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five-bi-five-mind · 10 months

Note

Carina x Reader.

The Italian shows off her possessive and dominant side when she sees reader talking/flirting with someone at the bar.

Preferably degradation first then with praise, wouldn’t mind strap too(on either!) , marking, spanking, overstimulation and edging 😍🙏🏻

Can You Do That For Me?

Fandom: Station 19

Pairing: Carina DeLuca x fem!reader

Words: 5.4k+

Genre: Smut

Summary: Carina has a possessive side and even if you're oblivious to how jealous you're making her, she's definitely going to teach you a lesson.

Warnings: slight degradation & praise; slight dom/sub dynamics; marking; strap-on use (r receiving); a tiny bit of spanking; oversitulation; jealous/possessive behavior; dumbification; fingering (r receiving); oral (r receiving); edging; kinda rough sex; top!Carina, bottom!r; mirror sex; if I forgot something let me know...

A/N: I might have gone a little soft on some of the things you requested but I hope you like this. This is basically just pure and utter smut oops... also wanna note I only have completed one year of Italian so DeepL was my friend.

It was almost entertaining how clueless you could be. Carina watched from a distance as you chatted up a few people around the bar. She hadn’t even left your side for that long before you were surrounded. The gala she took you to was packed with familiar faces, so she had to go be personable and greet everyone who came. You insisted on getting both of you a drink while she went and talked to people you didn’t really know. To be honest, you were a little uncomfortable at these things. Usually, Carina would keep you clung to her side and even show you off a little bit as her girlfriend. However, this time things were a little bit too busy for her to do that. So, despite Carina’s hesitation, you parted for just a few minutes. Of course, the minute you did the one thing she didn’t want happening happened.

There were people on all sides of you, chatting you up and you returned their predatory smiles with an innocent one of your own. Carina couldn’t blame them, honestly. You were, after all, wearing a tight little dress that she picked out just for you. If she couldn’t stop staring at the way it hugged your curves and accentuated your legs, then it would only make sense that others were doing the same exact thing.

Carina couldn’t help the jealous frown she was wearing when she watched as someone ignored your protests to buy you a drink and put in the order anyways. She rolled her eyes when you took it with an apologetic smile. She could practically hear the excuses you were making, “oh you didn’t have to do that” or “that’s so nice of you” or maybe even “let me buy you the next one.” Of course, that drink you were getting for the both of you was forgotten at this point. You were just too surrounded and busy trying to please the crowd of strangers to figure out a polite way to tear yourself away from them.

You poor thing, she thought. You had absolutely no idea that these people were trying to hit on you. She had tried to get you to understand once before that people who act the way this crowd around you was acting wanted only one thing for you: To have you the way only Carina could have you. Of course, you tried to see the best in people and would never jump to the same (albeit accurate) conclusion that she did. Carina even warned you that the way you were dressed tonight would attract attention. Even if she picked it out for you, she still wanted you to be aware of the reactions it could cause in other people.

Yet, there you were totally oblivious and sipping on a drink that someone else bought you. People were closing in on you a little too much for her liking. She decided she needed to do something to change that soon, but maybe she’d wait it out just a little bit. See if you actually would catch on to what was going on around you.

Only, you really didn’t. You kept laughing innocently at whatever bad joke Carina was sure would make her roll her eyes. If she was being honest, you were being a little too friendly toward them for her liking. At this point, you had to know what you were doing, right? Of course, Carina would still bet that you really didn’t.

What made her finally decide to make her way towards you and the group of flirty people that surrounded you was when one of them decided to be bold enough to actually touch you. It was brief. You barely even noticed it, but Carina did. She thanked her lucky stars that she wasn’t stuck in some smalltalk with another colleague. If she was, then they’d probably see the way her frown grew and the twitch of her eyebrow as she tried to keep her cool.

Carina walked over to you with a mission. Not wanting to give this random person another chance to touch you again. No matter how innocent it may have seemed, Carina knew it was this girl’s way of testing the waters with you. All the people around you had obvious intentions, Carina was sure of it, and that intention was to take you home with them. Carina couldn’t wait to flaunt the fact that she’d, of course, be going home with you on her arm and not theirs. The gala still had a few hours to go before it was over. In reality, you two hadn’t even been there for very long at all, but the more Carina thought about how she could gloat, the more she liked the idea of that happening sooner rather than later. Plus, you were really testing her patiences with all of these people. She had a jealous side and, even if you were oblivious to it, you were really bringing it out of her tonight.

“(Y/N),” Carina’s voice called your name from behind the group of people around you. You popped your head up over one of the taller men that was directly behind you, chatting with you and the group. When you spotted her, Carina’s frown immediately vanished and turned into a dazzling smile. She didn’t want you to catch on to her jealous mood just yet. She pushed her way, not so politely, through the group that was around you until she was standing next to where you sat at the bar. Her hand grazed your thigh and she bit her lip to hide the triumphant smirk that threatened to break free when she saw a couple people notice what she did. “Let’s go home.” Carina’s hands slid into both of yours and when you nodded in agreement she pulled you up off your seat.

With your hand in hers, Carina pulled you out of the gala. When she turned back and smiled, you thought it was just a kind gesture towards yourself. Really, Carina was just grinning at all the jealous faces she saw as she walked out with you in tow.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

When you got home you suspected nothing of Carina’s jealous mood. In fact, you were totally oblivious to her silent stewing as she drove. Yes, she was quite smug that she got to disappoint some people when she walked out of the gala with you, but that didn’t quite get rid of the jealousy that was coursing through you. She couldn’t help it really. You were just so clueless to other people wanting you. It was her job, at least in her mind, to fend off all that unwanted attention you sometimes get, but anytime she did that she would be left with this overwhelming feeling of possessiveness. That feeling would always eat at her until she had the chance to put that energy to good use.

Carina watched you as you walked around the house in that dress of yours like she was a predator and you were her prey. You had no idea she was following close behind as you went to the dresser of your shared bedroom with the intention of getting out of your fancy dress clothes for the night. With your heels off you already felt a little more relaxed from the evening. You started pulling off random parts of your attire. Your necklace, you laid delicately on the dresser top. Then for your earrings, which of course Carina also picked out for you. You paused for a moment, noticing from your view of the mirror that Carina had slipped into the bedroom with you. What you didn’t notice was the look in her eye as she stared you from the door.

As Carina watched you start to reach for the zipper at the back of your dress she decided now was the time to make her move. “Do you like seeing me jealous?” Carina’s voice came up from behind you. “Hm? Do you like playing this little game?”

“Carina, I-“ You looked back at her in the mirror as she approached you, a little taken aback by her sudden mood. The look she was giving you caused a shiver to run up your spine. “I’m not sure what you mean? I wasn’t playing any games.”

“Then why…” She reached you finally, stopping right behind you. Her hands slipped around your body and immediately ran up your chest to practically grope you through your clothes. “Why did you let so many random people hang all over you tonight, if it wasn’t to make me jealous?”

“I didn’t-“

“Shhh,” Carina cooed. “It’s okay, bambina. I know you like to frustrate me. You like the way I touch you after you’ve tempted me, don’t you?” One of Carina’s hands moved up to grab your chin, forcing you to look straight at her from the mirror. “You love playing these games, so that by the end of the night I’ll fuck you the way you deserve to be fucked. Am I right, my love?”

You were honestly speechless, but not because you were shocked by her behavior. No, you knew this was something that Carina liked to do. Get all jealous over other people being near you, only to get to go home and stake her claim on you. No, you were speechless because between the way she was practically manhandling you and the way she was looking at you already had you weak in the knees.

“I’m waiting for an answer, bambina.” She leaned in to whisper in your ear. Her lips grazed the shell of your ear as she spoke and your eyes fluttered closed at the sensation. Carina just smirked at your reaction before dipping down to trail her lips from your jaw to your neck. “You just love all the attention you got tonight, don’t you?” She let go of your chin to move her hands to your arms, running her fingertips up and down them slowly.

“I’m sure you knew how crazy it would make me when one of them touched your arm like this. Am I right?” She pressed her body closer to the back of yours. “Or when they got a little too close to you like this…” Her fingertips stopped to wrap around your wrists. With her grip, she suddenly pulled both your hands forward until she had them pinned flat on the dresser.

“C-Carina, I wasn’t doing that on purpose.” Your brain was really struggling to think of responses for her. The truth is, you really weren’t. You had no idea that you were making her jealous. Yeah, when someone bought you a drink you had an inkling she would not love that you accepted it, but you also didn’t know if she even was paying attention to you while you were at the gala. Something tells you, she saw all of it. Especially with the way her hands squeezed around your wrists and how she was practically forcing you to bend over the dresser with her body.

“It’s a little too late for excuses, mia cara,” Carina whispered before you felt her teeth close down, not so gently, on the most sensitive part of your neck. You let out a gasp at the mildly aggressive way Carina was being with you. No doubt there would be a very visible bite mark on your neck for a few days. It’s going to be interesting to explain that away when you go out in public. “I’m just going to have to remind you…” Carina paused to run her tongue over the fresh bite mark. “...that no one else can have you.”

Carina’s eyes ran down your body from the mirror before meeting yours again and when they did you saw how blown her pupils were. You were in for it tonight, that much was obvious, but you honestly didn’t mind. If anything, it already had you a little wet just from the anticipation.

“Keep your hands there,” she ordered before releasing your wrists. You nodded and looked back down at her hands as they began to push up your dress. She stopped when your dress was pushed up above your waist, completely exposing your panties. Embarrassingly enough, they already had a wet patch from how worked up you’ve gotten by Carina’s behavior. It did not go unnoticed by her.

With one finger, she ran the tip of it down your panties and between your folds through the fabric. “I knew you enjoyed seeing me jealous,” She tsked as she repeated her action. Your head hung low as Carina put pressure onto your clit through your panties from just her finger. Her cockiness at already getting you so desperate for her was going straight to her head. Her fingertips played with the elastic to your panties and she looked back up at you. “Look at me, principessa.”

You willed your head to look up and again met her eyes through the mirror. She gave you a wide grin, proud of how obedient you were already being for her. “I want you to look at yourself when I touch you. Know that tonight is the result of your actions.” With that, Carina slipped her fingers into your panties and immediately began circling your clit. Your hips jumped at the direct contact she was making, but soon you were pressing yourself into her touch.

Small sighs of pleasure left your lips and Carina was soaking in every little reaction she pulled from you. When she moved her fingers lower and traced your entrance with her fingertips, she could feel the anticipation practically radiating off you. Her fingers slid in with ease and once they did, she looked up to see that you were still doing exactly what you were told.

With a steady pace, she started to pump her fingers in and out of you. Your wetness from all of her actions had already completely ruined your panties, but honestly with the way she was touching you, you didn’t really care.

Your fingers curled against the dresser, trying your best to grip at it, while also keeping them right where Carina told you to. Her fingers kept moving in and out of you and you could already feel your legs beginning to shake. Carina pressed herself into you more until you were almost completely bent over the dresser, with your head barely able to stay up to keep focused on the mirror.

Carina leaned herself fully over you, her free hand going to your hair to push it out of the way of your neck before she reattached her lips to the skin there. There was definitely going to be more than one mark now, but that was what Carina loved to do. After nights like this, where she was in a particularly possessive mood, you’d always be left covered in little reminders of what she would do to you. You weren’t complaining much, you just didn’t love the process of covering them.

When Carina started to feel the telltale signs of your orgasm approaching, she had a wicked idea. Without warning, she pulled out and backed away. It took you barely even two seconds to start whining about the loss of contact. You were so close. “Strip and get on the bed,” Carina ordered. “I want to taste you.”

She stood back and watched, biting back a smirk at the pout you were currently wearing. You still did as you were told almost immediately though, removing your dress and your now ruined panties while still on shaky legs. With a shy look towards her, you walked over to the bed and crawled onto it.

“Lay down, bambina,” Carina said as she stalked towards you. “And spread your legs. I want you open for me.”

Immediately, Carina could see the blush on your face. “O-okay,” you mumbled as you did exactly what you were told. God, Carina loved the way you instantly listened to her every command tonight. It made her feel that much more smug that she went home with you on her arm and not any of those other people. You were just so deliciously eager and ready to please.

When Carina knelt between your legs, you watched with awe at the look of desire in her eyes. The need to claim you was so intense in Carina, that even you could feel it. Her hands went to your knees, spreading your legs open even farther. She watched as your thighs glistened from the wetness that dripped down them while she had her fingers inside you. Her mouth watered in anticipation of what she was about to do. She couldn’t wait to taste you, so she didn’t.

Your head fell back on the pillow the instant Carina’s tongue made contact with your pussy. She took one long, slow lick up your folds before wrapping her lips around your clit. Your eyes squeezed shut and both your hands flew to her hair as she sucked on your clit like her life depended on it. You couldn’t help the way your legs shook and squirmed at the intensity of the feeling.

Carina’s lips finally detached from your clit, but her tongue began to trace circles around it. With her tongue still brushing over your clit, she glanced up at you. As much as she loved seeing you totally out of control of your reactions, she wanted to make it hard for you.

“No, no, no.” Carina pulled back from between your legs. You whined and leaned your head back up, your eyes pleading with Carina to keep going. “I want you to look at me while I touch you. Understand?”

You nodded desperately, just eager for her to restart what she was doing with her tongue. Carina dipped her head back down and began lapping at your clit again. Her hands slipped from where they held your legs open to move under your ass. With her grip on you, she encouraged you to move your hips with the rhythm of her tongue, squeezing you when you caught on and obliged.

Carina looked up at you again from where she was between your legs and the sight itself had you close to the edge. You forgot already what you were told and your head started to lean back the moment she took your clit into her mouth again. Carina was quickly bringing you to the edge with just her tongue and the way your hips kept moving against her mouth was making everything overwhelming in the best way. But then it all stopped way too soon. She noticed that your head had dipped back down onto the pillow and her mouth left your clit. You let out another pathetic whine and looked back down at her.

“What did I say, bambina?” She scolded, leaning away from you. “Can you not do this one simple thing? Is it really too hard for you?”

“I- I can,” You pleaded. “Just keep touching me. Carina, I was so close.”

“You only get to cum if you do what you’re told.” Her tone was stern, but you knew she was absolutely loving the way you were responding to her.

“I’ll be good,” you reassured. “I’ll do what I’m told.”

Carina was satisfied enough with that answer and to your relief, her head dipped down again. This time, though, one of her hands left your ass and you felt her fingertips again circle your entrance before sliding in. You groaned and felt your back arch off the mattress at the feeling of her tongue on your clit and her fingers fucking into you, but you never looked away. You kept your eyes glued to the way Carina’s head moved as she sucked on your clit. The way her fingers curled inside you already had your body quivering around her. She was fucking you like her life depended on it and you were already so close twice already, so now it really wasn’t going to take long.

Carina let go of your clit with a pop. “Do you want to cum, bambina?” she asked.

You nodded your head fervently. “Use your words,” she ordered, her fingers curling and hitting the spot she knew you loved before you had a chance to respond.

A moan escaped your lips and your hands tightened in her hair. It took you a moment, but finally you regained some control. “Yes,” your voice was hoarse as you spoke. “Please, I want to cum.”

“Good girl,” Carina mused before pumping her fingers into you even faster. At this point it was incredibly hard for you to keep your eyes on her, but you still managed. Even with your thighs shaking around her head and your body moving in a messier rhythm with your orgasm fast approaching, you still wanted to be obedient for her. “Cum for me, mia cara.” And after two more strong pumps of her fingers, you were suddenly falling apart around her.

Carina pulled back from between your thighs, but kept her fingers inside you. She enjoyed the way she could feel your walls tighten and convulse around her and got lost for a moment in the way you looked coming down from your high. But she only allowed herself to enjoy that for a brief minute. She had more plans for you tonight, and she still hadn’t quite worked through the jealous mood you put her in.

After another moment she pulled her fingers out of you and your body shuddered at the loss of contact. You finally let your head fall back onto the pillow and closed your eyes, trying to catch your breath from how good she just made you feel. Your recovery from essentially being edged until you could cum took all your focus. So much so, that you didn’t notice Carina leave the bed for a moment until she returned and grabbed your legs again.

Yet again, she moved you so that you were open for her. Your head popped up in curiosity to see what she was doing. Honestly, you had a feeling it wouldn’t just stop at one, but you still wanted the chance to take a breath before Carina subjected you to whatever she had planned next. What you didn’t expect was her fully nude with a new, bigger than you were used to, strap-on to be hanging between her legs.

“Carina, that might be too big.”

“It’s okay, bambina,” Carina cooed. “We’ll take it slow.”

You gulped, but with the hopeful look Carina was giving you, you wanted to do your best to please her. So, with some hesitation, you agreed, trusting Carina to take care not to hurt you.

“I need you to relax for me,” Carina said as she moved to crawl over your body. “Can you do that for me?”

You nodded again, opening your legs more for Carina to have room. Your eyes were glued between Carina’s legs. It wasn’t the biggest strap-on you’ve ever seen, but it definitely was still something you were new to in general. Usually, Carina preferred to use her fingers so she could feel you as you came for her, so to use toys was somewhat rare. But then again, you knew Carina was in a mood to really see you fall apart beneath her, and you were sure when she started to fuck you with that, you would instantly become a mess beneath her.

Carina lined the toy up to your entrance, her eyes locked on your face to watch for any signs to stop. You showed none and she started to push in. She took it slow, just like she said she would. Your body tried to relax so you could take in more of the toy and eventually, she bottomed out inside you. You were tight, that much was obvious, but even so you immediately felt the pleasure of being filled more so than you were used to.

Your body trembled slightly underneath Carina, but seeing the way you were taking her so well broke something inside her. Without much warning, Carina pulled out of you almost completely, before snapping her hips back into you. You cried out at the sudden change in pace, but it wasn’t a bad thing. Your hands went straight to Carina’s hips, holding her there as she pressed her hips harder into yours, trying to bury herself deeper inside you. After a moment, Carina did the same exact thing again, drawing a loud groan out of you. She was mesmerized by your reactions. Once she thought you were pretty used to the feeling of this new toy, she set a steady pace, moving her faux cock in and out of you. Her lips attached themselves to either of your nipples as she went, switching off between the two. When she wasn’t toying with them with her teeth, she was leaving marks all over your chest, alternating between hickeys and bite marks. You weren’t even trying to muffle any of the sounds she was causing you to make. The sounds of your moans plus skin against skin as she fucked you filled the entire apartment.

Carina sat up without warning, her hands grabbing your hips and pulling your legs to hook around her own waist so she could fuck you deeper. Your eyes rolled back and your hands flew to grab a fist full of your sheets. She was keeping her pace, but the way the toy hit you deeper than you were used to had your head swimming. You could feel Carina’s nails dig into your skin, no doubt leaving more marks on you, as she held you at an angle to keep fucking into you deeper.

Again, she was pushing you towards that edge, only this time you both knew you were too far gone to ask to cum. Luckily, Carina accepted this happily if it meant that she could see you so fucked out for her. She sped up a little, making you move your hips into hers with her grip on you as she kept going. Your body was shaking again and you were reaching your peak once more. You could only hope that Carina would let you cum immediately this time rather than draw it out.

Thankfully, she did. As she kept going, it finally became too much and you came undone all over her strap. She didn’t even give you a minute to come down from your orgasm. Before you even really knew what was happening, Carina slid the toy out of you and flipped your body on the bed.

“On all fours,” She ordered.

“Carina, I don’t think I can-”

“One more, bambina,” Carina pleaded, already moving your own knees so that you could be positioned the way she wanted. “Please?”

You just nodded and tried your best to get in the position she asked for, your body still shaking from your last orgasm. Soon, you felt Carina’s hand come down on your ass and your body jumped. She grabbed at your ass for a second before moving herself to yet again position the strap to circle your entrance.

“Bellissima,” Carina practically growled, her hand coming down on your ass one more time. You just whimpered, already eager for what was in store, even if you were feeling a little spent. Finally, Carina entered you again and your head hung down as she immediately started fucking you with a strength you weren’t exactly used to when it came to her.

When she said she was jealous tonight, she was incredibly jealous and that much was clear in the way she was laying claim to you. Her intentions were to completely ruin you tonight and she was doing an excellent job at it. You weren’t the only one lost in the way she was fucking you. The sounds you were making and the way your body shook beneath her had her absolutely floored. If she could, she’d fuck you all night long. Maybe you’d be too spent for that, but she was at least going to try.

Her hips pounded against the backs of your thighs with a force that had your hands slipping from where they propped you up on the bed. You were moaning and whining her name as she kept fucking into your pussy from behind. The whole time Carina was moaning out things in Italian that you could only assume would translate into something filthy. It was embarrassingly quick how close you were to coming already, but Carina was fucking you with a ferocity that had you dizzy and all you could do was moan and struggle to stay in the position she had you in.

With a few more snaps of her hips and another couple slaps of your ass as she fucked you, you were coming on her cock yet again. You let out a pathetic whine that echoed through the room as you came and the way your arms were holding your body up failed you. Your face hit the pillow and you panted into it, your ass only in the air by Carina’s hold on your hips. Carina didn’t pull out though, instead she slowed for just a second before starting her pace again.

“I-I can’t,” you whined. “Not again.”

“Yes, you can, mia cara,” Carina grunted as she kept fucking her strap into you. “Please, please give me one more.”

You whined as her hips continued to push into your own from behind, but still you nodded. Despite already feeling spent and sensitive, you still wanted to please and the way she was practically begging you to let her keep fucking you had you ready to do just about anything.

With the nod of your head Carina went even faster. Your face pressed into the pillow and you felt a tear fall from your cheek at the overwhelming sensation of her still fucking your already overly sensitive pussy. The feeling of it all was almost too much and your body hadn’t stopped shaking from the last orgasm. Your hands were grabbing at the sheets and your cries as her cock hit deeper inside you were muffled by the pillow. Carina had a firm grip on you and it was as if she wasn’t tired at all with the sheer consistency and power behind each pump of her hips.

Your eyes squeezed shut as Carina put even more force into the way she was fucking into you. Your walls were yet again quickly tightening around her cock, but she loved the way she could tell you were close to coming again. She also loved the way you were so quick to agree and let her push your limits, even if just a little bit.

Your thighs burned from the way Carina had them spread and from how long they shook from each orgasm she drew from you. All your muscles felt more sore with each orgasm as well and now, as she fucked you into yet another one that was fast approaching, you were well aware of your every nerve. Another tear fell down your cheek at the almost painful pleasure you were in and your hands trembled as you were seconds away from your orgasm.

Carina put all her strength into fucking your pussy and after just a little more, you let go again, coming harder than you probably have before. Finally, finally after just a minute, Carina pulled out.

She let go of your hips too and the rest of your body instantly collapsed onto the bed. Your chest heaved and you turned your head on the pillow for more air. Carina stayed knelt over you for just a moment, taking in the way you looked beneath her. Honestly, you were never more beautiful than you were in this moment, naked and spent on her bed. Covered in her marks, with your thighs glistening with your own cum. She loved when she got to see you like this.

After a moment, Carina moved so that she could lay next to you on the bed. Her arms wrapped around your still, slightly trembling body. Your breathing steady as she held you in her strong arms. It amazed you that she seemed totally fine and not tired at all. Especially when she was fucking you with all her strength behind it. Either way, you enjoyed this soft shift in her and nuzzled closer into her chest.

“You did so good for me, bambina,” Carina praised. “But now, let’s get you cleaned up, hm?”

You hummed an agreement into her chest before she got out of bed and slowly pulled you with her. As you let her lead you to the shower, your legs still weak from all that transpired, you couldn’t help but think you should get her jealous more often.

A/N: once again I feel like I want to emotionally wreck Carina so… send your best angst requests…

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thewritersaddictions · 7 months

Text

Day Seven: Rick Grimes + Virginity

The longest crush you had ever had on someone was the guy who lived across the street. Your dads best friend for years now. They both at the sheiff department. Cruisers partners.

You aren't sure how it managed to be just the two of you in your backyard but as your stared at him catching the sun rays in the sexiest way. You felt you body tingle the same way it always did when you looked at him. His deputy unirform hugging him all in the best ways possible.

But right now he was just hanging at your house his son at his mothers for the next few weeks at least until summer break was over. Your own classes long over and you didn't start back up at uni until the fall. A whole great, long summer to oglle over your crush.

Your father was on duty, and had asked Rick to come over and make sure that you were getting on okay since you just managed to get all your stuff out of thier bags and get settled into the summer.

Your body floated in the water as you let the sun soak into your body with ease. It wasn't until you heard shuffle from above the water did you look up towards where Rick was sitting before. He was no longer there rather now he was sitting at the edge of the pool his legs dipping into the pool water.

Blue swim trunks that caught your eyes the seconds you opened the front doors. Southern words that dripped from his mouth. "Do you mind if'i just use your pool for afew?" You nodded, but now here you were.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself sweetheart." Rick commented. He had always used that nickname. Ever since you had lived across from him, that was now at least ten years ago. Now you were twenty-two and still waiting for him to just drop to his knees and beg that you were all he needed.

Dreams are always better in your head.

You hummed, "It's better then the stupid cold dorms at the uni." You said. He nodded and watched as you went back to sun bathing on top the water. You didn't hear him slip into the water.

A tap on your shoulder brought you out of your daze. "Rick?" You muttered as you shifted in the water. "You know you haven't said much about your time in the city. Why don't you tell me all about it." Rick is coaxing you, but you're so dumb you follow along. Ignorant to the way he's circling you, the way he's been eyeing you from his seat at the pools side.

"There isn't much to tell, exams went well, and my roomate brings every guy she mets back to the dorm so studyin' is a bitch." You shrug the last bit off. The words leave a bad taste in your mouth. "What do you mean sweetheart? You aren't beinging any lucky guys home… I mean um back to your dorm?" You shake your head water flinging to other parts of the pool.

"Oh, please I don't believe that." Rick tries, "You don't have a boyfriend, or girlfriend if you're into that sorta thing. Fine by me sweetheart." You chuckle surprised partially by his questions, but most surpised by how Rick hasn't realized that are not anybody's type.

"No I'm not really anyone's um type… guys don't really want a virgin…" Your hands smakes over your mouth

"Look I'm sorry I didn't mean…" From up to this point Rick had kept his distance, but now he was crepping closer and closer to your body. "No need to be ashamed sweetheart, this is not something that has to happen the minute you get out of high school, and anyways some guys don't how to treat a girl like you." Rick mumbles on as he activly pushes you up towards the wall of the pool.

"What do you mean?" You ask. A smirk grows on his face, "I just mean that you need an experinced man is all." "Like… um like you?" You ask, confindence coming out of nowhere. He nods, he whispers into your ear real close, "I see the way you look at me. Doe like fuckable eyes that you've got sweetheart." Even though the water is warm around you his words send shivers down your spine. "Will…' you bite your bottom lip as your back hits the wall. "Will you teach me then, Rick?" You're not begging but the way you melt agasint him and the wall says otherwise.

Smirking "Of course sweet thing." He says as his hands get to work under the water. Your binki top is off in a few seconds and the bottoms float to the top of the water. "Now that's much better, you've been showing yourself off to me ya know." You shake your head. His hands ghost over your tummy, and up to your breasts. Grabbing a hand full before falling in to kiss your chap lips. He moans into it and your melt into his touch.

Unaware of the hard on growing in his swim trunks. "You want me to fuck you good sweetheart?" He mumbles into your lips. You nod and moans as his fingers start to play with your clit. A new sensation washing over you. You brain becomes fuzzy as the feeling washes over you. Your head falls back over your shoulder blades.

"I gotta get you all nice and wet for me sweet heart. Can't go breakin' my brand new toy can I?" He plays with your clit until he's satisfied with both you and himself. He doesn't even get out of his truck just still them down his tan thighs. "This is gonna hurt, but baby that just means you'll end up lovin' the feeling." You brace yourself as the tip of his cock prods at your clit, and moans fall from your lips. The next thing you know without a hesitation or warning he's slipping his cock to the hilt. Your sobs are silent as you try to get used to the feeling. "Oh sweet jesus, Rick you feel… oh shit Mr. Grimes." You can't handle the thought of words, the sensation of his cock as the pain subsides.

He fucks you nice, and slow until he wants more from you. Moaning into the hot summer air. You aren't even worried about your father catching you, or what the neighbors might think you're just glad that right now he's fucking you so good you can't even remember what the hell your name is.

"Yeah come on darlin'… I can feel it coming squeezing me so tight I can barly move." His words are sending you closer and closer to the edge. "Y/n, sweet heart.… I want ya to cum all over my cock okay, can you do that for me? Can you do that for your dad's best friend? Can you be my dirty little virgin slut?" His words send you over the edge, and everything goes white. Your hands squeeze at Rick's shoulders and your legs wrap around his waist.

"Not gonna let go are ya?" His moans turn into groans and his grip on your hips turns into a death grip. His head falls between your shoulder and neck as his thursts become hard, and chatoic. He cum deep inside you and doesn't let go of you until he slips out of you, and looks at how fucked out you look.

Rick can worry abou the consquence later.

Completed on: 06/20/23

Posted on: 10/07/23

Kinktober 2023- @lanad3lreyscokewhor3 @homelanderscumdump @hummusxx@chvnsdimple @vvitzvafflezvv @lokisivy @claud-blood0703 @iliketoreads-stuff @all-that-glitters-is-treasure@clearscissorsbonkgiant-blog @lxonix--ac @piecesofx @mortallyswimmingpainter @playwithfire99 @fucak @everythingneytiri @lovetheos @xxxxxoseungxoooo @durazopato @hotpead42069 @oddseabiscuit @capoda @witching-hour @viviwows @lover103 @alexlovesfiction @katiecat10 @electricfans @jianasmind @max-505 @powerbun21o @the-horny-simp @missy420-0 @jaq-dav @arescosplays

The Walking Dead Master List // The Law Master List // Kinktober '23

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onlyseokmins · 9 months

Text

"teach 'em"

Titling, tagging, and adding to my masterlist bc I don't think it deserves to get lost in my thot tags only... But it's informal af hehe

was thinking about loser!chan (again) who's like a 2.5 on the virgin (1) to whore (10) scale.

your new boyfriend is a sweetheart. he has the prettiest eye smile and he's uber talented. you love to see the passion when he's dancing and the strong bond between his older friends that are like brothers to him. that very same energy carries over to how he takes care of you. he's always fussing over your well-being and checking in on you in a non-intrusive way. you adore him.

bonus points for the foreplay before sex being hot and heavy. he's a fabulous kisser and he even has a great dick that feels equally as great when he's inside of you.

so why is he still a loser?

because his stroke game is sloppy at best and unfulfilling at worst, the latter happening much too often than you even want to admit to yourself - let alone him. which is shocking considering the way you've seen him hip thrust on stage.

it's just that you feel so freaking good squeezing around him and - oh fuck, oh no! - he's cumming way too soon again. you know this by how often he tells you, letting out a heavenly sob of "thank you for having the best pussy pussy in the world," and "thank you for letting me stick my dumb dick inside."

honestly, you're awfully flattered he has trouble retaining any control over himself. there's something quite intimate about the ropes of his release warming up your womb, still full of his softening cock as he grunts and babbles grateful praises in your ear.

but that doesn't eliminate the fact that you've only memorably cum once after the multiple rounds of sex you two have shared. and the reason you even did in the first place was by wrapping your legs around his hyper-thrusting hips, trying to keep him aligned to continuously hit that one spot with the enlarged head of his cock that had your toes curling.

and just as you're about to hit that peak climax - chan cums first - of course. but it's alright, you're almost there. gummy inner walls spasming around his pulsating cock while he whines at the sensitivity. what finally tips you over that much-needed edge is the warm dampness pooling in your clavicle - your sweet channie so pussy-drunk he's drooling on and over you. only a fool wouldn't forgive him for any of his blunders. though it is your first achieved orgasm with him, you're elated that he possesses some capability of making you cum.

but that was a good month (or more) ago and it's high time that you have that deep conversation with your loving boyfriend. and he's as remorseful as expected. in fact, you think he's near tears at the fear of you breaking up with him over this.

you aren't - obviously. he's perfect in every way, he just needs to learn how to use his dick better to please someone. and it certainly piques your interest when he cusses a certain someone out under his breath while running a distressed hand through his hair.

"what did you just say?"

"um... that it's all cheol's fault."

oh. so your boyfriend's technique actually sucks only because he had a bad teacher. not because he's inherently bad at sex. it doesn't quite add up though, because seungcheol is allegedly the famed fuckboi of the century and self-rated an 11 on the virgin to whore scale...

"call him."

"what?"

"i need to conduct some research."

so chan does as he's told, dialing the bane of your existence because you've never truly gotten along with that competitive, cocky son of a bitch from your graduating class.

"hello?"

"what would you do to make me cum?"

your boyfriend looks so mortified you're pleasantly surprised he hasn't passed out or hung up already. and seungcheol is either too stunned to speak or silently gloating before he finally replies, "darling i think you called the wrong number... with the phone of the one you're supposed to be talking to about this. are you drunk? where's that little boyfriend of yours?"

"i'm not drunk," you roll your eyes hard enough so he can hear it in the tone you always use with him. "and he's not little."

"could've fooled me."

"i'm sure you would know how big he is since you supposedly were the one who taught him all he knows."

seungcheol snorts. "guessing he's not able to satisfy you with that so-called big dick of his."

"i dunno, i think it's 'cause he had a shit-ass teacher. tell me, have you ever made someone orgasm before? like for real?"

"not anyone with the kind of attitude you have." there's some shuffling in the background. "brats like you... well, they - you - don't deserve it."

"gosh, you're so irritating." you spit out before smiling kindly at chan, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "hey, cheol... i think you're avoiding my question so you should come and show us how good your methods really are. and maybe you can make me cum along the way with such stellar teachings."

and then you hang up.

"i-i - " chan stutters, "if he's gonna come down... i m-mean... i'll study harder for you, baby - "

"relax," you press a finger to his lips and then smirk when there are two sharp bangs resonating outside your shared apartment, "looks like our sulky upstairs resident decided to grow a pair."

your boyfriend sighs. "couldn't resist, could he?"

sure enough, when you open the door - there stands your nemesis - choi seungcheol.

he glares, daring to try and look at you with a hint of disdain as if he isn't the one who has a light sheen of sweat on his forehead after running down the steps rather than wait for the elevator. impatient as always, along with a growing bulge in his sweatpants.

"wow... you came so fast!" you fake-clap to mock him further. "i always knew you and channie wanted to share me... trying to ruin my precious boyfriend's dick game 'cause you were jealous he got inside my tight, wet cunt that you always wanted first."

chan's mouth nervously opens and closes behind you and he gulps when the eldest of his friends gives him that look. "i-it wasn't my fault!"

you cling to his arm with a pout, eating up the way you can play off this game with the other man who's nothing but a menace.

"don't be mean to the love of my life, cheollie."

if the look shared between them hadn't already dampened your panties, they soaken even further when seungcheol's dark gaze lands back on you.

feral. hungry. wanting.

got him.

you've always had him wrapped around your little finger anyways and he hated... loved... every moment of it.

"on the bed. naked. both of you. chan on top," he commands - no, demands - and you slide excited fingers down your boyfriend's forearm and take him by the hand, skipping to the bedroom.

while getting into said position, you both start giggling at the realization while whispering words of love to each other that has seungcheol rolling his eyes because it feels like he's already forgotten.

he flops dramatically on the ottoman by the bed and loudly says, "alright young 'un. go ahead and start su - "

"i want you to fuck me, channie. please put your huge dick in my needy pussy... i'm dripping..." and then you whisper in his ear, "all for you, promise."

"shit," your boyfriend - ever the good listener - rubs his tip along your entrance in awe before sliding in with a whine, "you're ruining the bedsheets already..."

"ah please, ruin me."

"fuck, baby you're gonna ruin me."

seungcheol's eyebrow twitches. so does his cock. "hold on a sec, you're going too fast - "

"faster! destroy my cunt with your large cock! i love your fat cock in me so much."

you cling to chan's shoulder blades as he gets lost once more in the rhythmic pulses of your walls perfectly massaging his leaking dick. the extra presence in the room no longer even a thought with his erratic, achingly desperate thrusts. though you're trying to coach and egg him on as usual, he doesn't even need to be hitting your g-spot at this moment because you stare over his shoulder at a different set of brown eyes that shoot heat undeniably right to the center of your core.

seungcheol's jaw is clenched, a hand over his own hard-on. either to hide the pre-cum starting to stain his sweats and/or reluctantly giving in that he's enjoying this more than anyone could even think.

unfortunately, you're moaning so loudly over and over again about the thick, wonderful, ginormous cock (so true) of your beloved boyfriend that he's getting irked again and hates how it's kind of killing his mood.

"that's just 'cause you haven't seen mine yet," he grumbles.

scratching at chan's back, you sneer at the bitter observer. "fine, by the bed. naked." you mimic his tone, if not some of his words, from before. "let me see that prized fuckboi cock you're so proud of."

and soon enough you have one impressively large cock in one hand and your boyfriend about ready to coat your pussy with his cum.

and even sooner, you have two men on their backs for you - one weeping (and his poor dick too) from the overstimulation and the other nearly tearing your ruined bedsheets because you are so insistent on (meanly) edging him with your cruel grip on his large cock.

"fuck you," seungcheol huffs.

"you wish," you bite back and seat yourself back on chan hearing his telltale whimper. making sure to catch the final weak spurts of his cum in your greedy cunt.

let's just say with seungcheol's lack of assistance but much needed presence, you work on effectively teaching not only your darling boyfriend how to please his partner but also the fake fuckboi that might just join your sexy sessions from now on.

if not to learn from the real pro, then definitely in the hopes that one day he might get to touch, taste, or fuck even the tip of his cock in your pussy he's been fantasizing about for years.

#Wow thought abt this last night and worked on it between meetings lol it got so long!#>:)#ez.thots #dino.thots #cheol.thots #svt.thots #svt smut #seventeen smut #kpop smut #smut #seungcheol smut #scoups smut #dino smut #lee chan smut

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lorcandidlucienwill · 2 months

Text

Elorcan again

For @decadentpostnacho <3 Elide smiled at her husband's sleeping form. He almost always woke up before her, so it was a nice change to see his harsh face relaxed by sleep. He looked younger and more human like this, his hair mussed up across his forehead, his jawline a little softer around the edges, his full lips soft and inviting. Unable to help herself, Elide ran her fingers through his hair. He purred then opened his eyes blearily. "Elide?" His voice was hoarse from sleep but he smiled lazily as Elide continued to stroke his hair while her other hand wandered down his body. "Good morning, husband," Elide whispered. "Good morning, wifey. You're up early." "Yes. Do you have any idea how early I had to get up to beat you? Can't you ever sleep in?" Lorcan huffed out a laugh. "No." Elide pouted. "Not even for me?" Lorcan sighed. "If you want me t-" "I was joking, darling, relax. I actually woke up early because I wanted to ask you something." "Yes?" Elide swallowed. "I'd like you to teach me how to fight." Lorcan slowly got up fully, looking at her. "With a sword?" Elide blinked. "Is there another way to fight?" Lorcan smirked. "Well, you could always fight with my axe..." Elide knew he was referring to that moment Elide had slayed the ilken with his axe. "Those were extreme circumstances." "I know, Elide. In reality, it will probably take a long time for you to be able to truly handle a sword properly." Elide shook her head. "I don't need to be properly trained. Just...teach me basics. Please." Lorcan nodded before slumping back on the bed. "Are you...going back to sleep?" Lorcan grumbled, "You woke me up an hour early." Elide snickered. "You big bear." Lorcan mumbled, "Leave me alone," and Elide only laughed louder. "Big scary man needs his sleep." "Sleep is essential for good health," Lorcan muttered. Elide couldn't stop laughing even as she left the room to find breakfast. Elide stood in an open space behind their house. She felt awkward standing there in a dress typical of a lady of Perranth, but she didn't have any armor. At least Lorcan wasn't in armor either. "Before you pick up a weapon," Lorcan said, noticing her staring at the weapons rack, "do you know basic self-defense tactics?" Elide tilted her head slightly. "Like what?" Lorcan shrugged. "Typical vulnerable places to hit someone. Kicking them in the groin, shoving their nose, elbowing...I guess not," he said when he saw Elide's blank expression. Well, you're smaller, so if you get attacked, it's better to go with the elbow strike rather than the fists, which hurt more. Let me show you." He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, and Elide leaned back into him. "Elide, what are you doing?" Elide blinked. "You're supposed to try and escape my grip, not get further in it." Oh. Right. Elide blushed as she pulled away, not missing Lorcan's smile as she pushed off. "Drop your weight down, get your hips lower than mine, and bend your head forward." Elide obeyed, frowning at the strain it put on her still-healing ankle. "Ok, now elbow me." Elide almost refused before she realized that he'd gone through much worse and she probably wouldn't be able to hurt him physically anyway. So, she twisted her hips and swung her elbow into his face as hard as she could. As she expected, Lorcan barely even flinched, but he let go of her. "Good. That strike would've broken most people's noses." "But not yours, because you're a super strong male," Elide teased. Lorcan blushed. "I-uh-anyway, sometimes they'll grab your arms and render them unusable, in which case the back of your head is a powerful weapon." He wrapped his arms around her again, this time carefully restraining her arms. "Go ahead. Hit me." Elide squatted down, preparing herself. Then she leaped and slapped the back of her head into Lorcan's face. Again, he barely flinched, although he smiled in approval at her form. Then he went to the weapon rack and picked a wooden sword, handing it to her. "Very good, Elide. Now try this one."

#not me stealing feysand and nessian concepts and making them elorcan #but like ten times better because lorcan is god tier #lorcan salvaterre #lord lorcan lochan #elorcan #elide lochan #elorcan trash

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chickensarentcheap · 8 months

Text

In a Heartbeat: Chapter Two

FANDOM: EXTRACTION

PAIRING: TYLER RAKE AND ESME DRUMMOND (ESTABLISHED OFC)

WARNINGS: angst. Big time angst.

SUMMARY: Dhaka nearly ended everything before it even began. In it’s aftermath and with Tyler’s life teetering on the threshold between life and death, Esme is about to realize just how strong she can be. And that love happens when it happens. There’s no rules. No rhyme or reason. No timeline.

Link to Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48691714/chapters/125445052

Tagging: @tragiclyhip @youflickedtooharddamnit @secretaryunpaid @munstysmind @karimac @kmc1989 @thebewingedjewelcat @ninjasawakenedmystar @residentdormouse @asirensrage @arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @themaradwrites @occommunity @timbradfordsboot

My tag list is OPEN. Please let me know if you'd like to be added :)

******

Chapter Text

“Nik found us a little place,” Esme announces, as she tends to his beard; using a pocket comb to make her way through the wiry hair. “In Austria. Just on the outskirts of Gmunden. It looks really pretty; it’s right on the edge of a lake and it’s surrounded by trees and you can look out at the mountains.”

Reaching for a pair of cuticle scissors that rest on his chest, she chews on her bottom lip as she focuses on snipping the wiry hair. The gray is more noticeable now that his beard is longer and thicker, and she momentarily pauses her work and carefully studies his face and hair; enjoying how the strands of silver sparkle in the sunlight that streams into the room. They’re a sign of wisdom and experience; testaments to life often lived on the edge that take up residence at his temples, the nape of his neck, and throughout the wild top tresses.

“You know…” She uses the comb to sweep his bangs off his forehead and away from his eyes. “…I’m really digging this older guy vibe you’ve got going on. It’s kinda sexy; all the gray hair you’ve sprouted over the past five months. Once you hit fifty? You are going to be one hell of a hot silver fox. I’m going to have to beat the women off with a stick. And probably a few men.”

Returning to the task at hand, she carefully trims the hair above his top lip; mindful of the combination of breathing and feeding tubes that have been keeping him alive and nourished. When it became apparent that she was going to continue to ‘stand off’ against them, the doctors had -albeit reluctantly- switched their course of care; ordering the nurses to teach Esme the basics in case they’re ever short-staffed and other patients need to be of higher priority. She knows their excuses are bullshit; that they’re simply tired of her constant presence and her refusal to spare them the work of looking after someone they’ve already written off as a loss. And she’s also aware that they’re just biding their time until legal paperwork is drawn up and processed; licking their lips in anticipation of when they can serve her with a court order to have him removed from the machines.

Yet their pressure -both passive and actively aggressive- doesn’t sway her. Despite being both physically and mentally exhausted, she is staying the course; digging her heels in even deeper and willingly and readily accepting any ‘task’ they want to assign her.

“I am NOT very good at this,” Esme laments, as she returns to trimming his beard. “I am definitely not cut out to be a hair stylist, that’s for sure. You know what we’re going to do as soon as you’re out of here? Get you to a good barber. Because you’re starting to look homeless and unloved and I don’t need some bleeding heart picking you up off the street like you’re a stray.”

She hums as she works; upbeat show tunes and Beatles medleys that help keep her spirits up. They’ve been waning lately; the darkness she’d successfully fought off for so long now a near-constant presence. In two weeks it will be six months since he was declared ‘clinically dead’ and placed on the respirator. Half a year since she’d last seen him open his eyes and heard his voice; vividly able to recall those last few minutes that they’d spent together in Dhaka. Tucked away in that litter-strewn alley as dawn broke around them, unabashedly crying when he broke the news that he was going to send her off with Saju and Ovi. There was a better chance she’d make it there -and successfully get across the bridge- if they split up; he’d act as a decoy by creating chaos within the heart of town and drawing the enormous police and military presence away from the checkpoints. He’d admitted he wouldn’t be able to focus if she was with him; afraid he’d become so obsessed with her safety and well-being that he’d make simple, stupid mistakes. And in turn, cause BOTH of their demises.

On her part, there’d been anger. Confusion. Heartache. She’d initially lashed out at him and accused him of lying to her over the course of the last five days; none of the softer and adoring words had been true, and neither had been the hopes for a future or their plans to travel together. And when she’d seen the hurt that darkened his eyes and furrowed his brow and tensed his shoulders, she had changed her tactic; begging and pleading with him to change his mind. She’d be able to handle herself. Promising that she’d stick tight to him and wouldn’t be a burden or a distraction; he’d be able to focus on the job at hand. After all, he was the first person that had ever made her feel safe and secure. Protected. And it absolutely terrified her to have that suddenly snatched away.

It had felt like hours had passed since their initial goodbye; still feeling the callouses on his skin as he gently cradled her cheek in his palm, her lips still tingling from that long, shockingly tender kiss. And those words…spoken just before they parted…still echoing in her ears.

“I’ll see you when I see you.”

It was the second time he’d said it. In less than thirty-six hours. Just that very morning he’d unexpectedly dropped it upon; a genuinely tender and hopeful moment as they parted ways at the extraction point. The drive there had been spent in silence; Tyler making the quick and effortless transition from the soft-spoken and attentive man she’d been intimate and shared secrets with to ruthless and calculated mercenary.

Yet it hadn’t frightened her. His mere presence and his smell and the glances and reassuring smiles he’d cast in her direction made sure of that. He may have become ‘all business’, but the other Tyler was just lingering just at the surface; the one that had shared his deepest and darkest confessions with her and who’d cried when talking about his son and his fight with cancer and the horrible decision he’d made prior to his death. And who’d shown every end of the sexual spectrum during their times behind closed doors; rough and aggressive and domineering one moment, slow and tender and worshipping the next.

She had never met anyone like him. In more ways than one.

And it was right before she began her trek through the forest and towards the river when it became abundantly clear that every kiss they’d shared, every secret spilled, every tear they’d shed, had all been real. He had meant the words he’d said; the excitement he’d shown at the idea of travelling together and of even seeing her birthplace and meeting her family. And the optimism he’d shown when talking about the possibility of a future…a REAL future…together.

Although a simple moment, it had seemed so deeply personal and intimate; the way he’d pulled that bulletproof vest over her head and made sure it was tightly and securely fastened. Already so protective; forgetting about her own background in the military and her years spent on the job in his quest and desire to keep her safe and sound. No one had ever made her feel that way before; nurturing and adoring and caring instead of being indifferent or malicious in both their words and their actions.

While Mark and all his cruel words and taunts, beatings and sexual assaults had stripped her of every ounce of trust in men, it had taken Tyler less than a week to restore not only her faith in others, but the most primal of needs and urges. Sex had never been a priority; it’s hard to find yourself THAT attracted to someone when you’d spent years having the most basic and most vile and degrading acts forced upon you. But with Tyler, it had been near instantaneous. An attraction that she’d felt the moment of their introduction in the outback; when one of those enormous, calloused and scarred hands had practically swallowed one of her own. The stories alone should have left her intimidated; the scores of incredibly dangerous missions he’d been involved in and the trails of blood and rotting corpses he left behind.

It was his eyes. Brilliant yet soulful blue; a humanity and a tenderness that he kept buried just under the surface. He wasn’t as broken or as soulless as he perceived himself to be; not truly the empty shell that he saw when he looked at himself in the mirror. He hadn’t turned to stone despite the hardships of the life he’d been living; instead his grief, guilt, and heartache so enormous and overwhelming that they left him numb and jaded to anything beyond his four walls. His addictions were proof that he was still very much alive; a troubled, lonely, touch-starved man that sought out unhealthy ways to ease both his physical and mental suffering.

She’d been privy to those sides he’d long buried. In the same way she had so blindly and wholly trusted him, he had done the same with her. Speaking openly and honestly about his son and the cancer that had not only robbed him of his life, but his father’s comforting and loving presence in those final moments. He spoke about his alcoholism and his addiction to pain meds; how he’d tried to stop on many occasions but found the suffering just too difficult to bear. And he confessed to the death wish he’d been carrying around since he’d abandoned his child; not really wanting a sniper’s bullet to cut him down in the middle of the job, but wholeheartedly believing he deserved it.

While he’d wanted to change and continued to desperately cling to any semblance of life, he didn’t quite know how to tackle his demons or fix the issues that surrounded him. He’d never been taught healthy coping mechanisms; not allowed to mourn the loss of his mother or to even show some glimmer of emotion during her funeral or those long days and nights of grieving that followed. It was a sign of weakness, after all. A real man didn’t react from the heart, let alone speak from it. And his father would simply not allow a ‘fragile and pathetic’ man to live under his roof.

And then one day, after years of beatings and cruelty, that abused and tormented child transformed into a deeply troubled man. Saddled with decades of trauma and toxic masculinity that his father had so viciously beat into him.

“I’ll see you when I see you.”

He’d spoken those words after making sure every piece of velcro on her vest was attached ‘just right’, then grabbed hold of the shoulder straps and pulled her into a kiss. It had been long and languid and heartbreakingly tender; nowhere near as intense and hungry and desperate as those they’d shared over the course of five days, but incredible in its own right. A kiss that held so much promise and a tinge of worry. A potent mixture of hope, optimism, and fear. The best-case scenario would be that the job went according to plan; he’d successfully rescue Ovi and return to the extraction point in less than two hours’ time. Unscathed. After that they’d be free; they’d get to safety, collect their money, and make good on all the plans they’d made. The worst-case scenario was the mission being an epic failure. And their parting words -ones made with the best intentions- would turn out to be a permanent goodbye.

********

It feels like a lifetime ago. Mahajan’s double-crossing, the brutal and untimely deaths of their team members, Saju’s relentless hunt in a desperate bid to save his own family. So many things had gone wrong in such a short period of time; a struggle to survive in litter-strewn alleys and sewers filled with feces, garbage, and rats. They hadn’t had a chance to relax; unable to catch their breath before the next disaster came charging full speed ahead. And it was out of desperation that Tyler had played the one card he still had up his sleeve; someone he’d known for years and had always been able to trust. After all, he’d saved the man’s life on more than one occasion. If that wasn’t deserving of even the tiniest bit of help, what was?

Neither could have known - as they lay in a mess of tangled sheets and naked limbs in the bed of Gaspar’s guest room, that the worst was yet to come. Holding onto a semblance of hope that they’d walked through the fires of hell and somehow lived to tell about it. Believing they’d simply lie low for a couple of days and then be on their way; wait for the pandemonium to settle and then move about somewhat freely and easily.

Only friends are sometimes your worst enemies. Gaspar’s allegiance with Asif and his subsequent betrayal had led to disaster; an attempt to kill Tyler in order to get his hands on her and Ovi and the ten million dollar ‘prize’ that he’d be rewarded with. And in the end, it had been the fifteen-year-old that had pulled the trigger; saving all of their lives yet setting the stage for what would be the most difficult hour of their entire lives.

Crossing the bridge.

It’s still so vivid. The wails of the injured and the dying. The smell of fire, gunpowder and spilt gasoline. The pollution wafting off the filthy water. The blistering sun and the suffocating humidity. The taste of her own sweat as it dripped from her nose and gathered along her top lip. And the blood. So much blood. Covering her hands and staining her clothes. The scent of copper as it hung heavily in the air. And the fear and panic in Tyler’s eyes as he straddled the threshold between life and death. His body impossibly heavy as it lay across her lap; his battered and bloodied hands desperately clutching the front of her shirt as he gasped for breath.

She briefly closes her eyes; pushing back the flood of tears and the painful, traumatic memories. Still unable to think about those moments before help had finally arrived; how minutes had seemed hours as she sat -a filthy, sobbing, terrified mess- with her fingers shoved in the bullet wound in order to staunch his heavy bleeding. Wondering if perhaps her efforts would be all for nothing; Asif’s remaining men making their way to the bridge and discovering them there. Alive Tyler would immediately be killed; they would have made sure she watched as they put a bullet -or several- into his already beaten and broken body. Her fate would have been so much worse; likely kept captive -for days, weeks, even MONTHS- and abused in every possible way. All she would have been able to do was suffer through it; unable to fight back against the strength and the power -and the amount- of her attackers. She’d never been a praying person; she didn’t necessarily believe or not believe when it came to a higher power. But during moments of solitude, she would have begged and pleaded to anyone…anything…to permanently end her torment.

Gathering her composure, she shoves all thoughts of Dhaka aside and returns to the task at hand; slowly and carefully trimming his beard, mindful of the hairs that crowd close to the ventilation and feeding tubes. She misses his face; the one that wasn’t taken over by life-saving measures. It’s been so long since she’s seen it; whether it be that slow, boyish smile or that sly, almost mischievous smirk or the intensity that narrows his eyes and furrows his brow. And his eyes; a brilliant, captivating blue that can quickly transform to dark and stormy. She’d been privy to so many things during those five days in Dhaka; body language and facial expressions and sides to him that he’d never allowed anyone else to see.

And she’s not ready to give any one of them up.

“So about this place. In Austria…” She moves to the bedside table and opens the top drawer; placing the comb and scissors inside and then picking up a pair of nail clippers. “…I think it’s perfect for us. It’s in the middle of nowhere; surrounded by trees and mountains and it’s right on the water. It’s got two bedrooms and one and a half baths and the cutest open-concept living room and kitchen combo. It’s not luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, but it IS comfortable. Quaint. And I don’t think we need much more than that, do you?”

Picking up his right hand, she patiently and gently tends to his nails. “I mean, I know it’s going to be pretty damn cold in the winter. And there’s going to be a lot of snow. But I’m used to it. I grew up in Colorado, remember? I know it’ll be a hard adjustment for an Aussie; you’re used to sun and sand and surf. But I think you’ll do alright. Actually, I KNOW you’ll do alright.”

When the conversation runs dry, she once more returns to humming as she works; finishing the rest of his nails before applying a hospital-provided moisturizer to both hands. Concentrating on the callouses on his palms and the one on the tip of his trigger finger; working the coconut-scened lotion into rough, thickened skin.

“I bet you haven’t been pampered like this in a long time,” she says, as she firmly massages his wrists, fingers, and thumbs. Diligently working at loosening the ligaments and tendons that have tightened over the course of the last six months. “If EVER. And I don’t mean to make it sound like I hate doing this, but buddy, you owe me one hell of a back rub when we finally get the hell out of here.”

It helps. Talking about the ‘when’ instead of the ‘if’. It’s the one thing that has kept her grounded and sane for half of a year; the plans they’d made and her determination to see them through. As long as she holds onto that little bit of hope, she hasn’t lost complete control of the situation; managing to keep death lingering at a comfortable distance while she navigates the grey and the gloom between here and there. If she allows herself to use the word ‘maybe’, she’s written him off; handed him the same death sentence that all the doctors and even Nik and Yaz have burdened him with. She refuses to give up; taking every flinch and flicker of his eyelids and twitch of his fingers or toes as a sign that he’s still fighting.

And nowhere close to surrendering.

She takes care of his hair next; spritzing it down with mandarin-scented detangler before making her way through with both brush and comb. Slipping a hand between him and the bed and gently lifting his head from the pillow; apologizing profusely when she feels as if she’s yanked a little too hard at the knots. And as exhausted as she is, she finds herself somewhat enjoying the tasks that she’s been given; a natural-born caretaker who’d been neglected and touch starved most of her life and in turn, wanted to make sure no one else experienced the same things. A mother hen so to speak; badly longing to protect and nurture another human being but never getting the opportunity to do so.

Until now.

“Pretty shitty circumstances though,” she says aloud, and drops the hair care tools into the top drawer of the nightstand. “I think I’d take the worst possible case of man flu over this any day of the week.”

Guilt immediately sets in. Worried that IF he truly can hear her and understand what’s being said, he’ll assume she feels he’s a burden. That the blame lies solely upon him in terms of her emotional and physical exhaustion and that she’s simply stuck by his side out of a feeling of misplaced servitude. He had saved her life in Dhaka, after all. Surely that must make her feel as if she owes him. That waiting on him hand and foot and perhaps even feeding him and cleaning his ass for the rest of his life is merely payback.

“I don’t really mean that you know.” She’s quick to apologize; using her hip to close the drawer on the nightstand and then leaning against the railing of the bed. And she chews nervously on her bottom lip as two fingertips swipe his bangs off his forehead and away from his eyes. “Not in the way it probably sounded. I don’t mind doing all this stuff. I WANT to do it. And I know you’d probably do the same for me. I just meant that it’s shitty circumstances that got us here. I’m sure you’d rather be anywhere else.”

Removing a tube of chapstick from the pocket of her hoodie, she snaps off the cap and leans over the bed railing. “You’re totally drying out here,” she laments, mindful of the breathing and feeding tube as she glides the bubblegum-flavoured concoction over his top lip, followed by the bottom. “I’m sorry it’s not the strawberry one you got used to in Dhaka. Remember how you always used to mention it? Every time you kissed me? About liking the taste of it? I ran out. And this cherry one was the closest thing I could find to it in the pharmacy here. There…” She uses a fingertip to clear excess from his lips. “…totally kissable now. Not that I wouldn’t kiss you before, but…” Pressing a kiss to each corner of his mouth. “…it makes it a little better.”

Pocketing the balm, she reaches for the lever on the bedrail and sets it into the down position. Gently straightening and smoothing out his blankets, she fluffs both the pillow behind his head and the one that supports his back before taking a seat on the edge of the mattress.

“Tyler…” She takes one of his hands in both her own. “…we need to have a little chat. I know it’s kind of unfair right now; you can’t exactly give an opinion or argue with me. And I promise that once you’re out here and back to normal, I MAY let you get a word in edge-wise from time to time. But for now, there’s some things I need to say. That I’d rather you hear now than never hear them at all, you know? Because…”

Sighing, she anxiously yanks the elastic out of her ponytail; shaking her long, dark tresses for before simply gathering them up and putting them back once again. “Look, you’ve been amazing, okay? You’ve done everything I’ve asked you to do; when it comes to giving me little signs that you’re making your way back to me. And I’m so proud of you; I know you’re tired and you’re healing but you’re still trying to help me out. That’s why it kills me that I have to do this. That I have to ask for more.”

She turns his palm up to face her and commences drawing slow, smooth patterns on it with the tip of her finger. Her eyes riveted on the beside monitor; a smile spreading across her face when his heart rate escalates.

“I keep telling them. That you ALWAYS respond to that. And that you’ve been responding to other things, too. I told them you’ll wiggle your toes or your fingers when I ask and how sometimes your eyelashes will flutter and other times you try and put your hand on top of mine. They don’t believe me; they think it’s all in my head. They keep saying that you’d do for them and the nurses if it was intentional. And you know what I said? I said ‘maybe he just doesn’t give a shit about any of you’.”

Sighing, she reaches up to tuck wayward strands of hair behind her ears.

“Tyler, I know I’ve asked a lot. And that you’ve worked really hard to give me what I asked. I know you’re tired; you’re trying to build up your strength so you can wake up and get the hell out of here. But we’re running out of time, babe. I told them I’d shut things off at the start of the sixth month; that’s only a couple of weeks away. I don’t want to do it, believe me. I want to keep you on these machines for as long as I can; until you’re a hundred percent ready to come off them. But if I don’t do what I promised, they’re going to take me to court. And they’ll get an order to override me and do what they want. I don’t want it coming to that. You deserve so much better than THAT. So this is where I need your help. AGAIN. I need you to do more, okay? I need a bigger sign. One that the doctors can’t brush off. I need something that says you’re almost ready; you’re stronger and you’re healthier and you’re almost at the finish line. I don’t want to say that I’m desperate, but I am. I really need this. I really need YOU. Because I’m starting to get really scared and you’re the only person that’s ever made me feel safe and protected and…” She valiantly struggles to hold back a flood of tears. “…and I never knew I even needed to feel those things. So please? Just do something. Anything. That shows them they’re wrong. Please.”

She waits for a sign. Another increase in heart rate. A flicker of his eyes. The wiggle of fingers and toes. And she’s crestfallen when nothing happens.

“You’re probably sleeping,” she laments, then slaps a hand against her forehead. “God I am so fucking stupid. Of COURSE you’re sleeping. You’re in a coma for Christ’s sake. I’m starting to lose it. I really am. I’m even talking to myself lately. Out loud. You can’t tell me THAT’S normal. And there’s one more thing…” She laces her fingers through his. “Now is going to be harder than I thought. To say what I need to. I don’t even know what I’m so scared of; it’s not you’re awake and you can laugh at me or act disgusted or just totally shoot me down. But I need to get it off my chest. Because if something does go wrong and something bad DOES happen, I’d never forgive myself for not telling you. So here it goes…”

Sighing heavily, she steels herself.

“I love you, Tyler. And I know what you’re probably thinking; about how it’s way too soon and that there’s no way you can love someone so quickly. Believe me, I never thought it was possible either. Until it happened. I don’t expect you to feel the same way; it’s not like you’ve spent the last five months like I have. Dhaka probably seems like just yesterday in your mind. I don’t expect you to wake up and say it back; not unless you FEEL it. And maybe you never will. I don’t know. Maybe those five days were as good as things were going to get. But I HAD to tell you. And to be honest, I needed to admit it to myself, too.”

For several minutes she sits in silence; tightly clasping his hand and watching his face for any change. The curl of a lip or the flutter of eyelashes or the swell of a cheek with an attempt of a smile. He’d been showing remarkable progress within the last few days alone; voluntary movements of his hands and feet and a slight grimace of pain when the night nurse had to change IV sites. But today he’s motionless; not even the smallest of flinches. Peacefully at rest; his beard and nails trimmed, his hair combed, and his skin warm to the touch.

“I’m going to go and do my stuff,” she says, and lifts his hand to her face; pressing a kiss to each battered knuckle and at the base of his wrist. “Do some yoga, take a shower, go down the hall to the kitchen and get something to eat. So I’m gonna just let you rest and…”

The moment she slips off the edge of the bed, his hand tightens around hers. Not with the strength of a man who’d been declared clinically dead and was relying on machines to keep him alive, but the strength of someone still very much alive. And fighting like hell.

“I knew it.” She allows the tears to come; cradling his cheek in her palm as she leans over the bed and rests her forehead against his. “I KNEW it.”

*****

Although running behind, she sticks to her morning schedule; simple ‘luxuries’ that she’s clung to to keep what’s remaining of her sanity. A lengthy and rejuvenating yoga routine that helps centre and ground; the furniture moved aside in the sitting area of Tyler’s private room to make space for herself and her mat. A long shower in one of the many ‘for family use only’ bathrooms; the pounding water working out the kinks in her neck and soothing the aches in her back and hips. Finished off with that first tea of the day and a quick and quiet breakfast. Steaming hot perfection combined with a bowl of yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit; always at the same table -and seat right next to the window- in the ICU’s small yet fully stocked and manned cafeteria.

It makes her feel human again. To focus on herself. But it’s fleeting and soon taken over by feelings of selfishness and guilt; ashamed that she’d allowed herself those moments of peace and clarity while Tyler continued to exist in that void between life and death.

But today is different. His response to her request for a more significant and more obvious sign and her profession of love has rejuvenated her; her confidence has returned to her step and her optimism and hope are both stronger than ever. She knows they’ll try and convince her it’s all in her head; gaslighting her into believing that she’s so desperate for a miracle that she’s become ‘delusional’ and is ‘highly imaginative’. But she knows for sure that his squeeze of the hand was the real deal; it was strong and assuring and sending a clear, unwavering message that he’d not only heard her pleas and requests, but was doing his best to acknowledge AND answer them. And now only one real challenge remains. Getting him to show the nurses and the doctors the same responses when they speak to him.

“This place is getting busy again,” Esme announces as she re-enters his room, her soiled yoga shorts and tank in hand; stuffing the latter into a near overflowing she’s been promising to take down the laundry room for over a week. “Remember how I was talking about all those rooms opening up? People getting shipped up to normal wards? Well, they’re full again.” Sighing, she gathers her damp hair in both hands and styles it into a haphazard bun; securing it with the elastic she keeps around one wrist. “A lot of pretty young people, too. I don’t what’s going on and how they’re getting so sick or so hurt, but…”

A barely audible grunt from across the room interrupts her mid-sentence. The anxiety is immediate; her stomach clenching and her jaw tightening as she tries to digest the never heard before sound. Any change of the ’norm’ brings about near panic; a fear that something different automatically means disaster. And her brows are knit together and her eyes are narrowed as she apprehensively glances over her shoulder.

His eyes open. Barely. The gaze is groggy. Confused. But steadily fixed upon her.

“Tyler?”

Another grunt. His eyes briefly closing before he raises a hand; trembling furiously as it reaches for the breathing tube.

“No! No! No!” Dropping her remaining belongings on the floor, she rushes to his bedside; fingers curling around his wrist. “Don’t touch that. You’ll yank it out. Hurt yourself. The nurse needs to do it for you. Can you see me? Hear me? Do you understand what I’m saying? Blink if you do.”

He obliges her request.

“What are you doing awake? What…?” Her words are cut off by a choked sob; one of pure shock and disbelief. And she wraps both arms around his neck and presses a kiss to his temple; tears spilling down her cheeks as she rests her head upon his shoulder. “You prick! Leave it to you to wait until I was out of the room!”

It takes tremendous effort and strength, but his hand comes to rest in the middle of her back; rubbing it in slow, smooth circles in an attempt to console her.

“You know how long I waited for this moment?” Pulling away, she lovingly ruffles his hair. “Almost six months! A half a year! I’ve thought about it every day. What it would be like when it happened. And what do you do? You go ahead and totally ruin it for me!”

He attempts a sorry. Words unable to get passed the tubes shoved down his throat.

“I’m just teasing you. Just giving you a hard time. Don’t try and talk, okay? Not until they get those things out of you. Do you know where you are?”

A small nod.

“Do you remember what happened? Do you know why you’re here?”

Another. Followed by heavy-lidded eyes surveying the room; brow furrowing at the sight of the various bedside machines and the wires attached to various parts of his body. And when he looks back at her there’s a mixture of emotions written on his face; a heavy dose of fear and concern.

“I know it’s a hell of a thing to wake up to. Being here. And I know you’re probably really confused right now. Your mind is probably all fuzzy. Nothing much is making sense, huh? You’re probably scared, too. I would be too.”

He raises a hand; knuckles brushing against her cheek before his arm once more falls heavily onto the bed.

“I’m okay,” she assures him, as she sinks down onto the edge of the bed and takes his hand in both of hers. “And so is Ovi. Nik’s had people with him ever since he got home. They follow him everywhere; keep a close eye on him. Just in case.”

His brow furrows as he regards her intently.

“I’m fine,” she stresses. “I was a bit banged up. Nothing serious. I’ve had a hell of a lot worse, believe me. I didn’t even need to spend the night here. Not as a patient, anyway. You did what you promised. You got Ovi out of there. You got him home. Safe and sound. It’s over. It’s all over. It’s been over for months now.”

Sighing, he looks up at the ceiling. Tears sparkling in his eyes.

“I know you’re probably really confused. You’ve probably got a lot of questions. But you’ve been here for six months. So have I. I wanted to make sure that you were taken care of. That no one would give up on you. And I knew this was going to happen. I knew you were going to fight your way back. That you weren’t ready to give up. You weren’t ready to leave.”

He shakes his head.

“The conceited part of me wants to say it’s all because of me. That I’m the reason you’re still here. That you made your way back just for me. But…”

His eyes find hers once more; hand squeezing hers as tight as his weakened body will allow.

“Sweet talker,” she chides, and leans in to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You try and rest, okay? I’m just going to go and call your nurse and she can contact your doctor or come and check you herself. Whatever she needs to do. I just…”

His grip tightens on her as she slips off the bed. The fear once more returning to his eyes.

“I’m not leaving, I just need to get your call button. It’s on the other side of the bed. I need to use it to get your nurse in here. Don’t worry…” Pushing a hand through his hair, she places her lips against his brow. “I’m not going anywhere. Not now. Not EVER.”

*****

It seems so different now.

So foreign.

Almost uncomfortable.

It’s so quiet. All the bedside machines unplugged; dark and silent and shoved into a corner of the room. She had gotten so used to it; the hiss and the hums, the beeps and the clicks. The noises quickly becoming a part of her new existence; blending in with the chatter of the staff as they wandered the halls and the rattle of gurneys as they passed by the room. And she almost misses them; unaware of how familiar and routine they’d gotten until they suddenly ceased to exist. They had been a security blanket almost; something steady and constant that had signified life and hope and had kept her going at even her darkest and most difficult of moments.

He sleeps soundly; aided by powerful painkillers given through an IV line and fed to him through a programmed pump. She’d insisted on it; reminding them of the addiction issues that had been previously addressed and admitting -painfully- that he couldn’t be trusted to administer to himself. They’re hard things to accept; the powerful and all-consuming ties he has to both alcohol and Oxycontin. In Dhaka they’d briefly talked about it; he’d confessed to his addictions and admitted that he wanted to break free of their clutches. Getting clean was a priority now that he had someone in his life; he wanted to be rid of the worst of his vices, no matter how difficult it would be to walk away from them.

“You make me want to be a better man,” he’d announced, the sincerity in both his voice and his eyes had making her choke up. No one had ever given her a more beautiful compliment. Such honest and heartfelt words coming from someone like him; a phenomenally strong, seemingly fearless man weighed down by the enormity of his mistakes. Carrying around the burdens of guilt and grief and regret.

Not of that exists right now. He’s temporarily at peace; free of the monsters and the demons that have plagued him for years. His unassisted breathing slow and deep and rhythmic; his weakened and battered body trying to build whatever strength it can in order to begin the long, arduous road of healing. His skin is pale and the circles under his eyes dark and haunting; she’s already promised to get him out into the sunshine as soon as the doctors feel he’s up to it. He sleeps with his face turned towards her; unruly hair splayed out across his pillow and looking shades darker against the crisp white sheets. And there’s a slight smile curving his lips; perhaps feeling the tremendous relief that comes with walking through the darkest and deepest recesses of hell and living to tell about them.

Despite there still being a long and arduous road ahead, she feels as if a tremendous weight has been lifted off her shoulders; no longer concerned with deadlines and ultimatums and feeling an immense satisfaction at the doctors being proven wrong. And it had taken everything she had not to gloat when the primary care physician finally showed up to asses Tyler’s current physical and mental state and remove him from the machines. Feeling an immense sense of pride in him when he was able to answer -using nods or shakes of the head- basic questions regarding both his and her identity. Showing no signs of coma-induced amnesia; knowing her name and not only how they met, but how he ended up in the hospital in the first place. The line of questioning had been short and simple, but had immensely irritated him; the darkness in his eyes as he glared at the doctor gave a clear cut message: the interrogation was pointless, he wasn’t stupid, and he was simply tired of the other man’s shit.

The extubation hadn’t gone as smoothly as staff had hoped. What should have been simple and routine became a three ring circus when she was asked to leave the room; Tyler immediately panicking at the mere thought and his heart rate and blood pressure spiking to near dangerous levels as his fight or flight response kicked into high gear. Shockingly angry and strong for someone who’d been in a coma for half a year and only minutes before had appeared weak and docile. And with that the arguing and the threatening had began; Esme insisting that it was in his best interest if she was allowed to remain in the room where he could keep his eyes on her at the very least.

“He’s scared,” she’d informed them. “He’s scared and he’s confused. And I’m the one thing that’s been constant for the last six months. I’ve ALWAYS been here. He’s gotten used to that. What harm is it going to do if I hang around? It’ll help, if anything.”

For several minutes the bickering back and forth had continued. As had Tyler’s kicking and thrashing about in bed and the threats of “sedating him for everyone else’s safety.” She refused to let that happen; there was no need to drug him up when simply letting her stay by his side and hold his hand and talk him through it would more than suffice.

Her tenacity and stubbornness had been the victors in the end. And she’d held his hand in one of her own; her lips pressed against his ear as she talked him through the entire process and whispered words of comfort and reassurance. Telling him she wasn’t going ANYWHERE; there was nothing and no one that could possibly tear her away. Not now. Not ever.

******

Exhaustion sets in, coming on strong and fast. It’s aided by her newfound optimism and the fears she’s been able to shed, and she welcomes the chance to rest with open arms. Carefully prying open his fingers in order to slip her hand out of his; his grip surprisingly strong and fuelled by his fear that if he stops touching her, she’ll simply disappear. But he’s sleeping soundly and neither movement nor absence of touch disturbs him; not offering up a single flinch as he continues to alternate between lightly snoring and murmuring in his sleep. And kicking off her slippers, she leans back in her chair; drawing her oversized hoodie tighter around her body and then stretching out her legs and placing her feet on the mattress. Giving him just enough contact that if he does wake, he won’t immediately panic; her toes tucked securely underneath the back of his left thigh.

When she wakes, the sun has shifted position in the sky; beams streaming through the courtyard’s glass roof and casting shadows upon the lobby’s walls and floor. For what seems like several long, tedious minutes she fights disorientation; her weary brain struggling to identify and make sense of the sights and sounds that had been part of her life for half a year. Yawning loudly, she presses the heels of her palms into her blurry eyes; keeping them closed as her hands move to her shoulders and she massages at the tight, aching muscles.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

She gives a small start; eyes rapidly flicking open and falling on the nurse that busies herself on the opposite side of the bed.

The younger woman gives a sheepish, apologetic smile. “I tried to be as quiet as possible. Sorry.”

“No need to be. It wasn’t you. I think my neck was crying out for mercy. I didn’t even realize you were here.” Esme frowns as concern sets in. She hates how quickly it can grab hold of her; the panic that comes with the fear of losing the one thing…the one person…that you truly DO love. Her life had changed half a year ago. Meeting someone who was just as damaged and tarnished as she was.

It could have gone so horribly wrong; two hurt and lonely people only making each other worse.

“Is he alright?” She attempts to keep her anxiety under control; the mere thought of him having a setback and ending up worse than before just too much to bear. While all her spoken and unspoken pleas and promises had been both accepted and answered, it’s been a nagging worry; a quick and sudden regression that sentences him to a life in a near -or full- vegetative state.

Even then, she'd stick by his side. Put her entire life on hold in an effort to improve his. And provide whatever care he needed. No matter how 'hands on'. “He’s doing just fine. Breathing well on his own; his numbers never drop below ninety-five percent.”

“And that’s good, right? Especially considering how long he needed that machine for? To already have numbers that high…”

“It’s excellent. Far better than anyone expected.”

“No one expected much from him, did they? And they sure as hell wouldn’t listen to me. I told them; that he was responding to my voice and when I tickled his palm and sometimes when I combed his hair. I knew what I was talking about. It wasn’t all in my head. I wasn’t hysterical or crazy like they said.”

“No. You most certainly weren’t.”

“You were the only that believed me. That didn’t think I was nuts.”

“You fought with too much passion and too much conviction to be anything BUT truthful. I could tell in your voice and in your eyes; you truly believed what you were saying.”

“I may not have known Tyler very long, but I know that he wouldn’t give up without a fight. Maybe before he met me, he would have. But we talked about the future. OUR future. There was no way he was giving up on them. On me. On US.”

“I wish all of the patients here at someone like you in their corner. I like to think that if they did, they’d heal a lot faster; knowing that someone is fighting for them and making sure they get nothing but the best. Do you know how many have no one? Whose families have just given up and stopped coming altogether?”

“I can’t even imagine being that way. Just abandoning someone. Especially someone I love. How do you live with yourself? How do you sleep at night? Pretending as if they don’t even exist anymore?”

“I don’t understand it myself.”

“It’s just so sad. The thought of them being all alone. No one caring about them. I know it’s not easy; seeing someone at their worst and not knowing if they’re going to make it or not. It’s hard; to lose someone you care about. But ignoring them and pretending they don’t exist doesn’t make it all go away.”

“And the guilt afterwards? The regret? If they DO die?”

“I couldn’t live with myself. I wasn’t going to do that to Tyler; just leave him here and go on with my life. I didn’t want him to be alone. He deserves so much better than that. And if he was going to die, I was going to make sure he had someone here with him.”

“I assumed you’d been with him for a long time. Considering how hard you fought. How you wouldn’t back down.”

“I know it doesn’t make sense. The way I am. So soon after meeting someone. But I know how I feel. About him. And I know it isn’t wrong. Because nothing wrong could ever feel this right.”

“There’s no rules. No time limit. Whether it’s weeks, months or years that you’ve known someone. And don’t let anyone tell you any different.”

“They don’t even try anymore,” Esme laughs, and leans back in her chair. “They know it’s a lost cause. My family gave up a long time ago.”

For several minutes they go co-exist in silence; Esme watching as the nurse tends to replacing IV and catheter bags, resetting the timer on the pain pump, and using an iPad to jot down the various numbers in regard to his vitals. And she’s beginning to doze off once more when the younger woman’s voice captures her attention; her head snapping up and her eyes flickering open.

“He’s got quite the hold on you there,” the nurse nods down at the bed; Tyler’s hand covering one of Esme’s feet in a surprisingly strong grip.

She wonders when he’d done it. If it was a subconscious moment while he was sleeping or if he’d woken up briefly and intentionally took hold of her. “He’s protective. Even while he’s like this. Just wants to keep an eye on me. Make sure nothing bad happens. Or I don’t get away.”

“I don’t think he has to worry about that. Especially that last part. You know, if you want to get out of here for a bit, I don’t mind sticking around. This was my last patient for these rounds. So if you want to go grab a tea or something to eat or eve get some fresh air…”

“I don’t want to leave him alone. If he wakes up and I’m not here, he might freak out. He might…”

“He won’t be alone. I’ll be right here. Sitting with him. I don’t mind spending my break here. You need some time to yourself. Even if it’s just to wander around a bit. Feel the sun on your face. The worst is over; he’s done his time in hell and come out the other side. You can breathe again.”

She chews on her bottom lip; considering the opportunity that’s been presented to her. And sighing, she turns her teary eyes towards the younger woman. “Please take care of him.”

“Of course. He’s in good hands.”

Giving a nod of approval and a smile of appreciation, she stands; pushing her chair away before approaching the side of the bed. Running her fingers through her hair before holding it back off his forehead; lips meeting warm, smooth skin.

“I’ll be right back,” she promises, a fingertip lightly trailing down the scar that inhabits the left side of his brow. “There’s nothing to worry about, okay? I won’t be gone long. I’m not leaving. You don’t EVER have to worry about that.”

#Tyler and Esme series #In a Heartbeat #Tyler Rake fan fiction #Tyler Rake fanfic #Extraction fan fiction #Extraction fan fic #Chris Hemsworth #Tyler Rake #Extraction 2 #Extraction #Tyler Rake x OFC #Esme Drummond #Esme Rake

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thyme-in-a-bubble · 2 years

Text

chamomile, chapter ten

A/N: the gif in the moodboard is by @radioactive-creative-bug

summary: late night check in to see how the doctor is doing

warnings: references to 6x19, emo boi reid (someone please, I can't be the only one who just stared belting the Ayesha Erotica song💀), almost kiss, regency romance novel level yearning

word count: 873

∼ gentle reminder that feedback, but especially reblogs are the way you support writers on here ∽

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Finishing up the last bit of your ginger ale, you walked determinately out of your hotel room and towards the doctor’s door. You couldn’t fight the fact anymore that this case was hitting too close to home for him. You hadn’t been the only one on the team who’d noticed. Everyone had been staring at him, watching him, and even Morgan had not so subtly had a talk with him in the bathroom.

You had a vague idea of why it was getting to him. You had read his file and it did say a fair amount about his mom, who she was and what she was dealing with, so putting two and two together, you could see how this particular case was so difficult for him to get through.

Softly, rhythmically, you knocked on his door and it didn’t take long for him to answer.

“Y/l/n, hey,” he greeted, sounding somewhat surprised at your presents.

“Hi,” you flashed him a warm smile, “can I come in?”

“Um, sure,” he moved aside for you to enter.

“You’ve been quiet today,” he kept his vision low at your observation, staring at his shoes, “you have been quiet.”

“Yeah,” he breathed out and closed the door behind you.

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, you looked up at him, “Reid,” cocking your head to the side, “are you okay?”

“Did Morgan talk to you? Is that why you’re here?” he buried his hands in his pockets, “to check up on me?”

“No.” you shook your head and then let out a heavy sigh, “Reid, I’m here because I’m worried about you.” Scooting to the side a bit more, inviting him to sit down next to you, “do you wanna talk about it?”

“No.”

“Do you wanna talk about Prentiss?”

“No.” he took a seat next to you on the mattress, “I don’t want to talk.”

“Okay, then what do you want? What do you need? We don’t need to talk, we can just sit here in silence and just be.”

For a moment he just sat there, staring at you, no doubt making a pro-con list in his head on whether or not he should open up his mouth. “I-… ever since what happened to Emily,” he started slowly, “I feel like I have no control over anything in my life. I feel like everything is falling apart. Everything I touch crumbles and dies and there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t sleep, I concentrate. I feel useless.”

“Reid, how could you feel useless? You sweep in and save the day on every single case. Without you, we wouldn’t catch a single unsub. You’re good at everything-”

“Not everything. Have you seen me out in the field?”

“You’re not that bad,” now that you think about it he was either as good or even a bit better than you were.

“Yeah, but I’m not good. I should be good, I wanna be good.”

“You can be if you want. It’s just a skill like any other.” Then quietly added, “If you want, I could probably get you a key to the gun range.”

“You could?”

“Have you met the guys who work down there?” you turned your body to face him more, picking one leg up off the floor and onto the bed, “Bill is nothing compared to the reporters I have to deal with on a day to day, so yes, that would probably be the easiest thing I’ve done all month.”

“Thanks,” you physically saw some of the weight being lifted off his back, “really.”

“You’re welcome. Just promise that when you become Annie Oakley you’ll teach me all your ways,” you joked, nudging him playfully in the side.

“Deal,” he chuckled lightly, catching onto your hand, making it stop its light teasing.

Then came this moment, this second where everything was calm. Everything was good. He was just holding your hand, and everything seemed possible. Getting lost in his dark eyes felt inevitable. You couldn’t fight it, not in this moment. His thumb brushed over your knuckles, coaxing you in deeper. It wasn’t till you saw him move closer, that you were ripped out of the honeycomb fantasy and back into reality. The reality where you noticed just how bloodshot his eyes were.

Things had just gotten good again. You couldn’t slip back. You couldn’t let him break your heart again. He was hurting a needed comfort, but in doing that you would just make his proclamation that much more correct. If he touched you again, you would surely crumble and die. Even if it would feel good for a moment, it wouldn’t last. You were his friend. He wouldn’t ever see you as anything more.

So right before his lips could touch yours, you placed your hand on his chest and whispered, “Spencer.”

Pausing, his eyes flickered up from their view of your mouth and looked into yours.

“We can’t,” your voice shook slightly.

It looked like you’d just poured cold water over him because he immediately straightened up, “I’m sorry…” he removed his hand from yours, “I should probably go.”

“Spencer,” you called after him as he practically bolted out the door, “this is your room.”

next chapter

#lea’s writing #chamomile #spencer reid #spencer reid series #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid x you

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multiscribe · 4 months

Text

Title: Just Like Daddy

Fandom: Daredevil

Characters : Matt murdock /female reader little mini Matt (you’ll see)

Rating: soft R for cannon typical violence and cursing and maybe some flirting

Notes: inspired by this pic I saw this morning-done in one day special thanks to @hellskitchens-whore for the inspiration

In memory of my darling Sammie who would fit right in with Matt

“Let me get you some excedrin honey” you whispered as you rose from the edge of the bed trying to be as quiet as possible.

Your husband Matt Murdock the devil of Hell’s Kitchen was having a rare night off. Not because he wanted to of course but migraine’s as a rule fucking sucked donkey eggs.

It had been a whirlwind courtship between the two of you but even Karen and Foggy could see just how far gone he was. And when you knew you knew right?

So it surprised no one when a year to the day you two broke the news that you were expecting your first child.

Of course there had been some heartbreak when you learned your little girl would never be able to see like normal kids. And it had taken some extraordinary prodding from you to bring Matt back from the utter ocean of Catholic guilt he had been wallowing in.

‘Teach her to defend herself Matt teach her how to fight like you do so we never have to worry’

Famous fucking last words as you would soon learn.

Because your baby girl took to it like a duck to water and these days when she wasn’t working on her homework she’d usually be up at Fogwell’s with Matt either helping him train or training herself

Even Stick had taken a liking to her.

By the time she was 4 and a half you two had learned that her senses far outpaced those of her father.

But she’d been content to do normal little girl things. Like paint Auntie Karen’s nails or braid uncle foggy’s hair.

Until tonight.

Until tonight Matt had never come down with a migraine so bad it stopped him from going out to his ‘night job’.

Gently pressing the two pills into his left hand and water bottle into his right you whispered “I’m gonna go check on her then I’ll come to bed okay?”

He had barely taken his meds when your panicked cry sent him rushing toward your daughter’s bedroom.

She was gone

Glass on the floor and perfume winding through the room. Someone knew they knew about her abilities and his.

He could only pull you close as the devil in him seethed and raged. Someone was going to pay dearly for having taken their little girl.

He had called Karen and Foggy to come sit with you in case she managed to find her way back. He also didn’t trust whoever took her to not swing back and try and snatch you too.

What he ‘saw’ down by the docks was not something he expected and a ton of emotions hit him at once

Pride

Shock

Worry

Fear

Relief

Because leaping silently from container to container there was his daughter.

She was dressed in a miniature replica of his black outfit and some pleased part of him saw that she’d remembered to wrap her hands.

He took off after her having to catch himself several times from stepping in. All that training with Stick had done her good. You were gonna kill the pair of them of course but that was a fight for another day.

She had found an illegal dog fighting ring and had beaten the fighters to a bloody pulp. This was no surprise to him as she LOVED dogs and you and he were discussing the merits of getting your daughter a service dog prospect for Christmas.

However hearing the unmistakable scrape of metal that signaled a gun being raised had him reaching for his Billie club.

But as it happened she didnt need his help

Because before he could even throw it there was a huge hulking black shepherd that launched herself out of the darkness and latched her teeth onto the man’s arm drawing a scream from him.

Once all of the threats were down he heard his daughter call softly to the dog who dropped the man’s arm before she could rip it off and came to sit by her side.

He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised that when he approached there was an ominous sounding snarl from the dog.

The devil in him smirked. It seemed they found her Christmas present early

“It’s okay girl..that’s my daddy” before finally she stepped around the dog and launched herself into his arms

“God baby do you know how scared you made your mommy and I?” He knows he should loosen his grip but she’s here and real and safe thank you god above for protecting my little girl

“Didn’t mean to” she whispers against his shoulder “you was sick daddy people needed help. I was careful like uncle stick taught me”

Oh he was SO gonna kick Stick’s ass the next time he saw him!

“How many people did you help tonight baby?”

He felt her tiny lips curl into a smile “well I stopped some bad men from taking an old lady’s purse. I helped another lady when the guy she was with he was gonna hit her-you said a man should NEVER hit a woman that it’s..illegal? In the state of New York”

Matt could feel the tears pricking at his eyes. God when had his daughter gotten so smart?and so brave?

“That’s right baby what else?”

She leaned up looking thoughtful “well I thought I should come home soon and I was on my way I promise!! But then I heard someone hurting doggies so I came down here.. they kicked one and they hurt it bad so I made THEM hurt instead. Then you found me!”

Matt exhaled gently before setting her on her feet “right now little miss there’s gonna be some ground rules. First you do not leave the house without me understood?You scared me and your momma half to death when we couldn’t find you. Second your grades fall even a little this?is done” she gave a silent nod “okay daddy” he could tell she was confused so he softened a little “your grandpa Jack had the same rules for me.He didn’t want me to fight but kinda like you I found my way into it but not til much later”

She tilted her head “what’s rule 3 daddy?” He chuckled softly “you have to apologize to your momma for worrying her”

She nodded “Kay I didn’t mean to honest! But I’ll ‘pologize can we keep Sammie?”

How could he say no to his angel?

The trek back was slower on foot as both had to slow down to allow Sammie to keep pace. She had some glass shards in her foot that would be cleaned up as soon as the chaos died down.

The sound of the roof door opening had you running for the stairs before Karen or Foggy could stop you

“Mommy!!” A sob tore from you as your daughter launched herself into your arms

“Baby are you hurt?where were you what happened?” It took you a minute to process what you were seeing

Your daughter pulling the black mask off her dark hair tumbling down her shoulders in a mess of curls

You looked to Matt silently questioning caught between relief and pure mamma bear rage

“I found her by the docks. She wasn’t taken she just wanted to help out. We already laid some strict ground rules” because you knew she was as stubborn as your husband -at least this way you knew she would be safe as she could be.

“Oh and this is Sammie” the shepherd eyed you warily before drawing closer for a sniff. When she learned that you were related she merely laid down at your feet with a tired huff and rolled over on her back demanding belly rubs

You had a love of dogs too especially Shepherds so it was no real question there. But it took you a moment before you realized what Matt had said and looked to your daughter who smiled “the bad man was gonna try and hurt me with his gun..but she protected me. Just like you said ‘member?”

At that you fully broke embracing both Matt and your daughter fiercely.

You had told her that story when she was first learning how to be respectful of other animals. How when you were at your lowest long before you met Matt that you had a pure black shepherd who was insanely protective of you. When you had suffered being homeless not once but twice in the cold Pennsylvania winter she was the only thing that kept you going.

And how someone had placed a call to animal control and she had been taken away.. for good

A nudge under your arm drew your attention. The resemblance was uncanny but it couldn’t be.. you were told she had been put down as she had seemingly out of the blue turned vicious and it had broken you.

A little bit of gray on her muzzle she’d be the right age..

“Sammie..babygirl?” When you were knocked back onto the floor by a black missle of fur and began to weep hysterically at first Matt was concerned.

But then he picked up your words between sobs “it’s you! Oh my god it’s you! My darling oh god how oh I don’t care!”

Matt pulled his daughter up onto his lap his own mask discarded and smiled at his daughter’s questioning look “you know I was thinking she was gonna be your service dog…but do you think you could share with mommy?” The little girl nodded “sure! Why’s mommy crying though?”

Matt smiled and kissed her temple “despite you scaring us half to death…you made a miracle happen sweetie… that IS Sammie”

Your daughter’s eyes widened almost comically and soon the three of you were on the floor together alongside Karen and Foggy being covered in kisses and the occasional paw to the face (you’d allow it this once she was happy to be home after all!)

You leaned over whispering to Matt “I’m still gonna kick Stick’s ass the next time I see him”

Matt smirked and pulled you close for a kiss “gotta beat me to it first sweetheart”

The End

#matt murdock x fem!reader #fluff #little angst #happy endings #Matt being a good dad #Christmas miracles

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sunnyie-eve · 11 months

Text

A Question(pt.5)

Series: Fondness | Scream

Paring: (Chad Meeks-Martin x OFC Hicks! Ethan Landry x OFC Hicks!)

Word Count: 1456

Warnings: Kissing, jealous Chad

Last | Next

"How may I help you, Ethan?" Lexi lets him into her room since Mindy was out with Anika.

"I have a question." He awkwardly smiles.

"Hit me."

"How do you kiss someone? Chad set me up with this girl on a double date and just in case... Give me some tips please." He begs her.

"Why don't you ask Chad?" She laughs at him.

"Because you're a girl and I want to know what girls prefer." He awkwardly sits down.

"Guess that makes sense. But you haven't kissed anyone yet? Not making fun of you but seriously?" She sits next to him on her bed.

"Yes. I know it's embarrassing." He covers his face.

"It's not embarrassing. My first kiss was only two years ago." She tries to make him feel less embarrassed, "Are you a hands-on learner?"

"What?"

"Show me what you know. Kiss me. I don't mind. Only if you want." She shocks him, "Sorry if I make you uncomfortable." She apologizes.

"No." He leans closer to her.

She leans towards him, "Focus on the bottom lip." She instructs as she wraps her lips over his top, pressing into him.

Ethan copies her, wrapping his lips around her bottom as they both kiss. Moving against each other slowly at first, as Ethan copies her head movements. She pulls away as her hand on his cheek drops to the side of his neck. "Good." She nods, "You're a natural."

"Then?" He breathes out.

"Then you have to know where to place your hands. Depends on your position of course. But, let's say it's sitting like we are." Lexi reaches to grab his wrists, "The waist is always a good place." She pulls his hands to her hips. Ethan listens to her words as he slides his hands further around her waist.

She slides her hands up and around the back of his neck. Ethan leans closer to her lips, awaiting her next instruction, "You can move your hands from here whenever you want."

"To where?" He questions.

"Anywhere. Like rubbing up and down her side, or under her shirt, if you're brave enough." Lexi giggles, earning a small chuckle from him.

"Alright." He says, leaning back in. "Anywhere." He confirms to himself before he's pressing his lips back to hers. He captures her bottom lip, carefully sucking. He's soon dragging his hands along her side, before edging the hem of your shirt. "Is that ok?" He asks against her lips.

"Uh, yeah, good. That's what you should say to her." She gulps.

"And then?" Ethan asks.

"Then you can add tongue." She leans back so he pulls her back in, placing his hand on the back of her neck now as he kisses her. A little more confident than before.

Lexi takes the next step and runs her tongue along his bottom lip, asking for access. Ethan got the hint as he opens his mouth. Her tongue dives in, meeting his as his breath shudders against her. She lets her tongue dance with him before pulling back.

Ethan follows her lips, his warm breath staying close before he realizes what he's doing. He leans back looking bashful. "Sorry."

"It's alright."

"No, I asked you to teach me and I'm getting carried away." Ethan feels stupid so Lexi leans back in shutting him up with a kiss slowly moving to straddle him.

With his hands still on her hips he pulls her closer growing more confident by the second. Lexi's hand finds his hair, twisting in his curls as he lets out a small whimper. He blushes, having not meant to let that slip.

His hands draw under her loose shirt as he brushes up her sides. She slightly shivers at the slight coldness. "Sorry." He says, but she shakes her head.

"Your hands are just cold, that's fine." She assures him.

"So, I can do this?" He asks as he runs his fingers along the skin by her ribs.

"Yes,"

Ethan nods as his hands stop just under her bra before they splay across her stomach. "Can I?" Ethan asks fiddling with the lace of her bra, looking extremely distracted. Lexi goes to pull his hands out because she was just supposed to teach him for a girl tonight but then his grip tightens around her, "I kinda like you if it's not obvious. And I'd rather kiss you then some girl Chad is trying to get to like me." He sounds desperate as he holds her down onto him

"Ethan," He leans in cutting her off by capturing her lips. "I kinda like you too." She says into the kiss making him smile.

"You do?" He leans back out of the kiss.

Lexi places her hands on his chest as he stares up at her, "I'm not like other girls on campus." She kisses his jaw, "I like the extremely attractive, shy, dorky, boy." Her lips meet his again.

The sound of the door unlocked makes Lexi and Ethan act like they were just chatting about random shit as Chad walks in, "I thought you would be here."

"When did you get a key?" Lexi says completely oblivious to the fact he had a key.

"Mindy gave me her extra key. You ready to go, dude?"

Ethan looks at Lexi, "I kinda don't wanna go. She's going to be disappointed seeing me anyways so."

Chad was confused about why Ethan looked at Lexi first, "Come on dude. If she's disappointed we'll leave."

"Go." Lexi nudges him, "Tell me if I'm right about what I said about me."

"Wish me luck." Ethan leaves with Chad.

As the guys walk together to meet up with the girls for the double date, Chad decides to speak up, "Why were you with Lexi?"

"Went by asking her a question. Question for you though. Do you know if she has a thing for anyone at the moment?"

"Not to my knowledge. She said she doesn't care for dating people she hardly knows. You gotta be in a friend zone for a long time." Chad explains to him.

"So her first kiss was a friend? We were talking about them." Ethan looks at him.

Chad looks at him, "Yeah, he was a friend. Turned out to be a shitty friend year later marking us rumors about her." He says, "Why are you asking about Lexi? Do you have a thing for her or?"

"She's cute."

Chad rolls his eyes when Ethan wasn't looking at him, "Yeah, that's the nicest way I've had someone describe her to me since we moved here."

"You're very protective of her."

"I always have been but now I really have to be. She only has me, Mindy, Tara, and Sam. Her mom and brother were killed and she found them only a few minutes after it happened." Chad feels bad for her having no idea how she feels deep down still.

Meanwhile, Lexi went to the apartment and Quinn lets her in saying Sam was out and Tara just ran to the store.

"What do you think about Ethan?"

"Umm, shy and dorky. Especially around you. It's obvious he has a crush on you." Quinn says with her back towards Lexi rolling her eyes.

She didn't understand how fast he got obsessed with her but that wasn't the real truth. Ethan wasn't starker obsessed with Lexi at all because he actually liked her.

"Why do you ask me?" Quinn turns to face her.

"I don't know."

"What do you think about him?" Quinn sits down on the couch.

"An extremely attractive, shy, dorky, boy..."

"You like Ethan?" Quinn sits up thinking maybe this would make it even easier to get close with the group. There were already close being roommates with Chad, and the sister but if Ethan got Lexi to like him they're more than 100% in.

"I do... We kinda made out in my room."

Quinn was surprised her awkward brother got the confidence to do that with Lexi, "Well, I think you guys would work well. And he's not some asshole like Trent."

"Hey, Lex." Tara walks in.

"Lexi made out with Ethan," Quinn tells Tara making Lexi glare at her.

"I thought you liked Chad? What happened to liking Chad?" Tara walks over to sit down as well.

"That's never going to happen, Tara. I've been wanting something to happen since we were ten and I should just move on. And Ethan is a nice guy. I mean I'm still not wanting a boyfriend but I'm willing to try to see someone."

"Ethan does seem like a nice guy to try with, I guess. I don't see him hurting you." Tara sighs wanting to strangle Chad for not making a move.

#scream fanfic #scream franchise #chad meeks martin imagine #chad meeks ff #sam carpenter #tara carpenter #mindy meeks martin #chad meeks martin #scream 5 #gale weathers #chad meeks x reader #scream ff #ghostface #ethan landry #ethan landry imagine #quinn bailey #anika kayoko #scream 6

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nothingbutfilthx · 2 years

Text

Katsuki bakugo- headcannons

- character is aged up 18+

(i need to write shyt for mha after the latest manga chapter, ifykyk)

sfw

- im sorry guys but he wouldn't call you teddy bear (even though i myself am completely upset by this) 😭😖

- however, bakugo does call people by their quirks or features, i feel he'd call his s/o ; gorgeous, brat or simply just 'MINE'.

- not alot of pda in public. Some. But not alot.

- tight hugs! Warm hugs too 😍 *swoon*

- jealous. Probably will threaten to beat someones ass for looking at his girl.

- speaking of jealousy... %100 will kiss you and hold you in front of said perv. Let them know only he can kiss you

- behind closed doors. He's a sweetheart.

- (this is kinda self indulgent, im sorry ..im not) he hasn't slept well since being kidnapped, one night you two were watching a movie, the movie is halfway? And hes asleep head on your chest looking so peaceful.. from then on he sleeps with you next to him. (In his opinion best sleep ever)

- no secret hes a smart cookie, helps you study.

- training with you. Unfortunately if he wants to be the best ..he wont hold back. But he knows your more than capable of defending against him.

- protective. Is ready to fight someone to the death if it meant protecting you. He knowd youd do the same ( i would definitely protecc kats 😭 )

- bakusquad. Obvi. Bakugo is obvi alpha of the group , denki has defs called you mrs alpha before..baukugo didnt hate it , actually he took it upon himself to call you Mrs. Alpha.

- if y'all get into an argument.. he's cooking and bringing flowers to apologize to you.

- carrys you firman style or bridal.

- dates with kats are either adrenaline fueled places or somehow end up being a bakusquad group thing. (Ngl wouldnt bother me)

- hear me out. The movie 10 things i hate about you ...the paintball scene.. yeah that but bakugo 😍😭😍. (Self indulgent? Yes? Does it fit? Yes. Mind will bot be changed)

- u.a does a prom thing. Proms arent his thing but he jumped at the chance to ask you. Seeing you dressed up and glowing like a goddess.. his goddess sparked a joy in him.

- if hes stressed. Shoulder massages.

- cooking together 😍 teaches you how to cook his and your favourite meals.

- says i love you anytime you or him leaves the door.

- fought aizawa so you could sit next to him in class.. (aizawa being a secret softie caved and gave in)

- he trusts only kirishima with you.

NSFW

- katsuki be packing the finest dick. Thick cock.. lengthy too, one vein going to the head (how does one describe a dick..?🤣)

- brat tamer . Dominant as fuck.

- degrading. 'filthy whore, daddys lil slut, desperate bitch, needy cum slut'

- dont worry he also gives praise. 'good girl. Doing so good f'me. Look how pretty you look. Taking me well'

- hes the top. Definitely likes to be called master, sir or daddy.

- Markings! Hickeys. Bruises, hand prints

- choking either from his hand around your throat or his dick being down your throat either way it pleases him to see it

- filthiest dirty talk. 'like daddys cock deep in you huh babe? Feels so good in you. Cum all over my cock slut.'

- trying to be quiet? Good luck (🤣) he will thrust into you at a brutal pace to force a scream, squeal or whatever out of you. 'cmon babe louder let everyone hear how good you feel' (😳 ...hot..sh don't u judge me 🤣)

- multiple rounds. He will only finish when hes %100 sure you'll be fucked dumb or sore tomorrow.

- any position. As long as he can get a view and hear you. Hes good..if he had to pick bent over or mating press. He loves being deep in you .

- hair pulling. Wether hes hitting it from behind or your sucking him off hes pulling your hair

- headgame 😫 man will go down and eat u like a man starved. Wont stop till his face is dripping with your juices.

- stamina. He aint cumming anytime soon. He's making sure your not moving when y'all done

- he will cum anywhere. On your tits?yep. In your mouth? Yep. On your face? Yepp. In your cunt? Double yep.

- TEASER!!!!!!! Will tease you and edge you if youve sassed him or bratted him. 'aww wanna cum? Mm not yet babe..gotta make you sorry for that attitude today. Wanna cum? Apologize and beg for it'

- okay fr tho. He is absolutely the king of aftercare. He knows he is overly rough but a nice bath and clean sheets and clothes outta fix it + cuddles and whatever dessert he can find.

- drunk bakugo had admitted he'd like to tag team you with Kiri. Though you wait for his sober self to say this to act on it.

😍 him in the jeans thoo ...ffffff ddaaaddyyyy

#bakugo katsuki #bnha #katsuki bakugo #my hero academia #bakugo katsuki imagine #bakugo katsuki smut #mha bakugou #bakugo katuski #bakugo katsuki x reader #mha bakugo katsuki #katsuki bakugo imagine #my hero academia smut #my hero academia x reader

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novorehere · 2 years

Note

Oh please do tell more abt your s/oul3ater hcs (grabby hands)

The first s0ul eating scene hit me like a truck--

Alright… fine. Just know you asked for this. This is your fault. Not mine. (NOTE: Contains some story spoilers!!!) Also warning, this got super long because I have. A lot of thoughts. I apologize in advance

So basically, S/tein is a scientist, right? Doing all these crazy experiments in the name of progress. Back when he was partnered with S/pirit, he was secretly researching a… unique way of getting your soul wavelengths attuned. With the aid of some long forgotten and forbidden magic, a weapon could theoretically enhance their meister’s power by entering their body. This act was explicitly forbidden after the first Kishin utilized this power, swallowing his weapon partner Vajra and absorbing it into himself. However, the magic used was not innately evil. Theoretically, this power could still be harnessed by someone who was willing to equally share the energy between weapon and meister. Would putting two souls in that close of proximity to each other enhance the resonance between them? Unbeknownst to the rest of the academy, Lord Death secretly approved his research in case the worst would come to pass and they would have to fight the Kishin once again. Luckily, S/tein was no stranger to using his partner for his little… projects.

Turns out, it works. Really well, actually. S/tein is delighted! This could be a breakthrough new tactic! Plus it provides a perfect situation for a weapon pair to bond emotionally and strengthen their relationship. S/pirit is much less thrilled about the whole proposition. He’s willing to do anything it takes to be the best, but getting EATEN?? Absolutely not, that was NOT what he signed up for. Despite this, he reluctantly allowed S/tein to indulge every once in a while in the name of progress. And when he did, he couldn’t deny that attuning their wavelengths felt almost effortless.

As for Stein, he found the sensation surprisingly enjoyable. But even more so the slight twinge of affection he could finally almost feel in his heart. Magical scientists like him were prone to madness, but making a meal of his partner became an easy way to take the edge off.

Eventually, the two went their separate ways. But the two of them never forgot their strange little ritual, especially not S/tein. Years later at the academy, he is tasked to teach M/aka and S/oul how to enhance their abilities and grow closer. They ask him for his wisdom, and he decides to let them in on his little secret, wondering how they’ll react. A meister swallowing their weapon to grow closer… interestingly, he can sense their souls becoming curious underneath their outward disgust. If they truly want to get stronger, he might as well teach them.

Which brings us to our main characters. Yes, my extremely scalding hot take is that M/aka is the pred in the relationship. I said what I said. Hear me out.

I knew it as soon as I saw Soul’s dream in episode 12. Having a nightmare of being inside someone’s stomach and bursting out horrifically?? Classic prey coded angst. (Where have I seen this before? *cough*) I feel like actually going inside and being reassured that it’s safe would be really healing for him.

All his life, S/oul’s been the one doing the “eating.” It’s kind of poetic in a way, the famed ‘soul eater’ ending up getting swallowed himself. And dare I say, even enjoying it? I don’t know, I just can very easily see him stretching out inside and relishing in the peace and closeness. Plus it’s really funny (and a bit adorable) imagining M/aka getting annoyed with his dumb little remarks. Soul definitely teases her about it. She’s 100% the protective type, and would probably find great comfort keeping her partner close like that, knowing he’s safe and shielded from harm’s way.

Perhaps the two would eventually experiment and try switching roles. (To be honest, S/oul occasionally gets a little jealous of her.) It’s not fair that M/aka should be the only one to do the protecting, after all. And we all know how S/oul adores a nice, squirmy meal ahem He knows it’s not the way you’re supposed to do things, but doesn’t really care. When S/tein gets word of this, he’s a bit annoyed, but not surprised. That’s not how the soul attuning exercise works, the weapon isn’t supposed to… Well, I guess if they’re bonding, it couldn’t hurt. Boys will be boys or something.

I like to think that the two are pretty flexible, willing to fill both roles when the situation arises. They both enjoy doing the protecting though, which makes for a very funny little dynamic. In the end, S/oul is the one that gets eaten most often. While he cherishes the times he can play “pred”, there’s just something about a weapon being so close to their meister’s soul that just… feels right. Plus Maka isn’t as mean to him when he’s inside and it’s kinda cute shh

Speaking of which, at some point the other two meisters catch wind of the whole thing. And surely they wouldn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to become stronger by connecting their souls. K/id is hesitant at first, such a practice just seems barbaric. But he can’t let one of his rivals get away with getting stronger without him! But ugh, why did it have to be the stomach though?? He would 100% go up to L/iz and P/atty and be like “I’ve written down a list of more tolerable internal organs with bilateral symmetry, please choose one and we’ll get started right away.” And they’re just like “Lmao, suck it up.”

P/atty is more than willing, (she thinks it’s funny) but it takes L/iz a LOT more getting used to. Being eaten is terrifying, not to mention saliva in the hair is super gross. But she tolerates it for the good of the group, what a team player :) She complains a lot, but it’s actually not that bad once you get inside?? (She would never say that though EVER.) In the end, it turns out that dealing with K/id’s ramblings and not being able to leave is the real challenge. If he starts one of his freakouts, she’ll just sigh and begrudgingly give him a few pats until he feels better. The two do notice that his neurotic tendencies tend to lessen when they’re inside. The whole thing is a welcome distraction for him. It’s honestly good for him, a way to keep K/id’s mind calm and focused on his body rather than stressing about the world around him. The squirming sensation is extremely off-putting though, and swallowing down two people back to back is a tall order. But K/id can’t deny results, and the whole process does bring the three of them (and their souls) much closer than ever before. It’s strange, but… sometimes he catches himself enjoying it, just a little bit. Ew.

As for the other way around, K/id would NEVER allow himself to be eaten. Ever. Sure, the mouth is very nicely symmetrical. He wouldn’t really mind poking around in there and admiring it for a while. But the stomach?? Absolutely not. It sticks out like a sore thumb in the digestive system, why in the world did it have to be on the LEFT??? And the shape? Not symmetrical at all. It’s gross, slimy, and most of all, ugly. A situation where he gets stuck shrunk and has to get eaten would amuse me very much. Put that guy in a situation, please.

As for B/lackstar… oh boy. When he learns there’s some ancient secret technique to get stronger, he HAS to do it. . He’s surprised at first, but quickly turns excited. This is CRAZY, he feels so BIG!! Look T/subaki, look how huge and awesome I am!!! >:D He’s not very good at swallowing her down, but she’s always very patient and helps him through it. The practice quickly becomes B/lackstar’s favorite training activity. He can sometimes be seen lounging about, shamelessly patting his belly. (Dude, have some class??) But he doesn’t really care. If it makes him the center of attention, why not? T/subaki is understandably embarrassed being flaunted around like that, but she puts up with it. B/lackstar is surprisingly caring and gentle in private, doting over her and always asking if she’s ok. These two are very confident in their roles, and would only switch in case of an emergency. Again, a shrunken B/lackstar is admittedly a very amusing thought though. Not so big now, are ya?? Get humbled, idiot. (Don’t give him any ideas about swimming in giant ramen PLEASE.)

That’s uh. About all I have for now. This got super long, my apologies… I just have a lot of thoughts about these idiots and I care about them very much :,) I’d apologize for being cringe, but I’m not sorry. This is your fault for asking for it.

#op #it’s MY comfort show and I GET to choose the cringy vore AU #vore asks #soft vore #safe vore #SE vore

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emperor-palpaminty · 2 years

Note

Imperial Tech continues to haunt my every thought (both for how the chip would have changed him from a good man into someone with so much anger and coldness, as well as stripped him from his brothers, and for what he would get up to) and ohh.

Right now my brain is glued to the idea of Tech training you to shoot properly by standing behind you, though so close you can feel his entire body against your back as he shifts your stance and helps you hold a rifle. He is merely training you at first but, as he continues to press against you though ;)

Another Anon sent me soft ImpTech headcannons so. Can I. Can I go soft with this. Just like. Please oh my God. Evil genius having a weak moment of soft. Help

TW for guns (shooting practice) and mentions of war

The new recruit started off as a nusiance to him. She would trail after him like a loth-kitten, holding various reports, chatting up storm after storm until hurricanes of words would emit and give him a migrane.

Taking over the galaxy was, apparently, not as important as the updates on the percentage hits-and-misses of the new storm trooper recruits (which was shockingly low, meek compared to the former clone army). Clones- they were slaves to the Republic, the Jedi, and now these men had choices to go places and do things.

“Admiral!”

Her voice broke his thoughts. Tech suppressed a groan and turned, facing her. “Corporal.”

A softness dented his ribs as she held up the datapad, smiling. “Sir, I got my scores back.” A frown made her smile falter- she lowered the datapad. “I... almost failed the shooting portion.”

“A pity.”

“I was hoping...” She ran her fingers along the edge of the case for the datapad. “I wanted to know if you could teach me?”

___

Tech did not know why he said yes. He was irritated, indignant- but he still stood there, watching her sloppy form and stance, and even now that same subtle whispering in his chest rubbed him the wrong way.

She lowered her blaster and glanced back at him, grimacing. “I... I didn’t do well.”

“A bantha can shoot better than that- and they don’t have thumbs.” Tech stepped up aside her, snapping his gun out of his elegant holster. He shot, calmly, eyes level and stance sharp. The air behind him was quiet, the eyes on him admiring his stance, his stiffness. Tech felt a pang as he backed up.

I used to not be so stiff when I shot.

Now it had become a formality, a ritual. He still fought, got caught in combat- but it had been different then. The fraternity, the comraderie.

To be the Republic is to be hostage.

A gentle, soft hand rested on his back, not yet fully calloused from the need of shooting, fighting. “Hey.” Her voice was soft. Sincere. A real sincerity, not the false affection he so often heard from superiors.

We are still hostage. We are not cared for.

“I’ve seen how the Empire treats us. Clones.” He mumbled. “We were once weapons. Useful. Now they cast us aside. Abandon us, homeless, wandering the streets.” He allowed a bitter laugh from a hollow chest, and the corporal stepped in closer, the hand rubbing small circles that his body memorized through the crisp uniform. The moments that followed were silent, and he allowed himself to remember Crosshair, Wrecker. His fallen brothers. Hunter was still fighting with the Empire, but Tech had seen the look in his eyes, the fire of rebellion stirring in him. Echo had escaped with the child.

“We truly are alone.” He whispered, eyes not fixated on anything in particular, and the target was still swinging slowly, like a pendulum, from the impact of the soldier’s perfect shots. Her body pressed to his back, arms closing around him slowly.

Tech didn’t move, even as she whispered, “I’m alone too. But that doesn’t mean we have to be lonely.”

He exhaled and allowed himself to lean back into her for a moment, fighting down the familiar bitterness that was welling up in him for the upteenth time. He dropped the blaster into his holster and allowed himself her reprieve, a soft squeeze before she released him and stepped back.

“I know I’m... an underling, sir. But if you would ever like to talk...” She shrugged. “I know I’m not a clone. I’m not a soldier. I’m just a survivor of a war that I never wanted.” She crossed her arms, and Tech saw a little more of her resolve break. “But if you need to talk about it, I am here to listen. As an underling, of course. Sir.” A grin popped up on her face and she saluted him, the mood lightening a smidge.

Tech nodded. “At ease,” He whispered, hoarsely, as he walked away.

He still felt the gentle hand on his back, rubbing imaginary shapes as he stepped into the lift.

#imperial tech #tech #tech x reader #tech x you #the bad batch #the bad batch tech x reader #the bad batch tech x you #star wars au #tbb au #imperial au #minty writes

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grumpygreenwitch · 6 months

Text

Fanfiction 22-23

The thing is, as much as I have a problem with the vampire situation in the Guild Hunter universe, I can also admit that it fits within the universe, much for the same reasons and points Alyss has made so far. The lil' sunflower's just lucky that he's caught the Cadre at a time when its members are all critically open to the possibility of change and progress. Barring one of them, who really ought to go back to his nap.

Buy me a Ko-fi?

1-2-3 + 4-5 + 6-7-8-9-10 + 11-12 + 13-14 + 15-16 + 17-18-19 + 20-21 + 22-23 + 24-25 + 26-27

Alyss was shown to a computer room under the hyperbolic watch of three angels and two vampires, both of whom felt so old to his senses that the hairs on the back of his neck kept lifting up as if he were their prey. He behaved, for the most part. He printed out the lists for every territory, even if he very much doubted some of them wanted the things. He also printed several copies of another personal project and handed them out to one of the vampires, a dark-skinned, dark-haired, strikingly handsome man. "Would you please make sure to get these to Archangel Suyin?" She'd been kind to him and Alyss could only hope that her kindness would extend to others. "And Archangel Raphael too, I guess," he added. For all his ruthlessness the Archangel of North America had been fair, and he'd listened. "Or um, I guess, get them to someone who can?"

The vampire's brows went up. He stared at Alyss levelly, trying to find humor in the dark brown eyes; he saw none, only the young angel's earnest solemnity. The vampire had come to indulge his curiosity and meet Alyss, nothing else, but he hadn't expected the little goldfinch to really not know who he was taking to. "I'll see what I can do," he assured Alyss evenly.

Alyss nodded. Then he hit the manufacturer's reset for the computer.

"Would you like me to set it on fire as well," the same vampire asked, amused, when the angels around them realized what he'd done and lunged forward to try and stop the process.

"No, it's not mine," Alyss told him wanly. "I'm so tired. Do you know which way to my cell, please?"

The vampire pressed his lips tightly shut. It would have been mean to laugh, and there was no guarantee Alyss wouldn't misunderstand the gesture. "I'll take you there," he assured the angel. "Come on."

Alyss followed the vampire dutifully, and they walked in silence for a long moment.

“Do you really believe that? That the vampiric contract is unfair?” “Yes,” Alyss said, walking slowly and hoping he wouldn’t have to answer too many questions. He was very tired and he had a terrible craving for Jean’s cornbread. “Most of all because there’s no room for error, no room for the fact a vampire is a newborn when they sign it.”

“I’d hardly call myself a newborn,” the vampire countered mildly.

“Then why do you count your age from the day you’re Made?” Alyss replied. “I know bloodlust is a terrible thing. I’m not a fighter, I’m not on the frontlines, but no one could miss the horrors that happened when all those vampires rose up. But it’s hard to see detail in a mob. I have. I’ve seen detail. I’ve been to so many places, so many homes. Do you want to know what teaches a vampire to crest that wave? It’s not fear. It’s support. The ones who learn self-control the best are taught, not terrorized.”

“So, what, love?” The vampire scoffed.

“What? No! This isn’t a Beatles song,” Alyss chided him sternly, and the vampire’s amusement rose to new heights. “Support! A support network. Friends. Family. Companions. Knowing that if they slip up they won’t automatically be killed, that someone will be there to catch them before they fall into the abyss. That someone’s there to teach them how to walk on the edge without falling, to begin with. That there’s someone there saying, ‘if you are in danger of falling, here’s my hand, take it, pull yourself up.” Alyss huffed, rubbing wearily at his face. “We teach our babies. They get a hundred years of leeway if not more. You’d think we’d teach the other babies we make, too. Do you think you could get a message to the security forces here at the Refuge?"

All of the vampire’s amusement had vanished at the stark, unexpected truth that the young angel had put before him with such simple words. For a long moment all he could think of was the many times, the many people for whom he’d been that hand, well knowing that he was all that stood between them and the abyss.

For a second all he could think of was the one moment when he had been offered that hand by his best friend, when he’d needed it the most.

He had to bring himself back to reality with an effort, and gave Alyss a sharp, hard look when the young angel’s final words sank in. "Why?"

"There's an angel running around. He's, he was of Charisemnon's Court. I think he ought to be..." Alyss groped for a word that would fit beyond his own incensed feelings. "Watched. He might be guilty of war crimes but that's not something I'd really know for sure."

"Describe him," the vampire growled.

Alyss described Moissani as best he could, and then added, "Oh, I, uh..."

"Go on?"

"I might have punched him," Alyss finished in a rush. "Last night."

"Last night, when, last night? You weren't supposed to have any visitors."

"He snuck into my cell."

"That's a punching offense?"

"No! It was, it was just what he said."

"Uh-huh, and that was?"

"Wait, how do you know I wasn't supposed to have any visitors? I did too have visitors!" But by then they were at the gates to Elijah’s ward, and the vampire handed him over to the guards there, threw him a jaunty little wave, and stalked away.

Alyss’ heart sank when the Cadre reconvened and he heard a faint, familiar voice coming from the chamber as he drew close. "No, oh, no."

He couldn't rush in, his guards wouldn't let him, so instead he stayed back with a sparse crowd of people, none of whom he recognized aside from Jessamy and the Hummingbird. And, of course, Kliman, who faced the Cadre with calm composure as they spoke.

"Have we not wasted enough time in this matter?" Aegaeon was asking. "How many more people are we going to have chattering on today? The boy is guilty, he admits it freely."

"He is only guilty if we agree that the laws he has broken are true and right as they are written," Elijah countered mildly. "It could be said that in claiming a flaw inherent in the vampiric contract and Making, he is defending himself." His tone became almost casual. "It's a pretty good defense, to be fair."

"It is criminal behavior all the same. Unless we want to inspire vampires to run from their contracts? What need for the Guild, then? Let them run wild, slaughter the human population. What do we care?"

"Security found your friend," a familiar voice rumbled behind Alyss, the guards making no effort to shoo the vampire away. The angel turned briefly to look at him, but his attention was fretfully riveted on Kliman, looking so tiny at the center of the chamber. "He’s being watched. He claims you have something of his."

That did get Alyss' attention, and he felt his entire body go tight. "He can present a bloody contract for authentication, then," he replied sharply. He caught sight of the Hummingbird saying something to Jessamy and a severe-looking angel with wings of dark gold edged in black. "And then he can bite my whole ass."

"The whole point being made is that the Guild is as necessary as the efforts Alyss has put forth," Raphael replied in counter to Aegaeon, his tone tight. "Alyss himself made that point. In analyzing the information he has provided, I am forced to agree with him."

Alyss cringed. "Oh, that's going to get him in trouble with his Consort."

The vampire next to him made a low, amused sound. "Those are his Consort's words he's repeating. Which she growled out at him after he told her of your meeting earlier and gave her all those documents you sent him."

Alyss turned to face him, incredulous. "Who are you?"

"I will not decide on something as serious as an angel's execution without giving due consideration to every part of this matter!" Titus exclaimed. "Already the information he has given me shows this behavior isn't just abhorrent, it's widespread, and it's old. Discipline is one thing. This is... a sickness."

"Then perhaps you should have not looked at the data," the Archangel of Central Europe declared.

"Do you persist on ignoring the matter, Aegaeon?" Caliane demanded.

"There is no matter to ignore. Don't presume to tell me how to deal with my affairs."

"No. But a majority vote does." Her voice pitched to carry, the oldest of the Ancients declared impassively, "I would hear the evidence Kliman offers on behalf of Alyss."

"So would I," Alexander looked deeply thoughtful, and deeply troubled. The other votes came almost simultaneously.

Alyss saw Lilah move forward with a podium and a laptop. Kliman waited for the vampire to finish whatever she was doing and offer a nod, and thanked her before turning to the Council. "You have heard Alyss' words," she began. "And that is more than I ever thought could be achieved when I was doing the work he does. Yes, the knowledge you can't read from his mind you can probably pluck from mine. I'm older, but I'm no Archangel. And I don't think in numbers." She smiled fleetingly. "But I know some of you are beginning to see how deep this rot has spread while the rest of us sat in comfort, hoping that the rest of our brethren were, if not good, at least decent." She glanced at Aegaeon, then at Raphael. "Old age does not oblige any of us to be good. I think we very recently learned that lesson quite well."

"Get on with it," Aegaeon gritted out.

"I want you to hear from those Alyss helped."

"No -!" Alyss tried to surge forward, but the vampire had caught him even before his angelic guards could, his grip implacable and unbreakable. "No, she can't! Kliman!"

The older angel turned to hear her name called. She didn't look surprised to see Alyss struggling to get to her. "All of them agreed," she declared to the assembly, leaving Alyss so surprised he stopped struggling. "Every last one of them. Being caught is not nearly as important to them as making sure what happened to them never happens to anyone else."

"Oh, but -" Alyss fretted with a low, inarticulate sound.

"I'm sure some part of you is occasionally worried about your own continued existence, Alyss, not just everyone else's," the vampire told him, astonished and amused in equal parts.

Alyss strained in his grip. The vampire might as well be made of steel.

"You want to let go of my bird," a low, low growl suddenly came from a man who'd just stepped past one of the guards with absurd, inhuman grace. He wasn't armed, he couldn't be, not so deep in the Refuge, but he radiated menace like a small sun.

Alyss' breath stuttered out of him; the world, so grim and frightening until a moment ago, when it seemed like he had no more agency than a lamb among wolves, burst into colors and life. "Jean!"

The vampire holding onto the young angel turned very slowly to look at the new arrival. "I don't think we've -"

"I know who you are. I don't give a fuck. You can kill me easy, we both know that. But it won't be clean, and it won't be quiet." Jean smiled ferally. "Because I'll make sure of it. Let go of my bird."

"And you are?"

"His Second."

"Then you can keep him from interrupting, can't you?"

Jean held the other vampire's eyes for a long moment before he sighed, something very like his familiar exasperation showing in his lean features. He dropped his head and rubbed at his forehead before looking up and facing the angel. "Alyss."

"She's going to reveal them!" Alyss protested feebly, caught between his joy at seeing Jean and knowing, by that tone, that the vampires were in agreement. "To the Cadre!"

"They know." Jean slipped in front of him. The guards, at a nod from the other vampire, had fallen back. "Bird, come here." He touched lightly Alyss' face and whispered, "I'm sorry. There's not enough words to tell you how sorry I am. I just want you to stay put. Just that and I'll take whatever comes after, alright?"

Alyss twittered in wordless, defeated protest.

"He'll behave," Jean told the other vampire, who let go of Alyss.

As soon as he was free, the angel crashed into his vampire, holding him as tight as he could. Jean, caught unprepared, staggered briefly back before he could wrap his arms around the angel. "My bird. My sunflower."

"Why are you here, why did you come? You were supposed to stay safe in Boston!" Alyss protested, even as he kissed the taller man.

"I've never been safe a day in my life, Alyss. I don't need to be safe, I need you." He pulled away to look at that delicate face, the dark hollows beneath the sweet brown eyes. Every time he caught a glimpse of what had been done to his angel's wings he felt a cold, black fury come up inside him and try to choke him. "I didn't mean a single word I said back at the lodge. I let my nightmares run away with my mouth. I'm sorry."

"No, but you don't understand, Moissani's here. He knows I know of you, he knows. I, he made me angry and I punched him, but even when I thought I wasn't saying anything he still figured things out and I -"

"Wait, you what?" For a moment, the mere mention of that name had made the whole world shrink to nothing, turn into a devouring, laughing void. It lasted about as long as it took for the rest of Alyss' words to sink in, shattering the darkness so thoroughly Jean wasn't sure it'd be able to put itself back together again. "You punched him?"

"Um."

"Ah," the other vampire said conversationally. "You must be the one who inspired that whole ‘bite my whole ass’ thing."

Jean looked between the two of them. "Alyss doesn't swear."

"Um."

"The angel I met sure does. Now shush, we're beginning to get looks."

Beyond mortified, Alyss would have hidden under his wings and attempted to disappear if he could. Unable to do so, instead he buried his face against Jean's chest. The scent of his vampire, so familiar, so dear, finally drowned out the nearly overpowering scent of ancient predator from the other vampire. Jean's arms came around him once again, holding him close.

They listened, the Cadre and the people gathered with them, as vampire after vampire came online, unafraid, determined. As each of them described horrors beyond number. Many of them had prepared themselves for a hard life; they expected nothing less than the most rigid discipline. "You take a dragon into your veins," one of them said, "you expect learning to ride it will be hard and bloody. Seventy five years didn't teach me shit about my dragon." He looked haunted in the tiny screen. "They taught me only that nothing I ever did, that no matter how I obeyed, my only reward would be torture."

"I was never going to be free," the Finnish woman spoke in heavily accented English, her voice terribly devoid of emotion. "Every effort Kolia put forth was meant to break me. If my body was busy healing, he would abuse my mind. If both were unfit, I was cuffed to the floor until one healed enough to serve. There was no end. His harem, they are all like that. It is less trouble and better profits."

"I know hard work. I knew I was in for a fight." The young man spoke angry Spanish, translated by an angel with pale cream wings splotched with tan and gold. "But I thought I had at least a chance. If nothing I can do is good enough, then tell me! Teach me! Don't just starve me and lock me up in a barrel for your buddies to play soccer with!"

And so it went, until suddenly the build-up of archangelic anger and energy caused the computer to spit out sparks and black out with a sad little sound.

"These people could be anyone. Paid to say such things." Zanaya looked furious, but her words were a transparent attempt at seeing two sides of the issue when in truth she’d been leaning already towards one. The words of the Finnish vampire had touched something in her that was whispering and would not be silenced.

"Then allow me to present to you one of those vampires, here, in the flesh."

"Here, take him," Jean said quietly.

Alyss was slipped from one vampire's arms into another's grip before he knew what had happened. "Wait, what?" By the time he realized what was going on, Jean was next to Kliman. "No!"

"Do you want to tell him what he can and can't do with his life?" the other vampire asked quietly as he held onto the struggling angel, his voice full of dark, unspoken intensity. "You can." The words surprised the angel into holding still and actually listening. "I'm almost sure he'd do what you asked. But he might never get another chance to face his demons. Give him this. He needs it."

"But Moissani's here somewhere!" Alyss twisted frantically against that unbreakable grip.

"And if what you've said is true, he's not gonna touch your vampire, Alyss. I promise. Not ever again."

Kliman had stepped back to give Jean the Cadre's full attention. The vampire stood there, staring at the floor, breathing a little ragged. "Well, you've heard all that and you're not impressed. Can't say I'm surprised, but in my world most angels never cared anyway." With a sudden burst of movement he yanked off his jacket and the long-sleeved shirt he wore, and threw them aside. "Last time someone saw me without a shirt on was a year ago, give or take, a pure accident. No one sees me. No one touches me. I can't stand it. It feels like the goddamn scalpel all over again." The grid of scars gleamed whitely in the lights of the chamber. Around his neck there was a plain cord. He grabbed it and twisted to his back the blood-dipped, amber-colored feather, then spread his arms and turned slowly, letting them all see the extent of the scarring.

Alyss went limp in the vampire's grip at the sight of the feather.

"Who did this?" Suyin asked, one of her hands gone to a tight fist. "Who is your Maker, who holds your contract?"

"There was no contract. I was a ditch-digger in the French Territories four hundred years ago. I had three things going for me: I looked good, I knew how to fight, and three separate outbreaks of god-knows-what had failed to kill me. That was enough to perk up the feelers of a little plague doctor living in Africa under Charisemnon's aegis." He paused as the Council's attention sharpened. "God, he made it sound good, you know? I drank something on this side of the pond and woke up in his stronghold, already Made. Clean clothes, clean food, all the learning I never thought I'd have. Training, supposedly to become part of his guard. He made it sound like Christmas had come early and I just hadn't noticed. He could've given me a contract and I wouldn't have been able to read it, let alone sign it."

Jean spat out the poison of his tale, the things he'd never been able to tell anyone, not even Alyss. The centuries spent being carved into a grid, so much so that even vampiric healing couldn't rid him of the scars. Of disease and poison being cultivated on every inch of him, studied, dissected, tested, tempered. Of attempting escape twice, and failing. Of escaping a third time only because he'd had help. "It was easy for him," he explained when Raphael asked. "Just break a coupla necks, say it was me. With the price he offered, Hunters tripped over themselves to bring me back."

By the time he was done talking he was so exhausted his brogue had begun to take over his voice. "Far as I know, I'm the only one in the pipeline," he admitted. "The only one without a contract what's got away. Y'all want to believe your people are... fair." The vampire smiled humorlessly. "No. You want to believe vampires are treated right, hard, but right. Hell, no. Do I think you're goin' to fix this? A year ago, I woulda said no. But I've met a few angels since that honestly seem to give a damn. One, a fluke, two, an exception. Three?" He glanced at Alyss. "Yeah, three sold me on it. But I'll be honest. I'm expecting y'all to prove me wrong."

"I hold Charisemnon's territory now, vampire," Zanaya said quietly. "It is my duty to right his wrongs. So take this with you. I can do nothing for the horrors you faced or the injustice you've survived, but this much I can do: let the Cadre bear witness, four hundred years is enough. If there had been one, consider your contract fulfilled. You are free."

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