. I thought’f all that. Maria’ll make sure she gets t’school n’eats n’bathes….” That understanding passed over his face again, turning it to something soft, along with his tone. “She’ll be a normal kid, it’ll be fine.”

Tommy’s tone took on a teasing nature. “Besides,” he smirked. “That girl offered t’take my patrol shift for a week if I told you she was on her own.”

Joel’s eyes went wide as he stared at his brother, the shit eating grin on Tommy’s face only growing wider.

“My guess is for that very reaction.” He pointed at Joel, wagging his finger gently. “But of course I said like hell. She ain’t goin’ on patrol. No fuckin’ way.”

Joel visibly relaxed, his eyes closing in relief before they flew open and back on his brother with a skeptical brow raised. Waiting.

“So instead,” Tommy went on, smile only broadening, “she offered t’take my shift muckin’ out the stalls in the stable for a week. Somethin’ ‘bout ‘it’s all shits and giggles, but now instead it’s shits for giggles’…. I don’t know. Half the time when she speaks it’s like another language.” He was grinning like a fool by now. “Reminds me ofâ€¦.” That same look of understanding passed between him and Joel again, only this time something heavier seemed to carry underneath. His voice softened. “She’s a good kid, Joel.”

As they sat in their shared moment, you decided after a minute to break the silence. “Too bad you didn’t tell him, then,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest.

Tommy turned to you. “What d’you mean?”

You couldn’t help the smirk. “I didn’t hear anything ‘bout her bein’ on her own.” You turned to Joel. “Did you?”

He was grinning softly. “I didn’t hear nothin’. What ‘bout you, Will?”

Looking over at Will, you saw him grin like a cat with a canary. “Not a peep.”

Tommy sighed. “You bastards.”

“Takes one t’know one, ya idiot,” Joel hummed under his breath, turning toward the tack for the horses that had been set on the wagon to move it under the makeshift barn that had been set up for the evening.

“You’re so mean,” Tommy groused half heartedly as Joel passed by, pouting his lip out in an attempt to garner sympathy from his big brother who just turned to him and wrinkled his nose up at him in disgust. The younger Miller mimicked the face and lightly shoved the shoulder of his older brother, causing him to stumble sideways.

“Boys!” You called out, grinning when they snapped their heads your way in unison. “You’re how old again?” Turning toward the cabin, you called over your shoulder toward the men, “I’m just sayin’…. But just for shits and giggles….”

“Ah, shaddup,” Tommy called over the laughter of the other two.

The rest of the party had just stepped out of the cabin to see what all the fuss was about, when suddenly there was a very high pitched yet muffled sneeze from behind you.

Knitting your brows, you turned to Kate who had just walked past. “Bless you?”

She looked just as confused. “That…. Wasn’t me.”

You turned to Joel. Only making it as far as to open your mouth and take in a breath before he cut you off.

“Ha ha, very funny, darlin’. Wasn’t me.”

Another attempted assasination of a sneeze sounded from the back of the cart under a tarp, and all eyes went to it, staring in disbelief.

Liam was the first to break the silence after a long moment. “Did that tarp just sneeze?”

A very quiet and muffled, “Ow,” came next, and you’d know that voice anywhere, no matter how squeaky it currently was.

Your feet were moving before your brain was fully processing what you were doing, carrying you toward the cart.

Jack was quick to chime in behind you, with an entirely necessary, “Did that tarp just talk?!”

A second female voice, this one much younger and sarcastic came from under the tarp, dry and droll, “Nice going, blondie.”

Joel’s eyes went wide. They pulled up to meet yours where you now stood on the opposite side of the cart.

He moved so fast, you could have sworn he had super speed. He was on top of the wagon wheel and ripping the tarp back to reveal your stowaways before you could even blink.

To be fair, you were only half a second behind him, ripping the tarp off the rest of the way from the other side.

In the dying light of the day, Jane and Ellie blinked up at the two pairs of eyes peering down at them from around the edge of the cart, looking justifiably sheepish at the attention. Five more sets of eyes appeared slowly, trickling in as they realized what was going on, only adding to the squirming of the two stowaways.

You were the first to break the silent little stare off. Holding the gaze of your friend, you hissed quietly, “What are you doing here?! You just got stabbed! Are you crazy?!”

Jane wasted no time in coming to her own defense. “I told you!” She tried to sit up quickly, and hissed when her wound protested at the movement. Before you could even reach out to offer help, Ellie was quick to help her sit up fully, putting Jane’s arm over her shoulder to ease her into the right position slowly. She spoke through a grimace, “I want that sewing machine, and I’m gonna get it!” Her eyes opened fully, her voice strong. “Come hell or high water.”

After you let out a strangled puff of air through your nose in aggravation, hand still held out to help coming back to land on the edge of the cart with a smack, all eyes turned to the teenager beside her.

Ellie merely shrugged, Jane’s arm still over her shoulder rising and falling with the movement. “I’m just here for the show.”

Xxx

Your small party sat outside around a campfire, milling about as the evening wore on, tending to the horses and other menial things before everyone was set to take off in the morning.

Will would not leave Jane’s side. He was her human crutch. Literally. He helped her hobble around, and from the look on her face, she was about to shove him to the ground and run, damn whatever happened to her wound.

He was a sweet boy, but a girl needed to pee in peace, stab wound or not.

“Are you going to chew my food for me, too?” She snapped as he broke a piece of beef jerky down into smaller pieces for her to eat.

He just stared at her for a moment, frozen.

“I’m injured, not broken.”

Will nodded after a long pause, looking down to the jerky in his hands as they rested in his lap. “You’re right. I’m sorry. This is just really tough stuff and I didn’t want you to hurt yourself trying to rip it apart.”

Jane sighed. “No, I’m sorry.” She rested a hand on his shoulder. “I appreciate all the help, I really do. I’m just a really independent person, and this…. All this needing help…. is driving me nuts.” Her hand fell down to rest on his. “Maybe we can compromise?”

He looked up and met her eyes with his own, smiling broadly. “I’d like that.”

Jane nodded once. “First things first,” she popped a bite sized piece of jerky in her mouth from the pile in his hand. “I get to pee without an escort.”

“But what if-”

“Will, I swear to God, don’t make me-”

“Fine! Fine, fine,” he held his hands up by his head in surrender, jerky flying every which way as he forgot he was holding it. He peered at it on the floor in disgust. “Oops?”

Jane had a sour expression on her face, her nose wrinkled up. “That’s yours now. Mmmmâ€¦. Floor jerky. Yum.”

You’d tried to return the pocket knife to Ellie now that she was back, but she wasn’t having it.

“Since you’re here, go ahead and take this….” Unzipping the main compartment of the fanny pack, you extended the pocket knife she’d gifted to you toward her.

Ellie lifted a hand, shaking it as she took a step back. “No. I don’t need it.”

Cocking your head to the side in question, you bent your elbow but kept your hand out, letting the pocket knife rest in your palm between the two of you. “You need something to protec-”

The teen pulled out a machete from a belt along her hips you hadn’t noticed before. Holding it sideways, she tilted the blade side to side, letting it catch the dying light of the day and the errant twinkle of firelight. “Liam already hooked me up. I’m good.”

You snorted. “But this is yours-”

“And now it’s yours,” she countered. “….for now.” Her cheeks flamed pink. “I want that back.” A look of determination came over her features as she jut out her chin to look down her nose at you. “So you better not die, Miss Fanny.”

Grinning, you tucked the knife back into your pack. “I’ll do my best, Sparky. I’ll do my best.”

Ellie grimaced. “Sparky?”

Zipping up your fanny pack, you looked up at her through your lashes. “It’s what you remind me of.” Once the knife was secure again, you lifted your head to look at her fully. “A spitfire.”

Her grimace deepened. “But Sparky? That’s like what you name a dog or something…. Or elderly men like Joel.”

Joel, who was only a few feet away tending to the fire sighed heavily, obviously listening in, before he chuckled lowly.

“Then what do you suggest?” Your arms came up to cross over your chest, weight shifting to rest on one leg as your hip popped out to the side.

“I dunno….” She looked at Joel. “He’s The Contractor,” she said it in a ridiculous voice, making you giggle, “so can’t I be something cool like that? Like, I don’t know…. The Lumberjack…. The Carpenter….”

“You have to do all those things to get those names, smartass,” Joel chimed in, not even bothering to turn around and face the conversation.

Ellie stuck her tongue out at him.

“The Artist….” You offered, smiling when you saw the lightbulb go off behind her eyes. Nodding once, your grin grew when her own started up her face. “The Artist it is…. Sparky.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the sour look her face instantly took on.

Tommy leaned back in his spot beside Joel with a loud groan, a mischievous grin starting up his face. “I just call it like it is. She’s Trouble.”

Ellie gasped, whipping her head over to look at him as her arms came to cross over her chest defensively. “And after I didn’t lump you into old man Joel territory over there.” She gestured to the elder Miller with a bob of her head before setting her sights squarely on the younger sibling once again.

Tommy shrugged demurely.

She glared at him, the ferocity of her expression causing you to chuckle softly as Joel let out a low whistle. “You’re dead to me, old man.”

It had dwindled down to just the two Miller’s, Ellie, and yourself. Everyone else was inside the cabin, tucked in and tightened down for the night.

“Come first light, we need to get out of here,” Joel mumbled as he leaned over at the waist, poking the fire with a long stick to rearrange the logs that had turned to coals before adding a few new fresh ones. He turned his head to peer over at you, then set his gaze squarely on the redheaded teen who sat across from the two of you, palms extended toward the fiery heat and her eyes studiously on the flames.

“The council isn’t gonna take long to put two ‘n two together, and I want as much distance ‘tween us when they actually do so we can just get this damn thing over with.”

Rising to his full height with a quiet groan, he didn’t even seem to register Ellie slapping her palm to her forehead and rocking her head back and forth in disbelief as he glanced down at you where you sat against a log to his left, his face twisted slightly in trepidation. “…. I didn’t mean-”

“No, I agree,” you nodded once, pulling your eyes from staring at the fire to look at Ellie in amusement before lifting them all the way up to meet his with a small smile. “Bleeding heart Miller over here probably got the town on red alert.” Bobbing your head to gesture across the flames where Tommy leaned against another fallen log beside Ellie, you grinned at Joel’s haggard sigh as he took his brother in.

Ellie turned to look at the older man with a disapproving scowl, one side of her upper lip curling back as her eyes swept him from head to toe. You could see every Joel mannerism she had picked up on as she surveyed the younger Miller, and it took everything in you not to comment on it.

Turning back to the subject at hand, you tilted your head to the side as you took in the sleeping giant.

Tommy’s legs were outstretched with one crossed over the other easily at the ankle, hands clasped loosely in his lap, and head tilted back as snores that grew with each attempt tumbled out of his lips.

“Not to mention they’ll raise the alarm when they notice Ellie and Jane’re missin’, too,” you added, watching Tommy begin to mutter softly in his sleep. You tried not to let Ellie’s wide eyes that snapped to you affect you from going on, not able to bring yourself to meet them. “Not to mention Will.” You looked up at Joel as you spoke softly, his own gaze meeting yours. “Tommy’s one thing. All four of ‘em?” You shook your head as your gaze fell back to land on Tommy. “All four of ‘em’s gonna set off all kinds of bells.”

“Not to mention a missin’ cart,” Joel grumbled, turning toward Tommy with a scowl that made the corner of your mouth tug up just slightly. You noticed in your peripherals it had Ellie grinning, too. “Which requires a horse….” He tugged off his gloves from tending the fire and tucked them into his back pocket with unneeded aggression, shaking his head. “Stealin’ all kinds ‘f’things, aren’t we, little brother?”

Joel sighed yet again, this one quieter and more to himself than anything, before taking a step over towards his sibling and kicking the bottom of his shoe with the toe of his boot. As Tommy sat up abruptly with a snort, making Ellie choke back a laugh, Joel eased to the ground beside you with a groan he tried to hide behind tightly closed lips. “Get up, mighty warrior. Get inside with the others. I’ll take first watch.”

“Wasn’t asleep,” Tommy mumbled dejectedly, rubbing his eye with the palm of his hand.

Ellie scoffed. “Dude, you sounded like a buzzsaw ate a bear. You were totally one hundred percent snoring.” She got to her feet, brushing off the front of her pants, then the seat.

“You were sawing logs, cart thief. Now get.” Joel jerked his head backwards toward the cabin. “‘nd keep an eye on Trouble here.”

Ellie glared at Joel, but quickly turned her attention onto Tommy, helping him to his feet. “Come on, Uncle Tommy.”

“Told you not t’call me that, weirdo,” Tommy grumbled, blinking too many times against the firelight as his eyes still adjusted to being awake.

The teen threaded her arm through his and helped to stabilize him, starting toward the cabin. “That goes both ways, asshat.”

“Y’know what? You’re rude,” Tommy mused, pulling away just enough to look down his nose at Ellie.

“And you’re old. Now come on, cart thief.” She started to pull him back toward the cabin, looking over her shoulder and winking at you. She looked at Joel and offered a small salute before facing back forward and giving the man a tug that sent him stumbling forward slightly. “Beddy bye is just a mere few steps away.”

Tommy mumbled something nearly unintelligible, but you thought you caught the name Sarah, not missing the way Joel stiffened at the word, staring into the fire in front of him, and Ellie looking back at the two of you over her shoulder with a somewhat panicked expression.

The teen focused on Joel for a long moment, her features pulling into something sad, then determined as she looked at Tommy and finally yanked him toward the cabin, pulling him along by his ear until they were safely inside.

As Tommy slowly got to his feet and ambled toward the cabin with Ellie, you smiled, always enjoying their banter. They obviously loved each other despite how they bickered.

And whatever this Sarah talk was, clearly it was something important, but it didn’t feel like the right time to ask about it yet. Maybe someday.

Joel glanced down at his watch briefly and cleared his throat before tugging the sleeve of his jacket down to cover it. Once the material was over the broken dial, he placed his palm over the shattered face through the fabric and rubbed it gently back and forth for a moment, staring at the flames before softly shaking his head as if coming out of a fog. He lifted his hand off the watch and set it on his thigh, his fingers gripping his flesh a little too tight and dimpling the denim under his touch.

It was then you made the connection that Sarah had to do with the watch. Somehow. And you knew that had to do with home. Texas. Back on outbreak day. The thing he missed the most.

You didn’t like where this was going.

Catching Joel’s eye, you leaned back into the log once again. “Mind if I join you?”

He just blinked for a long moment, making you grin and settle back into the log even further, letting your head loll back slightly. “Let me clarify. Mind if I stay?”

Simply shaking his head after a minute, Joel turned back to the fire after staring at you for a beat too long. “Don’t mind.” He was mumbling. “You’ll probably be bored silly, but so’ll I, so, I guess that makes me selfish.”

You snorted a laugh. “No, no. It makes you human.” Turning to the flames, you felt a different heat on the side of your face as you noticed his eyes on you again out of the corner of your field of view. He stared for a moment too long to be deemed just a friendly curiosity before Joel cleared his throat, looking down at his boots before his gaze quickly pulled right back up to you, painting your skin in varying shades of heat as you felt his eyes trace over your features once again.

Something about that heat was much preferable to the little pile of coals inches from the tips of your shoes. Much more comforting, too, considering where your mind kept wandering to. “Can’t quite get to a place my mind’ll let me sleep, anyway. Not after everything….”

He nodded in understanding, and you saw his face turn back towards the embers after a last lingering moment of taking you in. The trail he had traced on your skin with just a look still felt warm and pleasant, but now began to cool under the loss of his attention. You found yourself angling slightly to lean just a bit closer to him to try and make up for it, catch just a wave of body heat. It wasn’t working.

“How’d y’learn all that?” When you arched a brow at him in question, Joel pointed back toward where everything had happened with the raider scumbag, and the general direction of Jackson.

Turning your eyes from him to the fire, you stared at the flames as they crackled. “I don’t want t’talk about it.”

“That’s fine,” he drawled softly, lowering his hand. A moment passed before an even quieter, “But that don’t come from nothin’.” He jerked his head toward the direction this time. “We’ve all got our demons. Hell, I’ve got too many t’count.” He turned back to the fire as you turned to look at him again. “N’most’ve us’ve killed our fair share. That’s just life now-”

“No,” you interrupted him, focusing back on the heat of the flames and away from the fire in his eyes as they landed on you once again. “That I’ve never done.” You waited a moment before adding a quiet, “Least not yet.”

A memory, sparkly and worn, something you’d viewed time and time again as it haunted your every quiet moment, awake or in the dead of night began to tiptoe behind your eyes.

A voice you’d rather forget drifted to the front of your mind, clearer than anything else, as if it were right in front of you yet again.

“This is just how things work now.”

Night seemed to be its favorite, though; when your defenses were at their lowest. It’d come slinking in like a thief, ready to steal your sleep, your sanity, your time….

The rest of a phantom conversation began to play in the theater of your mind, unbidden and loud, consuming anything else in front of you in favor of its wicked games once again on repeat.

“I said no.” Your voice was weaker than you ever wanted it to be as you struggled against hands that had always been helpful, but now they only sought to keep you still. Angry tears threatened to crack your resolve with every word.

The next thing you knew his gun was out of its holster and in your hand aimed at his stomach. How it got there, you still didn’t know. It must have jumped.

Telekinesis.

Something.

It’s the only thing that makes sense. Because the alternative is that you grabbed it voluntarily, and that was a road you were not willing to travel down.

A sneer of disbelief colored his face as he held his hands up in surrender, looked down to the gun, then to you, eyes narrowing as he chuckled softly in amusement.

“You wouldn’t.”

He moved toward you, whether to move the gun or move you, you didn’t know.

You’ve analyzed it over and over again for years, and this is the point where it always goes black, blissfully giving you a respite from the rest of the gory details.

The echo of the hammer on the revolver cocking back in prime to shoot echoed in your mind then just as much as it did now. You remembered how the sound filled you with a grim satisfaction, a smirk crawling up your face now that was too terrified to even try then.

Blissful darkness continued to fill the next moments as you were lost in the memory, absently staring at the fire in silence, until a resounding phantom gunshot echoed around the walls inside your head when Joel said your name, making you jump.

When he said it again, the concern swelling in his voice made your breath stutter.

Blinking the darkness away, you saw the fire once again come into focus in front of you, and out of your peripherals, Joel leaning forward beside you, tilting his head to the side in question as he tried to catch your eye. His features were drawn cautiously.

Pulling your knees up closer to your chest as a chill ran down your spine that was from anything but being cold, you gave him a sideways look before turning back to the flames. “I’m fine.” You wrapped your arms around your legs to hold them tightly to yourself.

“Y’look it,” he teased.

Cutting your eyes his way, you found Joel smirking slightly at you, but his eyes still held concern as they studied your face, then made a run up and down the length of you, pausing on your hands briefly.

That’s when you realize you’d clenched them into fists so tight, you had indentations from your nails on your palm when you released them. With a sigh, you turned your stare back to the fire. “I’m fine, Joel.” Repeating the words didn’t help for some reason, so you continued on. “I…. I’ve never killed anyone, but….” Tilting your head back and pulling your knees tighter to your chest, you looked up at the stars. “I’ve come damn close once‘r’twice. Too close.”

“You don’t have t’talk abou-”

“The first person I lived next to in a QZ,” you started, smiling gently at his attempt to give you space on the topic. “He didn’t like the…. What did y’call it? Smelly noise?”

Joel scoffed in amusement, meeting your gaze as you lowered your eyes back onto him before staring toward the fire again absently.

“Came over after about a week t’tell me so, and I guess somethin’ in the way I said hello sounded like an invitation-”

The man stiffened beside you. “Y’know that’s not-”

Reaching out, you rested your hand on his forearm. “I’m kidding, Joel. I know I didn’t do anything, the man was just a pig.” You looked at him. “But thank you, though.” Turning back to the fire to find the words again, you took a deep breath. “Long story short, he tried somethin’, told me it was just the times we live in now, so I grabbed the gun he was wearin’ and threatened to teach him how no means no.”

A snort of laughter left Joel along with a gentle shake of his head as he too stared at the flames, giving you the space to finish your story.

“He didn’t think I would do it.” You went silent. The next time you spoke, even you could barely hear your own voice. “I probably should’ve. He went on t’do it to many others after me. Joined FEDRA. Should’ve seen that one comin’.” Clearing your throat, you shook your head and went on, voice a little stronger. “I shot him in the foot. Well, first I fired a warning shot to the side. He made some stupid comment about how he likes them crazy and lunged so I….” You made a finger gun with your left hand, pointed at Joel’s foot to your right, and imitated a shooting sound. “He gave me so many nicknames after that. So colorful. You crazy bitch, and-”

“I think I can paint a pretty clear picture, no need t’go on,” Joel said softly. His voice was gruff, not towards you, but the situation you’d found yourself in and the man with no name.

You nodded. “He’s why I left. After he joined FEDRA, he made my life hell. Made sure I got less ration cards, blacklisted me, caused all sorts’f problems. So I used what I had left t’pay someone to smuggle me out’f the QZ.”

“Nothing’s happened out here?”

“You mean outside the QZ?” He nodded. “No. I mean besides some infected, but I don’t count them. They’re technically already dead; it's just the fungus at that point. If we’re splittin’ hairs.” Looking out at the tree line, you sighed forlornly. “I used t’love mushrooms.”

After a second of silence, Joel burst out laughing, a low gravelly sound rumbling from deep in his chest. It vibrated you from your spot next to him, your very bones seeming to resonate with him. He was under your skin, and that made you smile.

“Y’know,” he started after a minute. “I just heard ‘bout the most Texan come out’f your mouth in the last five minutes than the whole time I’ve known you.”

“The most….?”

“‘I’ve come damn close once‘r’twice,’” he mimicked your words from earlier, emphasizing you’re lackadaisical grammar.

“Pfffft,” you blew out a huff at him. “Did not,” you countered, pushing his shoulder slightly.

“You’re slippin’” he teased with a grin, watching the flames.

His smile was contagious. “I’m just comfortable, is all. Comfortable and tired.”

“Oh good gracious, there it is again.” He looked at you mischievously. “Tired.” He drawled the word ridiculously now.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “I do know how to shoot a gun, Joel.”

He nodded once in understanding. “Yes, ma’am.” Quickly turning his eyes back to the fire, he glanced back up at you only once briefly, the side of his mouth twitching up before his eyes fell back down to the wall of heat.

As you sat around the campfire, it had dwindled down to just the two of you. You watched him as the firelight reflected in his eyes, a small smile continuing to pull up his face as he stared into the flames.

“What?” He asked after a minute, pulling only his eyes up toward you, his head still angled down. “I got somethin’ on my face?”

You snorted. “Besides your age, which you wear brilliantly, by the way? No.”

“Ouch,” he chuckled. “Thank you? ….I think?”

Grinning, you leaned your shoulder into his before sitting back upright. “You’re welcome.” Despite having sat back how you had been, the sides of your arms now brushed one another’s, and neither of you made an effort to move.

“So.”

He finally turned his head to fully look at you. “Yeah?”

“Why are you so opposed to Ellie moving into the garage?”

He sighed, glancing over his shoulder toward the cabin before looking out across the small camp toward the tree line. “Ugh, not you, too.”

“Is there something you’re worried about, or is it just…. Puttin’ your foot down?”

Joel heaved another sigh, eyes darting back and forth along the trees as he stared at them absently. “It’s…. I don’t know.” He paused, letting out a breath before taking another deep one as he started again. “We…. We went on a really, uh, tough trip together to get here. To Jackson, I mean. All the way from Boston. It’s been a rough road for her.”

“For the both of you, it seems,” you offered quietly. He looked at you and you shrugged. “You traveled together. If it was hard for her, it was for you, too. That’s just how it goes.”

“Yeah, I….” He looked at the flames. “I guess so.” He smiled softly before it faded. “I guess I just don’t want her that far from me.” He looked down at his hands, fiddling with his fingers, the tips of them dancing along the band of his watch before he closed his hand around the worn fabric. “Not yet.”

“It’s five extra steps, Joel.”

“I can keep an eye on her better down the hall.”

“You walked across the country together, a few more steps won’t break you.”

“You don’t know that,” he objected quickly, somewhat defensively, meeting your eyes again with his own as a dry chuckle painted the last of his words.

Smiling softly, you leaned further into his side slowly as you looked into the dwindling flames. “No, you’re right. I don’t.” He began to relax, his shoulders rolling forward as his weight slightly melted into you, staring at the flames once again himself. “But I’d like to think I’ve come to know you.”

Joel froze, his body tense once again as he listened to you go on.

Looking up at him through your lashes, you saw the firelight dancing across his face, sending him into all kinds of shadows. It could have been a trick of the light, but he looked almost nervous? His eyes were definitely apprehensive, and once you noticed that, you lowered your gaze down to his lap where his hand was once again digging into the fabric of his jeans.

“I don’t know what or who happened to you, and I’m not asking for details, that’s up to you. What I am saying is….” reaching up and across, you rested your left hand on his left forearm where it continued to press into yours with each deeper breath either of you dared to take. A small smile worked its way up your features as you saw his hand relax and unclench against the denim, his palm coming to rest on your knee instead. “You’re on a supply run for a teenaged girl to get paint. And to me?”

You turned just enough to catch his eye, finding his gaze already on you. When you realized that, you had to really think to remember what you wanted to say, swallowing roughly to remember how words worked as your eyes flicked between his own, your voice now something incredibly soft. “To me that paints a beautiful picture.”

Joel scoffed, his eyes studying your face for a long moment before he turned back to the fire that was now mostly coals, and started laughing. The sound started quiet but grew with each new round until it was a truly ruckus thing. “That…. was truly awful. And you say my puns are bad.”

You grinned as you sat back upright, pulling your knees tighter to your chest so you could rest your chin on them. He kept his palm on your leg, letting it ride just a bit above your knee and squeezed. “I have a bad influence. My roommates? Awful. All the time. Horrible, horrible puns.”

“Oh, really?” He arched a brow at you, giving your leg still in his grip a small teasing shake.

With a sigh, you tilted your head to the side to rest on the backs of your hands on your knees, studying him and trying to keep the damn smile off your face. “Yeah, they think they are so funny, but it’s really sad.”

He tilted his head back, looking down his nose at you in amusement. “Well, maybe you should teach them a thing or two.”

You grinned. It was inevitable. “Yeah. Maybe I will.”

Xxx

Tags to come!

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rascalentertainments · 3 days

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Wish Granted AU: The 7 Teens 👥👥👥🌟

This one was both the most fun and hardest one to do. At first I hated the idea of 7 friends in general cause its canon that the directors added them later in the story and they wanted to just have a free reference without actually doing something. But the more I thought about it, the more I could see that they were accidentally given a good opportunity to create a new batch of loveable characters. So many creative ideas with it! Even the original concept shows that they had more thought and personality to them!

And they actually did have some personality in the deleted scenes, both during the distraction plan and the dungeon scenes, they felt more like characters than the final film. They had Seven Dwarves without actually acting like the Seven Dwarves, like how....???

Sorry to say, they did nothing in the movie. (yeah, I watched Wish, it was lame. Moving on.) One thing I want to achieve here is they'll be a mix between the Dwarves and the Mane 6. I swear this makes sense. 😅 Also one big difference here is that instead of being friends with them from the start, Asha meets each teen one by one when she and Star enter Rosas. A few of them even know Flazino, but not on a super personal level, just that he's seemingly loyal to Magnifico and Amaya. The teens know each other pretty well since they all work around the same place, but having them work together to start a revolution and defeat an evil will cement them as friends with each other and Asha and Star.

So let's give a quick rundown on each one. The more the story evolves, this page will be updated for additional backgrounds or changes to them.

Dhalia: Combination of Twilight/Doc. She's still a baker in this in version, and her wish is to become the greatest baker in the kingdom. (I actually didn't know this was something canon to the movie until later, it just something I came up with by coincidence!) She's incredibly loyal to the king and queen (with a bit of a crush on Magnifico) and willing to do anything for the kingdom. And...let's just say her role in the story will be bigger than some other rewrites or even the film itself.

Simon: Combination of Big Macintosh/Sleepy. While he still retains his sleepiness, its a result of losing his wish. He was actually strong, outgoing and jovial before then. Now he just doesn't have any ambition to do anything aside from his daily tasks. His wish was to become a royal knight and protect the kingdom.

Gabo: Combination of Rainbow Dash/Grumpy. He's incredibly loyal, but he hides it behind his rudeness. He's been duped so many times that he doesn't trust people anymore, especially when finding out he's right about the king being no good. His wish he's keeping secret, but it'll be revealed somewhere in the story.

Bazeema: Combination of Fluttershy/Bashful. Still keeping her kindness and ability to sneak up on people from the movie, Bazeema adores nature and especially animals. She gets along with just about all the animals in the forest, the royal horses and even the birds. She LOVES when Star turns into animals, since he's the entire animal kingdom rolled into one! The only animal she's never succeeded with was Sabor. He's just too much like his owners to get along with. 😂 Her wish is to provide a safe haven where all the animals would be safe and recover together if hurt.

Dario: Combination of Pinkie Pie/Dopey. Now I know you're thinking why not have the Pinkie inspiration for Hal? Well, I wanted her to be a bit more of a grounded type of funny instead of zany. Since Dario is based on Dopey, he provides a lot of awkward yet endearing humor. Sometimes he tries too hard, but he means well. He always manages to make Star laugh though! His wish is to bring laughter to Rosas, as he's one of the few who notices not everyone is exactly happy there.

Safi: Combination of Rarity/Sneezy. Despite Safi's allergies, he loves animals and is a bit shy around Bazeema whenever he helps tend to the garden or animals around Rosas. He might have like a hundred allergies, but he's always generous when it comes to helping his kingdom. Even though the King and Queen don't appreciate it. 😅(I'm also playing with an idea of Safi x Bazeema. Not entirely sure. I just kinda....got a small vibe of that from watching the movie. Maybe it was just me.) His wish is to get rid of his allergies so he can carry on a conversation without sneezing. Yeah, that's it! 😂😂

Hal: Combination of Applejack/Happy. Bit of a rougher gal in this one. She, a hard worker, but has a great sense of humor. She even helps be a test audience for Dario when it comes to his jokes, which eventually leads them to become a duo. Hal feels pretty content, so she hasn't really thought about a wish to give.

At one point later in the story when all of them do come together, I got an idea for their battle cry or team signal being "Heigh, Ho!". I still can't believe they didn't even use that in the movie.

Oh and there is still a traitor in this story, but...its not who you think it is. That's all I can say without spoilers. So you'll have to figure it out as it goes along.

And there you go, that's gonna be it for the characters now! The only one that may get one is Flazino, but it would be later down the line if I did to avoid spoilers. So now, the first test chapter is coming next! It'll include the "Welcome to Rosas" song, but with a twist! And my bestie @signed-sapphire is gonna help me with it, so stay tuned! 😉

@wings-of-sapphire @oh-shtars @chillwildwave @flicklikesstuff @annymation @tumblingdownthefoxden @emillyverse @mythartist21 @kstarsarts @kenihewa

#rascal entertainments #wish 2023 #wish au #wish granted #wish granted au #wish concept art #wish reimagined #wish rewrite #wish movie #disney wish #The seven teens #disney #Disney wish #Wish fandom #wish disney

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ratsypatsy · 1 day

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Hello Tumblr! This is me posting on why is Mikaela a better option of protagonist than Sam.

I know the reason why Sam is the way it is, it's because they wanted people to feel identified by a character that's an average and simple person, I guess that's an interesting idea, however, Sam wasn't a very good example of this, they want to show a guy who is nice and find himself being brave at some point. But when I see the movie, I just see a horny teenager who did what he did just because he was involved in it, and to impress a gal, cause there wasn't an option, you can put make up on it by adding those scenes of him saying badass stuff... But that's not enough for me, the character itself seems as a lazy example of what they wanted to show, there's no flavor in it.

And then they made Mikaela as his romantic interest and it's crazy how she's better constructed than he is.

Her past is very interesting, let's start with that. She was considered a criminal at some point, but she had her reason. Then all the school looked as her just as a "sexy and privileged girl who is the gf of the popular guy", they saw her just as their "hot classmate", and not by what she actually is, and this is probably because she didn't wanted them to know the truth, because it's dangerous for her future.

Now, they could've used this to make the kind of character that did something wrong, but then risks it all to save the world, find her place and gain the forgiveness from her crimes.

She is a mechanic, what made her really interesting as a TF human protagonist, similar as Charlie, this ability of her is very useful for her alien comrades.

She is also brave, mature, and responsible.

She had her doubts at the beginning when she first saw Bumblebee, Sam convinced her in that part, but as he did it so easily, I think, without Sam there, a little chat with Bee would've been enough to make her change her mind. Even after that, she didn't questioned to keep helping the Autobots every time she could during the movie, not because she just had to be there, but because she actually wanted to help, she saw Bumblebee more as an individual than as an object, feeling bad for him when he got hurt (Sam kept calling him "my car" as if he was some pet or something that he own, he kept this behavior the next movies)

The reason why we couldn't see more of her interacting with the bots is because she wasn't the protagonist, even in the next movie, her role was mostly secondary, and all her relevance there was to add some drama to the relationship... The rest is just Sam doing his stuff (zzzz) they just throw most of the character to the trash, her only purpose was to be the badie of the movie, what's a shame, since it could've been more interesting.

Her character in the first movie felt more real than her boyfriend, more organic, she had problems, she wasn't perfect, and she had more feelings than being horny and trying to make the other character fell in love with her.

She was witty when she had to take actions.

I mean, is sad how they just putted her in the hot girl place, while giving her an interesting personality and background, jut to throw that, because they were more interested in taking shoots of the actress being sexy, and all of what surrounds her is just the fetish of someone who wanted a "bad girl", that's also smart and brave to fell in love with him, it's unfair. Meanwhile they gave us sam who is less interesting and irritating... Like, do you have a brain that works? The movie is very interesting, I think, it could've worked better for me with a better human protagonist.

#transformers #maccadams #maccadam #robots #mecha #decepticons #autobots #transformers 2007 #bayformers #sam witwicky #mikaela banes #bumblebee #optimus prime #bayverse bumblebee #transformers bayverse

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charmingsoa · 2 days

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■ Bring it On Home to Me (Intro) ■ John Egan x OC Multi chapter story ⚠ Warning ⚠ This story will feature themes not appropriate for those under the age of 18 and will focus on sensitive subjects at times. Story will contain scenes of sexual content, cursing, physical and verbal abuse, substance use, cheating, miscarriage, mentions of war, etc. Warnings will be posted with each chapter. Please be advised when reading. This fic is purely fiction and has nothing to to do with the actual men of Masters of Air. A/N: Hello! So this is my first John Egan story and i'm kind of excited and nervous to display it to you all... I've never written for this character before but i've read all the amazing stories that are out there and I wanted to jump on the bandwagon. So, this story starts off a little different than most and it will actually go back in time to tell the story. Like I said, it's a little different, but I hope in a good way! I hope you all enjoy 😊

If you would like to be tagged for future updates, please let me know!

“I think that’s the last of it, mom.” I looked up from the picture, my oldest daughter staring back as she wiped a stray hair out of her face.

The house, the place where I had spent the last 50 years, now stood before me vacant and empty, echoing with the memories of a lifetime. The bare walls, once adorned with photos capturing moments from the past and present, now stared back at me, the original paint faded from where the frames had sat untouched for many years. This home had been the anchor of our family, the sanctuary where my children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren had all found solace and security.

I could still see it vividly in my mind's eye - my girls taking their first steps on the soft carpet of the living room, their laughter filling the air. The kitchen, with its worn wooden floors, bore witness to their growth, marked by notches on the door frame tracking their increasing heights. The backyard, a place of endless play and joy, had been the backdrop for countless family gatherings, from first day-of-school photos to prom nights and even wedding celebrations.

As I wandered through the empty rooms, memories flooded my mind - the sound of children's laughter echoing down the halls, the smell of home-cooked meals wafting from the kitchen, the sight of my grandchildren playing in the backyard as I watched from the comfort of the wraparound porch. This was more than just a house; it was a living, breathing repository of our family's history and love.

This was the home that he had promised me, the place where we had vowed to build our lives and raise our family, where we had planned to stay until the end of our days. Now, as I prepared to say goodbye to our beloved home, a mix of emotions swirled within me.

"I'm gonna get you out of here – give you a life worth living and loving in America," the soldier declared, his voice tinged with a mix of determination and allure. As he spoke, tendrils of smoke curled lazily from the cigarette between his fingers, adding to the air of mystery that surrounded him. His eyes, a piercing shade of blue, bore into mine with an intensity that was hard to ignore.

Rolling my eyes in response, I stubbed out my own cigarette, the ember extinguishing with a hiss. All the soldiers were the same, I thought wryly, willing to say anything to win favor and attention, especially at the end of a long night. Despite his good looks and the faint scent of whiskey and smoke that emanated from his dress greens, I remained guarded, having heard similar promises before.

"You watch and see, little girl," he continued, leaning back in his chair, his posture exuding confidence. His thighs were spread open, a display of dominance that didn't escape my notice. "I'll buy you any kind of house you want – a farmhouse, a mansion, one on the beach."

"Mom-" Bridget's voice broke through the silence, pulling me back from the depths of my thoughts. I blinked, refocusing on the present moment, feeling her warm hand gently pressing against my back. Her touch comforting.

I turned to look at her, a concerned gaze searching mine. Her eyes, so much like her father’s, reflected a mix of worry and love. In that moment, I saw the strength and resilience that she had inherited from him.

"I'm okay, sweetheart," I reassured her, offering a faint smile to ease her concern. "Just lost in my thoughts for a moment there."

She let out a sigh as she looked over the empty home, "Daddy used to always tell Maggie and me that we wouldn’t be able to get you out of this house – even if we infested it with all the spiders in the world – you would find a way to stay," she reminisced, a hint of amusement in her voice.

A smile tugged at my lips as she continued, "He would kid us by saying that you loved this house more than you loved him, which we both knew was not true."

"Well," I smirked, "There were times when your father was not my favorite person, but he always had a way of making it up to me in the end, even if it was my fault for the argument." The intensity of our arguments, fueled by stubbornness and pride, seemed to fade in comparison to the fierce passion that ignited between us once the storm had passed.

"Do you realize that you’re a pain in my ass?” I rolled my eyes as he stood firmly in front of me. “If I wanted to cheat on you, I would have gone out and done it already, Vanessa. I could go down to George’s bar and pick any one of those hookers that hang around there – I’m sure they would be more than happy to spend a couple hours with me."

A mean smirk formed on my face as I retorted, “You haven’t lasted more than 10 minutes in over two years.” I scoffed. “Over here talking about lasting a couple hours – it's either your back or your knees that start hurting in a matter of seconds. God forbid you’re the one on the bottom.”

His eyes narrowed at my cutting remarks. “You sayin that I’m no good in bed?” he shot back, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his tone.

“You’re the one talking about being some kind of Adonis,” I remarked, feeling my back hit the counter behind me as he crept closer. “I’m just stating the facts, sweetheart.” His tall frame towered over mine, his arms trapping me in on either side. I glared up at him with hooded eyes, while his piercing blue eyes held a hint of mischief.

“I mean, you’re okay I guess,” I replied, trying to maintain a façade of indifference despite the closeness between us.

His breath tickled my ear as he leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, “The way you were begging last night might say otherwise, V.” His words sent a jolt of heat through me, memories of the previous night flooding back with an intensity that left me momentarily speechless.

"Daddy made this place fun, that's for sure – it's gonna be weird not seeing him sitting in the rocking chair out front or fiddling around in his garden," Bridget remarked, a hint of wistfulness in her voice. I nodded in understanding, feeling the weight of her words settle heavily in my heart.

"Gonna be weird just not coming here period," she added, her eyes briefly meeting mine as I let out a sad sigh.

As we stood there, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of our family home, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loss creeping in. John’s presence had always been a comforting constant, his love and warmth filling every corner of this house. Without him, the home felt like an empty shell – hollow and cold.

“I think I’m gonna take one more look around- “My voice hitching in my throat. “Make sure I have everything before I turn the keys over to the realtor.”

Bridget nodded her head, her touch leaving my arm as she slowly walked towards the front door. I could hear her speaking with the real estate agent that was waiting outside, the realization that this was the end starting to dawn on me.

My eyes moved down to the picture that I clutched tightly in my hands – our young, bright smiles on display as the bulb flashed in front of us. The first photograph of us in front of our new house – the place where we promised to spend the rest of our days.

549 Timber Creek Rd.

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xrollingmyeyesx · 20 hours

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OVERWORKED

pairing: Aonung x Metkayina!Reader x Neteyam, ALL CHARACTERS ARE 18+

summary: You're a stressed and overworked healer; Aonung and Neteyam are constantly bugging you at work. When you blow up at them, they offer a helping hand.

warnings: smut, praise, dumbification kinda, threesome with my favorite boys 💕

Notes: I know this isn’t an innocence update, but I figured I’d give y’all something just waiting in the drafts! 💕 lots of love. As always, reblogs, likes, and comments are appreciated!

“You always seem so stressed, Y/n.” Tsireya mused one day in the healers tent. “You should take a rest day.”

Easy for her to say. She hadn’t been up all night for the 5th day in a row.

First, it had been a sudden stomach illness from spoiled food. Several people became ill, and you spent the night cleaning puke and forcing them to drink water. Then it was sea flu, passed between the younger members of the clan. The youngest were among the most fragile, so they had to stay under careful watch. Night after night, something kept you from the comfort of your bed.

The day time was just as busy.

When you weren’t bombarded with people seeking your help, you worked to replenish the stores of balms and elixirs that had been used up after the last hunting trip. Somehow, every hunter managed to come back with some type of wound, ranging from small lacerations to a brutal, but accidental, knife wound.

You were the best healer the Metkayina had; So good that Ronal, the Tsahik, often requested your help with difficult wounds or ailments.

If you were anyone else you would take the day off, but you were you. You were sought out at all times, even when you weren’t supposed to be working. No day off was truly a day off.

“I am just tired.” You replied to Tsireya, mixing up a balm for a new mother in the clan. She was still experiencing great pains from the birth, and you hoped to ease it as best you could.

You really did love your job, too. You loved caring for people and being able to relieve their pain.

It was just so consuming. At times it felt like all you did was work, and you were quickly burning out with each sleepless night.

A muffled voice came from the tent's entrance, and you turned your back as Tsireya greeted the newcomer.

“Skxawng, what did you do?” She admonished.

You knew just from her tone that it must have been Aonung who’d come through. And where Aonung went, so did Neteyam. You’d had a bit of a crush on the both of them, but never pursued it. After all, if you didn't have time to sleep, you definitely didn't have time to date.

You sighed deeply, your shoulders sagging from the stress of the day. You wanted to just have one, relaxing night to forget about your job. But you doubted it would be any time soon.

“It is actually my fault,” Neteyam admitted to Tsireya. “I got distracted during sparring.”

Now that was interesting. Rarely did Neteyam falter. He was a worthy warrior, and you’d never seen him lose to anyone but Aonung. Not that it proved anything, Neteyam had won over him just as much as he’d lost to him.

You turned towards them, averting your gaze as you added new components to the balm. It was a thick yellow paste now, and you needed it to turn a soft cream color. You sat on the floor of the tent, diligently mixing and watching for the color change.

“Just sew it up,” Aonung huffed in his normal grumpy tone.

He had a deep cut right across his bicep, deep enough to see the lower layers of skin peeking out. Ouch. It bled freely, dripping down his arm. He would need stitches, at least 6, and it would be especially painful in that specific area.

“Let me get a needle,” Tsireya turned to rummaged through the suture supplies.

“No, I want Y/n to do it.” Aonung stated, as if you would drop what you were doing to come to his aid.

You raised a brow at him from your position on the floor. You were clearly busy with something, and Tsireya was just as capable of stitching him up as you were. And she was his sister, he should trust her implicitly.

You voiced your contempt aloud. “Tsireya can sew your cut, Aonung.”

He scowled, and behind him you saw Neteyam crack a smile. “You do them better.”

That wasn’t true. You may have been faster at stitching, but you had the exact same technique as Tsireya because you’d both had the same teacher: her mother.

Tsireya found the supplies she needed and rolled her eyes at her brother. “Aonung, do not be stubborn. Come here.” She sat across from you, looking at him expectantly.

“I wanted Y/n.”

What is up with him? He barely talked to you normally, communicating mainly in grunts and letting Neteyam translate. And now he wants to demand you help him, when you're literally in the middle of something else, and his sister is readily available to help?

You scowled. You were in no mood to have him order you around like you were some servant. You had a job to do: help people, which you were actively doing. Tsireya was right there!

“I’m busy.” You dismissed him with a wave of your hand.

“Y/n.” He growled, as if that would make you do it.

You whipped your head to face him, baring your teeth in a sharp hiss.

“I said no, Aonung! I am doing something for someone else, and I will not put it down just because you are the son of Olo’eyktan and think you deserve special treatment.” You glared at him, rising to your feet. “Your sister is perfectly capable of sewing you up, and I am tired of your shit.”

You whipped back around, your long curls whipping across your back as you stomped out of the room and to the back of the tent, taking the mixing bowl with you. Fuck him if he thought you’d play favorites with your patients.

Fucking asshole.

Later, you would chastise yourself for lashing out like that. Aonung was rude sometimes, but you shouldn't have taken your own stress out on him.

Maybe Tsireya was right.

You did need to relax. And you needed to find a way to de-stress so you weren’t taking out all your frustrations on other people.

…..

A few days later, after some convincing from Tsireya, you decided to visit the hot springs along the edge of the island. You desperately needed to get away for a bit. It helped that a large grove of trees and a rock formation created a natural barrier, giving the area some semblance of privacy away from prying eyes.

You waited until the sun set before leaving, making sure to keep quiet. It’s not that you would get in trouble for being out, but you didn’t want to face any questions about where you might be going. The hot springs weren’t too far from your own tents, so the walk was brief.

The spring was small, but not enough to deter you from using it. You could probably lay down flat against the bed and touch both sides. The forest floor faded into stone around the pool, creating a ledge that dropped down into steaming water.

You undressed and gingerly stepped down, and immediate relief flooded your senses. The spring was hot enough to sting slightly, but not so much as to cause pain. You figured your skin would be burned a soft pink by the end of your bath.

You washed your face first, attempting to wipe the weariness from your eyes. Your hair was next, and you dipped under the water to soak it. You washed it carefully, parting it into sections and finger-combing each one out.

Your arms burned by the time you finished with your hair, and you sat along the edge of the pool where a protruding ledge had created a makeshift bench. You leaned back against the wall, your body slipping beneath the soothing water.Eyes closed, you allowed your muscles to loosen one by one until the tension had eased.

Usually when you showered, it was a quick affair. You had places to be and things to do, so bathing for long periods of time wasn’t possible. The act of bathing had become less of a relaxing activity and more of a quick scrub; A necessity rather than a luxury.

“You shouldn’t be out alone this late, Y/n.” A deep voice chided, starting you from your peaceful moment as you whipped around quickly, pushing off the bench defensively.

Neteyam leaned against one of the trees with his arms crossed over his chest. He was bathed in shadows, and you could just barely make out his bright, amber eyes. You dropped the defensive stance. Neteyam might have been scary at times, but he wouldn’t hurt you.

His eyes shifted, dipping slightly. You followed his gaze down, only to remember you were completely naked, and your upper half was exposed above the water. Flushing, you scrambled to cover your chest, crossing your arms over them. You didn’t have time to wonder if he found it strange for you to hide when your people had no stigma against nakedness.

“What are you doing here?” You accused, stepping back. Had he followed you out here? What could he have been doing so late?

He pursed his lips and tilted his head at you in study. “I was just out for a walk and saw you leaving the village,” He uncrossed his arm and stepped forward out of the shadows.“I wanted to apologize for the other day. Aonung behaved poorly.”

Strange, that he would apologize for his friend. Even more strange that he would apologize when it had been you who’d lost their temper.

“There is no need to apologize, Neteyam. I should not have been so quick to anger.” You spoke softly, and then, believing the conversation was over and he would leave, you turned your head dismissively.

Neteyam, however, was not done speaking. “Aonung was being stubborn, like usual. He did not mean to upset you.”

You rolled your eyes, sinking further into the water so you could drop your hands from your chest. If this conversation was going to continue, you couldn't just stand there exposed.

“I am well aware of Aonung’s stubbornness. It comes from being the oldest, I think.” You replied thoughtfully.

The foliage behind Neteyam ruffled as something moved behind it. A second later, a large, blue body stepped out from the darkness.

“Have you been watching me, minyu?”

Aonung’s sudden appearance immediately put you on edge, and you subconsciously took another step back.

You should have known he would be there. He was Neteyam’s best friend, and the two were never far from each other. Where one went, the other followed.

“Aonung,” You addressed him cautiously, your face flushing at the accusation. How arrogant he must be to think you would spend your free time watching him. You may have enjoyed the occasional view, but you didn’t have the energy to pursue anyone in that way.

He was attractive, of course, but he’d never been anything but platonically cordial to you. Which made sense because the only time you ever saw him, outside of clan events, was when he came to you to be healed.

You were so distracted by Aonung’s accusation that you almost skimmed right past what he had called you.

Minyu.

It was a type of lily that grew near the southern part of the reef. The leaves were very sweet, almost addicting, but they were hard to get. A person would have to climb several reef walls to reach their growing site, and risk falling if they failed. It was a delicacy that most would avoid risking their life for.

And you knew from Tsireya that Aonung was particularly fond of the plant. He was one of the few who scaled the walls regularly to get a taste of the ripe flower.

What a strange thing to call you.

He grinned, sky blue eyes taking in the scene. The water didn’t do much to conceal you, but the darkness helped some. The only source of light was the soft glow of moss on the outer rocks.

Aonung walked to the edge of the pool and peered over. Then he began to do something weird. He began to untie his necklaces. He let them fall to the ground, and then he untied the laces of his cumberbund, his warrior's vest.

Oh, Eywa. He wasn’t going to…

“Neteyam,” He called over his shoulder, eyes locked with yours as he spoke. “I think we should have a bath as well.” His voice carried over the water, and you inhaled sharply.

He was going to get in with you. They were both going to get in with you.

It was bad enough they were there interrupting the only peace and quiet you’d had in months, but now they were going to invade your space too? The two could be cocky at times, but never out right mean. And it was clear by how tense you’d become that they weren’t welcome there.

That you didn’t want them there, regardless of the tingling at the base of your tail and the stupid, quick beating of your heart.

Or so you tried to convince yourself as the two men stripped their clothing off.

You couldn’t even ask them to leave without exposing whatever miniscule feelings you had for them. It was completely normal for Na’vi to be naked in front of each other. And if it was anyone else, you’d have no issues at all.

But it wasn’t anyone else. It was them.

Unease curled in your gut at the idea of sitting in this pool and bathing with them sitting only a few feet away. Not only would you not get the quiet you’d been seeking out, but you would be uncomfortable the whole time. There was no way you would be able to relax with both sets of piercing eyes watching you.

“Staring is rude, Y/n.”

You narrowed your eyes at Aonung and scowled. “Yeah, well, so are you.”

Okay, maybe not the best comeback, but you were a little distracted with the two semi-naked men basically giving you a peep show. They were both down to their loincloths, and Aonung had busied himself with tying back his hair.

He quickly tied the long locks in a knot on his head and moved to untie the only thing keeping him decent. You attempted to turn, but not nearly quick enough, catching a glimpse of what is unmistakably his cock in your peripheral vision.

You squeezed your eyes shut.

Aonung was incredibly irritating, but he was also very, very hot.

One of them laughed behind you, and then twin splashes and the rocking of waves signaled they had joined you in the water. You refused to turn, your shoulders tense as you stared at the mossy rock in front of you.

Don’t think about them naked. Don't think about them naked.

“Perhaps I should leave,” You muttered, after the repetition failed to erase the mental images you had already conjured.

“Stay,” Aonung ordered, and you shivered as your back straightened.

You hated how your body reacted to him. The traitorous bitch didn’t get the memo that you were supposed to be angry at him, not horny for him.

“Please,” Neteyam added. At least one of them had manners.

The rational part of you told you to leave, to jump out of the pool and make a dash for your home. Yes they’d get an eyeful, but at least you would be out of this awkward situation. It was the better option, the more logical option.

Another more insistant part of you told you to stay. You were there first and you deserved to relax, even if you had to deal with the two assholes. And even if it was awkward and they irritated you the whole time, at least you had new material for the nights when your hand was the only respite you got from the grueling day.

On those nights, the men in your fantasies were much less annoying.

“I’ll stay,” You relented.

A minute passed where nothing was said, and you stood tensely as apprehension grew. Maybe you shouldn’t stay. Maybe they were only telling you to stay out of politeness, and now things were weird because you hadn’t gotten the hint? Maybe they–

“Y/n, are you going to turn around or is there something particularly interesting over there?” Neteyam teased.

Right. Don’t be awkward.

You dipped lower into the water to cover your chest before facing them. You might have decided to stay, but that didn’t mean you were ready to bare your whole body to them.

“Thank you, sevin .”

You were sure Neteyam hadn’t meant it, but the words sounded strangely close to a purr. The deep rumble had a shocking sizzle of heat shooting straight to your core, and you hoped they hadn’t noticed your flustered reaction. So distracted with appearing nonchalant, you didn’t even realize Neteyam had called you pretty.

Aonung and Neteyam sat on the ledge you had been on before they surprised you. They were splayed out, Aonung’s broader form taking up more of the space. They were so pretty together, like a tapestry of varying blues all woven together to perfection. You were completely captivated, watching them with a keen interest.

Strangely, Aonung’s arm was thrown over Neteyam’s shoulder. It created a strange sense of intimacy you’d never seen from the pair. You had never given it much thought, but maybe they were closer than they let everyone believe.

“Y/n.”

You startled out of your ogling, darting your eyes up to meet Aonung’s. “Yes?”

He grinned in a way that bared his fangs, the sharp point digging into full lips. “Neteyam asked you a question.”

You flushed, fidgeting with your hands below the water. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking.”

The knowing look on Neteyam's face said he knew exactly what you’d been thinking about, but he said nothing about the rosy tint to your cheeks. He repeated the question, asking if you usually came to the hot springs late at night.

The way they watched you made it hard to think. They looked at you like they were reading every glance, making note of every little twitch of your ears. It made your skin itch. It was almost as if they were looking for something, and if the glances they shared were any indication, you were pretty sure they had found the answer they were looking for.

“Rarely. I do not have time during the day to come for a bath, and usually by night I am so tired I fall asleep before I can make it out of my home. I usually just try to squeeze in a quick shower at the falls.”

Neteyam tilted his head. “But you were not tired today?”

You sighed, picking at your nail beds. “I am very tired, but I thought I would maybe relax a bit,” You shot him a pointed look. “You know, get away from other people.”

Neteyam laughed, and held his hands up in mock surrender. “Fair.”

You managed a small smile back. Maybe they weren’t so bad all the time.

“Why are you so tired, Minyu?”

You shifted your gaze to Aonung. He seemed confused, as if there was no reason you could possibly be so busy that you didn’t have time to bathe.

“I am just busy, that's all. I spend all day with other people, with the elders and Ronal, and all the people who need my help. Healing and studying and teaching,” You looked anywhere but at them. “From sunrise to sunset, I have people depending on me to help them, to take care of them. And I love helping them,” You nodded, as if to reassure yourself. “Really, I do. But sometimes… Sometimes I think it would be nice to not have to think sometimes. To have someone take care of me, for a change.”

A quiet stillness fell over your trio as your admission settled in.

Regret quickly flooded you at having just admitted something so personal. You hadn’t meant to overshare, but the words just spilled out of you like a flood. Embarrassment and dread filled your gut and you swallowed harshly.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean–” You started to explain your rambling.

“Do not apologize,” Aonung barked, and you sucked in a breath at the bite in his words.

His mouth was pressed in a hard line, like he was thinking deeply. You could just make out Neteyam’s hand under the water, rubbing soothingly on Aonung’s leg. You had a sneaking suspicion the two were not just friends.

Neteyam glanced up at his friend before turning to you. “You could have asked us, Y/n.”

You crinkled your nose in confusion. “Asked you what?”

Neteyam sighed, but Aonung butted in before he could speak. “You could have asked us to take care of you.”

The laugh bubbled up out of you before you could control it. “And you would take care of me?”

“Yes,” Neteyam answered, as if that was obvious.

The dark glint in Aonung's eyes could mean anything, but paired with the smirk on Neteyam’s face, you were pretty sure you knew what he meant by ‘take care of you.’ The picture it conjured had your skin heating and a fuzzy feeling grew in the pit of your stomach. It was unease, but leaning more towards something else… Anticipation. Need. Excitement.

“I thought you didn’t like me?” You were sure they didn’t like you. Maybe they liked irritating you, but they didn't like you.

Neteyam smiled. “We like you enough.”

A minute of silence passed and you briefly wished that the earth would swallow you whole. You had no idea how to respond to him. Maybe you had imagined the tension you felt towards them.

“You don’t want to think?” Aonung asked, and you looked up from where you’d been fidgeting.

You sighed, slapping your hands against the surface of the water. “Yeah, that probably sounds stupid.”

Neteyam studied you. “It’s not stupid, Y/n. You need not think, to let someone else do the thinking for you.” He shrugged. “There’s no shame in that, sevin.”

You flushed at him calling you pretty, and squeezed your thighs together under the water as discreetly as possible as the words traveled straight to your clit. There was no denying the sexual undertone this time.

“Uhm,” Your mouth fell open. You shouldn’t like the insinuation. You were an independent woman, but the idea of handing over the reigns, of letting someone else do the thinking? You breathed out softly.

“Oh?” Aonung smirked from next to Neteyam. “I think she likes that.” He leaned forward. “Is that what you need, minyu? You need someone to help you empty that pretty head, is that it?”

Your eyes blow wide at his words. How do you even reply to that?

Aonung grunted, and whispered against the shell of Neteyam’s ear. Then he stood, lifting his gorgeous, tattoo covered body out of the water. Once again, you glance away out of modesty.

He slowly waded across the pool to you, and your chest began to rise and fall quickly with each step. You held your breath as he approached. He stood over you, his upper body exposed while you stayed hidden under the water.

“Is that what you want, Y/n?” He asked slowly, like he was talking to a small animal. “We can help you forget all that stress. You don’t have to think with us. You just have to say you want it.”

You stared up at him, mouth opening and closing as you sorted information in your head. It all happened so fast, his suggestion, his insinuation that you let them control you, that you let them do what they want to you. You tried to think, to find a reason to say no, but he was standing so close and you couldn’t form a coherent answer.

“Y/n,” He asked again, this time softer.

You could say no. You could remind him that they don’t like you and you don’t like them. You could run away, like you had considered earlier. You could yell at him for thinking you would be so easy, for thinking you would just fall to your knees for him. You could.

But you don’t.

Slowly, you rose from the water, droplets trailing down your skin and over the smooth curve of your breasts. Your skin prickled with awareness as he watched, and a sharp sense of satisfaction filled you as he drug in a ragged breath.

He trailed his knuckles over your arm, leaving goosebumps in his wake. “Say the word, Y/n.”

“Both of you?” You asked breathily. You glanced over his shoulder at Neteyam, who was watching the interaction intently.

“Both of us.”

You’d already made up your mind. “Okay.”

Aonung dipped his head, ghosting his lips across yours. “Say all of it, minyu.”

You licked your lips, briefly touching his. “I want you guys to take care of me.” The words were barely audible to you past the pounding of your heart in your ears.

They heard you clearly though, twin groans of approval coming from both of them.

Aonung pulled away. “Go to Neteyam.” It was an order, and one you followed unquestioningly.

You walked around Aonung to approach Neteyam hesitantly, and he held a hand out to you. He pulled you close to stand in between his spread legs. You watched him, trying to avoid looking down,where just under the water his cock jutted out from between lean hips.

Aonung stepped up behind you and pressed his chest to your back. His bulky frame caged you in, surrounding you with the smell of sea water and spices. He was the perfect height for you to lean your head back against the curve of his shoulder. His rough palms slid against your hips, and he took your waist in his larger hands. You released a ragged breath.

Another hand slid up the side of your leg, dancing over the curve of your ass to grip your hip on the other side. Since he was sitting, Neteyam had to tilt his chin to look up at you.

“You listen so well, sevin.” You preened at the praise, your stomach fluttering. “Such a pretty blush.”

He tugged you closer. “You gonna let us fuck you, Y/n? Let us fuck you until there’s nothing left to think about in that cute little head of yours?”

You nodded slowly.

Something about the way Neteyam talked to you made you want to melt, to submit to whatever he wanted from you. Everything about his voice, the cadence, the tone, the soft lilt on the end, eases you into submission, into a sense of security with him.

He caressed your face softly, and then pulled your mouth to his. He kissed slowly, sensually, savoring your taste and taking the time to map the shape of your mouth dutifully. You pressed closer, eager for more, and threw your arms around his neck. His fingers dug into your hip as he groaned low in the back of his throat.

By the time he pulled away you were panting for air.

“You tell us if you ever want to stop, okay?” His face turned serious, and he urged you to answer.

“Mhm.” It seemed they had already ruined your ability to speak actual words.

“Words, Y/n.” Aonung grumbled from behind you, his warm breath ghosting over your ear. “Use your words.”

“Yes, I’ll tell you to stop.”

A lie.

You would never tell these two men to stop. There's nothing they could do that you wouldn’t accept willingly at that point. You were already slick with need and a desire so intense your clit throbs.

“Good girl, sevin.” Neteyam praised.

Aonung kissed the side of your neck, eliciting a gasp from your parted lips. You tilted your head back to allow him easier access, and he used the new angle to turn your head and press his lips to yours.

Where Neteyam was soft, Aonung was hard. He kissed you forcefully, like a summer storm determined to take everything you had to give and more. Your teeth clashed, his tongue quickly dominating yours. His sharp fangs bit into your lip, and you gasped at the sharp pain, pulling away.

“So responsive, isn’t she, Aonung?” Neteyam hooked an ankle around yours under the water and used the leverage to pull your legs apart, opening you to him. He slid his hand between your thighs to your aching center, his fingers just barely gliding over the slick outer lips. “So wet for us.” He applied pressure to your clit, moving in smooth circles until you were grinding down against his hand.

“Yes.” You whimpered, leaning back against Aonung for support.

Aonung nipped at your shoulder. “I told you she would be, I saw her clenching her pretty little thighs when she was angry at us. She’s been thinking about us, haven’t you minyu?”

“Great Mother,” You cried out as Aonung bit down, right in tune with the increased pressure against your clit.

“No,” Neteyam corrected. “Just us. If you're going to scream a name, it better be one of ours.” He teased your slit, coating his fingers in the wetness there before he pushed two fingers into your heat.

“‘Teyam,” You gasped at the intrusion and moved your hands to grip his shoulders.

He worked his fingers out slowly, and then drove them back in at a languid pace. He repeated the same motion, finding a sensual rhythm that had you clenching around his fingers.

Aonung reached from behind you to take the heavy weight of your breast in his hand, brushing calloused fingertips over the sensitive peak. He pinched your nipple, rolling the pink bud between his fingers.

You arched your back, pushing up into his hands just as Neteyam added another finger. The stretch was delicious, and he curled his finger inside you, finding a spongy wall that made you see stars.

“So fucking tight,” Neteyam growled. He increased the pace, stroking and stretching you on his fingers till you were gasping his name for more.

“More,” You pleaded. “Need more.”

While Neteyam brought you closer to release, Aonung explored your body restlessly. He pulled at the flesh of your ass hard, pressing close to you. His thick length pressed against your backside and he rutted against you in short thrusts.

“Demanding little thing. Ordering your future chiefs around.” He kept one hand on your breast and one on the curve of your ass as he rocked against you. “You forget your manners, minyu.”

Neteyam thrusted up, harder against the textured wall of your cunt. They pulled you in opposite directions, playing a tantalizing game of tug-of-war with your body and you were enjoying every second.

“Please, I need to come.” You looked down at Neteyam with wide, pleading eyes, your lips parted as you moaned.

He stole your lips in another kiss, slotting his mouth over yours. He waited till you surged forward for more, and then pulled away.

“‘Teyam, please.” You begged. Water sloshed around you and you grabbed his arm, clenching down on his finger with each thrust.

He was hitting the perfect spot, the perfect angle with his hand so that he could thrust into you and grind his palm over your swollen, puffy clit with each stroke. Stroke after stroke, you climbed higher towards your release.

Your stomach tightened and your toes curled against the floor of the spring as you approached the height of your pleasure. Behind you, Aonung pressed his thumb over the tight ring of your other hole, not entering but applying enough pressure to have you crying his name along with Neteyam’s.

He kissed the shell of your ear, running his teeth along the sensitive skin behind it. “I can’t wait to take you here next time, Y/n. You’re gonna be so full of us.” He pressed in just the tiniest bit, and every muscle in your body clenched in response to his words.

You trembled with the force of the orgasm and your nails dug into Neteyam’s shoulder as pulse after pulse your orgasm came over you.

“She’s fucking milking my fingers.” Neteyam stared at the apex of your thighs, watching as your pussy sucked his fingers in. Your legs trembled, going weak in his arms. Behind you, Aonung held you upright.

“I bet she fucking is.”

You shuddered as it came to an end, still feeling the throbs of aftershocks, and fell back against Aonung’s chest. You gasped for air, sucking in lungfuls in an attempt to catch your breath.

They barely gave you time to recover before Neteyam pulled his fingers from you with a wet squelching sound. You watched, awestruck, as he brought his glistening fingers to Aonung’s lips. The Metkayina man held your gaze, and then he took Neteyam’s fingers into his mouth, swirling his tongue around them and moaning.

Your mouth fell open in surprise at something so lewd, and Aonung grinned back at you. “Fucking delicious.”

He pulled you from Neteyam’s arms to kiss you, licking into your mouth, and you submitted to him easily. He tasted like you, a heady tartness to his normal sea salt flavor.

Water splashed behind you, and tore away from him, turning just in time to see Neteyam lifting himself onto the edge of the pool. Your mouth turned down in a frown.

“Aww, don’t pout.” Aonung teased. “Neteyam’s not leaving.”

He kissed you again, softer this time, and you followed his lips when he pulled away. He laughed at your antics and slapped your ass softly. “Turn back around.”

You’ll deny it to your very last breath, but you kind of like how bossy Aonung is. It sucks when he’s irritating you, but in this situation, it is very much welcomed.

When you turned, Neteyam hadn’t moved far. Instead of sitting on the ledge beneath the water, he sat on the edge of the hot spring, his ankles dangling down into the water. At this height, your head was basically in his lap.

He sat with his legs splayed out, his swollen length hard against his stomach. The pink tip leaked pre-cum, and a drop of it spilled over, slowly sliding over down the blue, velvety skin.. White freckles decorated the shaft in a random constellation pattern. You ached to take him into your hands.

Neteyam leaned forward to kissing the tip of your nose. “You still okay?”

“Very okay,” You answered with a dazed smile. He was so pretty, so close. And he smelled so fucking good. You inhaled his scent, allowing your head to loll to the side, a cloudy feeling invading your senses.

“Good girl, you’re doing so good for us, sevin.” He leaned back on his hands, and you followed, driven to be closer to him. He stroked a hand over your head, as to pet you. “You want to keep going?”

“Yes ‘Teyam.” You answered breathily.

He chuckled, brushing back your hair from your face. “So eager.”

Warm air brushed over your ear. “Ask to suck his cock,” Aonung whispered.

He nudged your shoulder, and you leaned over Neteyam’s thighs, looking up at him through thick lashes. “Can I suck your cock?”

Aonung tsked. “You know better. Gotta ask nicely, Y/n.”

You pouted, but did as he said anyway, speaking in a higher tone. “Can I please have your cock Neteyam?”

You watched as his cock very visibly twitched in front of you, and he groaned. “The answer is always yes for you.”

Yes, yes, yes. You started forward, but stopped midway to glance back at Aonung.

“Nung?”

He gestured toward Neteyam. “Go on.”

“But, but what about you?” You whined. You really wanted to put your mouth on Neteyam, but you didn’t want to leave Aonung out. He may have been fine just giving orders, but you didn’t want anything less than everything from boy men.

He stepped closer to you, cutting off your whine. He must have read the longing on your face, because he was quick to assuage your fears.

“Do not worry about me, minyu.” He kissed you quick and hard. “Neteyam’s going to take care of that pretty mouth of yours, and I’m going to fill you so full of my cum, it’ll be dripping down your thighs for days. The whole clan is going to smell us on you.”

Your lips parted in surprise, your pupils blown wide as heat licked at your core. You clenched around nothing, your whole body thrumming with electric energy at what he’d said.

“I think she likes that,” Neteyam drawled cheekily.

“Turn around.” Aonung rasped with his own cocky smile.

Aonung grabbed your shoulders and turned you, still a little dazed from his words, and pushed you up against Neteyam. Face to face with his cock, your attention focused in at the throbbing erection.

You reached you, cautiously tracing the tiny white freckles and the thick vein on the underside of him. He breathed in sharply above you, and bucked into your hand. You glanced up, and he nodded for you to continue. You took him into your hand, lithe fingers locked around the thick base. He was so warm, so hard yet so soft at the same time.

More pre-cum gathered on the plush, pink head of his cock, and you impulsively stuck your tongue out to swipe at the bead. The salty taste exploded against your tongue, and you eagerly moved in for another taste.

Neteyam slid his hand into your hair, tugging your head back slightly.“Open your mouth for me.”

You did as he said, opening your mouth and letting your tongue fall out. He guided your head over his length, pushing you down until he hit the back of your throat. You gagged softly, but hollowed your cheeks as he repeated the motion.

“That’s it, just like that, sevin.” He moaned.

You watched as his head fell back, eyes clenched shut in pleasure. You kept one hand on his thigh to keep you upright, and you used the other to work the base of his member. Drool pooled at the corners of your mouth, dripping down over your hands and creating a slick mess.

Neteyam moaned your name, and you felt him buck up into your mouth again. You could tell he was holding back, trying not to hurt you as he succumbed to your mouth. You did your best to take him as far as possible, breathing through your nose and letting him push your head further and further down.

You were finding a rhythm, settling at a good pace, when large hands pulled at your hips. With Neteyam’s hand gripping your hair so hard, you had no choice but to bend at the waist to stay upright. You rested the full weight of your upper body on his lap, your chest squished up against his thighs.

Behind you, Aonung parted your legs and groaned at the sight of your exposed lips. He brought his hand to your entrance, slipping two fingers into the slick hole. You were already so wet and so stretched from Neteyam’s fingers that he slipped in easily.

You pushed back against his hand at the intrusion, forcing his fingers deeper inside you.

“So fucking greedy,” Aonung chastized.

He pumped his finger for a minute, waiting until you were moaning around Neteyam’s length, and then pulled away. He replaced his fingers with his cock, sliding the thick head through your folds and coating himself in your cum. His head brushed over your swollen clit, and you cried out, eager for him to fuck you already.

“Fuck, you’re so wet, minyu,” He growled deep in his chest, and the sound traveled straight to your pussy, pulsing with need to fucked right then.

After teasing you, making you jerk back to get more of his touch, Aonung finally slid between the slippery folds and into the molten heat of your cunt.

He was big, much bigger than either of the two lovers you’d had before, and he had to work to get the full size of him into you. He rocked in and out, and inch by inch he seated himself deep inside you, his hips pressed tightly to your backside.

He’s girthy; so think that you sure no amount of prep could have made him entering you any easier.

“Oh, fuck, its so fucking hot.” Aonoung grits out.

You think he meant the heat of your core, which is so hot you felt like you were being burned from the inside out. You were so full of him, your lips spread tight around his length and spasming around the stretch.

You tried to pay attention to Neteyam, but the all-consuming fullness of Aonung inside you had your focus divided. Neteyam didn’t seem to mind though. While you were distracted, he used his grip on your thick hair to take full control, maneuvering your head over his cock how he wanted as you melted into his lap.

Aonung didn’t wait long for you to get comfortable, opting instead to pump into you hard and quick. He wasn’t not soft about it, and he pulled at your hips with a bruising grip as he pumped into you.

You couldn’t speak, couldn’t ask for more, you could only take whatever they gave you. A fog had overcome your senses, blocking out the world until your only focus was Aonung and Neteyam, and the tight coiling in the pit of your stomach.

You whimpered around Neteyam’s cock, tears pulling at the corners of your eyes as he essentially fucked your throat without abandon.

“Great Mother,” Neteyam grunted, and you looked up at him through watery eyes. He wasn’t looking at you though, at least not at your face. He was looking behind you, watching Aonung bury himself inside you over and over again. “She’s taking you so well, Ao’.”

“Fucking look at her,” The other man gritted out, his jaw clenched. “Look at her greedy hole gripping my fucking cock. Bet there isn’t a single thought in there,” He punctuated his words with a hard thrust that has you crying out and your vision going blurry around the edges. “Just needed to be fucked stupid, didn’t you, minyu?”

There was nothing you could do but rock back into him and cry around the mouthful of cock that Neteyam had been so gracious to give you.

Aonung angled his hips up, the blunt head of his dick rubbing against the fleshy, textured wall of your channel. You arched your back further, and your hand dug into Neteyam's thigh harder. Watching your reaction, Aonung repeated the same motion, aiming for the same spot repeatedly.

With Neteyam one one side and Aonung on the other, there is nowhere to escape the blazing heat that courses through your body.

Neteyam jerked his hips, and you gagged, your throat constricting around him. Your jaw ached, spread open over him, and tears fell down your reddened cheeks. Above you, Neteyam cried out, and started to push harder against your head, pumping into your mouth.

You watched him through your lashes and held his gaze as you flattened your tongue over the bulging vein on the underside of his length. His thigh tensed under your hand.

“Fuck, Y/n, I’m– Fuck!” You hollowed your cheeks, allowing him to hold you down at the base of his cock. Thick ropes of cum hit the back of your throat, and you swallowed as much as you could.

You pulled from him, your head spinning as you gasped for much needed air. The last ropes of it landed across your chest, marking your blue skin with white. His body shook, as if the force of his orgasm had affected his whole body. He panted above you, the two of you locked in an intense stare as cum dripped from the corner of your mouth.

With a shuddery breath, he grabbed your chin. “You look beautiful covered in my cum, sevin.” He leaned over, slanting his lips over yours in a desperate kiss.

Aonung had waited for Neteyam to finish, and then began to fuck into you more forcefully. He snapped his hips fast and hard, and it wasn’t long before you were a limp mess, rocking back and forth between their bodies like a toy, holding on to Neteyam to stay standing. Your stomach knotted, wound tightly as you chased the sweet bliss of coming.

Neteyam wiped tears from your face with his thumbs and cooed down at you. “Look at you, all fucked out on his cock. I bet you’re close, huh?” He stroked your head as you nodded desperately.

“S-So close.”

“You’re taking him so good, Y/n.” He praised, and you melted under the sweet words, desperate to please him.

“So good, so good for you.” The words were a jumbled, stuttered mess, but you couldn't string together anything more coherent. “Fuck, so good.” You slurred your words, drunk on him.

Drunk on both of them

“Oh, Aonung, fuck, fuck-” You mewled as your knee gave out beneath you.

Aonung reached around and pulled you up against his chest. The new angle pushed him even deeper, and your body tightened around his member, sucking him in with each thrust.

“You going to cum on my cock, minyu? Want me to fill this pretty pussy?” One of your hands reached behind you, grasping for any sort of support as he pounded into you. He takes one of your breasts in his hand, pinching hard over the peak.

The added pain is just what you needed to finish, and your back arched against him as liquid heat coursed through you, like electricity in your veins. You shook in his arms, your core spasming around his length as wave after wave crashed over you. You clung to him like a vice, crying out his name as he continued to pump into you.

Aonung doesn’t stop for a second; He chased his own release, pounding into you as you came and holding you at the height of your own orgasm in a sweet, delightful kind of torture.

His arms tightened around you, and tears streamed down your face as he completely overwhelmed your senses. His thrusts grew sloppy, and harsh grunts fell from his lips as he rutted into you. He mumbled incoherently against your ear, grunts of “take my cock” and “fucking ours” falling from his mouth in a stream of curses.

Your stomach drew tight, the same heat as before growing impossibly hotter. You were all fucked out, a limp, mewling mess in his arms as he used you to get to that peak, pulling your down onto his cock with each snap of his hips.

Aonung made a sound deep in his chest, some mix of a growl and purr, and then buried himself as deep as he could inside you. A warmth filled your belly as he came inside you, rocking his hips as he worked through his release.

A second, smaller orgasm pulsed through you, and you locked eyes with Neteyam. Gold eyes hold yours as you writhe in Aonung’s arms, mouth parted on a high-pitched whimper as you fall limp against him.

Minutes, or maybe hours later, Aonung pulled himself from your worn out body. Your whole body was loose, any stress or tension completely gone from your addled brain. The world seemed to have a fuzzy tint to it, and you fought the urge to whine at the loss of his body from yours.

He picked you up, placing you gently in Neteyam’s waiting arms. You fought to regain your bearings, to focus on any one thing, but you couldn’t tell how much time had passed. You watched as Aonung stepped out of the hot spring, and this time you did whine, low in the back of your throat.

“Shhh sevin, it’s okay. He’ll be right back.”

Neteyam kissed your cheek, and your forehead, and then your lips, distracting you from Aonung’s retreating form.

Then he began brushing his hands through your hair, carefully detangling the new knots as he went. Through the haze, you heard him mutter something about “messing up your hair,” but the words barely registered.

Neteyam whispered sweet words against your ear as he worked with your hair, and your heart beat slowly began to return to normal, no longer beating out of your chest. The act of him brushing was so soft, so… domestic and sweet, that you almost think you were imaging it.

Aonung returned soon after, having collected flower petals to wash up with. He lathered it in his hands and gently cleaned you. He paid special attention to cleaning the stickiness from the apex of your thighs, but nothing about it was sexual; It was merely a soft way for him to take care of you.

“You did so well, Y/n.” Netayam soothed, kissing your nose softly. “I bet you’re sleepy, sevin.” The continuous brushing of your hair had your eyes falling shut slowly. The deep timber of his voice settled over you like a blanket, luring you into a deep sleep.

Aonung finished up cleaning your body and poured water to wash away the suds. He kissed you gently, softer than you thought he was capable of, and laid back beside you and Neteyam.

He stroked your cheek, smiling at you softly. “I’m so proud of you, Y/n.”

You hummed in content, smiling back as you fought sleep.

“Sleep, minyu. We’ll talk when you wake.” He curled an arm around you and Neteyam, the bigger man holding the two of you in his arms.

As you fell asleep, you realized it was the most at peace you’d felt in a very long time. If this was how it would be, you could definitely get used to letting them take care of you.

#avatar: the way of water #neteyam x reader #implied aonung x neteyam #smut #aonung x reader x neteyam

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knowthatiloveyou · 1 month

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New Hannah Waddingham Pepperidge Farm AD

#hannah waddingham #Pepperidge farm #bread #food ad #AD #make that money baby #i love that she's doing most of their ads now #i have two more of these to post #people are losing their shit that she calls it a grilled cheese and not a cheese toastie #all of her ads for them have been america specific with the cookies and grilled cheese #grilled cheese #i could watch her eat all day and not in a weird way #i just love how much she loves food and she's having fun and being paid

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fluffypotatey · 9 months

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*smashes in like the Kool-Aid man*

PENDRAGON SIBLINGS YOU SAY????

I have. So many Feels. About Themst™

The complexity?? The layers?? The angst?? Hello??????

Their relationship is just So Much, because you are right, it's all tangled up in miscommunication and missed opportunities, and so many problems that can be sourced back to Uther "War Crimes" Pendragon, who wouldn't know a healthy relationship if it bit him on the ass.

If Merlin and Arthur are two sides of the same coin, then Arthur and Morgana are edges of the same blade.

Because it's the lonely childhoods, the shared grief, the friendship, the vulnerability, the fondness, the teasing, the envy, the jealousy, the almost romance, the protectiveness, the betrayal, the loss, the hurt, the refusal to let go and the desperate hanging on, and the love, the love, the love.

Indifference is the true opposite of love.

Hate is love that's gone rotten.

“If Merlin and Arthur are two sides of the same coin, then Arthur and Morgana are edges of the same blade.” oh fuck….

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUCK

WAIT HOLD ON WAIT LEMME PIGGYBACK ON THAT BESTIE @0hheytherebigbadwolf (tagging you bc it will be a couple days after you sent this ask)

(Also, for anyone wanting background context on what me and bestie are bouncing off on: voilà)

OK OK SO

we are all familiar with King Uther being the greatest (worst) dad of all time, correct? places such high expectations on his “only son and heir” whilst never officially acknowledging Morgana as his daughter until the very end?

F+ father of the year :)

he is not above sending his children into the dungeon if they disobey him as seen here:

(Jfc he even put Morgana in chains like wtf)

also, he is not above using emotional guilt towards them when he deems it necessary (aka one of the only times he actually acknowledges them as his children)

UTHER (1x02 Valiant) I trust you will make me proud.

UTHER (1x08 The Beginning of the End) I’ve treated you like a daughter. Is this how you repay me?

UTHER (1x12 To Kill the King) You are the daughter I never had.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) You would believe a sorcerer’s lies over the word of your father?

not to mention that when Arthur or Morgana try to reason with him or argue with him since they are the only ones with the status to do so, he pulls rank

UTHER (1x12 To Kill the King) May I remind you that you are speaking to your King [...] Take care, child, or I’ll have you restrained.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) I am your king and your father. You will show me some respect!

UTHER (2x06 Beauty and the Beast) We live in dangerous times, I cannot allow you to undermine my authority.

UTHER (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You have caused this to happen, Arthur. My decision is final.

ngl i could include more but i have already spent hours searching for shit (YOUTUBE WILL DIE BY MY HAND THAT STINGY BITC—) but y’all get what i mean: Uther is an abusive fucker and it has messed up the conditions of Arthur and Morgana

now, about the double edged blade…..

as previously established, Uther is a fucking dick and wants his children to obey him but also adore him. with this behavior, the Pendragon siblings react in two ways: with anger & contempt or submission and remorse

way #1

i’m gonna start with Morgana because anger is the easiest to pick out throughout the show. in the first episode of the first season, our introduction to Morgana’s character is her lecturing Uther about executing the man Merlin witnessed upon entering Camelot (such a warm welcome for Emrys, mh?)

MORGANA I just don't think chopping someone's head off is cause for a celebration. That poor mother. UTHER It was simple justice for what he'd done. MORGANA To whom? He practiced some magic, he didn't hurt anyone. UTHER You were not around twenty years ago, you have no idea what it was like. MORGANA How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then?

early on, it is easy to pick up on Morgana’s resentment and anger at Uther, who she believes is blinded by his fear of magic and his need for control (which she isn’t wrong about). also, we find that she isn’t one to back off when poking the bear (Uther). she does it constantly in seasons 1 & 2

MORGANA (1x03 Mark of Nimueh) Why would she kneel on a cold stone floor morning after morning when she could make these things happen with a snap of her fingers? Like an idle king!

MORGANA (1x08 The Beginning of the End) How can this child be your enemy? He's just a boy. UTHER He is a Druid. MORGANA Is that such a crime?…What have these people done to you? Why are you so full of hate?

UTHER (2x04 Lancelot and Guinevere) How many men would you have me sacrifice to save a servant? MORGANA As many as it takes!

to be honest, i wouldn’t be surprised if screaming, arguing and berating Uther about his morals and ethics is her way of proving that she is not weak or submissive to his actions. i mean, Morgana grew up in a household the complete opposite from her time in Camelot. Gorlois, the man whom Morgana considers to be her father and one and only family member, was said to be “just” and “kind” and someone that Uther even considered a good friend who openly kept him in check. Morgana, until the age of ten, understood parental love and empathy unlike Arthur, who spent his whole life without any good or healthy substance of it.

the culture of Camelot and Uther’s wrath is not something Morgana was ever able to fully acclimate to as Uther himself pointed out in 1x12. She “was at odds with [him] since the beginning” and could never picture herself as a Pendragon (point further proven in 4x05: she looked revolted when Queen Annis compared her to Uther) because she didn’t share in their idea of magic = evil and a king = absolute control.

ironic in terms of future plot events, isn’t it :’)

way #2

compare that to Arthur: man’s respressed af. keeps all his emotions under lock and key if they are anything but haughty and serious. y’all, Arthur even says it himself how he “[can't] disagree with Father [Uther] in public.” whenever Arthur finds himself at odds with Uther, he holds his tongue and waits until he can disobey secretly (2x05 when he leaves to rescue Gwen, 1x08 when he helps Morgana sneak out Mordred in the dark of the night, 2x08 when he sneaks out to meet Morgause for more info about his mom, etc). it is only the rare moments when Arthur feels impassioned enough to speak up without fearing any retribution does Arthur talk back at him (so satisfying 👌)

ARTHUR (1x03 Mark of Nimueh) [Morgana’s] right, Father. You hear the word magic, you no longer listen.

ARTHUR (2x08 Sins of the Father) This is what fuels your hatred for those who practice magic. Rather than blame yourself for what you did, you blame them….You hunted her kind like animals! How many hundreds have you condemned to death to ease your guilt?!….You speak of honour and nobility! You're nothing but a hypocrite and a liar!

ARTHUR (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You can't forbid my feelings any more than I can. I won't deny them any longer, I love her. I love Guinevere.

we can even compare how the two react to Uther’s violence towards them

(ahahahahahaaaaa what a wonderful dad)

on the left, you see Arthur’s face right when Uther crushes the morteus flower needed to heal Merlin (his manservant/friend/????) and on the right, is Morgana after Uther discovers she was harboring a Druid child in her chambers and she refuses to listen to his reason.

notice how both faces are remarkably similar 👀

however, Arthur’s look of shock and dismay come from his hope that Uther would do the right thing. that he would help save Merlin’s life from dying of poison. that he wouldn’t use this as a method to teach Arthur “what it means to disobey and cross the king.” he truly did hope, just like he always does with the people he holds close. Arthur cannot help but hope and trust that those close to him will not betray him and yet so many do. hence the remorse

looking at Morgana, her shock comes from the fact that this might be the first time Uther reacted to her words and actions in a physical manner. my suspicion is that most of the time, all Morgana previously got was Uther reprimanding her and yelling at her to stop questioning his methods (bc, let’s be real, she was the favorite child.) never has he lifted a finder on her like Arthur and i have proof (cue transcript!)

AND! and, Arthur is constantly warning Morgana about not angering Uther any further because of the consequences she might face (consequences this boy is very familiar with) when Uther deems it necessary to “teach” his children obedience.

UTHER (1x04 The Poisoned Chalice) You have to learn there's a right and a wrong way of doing things. I'll see you're let out in a week. Then you can find yourself another servant.

UTHER (3x10 Queen of Hearts) You have caused this to happen, Arthur. My decision is final [...] This is for your own good. - UTHER She will die. The enchantment will be broken. You'll see I was right.

UTHER (2x08 Sins of the Father) I am protecting you from your own foolishness!

so educational 🥰 but see, because Uther presents his punishments as lessons, Arthur himself views them as just a fucked up but meaningful way of his father’s concern because “yeah, I am the first born son and only heir to the throne. of course I need to learn not to do silly things like disobey, talk back to him, be my own person.” <- I’m paraphrasing here

Arthur does and has never seen a way out of the life thrust upon him by Uther (see 3x06). succeeding Uther as king, marrying a noblewoman of high standing for heirs and alliance strength was always expected of him. Arthur never saw a way out of this. even when he and Gwen were in their secret relationship phase, Arthur had to remind himself that this would never last. he loved her and knew she loved him, but there was always that reminder (that sounded a lot like Uther) in the back of his head telling him that it would never last so long as he was prince. he had a duty (constructed by Uther) to serve Camelot and going against his father would mean (in his eyes) that he is going against Camelot (as Uther always presented it to be).

so unlike Morgana, he did not kick and scream but stood firm because that was what he believed was stronger. if he stayed in his lane and did his part, then he would be a good king, maybe even a better one than his father, for Camelot. however, the show proves that differentiating himself from Uther actually made him the better king and more respected, but this is not the meta for that. I am getting side tracked.

OK: so we’ve established parental issues between the two siblings. now onto their very complex, complicated yet beloved dynamic

sO, as i mentioned in this post (because i am lazy and too tired to copy/paste the evidence from there), these siblings do care for one another. they just go about it in the most hilarious and repressed and in-denial way (hilarious to me 😤)

when we meet them, it’s established that these two have known each other for some time. enough for them to bicker and have banter, you know, as you do with a Pendragon. also, should add, neither character are ever aware they are blood-related until s3 (because of some weak-ass bitch named Uther), so you have that very, uh, interesting subplot in s1 that everybody forgets about until you rewatch it. (honestly, I have so many questions. number 1: why???? number 2: it’s only in s1—was it scrapped??? is it like it never existed???? what was its purpose to the plot??? bbc explain yourself—)

however, despite how much it is shown that they do care for one another, they’re relationship in s1 is still undefined and vague as if they also don’t know how to accurately define what the other means to them. it’s very similar to the whole “i really love this person so much but is what i’m feeling platonic, familial, or romantic?” because….you know, guy and girl besties who are close are typically expected to grow romantic feelings for each other, so tbh i would not be surprised if both mistook their love as romantically inclined in the beginning bc, reminder, neither of them were aware they were siblings until much later.

[and this is ALL i am saying on this subplot. i do not want to cause any negative discourse, so if anyone has a few choice words about it, either keep it to yourself or feel free to talk about it with people you know. personally? not a fan of the ship and never will be, but i am not here to post about that.]

anyway, have some featured receipts showing Arthur and Morgana slipping up and showing how much they care for each other.

SEE!!!! LOOK AT HOW THE CARE!!!! SEE HOW THEY WORRY FOR THE OTHER AND WISH TO PROTECT THEM FROM HARM!!! (and see how even when they’re on opposite sides there is still that same love. just more warped and corrupted T^T)

^worried/protective Morgana

^Arthur’s face after Merlin informs him that there’s an intruder heading to Morgana’s chambers

Morgana is very aware of Arthur’s trusting nature. Arthur is very aware of Morgana’s empathy and righteous nature. they understand each other so well which is why Morgana knew just how to harm Arthur in later seasons and why Morgana’s betrayal hit Arthur so hard. it’s also why he never stopped trying to reach out to her in s4 & s5. as @merlinemrys said in this lovely post, the show’s driving force is love. love of all kinds. whatever conflict it is, love is there at the center of it all and, in Arthur and Morgana’s case, it does not save them (just like how love does not save Merlin or Arthur from what lies ahead, as the op of the post pointed out).

that is what makes their relationship/love be like a double edged sword!! that is why they are edges of the same blade!!! they protect and fight for what they believe in and for the people they love, but the same blades cut deep and twist their wounds into a lasting scar.

it is because of Arthur’s love for Morgana that he cannot help but hope and mourn the woman he once knew. it is because of Morgana’s love for Arthur that her feelings of hatred are so strong and ugly.

like honestly,

look at them T^T compared to before

their relationship is so tragic T^T because we knew them before it all went wrong. we knew they cared and understood each other. we knew that for some time, they only had each other to rely on for a friend, a crutch, a breather for when the royal life was too much. both of them were fighters and strive to honor their values. both of them had once leaned on the other for support, had wanted nothing but happiness for each other.

fuck, they didn’t even get the chance to really be siblings because they found out too late, and by then Morgana was on a war path and Arthur only found out at the last minute.

like fuck, man

two sides of the same blade: forged with love, yet used for blood

screencaps brought to you by me, @sourdough-morbread, and farfarawaysite

#i will spare you the gorey details of me trying to fine decent screencaps & screenshots for this fucking post or else i’ll get pissed again #(i am considering whether it is worth it to go to war with youtube)#special thanks to my bestie mor for being there for me at the gorey times and helping me find more screenshots #fucking love you bestie 💕💕💕💕#also only including s1-2 bc i am tired and they are the ones where we get pendragon siblings not trying to kill each other #forgive me for always bringing up uther and the pendragon sibs’ upbringing with him it will happen again #also after hours of rereading transcripts and rewatching clips of bbc merlin: it is so obvious that uther cared and treated Morgana like hi #own child more than Arthur. like jfc he let’s her get away with so much stuff he is way for gentle with his words towards her #when he realizes that he was too cruel or rude like bro…..where tf was that for arthur #it just adds to the complicated sibling dynamic because there is the added jealousy and resentment of knowing a parent loved another more #literally most of Morgana’s time with Uther was her at odds with him and yet he views her as his child more #well no ducking dur that Arthur ‘i-would-do-anything-to-receive-my-father’s-love-attention-and-pride’ Pendragon resents Morgana for #always being the one Uther goes easier on and finds ways to turn a blind eye for like wtf #also during my research i was reminded of how done dirty Gwen’s story was by bbc #loses her father to a king fearful of magic barely gets to mourn him bc she now has to keep up the smithy and her maid job; reunites #with her brother who’s been AWOL for some years and still they don’t get a moment to talk about their dad and mourn TOGETHER #her storyline is pushed aside by s4 bc now she’s fulfilling the role of Arthur’s love interest and oh yeah they still need to incorporate #the lanceot/guinevere scandal and then banish her for some episodes without even letting her brother be mad about it like ?????#anyway #continued saga of fluffy rereading transcripts -> uther: ‘it’s been a long time since Ygraine…since anyone’ me: ducking liar >:(#[sir leon begins the slow clap] king you dropped this 👑IT IS 1AM HELP 😂#place your bets on where my laziness for evidence came in! (I honestly don’t know lol scavenging evidence is all a blur)#spent 2 days on this post lol #me: ok i think that’s enough evidence for this argument…………ok maybe ONE more won’t hur—#me after day 2: ….am i done???? am i free????#pendragon siblings coming behind me with a steel chair: nah mate!#me: FUCK THERE’S MORE #bbc merlin #merlin meta #pendragon sibs

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