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#some soft sketch boys before I retire to my book
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Softe™️
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starshine583 · 4 years
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Crossing a Line (Epilogue)
(A small epilogue because I love happy endings)
Part 1 / Part 20
Marinette hopped up the front steps to the Agreste mansion, a bright grin on her lips. She didn’t bother knocking on the large, wooden doors before pushing them open. That formality had been thrown out the window a while ago. 
“Good afternoon, Mlle. Marinette.” A woman at the front desk greeted her as she walked inside.
“Hello, Mlle. Marie.” Marinette smiled at the brunette. “How are you today?”
Marie returned her smile. “Oh, busy as usual. I’ve informed Felix that you arrived.”
Marinette nodded. “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
Soon after Nathalie and Gabriel’s arrest, they hired a new secretary to help sort through the Agreste business. She was a young woman in her twenties and extremely sweet. Marinette liked to consider her a friend.
“Marinette.”
The call of her name brought Marinette’s attention to the library across the main floor, where Felix was just now exiting. 
“Sorry for the wait.” He apologized as he closed the gap between them. “I was finishing a chapter from my book.”
Marinette chuckled. “So your book is more important than my company?”
“Of course not.” Felix laughed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him. “You’re my top priority.”
Marinette hummed. “Is that so? I’m not sure I believe you.”
Felix snorted and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Marinette, of course, sank into it and wrapped her arms around his neck. No matter how often they kissed now-a-days, it still felt like the first time, skipping her heart and melting her insides.
They broke apart, if only for the sake of Marie, but Felix stayed close enough that she could still feel his breath on her lips as he said, “Do you believe me now?” 
Marinette giggled, touching her forehead to his. She hoped that this warmth flooding her chest never went away. “I don’t know.. You might have to try harder to convince me.”
A soft laugh passed Felix’s lips, but before he could pull her into another kiss, another voice rang across the mansion.
“Hey, Bugaboo! I didn’t know you were coming today.”
Marinette leaned back to give Adrien a smile. “Felix invited me. He says that we haven’t spent enough time together lately.”
“Didn’t he say that when you visited two days ago?” Adrien replied, a knowing grin on his lips.
Marinette nodded. “And the evening after he visited my house the night before that.”
“It’s still true.” Felix defended, lacing his fingers behind Marinette’s back to keep her close to him. “Anytime spent without you is a waste.”
A blush bloomed across Marinette’s cheeks, and she wondered if her smile could get any bigger.
“Is that my future daughter-in-law I hear?”
The boys perked up, immediately whirling around to see Emilie standing at the top of the stairway. She gave them all a warm smile and started her descent to meet them on the main floor.
“Mom!”
“Mother.”
Adrien jumped to help Emilie make her way down the steps, and Felix followed behind him, taking Marinette’s hand to drag her along as well. She would have walked with them anyway, but she wasn’t going to complain about Felix holding her hand.
Emilie waved Adrien away with a laugh. “Oh, don’t fuss over me. The doctor said that I need to work on moving alone anyway.”
“I just don’t want you to fall.” Adrien said, stopping next to her.
Emilie wrapped an arm around him in a side hug. “I know, dear, and I appreciate the sentiment. I still need to practice by myself, though.”
Felix stepped forward as well, and Emilie gave him a chaste kiss on the forehead before turning to Marinette and holding out her hand.
Marinette gladly obliged the silent request and moved forward to receive a side hug of her own. “How are you getting along? Does anything hurt?”
Emilie shook her head. “I’m doing wonderfully thanks to you, sweetheart. I just got the ‘okay’ to walk around without my crutches yesterday too. The doctor thinks I’ll be in perfect condition in about a month or so’s time.”
“That’s good to hear, Mlle. Agreste.” Marinette smiled. “I’m glad you’re doing well.”
They’d gotten quite a scare when Emilie didn’t wake up after Marinette’s attempts to heal her. Marinette had thought that she failed, that she went through all the trouble of getting her miraculous back for a lost cause. 
Thankfully, however, that didn’t turn out to be the case, as Emilie woke up a few minutes later. Her reaction to the magic hadn’t been immediate, but it still worked. That was all Marinette could have hoped for. 
Emilie shot her a playfully stern look. “Now, now, we’ve talked about this. Just because I’m your employer doesn’t mean you have to address me formally. Call me ‘Emilie’.”
Marinette chuckled. “I’m glad you’re doing well, Emilie.”
Emilie nodded, a satisfied smile gracing her lips. “Speaking of which, does my top designer have any new sketches for me?”
Due to Gabriel’s forced retirement, Emilie became the new CEO of the Gabriel brand. She started off by throwing away the strict guidelines that Gabriel had been wrapping around his staff and hired a handful of new people to stretch out the creativity. One of those people included Marinette.
“I’ve been experimenting with a few things.” Marinette admitted. 
“Good, good! Let’s all talk over a cup of tea.” Emilie beamed. She paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned to Marie. “Marie, darling, would you be so kind as to get us some Ruby Oolong tea?”
Marie stood from her desk chair. “Of course, Mademoiselle. Shall I bring it to the living room?” 
“Yes, please.”
The group moved to the living room, while Marie left for the kitchen. Marinette and Felix took the love seat, naturally, and Felix made sure there was little space between them as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Adrien and Emilie sat down on the three-cushion couch, both throwing a teasing smile to the couple.
“You two have no shame, do you?” Adrien joked.
Marinette giggled and leaned into Felix’s shoulder. “Should we?”
“No, not at all.” Emilie replied hastily. “It’s good to see Felix so happy.”
Marie joined them in the living room a few minutes later, holding a tray that had three cups and a small kettle on it. She set it down on the coffee table and began filling the cups with tea. Then, upon their requests, she put a certain amount of sugar or honey into each of the cups. 
“Please enjoy.” Marie said after handing out the drinks.
“Thank you very much.”
With her job finished, the secretary scurried out of the room so she could return to her paperwork, and Emilie continued the conversation.
“She’s such a lovely lady.” Emilie remarked, taking a sip of her tea. “Always willing to help.”
Marinette nodded in agreement. “It’s always a pleasure to talk with her.”
Emilie hummed and reached forward to grab the tv remote. She clicked a round button on the corner of the device, and the tv in front of them flickered on. A woman appeared on the screen, flashing the camera a bright smile as she talked. 
~Yes, two months has passed since big-time fashion icon Gabriel Agreste was taken into custody and charged with terrorism for being the infamous villain known as ‘Hawkmokth’. Unfortunately, his assailant known as ‘Le Paon’ is yet to be found.~
A smile found its way onto Marinette’s lips, and she glanced up at Felix.
“That’s quite a shame.” Emilie commented, holding the same smile. She threw Felix a mischievous look. “Don’t you think?”
Felix smirked. 
“Quite.”
Tag List:   @im-here-for-the-content @novicevoice @mewwitch@minightrose @starlit-winter @multishipper1needshalp@unabashedbookworm @unholykrow @trubel43@kaydenth3gayden @stardustrevoutionx @legendaryneckjudgestudent @aurordraws @crazylittlemunchkin @uwuteamleader @chocolatecustarddanish @iambi-thilla-meena @corabeth11 @asianfrustration13  @chrismarium @agumon1123 @luciferge @yue-caelum @persephonebutkore @constancetruggle @make-the-stars-stay @johnlockfeelz @imfreakingmagical @tinybrie @procrastinatingrightnow @bee-wrecker @dontcallmecedge @shadowhex99 @daminette-is-life @thethirdwheelfriend @myazael @sizzling-fairy-oil @sparkle9510 @chaosace​ @the-navistar-carol​ @sannsibarr​ @grumpy-vixen-kitten​ @hauntedfreakdeputyhero​ @utcaro​ @more-or-less-human-i-guess @mlbutatbspofsalt @dawn-the-rithmatist @artcart0n @mermaidreject @tori-mmm  @fifaanayd  @novicevoice  @dreamykitty25 @mischief-not-managed-posts @amayakans  @arsaem  @athena452 @pink-and-bunny @wannajointhecrabcult @theymakeupfairies @trippingovermyfeet
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cloudywriter · 3 years
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vanilla pudding cups - 4
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A/N: hey! sorry it has been a hot second i just got really busy with school but i’m still writing when i have the time i promise. also i did get more prompt requests and i’m working on them, if you have anymore feel free to send them my way! anyway, enjoy.
vanilla pudding cups masterlist, my masterlist, AO3
~~~
God, he’s stupid hot Feyre deemed one early Monday morning as she sat across from the boy in question, doodling aimlessly in her sketchbook. She was stretched across a poorly cushioned dark blue chair, her back against one armrest and her legs dangling off the other.
They were both lounging in the common area nestled in their hall between a few rooms for long term patients usually suffering from some form of cancer or other terminal disease. The rooms were almost always empty which Feyre knew was a positive thing but it did get lonely. She was so often isolated, only the occasional patient coming and going, not that they were usually in her age group anyway. 
But to have someone here who appears to be around her age with a similar diagnosis to her own and a boy, nonetheless, it was almost fate. Still, whenever Feyre embarked down that train of thought she would always stop herself, she should not be happy in the slightest that another human being is here to suffer as she is. At least while he was here though, she wanted to get to know him, she was deprived of relationships in her life. Her sisters were away at college now and Lucien was starting his freshman year at university as well. Feyre had been left behind, her diagnosis came late sophomore year and she had barely managed to graduate high school with her extensive hospital stays and endless treatments that left her feeling halfway to the grave. With her oncologists wanting her to take up residence in the hospital and her cancer yet to have much of a response to her treatments trying to attend college would’ve been a futile feat. 
Here he was sitting in the same less than comfortable blue chair right across from her yet Feyre couldn’t bring herself to speak up. She kept telling herself she just didn’t want to interrupt his reading but really she wasn’t sure what to even say especially when the first thing she’d said to him was are you dying too. Why she had blurted that out of all things was beyond her. 
Instead, she let silence continue to fill the space between them. Her pencil moved across the page in short, quick strokes the form of the boy in front of her taking shape in the corner of her paper. She outlined his sitting stance, his legs spread, his upper body leaning back into the chair, his elbows on the armrests, one arm raised a finger resting against his temple, and the other holding his book out in front of him. Feyre only messily sketched his silhouette before moving her pencil to another part of the page and zoning in on his face.
She drew his face as it was contorted in concentration, his dark brows slightly furrowed and his lips were set in a straight, serious line. Feyre thought he would look rather intimidating if it weren’t for his eyes, they weren’t hard like the rest of his face, they were still soft just quizzical, accessing and a brazen blue contrasting with his bronze complexion and midnight black locks. 
So she let herself sketch him, the artist in her appreciating the structure of his face and the color in his palette. She carried on with her quick depictions of him around her page at one point drawing only the hand that held his book, he did have nice hands she thought. 
When she was satisfied with her collection of doodles she stuck her pencil behind her ear, an old habit, and opened her mouth to finally speak. Of course, at that exact moment Alis breezed into the common area with a tray of pudding cups, jello cups, and packets of plastic utensils in her hands. 
“Do either of you want a little snack? Jello? Pudding?” Alis offered, holding up the tray. 
Rhysand looked up from his book towards Alis but the idea of a snack was what was on Feyre’s mind right now, not Rhysand anymore.
“Do you have vanilla pudding?” Feyre asked. Alis sighed. “No, someone is always eating them all up,” she informed Feyre, putting emphasis on the someone. “I can give you jello though or chocolate pudding.”
Feyre wrinkled her nose, not a fan of either option especially jello. Alis knew this and turned to Rhysand instead, lifting the tray in question.
But Rhysand turned his attention to Feyre, noting her reaction to the idea of eating jello. “You don’t like jello?” 
“No, horrible texture,” Feyre answered, taking the pencil from behind her ear and putting it back to her page, adding random shading to her sketches. 
“Well, I would love a green jello cup,” Rhysand declared. Alis plucked the jello from her tray and handed it over.
Feyre’s face must have morphed showing her obvious disgust because Rhysand looked back at her with a smile. 
“What?”
“It’s one thing to willingly choose to eat jello but it's a whole other thing to then proceed to pick the worse flavor to eat too,” Feyre pointed out.
“Says the girl who likes vanilla pudding over chocolate,” Rhys scoffed. 
“Do you have something against vanilla pudding?”
“Yeah, it tastes like plastic.”
Feyre shrugged, “maybe a little.”
Rhysand gave her a smile, it wasn’t a big smile but it was enough to get Feyre’s heart to do a double take. “So you admit to enjoying the taste of plastic?”
“As long as it has a hint of vanilla of course,” Feyre clarified. 
“Hm, plastic with a hint of vanilla, noted.”
Alis had shown herself out at some point in their small exchange leaving Rhys with his jello cup. 
“I didn’t get a spoon,” Rhys commented. 
Feyre raised an eyebrow, eyes still on her paper as she continued her shading. “Slurp it up, I won’t judge.”
“Do you promise?” Feyre met Rhysand’s eyes, amusement sparkling in them. 
“I promise,” Feyre held out her pinky. 
Rhys ripped the top off the cup and extended his pinky wrapping it around Feyre’s own, her hands dwarfed compared to his. “Alright,” he said coolly. 
Feyre felt the slightest of blushes rising in her cheeks. Rhysand leaned back in his chair and tipped his head back.
“God, that is too gross.” 
“It’s good though,” Rhysand responded. 
Feyre let loose a little smile and shook her head, focusing her attention back onto her drawings. 
“Are you sure you don’t want any?” Rhys asked, extending the jello cup forward and jiggling it the green gelatin wiggling in turn. 
“I’m sure but thank you for the kind offer,” Feyre reiterated, her voice filled with sarcasm. 
At some point Feyre had retired to her room giving up on the prospect of having a real conversation with Rhysand for the day. It was only later that night there was a soft knock on her door, Feyre slid off her bed and opened the door a crack. The hall was empty. 
She was about to close her door again convinced her mind was playing tricks on her but she noticed the red top of a pudding cup down by her feet. Just outside her door a vanilla pudding cup had been left. 
She smiled and reached down, taking the cup from the floor. Alis must’ve left it she determined. 
~~~
taglist: @booksofthemoon @awkward-avocado-s @courtofjurdan @ahappyhistorianreader @stardelia
~~~
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fenweak · 4 years
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As requested! This rec list features Kazer Kid Fics -- Jonny and Patrick both with kids and babies AND as kids and babies, with a small dash of de-aging and a spoonful of mpreg. 
⭐ for my personal faves
My Other Rec Lists 🍭 Rec me a fic? 🍭
The Ones Where They Have Kids
No Capes by sorrylatenew ⭐ - j/p as parents; implied mpreg
Husbands. Dads. Retired superheroes.
The Reeducation of Misters Kane and Toews + timestamp by jezziejay - single dad Patrick, teacher Jonny  ⭐
In which Kaner sort of has a kid, and Mr. Toews doesn't know which of them is the bigger brat.
AU featuring teacher!Jon and hockey-player!Kaner. With bonus 'Hawks characters, love notes, pasta jewelry, Be Better Pizzas, pirouettes, a sprinke of angst and guest appearance by Derek Jeter.
trust your intuition (it's just like goin' fishin') by poeelektra - 1988 as parents
They’re on the periphery of the Home Wares section of Target, heading with purposeful stride toward Sporting Goods, when Gabe declares that he wants a doll for his “Been Good” toy.
Every Little Thing He Does (is magic) by jezziejay - single dad Patrick
Jonny Toews is a bewitching man who moves into a mysterious mansion in a small town. Soon, he opens Bell, Book & Candle, a curiosity shop full of candles, lotions, etc., and is enthralling the children of local police chief (Patrick Kane), who believe he is a witch (but not a bad one.) But not everyone in town is appreciative of their quirky new neighbor, and it may take a little bit of magic for him to truly become part of the community.
Under Cover by heartstrings - 1988 as parents
"Just get in the fucking blanket fort, Kaner."
Feels Like Family To Me + prequels by exmanhater - 1988 as parents
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane plan, create, and obtain their family.
living next door to alice series by cinderlily - 1988 as parents
"It started with a phone call."Patrick and Jonny are suddenly given the opportunity to be parents. This is how they stumble through it.
some say love is a burning thing podfic by exmanhater - 1988 as parents
If anyone had told Johnny upon entering the NHL that thirteen years later he'd not only have a kid with Patrick Kane, but would be getting ready to go on a 'date night,’ he'd have said they must be smoking some pretty good shit.And then he'd have to wait a decade to eat his words.
In the Middle of the Night - 1988 as parents
Gone are the days when it took a cold, wet washcloth on his face to wake him up. Or: Five times Pat and Jonny's daughter wakes them up, plus one time they wake her up.
so show me family - single dad Patrick
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard
Fill It Up With Love by Frosting50 - single dad Pat; implied mpreg
So Pat’s senior year doesn’t turn out exactly like he’d planned. He still gets his degree in accounting, but he also gets a little girl named Emma. She’s all fat pink cheeks, curly brown hair, and blue eyes. She might have Ryan’s chin, but she’s all Pat’s. And the first time she falls asleep on his chest, chubby hand curled around his thumb, skin so soft and sweet he damn-near feels bowled over with how much he loves her. He didn’t know he could love anyone so much; it makes his heart feel too big for his chest, and he knows that he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to give her the world.
peas & carrots by altri_uccelli - 1988 as parents
Unapologetic Halloween fluff, or: Jonny forgets what day it is, but Kaner's on it.
Can You Lyft Me Up? by Mullsandmutts - single dad Patrick
Even high profile athletes like Chicago Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews are forced to utilize paid transportation from time to time. An accidental "share my ride" selection on an app results in a life-altering ride with an mouthy Russian driver (Artemi), an unfairly attractive single father (Patrick Kane) and his adorable sassy (and color-matching-challenged) preschool daughter (introducing Molly Donna Patricia Amelia Kane aka Mo). Jonathan refuses to feel too sketch when he negotiates a plan with the driver to "accidentally" have more shared rides with his new friends. When Mo has a traumatic incident at day camp, Patrick's heart is broken and Jonny enlists the help of Temi and the ever-meddling Patrick Sharp to get smiles back on both Kane faces. Jonathan finds himself more and more drawn to Patrick but Patrick's fears of being a good enough parent for Mo and meeting all of her needs could keep them apart. Will Temi, the Sharp family and a trio of nosy aunts in Buffalo be enough to help Jonathan and Patrick realize what they could have together or will Patrick's stubbornness and Jonathan's fear of ruining their friendship keep them apart? Stay tuned to find out ....
Three by Linsky - i won’t spoil it 
Patrick doesn’t think he’s a pervert. But how would he know? Maybe a pervert is just a thing you are, and it doesn’t feel any different from being a normal person, until you do something perverted. Maybe that’s him.After all, he does have two names on his wrist.
All Your Memories by toewsandconfused - 1988 as parents; amnesiafic
Pat went to sleep a bachelor in the Trump Towers and woke up next to Jonny in the suburbs with three kids calling him Daddy. Struggling to figure out his new reality Patrick had ruled out dream, was banking on delusion because even though it meant he was losing his mind, it seemed safer than some kind of late-onset amnesia. He didn’t want to face that idea that this really was his life; that Jonny was his, that those beautiful kids were his, and he couldn’t remember any of it. The idea that the memories of their life together could be lost forever was too terrifying to deal with. Losing his mind was preferable to losing his memories.
Chelsea, Chelsea I Believe by empathapathique - single dad Pat ⭐
Patrick meets a girl his rookie year.
Don't Let Go by aohatsu - 1988 as adoptive parents
“So you were already with the boy you saved when the fire started?”Patrick pauses, but shakes his head. “No, there was an explosion—I don’t really know what it was, but then it was just me and Tigre, and it’s like, in a situation like that, you don’t really think? You just do. So I grabbed the kid and went through the fire escape. It’s not like I decided I wanted to save anybody, it was just the only option.”
Always Be My Baby by juliusschmidt - single dad Patrick
The thing is, you don’t just grow up once.
as careless as you are certain - single dad Patrick 
March through August, 2015.
the one with the baby yentas series by forochel
Tazer has a son and Kaner is his son's kindergarten teacher.
It's the Magic of Risking Everything by conformityissuicide - single dad Jonny
When Jonny is thirteen he meets a small kid from Buffalo at a hockey tournament.
Then he has a gay crisis, a baby girl, and gets drafted 3rd overall by an Original Six franchise.
When he meets Patrick Kane again at prospect camp he doesn’t feel anything but excitement.
And then it all goes to hell.
"of gifts and fireflies" by huntersandangels - single dad Jon
Patrick Kane hasn’t lived a charmed life despite money flowing through his veins. The journey he is currently on, though paved with good intentions, proves to be a harder challenge than he could ever be ready for. The people he meets along the way give him a much more valued gift than his grandfather could ever dream of giving him. 
I'm gonna love you til my lungs give out by arenadomatthews - 1988 as parents
“Papa, Dad, you guys are retiring today?” Bryan asks, looking up at his parents.“Yeah buddy, we are. Are you gonna behave while Dad and I are doing our press conference?” Patrick asks.
“Duh, Dad. I'm not a baby anymore,” he scoffs.
“He's right, Pat. He's our big boy now,” Jonny adds.
“Yeah, I'm going into 4th grade,” Bryan boasts pridefully.Patrick and Jonathan are finally announcing their retirement after 20 NHL seasons. However, their retirement ceremony will come with a twist: they'll be publicly coming out and revealing their family
Your Daddy's Aim Is True by thefourthvine; podfic by isweedan - cup wish baby! ⭐
patch it up by gasmsinc - 1988 as parents
Jonny stares at his daughter for a long moment. She stares back, eyes unwavering. She has Kaner’s baby blues, but at five she’s already mastered Jonny’s dead on the inside stare. Her kindergarten teacher claims she uses the unwavering look to bully other students into doing what she wants, and it’s something they should work on at home, but Jonny’s baby is a natural born leader, and he’s not going to get in her way of becoming the president, or, better yet, the supreme ruler of the universe.
Your patch,” says Jonny.
Baby, It's Hot Outside by toewsyourheart - single dad Pat 
 Jonny goes for a popsicle and gets a little bit more than he bargained for.
Take All That's Left - divorced single dad Pat
It’s been 6 years now, and he’s grown to enjoy the city since signing with the Rangers to follow Anna, who’d found a job in Brooklyn.
But Chicago; Chicago was Patrick’s first love, all his important firsts – it’s all been hers, and having to leave had been heartbreaking. Too many memories from Chicago were heartbreaking, and yet he always yearned for the city, always felt more comfortable walking her streets than any other place in the world. No other place quite felt like home the way Chicago did.
Isn’t She Lovely by windsthatwhisper + podfic by kanetcews (lavenderharry) - wish baby!
It's nine in the morning when Pat and Jonny stumble down the stairs, sluggish with sleep.
There’s a baby carrier on the kitchen island.
Jonny blinks, blinks again, then turns to get a cup of coffee.
Recreation, Entertainment, Art, or Sport by trademarkgiggle
of course jonathan toews can juggle
so show me family series by peeks, tazer - teacher Pat
“Just admit you like him.”
“Shut up, Sharpy,” Patrick says, before he rolls his eyes and tries to ignore the smirk widening on Sharpy’s lips. “Don’t you have your kids’ parents to bother?”
“No, my last kid left a couple minutes ago, so I’m totally here to watch you and Jonathan Toews make heart eyes at each other,” Sharpy laughs, waltzing into Patrick’s classroom. He immediately makes his way to see Sadie, who greets her dad with a hug.
(In which Patrick Kane is terrible at feelings but luckily, Patrick Sharp is a total bro.)
The Ones Where They’re With Kids
In My Blood and In My Bones + Nothing Sweet or Gentle by fourfreedoms ⭐
Patrick’s not really into dudes—he’s done that whole thing a couple of times—that’s rock-n-roll after all, but god, when Jonathan smiles, he looks really good.Johnny is a nanny. Patrick's a musician. They fall in love. Inspired by the movie What Maisie Knew.
the kids are alright
Patrick works at the sporting goods store Jonny takes his peewee team to for equipment.
given to us as free-flying souls by Mayhem10
Jonathan had never really considered himself particularly good with kids. He didn’t avoid them or anything and it’s not like they burst into tears when they saw his face, but he never was exactly sure what to do with them, these little people running around at waist height. It just wasn’t his area.So, of course, Patrick was basically the child whisperer.
(or five times Jonathan saw Patrick with kids and one time Patrick saw him)
Hide Your Face So The World Will Never Find You (Paper Faces On Parade) by huntersandangels
Jonathan Toews, farm owner and guardian of his nephew, is in desperate need of capable farm hands. Patrick Kane certainly does not fit the description but when a mutual friend confides in him that Patrick has lost everything he owned and is in serious need himself and offers Jonathan money to hire him, how can he say no?
Patrick Kane loves statistics and spending his money on thoroughly planned ‘adventures’ for his friends when he’s not partying away the rest of his fortune. If he wins the bet he can continue to plot freely but if he loses his extra curriculum activities have to stop. He agrees to go on an ‘adventure’ himself and settles in the Toews Farm posing as a farm hand. But as the time goes by, the less pretend it feels-and the more he enjoys Jonathan and Etienne’s company and the quite life in the farm; to the point where he’s not sure whether he wants to win the bet or lose...
Baby, You're the One by jezziejay ⭐
6k words of Jonathan Toews having feelings about babies. And feelings about Kaner. And feelings about putting a baby in Kaner.
The Ones Where They Are Kids
The Cat and the Fiddle series by james - childhood soulmates!
When Donna's son is four, he creates an imaginary friend.
i want to know what you know by sointimate - childhood sweethearts
Patrick is six years old and he's about to do the scariest thing he's ever done in his whole life.
Colorblind by july_v ⭐
Jon is five when he meets Patrick. It's also the time he begins to understand colors as more than an abstract concept.
How to become a man  series+ coda by liketheroad, mockturtletale
In which Kaner gets spontaneously de-aged into a six-year-old, and he and Tazer both have a lot of growing up to do.
Romper Room by james - de-aged 1988
Sharpie doesn't really think this should be part of his duty as alternate captain. Luckily, none of this is his fault. A.K.A., the one where Kaner and Johnny are five.
you ruined everything in the best way by thisissirius + podfic by exmanhater .⭐ - de-aged Saader
Kaner's looking down at the kid, though, frowning. He crouches down. "Hey, kid, where are your parents?
"The kid's bottom lip juts out and starts wobbling. Fuck, that means he's going to start crying, right?
"Oh shi—oot, kid, don't cry," Kaner says. "I mean, if you don't know where they are, we can find 'em?"
"Kaner," Sharpy presses. "That's Saad."
don't worry about your body - de-aged Jonny
No one said anything. Everyone stared at each other then down at the tiny human being that was standing where Jonny had been. Kaner felt his mouth go entirely dry, and his stomach drop out from underneath him.
What the fuck, man.
Can You Picture It? by RemyJane
In which Kaner turns into a baby and everyone besides Jonny seems to understand. Includes excessive cuddling, ridiculously adorable baby-Kaner, and feelings. Jonny eventually figures everything out.
Never Getting That Shirt Back by ice_hot_13 - de-aged Pat
Patrick is de-aged into a toddler, and when he's with Jonny, he isn't a holy terror.
Je T'aime by banks99 (Nodiggity15) - de-aged Jonny
“He won’t take a bath. He’s arguing with me. It’s like he didn’t even change at all.” Kaner’s not pouting, fuck you very much.
MPREG
I Got a Love (That Keeps Me Waiting) by svmadelyn ⭐ -mpreg!pat
There's a lot of different ways this summary could go, like:Patrick Kane gets more than a gold medal in Sochi.
Or, the classic: It's too late to pull out now.Or: Patrick Kane continues to thrive in high pressure situations.Or: Patrick Kane gets knocked up, goes to White Castle, and finds love, not necessarily in that order.
But, ultimately, all that really matters is this: Patrick Kane is keeping his baby.
private passions and secret storms (all the secrets series) by CoffeeKristin, Frosting50  - mpreg!pat
Jonny’s life is good - great even. He loves Patrick and their kids, and even if they don’t always have time for each other, he wouldn’t trade it for anything. But when Jeff Carter comes into his life, Jonny’s world gets turned upside down. It’s going to take everything he’s got to convince Patrick to give him a second - maybe even a third - chance.
Patrick’s blindsided by Jonny’s betrayal and putting his family back together is a lot harder than he expected when their past comes back to haunt them.Can love conquer all?
Forever & Always, My Baby You'll Be by windsthatwhisper - mpreg!jonny
Jonny and Pat's life is a cycle of curse words, late night feedings, and five minute handjobs in the hallway closet.
Aka, I wanted some 1988 w/ a baby feels so I wrote this blurb of a thing in about seven minutes.
efficacy by thirteentorafters - mpreg!patrick
“You,” Patrick says, jabbing a finger angrily at Jonny. “Are gonna fucking help me, dickface.”
Opening his mouth to ask what the hell is going on; Jonny’s eyes drop to Patrick’s stomach. Jonny is acquainted with Patrick’s naked body and the last time they met, Patrick wasn’t fat. Or paunchy. Except that doesn’t look like usual fat. “Oh fuck.”
“Yeah, ‘oh fuck’,” Patrick says, imitating Jonny’s tone. “You knocked me up, asshole. What are you gonna do about it?”
Forever & Always, My Baby You'll Be by windsthatwhisper - mpreg!jonny
Jonny and Pat's life is a cycle of curse words, late night feedings, and five minute handjobs in the hallway closet.
Looked So Fine (I Just Had To Speak) by svmadelyn - !!!! ⭐
Patrick Kane’s talking penis maintains a ‘to do’ list. It is as follows:1. Jonathan Toews
Phone Tag by hawkeytime (jayyloo) - mpreg!Jonny
"Hi mom. Sorry I couldn’t catch you, so I guess I’ll just, uh.. leave a message. See, the thing is… my super-potent sperm may or may not have managed to knock Jonny up. Okay bye."
"Yes, hello, is this Hockey Canada? I just want it written on the record, today, June 31, 2015, that my incredibly improbable unborn child with Jonathan Toews will be playing for America. Yes, I’ll hold.
"Or: Pat accidentally knocks Jonny up. A saga told in a series of voicemails
A Royal Baby - mpreg!Pat
A cough from the doorway cuts Seabs off mid sentence. Duncs is standing watching them, a particularly somber expression on his face. "Jonny, I'm sorry to interrupt but you have a visitor that you'll want to go see right away.""Now really isn't a good time," Jonny tells him, not even putting down his fork."Trust me Your Highness," Duncs says, "This will be worth it."
[Patrick and Jonathan think their time brief time together at the Olympics is all they can ever have. Patrick's ensuing pregnancy proves otherwise.]
sun sweet berries of the earth series by gasmsinc - mpreg!Pat; a/b/o
There is a spirit living in Patrick State Park.“Listen,” says Jonny. “I didn’t mean to step on your crown.”The spirit’s bottom lip wobbles.
Tame the Roads That Can't Be Tamed by Linsky - mpreg!Pat; a/b/o
Patrick’s flown a million times. He’s never gotten airsick before. Even on last year’s epic flight to Denver, when they hit massive turbulence and half the team was groaning over barf bags, Patrick’s stomach was fine. And maybe he’s sick, sure—but why doesn’t he feel sick the rest of the time? Why is it only mornings and—
Oh.
Oh, no.
Oh fucking no.
(Or: In which it is difficult to be a wolf in the NHL, especially when you're not that good at condoms.)
Carve His Name With Pride ⭐  - mpreg!Jonny
Jonny leaves behind a home, a house, and a hockey career the month after he learns that he’s pregnant.
Eyass - mpreg!Jonny
"I dunno," Kaner tells him. "Whatever you need, man. You’re having a baby! That’s a lot of work. I want to be here for you."
Somehow, in the dozens of conversations he’s had with teammates and friends and family in the past few days, no one has said those exact words to Jonny: “you’re having a baby”. He has to comb his fingers through his hair and take a deep, steadying breath to compose himself.
Kaner notices and smiles at him; a crooked, beautiful thing. “It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
Heartburn and Survival by dedougal  - mpreg!Jonny
They were in Canada when Jonny found out he was pregnant. Afterwards, Jonny used that as a point in his bulleted list of arguments about why Jack should represent Canada but, to be entirely truthful, finding out in Canada - finding out anywhere - was pretty disastrous.
Three Cups and a Pup by Miss_Psychotic, nommedeplume  - mpreg!Patrick
The Story of Alpha Jonny and Omega Kaner getting their shit together and learning how to be Adulting Adults (Finally)
Chips and Cribs by whatislife - mpreg!Jonny
“What do you mean there are no chips,” Jonny asks from where he is standing by the island, hand resting on his stomach. “Weren’t they on the list? Did you not buy them?”(Patrick just wants to sleep.)
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Saturday Mornings With a Cup of Tea
Nestled in the chalk hills of the South Downs, not too far from Bepton, there is a cottage. It’s not a very large cottage (were you to enter the library, however, you’d be surprised to see the ceiling higher than possible, the rows upon rows of shelves extending far past where the outer wall should be). It is, however, an old cottage, that once upon a time had been full of life and of love, but as the sheep-and-corn farming disappeared in favour of effective, large-scale meat production, so too did the small hold farmers.
Yes, the cottage had settled, left behind and empty, slumbering, dreaming of ages past filled with laughter and joy. It looked like maybe it wouldn’t be a love-filled home again, left alone to decay until nothing remained but maybe memories.
Many a cottage went that way, yes, but not this cottage.
The saviour of this cottage came not upon a noble steed, but rather in a shining vintage car. The car is currently as loved as the cottage had been (and will be, once again), but it nevertheless screech a bit as the driver slams on the breaks, throws it in reverse and parks outside the low garden wall. He gets out of the car, doesn’t bother closing the door, choosing instead to walk straight over to where a derelict gate hangs on a solitary hinge.
Once upon a time, the cottage had been called Eden, in hopes of a bountiful harvest from the vegetable plot and sweet fruit from the orchard. Now, the faded sign serves as an omen - serves its purpose as the siren’s call, promising new beginnings all over again. 
Still looking at the cottage, seemingly without seeing it, still tracing the faded lettering on the sign, he fishes a phone from - somewhere, the trousers seemingly far too tight for even the ultraslim smartphones of the time. He places a call, tone short and sentences succinct, and - all of a sudden, a seemingly forgotten cottage, nestled in the chalk hills of the South Downs, has a chance.
Over the coming week - exactly seven days, because the new owner is nothing if not a stickler for symmetry - the cottage lives again. The roof is rethatched, the garden brought back from an overgrown jungle (and the critters living therein), the kitchen is painted a soft and mellow colour perfectly matching the sunflowers outside the window, and lastly the door is painted a cheery green. The one room where nothing more than dusting happens is the second bedroom on the top floor, where the new owner merely pats the walls and looks around. 
The seventh day dawns, and in Soho the owner of a bookshop (“A.Z. Fell’s Rare and Antique Books: Sometime’s we’re open!”) is ushered into a vintage Bentley (one owner since new, the very demon currently behind the wheel). 
“Really, my dear, why won’t you just tell me where we’re going?”
“It’s a surprise, angel, don’t you know what the word means?”
“I don’t like surprises, you know that, dear boy.”
“Unless it’s food or a new book, yes, but I think - I think you will love this, angel.”
There is a small hill, overlooking the cottage called Eden, over which the road meanders and gives a perfect spot to look out over the chalk hills. This is where the Bentley slows and rolls to a stop, giving the two in the car an amazing view of the South Downs - and of a cottage called Eden.
After a moment, it continues its slow, winding way, the driver (slightly) smugly enjoying the awestruck silence from the passenger seat. 
When the car slows again, coming to a stop in front of the cottage, the demon behind the wheel leaves the car - which shuts off without his hands ever coming close to the ignition - to open the passenger door. He helps the other out, sweeping an arm out, gesturing to the cottage, the newly repainted sign proclaiming it Eden, and the surrounding garden.
“Welcome, angel, to Eden.”
The angel is speechless, hand held to his mouth and tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. The demon, familiar with his expressions after six thousand years in each other’s company, knows the tears to be born of joy, knows the love growing in the heart of an angel - and he takes pride in it. He is, after all, a demon, and Pride has been called a mortal sin.
“Oh, Crowley, love - it’s… beautiful.”
The look on the angel’s face could only be described as rapturous. 
“It’s ours, angel - if you want.”
“Nothing could please me more.”
The demon leads the way, like so many times before; the angel follows, and unlike earlier there is no attempt to say everything goes a bit too fast. The cottage isn’t a home, not quite yet - the demon who bought it wanted his angel to be involved in the making of their home, and he will be.
Books, just like their keeper, will relocate from Soho, just like plants and their keeper came from Mayfair; the wine they’re not certain who brings, but as before they will both be drinking it - now one won’t have to leave at the end of the night, ever fearful of retribution. Now, they’ll retire together, to a bed made with tartan silk sheets - the only compromise they could both accept.
There’ll be a garden, not as magnificent but just as loved as its namesake (and rather more terrified), a library rivalling Alexandria’s in both size and contents (this one will not meet the same fate), and there’ll be both a duck pond and a chicken coop - both miraculously surviving every fox in the South Downs. The demon will call the chickens his little ladies and the angel will feed their ducks in their pond with frozen peas - sometimes the demon forgets himself, and the duck will bob down as it swallows the pea, but only for the shortest of moments. The ducks themselves find it quite amusing, when it happens.
There’ll be artwork - a very beautiful sketch of the Mona Lisa, where the smile isn’t quite like the painting (it’s better, if you ask the artist, he could never quite get the smile right later on), a statue of an eagle (wooden, and it looks to have been saved from a quite serious fire), and a statue, slightly hidden, that if studied seems rather more lewd than anyone would expect from a statue depicting an angel.
Some days - the warm, sunny days, when the stones are sun warm and the air just a bit too thick to be entirely comfortable breathing - there’s a snake in the garden. It’s a big snake, coal black with a red underbelly, and he will unselfconsciously sun himself until a voice calls or an angel pokes him, reminds him that while he’s lovely in all shapes, human hands are still necessary for holding the wine glass. 
Sometimes there are visitors; a boy dropped off in a big, black SUV, or four children who seems to appear just behind the bend, ambling their way over to the cottage called Eden. There’s an older couple, too, she bright and bubbly and he the very opposite. Sometimes, an old, blue, three-wheeled car (with the novelty plate ‘Dick Turpin’) will come to a stop next to the even older Bentley, releasing a younger couple - don’t ask him for help with technology, and unless you really want to know, don’t ask her for the future. 
No matter who the visitor, there’ll be peals of laughter and a pervading sense of love pouring out of the cottage. The cottage exudes a love so all-encompassing that all who goes past it instantly has a run of good luck. 
Some days they’ll make their way into Bepton, Bach’s Another One Bites the Dust playing as they take to the winding roads, parking underneath a ‘No parking’-sign that abruptly forgets its purpose. They’ll browse through the tiny shops, have lunch at the inn, and go home, secure in the knowledge that next week they’ll do it all over again.
They’re just as secure in the knowledge that when they snuggle down on the couch in front of a fire, it won’t be their last time, no glass of wine will be their last, because now, after six thousand years on nominally opposite sides, they’re finally free of expectations and free to love one another.
They know, too, that when they wake the next morning, the angel often the first to rise, there’ll be breakfast, tea and homemade bread. There’ll be the soft morning light coming through the window, the yellow kitchen turning luminous in the sun. While they wait for the tea to steep, the demon will pull the angel into a slow dance, more swaying in place than anything with actual steps. They’ll sway to the tune of their heartbeats, two hearts that have been beating in sync for longer than any human have been alive.
Nestled in the chalk hills of the South Downs, not too far from Bepton, there is a cottage. It’s not a very large cottage (were you to enter the library, however, you’d be surprised to see the ceiling higher than possible, the rows upon rows of shelves extending far past where the outer wall should be). It is, however, an old cottage, and it is once again full of life and of love. In the cottage lives two men, so very obviously in love that everyone who sees them simply must smile at the joy their presence brings.
It is called Eden, and this time no one’s getting cast out.
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keishiko · 5 years
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What Gives It Value (Chapter Four)
A lot can happen in five years, and after.
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[Chapter 4/?  |  Rated for language, adult themes  |  Angst  |  Natasha x Steve  |  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3]
[Set during the five-year jump in “Endgame”.  My latest, lame attempt at a fix-it fic]
Extraction in 10 outside yours. Wear the Cap-links :)
Steve stared bemused down at his phone as he absent-mindedly toweled his shower-wet hair. He hadn’t heard from her in a while, not since Morgan’s birthday some months back when she’d suddenly picked him up in the quinjet and neither of them had mentioned how they preferred not to go to the party alone. He had just turned to put the beer back in the refrigerator, still wondering if he should remind her he had retired, when he heard his phone chirp another alert.
Feel free to bring your laundry :p
Headlights glinted off the enameled stars-and-stripes on his sleeves as the sleek silver sedan pulled up to the curb on the dot. The window powered down as he approached, a battered duffel bag of laundry hoisted over his shoulder and contrasting oddly with his crisp black suit.
“Hey, stranger.”
The familiar throaty purr sparked something hot inside his chest. He peered in the open window at gleaming green eyes. “My machine broke down not two hours ago, Nat.”
“I’ve missed you too, Cap,” she drawled. “I’m glad to see you followed orders.”
He grinned at her. She’d given him the cuff links several years ago for Christmas, each designed to look like a miniature shield (official Captain America™ merchandise of course, 100% made in the USA; employee discount, free gift wrapping). This was the first time he’d worn them.
“You know, I had a whole glamorous night in all planned for myself.” He tossed the duffel bag in the back seat and climbed in the front. The car pulled into the street as he fastened his seatbelt. “Couple of beers, pizza delivery, six-hour documentary marathon...”
“Vikings or animals?”
“Anim... I meant Vikings, of course the Vikings—”
“Of course the Vikings.” Street lights glimmered off the sequins on her dress as they turned a corner. “You’ve only done the animals marathon three and a half times already.”
He’d fallen asleep the last time. She looked especially gorgeous tonight, even if she was smirking at his expense. He tore his gaze away from her to look out the window at storefronts streaking past. “Last time I checked, I was retired.” They were heading Midtown.
“I know. I’m sorry.” Sincere underneath the humor, she gave him a sidelong glance. “I’ve got two tickets, but I can drop you off at the laundromat instead if you prefer.”
No doubt she already knew which laundromat was his favorite, even though it wasn’t the nearest one to his apartment. “It’s okay. I suited up, didn’t I?”
The corners of her eyes crinkled in her smile. God, he’d missed her.
They joined a queue of vehicles that snaked glitteringly from the street up into a driveway. “This is ‘Swan Lake’,” Natasha pointed out, although Steve hadn’t missed the huge colorful banners down the front of the building announcing exactly that. “Boy meets girl, girl turns out cursed to be a swan unless she finds true love, boy cheats on her without really meaning to, girl dies. That’s the version with the sad ending, anyway.” Briefing over, her smile turned teasing. “If you don’t fall asleep, I’ll treat you to dinner afterward.”
He’d never attended the ballet before. It had never held any particular fascination for him, but as the curtain finally came down on the third round of crashing applause at the end he found himself wondering how he’d missed it. Already his fingers itched to sketch the long, lean lines of muscle and bone, the elegant lift of a chin, the graceful flutter of a slender hand. Beside him Natasha dabbed at her eyes.
“It was one of my first missions at SHIELD,” she said abruptly, digging into her Chinese takeout at headquarters. She had changed into a ratty sweatshirt, her hair out of its coif and curling around her shoulders, red at the roots. His jacket and tie hung over a chair. Elsewhere in the building, the first load of his laundry tumbled merrily in the machine. “Human trafficking, Eastern Europe. Major revenue stream for terrorists, as you know. Kids mixed in with the adults.” Steve glanced at her, but her face was carefully neutral. “Fury found them places, I’m not even sure where. Not all of them had families. Not all of them had families who would take them back.” There was a faraway look in her eyes as she pursed her lips around her chopsticks. “Oksana made principal dancer a few years ago, but this was her debut as Odette-Odile.” She quirked one corner of her mouth at him. “I didn’t want to miss it.”
He smiled back. “She was amazing. Thanks for bringing me along.”
She shrugged, but looked pleased with herself. “I thought she had talent.”
As she fished around in her takeout box for the last morsels of cashew chicken he strode slowly across the room, his hands in his pockets. Outside the main office the empty complex was shrouded in shadow and, in some places, a thin layer of dust; but inside she had cleared a space for them amidst the books and files, and the lamps threw cozy circles of warm light. Here and there pilot lights glowed green: no urgent notifications. Little had changed in the few years since he’d last been here, watching over the world with her. After Thanos, he remembered, he’d done so with an increasing sense of futility.
In the corner there was still the corkboard he’d put up amidst the screens and monitors, because there was something to be said for actually looking at and holding things that weren’t just electronic pinpoints of light and he refused to be told otherwise. Tony and Clint had noticed right away, of course, and Steve had had to withstand a good thirty minutes of ribbing about his stubborn fondness for index cards. (“So... so analog,” and Tony had shuddered, like it was a fate worse than death.) The photograph he’d tacked up ages ago—“the graduating class of 2015,” Bruce had quipped—wasn’t there anymore; instead he found it framed and hung, with pride of place, on a nearby wall. Natasha’s work, no doubt. The pinhole from his thumbtack was barely visible under the glass.
With an almost physical effort he forced himself to look at the photograph. He didn’t have any photographs at his apartment. It had been the twins’ birthday, and everyone had gathered for a party. Wanda stood smiling up at the camera between Clint and Vision, whose ghastly approximation of “cheese” still made Steve chuckle out loud, even if the sound came out a little strangled tonight. Natasha winked elaborately from behind the bar, both hands full as she mixed cocktails for Maria, Nick, and Pepper. Thor and Tony wore similar broad grins and smears of frosting across their faces, because the cake-smashing would begin in earnest as soon as the picture was taken. Steve himself was off to the side, his smile strained with disgust at the waste of perfectly good cake, and Sam had slung an arm each around him and Bruce while flashing his usual sunny smile. The photo was slightly skewed; Sam had still been trying to get the hang of controlling Redwing.
“I can give you a copy of that if you want,” she said from her seat at the table.
He smiled. Maybe later.
“You’ve really found your place, Nat.” He hefted his bag of clean laundry as they pulled up to the curb outside his apartment building. Inside the car it was heady with the smell of fabric softener. “I’m happy for you.”
“I do what I can.” Her smile softened as she turned to him. “You know you’re always welcome to come back, right?”
He chuckled. “You seem to be doing just fine without me.”
“Steve.”
He glanced at her, almost shy, but she was still smiling. “Tell ‘em I said hi,” he said at last.
She nodded, searching his face. “Will do.”
It reminded him of old times, her looking at him from the quinjet’s pilot seat; sometimes asking, sometimes laughing, sometimes knowing what he needed to see in her eyes even before he did. I’ve missed you, he wanted to say, and more. But then maybe she knew that already, like so much else about him.
“I don’t suppose I could offer you a cup of coffee for the road.”
She knew he was only half joking. Her smile turned wistful. “I’d love that, but I’ve got an early start tomorrow.”
“Right, right.” How many times had they said that to one another, the night before a mission? “You know”—he paused, his hand on the door—“I still have my old keys.”
She grinned. “Well, I did stockpile your favorite kind of laundry detergent.”
She’d looked lovely earlier tonight, in her jewelry and coiffure and perfect makeup; but now he wanted to feel her hair curl delicately around his fingers, her soft mouth open to his. He didn’t want to stare, so he looked hastily away and down instead, to where his cuff link caught the light. “You know all my weaknesses.”
He never did get around to having his washing machine fixed.
  to be continued
The previous chapter seemed a bit too bleak, and the latest MCU revelations have got me down with missing my favorite Avengers, so here's a little bit more of a laugh :)
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thereen · 5 years
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Dream Journal: The Old House and the Would-Be Murderer
I walked through the meandering halls of a dark house. At times, my fear of the dark got the best of me and the urge to run out into the night was overwhelming, but alas, a door was nowhere in sight, and neither was a window big enough to fit an adult. The floors creaked, cool gusts would blow by me. A ghost? Perhaps. An open window? Probably more of a possibility, but I, being the kind of person who believes in things unseen, decided on the ghost option, giving myself the fright that I wanted so hardly to shake. 
Suddenly, a red flashing light shone in the distance. “Curiosity killed the cat,” I thought to myself, but nevertheless, I was drawn to it. I could feel my heart pounding, the lump in my throat building. A web waved like a flag every time that ghost flew by, and each time, it seemed to have more flies caught in it. I tried hard to avoid it touching me. It was right in the way of the light, but it would not stop me; I would see what this crimson signal was all about. I ducked under the web and crawled past it. I got closer and closer to the light. I felt as if it were calling to me. “Come closer,” it would say. “I am your friend.” Strangely, it brought me comfort.
I finally reached the room the light was coming from. The walls were illuminated red each time it would flash, its light piercing through the webs that tried to hinder it. “No more of this. I’ll free you,” I said to it. I looked around for something to grab the infested webs with. There was no way I was touching this grossness. I found a pointing stick, one that had a cartoonish gloved hand pointing its finger at the end of it. I grabbed it and quickly proceeded to clear the thick, massive webs. And suddenly...a sound.
“Blip, blop, bleep, woooo,” I heard coming from it. Could it be...? “Oh. My. God,” I said out loud with a very wide smile on my face. “R2???” Out came R2-D2 (yes, the droid from Star Wars) from his blanket of webs. Overjoyed surely I think because he no longer had that mess all around him. Sadly, I don’t understand Droid, but I knew he was being friendly. Now that I had him by my side, I was no longer afraid of the gusts of wind blowing by me. I had a loyal friend. He led me through the meandering halls and out the front door that had been so hard to find.
This dream then shifted to a completely different setting. R2 was off in his world, and I was back in mine. I walked through the streets of Laredo, my hometown, but something was very wrong. Fires burned on every block. Crime was rampant. I could hear screams in the distance, along with gunshots and police sirens. I heard the laughter of a few drunk men, one of which was being very violent towards a woman while his friends seemed to be entertained by it all. Anger overwhelmed me, as did fear. The fear was mainly because I knew that I was not going to let them continue doing this. I would be the one to put a stop to it. I brazenly walked up to the group of men and told them to leave her alone. They stopped and stared at me, the group looking at the abusive man waiting for his next move. He got closer to me and asked, “Oh, do you want to be the bitch that takes her place?” I got more nervous at this point while the woman sat crying on the ground, her tears glistening by the light of the nearby fire. “You leave her alone. She’s coming with me,” I said. “Take her,” the man laughed. I admit, I was surprised that that was all it took, that I wasn’t at the end of about a dozen fists. I helped the woman up and she held on to my arm, burying her face in the fabric of my shirt and crying as we walked away. We suddenly reached my grandparents’ home in Laredo, my hometown, but it was as it was when they were still living. This didn’t phase me in the dream. It was as if this was real life. I told her that she could stay in the smaller house that my Grandpa had built for my great-grandmother, my Grandma’s mother, who had passed years before I was born. The woman thanked me as I opened the door for her. I went into the main house to say hello to Grandma and Grandpa. “Hey Reenie boy,” said my Grandpa as I went up to him and hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I could smell his cologne so vividly, feel the softness of his “guayabera” shirt, and hear his footsteps, the ones that seemed louder depending on the kind of boots he wore, on the wooden floor of the kitchen as he walked towards me. “Hi, Grandpa! Hi, Grammita,” I said as I walked towards my Grandma who was sitting at the kitchen table working on the books for my mom’s beauty shop, which was right next door. “Hi, hijito (ee-hee-toh, Spanish for little son),” she said as I gave her about 6 quick kisses in succession on the cheek, an imitation of the way she would kiss all of us grandchildren. The doorbell rang and my grandparents looked towards the door. “Quien sera,” asked Grandpa.  “I’ll check,” I said. “There are a lot of shady people out there and I think we should maybe turn the lights off so they think we aren’t here,” I said as the door slowly opened. A very tall and muscular man came through the door. He wore a trucker-style hat over his straight shoulder-length blonde hair. Tattoos covered his entire body, starting from under his nose. HIs skin was very heavily scarred. His eyes, empty. His mouth...missing. Tattooed scarred flesh took the place of what may or may not have once been is mouth. He had no shirt on, and there was no specific design to his tattoos, just shapes, almost paisley-like at some points. In his right hand...a small revolver. I became terrified. “This is it,” I thought to myself. “This is how I go. Will it hurt? I need to protect Grandma and Grandpa first and make sure he doesn’t hurt them.” I looked at the large century-old portrait of Jesus that hung in the living room, illuminated by a neon-lite that was added in the 60′s by my grandfather, one that would only be switched off by him. “Help us, Jesus,” I prayed. “Please. I don’t want to die and I don’t want him to hurt my grandparents.” “Grandma, Grandpa, go out the back door,” I said in Spanish, hoping and praying that the man would not understand me. Grandpa had his arm around Grandma, who held onto him terrified. “Salte, Caro (Leave, Caro),” Grandpa said to her, but she would not leave his side as he stood his ground. He then got in front of her, blocking her from any harm that may come. He stood right next to me as the man pointed his gun at my chest. Not able to speak, the man reached for his wallet and signaled to us to give him what he wanted. I looked at Grandpa who was staring the man down. Grandpa had been a police officer for over 30 years and was now retired. He didn’t fear too many men, and if he did, he hid it well. I reached for my wallet slowly and inched towards the man. I could see sweat running down his face, the hair that peeked from under his hat and around his ears soaked in it. He was nervous, and I had to take advantage of that. “Quedate conmigo, (Stay with me),” said Grandpa, but I knew I had to make a move. He still had his gun pointed at me. I reached out with my right hand to give him my wallet and as he reached his left hand to get it, I grabbed the gun from his right, surprising myself. I didn’t hesitate and shot three times. The man groaned loudly as he fell back onto the floor. My Grandma screamed as Grandpa held her. I walked backwards towards them, still aiming at the man who was now bleeding out on the green carpet. He looked at me angrily as he lay there, a look that said “I should have killed you when I had the chance.” I looked at the portrait of Jesus and said, “I’m sorry I hurt someone, but he was going to hurt us and I couldn’t let that happen.” I broke down and started crying. Grandpa put his hand on my shoulder. “Ya mi’jito. Ya.”
I added a sketch of the intruder. I promise he looked a lot scarier in person.
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galadrieljones · 5 years
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A Funeral: Chapter 1
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Fandom: Red Dead Redemption 2 | Pairing: Arthur x Mary Beth | Rating: Mature
Content: Existential Angst, Friendship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Nature, Touch-Starved, Humor, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Violence
Summary: To help her process Sean’s death, Mary Beth asks Arthur to take her on a hunting trip, somewhere far away. He agrees, and on their little journey together, they find quietude and take comfort in their easy bond. In their desperate search for meaning, they endure a number of small trials, which bring them closer to one another as well as to the unchecked plights of the natural world.
Masterpost | AO3
Thanks @bearlytolerablethethird​ for the banner!! ^_^
Chapter 1: A Proposal
It was morning, and the sun was creeping, and he was on his third cigarette with his hands in the soil, picking thyme flowers. They grew like wild out here. He had removed his gloves and set them back on the saddle where Sarah shuffled against the brush, her big hooves. He took enormous comfort in the sounds of her hooves like they were a mother’s voice or the touch of a woman.
When he returned to camp, it was still quiet. This swamp country stank. He did not take well to it. In ways he wished to return to the mountains where at least the air felt clean of infectious filth. His lungs hardened. In the swamp everything was soft and this made it feel like sinking. Even his internal organs felt soft. His skin, his eyes. Everything but his hands, which were hard leather mitts, but that was an old complaint that only women noticed anymore. The other day, he picked up a bucket of water for Mary Beth, and she commented on them, asking if she could see.
“Your knuckles are cracked to high heaven, Arthur Morgan.” That is what she said as she held one of his big stupid hands in hers. He knew it was not a compliment. Mary Beth was canny. She would read her books and write in their margins with the fountain pen he had brought for her, a thing he’d found in a dark corner of some abandoned cottage near Emerald Station. Sometimes, she got the ink on her hands, which were much softer than his, in the winter regions and in the swamps. He carried that bucket for her that day and he filled it for the wash, which she would later do, and any time she did it, he swore his shirts came out smelling more like lavender than before.
He put all the thyme in a basket, which he carried back to camp, holding Sarah by her reins. He spat and smoked and chewed a little tobacco and then he found a little mint, which he chewed as well and some of which he stored for later. His eyes were tired but his back still felt strong. He did not think of himself as a young man or old. In fact, he did not think of himself much at all.
He gave the thyme to Miss Grimshaw. Tilly said hello to him and showed him some of her knitting. She was good at little things like that, he so often thought. He fed the horses with help from Lenny who then went away to brood quietly beneath a Tupelo. The day was coming alive. He heard Jack’s voice somewhere and the dog. He did not want to go too near the fire for fear that he would be harangued by one of the boys, and he was not in the mood. He did not feel like robbing that day.
He went back to the house to find Mary Beth, a sort of habit. She was out on the porch, doing her reading and her writing in the margins as usual. She had her hair out of her braids and a cup of coffee and a piece of bread on a tin plate. When he came out onto the porch the floorboards creaked, and she looked up as if alarmed. But she kind of smiled a little sly when she saw him, and as usual, he felt a little dumb but it was all right. He lit another cigarette and stood out there, just looking at the unlucky country that was the swamp. He breathed and felt that smoke rattling in his swampy lungs.
“Hey, Arthur,” she said, not looking up from her book.
He had his hands on his hips. He went and sat down on the other side of the sofa. It was a cold and ragged sofa. It barely had any stuffing left at all. “My lady,” he said, absentminded. He rested his elbows on his knees for a minute. He leaned and took his journal out his back pocket. He thought he might maybe sketch a dumb plant or something. Maybe the surface of the water and how it did not hardly move.
They sat like that for a while. No talking. It was only the scratching of their pencils. Out front of the house you could hear Bill getting his bullshit on first thing in the morning, and Karen who seemed to cackle, and more Jack playing round with the dog. Abigail had grown a little sullen since his kidnapping and return. John went to her each night now. Arthur didn’t much know or care what had begun to rekindle between them, if anything at all, but he did notice a change. For the better, of course, when it came to the happiness of the boy.
“Arthur,” said Mary Beth after a little while.
“Yes,” said Arthur. He had sketched a dense stretch of pussy willow. For all of its despair, the swamp did make for nice scenery.
Mary Beth closed her book. She straightened up then as if she were about to say something important. Arthur looked at her. “What’s the matter?” he said.
“Remember when Sean died,” she said, looking at him. She was concerned.
He bit the insides of his cheeks like an old habit. “I do.”
She sighed like she felt stupid. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right, Mary Beth. What’s on your mind?”
She turned to him with her knees. Somewhere, there was a big, ugly sound like a gaggle of birds, pitching off into the daylight. “Afterward, you kind of…disappeared.”
“I don’t know that I’d call that disappearing, Mary Beth,” said Arthur. “Disappearing is disappearing. You don’t come back.”
“You know what I mean,” she said. “It was almost two weeks before you returned.
“And?”
“Where did you go?” she said. She had begun to examine her fingernails. “We was all wondering. The girls. You know we worry about you.”
“I know.” He waved her off. He fashioned a toothpick from behind his ear and set it between his teeth. “Ain’t no reason to worry.”
“Yeah well, you would say that.”
“I was hunting,” said Arthur. He looked at her. She had a calm disposition but there were storms inside. “I took my old horse, Diana. We rode north of the Grizzlies. We camped the whole way and we hunted a bison.”
“A bison?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mary Beth got quiet in her hands and face. “That is what you did, then? To process his passing.”
Arthur sighed. He wrung his hands a little. “I suppose. It ain’t nothing.”
“It is,” she said. She was getting earnest now. She had red cheeks. “Was it something?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, was it something? Getting away like that. Being up there, just you and Diana.”
“Diana didn’t much like it,” said Arthur. “I retired her shortly thereafter. Her hooves took a beating on those trails.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do,” he said, looking at her, chewing that toothpick. “You holding up okay? I know you and Sean was close.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” said Mary Beth, shrugging. She set the book aside and looked out at the swampy expanse. “He was kind of a fuck-up.”
Arthur laughed. “Ain’t we all.”
“You held him tight though,” she said, looking. “You were good to him, even though he had it coming.”
“He was young,” said Arthur.
“Some of the girls said you felt responsible. But it wasn’t your doing. It wasn’t Arthur. Nobody blames you but you.”
Arthur did not speak.
Flies were buzzing everywhere all around them, like a symphony. It was hot out, and very humid.
“I should say, I would like to go hunting,” said Mary Beth, after a little while.
“You?” he said. “A hunter?”
“After mama died I hunted some.”
Arthur laughed. “Shooting snakes with bb guns ain’t hunting, Mary Beth.”
She shoved him. “It was a rifle,” she said. “And it wasn’t snakes. I shot a squirrel.”
“A squirrel?” He acted impressed. “That would be a sight to see.”
They both smiled. “I would like to go hunting for something big,” she said. “Arthur. I need to process all of this, too. I am so bored, I think the pleats in my skirt have lost their stick.”
“That would be the humidity, I expect,” he said.
“Please?” she said.
“Please what?”
“Next time you go, hunting. For something big, far away. Camping and such. Breathing the air. Let me come with you.”
He gave her a look. “You’re serious?”
“Yes, sir.”
He raised his eyebrows, considering her offer. “It ain’t all romantic in the sights of nature,” he said. “It ain’t comfortable living out there, Mary Beth. The way I do things.”
“I know that,” she said. “You don’t think I understand uncomfortable living, Arthur Morgan?”
“No, I didn’t mean that,” said Arthur. “I know you can hold your own.”
“Then let me come with you.”
“I don’t know the next time I’ll be going, Mary Beth. These ain’t really affairs that take much planning. I pretty much just get on my horse and ride.”
“I am just as good at that as you are, Arthur.”
“Riding horses?”
“No, stupid. Living spontaneously.”
Arthur thought on this. He had never considered his way of life to be spontaneous. He often felt over-encumbered by the knowledge he was forced to use forever when stepping into the dangers of the wilderness. “You may be right,” he said after a little while. “And I suppose you have a point.”
“So you’ll take me with you?”
“That, I will,” said Arthur, sending a smile. “I don’t know when. Could be tomorrow. Could be in two weeks.”
Mary Beth was overtaken with excitement. She grabbed his face. She kissed him on the temple, smelling like apples. “I will be ready,” she said, and she got up to go, like she was going to get ready right now.
“Where you going?” he said, still sitting there. He liked her company.
“Got to prepare,” she said. “Mentally. I got another book I want to read.”
“We ain’t going this instant.”
“I know, Arthur Morgan,” she said, smiling. She left her book. “I know.”
When she was gone, he looked at her book and how it was perfectly sitting there, some shimmery thread in the binding. Out on the swamp he saw one of those gators then, just sitting there like a lump. It was a dumbass but it was a danger to the undiscerning. He got up to go warn the caretakers of the camp, and then to get his rifle off his horse, for he was going to shoot it dead.
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D.O.L.L
Chapter one Dreams Of Leal Love
“Hey, Eren are you going home after this?”
Eren’s two-toned eyes looked up to Armin with a smile,
“Yeah, planning on it after I hit the sales first. Aldi and Price Chopper got a few things I needed so I was planning on dropping by there first. You?”
Armin lifted his hands up and gave a shrug,
“Unfortunately I still have to help my grandfather so I can’t come home yet, he refuses to retire despite me running it.”
Eren’s small smile dampened as he gave Armin a worried look,
“Sorry, I- how is the old man? Do you need me to help with anything?”
Armin lips lifted up at the corner as he reached over to pinch Eren squishy soft cheeks.
“He’s fine, he’s just a little high maintenance right now. Like the other day when I told him he shouldn’t go to a meeting he fell down on a few flights of stairs and fractured his hip. He’s been yelping ever since, but like you should try to come over sometimes okay? He told me he wanted to see you and maybe if he saw your cute face he’ll calm down and be good for a change.”
Eren nodded his head,
“Sure thing.”
Armin tap him on his shoulder,
“Good, I’ll catch you later enjoy the holiday’s, Eren.”
“You too.”
Eren responded,
‘I’m such an idiot... I should know of all people, how much Armin cares for that old man.’
Eren sighs dejectedly as he put his book materials back into his backpack.
‘With school and my job, I don’t even have time to go visit that old man.’
Standing up with his bag shrugged over his shoulder, he left the campus in a bit of a hurry since he was living by himself. He had to take care of everything by himself like cooking, cleaning and going to his part-time job to studying fashion. He was pretty tied up especially with all of his deadlines. It sounded like a poor excuse to not see the man who took him in after his parents had died.
Tossing his bag into the back seat of his car he got in the driver side.
“Let’s just hope Allen still has a sweet tooth after all these years.”
The shopping trip itself was uneventful, besides the line is long, he got a few more things that weren’t even on the list. So in his mind he was at least covered for another week and with leftover money, that didn’t have to deal with the bills, he can put it toward some fabrics he’d been eyeing through the catalog magazine he had stashed in his work desk drawer.
Eren gathered all the grocery bags he had, along with his school bag, and made it up to his apartment setting everything on the countertop in the kitchen. When he glanced at the apartment that he and Armin shared, he looked a little lonely since Armin has been staying with his grandfather for a couple of weeks.
When he’s alone in this luxurious place it made him feel so out of place mainly because he’s living on top of a hotel building. This place was like a penthouse house in the form of an apartment that was specifically built for the Arlert heir, and since he was adopted into the Alert family and his best friend Armin pretty much run the company, they chose to live here. This place was Allen’s gift to them, not only does he pay for the rent, but he also paid their bills. Armin told him to not worry about it since grandfather had so much faith in him, but he himself could accept that so he made a deal. He would work to pay for any miscellaneous things he would need since Allen pretty much furnished their place, with Armin help of course. And when he becomes a super famous fashion designer, rolling in the money, he gets to pay for his own rent and bills. So if he thought about it, this was a pretty sweet deal. But, to him, he was probably being a complicated little soul.
Walking into the living room where he can still see the kitchen he turned the tv, right onto the news channel. Eren’s teal blue and golden eyes shifted to the groceries on the counter, with the tv on to make noise and dispel the silence in the apartment, he returned to the kitchen to put away the grocery he bought.
“Next up, the man who made fantasy into a living reality. The creator of D.O.L.L, will give us an insight into the new series that’s coming out next year.”
Eren’s hands searched out all the freezer items first and put them away, his eyes looking up every now and then to watch the news. The man was blond with a deep set of blue eyes. He was no doubt, the most handsome and stylish man that walked this Earth. He often sees him on the covers of various magazines.
“For someone who’s thirty-four, he sure does fill out that suit nicely. No wonder Armin has a thing for you.”
He not only built that company from the ground up, but he had the infamous Hanji twins to help him with the creation of the D.O.L.L series. Not only that Alexander Von Drehle and his sister Alexis Von Drehle, made all the paperwork necessary and they were excellent programmers, coming up with all sorts of personalities to test out.
The D.O.L.L.’s were like living beings. They looked, spoke and moved like humans. The D.O.L.L.’s themselves were so expensive, that one would have to give up their arms and legs to have one. The D.O.L.L.’s first functioned as the Lover series, their programming is to relieve the stress of their owner. It’s no surprise that one of their function is sex, but they had other functions and series like The Housekeeper, or The Live in Nursing Assistant series. The most popular one is The Therapy D.O.L.L.’s for the disabled. It’s really amazing how they planned all of this out and with the many investors that were putting their money into the business. They were no doubt a billionaire enterprise and they lived up to their title.
“I think Armin said there were a few people who worked at that company that stayed at the Arlert hotels and use their transport services for their clients and D.O.L.L.’s alike.”
It was too bad Eren never meet them, he would have loved to design some clothes for their models. With the groceries put up, he preheated some leftovers he made the other day and ate in the living room. With Armin staying with his grandfather he didn’t bother eating at the table since it was lonely.
“I’m proud to announce a new model line that will be coming out next year in the spring. This series will be known as The Nanny series. Surveys show that some parents can’t afford babysitters or put their child into daycare. With this series, we can loan one out for that day or have it scheduled for as long as you need it. Of course, there's always an option to buy it outright and have one as your own. More details will be announced at another date and updates will always be on the homepage of our website.”
Eren hummed absent mindlessly toward the TV.
“A nanny series, huh. How interesting.”
He thought, with his mind preoccupied with the news channel he checked the weather and caught up on the murder case that was still pending. A man who had been in a car accident was still very much in critical condition and they were still looking in on that case.
“Beside the D.O.L.L. series there’s nothing, but bad news on…”
Changing the channel he watched Criminal Minds for half an hour before he got up to clean up the dishes he used. With everything in order, he turned the tv off and made his way to his work studio. The bag he came in with was with him since he ditched it early on in the living room to put up the grocery.
Even though he was officially on vacation from this point onward he still had winter homework to complete, and a designer outfit to finish and present to the professor as soon as he gets back from winter break. For now, he worked on his math and English first before tackling a design he had no clue of drawing. Since it was winter he was going to keep his mind singled on something simple. Maybe a coat would be something he should design, but then he can never go wrong with making a long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans…. If he tried to make a sweater now he wouldn’t be able to complete it in time for the presentation unless he worked on it non stop.
By three in the morning, he had so many sketches littering the floor that the mess itself made him literally exhausted to look at.
“Creators block….is such a bitch.”
He thought aloud, of course, he knew he couldn’t come up with a design so easily if he had nothing to inspire him with. If he did, he probably wouldn’t be in school right now. It wasn’t even the first day of his vacation and he was already pushing his brain cell to work to focus on a centerpiece.
Pushing his chair back he pulled out one of the many drawers to his desk to pick up a magazine for fabric and looked at the ones he circled…
“Maybe I can use that fabric for grandpa...I’m sure he’ll love this shade of color…”
He said as he flipped through some pages, once it hit four thirty in the morning he left everything as it was and went to his bedroom. After grabbing some night clothes he took a fifteen-minute shower and turned himself in.
***
“Zoe you can’t be serious…”
Zander the fraternal twin of Zoe, although they looked identical, was standing beside his crazed sister who stood over to the completed model of the Levi series. The male laid in a supine position, his eyes closed and unmoveable. His jet black hair was darker than night itself, the silky strands of his hair were longer in the front, but cut short in the back with a military undercut. His lashes were long, but his brows were thin he looked like a thirty-four-year-old man who didn’t age since his mid twenty. His measurement of five foot three and weighed no more than a hundred and forty-three pounds.
“Quite serious. I have everything all planned out and I’ll be dropping it off. Levi would have wanted this.”
She said with a sad smile,
“Corporal no Levi would have wanted to be with that boy if he hadn’t died back then...he could have told Eren how he felt.”
Zander touched the top of his older sister head.
“Well once you make up your mind there’s no stopping you. So if there's anything I can do for you just let me know..”
Hanji shook her head no,
“Nah, I got this covered. No...wait on second thought you can help me. You can deliver this to the hotel and then I can handle the rest.”
She said with a grin, her hand caressed through Levi’s soft hair.
“You’ll get to be with him soon friend, just wait a little while longer.”
Zander watched his sister tenderly stroke the Special series head. She showered this model with more love than any of her other babies. And who can blame her? Levi was all of their friends. They had been looking forward to him retiring from the military to join them and pursue his one-sided love. He never even got the chance to introduce himself to the boy before he got deployed. Just when he would have returned from service, he had protected a fellow soldier and lost his life.
“So how are we going to transport him? Needless to say, he’s heavy as hell when he’s offline and even if you turn him on he’s twice as fucking heavy and even I won’t be able to make him budge.”
“Ahh silly Zander you think I didn’t solve that either? You’ll be transporting him with this little guy.”
She said as she left Levi to pick up a metal cube on her desk to show it to Zander.
“It’s a cart to carry him in all I need you to do is deliver this bad boy to that hotel, I’m going to disguise myself as a bellboy and deliver it personally.”
“Oh? And what about the security measures? Surely they’re picky about their staff.”
“I’ve got that all figured out too so don’t worry. Now help me get him into this box.”
With the special bubble wrap inside the box first, they had to pre-wrap Levi first which took some time considering they had to set him up and let the bubble wrapper do its job. Once he was completely covered they laid the Levi model into a fetal position so it could fit in a perfectly square box. It was a lot bigger than it looked to fit a human of Levi’s size, but it was perfect to add more wrappers at the top for added protection including the added packaging foam, they simply jump dumped it in to cover him up completely. Once it was done all they had to do was wrap it up and tie it off with a ribbon bow. Since the wrapping paper was already underneath the box due to plan preparation they were wrapping it up like a normal Christmas paper. Once it was covered and the bow-tied Hanji had to type Eren’s Christmas card label.
“I can’t wait for tomorrow to come...”
Zander looked at his sister exhausted from putting the doll into the box and wrapping it up.
“Hope all goes well, Zo. Just don’t get caught or be sent to jail for the stunt you’re about to pull.”
The look on his sister's face would have traumatized a normal human being, but since he knew that was her happy look despite the grin looking so damn intense to freak a saint. He let her reminisce for as long as she wanted.
***
Hanji was extremely ecstatic about the little job she was working on. It was so fun playing spy. She disguised her face with make-up props like they do on movies. She didn’t need to change her whole face just certain features that wouldn’t link back to either her or her twin. She had to work very hard to control her happiness or her plan would fail. She would have to go at this as if she were on a mission again. Well, she technically was on a mission but not like back then. At least this mission she didn’t have to worry about dying on.
Picking up the cube she had shown Zander the night before she pressed a small button and allowed the cart to assemble itself in the middle of her lab before she used the crane to lift the box and maneuver it into the cart. With that taken care of, she wheeled the cart out from her lab to the docking warehouse. She already had a white panel van waiting for her and she secured the cart in it before giving her twin a call to come to deliver the box and texted him the address of the hotel where he would be taking it.
Her plans were moving along nicely as she drove her car to the hotel, parking a block and a half away. She waited until she got closer to the hotel before donning the bellhop uniform she had acquired. Taking a deep breath she calmed herself and kept herself from grinning like a madman, as Levi had always put it.
She had already hacked the hotel’s surveillance so that she could observe their security. She wanted to know the angle of the cameras and their blind spots. She didn’t want anything to ruin this mission. It was the most important one after all.
Heading to the front of the hotel in her altered disguise, Zoe passed by nodding and greeting those who greeted her but kept moving, since she had to be the one to take the box from Zander. Just as she got there Zander pulled up to the curb and hailed her over. Grabbing a baggage cart she moved over to the van and waited for Zander to bring the cart down to the curb using the electric ramp built into the van.
Once the cart was set on the curb Zoe bowed as was customary for greeting people as a bellhop and whispered to Zander to move the left side of the cart next to the baggage cart and hit the purple button on the handle. Once he did that the cart he was using pushed the gift-wrapped box out onto the baggage cart. Then Zander made a show of telling her, though she was dressed as a man, who the package was for they took their leave of each other. Zander drove off and she headed inside with the baggage cart.
“Mr. Jaeger has a gift that needs to be delivered.”
She told the security guard who guarded Eren’s personal elevator. The only other way to get to his penthouse apartment was through the stairwells, which wouldn’t work with a baggage cart. A device was strapped to her throat that she had created back in her military days. It was hidden beneath the collar of her uniform and made her voice slightly deeper to give it a more masculine tone.
The security guard did the customary bomb scan and then let her pass on to the elevator and sent her up. Zoe knew how to conduct herself since she had made sure to watch the bellhops closely from the security cameras. She knew what was okay and what would get her caught as the elevator dinged announcing her arrival before the doors slid open.
Since she was dressed as a bellhop she could move a bit more freely than if she had gone with her first idea. At first, she had planned on going as a maintenance worker but she figured that would look a little suspicious. Unless the hotel needed a major repair done a maintenance worker wouldn’t need a large cart so Bellhop had been her second choice.
It was around seven in the evening when Zoe rang the doorbell and knocked on the door before standing back to wait for it to be answered. Since she was dressed as a bellhop it also afforded her the luxury of seeing him receive the box in person since as a maintenance worker she would have had to drop it off and run away leaving the box at the front door.
“A gift was dropped off for you at the front door Mr. Jaeger. Where would you like me to put it?”
She asked innocently as if she weren’t the real sender of the said gift. It was just too much fun playing spy to let an opportunity like this pass. The boy was a cutie and she could see why Levi had been so captivated by him. The color of his eyes was astounding. She wouldn’t mind making a D.O.L.L. with those kinds of eyes. Although she would have to use different colors so as not to give herself away.
*** Having had slept late Eren was just getting around when he heard the doorbell rang, clad in only a pair of jeans and a baggy sweater. He didn’t bother wearing socks around the house much less tie his hair back since he wasn’t working on anything. He had been lounging around the house since he got up to have breakfast.
He was just watching TV with the sofa pillow wrapped in his arms pressing into his belly he had been so into the soap opera that he instinctively jumped in time with the doorbell ringing from both within the movie and outside of the movie. Heart thumping he dropped back with a loud sigh as he relaxed his hold on the pillow.
“God, that scared me.”
He said as he tossed the pillow to the side so he can get up to answer the door, the moment he opens it he was greeted with a new face and a large looking gift package on the side. It took him a moment pause to understand what he was saying.
“A gift?”
The boy question as he shifted his gaze to the package on the carrying cart it was no doubt a gift it was all wrapped up with a large pretty bow. The Christmas wrapping was beautiful all silver blue with white and grey glittering snowflakes on it. Across on all four sides, there was a ribbon tied to the top it with a little card sticking to the side.
“It’s...so big.”
Eren responded as he looked the package over, turning his gaze back to the bellboy Eren eyes narrowed a little at the newcomer's face…
“You know I’ve….never seen you before…”
But, then again maybe they had let someone off or someone had quit and needed a replacement… And since Armin isn’t here he couldn’t tell him who was coming in and who was leaving.
“Probably because I'm on the graveyard shift, Sir.”
“Oh, is that so? Sorry. Just uh put it in the living room. It’s this way.”
He said with the gesture of his arm to tell him to come in Eren had led him to the main living room. Seeing the package rolled in the bellboy moved it off the cart with a loud thud once it hit the floor a second later he was holding out a device to him for him to sign.
“Can you sign here so that my boss knows that you have received this package.”
He asked the stylus pen was held out to him.
“Sure.”
Eren thought nothing of it as he took the stylus pen into his hand and did a quick signature of his name,
“Thank you, please have a nice evening, Mr. Jaeger.”
“Oh, yeah you too here let me show you the way out again and thanks for the delivery.”
Eren replied as he guided the new worker out once he was outside Eren nod his head in farewell before he shut the door. When Eren returned to the room he easily plucked the card out and read the message.
“It...certainly has my name on it, but there’s no return address and the only thing it says is I hope you enjoy it, L.”
Eren looked confused at the message,
“Who’s L?”
None of his friends had the letter L for their first or last name so he couldn’t figure out who sent this to him. Well, whoever it was obviously thought big of him as he laid his hand on the package with a soft caress.
***
It was near torture for Hanji to not grin as she watched him caress the package before she completely loses her composure she made a small bowed and took her to leave of the penthouse floor. But, first, she put the baggage cart on the elevator and sent it down. Keeping her face turned away from the cameras, she headed for the stairwell and went down a floor, From there she slipped out of the stairwell straight into a blind spot. From there she slipped into an unoccupied room removing the bellhop uniform and donning a mask. She folded the uniform then stuffed it into the bag she had on her hip. The clothes she wore underneath the bellhop uniform were black as she was wearing her old ops uniform for this mission.
On her belt were various pockets and pouches containing different tools and gadgets, most of her own creation. They were there for ‘Just in case’ scenarios but so far she was pulling this off without a hitch. Opening the balcony door she stepped out and shut it behind her as she walked towards the edge, nearest the wall. She was on the very side of the building away from the main locations down below.
Attaching a special device to the rail of the balcony Zoe looked over the rail to the ground before surveying everything going on below. There was one runner on the sidewalk who might notice her as she descended, so she waited until they passed before she leaped over the rail holding the wire end of the device. The device was also something of Hanji’s creation that had been patented and manufactured for military use. The device could withstand the weight of a fully loaded semi as long as whatever it was attached to could as well. With the push of a button, the user could lower or raise something or themselves safely and with great speed.
Once her feet hit the ground she released the device with another click of the remote user to raise, lower, attach and unattached the device. She lowered into the brush to remove her mask and pull her hair up into a ponytail before jogging back to her car that was parked a block and a half away.
It was a forty-five-minute drive back to D.O.L.L. Headquarters where her lab was located in the third sub-basement of the building. Only certain people had clearance to reach her lab and they were the people who were the top members of D.O.L.L. When she finally cleared all of her security Zander was already waiting for her in her lab. She had pulled off the prosthetic mask pieces on the car ride back so she was back to her old self.
“So, did everything go off as you planned?”
Zander asked his twin when she finally showed up over an hour and a half since he had last seen her, He had even brought her cart back down to the lab but from past experiences with her gadgets, he restrained himself from attempting to close it up again. Zoe, however, walked over and pressed a little blue button on the left end of the cart to make it fold itself back into a cube before she moved over to her wall of computer monitors.
“Hehehe….. You’ll see…”
She chuckled quite happily, although to anyone who didn’t know her might take it as the laugh of a madwoman. In front of it was a large island which the counter of was touch activated. With her fingers flying she pulled up a recorded video feed and set it back to when it started recording at seven pm. Finally, the grin she had been suppressing was spread across her face as Eren appeared on the monitors in front of her. They all formed one large picture of Eren approaching the front door to admit her entrance to deliver the package.
Zooming away from the island on a rolling stool she hit over to the microwave, after pausing it, she made a bag of popcorn and dumped it into a large bowl before rolling herself back over. Munching on some popcorn she offered the bowl to her twin as she started the show.
*** Eren undid the present bow with a simple tug here and a simple tug there and once the ribbon fell to the ground he got to work on tearing up the wrapping paper. Since it didn’t say it was for Christmas he figured he could just open it right away. Coming across the brown box that was sealed with the tape he took a step back to head toward the kitchen.
“The last time I fought with that kind of tape I tore a nail off…”
He grumbles as he was rumbling through the drawer for a box cutter he knew was in there. Once he retrieved it he went back to cut down the middle and then on both top corner and bottom. Once it was easier to pry open he set the box cutter down so he can work on getting to his gift. He had to move some of the packaging foam to the side, but some of it got on the floor anyway despite him trying to move it to the side. After that, he pulled out the first layer of wrapping bubbles he blinked at the weird shape. Never mind the fact that he made a mess on the floor.
Picking up the box cutter he was sawing away the plastic bubble wrapper and the tape that held it together. What he saw had him dropping the box cutter and scrambling back with a high pitch scream.
“Oh my god, it’s a dead body!!!”
He screeched as he slammed his back into the wall automatically he slid down to the floor hands shaking he covered his mouth. There was a damn body inside the box, heart pounding, he looked to the left toward the front door. Why would someone send him a dead body? What kind of prank was this? He only got a glimpse of the face before he panicked, but it didn’t look like it was plaster looking like the kind of skin that looked clammy after postmortem. God only knew how long he stayed like that.
“....I...it is a human….right?”
Placing his hand on the wall or whatever solid surface he slammed his body into he used it as leverage to get back on his feet. He was no doubt shaky when he went back to that box that was marked as his present. Since the plastic wrapper, he moved to the side to see the ‘present’ went back to its original place to covering the face up again.
In all actuality, he didn't want to go near it much less touch it, but if he wanted to confirm what was in there he had to do it. Getting back down on his knees once more to brush the plastic wrapping to the side. He had his eyes closed at that moment so he could gather his bearing, but god he was nervous as he opens his eyes.
“Please don’t be a dead body…Please don't be a dead body...”
He whined as got a closer look of the face with shaky fingers he poked the cheek to find it oddly soft. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t exactly warm either….
Turning the head it felt a little heavy which was odd since most heads weren’t as heavy as this…
“The head...is a bit heavy…and if it were a dead body, I doubt I can turn his head so easily.”
Picking up the box cutter he cut at the wrapping until he was fully exposed with his head turned his way the body itself was still in fetal position. When he looked down near his waist there was a booklet resting on top of him. To his surprise it had D.O.L.L. typed on the cover that he fell on his ass in relief.
“Oh thank god, it’s not a body.”
He said out loud, although he recanted saying it is a body, but not like what he had thought previously.  Letting his hand becoming an anchor behind his back he tilted his head back
“I need a moment.”
When his chest not pounding and he didn’t feel like he was going to faint he got back on his knees to pick up the manual. It was made out of some fancy paper and it was also preserved so it wouldn’t get torn or wet.
“Why would someone send me a D.O.L.L….it’s hella expensive...I can’t imagine anyone giving this to me for free...Maybe if it were Armin...or Allen..I can see that happening. But, if it were them then why would they sign an L on the card and not their name?”
Opening to the first page he read through the content, what caught his attention was when he flipped to the next page. It read Special series.
“A special series...What does that mean? Is it custom-made…”
Eren looked back at the D.O.L.L. who looked like it was sleeping the D.O.L.L. itself was beautiful, but he never saw a D.O.L.L. look like this one before. It wasn’t on the news and he would have known if there was a different option for a model like this online… Glancing back to the book he got to the part on how to awaken him.
“How to activate your D.O.L.L. place your lip against the D.O.L.L. lips to start it up...The D.O.L.L. will imprint on the DNA of the user's mouth.  The D.O.L.L. itself will awaken scanning the first person it sees.”
Eren cheeks turned a little pink,
“Eh!? I have to kiss it? But, but, but it’s a guy!”
Were all D.O.L.L.’s like this? How can they kiss their own D.O.L.L.? Wasn’t that weird, when Eren looked back at the D.O.L.L. that was still unactivated. He couldn’t very well just leave it in there, could he? Groaning loudly he covered his face shaking his head no he didn’t have to worry about cramping the booklet when he did this. It shouldn’t be a big deal to kiss an object, but for some reason, it was with him since he didn’t look like an object.
Freaking himself out wasn't going to turn the D.O.L.L. on and he felt bad if he let it stayed cooped up in a box in a fetal position for too long. Even if the D.O.L.L. itself could not feel anything if it were offline. Leaning himself inside the box he placed his hand on the D.O.L.L. naked pale shoulder, again the D.O.L.L. felt soft to him it was neither cold nor warm just like a human being. Leaning close to the male face he gave a nervous sound. He couldn’t do it when he pulled back and wrecked his hand through his long hair.
“Oh my god, Eren stop being such a wuss!”
He said that to himself and yet, he was still fussing over the fact that he had to kiss the male D.O.L.L. for it to wake up. Freaking himself out wasn’t helping him much either when he eyed the thing. For some reason, he wouldn't be surprised if that D.O.L.L. became possessed by something and woke up on its own. Just thinking how ridiculous that was he slapped his own cheeks.
“Ugh, Nevermind! Just forget it. Don’t think just do it. S’not like anyone’s gonna knows...Right?”
Placing his hand back on the D.O.L.L. shoulder he quickly pressed his lips on the D.O.L.L. lips and stayed there until it started. He had expected it to purr to life like some computer does and maybe twitch or something like that, but now he felt a slight shift under him and two hands grasping both his cheeks to keep him still. Before he knew it a tongue forced it’s way inside his mouth passing his defenses. Once the shock wears off he gasped afterward the sound he made when he was struggling against the D.O.L.L. who rose up with him when he tried to lean back. He felt something weird on the D.O.L.L. tongue when it rubbed and licked against his own tongue and the root of his mouth. He panicked of course and the only saving grace he had was to shove the D.O.L.L. back and high tail it away from him. It was more like a crab walk backward until he hit something solid for the second time that evening.
“I-it...it stuck his tongue in!!”
The D.O.L.L. that was shoved back was moving inside the box so that he was in an upper position his eyes blinking slowly until his gaze focused on him. Eren watched the way his eyes took on a slight glow for a few seconds before it subsided. He watched as the humanoid doll looked him up and down. It must be scanning and recording him because his eyes glowed again for the second time. Shortly after that, the tongue that had been in his mouth stuck out to lick his lip slowly. The silver barb caught Eren’s attention before it slipped back into the threshold the blush Eren had on his cheeks was immense as well as the girly squeak that came out.
“Eep!”
The D.O.L.L. stood up some of the packing foam fell off him in pieces before he steps outside the box. He was wearing only a loose shoulder long sleeve t-shirt that covered his thighs. It was long enough to cover his ass. The male was...small in height, but intimidating as he stepped out of the box. Doing so his toes bumped into the manual booklet which he picked up with a graceful bow. Eren was a little nervous when it, he means he, came towards him waving that little booklet in his hand. This was the first time Eren actually interacted with a real live D.O.L.L. he was lowering himself down to his level the booklet still in his hand.
Eren noticed his nails were pretty despite them being painted black and that he had a tattoo showing out of the loose collar shirt he was wearing.
Eren watched him hold the booklet out to him. Eren took it with a shaky hand while the other one still covered his mouth as if to ward him off.
“My name is Levi, what is your name, Love?”
‘Love? Did he just call me love?’
Eren looked bewildered,
“Eren...Eren Jaeger.”
“Eren Jaeger is it, please register me.”
“Huh?”
“Eren my love, I need you to register me as yours.”
He repeated in that low silky tone.
‘Even his voice is amazing.’
Eren thought.
“Register….oh right, register um.”
Eren open the booklet scanning the context and once he saw what he was looking for he hastily got back on his feet.
“Um, Levi?”
“Yes, my love?”
“Err...just...just follow me okay?”
“Yes, Eren.”
Eren looked and felt even more embarrassed than before even as he leads him to the nearest desktop on the first floor, he had Levi sitting on the floor so he could be closer to the desk tower. In the book, it said there was a panel behind the back of the D.O.L.L. head all he had to do was press at the center for the panel to open.
“Um, Levi could you lean forward for a sec I need to access your cable USB port.”
The D.O.L.L. listened to what he had to say and leaned forward obediently, he had such beautiful pierced ears. Eren glanced away from his ears to the panel that was hidden he pressed at the panel he couldn’t see. But, in the manual, it said it was just underneath barcode that was just underneath the hairline at nape of his neck so it was simple to just pressed his fingers just underneath it for it to slide open. And then there was another tattoo mark of two wings over crossing the other. One was not shaded in while the other wing was shaded in black. It was big enough to be noticed between the shoulder blade.  For some reason that being there looked good on the D.O.L.L. especially since it’s so visible in the shirt, he was wearing. It was slanted exposing more of his flesh from the shoulder down to his shoulder blade.
‘Sexy…’
Grabbing the cable cord that was inside of the D.O.L.L. he manages to connect it to the desk tower. It took a few seconds for the computer to register a new device being plugged into the computer before a screen popped up. It was the registering app he was looking for and it showed just like it would appear in the manual. Since he was new at this he clicked on the new owner button and began to fill everything out.
D.O.L.L.
Model: Special Series D.O.L.L. Name: Levi Age: 34 Height: 5’3” Weight: 143 -> Next
“He’s...thirty four….”
He looked at the D.O.L.L. hell he was only 26….and yet, this doll got eight years on him.
“He sure doesn’t look like he’s thirty-four especially since he’s so small…”
He murmurs as he clicked next for the next page.
Please fill out everything on this page that has the red *...
The instruction itself was pretty simple so he filled it out.
Name of Owner: Eren Jaeger
The name of D.O.L.L. was automatically filled out as Levi so he could continue onward to the next question.
Owner’s Age: 26 Owner’s Birthday: March 30th 31** Owner’s Address: 2600 Ambassadors Drive at the Arlet Empire Hotel Penthouse Owner’s Phone Number: (809) 447-6843 Email Address: [email protected]
When he clicked the next button to go to the next page he raised an eyebrow at the next question…
“My preference.” He repeated…
On the screen it said to please select which household function you wish to have and since there was an option to select everything he clicked on that. The list had been too long for him to read everything properly anyway. Once he clicked next to read the next question his face turned a few shades of red.
“M-My sex...preference...oh dear lord he’s a sex D.O.L.L. too.”
He automatically skips that part, since there was an option for it and when there was a question or a preference he couldn’t answer he skipped it. The process was easy enough he could only breathe a sigh of relief when a new screen popped up saying congratulations for completing the registration process and to enjoy his new D.O.L.L. AKA Dream of Leal Love.
Unhooking the USB from the computer desk tower he retracted it back into Levi’s holder and press the panel again to close it. The manual for the special model was placed to the side of the wireless keyboard. He stood up looking at Levi who was sitting there like he was just waking up, that dazed look he had going on really looked good on him too. Just as he thought that Levi shifted his gaze up to him looking fully alerted after his eyes did that glow thing.
Eren stepped back when he tried to reach for him and the moment he did Levi’s expression changed to something sad like he was crestfallen about him rejecting. Levi looked like he was close to tears despite being a D.O.L.L.
“W-wait, don’t cry I’m sorry.”
Levi got to his feet, his black nails reaching for him and considering his D.O.L.L. still looked like he was going to cry he stayed put even as his arms wrapped around him. Since Levi is shorter than himself he was on his tippy toe his chest pressing up into his.
“Do you not like me, Eren? Because I love you.”
Eren blushed as he tilted his head up a little higher out of the special model’s reach in lip ranged.  After he did that he heard a hiccuping noise that kind of remind him of a child who was about to cry.
“Don’t, please don’t cry.”
Eren replied to his hiccup he even brought his head down so he could look at him. Levi wasted no time he practically jumped up Levi’s lips smacking into his lips. It didn’t hurt and it didn’t feel like their teeth clashed against each other. Levi’s arms encircled around his neck tighter…. For someone so small he was undeniably strong because he couldn’t pull back.
He had to wait it out for the D.O.L.L. stand on his bare feet again while still looking at him smiling.
“I love you, Eren. Please say that you like me too?”
The look of uncertainty was in the D.O.L.L. eyes and Eren couldn’t bring it in himself to say he didn’t.
“I like you too, Levi.”
The smile he showed him was not only beautiful but angelic and at the moment Eren felt his heart skipped a beat.
“You’re so beautiful…”
He blurted out, that only made the D.O.L.L. close in on him to pepper a kiss to his lips he didn’t bother to move out of the way this time since Levi gave another one of those angelic looks.
“Eren, say what do you like, I notice that you didn’t fill out some of your preference so tell me. What is your favorite sex position? How do you like to be kissed? What is your favorite food?”
Eren felt like his ears were being burned from all the heat he was generating from his embarrassment.
“I….I-I can’t answer that! I don’t know, b-but I can tell you my favorite food. I like anything that’s a pasta dish with garlic bread.”
He told him as he tried to pry Levi off him he was sticking to him like glue even as he twisted his body so that Levi’s front was pressed firmly to his backside.
“Hoo….so you don’t know is that right? Then how about we find out together, Eren. Your favorite sex position and how you like to be kissed.”
Feeling the D.O.L.L. hands touched his chest and his abdomen he physically shook in the smaller man arms. “T-there’s no need, I’m perfectly fine without knowing!”
“Non non, that will not do my precious love, I must know everything about you. And finding out what you like is a must need to know basis, Darling.”
The D.O.L.L. slipped his hands under his shirt the other hand was going down into a place where he really wanted to go. The flick of his finger popped open the loose button from it’s worn out the hoop and with his thumb and middle finger he gripped the handle of the zipper and pulled it down quickly so his hand can shoot inside. Levi’s hand no doubtly cup the boy groin in a soft multiple squeezes.
“Haaah! Hold on hold on, b-bad touch, Levi bad touch.”
“It’s not bad at all, you see I can feel it. The heartbeat of this guy growing ah see it just twitched right now. Did you know your heartbeat from up here-”
He said touching his chest, his finger lightly brushing the nipple as he cupped the beating organ in one hand.
“Is in tune with this one-”
He replied by squeezing the soft organ in his other palm.
“They are beating as one and they are very honest with each other don’t you agree, Lover?”
“No.”
He squeaked as he brought two of his hands down to cup his groin area where he grasps Levi’s hands that were still on his dick.  He was trying to shake him off or keep him from moving up and down his shaft, but for some reason, the D.O.L.L. still manage to stroke him with little to no effort on his part.
“Non? But, it seems like this one is agreeing with me.”
Eren tilt his head back,
“Uhn, I-It’s a normal body reaction, of course, it’s going to react if anyone gave it some...some attention.”
He replied breathlessly.
“Hmm... So anyone can make this adorable cock throb beside me? I don’t think I like that thought very much. Who was it that touch you in this way?”
The possessive part of the D.O.L.L. personality engages as he gave Eren a pointed look from behind his back.
“N-No one! I just read about it and I saw it again when I watch SVU.”
He whimpered the second Levi squeezed him harder.
“SVU….if I recall correctly it’s the acronym for special victims unit, from a popular crime tv show.”
“Y-yes that’s right that’s right, Levi. It’s a TV show.”
“So, does that mean I am the only one who’s touching you like this?”
He asked he still had that look on his face as he gave a steady stroke to Eren’s cock he even slipped his hand skilfully inside the boy’s underwear to get an ample feel of the soft flesh that was getting harder.
‘Good, he’s getting aroused and the more he feels good the better chances for me to find something new about him. I can hear it better now his heartbeat is getting stronger and his breathing is getting more erratic than before. Blood pressure is rising too and he’s not putting up too much of a resistance, I can conclude that he doesn’t hate this too much.’
Eren turned his head to look back at the D.O.L.L. the way he looked at him was so different than the stares or look he sees on a living being. It was just something about the way he stared at him that made him feel so open. It was the most vulnerable feeling he had ever felt before beside the passing of his parents.
“Y-yes… Now pull your hands out. We can’t do it here.”
He said with a higher pitch tone his eyes were closing as he bent forward.
“Not here?”
The D.O.L.L. asked and when Eren nodded he pulled his hands out from beneath the band of Eren’s boxer as well as underneath the sweater.
“Alright.”
Levi easily lifted Eren up by wrapping his arm around him and lifting up smoothly as if he didn’t weigh a thing. The shirt Levi wore rose a little higher from picking the young boy up. He left the room in search for a place that was a lot more suitable for them to be in.
“Hold on, Levi where are you taking me?”
“To your room. I’ve never been there figured now's the best time, darling.”
“Uh… Um… W-why do you want to go to my room?”
Eren asked Levi was just making his way to the hall when the D.O.L.L. eyes were on a flight of stairs.
“Isn’t it obvious, Eren. We’ll be living together so it’s only natural that I wish to accommodate myself to the room we’ll  be sharing or...do you plan on me for sleeping inside my box?”
He asked him as he went up a flight of stairs the floor plan of this penthouse finally finished downloading into his system database as well as Eren’s record. His finance, medical record, job, credit score, and history were now all locked inside him and completed. Except for his lover preference and personality, he had everything on electronically inside him now he was just in the process of working out his lovers' kinks. Even now he was collecting data from the man in his arms. Body wiggling speech stuttering, fast beating heartbeat, his lover sure is lively and young and that was fantastic.
“Err...N-no uh...there’s a spare room...further from mine….you can sleep there….it’s usually the guest room, but you can have it…”
“Non! As a lover and a pillow series I must be with you otherwise I will not be as useful and proficient to you as your special series. I am confident that I can provide the best sleep you’ll ever have, Love.”
“Huh? Pillow series? What’s that?”
“Heh… I cannot say since that specific series has yet to be released to the public.”
He said with a bright smile as he carried Eren upstairs. Reaching the top of the stairs Levi looked around noticing Eren’s scent coming from several different rooms.
“Where is your room, Love?”
Levi asked innocently as he held Eren effortlessly in his arms and waited for him to give him directions. Even though he has the floor plan he still doesn’t know which room is his master bedroom.
“It’s….down the hall three doors down and on the...left...but, what do you mean it has yet to come out? Do you mean you have all the series within you that has yet to come out? Like the nanny series?”
He asked, he knew Levi was the special series so he was going to be a hell of special, but still he didn’t know the intel. Just what kind of D.O.L.L. is he?
Eren couldn’t help thinking about it, but at the same time, he never thought this D.O.L.L. could actually carry his fat ass up the stairs much less effortlessly get him to his room and set him down on his bed without breaking his back. But, then again, he wasn’t human...so maybe having super strength isn’t unusual for a D.O.L.L. like him.
“I’m programmed with every program created, even those that haven’t come out on the market yet… I am a completely unique series developed and created solely for you My Love.”
He said smiling as he entered Eren’s room and carried him over to the bed  Levi set him down on it just so he could crawl onto his lover's lap. Wrapping his arms around Eren’s neck he leaned in close an attempt to kiss him happily which got dodged by Eren’s finger. He took on a sulky expression at being dodged again.
“Eh?”
Eren shook his head he had way too many questions to get distracted by this man- D.O.L.L. amazing kisses.
“Why me? Why me of all people? How come you’re so special and not the others? And also who sent you to me? Tell me because I honestly don’t get it. I really don’t. Who would send me a  D.O.L.L.like seriously, why would they give me a special series like you to a guy like me. You can’t really expect me to believe that someone would give you to me scotch free. Even I know how super expensive D.O.L.L.’S are.”
Eren replied he didn’t move back even when Levi wrapped his arm around him and got closer, but he dodged his kiss successfully until he got the answer he wanted. Eren was serious and now that he wasn’t being touched like before he can concentrate a little better despite having a bulge in his pants.
Levi looked thoughtful for a moment since he was searching his databases as well as the company records for himself. After thoroughly searching what he could Levi met Eren’s gaze fully.
“I do not have access to that information right now. However, I do know that I was made for you specifically at the request of someone who isn’t here anymore.”
Levi said in an attempt to answer his Lover’s questions. All he knew was that this was where he was meant to be. This was the person he was supposed to love and that he only wanted to be with this person always, no matter what.
“Is that a sufficient answer Ma Cher?”
He purred leaning in to kiss him and if he pulled away again he could always just resort to tears since that seemed to get to his Love weakness. The way Eren looked at him the young boy only gave a downward cast as if he was pondering more question that he knew he couldn’t answer.
“....Not….really, but I understand if you don’t know anything. It can’t be helped since you don’t have access… I still don’t understand a lot of things I don’t know anyone who died and I still haven’t figure out the initial L that was on the card that was attached to your box.”
Hearing the honesty in the boy's voice he couldn’t help, but want to solve all the question his lover had and put him at ease, but at the same time. He had other pressing matters that needed his attention, with just a slight adjustment to his rear end to scoot closer to his Love. The boy slight bulge was still very noticeable under his rear end. Considering he wore nothing underneath the shirt he could feel the tight rasp material of his lovers jean on his ass.
Tightening his arm around Eren’s neck he made sure Eren couldn’t pull away from him this time when he swiftly pressed his lip into his. It was obvious the first round of kiss wasn’t enough for Levi and that was when he first woke up. The trembling lips that pressed into his steady one were soft and sweet. The DNA of Eren in front of him now matched with the DNA inside his database especially when his tongue collected the living sample from ‘Eren’.
“Ma Cher.”
Levi purred as he stroke his tongue against the tight lip of his lover. When he refused to part his lips he took drastic measure into his own hands. Rocking his hips and rubbing his ass against the taught material of Eren’s jeans. He kept it up and moaned, his tongue still sliding from the bottom of Eren lips to the upper one. One of his hands reached up to touch his cheek he had to angle Eren head a little bit to get where he wanted to go. The soft noises Eren made when he rocked his hip was a start, but not enough when he can’t dive his tongue into the sweet canvas of his beloved mouth. Pulling back he placed kisses on top of his chin and under it before moving down lower. Levi open mouthed kissed the side of his neck and went down lower in a slow trail to create a path of red petals on his skin.
‘Mine, Eren.’
He thought as he laid his claims on him. No one else could have him, because he’ll be the best he’ll ever have so he won’t go looking for someone else other than him.
“Uhn~”
Levi kissing trail led even lower when he pulled on Eren shirt to touch more of his skin. The strong line of Eren’s collarbone is beautiful and graceful. He lavishes kisses there before he moved up toward his Adam's apple on his beloved throat. He loved the way it bobbed just then before he went further up to Eren’s chin again to nibble on it before he reached up to capture his lower lip between his teeth. Eren’s erupt moan was like a sucker-punch to his groin because his dick kicked up hard and fast. He loved the feeling since it was new to him he might not like it so much if his sex was denied. Like humans, he can suffer some serious sexual pain if not taken care of and the last time he checked blue balls weren’t sexy it was torture. He even gave Eren’s lower lip a slight tug just to see his beloved teeth. They were just as impressive as the rest of him they were bright white and beautifully straight with pink gums to match his perfection.
Feeling the younger man shiver he took his hand off his cheek to move it down his neck and further down to his shoulder to caress the collarbone slowly. Having that said hand touching his collarbone he slipped underneath his shirt and moved it down to brush his finger over the flat circle of Eren’s nipple that was covered by an annoying sweater. Levi has no doubt that he stretching that tight material, but when Eren looked like he was enjoying it he didn’t stop.
Hearing Eren sweet moan only spur him to do more so he used his other hand to go underneath the shirt instead of above like his other hand to rub Eren’s belly before grazing his fingertips on the boy's hip. The move or more like the position was difficult with his lover shirt on that he gave up and took his other hand that was playing his nipple out of that end of the shirt to go somewhere else that wasn’t in his way. The other hand that was at his lover jeans still had the button was undone and the zipper down from his earlier advances so he could just slip right on in. The second he squeezed him down there his lover gasped which gave him plenty of opening to take claim of what belonged to him.
With their mouths fusing properly he kept up with the steady pumps with his one hand while his other arm went up and stayed tightly around Eren’s neck. Levi’s own body was fully prepared to accept his lover inside him or to take him instead as he moaned against Eren’s mouth sweetly.
Having the data program for the lover series he knew what to do, but he wanted this to be perfect. So calculating and using his beloved reaction was going to be his best course of action on how to please his lover body to the fullest and then some.
Levi pulled back only momentarily to remove Eren’s sweater as well as removing the only thing he was wearing which was the black t-shirt that covered him. Once Levi was free of his clothes it was clearly evident that he had a tattoo over his heart of an elaborate crown above a shield over crossed rapiers with twin dragons on either side of it. On the band of the crown was the word ‘Reverie’, it was one of the few clues as to who the D.O.L.L. was modeled after. There was also one more tattoo on the D.O.L.L.’s body which was a string of rosebuds encircling his arm inside a black band.
“Mmm? Didn’t you realize Ma Cher? The L stands for Levi… I know that much at least.”
He purred as he pressed his naked body against Eren’s while his hand returned to stroking Eren’s hard cock. Levi’s own cock was clearly pierced with a silver barbell just like his tongue. The only other piercings he had were in his ears, and there were multiple piercings in each.
The D.O.L.L. was very well built and was even made to appear to have very well defined muscles. Even the veins were structure to appear more realistic and model after that man.
“Levi? But, isn't that-”
Eren had lost his words when he shudders in this D.O.L.L. hand it was even harder for him to think with half a brain functioning. Did the D.O.L.L gift himself to him or was it requested by the sender to leave him a message to enjoy the Levi doll?
Eren bit his lower lip he shouldn't enjoy this side of the doll function. It was too perverted for his peace of mind. In fact, he didn't know why he was letting him do this to him now sure it feels good. Extremely good as he released another open mouth moan, he did try to stop him earlier by covering his hand to stop him to move. It was just that his effort was futile when Levi moved his hand faster.
“Levi wait, I ah- I've never had sex before!”
He confessed, was he embarrassed about it? Hell yeah, he was, but at the same time, he wasn't since he never truly had the time for such extracurricular. Being in a relationship was taxing in itself. More so when it cut into his time to doing something more productive for his future career.
“I've never done it, and you're a guy I can't-”
“Eren.”
One of Levi's free hand that wasn’t on his dick placed a finger to his lips to silence him.
“I want you to leave everything to me. Don't be so nervous. Everything we do will become natural. If at any time you want me to stop. I'll stop. I swear to you.”
Eren wavering gaze lowered a little, even now he can still feel Levi hand stroking him. He had been so embarrassed when Levi took his shirt off. But, he was more surprised by the fact that he wasn’t wearing any underpants? Levi had a baggy shirt to cover his rear end, but no boxer. Whoever sent him must be a pervert.
‘Did this person think that I was a pervert too?’
Feeling Levi’s finger brush underneath his chin his head was forced up to look into Levi’s eyes, it was strange to see how hypnotic they were in their complexity. In those eyes, they looked like they really did belong to an actual human as they stared into his own. Levi’s hand slipped up from Eren’s chin to cup his cheek as he continued to hold his gaze.
“I promise you can trust me Eren. I love you more than anything. I will never do anything to hurt or harm you ever… I swear.”
Levi said gently as he brought Eren’s face to his slowly for a slow unhurried kiss. He even slowed the stroking of his hand to match the slowness of the kiss. Slowly Levi kissed down his chin and down his throat. He was watching Eren’s face as he got down lower, slipping his tongue out Levi slid a slow trail to Eren’s nipple before taking it into his mouth to suckle slightly. He even gave it a light nibble. The flinch the boy made was positively refreshing so he took his time ravishing one nipple before attacking the other one to give it equal affection as the first. Slowly he slid the ball of his tongue ring around Eren’s nipple before flickering it the gasp he made is music to his ears. Even the high pitch whine sounded beautiful to his ears when he sucked the nipple in and gave it another nibble. It appears his left nipple was a lot more sensitive to his right, so to test that theory he bit his left nipple a little harder which caused the boy to bend backward in a harsh gasp.
“Does it feel good Ma Cher?”
Levi asked as he slowly moved his way down so he could slide his tongue down Eren’s stomach. The boy didn’t have the strength to keep sitting, but that was fine. This was the perfect position for him to heighten his beloved’s pleasure.
“L-Levi…”
Eren felt Levi’s tongue dipped into his navel and further still the D.O.L.L. was moving further downward. The feel of his cock poking out of his jeans and that Levi leveled a long lick from the base of his cock along the underside to the tip using his tongue piercing. Levi’s silver-blue gaze darkened to the likeness of storm clouds as he watched Eren’s reactions who wither on top of his mattress.
Eren couldn’t see it when he closed his eyes and moaned again much more sweetly, even though he was confused. And a bit scared there was no denying that his curiosity was getting the best of him.
Being touched like this is a first and new experience for him, but having someone who said all the things he said to him… Was a bit heart throbbing and in that sense was it weird for him to feel that way?
“Eren.”
Just by the sound of Levi’s voice made his heart sway and flutter like that of a baby bird batting its wings. Closing his eyes out of sheer embarrassment all he could do was hear and feel the things that were being done to him. It felt weird, but surprisingly enough it felt good. Really really good everything was building up toward a center point. It kept building and building to the point he had to cry out or go mad. His thigh muscle twitching from the amazing spams that was at the pit of his belly centering to his balls. On instinct, he raised his legs up to cross it at the ankle where Levi’s head is in between.
Levi’s mouth was making him want to cry out oh my god, his first experience of ever getting a blow job was amazing. Mind-blowing. Shattering even he couldn’t quite think of any other way to describe it, but having Levi’s pale hand on his darker skin somehow made him the experience even better.
“Oh my god! Ooh god! Soo good!”
He cried bending his body upward his hips thrust up in a powerful surge his hands holding on to the comforter like a lifeline while everything around him exploded and gone white.
“Levi!!”
The D.O.L.L. didn’t let up despite being what he is he swallowed everything down his throat in short muffled moans. The sensation of his hair being held tightly by a man underneath him felt good on his scalp.
Pulling back far enough to feel Eren's legs cupping the back of his neck. He stared at his lover who collapses back down to release the shallow breath. Shuttering in all that beautiful golden brown skin of his.
‘So beautiful.’
The D.O.L.L. thought he was no doubt beautiful when he revealed those beautiful odd eyes of his. One a beautiful gold with a singe of amber flames while the other held a strange teal like blueish green it was so vibrant even as it was hazed out in pleasure.
“Eren.”
Touching his legs he gently pulled them apart, like a cut string his legs fell apart on either side of him. He took that opportunity to climb on top and saddle him with ease. Reaching underneath him Levi slipped a finger inside. The lubricant that was built inside him was a trigger. The thought of taking his lover did come to mind, but he wanted to hear Eren say he can take him. Until then he was more than willing to let his lover take him instead. There will come a time when it will happen though.
Slipping a second finger inside his rectum he wiggled index and middle finger trying to pry it open for the beautiful specimen underneath him. He could tell the younger man was still out of it, his head turning this way and that. He was so cute when he tried to recover from his first orgasm. The cute little moans he makes were stored away inside Levi’s internal data so he can reminisce on it later.
This was the Eren no one knew and he was glad for that.
“Eren.”
Slipping his fingers free from their confinement of his ass he took Eren’s sex in his hand and guided it inside the heart of him. The groan Eren made as he was sheathed by his ass was no doubt intoxicatingly and highly addictive.
“L-Levi-”
Levi wore a satisfying smile on his handsome face when he leaned forward to prompt himself.
“I love you, Eren.”
Having said that he lifted his rear end up and impale himself on Eren’s dick. Up and down Eren’s long beautiful shaft he fucked him with his ass repeatedly. Both of them ended up crying out feeling Eren’s hand on his waist his fingers digging in Levi encouraged him to do what he wanted.
“That's it, Eren. So good.”
He moaned right beside the brunette head.
“Your body knows….exactly what it wants. Just keep thrusting, Baby.”
Having said that he has done a quick scan to Eren’s mental health everything was normal and as it should be. Not once did he hear the word no come out of his beloved's mouth.
“C-cumming…I’m cumming!”
Levi couldn't help the smile when he took Eren's wrist in his hands and pulled him up into a sitting position. It was easy pulling his fingers off his bruising hips shifting his legs he wrapped it around Eren and made himself close to him while he rides him.
“S’okay...let it all out inside me, Ma Cherie.”
And boy did he ever a few quick thrusts and Eren was coming undone a second time with a loud groan. It was adorable how he clutched on to him his odd eyes teary his mouth open and his long arms encircling his entire frame. The fine tremble of Eren’s orgasm made him hic a little bit it was such a cute cry that Levi kissed his eyelid.  It was amazing that Levi could feel the fine shiver from Eren's lean stomach. It went in and out tighten and release as he kept shuddering his arms. Wiping underneath Eren’s eye he wore a satisfying smile.
“You were wonderful.”
The out of response Eren made was twice as cute when he collapsed backward in a messy pile of heap. Of course that caused the D.O.L.L. to chuckle more when Eren cuddled up to a pillow panting.
Truth be told Levi could have gone a few more rounds on him, but considering this was his first time he should probably go easy on him. In the near future, he could work on Eren’s stamina later and he was going to enjoy that teaching very much.
Leaning down he placed a chaste kiss to Eren’s parted lips when he pulled back he had a glow about him when he raised his hip up and slip his lover sex free of him. He would have preferred to having him stay inside him a little while longer. But, his reading told him that Eren was falling asleep fast.
Chuckling again Levi moved to the side of him and circled his arm around him. Pulling him in close he held him there just long enough for Eren to be in a deep sleep.
Once Eren was under he got up and looked for a bathroom he had committed the place to memory while he grabbed two clean wash rag and a towel. One of the wash towel he made soapy while the other one he made it wet. He made sure it was warm and rung out a bit before he returned to Eren. Cleaning him up was the first priority and when he finished drying him. He picked Eren up bridal style to carry him to a different room where he placed him on a clean bed of the guestroom.
Shifting his hair out of his face he left him to do his chores which were to automatically clean himself up and then the entire house by starting off in Eren's room before making his rounds.
Mapping the house and committing it to memory was easy to use for future reference which he had stored in the front lobe of his mind.
He enjoyed cleaning, but he was a bit irk there was dust hiding in the crack and canvas behind pieces of furniture and window seals. The place may look beautiful and squeaky clean like a picture, but once he rubbed his gloved fingers across the surface. He had the look of disgust.
“There's no way in hell I’m letting Eren live in such a filthy place.”
It took him a little over six hours to clean, but once he was done- no once he was satisfied with the result and his compulsion was no longer trigger to clean did he slip back upstairs to carry his lover from the guest room to his rightful bedroom did he slip in between the cover sheet and pulled Eren to him. His eyelid slowly began to blink before he too shut down into rest mode he had Eren head on his chest and in response Eren whole body pressed up to him his leg thrown over one of his. The two slept a restful sleep neither one aware of the other presence lurking beside Eren it was sleeping just like the two who were sleeping on the king-sized bed.
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galadrieljones · 5 years
Text
A Funeral: Chapter 1 (Arthur x Mary Beth)
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Fandom: Red Dead Redemption 2 | Pairing: Arthur x Mary Beth | Rating: Mature
Content: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Touch-Starved, Humor, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Fake Marriage, Epiphanies, Backstory, Banter, Deep Emotions, Sharing a Bed, Swimming, Arthur to the Rescue, Forests, Abduction, Angst, Heavy Angst, Mutual Pining
Summary: To help her process Sean’s death, Mary Beth asks Arthur to take her on a hunting trip, somewhere far away. He agrees, and on their journey, they find quietude and take comfort in their easy bond. In their desperate search for meaning together, they endure a number of trials, some small, some big—all of which bring them closer to one another as well as to the future, and to the unchecked dangers of the natural world.
Thanks @bearly-tolerable for the lovely banner!! <3
For the rest of this story, you can visit the masterpost, or find me on AO3 as galadrieljones. Links to both can be found in the replies to this post. ^_^
Chapter 1: A Proposal
It was morning, and the sun was creeping, and he was on his third cigarette with his hands in the soil, picking thyme flowers. They grew like wild out here. He had removed his gloves and set them back on the saddle where Sarah shuffled against the brush, her big hooves. He took enormous comfort in the sounds of her hooves like they were a mother’s voice or the touch of a woman.
When he returned to camp, it was still quiet. This swamp country stank. He did not take well to it. In ways he wished to return to the mountains where at least the air felt clean of infectious filth. His lungs hardened. In the swamp everything was soft and this made it feel like sinking. Even his internal organs felt soft. His skin, his eyes. Everything but his hands, which were hard leather mitts, but that was an old complaint that only women noticed anymore. The other day, he picked up a bucket of water for Mary Beth, and she commented on them, asking if she could see.
“Your knuckles are cracked to high heaven, Arthur Morgan.” That is what she said as she held one of his big stupid hands in hers. He knew it was not a compliment. Mary Beth was canny. She would read her books and write in their margins with the fountain pen he had brought for her, a thing he’d found in a dark corner of some abandoned cottage near Emerald Station. Sometimes, she got the ink on her hands, which were much softer than his, in the winter regions and in the swamps. He carried that bucket for her that day and he filled it for the wash, which she would later do, and any time she did it, he swore his shirts came out smelling more like lavender than before.
He put all the thyme in a basket, which he carried back to camp, holding Sarah by her reins. He spat and smoked and chewed a little tobacco and then he found a little mint, which he chewed as well and some of which he stored for later. His eyes were tired but his back still felt strong. He did not think of himself as a young man or old. In fact, he did not think of himself much at all.
He gave the thyme to Miss Grimshaw. Tilly said hello to him and showed him some of her knitting. She was good at little things like that, he so often thought. He fed the horses with help from Lenny who then went away to brood quietly beneath a Tupelo. The day was coming alive. He heard Jack’s voice somewhere and the dog. He did not want to go too near the fire for fear that he would be harangued by one of the boys, and he was not in the mood. He did not feel like robbing that day.
He went back to the house to find Mary Beth, a sort of habit. She was out on the porch, doing her reading and her writing in the margins as usual. She had her hair out of her braids and a cup of coffee and a piece of bread on a tin plate. When he came out onto the porch the floorboards creaked, and she looked up as if alarmed. But she kind of smiled a little sly when she saw him, and as usual, he felt a little dumb but it was all right. He lit another cigarette and stood out there, just looking at the unlucky country that was the swamp. He breathed and felt that smoke rattling in his swampy lungs.
“Hi, Arthur,” she said, not looking up from her book.
He had his hands on his hips. He went and sat down on the other side of the sofa. It was a cold and ragged sofa. It barely had any stuffing left at all. “My lady,” he said, absentminded. He rested his elbows on his knees for a minute. He leaned and took his journal out his back pocket. He thought he might maybe sketch a dumb plant or something. Maybe the surface of the water and how it did not hardly move.
They sat like that for a while. No talking. It was only the scratching of their pencils. Out front of the house you could hear Bill getting his bullshit on first thing in the morning, and Karen who seemed to cackle, and more Jack playing round with the dog. Abigail had grown a little sullen since his kidnapping and return. John went to her each night now. Arthur didn’t much know or care what had begun to rekindle between them, if anything at all, but he did notice a change. For the better, of course, when it came to the happiness of the boy.
“Arthur,” said Mary Beth after a little while.
“Yes,” said Arthur. He had sketched a dense stretch of pussy willow. For all of its despair, the swamp did make for nice scenery.
Mary Beth closed her book. She straightened up then as if she were about to say something important. Arthur looked at her. “What’s the matter?” he said.
“Remember when Sean died,” she said, looking at him. She was concerned.
He bit the insides of his cheeks like an old habit. “I do.”
She sighed like she felt stupid. “I’m sorry.”
“Go on, Mary Beth. What’s on your mind?”
She turned to him with her knees. Somewhere, there was a big, ugly sound like a gaggle of birds, pitching off into the daylight. “Afterward, you kind of…disappeared.”
“I don’t know that I’d call that disappearing, Mary Beth,” said Arthur. “Disappearing is disappearing. You don’t come back.”
“You know what I mean,” she said. “It was almost two weeks before you returned.
“And?”
“Where did you go?” she said. She had begun to examine her fingernails. “We was all wondering. The girls. You know we worry about you.”
“I know.” He waved her off. He fashioned a toothpick from behind his ear and set it between his teeth. “Ain’t no reason to worry.”
“Yeah well, you would say that.”
“I was hunting,” said Arthur. He looked at her. She had a calm disposition but there were storms inside. “I took my old horse, Diana. We rode north of the Grizzlies. We camped the whole way and we hunted a bison.”
“A bison?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mary Beth got quiet in her hands and face. “That is what you did, then? To process his passing.”
Arthur sighed. He wrung his hands a little. “I suppose. It wasn’t much.”
“It is though,” she said. She was getting earnest now. She had red cheeks. “Was it something?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, was it something? Getting away like that. Being up there, just you and Diana.”
“Diana didn’t much like it,” said Arthur, smiling. “I retired her shortly thereafter. Her hooves took a beating on those trails.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do,” he said, chewing that toothpick. “You holding up okay? I know you and Sean was close.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” said Mary Beth, shrugging. She set the book aside and looked out at the swampy expanse. “He was kind of a fuck-up.”
Arthur laughed. “Ain’t we all.”
“You held him tight though,” she said, looking. “You were good to him, even though he had it coming.”
“He was young,” said Arthur.
“Some of the girls said you felt responsible. But it wasn’t your doing. It wasn’t Arthur. Nobody blames you but you.”
Arthur did not speak.
Flies were buzzing everywhere all around them, like a symphony. It was hot out, and very humid.
“I should say, I would like to go hunting,” said Mary Beth, after a little while.
“You?” he said. “A hunter?”
“After mama died I hunted some.”
Arthur laughed. “Shooting snakes with bb guns ain’t hunting, Mary Beth.”
She shoved him. “It was a rifle,” she said. “And it wasn’t snakes. I shot a squirrel.”
“A squirrel?” He acted impressed. “That would be a sight to see.”
They both smiled. “I would like to go hunting for something big,” she said. “Arthur. I need to process all of this, too. I am so bored, I think the pleats in my skirt have lost their stick.”
“That would be the humidity, I expect,” he said.
“Please?” she said.
“Please what?”
“Next time you go, hunting. For something big, far away. Camping and such. Breathing the air. Let me come with you.”
He gave her a look. “You’re serious?”
“Yes, sir.”
He raised his eyebrows, considering her offer. “It ain’t all romantic in the sights of nature,” he said. “It ain’t comfortable living out there, Mary Beth. The way I do things.”
“I know that,” she said. “You don’t think I understand uncomfortable living, Arthur Morgan?”
“No, I didn’t mean that,” said Arthur. “I know you can hold your own.”
“Then let me come with you.”
“I don’t know the next time I’ll be going, Mary Beth. These ain’t really affairs that take much planning. I pretty much just get on my horse and ride.”
“I am just as good at that as you are.”
“Riding horses?”
“No, Arthur. Living spontaneously.”
Arthur thought on this. He had never considered his way of life to be spontaneous. He often felt over-encumbered by the knowledge he was forced to use forever when stepping into the dangers of the wilderness. “You may be right,” he said after a little while. “And I suppose you have a point.”
“So you’ll take me with you?”
“That, I will,” said Arthur, sending a smile. “I don’t know when. Could be tomorrow. Could be in two weeks.”
Mary Beth was overtaken with excitement. She grabbed his face. She kissed him on the temple, smelling like apples. “I will be ready,” she said, and she got up to go, like she was going to get ready right now.
“Where you going?” he said, still sitting there. He liked her company.
“Got to prepare,” she said. “Mentally. I got another book I want to read.”
“We ain’t going this instant.”
“I know, Arthur Morgan,” she said, smiling. She left her book. “I know.”
When she was gone, he looked at her book and how it was perfectly sitting there, some shimmery thread in the binding. Out on the swamp he saw one of those gators then, just sitting there like a lump. It was a dumbass but it was a danger to the undiscerning. He got up to go warn the caretakers of the camp, and then to get his rifle off his horse, for he was going to shoot it dead.
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