Tumgik
#you can always send sth in
americaswritings · 2 years
Note
hi! are requests open?
Hi! You can always send in ideas for the characters/ships I'm writing for, and I will try to write it! :) But I don't want to make promises I can't keep so that's why I am a bit hesitant when it comes to calling it requests ^^
0 notes
shadowxamyweek · 4 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
[Amy's smile shifts, softening as she drops her gaze to their entwined hands. She chews her lip in silence. Shadow can't help but watch. On the roof above, the rest of the party has found its way outside and is getting ready. There's chatter, and laughter, but in this moment, it feels as though it could have been leagues away.] [Amy takes a deep breath, then looks back up to meet Shadow's gaze.] Amy: Can I kiss you now? [Shadow stiffens. Their eyes dart from the dark sky back to Amy's face. Amy can't help but giggle.] Amy: I know it's not midnight yet, but... [She moves forward, slowly, giving Shadow an out, but they don't take it. They stand there and shiver as her thumbs brush along the backs of their knuckles and her breath tickles their face. [Shadow's eyes are wide, glowing in the dark. Being this close, they are all Amy can see.] Shadow: ...Yes. [Trepidatiously, Shadow leans in, and Amy follows suit, closing her eyes.] [It's not a great kiss, by all technicality. Few would even call it good. Noses bump, lips still randomly in trembling confused panic, and neither party knows what to do about the fact that the other's teeth exist.]
[Yet by the same token, that is what makes it absolutely wonderful.] [Their friends on the floor above begin to count down, and Amy is just aware of it enough to open her eyes and find Shadow never shut theirs.] [Amy can't help but laugh, and Shadow's face cracks into a smile at the joy.] [The fireworks go off. Their friends start screaming. All across the city there is cheering and singing and crying. Meanwhile, without a word spoken between them, they lean in and try again, slowly getting accustomed to the two of them, now, together.]
28 notes · View notes
adore-gregor · 10 months
Text
So I could really use some advice
#on a guy#if he actually likes me#because i'm really oblivious and i can't tell for sure from any signs he might give#but there could be a lot of signs 😂#so if anyone can help me out or tell me your opinion 🙈#it's a guy i go to uni with and had a class with we're now friends and hang out a lot ☺️ but maybe it could become sth more...#well i really like him he's so nice fun to be around easy to talk to and so supportive 🥰#actually i think i never liked a guy like him 🥺 because all the things i'm scared or worried about in a relationship are less so with him..#and i think maybe it really could work while otherwise i often just wanna 'escape' not literally but you know#so we saw each other a lot lately like every week or more often than once a week#and he also texts me a lot or just randomly called me to ask me things or make plans :)#he just send me a youtube video link i need to look at it later 😄#when we meet we always hug as a greeting and goodbye 🥹#also he had a gf until april so i'm not sure if he'd be ready already but anyway#and we always talk about lots of things and he's so interested in what i have to say#we onced talked for like two hours in front of the door at night 😂#when we meet and go eat something he always pays for me and i kinda feel bad about it 😅#because it must cost him so much money so last time at the cinema i insisted to pay haha#and he finds it really cool that i play tennis and didn't mind i spend so much time doing it#bc i met some guy who didn't so much because it meant i have less time to see him ig#but that's really respectful#and he always compliments me about so many things#also once we took a selfie together which i then sent him and he was like that he's unphotogenic on it unlike me#which i didn't know how to react because i never look photogenic#so i was like “noo that's not true i'm the most unphotogenic person ever normally”#and he was like “i can’t believe that” which i don't see but 😂#and yeah he played tennis with me after i asked him if he wanted and he also always offers me his help#when i was decorating my room if i need help with carrying or he often wants to carry my bag#and he sent me old childhood pictures of him and just funny one so did i then#he also sent me one of the sweetest good luck messages before i played a tennis match for my club 🥹
8 notes · View notes
vanilladove · 5 months
Note
♡ Helloo, I saw that your requests are open, so can I request being the wife of Jouno [: ? Just Hcs and if you want a scenario (or sth else)
I'm gonna leave the rest up to you, I hope you have fun writing it and Thank you ^^
ugh i absolutely love jouno😻 he's so underrated, and i think this trope is adorable ♥︎ i added some spicy stuff oops
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
png creds eundior
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ pairing: jouno x wife!reader
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ genre: fluff + suggestive (sex mentions)
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ content warnings: some nsfw content in the last section; read at your own discretion
Tumblr media
~in general...
Husband!Jouno is the definition of "when he hates everyone but you". He only shows his soft side to you.
Gifted you a matching red rope earring with a bell that you wear on the opposite ear ♥︎
Despite making fun of and degrading literally everyone on the daily, Jouno craves your praise to the point where he'll get needy and start begging for reassurance lol.
Gets sassy during arguments/when you haven't given him enough praise and will use his ability to dissipate into thin air every time you get close to him until you eventually cave in and apologize/compliment him XD
Since he still needs to fulfill his evil urges but doesn't want to offend you, he resorts to teasing and excessive flirting. Won't give you any peace bc he picks up on every reaction.
Bc he’s constantly snarky and rude to others, his love language is words of affirmation since he saves his kindness for you.
~relationship dynamics
Extremely protective & possessive: whenever you're both in public, he always has an arm wrapped around you or on your shoulder; whenever passerbys ogle you or try to signal dirty things to you (they usually try stuff bc they notice that Jouno's blind), he always calls them out menacingly, threatening them enough to send them running away in fear.
Becomes your primary provider, basically making you a housewife lol. He would justify you not working/make you work from home bc he wants to keep you safe from people targeting him for being a Hunting Dog/ex-criminal executive.
When he's stressed after a busy day of mocking tecchou work, the first thing he does when he comes home is cuddle with you and listen to your heartbeat...it's basically like his white noise/comfort sound :,(
Basically your entire presence comforts him, probably lowkey develops attachment issues like a needy kitten hehe
Not much privacy between you two bc of his Super Senses™. He knows your heartbeat and "default" body settings (breathing patterns, fidgets, etc.) better than his own.
Because of this, he always wins arguments or gets the last word...
"Hmmph. I'm not mad"
"Yeah? Wanna explain why your heartbeat got faster then? Or why you exhaled loudly?"
"..."
"Ur mad :p"
You guys probably listen to ASMR together lol
Never strays too far from you and always is wrapped around you: hugging you from behind + resting his chin on your shoulder/kissing your neck whenever you're cooking or shopping for groceries.
Brings your home-cooked meals to work everyday (they're his fav food) and brags about how good his wife's food is (especially to Tecchou)
"An unrefined idiot like you would never understand the luxury of a wife's--what the hell, Tecchou? Are you putting chocolate syrup on your sushi?"
Since he’s blind, most of his compliments are about your personality and actions. He goes crazy from your signature perfume and prefers when you wear soft clothes (they’re the best for cuddling).
Occasionally, he’ll comment on how beautiful you are, even though he can’t actually see you. Whenever you mention that, he responds that he “just knows it’s true”. Otherwise, I think he would give you cheesy compliments about how you have “a beautiful aura” and stuff like that lol.
Husband!Jouno’s the type to easily become a yandere…
~spicy🤫
Husband!Jouno is a big fan of phone sex since he's needy and can't stand being away from you or not hearing your voice.
Likes eating you out/fingering you bc he can hear the heartbeat down there.
Forces you to not hide your voice, but doesn't actually care since he can still clearly hear your muffled moans.
An expert at dirty talk and won't shut up during sexy time...hopefully you have a praise/degrading kink...
Even though he mostly stays gentle with you, I think he still has a bit of a dacryphilia kink and is into impact play + rough sex bc of his past personality (。-∀-)
~fluffy vignette ♥︎
*KNOCK KNOCK*
"...."
Jouno already knew who was aggressively pounding on his office door. The two biggest idiots in the Hunting Dogs: Teruko and Tecchou. He scrunched his nose as a foul odor from behind the door crept up on him. Whatever it was, he wanted it gone. He had a plan: pretend he wasn't there until they lef--
"Oi, Jouno, we know you're in there! Open up, Damn it! Your captain's commanding you!" Teruko demanded in her usual high-pitched squeaky voice, now banging on the door. Still in line with his original plan, Jouno only remained silent since the last thing he wanted was to let the two smelly intruders into his clean, precious space.
"Captain, maybe he's not in there. It is almost lunch time, so he--" Tecchou started.
"Shut up! We already checked the break room, so--" Teruko suddenly went silent as her hand passed over the door knob, "Hey, it's unlocked..." Jouno winced as he heard her twist the knob and storm in along with Tecchou--not reacting fast enough to use his ability and escape the scene. He cringed as the smell assualted his senses; it was one that was too familiar--Captain Fukuchi's vomit. He impulsively plugged his nose as his face twisted. "See, Techhou, told'ya he was in here. What do have to say for yourself, huh, Jouno?"
Jouno only turned away disgustedly. "I didn't open the door for a reason, Captain. Some of us value hygiene around here. Plus you two stink--unless you're here for a reason, disrespectfully, leave." Jouno coughed dramatically, "I'm about to pass out."
Shock crossed Teruko and Tecchou's faces from the blatant rudeness, and before his hot-headed senior could go off on Jouno for 'disrespecting his elders', Tecchou butted in. "The captain threw up after drinking too much again, so we tried to clean it up since he has a meeting in an hour, but the smell won't go away, even though we tried everything." He clenched his fists sadly, "I even put flowers all over the pile on it to cover up the smell...I guess they died for nothing..."
Flowers? Over a pile of vomit? Now Jouno didn't know if he was going to pass out from the stench or the idiocy of his coworkers. Teruko sighed deeply, "After that, I tried using air freshener, but that made it smell worse somehow...Anyways, we were going to ask you if you knew where the bleach is."
"You two...Did you both lose all your braincells?" Jouno couldn't be more disappointed in everyone, starting with his raging alcoholic of a captain. Next, he turned to Tecchou, "What kind of moron uses flowers for cleaning? We're the Hunting Dogs, not the Hunting Fairies" He sighed as he felt a migraine forming, "God, I wish you would just di--" Jouno paused when he heard a familiar chime in the distance. Once he had confirmed a special someone's footsteps, he took off running, yelling to "call the janitors" and leaving the two confused behind him.
You sighed as you walked into the break room, bowing politely to thank the security guard for leading you there. You placed the lunchbox down on a table and held your face in embarrassment. You'd unknowingly slept in this morning and didn't have enough time to make or pack Jouno's lunch. It'd become an unspoken norm between the two of you to wake up at the same time, and you would cook a meal and stock up Jouno's work snacks while he got ready. Even though he never asked you to do it before, it became a habit after you'd gotten married. He'd always tease you about your "cute little housewife tendencies" like he wasn't the one who'd secretly made you into one. You were just about to call him to say you were there until you felt a strong pair of arms swiftly wrap around you.
"I missed you~" Your husband expressed, pulling you into a chair and seating you on his lap. You yelped as he buried his head into your chest and inhaled your scent. He adored the scent of your favorite perfume and the way you smelled like your shared home--like his. Jouno groaned as he drowned out the world listening to your heartbeat and you both shared an intimate moment of silence.
Smiling to yourself, you ran your fingers through his soft white hair as he pulled you closer. It was clear that he was stressed. "What's wrong, dear?" You asked, massaging his temples.
You giggled as he explained the situation and rubbed his shoulders. "Ah, I see. That sounds like something those two would do..." You looked down to the original reason you came, "Oh, right! I brought your lunch--it's your favorite," you paused, "Sorry for sleeping in today...You should've said something to wake me up..."
Jouno finally dug his head out of your chest to look up at you. "Oh, about that, I didn't wake you up on purpose. Your breathing was just so peaceful that I didn't want to disturb you..." You pursed your lips at that. "Besides, I knew you'd come to visit me at work! It's a win-win situation in the end!" You blushed at your husband's teasing; he'd won another one of his silly games yet again.
"Jeez...just wake me up next time...Anyways, I bought you some strawberry cake since there's a bakery close to the headquarters! Think of it as a thanks for all your hard work!" You perked, kissing his forehead lightly. It definitely wasn't meant to be an apology cake or bought because you were craving sweets.
"Yeah?" Jouno smirked, reveling in your praise. He caressed your sides, "My hard work, huh? What else about me are you thankful for?" You pouted as you realized you'd just been caught in a compliment trap--how gullible you were. It didn't help that Jouno was looking up straight at you and kneading your soft skin over your long dress.
Blushing, you started, "I'm thankful that you take care of me and our home. You're the bust cuddle partner...You have pretty hair and a nice voice, you're strong and..." You were about to continue until you looked to see Jouno's flushed face, he nuzzled into your chest again, muttering "I love you" lowly.
You beamed at the precious sight and lifted your husband's face up to yours. "I love you too, Jouno, so much." You brought your lips to his and kissed him sweetly, your red nails tugging softly on his hair and drawing quiet groans from him. He passionately kissed you back, hugging you tightly and angling your face to deepen the kiss, noting the way your heartbeat got faster and how your muscles relaxed in ease.
You pulled away suddenly after hearing koncks on the door, much to Jouno's disappointment. "It's just the janitor, we can still--"
"It's fine," You sighed, gently getting up from his lap and fixing your dress, "I'm meeting with some friends soon, so I should get going. You've got stuff to get back to, too. The world still needs saving!" Jouno pouted at that, missing your warmth on him and the sound of your pulse in his ears. "I'll see you at home, then. Keep up the good work!" You jokingly patted his head and turned away towards the door before he quickly grabbed the lunchbox and took your hand. He didn't want you to leave him just yet.
"W-wait, I'll walk you out. This place is big, so you might get lost. Security might not let you out since they won't recognize you. And there might be someone suspicious outsi--"
You giggled at his rambling, "Okay, I get it. Let's go~" You pulled him along and he wrapped his arm around your waist to lead you to the exit. He couldn't believe how utterly whipped he'd become for you, his beloved wife. His cheeks were red like the tips of his hair as he held your face and kissed you goodbye, watching as you drove away.
While the world knew Jouno as a sadistic ex-criminal fighting for justice, only you knew his soft side as a devoted and loving husband that would do anything for his pretty wife ♥︎
Tumblr media
511 notes · View notes
Note
Hi sweetheart, hope you’re good<3
Could you write sth for Matilda and Lucas? Whatever you’d like but I’m getting all mushy on the idea of them understanding each other without words and all
Note: me too! I starred thinking about it and I melted! 🥹🫠 I hope you're well too!
Even though Lando and Oscar would spend a lot of the time in media duties, they still wanted their little ones close to them so they could spend a little time with them on their breaks.
While their mothers engaged in conversation, Lucas and Matilda sat at the table with their arts and crafts kits open. They were both quiet kids but they understood eachother without having to speak many words.
Matilda would always make sure her crayons were within arms reach for Lucas, and the little boy would always notice whenever she needed something and make sure she could have it, like right now, when he noticed her crayon needed to be sharpened, gently handing her the sharpener with a sweet smile on his face.
"Thank you, Lucas", Matilda whispered gently as she took it, a sweet smile on her face too.
They drew on each of their drawings until it was done before Lucas pulled a big A3 sheet of paper from his folder, "my mummy said we could draw on this together, do you want to do that?", he asked.
Matilda nodded, grabbing some of her pens and spreading them out so he could use them too, starting to draw flowers on the paper. Lucas followed her, doing his best to make sure they complimented her pink and purple flowers. They easily found a scheme: Matilda would draw the petals, colouring them in and then Lucas would follow with the glittery yellow pen to colour in the middle, ending up with about a quarter of the page covered in flowers in all colours and shapes.
Lucas thought it would look nice with some rainbows, so he started drawing them, this time with Matilda following his lead as they drew the coloured arches.
After tidying up, they both got up and walked up to a magnetic wall, their mothers always keeping an eye on them, and grabbed some magnets to hold their drawing up.
"Hey, Tilly", Lando cooed as he and Oscar walked up the stairs, seeing their children looking at the drawing.
"Did you draw that with Matilda, little man?", Oscar asked as Lucas hugged his legs, nodding in response, "it looks really good", he complimented.
"Looks really pretty, baby", Lando smiled, pulling his daughter up on his hip and kissing her cheek, "let's go to mummy, hm? We can all have lunch together".
(Thank you for sending this in ✨️)
245 notes · View notes
bluebeary-jay · 10 months
Text
scattered thoughts / sharp focus
Tumblr media
Joel Miller x f!Reader
Summary: Joel is taken away from you and upon finding him almost-dead... something in you snaps ((kinda part 2 to clouded judgment / clear mind, but you don't necessarily need to read that one))
Tags: ANGST, angst with happy ending, near death experiences, Joel has surprisingly little screen time but you'll see he was there in spirit
Warnings: REALLY graphic descriptions of violence, small panic attacks, KINDA torture(?) 😳, choking, lemme know if i missed something
Word count: 7.5K
A/N: i can't believe i've finally finished it! i aimed for a worthy successor to cj/cm aaand i hope i managed but jeez was it hard. also i told myself i won't be writing sth like that again but i kinda have an idea for the final part (would be hurt/comfort 🤭) so let me know if it's sth you'd like to read. anyway as always happy reading!! 💕🥰 comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated, i absolutely love seeing what you think of my fics!
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
You swallowed your tears and rested the chin on your hands, trying to push back the wave of panic threatening to drown you.
“Tell me again.”
Tommy sighed, his own eyes empty and worried.
“I don’t know who those guys were, but they obviously knew Joel. There was a dark man leadin’ them, and I think he had somethin’ wrong with his lip, but it was too far for me to take a good look. The group consisted of five, maybe six people? And I shot one of them, but he appeared to still be alive when they were leavin’.”
You were silent for a couple of seconds, trying to make sense of it all.
“And where did they take him?”
“I reckon to the old ski resort on the top of the mountain. We ventured pretty far from here to investigate these tracks.”
You nodded and steeled yourself, taking a deep, trembling breath and quickly drying your tears.
“Okay. I’m going.”
“You’re not.” Maria leaned over the table, her expression unyielding. “The decision is final.”
“I am going,” you repeated fiercely, slamming the flat of your hand against the tabletop, but Tommy gave you a stern look, which made you bite your tongue. “Look, I get that you don’t want to lose even more people in a rescue mission–”
“This is not what it’s about,” Maria retorted, almost looking hurt by your words. “Believe me, if I wasn’t carrying another human being inside me, I’d already be going after them. But you have to take other things into consideration.”
“She’s right,” Tommy spoke up quietly, though equally irritably, and you turned sharply to look at him in disbelief. “The route to the resort is very advantageous to fall into an ambush. They could shoot us off like ducks and we’d have nowhere to hide.”
“I don’t care,” you ground out, looking from one to the other. “We can’t leave Joel. He’s your family, for goddamn–”
“You think I don’t know that?!” shouted Tommy abruptly, bringing his hand down onto the table, too. “He’s my fucking brother and was family way before you were even born!”
“Tommy.” Maria kicked him under the table, keeping one hand on her belly. Her husband flared his nostrils, clearly agitated by your words, but you were too angry yourself to care right now. You two glared at each other for some time before Tommy clenched his fists and turned around.
“M’goin’ to get some air,” he said gloomily over his shoulder, already at the door leading outside. Maria sighed and looked at you again.
“Please. Don’t do anything stupid, and I swear I’ll send a group out as soon as this blizzard ends.”
“He can be long dead by then,” you answered gravely, really set off by Tommy’s reaction and his words. You tried to will your tear ducts to hold any signs of stress and worry, not wanting to show your friend how broken and helpless you felt inside. “If it was me, he’d already be halfway there to save me, Maria.”
“I know. But just think about it. If something happens to you…” She shook her head. “How do you think I’d be able to look Joel in the eyes and explain why… how…”
She genuinely seemed at a loss of words, and you sighed, rubbing your eyes tiredly.
“I understand where you’re coming from, I really do. But I need to get him home, Maria. I have to.”
With that, you stood up, feeling like you were going to suffocate if you stayed in the room any longer. You didn’t look back even when you heard Maria calling your name softly.
There wasn’t any sense in discussing the matter with any of them – you made up your mind to go and save Joel and there was no way anyone would make you stay. He wouldn’t hesitate to go and get you if anyone dared to lay a hand on you.
You remembered that one time when he killed a group of men who wanted to use you as a bargaining chip to gain entry to Jackson. And how afterward you told him you’d do the same for him, unable to bear the painful and guilty expression on his face.
Now you planned on doing just that.
You were scared – of course you were, you weren’t stupid – and the nerves were practically eating you alive, gnawing at your bones and hurting your muscles from the inside out.
But the worst was the fear of never seeing Joel again. Of something happening to him. And you couldn’t live with yourself if you didn’t at least try…
“I’m coming with you.”
Your head snapped to the side. There stood Ellie – dressed in a warm jacket and a hat that didn’t cover her ears. Her eyes were full of fire, and you recognized the anger and determination in her expression as the same which were almost suffocating you.
Of course she was eavesdropping on the conversation. It was Joel that it was about, after all, her dad in all but one sense.
And suddenly you understood what Maria meant by not being able to look Joel in the eyes if something happened to you.
“No,” you said curtly, walking past her and out onto the street in the direction of your house.
“I’m not asking for permission.” Ellie was right behind you, and the force of her steps showed just how angry and frustrated she was – just like you felt. “I know you’re gonna go after those guys, and I’m coming with you.”
“You’re not,” you repeated more sternly, not turning around to face her. You reached your house and fumbled to open the door. “You’re staying and that’s fina–”
You stopped yourself and sighed, pressing your forehead against the wooden surface.
It was unfair. You were unfair. If those exact words spoken by Maria have set you off so much, you wouldn’t be surprised if Ellie…
“You’re not my fucking mom, remember?” the girl barked angrily, and you let out a shuddering breath, stressed to your limits with everything that happened in the last few hours. “You can’t tell me what I can and can’t do just because you’re older!”
It’s okay. It’s gonna be fine. Everything is gonna be okay.
“I know,” you whispered after a couple of seconds of silence, still not turning around. “I’m sorry.”
Ellie didn’t answer. You repeated your quiet mantra and glanced over your shoulder at her. “But Ellie, I… I can’t let you go. Joel would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
Jesus. Exactly like Maria.
Ellie still looked pissed at your earlier words, and she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Well, you’re not the only one who cares about him, you know?”
“Yeah, I know. But you’re the one he cares about the most.”
Ellie opened her mouth. Closed it and furrowed her eyebrows, but the irritation in her eyes dimmed. You gave her a small, apologetic smile, trying not to burst into tears.
“He’s gonna be fine, you know,” you lied smoothly, opening the door. “And Maria said she’ll send a group to retrieve him as soon as the storm eases up a bit.”
You didn’t even need to look to know that she didn’t believe you. To be honest, you wouldn’t believe yourself either in this situation.
You waited several seconds to see if the girl wanted to say something else, but after a few moments she spun on her heel and went back, not saying anything. You stared after her, but when the thick snow made her figure just a fuzzy shape, you gently closed the door and pressed the heels of your hands to your eyes.
It’s going to be fine. You’ll get Joel back and all will be okay.
You took a couple of deep – albeit shaky – breaths to pull yourself together, and when you were pretty sure you weren’t about to start crying, you made your way into the kitchen. And stopped short.
At your table sat Tommy, fiddling with his thumbs.
“Fuck, Tommy,” you mumbled, trying to calm down your pounding heart. “You scared the crap out of me.”
The younger Miller looked up, but stayed silent. You looked at each other for a few tense moments, but ultimately you sighed and left him in the kitchen, going to your room to get a backpack and another, more fitting, set of clothes.
He was still there when you returned to the kitchen with your stuff, but you didn’t even pretend you weren’t preparing to head out. The man watched silently as you put the backpack down by the door, went to retrieve and reload your gun, and gathered some essentials on the table, not once glancing in his direction.
You were persistent in ignoring Tommy’s presence, but then he finally spoke up.
“We can go before dawn. I’ll get the horses ready and we will take the fourth gate.”
You froze and stopped what you were doing, then turned around and placed your hand on your hip.
“We can’t take horses up there. Not in this weather.”
“We’ll leave them at the fifteenth checkmark. That place in the East where there are so many swallows durin’ spring.”
You nodded, and your gaze softened when you looked him over. Tommy was just as worried about Joel as you were, you knew it. He was just better at hiding it.
“I’m sorry for what I said,” you murmured, feeling terrible that in such a short amount of time, it was a second person you were apologizing to. “But you know I have to go after him. You know that.”
“Fuck,” he swore quietly, sighing. “Yeah, I know. There’s no way I ain’t goin’ either. Just… I just hate doing somethin’ behind Maria’s back.”
You didn’t answer – because what could you say? That he didn’t have to go with you? As much as you wanted to save Joel, pretending not to care about the dangers or anyone’s opinion, you knew you’d probably die if you went alone. But it didn’t mean you were going to ignore all that Tommy was risking by coming along with you.
“You don’t have to, Tommy,” you whispered. “You have your wife to think about, after all. And your–”
“I know,” he interrupted glumly. “Don’t worry. All of us will come back.”
You nodded. You really hoped he was right.
*****
At first, everything was going according to plan.
At least, until Ellie decided to show up.
She surprised both you and Tommy a couple of miles outside of Jackson, probably thinking that it was far enough that you won’t try to send her away.
You tried anyway. You were understandably furious, not only because she didn’t listen to you, but also that she trailed after you both for so long in this weather. Her reveal caused a short screaming match and a couple of nervous tears shed by you, but eventually you and Tommy decided it’d be more dangerous to make Ellie go back to Jackson alone. So she continued with you to the house where you left your horses, then past it and in the direction of the ski resort.
You didn’t know how many people were at the resort, and there were only the two of you – well, three, counting Ellie, but no matter her stubbornness, you weren’t going to let her go in – and an attack was too risky in this situation.
So you decided to sneak in. To distract and draw the kidnappers’ attention long enough for you to get Joel out.  It was still stupidly risky, but it wasn’t like there were much more options that wouldn’t end in those guys killing all of you. The plan was that Tommy would find a vantage point and be on guard to take down any threats with his sniper rifle if you were noticed, while you go get Joel.
Ellie… Ellie didn’t take no for an answer. And as much as you hated that she tagged along on this dangerous rescue mission, you had to admit that she came prepared. Apparently some time ago Joel taught her how to make trap mines and she pitched the idea of planting some up the mountain to create an avalanche.
Well, you and Tommy were both very much against setting off a full-blown avalanche, but it wasn’t a bad idea per se. So it was agreed that Tommy will help her set the bombs in some strategic places while you wait for a signal to go in.
The sneaking in part was surprisingly easy. The people staying there didn’t leave any guards outside, probably because they didn’t expect that someone would actually look for them in this weather, and it seemed that there weren’t that many of them inside like you feared. You had a vague idea where Joel might be, based on the positioning of the people present, so you reckoned it’ll be the wisest to wait nearby.
It took about an hour of hiding in one of the empty rooms (you had to change your hiding spot once, because someone decided to randomly sweep the perimeter) before you heard distant explosions and panicked, angry yells, and then a rumble of the mountain. You suspected a fair amount of snow was falling down the slope, and you prayed that Ellie and Tommy were in a safe place when that happened.
You heard the sound of footsteps getting further away. Then more of it. It was eerily silent, and you counted to ten in your head, before slowly exiting your hiding spot.
Just as you suspected, Joel was held in the lobby, tied to one of the decorative columns, and even though his back was to you, you’d recognize him anywhere, even by hands or the back of his head alone. A quick glance around the room confirmed that there was no one around, but still you preferred to stay on guard. You silently tip-toed to where he was sitting on the floor, mindful of all the debris scattered on the floor and keeping your head low, and breathed a sigh of relief when you finally reached him.
“Don’t move,” you whispered, barely moving your lips. Your fingers touched his wrist and he budged slightly. You angled your face closer to the left side of his head, hoping he’ll hear you better this way. “It’s me, Joel. I’m gonna get these off you, okay?”
Not waiting for the reply, you took out your knife and started to cut the thick, coarse rope binding Joel’s wrists. You winced at the burns underneath, but you managed not to cut him, which was a feat with how tight the ropes were. He was very still, probably not wanting to handicap you.
“Okay,” you whispered when the last of the thick strands were cut through, and you carefully slid the remnants of the rope from his wrists. “Now follow me, Tommy is…”
Your voice died down when Joel’s arms loosely slumped down, along with his head, and a second later his torso started tilting to the side before heavily hitting the ground.
Your heart stopped in your chest.
“No.” The whispered word escaped you when you hurried around him, now not caring about staying hidden. “No, no, no, please…”
You rolled Joel onto his back and only now saw the damage done to him – his nose broken, face covered in blood, a gash under his left ear, and a still bleeding gunshot wound in his arm. He didn’t look dead, didn’t have that lifeless emptiness around him, but his eyes were closed and his chest was still. You put your ear to his mouth, desperate to feel his breath on your skin, but…
No, it can’t be, it can’t…
You couldn’t feel anything.
“Joel,” you said quietly, taking his face between your hands, but tears were blurring your vision. “Come on, please open your eyes.” A choked sob broke out of your throat and you shook your head when he still didn’t even as much as stir. “Love, please…”
That’s when your eyes landed on a small, glass vial lying discarded some feet away. You looked from it to Joel, tears clouding your vision, and scrambled forward to check it out.
As you suspected, the syringe – because that’s what it turned out to be – had the traces of a thick, translucent liquid in it left. There wasn’t any writing on it, but the glass was clean, unlike various other bottles and wrappings scattered throughout the facility. You stared at it for a couple of seconds, then fixed your gaze on Joel again.
Just as the sound of footsteps started to echo down the hall.
You froze and strained your ears to make sure you didn’t imagine it, then took a look around the room. The doors were slightly ajar, but whoever was coming here, they couldn’t see you just yet. Panic seized your insides and you turned to Joel again.
“Sweetheart, please wake up,” you whispered pleadingly, shaking his shoulders and slapping his cheek lightly. “Come on, look at me, open your eyes…"
The steps were getting louder by the second. You tore the glove off your hand with your teeth and tried to very quickly check Joel’s pulse, but either in your panic you couldn’t find it, or the heartbeat was too slow for you to pick up.
You didn’t consider any other option.
There wasn’t much time left, so finally you left him and quietly went to hide behind the door, waiting for the incomer to walk in. Your hand reached for the gun on your belt.
And paused.
There couldn’t be any other option… right? Joel was alive, you just failed to find his pulse. He…
He was lying, still in the place you left him, and you couldn’t see his chest moving. The blood was flowing from the wound in his arm, staining his jacket and the floor… Your hand, the one holding the pistol, was covered in it, too…
Then you did something you never expected of yourself.
The gun stayed in its holster, and you went to grab from the ground one of the heavier pieces of debris you noticed before, a long metal pipe. Your hands tightened on the metal, and your eyes stayed on Joel’s lifeless form. You took a stifled, nervous breath. Then a deep, steadying one.
The person in the hall was really close now. Joel still didn’t appear to be moving or breathing, and it made your own chest feel tight and painful.
He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t.
But if they did this, if… if he won’t ever open his beautiful brown eyes again, say your name in that entricing raspy drawl…
The doors to your right opened and your face twisted in rage and resentment. Your muscles tensed and focus sharpened.
The man who walked through the door made a noise of surprise at the sight of Joel lying on the floor – and that inhaling sound, that maddening noise seemed to taunt you, because how dared he breathe when Joel’s own breath was stolen from him, when you weren’t sure if it was still there – right before you stepped forward and swung the pipe with all your might.
The man – dark skin, with short hair – fell down with a loud cry when the harsh metal hit him right in the temple. Your eyes scanned his figure for a weapon, and you hit him again, this time somewhere near his stomach, when he made a move to reach for his knife.
“What did you give him?!” you asked with malice and venom that were so alien to you, you almost didn’t recognize your voice. The man’s eyes focused on you for the first time when you kicked his blade away, and his confusion turned to anger.
“Crazy bitch!” he spat, heaving for air, and lunged at you, but the open wound in his skull must’ve slowed him down, because without any problem you managed to raise your makeshift weapon before he could grab you.
Since you met him so many years ago, you always had Joel to watch your back. Now you were alone, but somehow that thought didn’t scare you. It exhilarated you.
An unpleasant, hair-rising crack echoed in the room, followed by the stranger’s scream, when the heavy metal smashed the bones in the forearm.
“I asked… a simple, fucking, question!” you snarled at the man, bringing the pipe down again, aiming for his hand this time. He moved it away at the last second, which enraged you even more, so with a mad, frustrated scream, you smashed his knee, using the pipe’s momentum when it bounced off the floor. “What the fuck did you do to him?!!”
He screamed, loudly and terribly, cursing at you with every shaky breath he took, and–
You felt so unlike you, so… out of your skin, somehow… but you wanted to make him suffer. You wanted to know this inhuman cry of pain that was reverberating through the walls of the resort was your doing and your power over this bastard. Because of what they did to Joel.
Then a loud bang rang out in the air, and you instinctively ducked your head when a part of the door to your side was shot off. You dropped the pipe – no use for it now – and drew your gun, noticing with surprise that your heart was steady and your breath even, as if you didn’t almost get shot just now.
Another bullet was sent in your direction, and a woman’s voice yelled something inaudible, while you stood still and counted the seconds.
Three, two…
In a rapid movement, you came out of cover and aimed at the person standing in the hall, firing twice. The first bullet hit the woman in the arm while the second seemed to burrow itself in her stomach. She fell backwards with a curt cry, and the man lying at your feet roared with rage.
“No! You fucking bitch, leave her alone!!”
Your motions were almost automatic as you put your gun away and picked up the metal pipe again, its end splattered with blood. The man in front of you had to see something in your eyes – despair? emptiness? hatred? – because his face fell and he started quietly begging for you to stop and let him go. At least that’s what you assumed he was saying, because you didn’t listen to him one bit.
“Do not…” you started, unexpectedly calmly, bringing the end of the blunt weapon down. The impact caused his shinbone to break, and you lingered for just a moment to hear the bitter cracks of the shattered bones, “fucking… go anywhere. Don’t you dare move, hear me?”
The man didn’t answer, just cursed and wept in pain. The sound was horrible, but you almost didn’t notice it – or more accurately, didn’t care. Which would be even more concerning if you weren’t aware of the woman lying injured in the hall behind the door, and Joel, still unmoving and cold to the touch on the other side of the room.
Slowly, not hearing the black man’s cries or distant gunshots from where Tommy probably was taking down the enemies, and not caring about the blood of a stranger covering your jacket and pants, you dropped the pipe and took out your gun again. Then you made your way down the corridor, your eyes locked on the woman who shot at you.
She was groaning in pain, clutching at her stomach. When she noticed you, her hand reached for the pistol which lay discarded next to her, but you quickly lifted your own and aimed at her before she touched it.
“Don’t move,” you murmured, which would sound almost soft if it weren’t for the empty look in your eyes. The woman scanned you up and down, and slowly lifted her hands.
“Who are you?”
“What did you give him?” you asked like you didn’t hear her, coming closer to kick away her gun to the far end of the hall. The woman’s eyes followed the weapon, then shifted to you.
“Do you even know what that man did? What is he guilty of?”
“I know. Now answer the damn question. What did you give–”
The door on your left slammed open and you only had time to turn your head before a heavy body collided with you, pushing you to the wall. Your head hit the bricks with an echoing crack, knocking the breath out of you. A man who surprised you grabbed the material of your jacket and slammed you into the wall again, but you managed to grab his hair and yank it hard, which allowed you to step to the side and away from the point of disadvantage that being trapped against the wall was.
The man – taller than you, with a black eye and without one of the front teeth – was quick to recover, however, and catched the wrist of your hand that held the gun, pushing it to the side when you pulled the trigger. From the corner of your eye you could see the woman you shot curling up and covering her head, then trying to scamper away, but the wound in her stomach was a significant impediment.
You fired again, trying to wrestle the gun from the man, but his grip was strong and after a few seconds of struggle he managed to knock the weapon out of your grasp, sending it flying to where you kicked off the woman’s one earlier.
Not sooner than your hands were empty, his elbow collided with your face, hard, and you cried when a gush of blood started pouring from the broken nose and a cut on your lip. Fear washed over you, and sheer luck caused you to duck to the side in time, avoiding a fist to the temple.
You stumbled backwards a few unstable steps, breathing heavily. The guy was smirking, acting like he already won – but you weren’t about to die in this sleazy, stinky place, leaving Ellie all alone and never knowing why they abducted Joel in the first place.
Joel…
“You’ve made a huge mistake,” said the man quietly, taking one, then two steps forward and swinging again. You backed away a second time, feeling your heart pounding in panic and knowing you didn’t stand a chance against a man of his stature.
Finally your luck ran out, and the man managed to hit you in the jaw, making you taste blood on your tongue. Before you could recover, one of his hands shot forward and grabbed you by the throat, and then, still keeping his big hand on your neck, he brought your entire torso down, slamming you to the ground. You hit your head hard and the glass shards on the floor embedded themselves in your skin, but in the next moment the sound of your painful scream was cut short. The grip the man had on your throat tightened, and you started to have difficulty breathing.
Your eyes budged in fear as realization of what was happening dawned on you, and you started to kick and struggle wildly, reaching for your attacker’s face, but he moved out of reach, still putting his whole weight down on you.
Your fists were hitting his forearms, your nails scratching his cheeks, whatever to make him let go. But he didn’t, his hands still squeezing your throat so strongly and crushing your esophagus.
“After I kill you, I’ll go kill your friend,” your attacker snickered, smiling viciously as he watched ice-cold panic enveloping you. “He’s not worthy of keeping him alive that long, anyway.”
Something ignited inside you at his words.
Joel.
You suddenly remembered the many self-defense lessons Joel had given you, so that whenever he wasn’t there to protect you, you could do it yourself. He was always so afraid for your life…
Slowly and with great effort, your fingers crept down, searching for the handle of your hunting knife, while dark spots started to appear before your vision, partially covering the sneering face of the man crushing your windpipe. He said something else – something you didn’t even hear because of the ringing in your ears…
And then with the last bit of your strength, you yanked the knife out of its sheath and buried the blade in the side of his neck.
Several things happened simultaneously: the man cried in surprise and let you go, the woman shouted a warning – too late – and you swung your leg over him, straddling and stabbing the man over and over again. His neck, his chest, his face, you didn’t even see what you were hitting. Screaming your lungs out and burying the blade in him again, and again, and again.
And again.
With an outraged, desperate cry, the woman lunged at you, but the adrenaline coursing through your system made you not even register something cutting deeply the skin of your arm, your veins and muscles giving way. You spun around, tumbling with her to the ground, but quickly managed to pin her down, blocking her arms in place with your knees, and pressing the tip of your knife to her chest.
She immediately stopped moving.
“Last fucking chance,” you croaked with difficulty, your neck bruised and swollen. “What… did you give him?”
You didn’t know if it was the sight of you, bloodied and wounded, the fact that you just violently killed her friend, or something else entirely – but now the woman looked scared.
“Okay,” she whispered, trying not to breathe too deeply, and glanced nervously at the blade pressed against her skin. “Okay, I’ll tell you, just don’t… It was a tranquilizer. Nothing dangerous, we just put him to sleep for a couple of hours. He was putting up quite a fight and the guys were getting antsy that he’ll pull something off before–”
“He’s not breathing,” you rasped viciously, sputtering blood onto her face. The woman flinched and took a shaky breath.
“His heart rate is slowed down, but it doesn’t– it shouldn’t kill him.”
You clenched your teeth, then exhaled. Inhaled.
You have to take a grip of yourself. He is alive. He has to be…
Should be.
The weight with which you had pinned her to the ground became lighter, and the woman sighed with relief when you removed the sharp end from her chest.
“It shouldn’t… kill him?” you repeated emptily, trying to dismiss the pain in your throat when you were speaking.
“No.”
Your head was still buzzing, but you tried to push it to the side, to focus on what was important right now.
“Why… did you take him?”
And just with that one, quiet question, the woman’s expression changed. You were considering letting her go, since you already hurt her pretty badly, but the sudden shift in her behavior set off alarm bells in your head once more.
“He’s a murderer,” the woman said, as if it was the most obvious answer. “A monster that would do everyone a favor if he got put down.”
White, blinding fury flooded your veins and it felt almost as if electricity was cracking above your skin. Your hand held the knife tighter.
‘Put down’, like… like an animal. She was talking about the man you loved–
You weren’t able to stop the hatred and rage flowing out of every pore of your skin. In one swift motion you plunged the knife into the woman’s chest, making her choke and gasp in surprise.
“You cannot call him that,” you spluttered, barely able to speak from the pain. “You…”
And then your hand forced its way lower down, still holding the handle of your weapon. Cutting through the woman’s – now struggling and screaming in agony – abdomen and guts.
They went so far as to abduct Joel, they took him from you, hurt and shot him, wanted to torture him, to make him suffer before they ultimately kill him…
But they didn’t, he can’t be dead, he can’t–
The woman was conscious the entire time as you were ripping her insides apart, and her screams died down only after you reached the navel.
Your vision was blurry and faltering when you stood up, but your heart was still beating steadily. There was an echo of a scream in your ears, though you couldn’t tell if it was your or the dead woman’s voice.
There wasn’t anyone else in the hallway. In the back of your mind you hoped that Tommy took care of any remaining enemies, because if they’d come running here, you didn’t think you’d be able to hear them in time.
Clutching your injured arm, you slowly made your way to the room where you left Joel and the man who attacked you first. Your gun was lying near the entrance and you picked it up before pushing the door open and staggering inside.
The man wasn’t where you left him. Instead there was a big pool of blood, forming into a wide, smeared path leading further into the lobby. At the end of it you saw him, groaning and crawling to the exit.
You reloaded the gun and walked closer. At the sound, the man turned his head and his eyes widened when he saw you.
“You fucking psycho!” he spat, bracing himself on the elbow of his left arm – the only one still working. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! When she sees it, they’ll come for you, and they’ll make sure that the two of you will fucking pay for it!”
His words were flowing through you as you struggled to keep your vision focused. You felt weird – almost like waking up way too early and finding your body not listening to you entirely.
Then you realized. The hungry, burning anger was gone, the embers of hatred slowly dying out. There was only smoke and emptiness left inside you.
“I don’t care,” you mumbled, not loud enough for the man to hear you, but that didn’t matter – two seconds later he was dead, his brain splattered all over the floor behind him.
Your hand was shaking. Cold crept up your limbs, embracing and almost choking you as you breathed in, out, faster and faster as you finally comprehended what you did.
Your eyes moved down to the man’s indented knee, completely smashed into a bloody mess. The other limb was all wrong, his foot sticking in the opposite direction and no wonder he had to crawl to get away from you, you destroyed his legs, you…
You staggered backwards, your pupils darting to the hallway just for a second before returning to the battered corpse in front of you. The back of his skull was gone now, but how did he stay conscious for so long after you smashed his head with a metal pipe? There was so much blood on it… How much pain he must have felt after you left him?
And that woman… He begged you to leave her alone, and you… you ripped her open…
You moved back, back and further away, before tripping and falling to the floor. Your breaths were fast and shallow, and you reached for your neck, sore and swollen from almost being strangled, trying to will your lungs to work.
They were bad people. They took and hurt Joel, and planned to kill him. You had to kill them, they’d kill you in a heartbeat, they…
It wasn’t like you’ve never taken a life before, but it was the first time that you inflicted pain on somebody on purpose – not in self-defense, but because you wanted to retaliate. It was done in revenge.
You didn’t know for how long you had sat there when you heard someone saying your name. It sounded like… No, it couldn’t have been his voice, he was unconscious, he wasn’t breathing…
Suddenly, Tommy’s face appeared in your blurry field of vision – of course it was him, their voices were so similar, after all – and there was a deep crease between his brows. He looked worried and fearful, and–
“Snap out of it,” he said firmly, shaking your shoulders harder than he should have. Your name fell from his lips when you didn’t answer, and his eyes followed yours to a battered body on the floor. “Look at me. Look at me.” Tommy forcefully turned your chin in his direction, and his eyes were full of sorrow and pain. “You did what you had to do.”
You shook your head, swallowing the tears that streamed down your face. He didn’t know what you did. He didn’t understand what happened here, what happened with you… You yourself didn’t know what happened to you.
Tommy brought you closer to his chest, enveloping you in his strong embrace and the smell of leather and gunpowder. You choked on air, unable to stop the sobs racking your body, and deaf to his words, for the only thing you could hear were cracks of bones, screams of pain, and your own vengeful cries.
It was so loud in your mind that you almost missed a quiet grunt coming from behind you.
*****
Joel slowly opened his eye, then groaned and closed it again. He felt like shit and it was so hard to breathe, but he pushed through the pain and discomfort from the wound in his side, and tried again.
The first thing he saw was the greenish curtain, hiding the rest of the room from him, but judging by the fact that he was lying in bed, alive, with apparently all his wounds dressed, he figured it wasn’t the same place that group of angry youngsters took him to.
Lifting his head and turning it to the other side was a tremendous task, but it was so worth it – because there was you. Sitting in a chair next to him, asleep and with your head lying on folded arms on his bed. Joel smiled softly, but then furrowed his brows as a pang of anxiety shot right through him.
Your face was a mess, with cuts and bruises healing, your brow was split, and one of your forearms had a bandage wrapped around it, now a little dirty around the edges. Joel couldn’t see clearly, but your neck seemed… dark, as if the skin was bruised there, too.
What the hell happened?
He lifted his arm – the tingles and needles pierced his stiff limb – and brushed your cheek lightly, trying to wake you.
“Darlin’...” he murmured, and you stirred. He tried to say it again, louder this time, but his throat was scratchy and he winced at the feeling. There was no need for it, however, because in the next moment your eyes fluttered open and then widened when you took in the sight of him, realizing he’s awake.
“Joel!” Your hands – God, he missed the feeling of them – cupped his face gently, and your eyes filled with tears in the matter of seconds. “Oh my god, baby…”
“Hey, hey, I’m fine,” he breathed out quickly, not wanting to see you cry. “It’s okay, darlin’... I’m here.”
You sobbed with a dazzling smile, your beautiful eyes dancing across his features before you darted forward and pressed your lips to his firmly. Joel could almost taste the desperation and worry in your shaky breaths and tears that fell from your eyes and onto his tongue. He wanted to tangle his fingers in your hair and bring you in closer, but a sudden, sharp pain pierced his arm when he tried to move it, and he hissed into your mouth.
“Sorry,” you whispered and moved away quickly, letting out a broken laugh and brushing the unruly strands of hair away from his forehead. “I’m just so happy you’re okay.”
Joel wanted to ask what exactly had happened while he was out, but before he got a chance, you leaned in again and started softly peppering his face in kisses – first his cheek, then his forehead, then the tip of his nose and his chin. And Joel didn’t have the heart to stop you.
And that’s how Ellie found you both. She gagged when she saw the display of affection, but there was a grin on her face when he looked over at her.
“Gross,” she scrunched her nose. “But I’m glad to see you awake.”
“Yeah, well, I still feel pretty shitty,” he grunted, scanning the kid for any injuries, but she didn’t look any worse for the wear. His eyes strayed to your neck again, and the concern came back double-barreled. “What happened to you, sweetheart? Where–”
“I’ll… go get the doctor.” You stood up abruptly before he could finish, and looked over at Ellie. “Will you stay with him?”
“Yeah. Sure.” The teen shrugged, but now was avoiding Joel’s eyes, and he felt more uneasy and agitated by the second.
“Okay. Be right back, love. Gonna grab you some water, too.” You squeezed his hand and smiled. Joel’s eyes escorted you, and when he made sure you were out of the earshot, he turned to Ellie.
“What happened?”
“Well.” The teen blew out her cheeks and went to take a seat you previously occupied. “You were attacked during the patrol…”
“Yeah, no, that I remember,” Joel interrupted quietly. “They shot me, took me to that ski resort. But how am I here? Did she…”
He trailed off. Ellie looked at the curtain you disappeared behind, then back at Joel. “Listen, I wasn’t there, so m’not sure,” she mumbled quietly. “But after she and Tommy got you out, she was sorta… different.”
“Different how?” he asked sharply. Ellie bit the inside of her cheek, looking away. “Ellie.”
“I don’t know, okay?” she answered in a sudden burst. “She looked like hell. You saw her neck, I think someone tried to choke her, and she had an ugly cut on her leg, a fuckton of cuts and bruises… And the doctor spent hours getting all the glass shards out of her.”
Joel got up as much as he could, feeling a pit of anxiety rising in his chest. Ellie was silent for a while before she spoke again, this time surprisingly softly.
“Remember when you beat the shit out of that soldier when we were escaping QZ in Boston?” Joel nodded slightly – she did, too. “Yeah. She had a similar… kind of look on her face, and it looked… not exactly scary, but alien.” The teen looked up. “My guess is she did some fucked up shit to get to you. Tommy said she’s been having real bad nightmares since then, but he doesn’t want to tell me–”
Ellie snapped her mouth shut at the sound of footsteps, and a few seconds later you emerged from behind the curtain. You had a tall glass of water in your hand and a small, hopeful smile that grew when your eyes fell on Joel’s face.
“I know you’d probably prefer something stronger, but water will do you good,” you said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were just talking about you. Joel watched as you carefully sat down at the edge of his bed and put down the glass onto the table to his side. “One of the nurses will come here in a couple of minutes. You were unconscious for a couple of days so they want to make sure everything is okay.”
“I told you I’m fine, darlin’...”
“Please.” You gently took his hand in both of yours, staring at him with concern. “For me?”
Joel looked you over, his eyes lingering on your bruised neck and the bandage around your thigh which he didn’t notice before. Then he glanced at Ellie with worry, not knowing how to approach this problem or ask what exactly happened to you.
Your eyes were a little red and puffy, and he briefly thought about what the kid said: that you have had terrible nightmares, that apparently you went through some sort of hell to save him. It seemed that whatever you had done, it took its heavy toll on you. And he couldn’t bear it.
Joel hated the thought of you risking your life for him, of the experience branding you so deeply that you lost sleep because of it.
Because of him.
The only thing he could do right now was to be there for you. And maybe – just maybe, if he tried hard enough – to do something about those of your scars that he couldn’t see.
He lifted your hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it, keeping his eyes on yours the entire time.
“Okay,” came his soft answer, to which you smiled with relief. “Whatever you wish, darlin’.”
No snarky remark, no groaning or muttering could be heard from Ellie, and that worried Joel much more than he’d ever admit. He exchanged a worried look with her while you were distracted, drawing patterns on the back of his hand with tender fingers.
“It’s gonna be okay,” he heard you say quietly, though it was unclear whether you were talking to him or yourself.
Either way, Joel squeezed your hand tighter, now feeling oddly afraid of letting go.
“Yes, darlin’,” he confirmed in a soothing manner. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”
579 notes · View notes
vesper-tinus · 5 months
Note
hiii hope you're doing great! could u pls write sth for Simon with fem reader?? anything domestic, soft and cute tnx sm your writing is beautiful🥰♥️
Hello! I'm doing alright, thank you! I hope you're doing well, too! I'm very busy these days, making it difficult to find time to write (maybe also due to Baldur's Gate 3, haha. I'm hooked). Somebody on Ao3 suggested an ice skating date, so I hope it fills out this criteria too!
Tumblr media
𝐈𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 Simon "Ghost" Riley x Female ! Reader
Summary: A date to the ice-rink with your hsuband. Keywords: Female ! Reader, ice skating cate, happy lovey dovey married couple things!. Wordcount: 1051
Tumblr media
“No.”
“Please?” you ask again, the smile widening on your face, brightening your expression. “It’ll be fun!” you continue, gleefully dragging Simon along—your hand curled lovingly around his bicep. Just as he is about to tell you no again, you give his muscle a squeeze, and after a brief period of critical thinking, Simon sighs as he turns his attention from you. 
“...alright.” 
At the agreement, you all but shriek with glee, pulling him downwards to press a lingering kiss to his cheek. “It’ll be fun,” you repeat, “I promise! Thank you, thank you, thankyou—” You pull him along with a quicker pace, practically skipping, and even Simon can’t help but be amused at your open display of joy. 
Happy wife, happy life, as they say, and Simon can’t help but agree. Can’t keep the missus unhappy now, can he? 
As you walk, you attempt to quell any worries you might suspect him of listing in his mind. For all his stoicism, you know his mind is apt to create a million-and-one scenarios that could occur on an outing, with a million of them going wrong. “It’s a very low-key place,” you start, leaning closer to your husband, “my friend is actually co-owner of the ice-rink—along with her girlfriend.”
As you talk, Simon feels your intention, and lowers his arm to snake around your waist instead, giving a short hum of acknowledgement.
“Plus, I’ve asked what days and time-frames it’s less crowded, and today—right now—should be optimal!”
“You didn’t have to go through all that,” he responds halfheartedly, knowing well you did all this for him. “but I appreciate it, love.” The dulcet tone of his voice sends a pleasant warmth through you, and when you stop at a red light, he smoothly tilts your head upwards to share a kiss as you wait for the light to switch. “I’m a lucky husband,” he says against your lips, “to have a wife as thoughtful as you.”
There you both stand, happily sharing kisses as a small crowd passes by the two of you. He presses you closer, and now it’s you that feels lucky when his tongue seeks to deepen the kiss. When you part, you can do nothing but stare warm-faced as the light turns from a bright green to red. “We missed the light,” you note sheepishly, leaning against your husband still catching your breath. 
“Doesn’t bother me much,” he says in turn, his faint smile widening slightly. “Leaves me more time to do this…” And once more, he leans down to catch your lips for a kiss, and you eagerly meet him halfway. 
Eventually, with a few distractions, you do manage to reach the indoor ice rink. 
As soon as you enter the building, you’re met with a chill temperature. Fresh and pleasant, and Simon even seems to welcome it.
You hear the echo of a child’s laughter, and the sound brings pleasant memories of younger days. You coax your husband further inside, passing a couple making their way out. They are slightly red-faced, most likely from the cold, but they look happy and exhausted, and it makes you excited for the things to come. 
“Skates first,” you instruct, and Simon gladly lets you guide him around the premise. He has never told you this, but he loves it when you take charge in areas he is unfamiliar with. You’re always physically connected to him—be it by holding hands or taking him by the arm. Leaning against him so he can feel your soothing presence.
You explain things as you walk, and he enjoys hearing it all. ‘Benches for tying our skates’, ‘there’s a café behind those curtains, they make the best hot chocolate’, ‘I feel flat on my face right over there when I was young...’.
Your friend greets you happily from behind the counter, fishing out a pair of skates for each of you. The two of you catch up, making small talk as Simon stands silently beside you, his hand resting comfortably on your lower back. Your friend wishes you a fun time, waving you off as you, once more, guide him along. “We were neighbours as kids,” you explain as you settle on a bench, “even back then she was skating—always dragging me with her.”
You tie your own figure skates first before offering to do his, only to find that he has already tied them with efficiency. Army training, of course.
Before you even have to time to comment on it, he's already shifting one of your legs over his lap.
"Simon?" you ask, watching him untie your skate, only to re-tie it again. Much better than what you did, you note. Tighter, more secure. When you thank him, his thumb is tracing circles against your clothed, lower calf.
"Can't have my wife slippin' on the ice, now can I?"
Your excitement is evident as you carefully make your way towards the ice. You’re no professional, perhaps even a bit rusty, but you’re confident that whatever skill you might’ve had will come back after a few minutes. 
From an outside perspective, he would appear casual, perhaps even disinterested, but you know when he’s hesitant. You notice when he’s uncertain, when his jaw is subtly clenched. Perhaps he would’ve been more comfortable in hockey skates, and you make sure he knows the offer to switch stands. 
“Almost there, sweetheart,” you say with encouragement, beaming a smile over your shoulder. 
The ice welcomes you like an old friend.
You smoothly turn to face Simon, hands outstretched for him to take.
“What we don’t do for love,” he says dramatically, causing you to roll your eyes with mirth. But he takes your outstretched hands in his own to meet you on the ice. Dare you say, perhaps even with a bit of confidence? He pulls you to him, and there you stand, chest to chest. 
“Why, hello,” you coo at him, head tilting to lure him in for a kiss. “Fancy meeting you here.”
Simon takes the bait hook, line, and sinker, warming your lips as you share a kiss. You continue this exchange of brief kisses and embraces as you skate, like a reward for his progress. A carrot on a stick. It doesn’t take long for him to get the hang of it, though he is never completely comfortable either. He hates the drifting, and readily sass you when the opportunity arises. 
Together, you glide across the ice. Encouraging each other through competitiveness and love. 
Your laughter echoes throughout the, now empty, rink, and Simon can’t help but feel awe-struck by the beauty of your enjoyment. To have you willingly share this side of you, one so eager and excited, with him is… humbling. He matches your efforts in earnest whenever you pick up the pace, and whenever he finds it difficult to brake, you’re right there to slow him down. Time passes in the blink of an eye, and only when you pause to catch your breath do you feel the tiredness in your calves and the cold on your face. Perhaps it’s time to call it quits. 
You wave at Simon,  gesturing for him to rendezvous in the middle. 
“Thank you,” you say as you skate into his waiting arms. 
He catches you readily, even if you cause him to slowly drift backwards. He arches a brow, awaiting a continuation. 
“For joining me, I mean. I… had a lot of fun, Simon.” You pause, draping your arms over his shoulders, your smile softening. “It means a lot to me that you were willing to try.” Your husband’s stubbornness is legendary—both a help and a hindrance, yet he finds it increasingly difficult to say no to you. Though, you know when not to press a suggestion, and he appreciates your willingness to compromise. 
“And you mean a lot to me, love.” He kisses you, leaning down to kiss your jaw next. His nose is cold, and it sends shivers down your spine. “Wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be” Which is Simon’s way of saying he had fun. 
“All’s well that ends well,” you agree, preening at his enjoyment of your shared activity. “Let’s head home to warm up?”
He hums in quiet agreement, letting you guide him by the hand as you skate towards the rink’s edge.
Wherever you go,  he will readily follow. 
Wherever you are, he will meet you halfway.
151 notes · View notes
vampiretendencies · 1 year
Note
Okay first time requesting sth:) but that one prompt list you reblogged gave me the idea of JJ having a nightmare and reader waking up and comforting him? I feel like it’s always reader having the nightmare but I can kinda envision it with JJ
Only if you want to and if your comfortable with it ♡
warnings; nightmares, lots of fluff, mentions of jj’s dad, mention of drugs, suggestive, mention of kids
pairing; jj maybank x fem!reader
authors note; thank you for trusting me with your first request ! that’s so true though, so i’m glad you decided to request this approach. requests are open ! <3
Tumblr media
It’s strumming closer to the edge of midnight.
The living room being flooded with the pastel colors that the TV radiated as it displayed a movie JJ decided on. Yet, he’d fallen into a slumber not even half way through, and you didn’t know what kind of distasteful film this was. You forcefully watched it because you adored the boy that picked it.
No choice but to sink deeper, and deeper into this couch.
Such a pretty face is in your lap, insisting on sleeping there rather than a cuddle. His squishy face was buried in he dough of your thighs, studying the boy’s features— sun kissed blonde tips delicately suiting his features. Cheeks a darkened red, the imprint from the drawstring in your shorts could be found too, indented swiftly into them.
An angel is before you.
Basking in his presence doesn’t last long before he’s stirring, you’d thought he was waking up so your heart fluttered ever so slightly. He wasn’t.
The war in his mind is infinite, and has been rotating on a loop since he wandered into it an hour ago. This petrifying nuance is one of his father coming back to rip JJ a new one for throwing the pills, that he worked so hard to steal, into the water before sending him off on his one way trip away from Kildare. A robbery that was so effortless, however taking care of his own son was a chore to him.
Repeating in that nightmare that his father is beating him senseless on that same dock he said goodbye to him on. Bleeding out from various uncontrollable wounds that seeped ‘why won’t you love me’ from them. At one point in that night terror he was fighting back, though he gave up upon seeing his father would have no mercy on him. Pills of every color, would be enough for him to punch his son unrecognizable.
A sorry excuse of a man, you didn’t understand how such a beautiful, giving, boy came from that waste of space.
Profuse sweat entangled the tufts of his treases and one thing about JJ is he doesn’t sweat in his sleep. Not this heavily anyway. As long as his girl is nuzzled into his side, and he’s intertwined with her along with a cool fan blowing on him— he’s more then fine.
Beads of it began rolling down his face, and his lip quivered in such a weeping, defeated way. Whatever disturbing power this is, is consuming him bit by bit, and you can’t sit idly by and watch it.
You didn’t want to startle him more than he apparently is, so you start with a gentle tap. His limp body wasn’t moving, resorting to shaking him into oblivion— ultimately cutting his soft breaths short, whilst he sucks in new air to compensate for what he’d lost.
JJ’s eyes squint open, instinctively pressing a tender kiss to your warm inner thigh. Assuming you’d accidentally woken up, and assuring that he was still here in one piece.
“Baby, you’re sweating.”
You soothed him, by pushing back his hair and wiping his drenched forehead with the bottom of your cotton shirt. Cupping your small hands to his jawline, providing coaxing that he oh so needed.
“S’nothin’ baby just a little … bodily fluid?” He denied it, and would’ve planned on drowning it out with the rest of the suppressed memories of his father. But, you’ve seen it, and he won’t deny you the reasoning behind it after watching it with your own two eyes.
“Too much of it.”
“Thought you liked when I was sweaty, last time you couldn’t shutup about how hot-“
“Spill.”
You hushed him with two fingers to his delicate lips, his tongue delved on the backs of them to lick them intricately. You push his head in the other direction, wiping the spit on the neck of his sleeveless tee— acting as if you didn’t like it.
“Alright, you got me. It was a nightmare,” he followed your eyes, raspy voice filling the room vividly. Looking up at you like you’re the reason why the world goes round. You aren’t sadly, but you are the reason his world does. For if you weren’t here in this very second, he would’ve wailed uncontrollably in the emptiness of no home. You combed through his hair, as if to say ‘tell me more’ and with a sigh he did.
“What is it J?”
Biting throughly on his bottom lip, he contemplated; face curling closer into your thigh. He stomachs it, the exhaustion ridden eyes struggling to make out expressions with the TV now illuminating from light to dark during commercial.
“He’s everywhere s’like I can’t fuckin’ get rid of him. You know I thought when he left, I’d be done with him for good … but no even in my nightmares he beats the shit out of me.”
He laughs it off, devaluing his feelings with every chuckle. All you can do is peer at him, with concerned affections and furrowed eyebrows.
And he thinks they have no meaning, for the entirety of his life he’s had to shove it down— conceal it. There’s things his fathers done that he can’t recall, because he forces himself to forget.
“J, look at me.”
Your thumb circles on the tops of his cheeks, consoling him in such a way no one else could. You were his favorite song, and he’d listen consistently for that extra touch of solace.
“He can’t hurt you anymore, not now, not again.” He melts into the palm of your hand like putty. Similar to a car furrowing to its owners touch. He’s glistening thoroughly with hope and desire— your lover lost a piece of him every time his father left another mark. “What you feel shouldn’t go unnoticed baby, he’s going to regret leaving the most perfect son behind.”
“Perfect?”
“Perfect, J.”
Again to shrug it off once more he starts with, “When we have kids, and we will have kids … lots of em … he won’t get the opportunity to know them.” Changing the topic but now being able to at least talk about it, was one step closer to somewhat vanquishing the sore subject.
Following suit, you continue with the more lighthearted part as the sweet boy below you deserved everything of the sort.
“How many babies we talkin’ Maybank?”
“Enough for a small army. So I say we get started now, pretty girl.”
728 notes · View notes
yanderegrizzsworld · 1 year
Note
Oh my god i literally just a send an sth meme before i read the post about welcome home-
anywAYS-
Since we been talking about unhinged [y/n] for a couple post now... mybe a romantic hcs for wally with a [y/n] who's unhinged?
-𝐣𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧
Imagine: Romantic Yandere Wally Darling with an unhinged reader
TW/CW: Implied self-destructive behavior/paranoia/self harm, stalking & mentions of isolation
As the friendliest neighbor, Wally is always happy to lend a hand to his friends in any given situation & with you it's no different, if anything, it's a bit more extreme. If he were to spot you literally doing anything, the puppet is immediately by your side asking if he can assist you.
While the yellow puppet grasps that negative emotions such as anger or sadness are normal to experience, he'd much rather see you in a positive mood. No matter how cold or narrow your eyes get or how fidgety you are, Wally will insist on staying by your side until you feel better.
While a part of him is guilty for feeling this way, Wally can't help but feel a bit glad when you either limit your time with others or simply refuse to be around the others. With all the time he spends attached to your hips, he'd probably (unintentionally) isolate you by keeping you at Home with him.
Whether you seek to avoid him or tell him you can't hang out with him, Wally will still follow you about, a few feet away, all with that empty yet intense stare. It never fails to make your shoulders feel heavy & most likely makes you more suspicious of everyone, though the staring does stop momentarily when your cautious behavior extends to him. Don't be like that with him! He wouldn't do anything to you!
Like his last name, Wally keeps up this easygoing yet endearing demeanor that's able to charm anyone he greets. If this behavior were to cause you to distance yourself from him, Wally would rant to Home while striving not to panic, wondering what to do to make you comfortable with him. This usually leads to him either asking you to paint with him or him inserting himself in what you're doing if you're busy with another neighbor.
Wally is quick to suggest painting or some other calm activity if you were to randomly become irritated, keeping a distance if asked. Though the moment you begin to bite your hands or hit your head with your palms, Wally is quick to stop it. He's aware of his lack of physical strength & so relies on distracting you, of when it works, a wide grin displays itself on his face.
It'd come to no surprise he'd paint/sketch you, no matter what you're doing or where you are. You'd grow accustomed to receive one of the painting or sketches while he tells you of this apple sale Howdy has at his store that he wishes for you to accompany him to. He'd very likely already be dragging you by the wrist to the bodega before you give him an answer.
741 notes · View notes
astrolavas · 10 months
Note
Do you have any cursed Hunter headcanons? (cursed as the headcanons are cursed not hunter being cursed)
he uses a 13-in-1 shampoo/shower gel cuz he thinks it's most efficient 💔 (he redeems himself a bit during the timeskip though cuz he has more time to take care of himself and sometimes likes to actually chill and enjoy the scents and stuff + darius shows him Self Care, but back at the coven???? irredeemable i fear. efficiency above all) (i also have some serious thoughts abt the reasons behind this hc but that's for a more serious emo talk so ehehhh)
speaking of canon bi hunter, he has absolutely atrocious taste in fictional men. the rest of hexsquad always prepares for the worst when they're watching a movie and a terrible slash cringefail slash furry slash nerdy dude comes on screen and hunter starts clearing his throat to speak up. he's TERIBBLE
he bites into ice cream (and then always gets brainfreeze. fly high king 🕊️)
he has god-awful luck when it comes to getting sick/injured in the most stupid ways. like, AWFUL luck. this is my son crump he has every disease and he has been attacked by seagulls 10 times in one week
back in the human realm, especially during the first week, he'd always wake up dreadfully early and Want Chores (sth sth being raised in an environment where you're constantly expected to do things that'll "earn your place" there over and over again therefore not being able to understand that you can just exist somewhere and be taken care of by someone without them expecting anything in return, sth sth) so he'd just stand in a dark hallway like this 🧍 randomly. camila constantly getting near-heart attacks everytime she has to go to work early or has some vet emergency in the middle of the night cuz she just steps into the hallway and immediately sees mr autistic grimwalker's glowy pink eyes staring down at her and demanding daily chores. awful
he thinks facebook minion memes are hilarious unironically. he sends them to hexsquad's groupchat i'm afraid. he also loves those flashy glittery wolf videos/gifs/edits/images. he sends them to the groupchat also
292 notes · View notes
ganondoodle · 20 days
Note
Hello 👋
Swallowing my nerves at last to send you an ask! I was just wondering, what inspires your designs? Are their inspirations in stuff like movies or games? Or just things you come up with yourself?
i .. honestly its kinda hard to tell, sometimes i just randomly think of something, like some detail, or color combination and try to incorporate that into a design somehow; it can come from anywhere, like the color scheme of a pithaya/dragonfruit is something i have been wanting to make a design with for ages but havent come up with anything good in all those years ;O;
im a very easily fascinated by color, espeically in nature, like sometimes i just stop and stare at something like i froze in time bc i just woooooooooooooah color! i probably look like a weirdo doing that though
its really hard to pinpoint anything specifically, the most is probably .. other artists? i guess? which always makes me nervous bc my memory is shit in most areas of life and i worry myself to pieces whether i unintentionally "stole" an idea and just dont remember and think it was my own, it goes further that sometimes i see something that makes me want to draw a similar concept but dont bc i dont want to 'steal' even if that couldnt be further from my intention (have been accused of that before ..)
that said for my ocs specifically .. most are rather old and have just kinda evolved out of their awkward first iterations (shargons first iteration was a hauro-howl- copy that was really just some human covered in feathers .. another oc was once a hellboy copy but in green- havent drawn nor redeisgn them in ages lol), the biggest inspirations for them is a mix of animals, bonus if you dont see them often- im a big shark, whale and sea creatures in general nerd so i tend to take from them as a priority but always trying to be less directly animal and mostly just .. features that work together
Eadrya is one of the newer OCs- i started to write but then looked at my folders and oh they are from 2017 .., i even made a design timeline for them how much they, and my art, have changed back in 2020, so thats also way outdated now lol (they apparently started as a whale .. thing? its like a pokemon evolution lol)
Tumblr media
this is them now (i like this sketch still, though shargons design is now also outdated lmao)
Tumblr media
this ones from early 2023 so also outdated now but you get the point
Tumblr media
for demons i try to be a bit more wild on shapes and colors while still adhering to the rules of how they work (humanoid form, demon form, animalistic, one element each and more or less made to fit that, 4 arms is very common, look to be bost scary and wild but also something that would make you stop in tracks and stare in awe and fear if you crossed paths)
often times designs just kinda .. happen, i have maybe the idea ok i wanna make something with a white and red pattern also moose or those big horned cows are cool and kinda scary so maybe sth akin to that (though this one is technically a redesign too- its also pretty much entirely different)
Tumblr media
for non demons but still non human i go for a much more restrained design, mainly inspired directly by an animal and giving the color scheme a good spin, plus adding unconventional body shapes, like ki'ita is also a good example, her old idea was just orca anthro pirate and just by making the white green instead in her most recent redesign already adds that little spin to it
Tumblr media
that can have its pitfalls though, as i often fall into the big arm small head small legs scheme over and over xD
alot of it is trial and error, deciding on the colors can take me hours bc im always searching for my little rule of having one contrast color that shows up in very few places to draw attention to it (like with Eadrya its those bright yellow eyes and thingy at their tail)
and that is all about myy own ocs, when its fandom stuff it works kinda similar though, either in the connections i wanna draw or just thinking it further- like how deities in destiny work also just kinda .. happened like an ever derailing train
like for demise i was at first really just im gonna give him horns bc horns are cool and he got those on the starting mural in the game- so how his hair work? well maybe it isnt hair actually and just unbound energy, im making him a deity too and fit hylias design to his so, yeah, then so how does it work, ok he gotta have a skeleton still, but what if his entire actual body is made up of pure magical energy with its core in the ribcage? with the core in the ribcage >:3c and the scales you see are just like cooled down lava as an armor bc his thing is fire and earth !! the normal blood? is a thin layer of skin imiated from mortals to keep the scales together and flexible so if he ACTUALLY gets hurt hed bleed magic that looks more like lava and any normal blood you see is just the armor- so why does he have a skeleton still instead of being just energy? maybe its gotta be bound to something OH and what if all of the deities started as mortals like a mirror to the trio later on and the gods cannot have direct influence to the worlds so they needed a right hand that is neither god nor mortal but both by killing a mortal by whatever their element will be (demise burned, hylia drowned etc) and their skeleton and spirit is kept but put into a body of magic- OH what if their spirit core is like almost piloting their bodies like a mech in a way bc if youd look close youd see that every strand of magic is actual a hand of their spirit so it makes it more weird and other bc hed be able to reach out with thousands of burning claws of all shapes and sizes like the beheaded forest god at the end of mononoke- SO if hed lose and arm or something all those strands would untangle and rearrange his bones back together-OH MY GOD the whole armor idea works so well for ghirahims dark armor so what if demise had two swords once and lost one and since has forged an armor similar to his own for ghirahim out fo fear of losing him t---
and that all is a process that happens over several weeks and months not rarely while i am drawing something mindlessly and suddendly *have a thought* and omg that makes so much sense-
so "what" inspires my designs? an ever derailing train of thought about making cool thick monsters that arent the evil thing to get rid of for once? cool color schemes? idk it just kinda happens??
61 notes · View notes
sluttyminghao · 9 months
Note
Congrats on the 8k!!! 🍾🍾 I’m always so happy when I come here and I see that you wrote something new. I love everything you write 💚 And if I remember well, you once did a reaction on how they would react if you were showing sth on your phone to them and they came across a nude. Can I ask what would happen the other way around? Like, they are showing sth to you and they scroll to a dick pick? I bet all my money at least one of them would be like “yep, that’s me”
Tumblr media
immediately scrolls past, probably slightly embarrassed and hoping you don't say anything: seungcheol, junhui, jihoon, seungkwan - they would be sort of embarrassed but it's probably nothing you haven't seen before, so they just scroll to some other photo and hope that you don't say anything about it
would happily show you the photo, insisting they were going to send it to you this week: jeonghan, wonwoo, mingyu, chan - is pretty confident in their actions, would own it and not let any embarrassment get in the way of you seeing their dicks on their phone
says nothing, keeps scrolling, but apologizes later and feels terrible you had to see it: joshua, soonyoung, seokmin, minghao, vernon - they probably meant to delete it but forgot, and after seeing your eyes widen they immediately flick past it, but would apologize profusely later
226 notes · View notes
hauntedpearl · 8 days
Text
pyromaniac dean au always on my damn mind bc i saw this post by @autisticandroids and my brain went hmmm what if Lisa and Ben were in the pyromaniac au. and like yes okay technically i thought we were doing like a s1 thing but also this is an au so who cares no rules.
anyway. what if in between John dying and Jess murder there was like this small period of time when dean did kind of stop setting people and things on fire, but like it didn't stick and also Lisa and Ben were involved probably possibly. like v close to canon parallel. i am still thinking about why he would stop the arson, even temporarily. but I think he should. I think cas should also have started stalking him at this point!!! this is p much fully reassembling the fic events but also MMM IT'S GETTING MORE FUN I THINK!
thinking out loud again. and like with Ben it was a) dean going insane about protecting ben from hunting to the point that he is john-like with him for the opposite reasons — normal parental overcorrection in people I think tbh w you. and b) he did inadvertently cause whatever harm befell those two and then he had to, like, functionally murder them and then he just kept going like that.
w my arsonist dean, it really is just all about control and trying to ground yourself in some version of reality when you're coming unmoored. he has an obsession with fire from a young age and sets controlled fires bc he's fucked up about fire and what not having control over it can do. he becomes a firefighter bc in his head that is also a way to control it. he starts committing crimes when his father dies bc that is a trauma that kind of sends him reeling ala empty spaces dean and like doing this thing where he's orchestrating the lives of these people is doing sth to him I think. he's projecting on everyone and he's saving himself but it's like never enough.
so the only reason he would have to stop arson would be if he was able to, like, exercise that control over his life in some way. a stable relationship dynamic is good, a ritual is good, a kind of mindless droning on of life where everything is exactly as he expects it to be is good, it's grounding. I think ultimately it doesn't work bc it's not good for the other people in the situation. like!!! obviously!!! also it's just not sustainable. it's impossible to truly control every aspect of your life and dean cannot handle the slightest bit of deviation from his Plan™. like so I think the break can be slow bc he starts freaking out over small things like someone not turning off a light or not locking a door or something like that. but it's all a v mild reaction all things considered and within the realm of acceptable. but also I think Lisa is On Edge bc she's not an idiot.
thinking about what would push dean over the edge when he's in this domestic farce of a situation. like I thought about maybe ben getting into his office or something — places, things, he's designated as Personal and like Don't Fucking Touch It. and it's like bc he's in such a precarious state of mind, he's like twigs and duct tape yk? so perhaps he blows up at the kid. and it's like literally nothing. it could just be a really cool looking zeppo or whatever that's on his desk and Ben takes it bc he just wants to show off to his friends or sneak out and smoke a cigarette like a normal 12 y/o. anyway he blows up at the kid and maybe Lisa is like nope. get out. that's it. line crossed.
or maybe he does have a come to Jesus moment almost immediately and they Talk About It as a family and he's like trying to make amends or whatever. either way. glass is cracked now.
idk how but I think it would be fun if there was another fire now in this house (lolololol IM SORRY i just think everything dean touches should be on fire bc of him I think the universe can affirm that to him over and over let him hurt everyone he loves and then go crazy like!!!) and like smoke inhalation CAN cause a coma!! (well like it's cyanide and/or CO poisoning technically but yk.) so maybe ben does go into a coma. maybe dean and lisa look at each other and Lisa like lowkey knows he's doing fucked up shit but she's also like I am not killing myself and my son over this get out like i don't wanna see you I don't wanna hear from you go get your head on straight somewhere and if you think you can handle being normal then maybe we can talk but no get out.
and dean leaves bc he also senses that she senses that sth is v wrong with him and about him, and he realises that he's really just gotta find some way to fix his fucking life and he tries to change so he tries to go find sam and then he kills Jess (still not sure if the fire is on purpose or an accident!) and becomes full crazy i think.
ps: just like as a random possible addition to this already convoluted au, cas being the one to somehow laterally be involved in causing the fire and also the rescue w lisa ben (for canon parallels also bc i just think he's so funny in this fic like why isnhe doing this??? no reason he's just a freak and he's obsessed.)
pps: honestly in the state that he is!!! jess' fire can fully not be his fault, but he still is around and Fails To Save Her and sam could just end up putting the pieces together for other stuff and he connects the right dots but like his main dot is not connected to all that!! but bc he's also obsessive and crazy he's like IM GONNA KILL YOUUU
anyway. ANYWAYY.
43 notes · View notes
its-tea-time-darling · 2 months
Text
things i did NOT like about shadow and bone (netflix):
the darkling looks Old. he's supposed to look the same age as all the other main protagonists. this highlights alina's future of staying the same & young where everyone around her dies. it also blurs the line between good and evil more bc 'oh he's the older bad guy' is just such an easy solve. also while ben barnes is a snack imo the darkling was supposed to have a more alluring, youthful magnetism.
making genya's scars barely a few scratches. she's supposed to objectively have lost her former self perfected beauty!!! this is a thing!!! she doesn't just have some deep scars, she's supposed to look hideous at first sight, where is show adaptation teams' courage to show characters that are supposed to be mutilated as just that???? i promise audiences can survive on literally everyone else on the cast being very stereotypically pretty/handsome 🙄🙄🙄🙄
changing wesper's storyline so that they had a one night stand before canon sets in??? what kind of bullshit is that??? fucking robbing me of the "just girls?" -"not just girls" gay ANgST will they won't they, does jesper like him too, will they ever - BAM. KISS. !!!!!!! succession??? making wylan cute and awkward does NOT compensate their book storyline At All what were those show writers thinking??? 😭😭
this one i will forgive but i still rly liked it in the books so im a tad sad they didn't manage to include it: that alina has a time where she thinks she is morozova's second daughter's descendant. in many respects she has learned she is Special, and the shame she feels when she realizes this isn't another one of these cases, this isn't a way to finally show her A Path, that in this respect she is ordinary and mal is tied to fate that way, that's just such a good touch.
malina going seperate ways. what happened to "they had an ordinary life full of ordinary things--if love can ever be called that."????? "choice is true north" my ASS 😤😤😤😤 malina have always been in love and will always be in love idc abt the firebird amplifier thing that was just sth they had to do they've always been people and they've always loved each other there is no way around it
things i DID like about shadow and bone (netflix)
david and genya. specifically the delivery of the lines "I … I don’t understand half of what goes on around me. I don’t get jokes or sunsets or poetry, but I know metal. Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing. You don't need fixing."
genya telling the queen how she poisoned the king, and genya spitting at nikolai how his apologies are of no use and that he needs to prove a better king. generally just genya. 💞
nikolai sending his mother away + what he says to her.
all the malina flashbacks to the meadow <33
malina last night together 😳😳 they love each other sm!!!!!
the scene at morozova's home. baghra sharing her past, all the reveals happening there, and of course the darkling weeping over his mother's body. "know that i loved you. know that it wasn't enough." like OkAY.
sankta neyar's speech. so deeply touching, and doesn't just apply to immortals but to all of us who have been hurt and suffered loss before.
the darkling begging alina to let him be her monster. A+ delivery.
"How will you have me? Fully clothed, gloves on, your head turned away so our lips can never touch? I will have you without armour, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all." generally the entirety of kanej in this show. inej's hallucination. the mirroring to the last scene. breathtaking showstopping flawless.
little rabbit.
48 notes · View notes
lovelykhaleesiii · 1 year
Note
Hello hei hi yes. Uhm i was wondering if i could perhaps make a request to. Something relating to maybe modern aegon or even tgc! However u want it! And for the plot part could it be sth of the fact their partner was nott very welcomed by people in their life all the time and so now they do evrrything to always make them feel wanted and needed and safe and all that jazz. Thank u love your stories!
heya bby, thank you for sending in this request!!! you know I'm a sucker for angst lol! I appreciate you, hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it xx apologies for the long wait!!!
Approval & Acceptance.
PAIRING: Modern!Aegon ii Targaryen x fem!Reader
WORDS: 2,018.
WARNINGS: swearing, angst, mentions of slut-shaming, soft!Aegon.
Tumblr media
A solid year had passed by since you'd plucked the courage to accept Aegon into your life, beyond the title of a mere friendly acquaintance. A wonderful, solid year it has been, now approaching the eve of your 1 year anniversary. Even prior to committing to Aegon as his one and only partner, you'd knew very little about him, although the extent of what you knew was not as pleasing as you’d liked…
A traditional part of living out a college life, many students often found themselves entangled in some sort of fraternity, which just happened to be the case for Aegon. He was quite the social butterfly, the centre of attention, although in a notorious way. The partying hardly ceased, only encouraging his previous habit of excessively drinking till he was passed out in some remote location of the campus. And the ladies… He relished in their undivided, carnally driven attention too, opting to satisfy his lust through sexual means, Aegon was a wild boy.
On the other hand, you had a rather mellow tune about yourself. More reserved and diligent with studies, although you did not mind the occasional outing, perhaps even a cocktail to go with it. You much rather preferred intimate, soulful gatherings than the chaotic mess of parties. Nonetheless, Aegon and yourself had mutually met one another and clicked instantaneously. The dynamic between you two was perfectly balanced, and gradually, romantic feelings had developed mutually.
The more of his time and thoughts you had naturally preoccupied, the more committed Aegon became, eager to devote his energy towards you. He began to disassociate himself from the all the unnecessary proclivities he'd previously pre-occupied himself with. Strenuously investing his efforts into making you as happy as can be.
The dates were splendid and fruitful, Aegon was infatuated with spoiling you with grand gestures and intimate, passionate love-making.
"I cannot get enough of you, sweetling, what have you done to me?"
Aegon would often mutter such pleasantries into your nearby ear, as he firmly held you close against his larger, warm body, enraptured in his arms, nothing but bare skin to skin contact.
It was undeniable, however...
The affection you naturally showered Aegon, was something that he'd been craving yet denied so vicariously throughout majority of his life. Upon mingling with you, it was all he could crave for, so desperately. Seeking for your approval and acceptance at all times. Your sweet, delicate scent had even become some sort of an addiction for him, that made him feral. Girls had come and gone in his life as means to satisfy his 'manly' needs, although none had remained, nor impressed him enough to have such a profound effect on him. With each lovingly, passing day, Aegon became more serious with you, serious enough that he had been intending to introduce you to his kin, as his girlfriend.
****
You'd been feverishly hesitant for tonight, as the hours tolled throughout the day, you could've sworn you were falling ill from the anticipation.
"Wh-What if they don't like me, Aeg? If they don't approve of me, what then? Do we stop seeing each other?"
"Oh, Y/N-C'mon, now. Be serious...Perhaps, they might not warm up to you but rest assured, they could never say no to some cake-" Aegon chuckled, as he fleetingly eyed the baked good resting on your lap, that you'd meticulously prepared hours ago, before resuming his attention back on the road ahead.
"Aegon, stop! You are absolutely no help right now! You know how these things stress me out," You defeatedly sulk, as you continue to dreadfully stare out across the vicinity beyond the car window. You could suspect Aegon's side glances towards your stoic direction, as he sensed the tension oozing from your stiff body.
"Y/N, baby, you know I'm only fucking with you, right?" Another glance exchanged between the road and you, you'd silently shrugged to Aegon's words.
"Y/N-"
A large hand gripped your chin firmly, pulling your face towards his direction.
"I mean it. I'm certain they are going to love you, baby, how could they not?"
His sweets words, earned a half-hearted smile from you, as you further leaned into his touch. His grip releasing from your chin, now reached over to your closest hand, as he pulled it over for a quick peck. Giving you a reassuring squeeze, before resuming the wheel, you felt a calm wash over, easing your worries for now...
****
"Aegon, that was fucking terrible. That went to shit pretty quick!" You vexed, as you aggressively smacked your clutch down on the dining table, Aegon silently following you behind as you entered your shared apartment. The car ride home felt long and painful, you both remained quiet, no words exchanged as you pondered over your vivid thoughts, emotions tense. You felt sick to your stomach, for the family dinner did not go accordingly, nor as Aegon had desperately hoped. The words he'd shared with you just moments before arriving to his family's place, now meant nothing, fuelled with delusions.
"Y/N, I-I'm sorry-" Aegon softly uttered, followed by a sigh, as he undid the tight buttons of his shirt, plopping himself defeatedly on the couch, as you removed the fine earrings you'd donned.
"It's not your fault, Aeg... They ripped into you just as much as much as they did me."
It was unfortunately the truth...
The moment you'd even entered the grand home, gifting the backed good to Alicent, who carefully eyed it, you'd already managed to trigger some spiteful side glances from his mother. As she closely eyed your figure up and down, beside her eldest son's side, her lips pursed in an almost disappointed look.
Aegon's father unwell, his health declining, as Aegon had pre-warned you, only managed to stay for a quick greeting, before resuming to the comfort of the bed. He seemed rather pleasant towards you, and rather wished for him to have stayed in place of Alicent, however, he too had a pre-dispositioned distaste for his eldest son, from again, what Aegon had disclosed to you.
"Forgive us, Aegon often rushes the girls out of the house, not bringing them in to be introduced, so this could be the first of many," Alicent spat, exchanging a smirk that you felt was fuelled with spite. Almost as though it was her jab at reducing you to the same type of 'company' Aegon would previously seek out.
"I should've known they would have acted this way, baby. A-As if they're trying to test me," Aegon exhaustedly stuttered, rubbing the furrow of his brows as he rested his head forward over his hands.
"And I just had to drag you into their fucking shit."
"Mother- You said you'd play nice... Now, this- This, is my darling, Y/N, Y/N this is everyone-," Aegon teased and hastily proceeded, a poor attempt of trying to alleviate his mother's harshness, as he gently pushed you forward.
"Helena, Aemond and Daeron-" Aegon continued as he gestured toward each sibling, you shaking each of their hands cordially. Respectively, Helaena too, seemed pleasant enough, although withdrawn and uninterested in the evening. Upon, close examination of her interactions with her own mother, it seemed the poor girl remained closed off towards her too, probably as means to not mingle with such bitterness. Daeron, Aegon's youngest brother, immediately succumbed to the distraction of his phone, silencing the conversation at hand with his costly looking headphones.
Aemond, on the other hand, showed no interest nor the slightest inch of a smile, as he stood self-assuringly by his mother's side, exchanging a private word with her as they guided you into the dining room, where the meals had been set and prepped already.
Questions had been asked about your studies, job and general background, although you felt they were said more out of obligation than the actual itch of wanting to know.
Aegon gradually grew rigid as the minutes went by, his mother and brothers, exchanging quick jabs at the eldest for his indecency, lack of dignity in his ventures and poor choices. You felt for Aegon deeply, wounded mutually by their brutal words, for it seemed as though they were reluctant to get to know the reinvented version of himself. Stubborn in their perceptions of him, deeming him "incapable of change" as Aemond insisted, in the confinement of the kitchen as he aided his mother in the dishes... You had overheard their private conversation, although refused to mention such things to Aegon, for it would upset him even more.
For a while, Aegon continued to divert the conversation onto you, wanting his family to optimise the opportunity to know you, although it seemed his efforts were pinned against him.
After revealing that Aegon and yourself had met mutually at a party, you'd witnessed a sly, haste exchange between Aemond and his mother, before Alicent coughed up the audacity to say:
"So I see you are not so different from where my son finds his usual tastes."
"Aegon, you didn't know-" Slowly walking over towards his dejected side on the couch, tenderly rubbing small circles on his back.
"If anything, they were quite volatile to you too, baby."
"Yes, but Y/N this is nothing new for me...If I'm being honest with myself, I gave them all the reasons in the fucking world, to hate me, but you?-" His attention panned towards you, as his hands cupped your tearful face in his instinctively, a saddened look struck upon him as he noticed your hurt one.
"How could they say such awful things about you, my sweet, sweet angel-" Aegon leaning in closer, closed the short distance between you both, as he planted a passionate kiss against your soft, lipstick stained lips.
"I truly am sorry about their behaviour, baby- I'm going to have a real, hard chat with them tomorrow, trust. Let's just get ready for bed." As you nodded your head in agreement, you both stood up, Aegon following you closely behind, holding one hand, whilst the other cheekily spanked your ass, as you gracefully walked. Turning swiftly to face him, now a sly look strewed across your face, you knew that Aegon deserved some sort of reward for putting up with tonight.
****
Nonetheless, you fucked him real good, it seemed it greatly helped to relieve the tension built up from the night prior, for the both of you. Having been drained mentally from the dinner, and physically exhausted from the long, sensual rounds of sex, you awoke the next morning to Aegon's missing figure from his usual side of the bed. Your arm reaching out only to be met with cold, empty sheets, instead you reached over for your phone. The unlocked screen had already displayed an unread message from "Aegon."
"Gone to speak to my family, angel. Don't wait to have breakfast, I'll be back for some more fucking as my reward. I love you."
You couldn't help but smile, for despite how belittled Aegon was, he was considerably resilient. He never hesitated to defend those that he cared for, those that he sincerely loved, and you were nothing less.
He had retuned an hour later, and disclosed the exact discussion that had taken place. From what you'd heard, it seemed Aegon had plentiful to say this time, whereas his mother and Aemond, remained to be the ones biting their venomous tongues. Giving them the ultimatum to apologise, or he'd refused to see them once more, Alicent immediately insisted he bring you over for another attempt of a family dinner.
Aegon and yourself agreed, however on your terms. You'd be the ones to arrange the date and time that best catered for yourselves.
And just as he'd mentioned and liked to remind you, you had rewarded Aegon with a generous amount more of fucking, before lounging around in each other's pleasant company. Warmly embraced in Aegon's arms on the couch, as you nestled in, to watch a cringe rom-com, the night before slowly became a blur.
It was the small, precious moments that mattered most...
274 notes · View notes
enviedear · 7 months
Note
as an engineer major i love engineer major!anakin, he has my whole heart <33 may i also add: computer nerd ani. idk if you want to make him a computer nerd but it seems like most engineering boys are. he could be a car guy and a computer guy tho. he has his own PC setup that he built and he sees u using an old ass laptop (me) and offers to build a PC just for u <333
alsoooo him living in a lil student apartment and it smells like weed and is shockingly clean but the fridge is. empty. since he’s not a drinker he probably has some drinks u like and he’s got like noodles and stuff but u have to go over and buy him ingredients and teach him to make a 5 minute recipe bc he just cannot 😭 he would probably live on takeout otherwise.
probably makes some money off a little side hustle like fixing parts of a computer or someone’s car or sth idk and then also has to go to his internship. babe is so stressed but he’s glad to come back home and take the stress out on you XNSKSJ
send me some anakin thots <3
omg i'm sorry this got lost in my inbox, but that you for sending it in! i'm always down to talk about my favorite ani hc <3
YES to computer nerd ani!!! i could totally see him building you a new pc because, "jesus christ honey your laptop sounds like it's about to take flight."
also ani most certainly can't cook... unless it's steak. i can see that man owning no other pots or pans aside from a cast iron. he treats it like a baby and he's a total snob abt it. "babe, stop trying to put this in the dishwasher, you're gonna take away the seasoning!!"
ask him to make you an omelet? nah you're getting an almost burnt scrambled egg. ask him to bake some cookies? they're hard as rock and he used salt instead of sugar. ask him for some oatmeal? you uncooked oats in water. "why are you making that face? i eat them like this all the time?"
i can totally see him working part-time at an auto shop, but like... one with a dyno where he just tunes the absolute shit out of cars. the type of tuner that lets people get the loud ass gunshot sounding pops.
then he's clocking out and trying to get the oil and smoke smell off of his body before heading into some fancy engineering firm. hair still kind of messy, but he wears those slack and button-up like a god.
he totally has the full-time senior employees wrapped around his finger too, he's so bright and somehow always knows every solution.
74 notes · View notes