#counter to point one: 'we can't stop this machine from punching you because that's just what it does'

[princesspeach5]

[ID: a graphic of hands washing dishes with the caption "men and boys! Revolution begins in the sink! Only when men take full responsibility for their share of the cooking, the cleaning, and the washing up… only then can they join with the women, and together build a new world!!!" End ID.]

My least favorite things about anti- UBI discourse is always the techbros whining that "nobody is going to work anymore! People will just watch Netflix all day!" and I have 2 responses:

1) Who the fuck cares. Who the fuck cares what people do with their time! That's kind of the fucking point!

2) People aren't going to stop laboring. Housework (look, it's right there in the word!) will still need to be done. So will maintenance on our homes and personal spaces. Children will still need carers, as will the elderly and disabled. There are millions of examples of ~work~ that we do all the time, uncompensated, that won't suddenly stop because we aren't forced to sell our labor to provide corporation's profits.

I'm not surprised that what is traditionally women's work is invisible to these dipshits, but it never fails to anger me.

Anyway. Join the IWW.

[xxisxxisxxis]

Gateway Drug | Part Forty-Five

Table of Content or Part Forty-Four

Read HERE on Wattpad

Words: 3.1K

Warning(s): Explicit language, sexual situations, mentions of drug abuse

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Five days detoxing at Doc's house+rehab+therapy=road to recovery=out of the woods. It's the magical equation I swore up and down wouldn't end in "Error."

The few dishes on the counter shatter into the floor once Nikki roughly sits me on it, his fingers digging into my thighs that wrap securely around him, our tongues twisting as we tug and pull at each other's clothes.

I get his pants undone as he pulls the towel from around my body, taking a handful of my soaking wet hair in his hand and tugging my head back to leave bites and bruises up and down my neck, causing me to hum in pleasure while my core pulses with anticipation to be filled by him.

Moving myself to the edge of the counter, spreading my legs as he runs his fist up and down his length a few times, I take heavy breaths, a wash of shame coming over me for a moment because this is the complete opposite of what we were instructed to do. 

But fuck the "no contact" rule. 

I've barely had any contact with him the past few months because he's been stoned or drunk. Telling me to practically ignore and avoid him for 30 days straight is like waving a loaded syringe in an addict's face before sitting it down in front of them and leaving them alone after telling them "okay I know it's right there and it's the one thing you struggle most to control yourself around, but don't even look at it."

Fuck that, and Nikki. And I refuse to walk around my own house anymore and not do the latter of those two.

The indescribable feeling of him pushing into me has my head tipping back , and my eyes closing as the both of us let out content sighs. 

I put my weight on one of my hands that rests on the counter beside me, the other hand wrapped around the back of Nikki's neck, as he moves in and out of me ferociously and I meet him thrust for thrust.

Let's take a step back and catch up on how he and I had gotten to that point.

Eight Days Earlier

"You two can detox at my place, check into rehab, come out when you're better and we'll go from there." Doc explains to Nikki and Tansy as they both sit on our couch.

"W-What about the press? Or my mom?" Tansy asks him nervously, fumbling with the tag on the throw blanket she's enveloped in.

"You let me deal with your mom and the media, alright?" Doc assures her. 

"Surely your mom won't be pissed at you for getting help, Tans." I try to tell her and she rubs her lips together.

"People will know I have a problem if I got to rehab." She points out. "It'll make me look bad."

"Having to cover your entire body with makeup to hide the discoloration of your skin and the track marks, looks bad, Tansy. Screw what people think. At least you're admitting you need help." I say and she doesn't reply, just looking at Nikki to gauge his reaction to all of this.

He looks pissed, but too tired and defeated to give a shit enough to argue with me anymore about it.

"What's the point of rehab if I'm just gonna end up kicking it at Doc's place?" Nikki asks me and I let out a breath.

"Because rehab will teach you coping mechanisms that Doc can't, Nikki. It won't take that long for you to get out if you just try your best at it." I reply and he scoffs. 

"So, what, you're babysitting me at Doc's until I'm done throwing up, shitting myself, and having hot and cold flashes and then shipping me off for a few weeks?" He cuts his dead eyes at me and Doc and I exchange looks.

"Well, it depends on how quickly you adjust to rehab and make a turn around, as to how soon you can get out...so it might be more than a few weeks." Doc informs him. "And Bob has already scheduled you and Viv an appointment with a marriage therapist."

"Well if I'm spending more than three weeks in rehab there's no point in working on our marriage." 

"The program you'll be in includes this particular therapist who's currently working on creating a schedule for Vivian to come visit you often and you two have your sessions bi-weekly." Doc states and Nikki rolls his jaw, looking at me.

"Is this what you really want? Your husband gone for weeks on end until some quack gives me a certificate and a gold star because I went 'X' amount of time without shooting up?" He harshly questions me and I rub my lips together.

I think of the reasons Nikki didn't spend more than three days in rehab the first time he went, was because A.) He refused to believe in a higher power, and B.) He didn't go to rehab because he knew he had a problem and wanted to get better, he went to rehab to appease the people around him because he felt we were twisting his arm until he gave up and cried "mercy" a.k.a "fine I'll go, just as long as you shut the fuck up and get off my back about it."

I look at him for a moment, studying his knotted hair, his yellow skin, his shot eyes, his weak appearance, before saying:

"I'd rather you hate me for a little while for getting you help, instead of waking up and trying to convince myself to continue to live in a world with no Nikki Sixx in it."

"We're not indestructible, Nikki." Tansy adds softly, knowing very well she and he both need help.

He doesn't say anything else.

She had Doc and I convinced she wanted help...but truth be told Nikki actually went to rehab while Tansy had Duff come get her from Doc's house.

She knew she had a severe problem, but the only time Tansy would "clean up" was when she gave her veins a break, out of fear of completely losing them, and was muscling smack. She would fall back on pills and lots of booze, then when some of her veins would start reviving themselves back from their smaller size, she would start up again.

I can't even say how much money she and her mother were paying people to keep quiet to the media. 

Nobody could know perfect Tansy Lyn, Playboy's Barbie Doll, was so broken inside that she repeatedly destroyed her body, let it rebuild, and wrecked it again. 

It must have been a punch in the face to her mom when Tansy came clean in '88 and admitted she had struggled with addiction and was going into rehab...and an even harder punch in the face when she came back in into the spotlight in 1989, dropping her stage name "Tansy Lyn" and dawning "Tansalyn Rose" after marrying Axl, and practically confessed every grimy detail of her obsession with hard drugs and alcohol since 1981, and why she started them to cope with what was happening behind the scenes of the brutal modeling industry. 

In 1990, her vision-come-to-life, "I Won't Just Smile", was born. It started as a campaign to raise awareness against sexual abuse, exploitation, and coercion in all corners of the modelling industry, then stemmed into an organization that offered free services to victims of addiction and abuse, from rehab to post-assault counseling and everything in between.

Years of Diane's hard work to create her daughter's untouchable persona, completely shattered.

I was just thrilled Tansy had turned her struggles around and used them to help others, but first, she would have to face a handful of overdoses, one of which nearly killed her, have a section of her liver cut out, and have a temporary pace-maker.

All of it just made Axl more strict about drugs. Not just for the sake of the band and the fans, but he was afraid some members of Guns in particular would pull Tansy back into the merry-go-round of addiction after she got clean.

"You're telling me I can't stay with him and Tansy?" I ask Doc harshly in a whisper once the four of us get to his house.

"You won't want to stay, Viv. I'm telling you, they're gonna pull out all the stops to get you to cave and get them some smack because they'll be in so much pain. I don't want you to see them like that and I don't want you to compromise their recovery." He explains.

"You think I would do that?!"

"I know you would if it came down to it." He states and I roll my jaw. "This isn't just little flu symptoms and some body aches. They will feel like they are going to die, they will look like they are going to die and I cannot trust you not to give in." His brutal honesty. "You'll be able to see them in about a week, they'll be better by then and then we can look at the next step. Got it?"

I just glare at him.

"Go kiss 'em 'bye' and fuck off." He says next, waving his hand at me dismissively as he goes to my car to grab Nikki's bag and his car to grab Tansy's.

I step back into the living room to tell them 'bye' but stop myself, deciding it's better to let Doc deal with Nikki's pissed off temper when he discovers I won't be staying with them.

Grabbing my car keys from the table by the door, I head the house.

When I get back to our house, I check the machine that's blinking a light to signal a missed call.

I go to the kitchen and get a glass of water as Slash's voice slurs through the speaker.

"H-Hey, Viv, um...uh...we..." I chuckle at his incoherent mumbling and step to the phone to call him back as another message starts playing where his left off.

"Viv," It's Duff. "Call us back as soon as you can."

I furrow my brows a little, about to dial them back until yet another message comes on.

"Viv, we got signed!" Steven's screaming has me dropping my water and the phone, joy coursing through the soles of my feet up to my hair, and I'm running around and screaming along with his recorded message loudly blaring his own excitement.

I run back to the phone and pick it up, dialing their apartment.

"We got signed!" Steven's voice is shouting at me before the phone even rings a single ring.

"When?! How?! By who?!" I say back.

"We'll tell you over dinner because guess who got $7,500 cash advances?! The same mother fuckers who've been stealing from strippers to get by, that's who!" He exclaims.

"Yeah, don't ever tell people you guys did that!" I say in the same tone. "Lemme change and I'll be over there, okay?"

"Okay." He replies, and I can just hear his smile through the phone.

I hang up and give one last scream of happiness before sprinting to get changed and leave.

Tom Zutaut, the same man responsible for giving Mötley Crüe their shot, had given the same shot to Guns N' Roses.

They had signed to Geffen Records, and although that was their second goal--the first was getting a band together--they knew the main goal was to release their first album, and hopefully, have it a success.

Before I can even knock on the door, it's swinging open and Steven's like a puppy, jumping around, waiting on me by the door.

I hug him tightly, trying to keep myself from crying with immense relief that they're one step closer--a giant step closer--to their dream.

When we pull away from each other, Duff holds his hand up for me to give him a high-five and I do, his fingers locking with my hand to pull me into a hug and I'm sandwiched between him and Steven momentarily.

A flash catches my eye and we pull away from each other to see a girl with short, blonde hair, that I've never seen before, holding a camera.

"That's gonna be a good one." She tells us, smiling at Duff as the Polaroid deposits.

Mandy Brixx, member of the punk band, Lotus Lame and The Lame Flames, was a cute girl with bleach blonde hair, beautiful brown eyes and a captivating smile...and was also Duff's first wife.

Mandy wasn't perfect, but she didn't disown Duff after he told her he had gotten me pregnant.

Even though he didn't cheat on her with me, and they had been broken up for about six months when he and I got involved, I know it hurt her knowing he had hooked up with the woman she was sure she didn't have to worry about when they dated. They ended up getting back together in 1988 and got married the same year.

They divorced two years later because something just "changed" and neither of them were happy, but I've always respected her because she was really good to Monroe.

His second wife, however, was crazier than a run over dog because she was always on something.

The last time I saw her in 1993, she had said something crass and rude to Tansy and before Tansy could reply, I was asking Linda, "were you born a cunt or does the crack just bring it out of you?"

She swung on me and I swung back. Except when I throw a punch, I make sure it lands.

Maybe she would've actually hit me if her equilibrium weren't as fried as her brain.

I would've kicked her ass if Duff and Matt Sorum hadn't pulled me off of her.

I hope she got her shit together after they divorced in 1995.

I guess bass players and crack-head models go hand-in-hand...

"Viv, this is my girlfriend, Mandy." Duff introduces me. "Mandy, this is my best friend, Viv."

"Hi, it's good to finally meet you." Mandy tells me with a gentle smile and I extend my hand to her.

"You, too." I reply as she takes my hand in her's, my eyes subtly flickering to Duff now that he's standing beside her, silently asking him when the hell he was going to tell me about his girlfriend.

"I'll tell you later." He mouths to me where she can't see and I just keep smiling as she strikes up conversation with me.

Once we get to the Rainbow, Steven and I are a few steps in front of Duff and Mandy, the blonde drummer letting out a little sigh.

"What is it?" I ask, nudging him.

"Just worried about Tansy." He admits, and I raise my brows. "It's not like that, Viv, I swear." He promises. "She's a cool person, is all. I wish she was here to celebrate this with us."

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled to hear about it when you're allowed to go visit her in rehab." I remind him. "Where's the guys?" I ask next as we step into the Rainbow.

"Slash is hanging out with this chick he met a couple weeks ago, Izzy's with his girl friend and I don't know where Axl is." He tells me and I nod. "So it's just a double date for us tonight." He grins widely, winking at me slickly.

After hours of just goofing off, talking, eating and demonstrating our celebration of Guns' stepping stone, Mandy's calling it a night.

"I'll call you later, Duff." She says to him as she grabs her jacket and he stands up to let her scoot out of the booth.

"Sounds good, babe." He replies, kissing her cheek.

"It was really nice to meet you." She tells me.

"It was nice to meet you, too." I reply.

"Bye." She smiles one last time at Duff, waving to Steven before leaving.

"When did you me--"

"Viv, lemme out." Steven interrupts me and I furrow my brows.

"What?"

"Lemme out, there's a hot girl at the bar and she just waved me over. I wanna get laid. Lemme out." He pleads and I roll my eyes and scoot out so he can stand up.

He does so, heading straight to the bar to try his luck with a beautiful brunette.

And then there were two.

"You were saying?" Duff chuckles out when Steven's gone and I smile a little.

"When did you and Mandy meet?" I ask him and he lets out a breath of cigarette smoke.

"Uh, a month ago, maybe? She gave me her number and I went back and forth with myself until I convinced myself to call her." He explains. "We spent the weekend together so I guess we get along pretty good. She's a great girl."

"She seems nice." I tell him, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Yeah, she is." He agrees, taking another drag of his cigarette.

I take a sip of my water and sit in the silence that falls over us before noticing he's staring at me.

"What?" I ask him.

"You wanna go somewhere with me?" He offers, putting his cigarette out.

"Where?"

"C'mon." He stands up, nodding to the door.

"But Steven--"

"--Is about to go mess around with that girl in the bathroom. He's not gonna be mad if we leave him." He adds. "C'mon, you'll like where we go."

"If you say so." I shrug.

He pays the bill and the two of us head back to their apartment so he can get his car.

I know I should have been at home by the phone, waiting for a call from Doc or Nikki or Tansy, but it was pointless to sit at home and worry when I couldn't do anything about it anyway.

When we get to where we're going, Duff is parking his car in the lot of an abandoned building, and I glance around to see there's not much traffic around us.

"Is this the part where you murder me?" I ask him and he busts out in laughter, shaking his head.

"This is where Mandy and her band rehearses." He explains.

"Why're we here?"

"I picked her up here the other day and noticed something you might like." He gets out the car and opens his trunk, pulling out a shopping bag.

"Duff..." I say, uneasy as we approach the rusted door.

"Shh, I got it." He digs in his jacket pocket and plucks out a worn key, unlocking the dead bolt and the door knob.

I follow him inside, and he switches on a light switch, only one light beam in the ceiling comes on, and in the large, dim room, I see a large mirrored wall, sleek but worn out wood floors, and I turn to see Duff holding out a brand new pair of pointe shoes to me.

I wasn't going to tell him I'd gone so long without dancing that I'd have to work my way back up to dancing on pointe, because he'd spent money for the shoes and they looked to be around my size and I didn't want to know how observant he had to be to estimate my shoe size in terms of ballet...so I did something I was really good at doing at that time in my life.

I kept myself from crying.

I knew Duff was going to be a constant encourager in my life when he held those shoes out to me and so easily, so confidently, said:

"You've supported and helped me get into my groove of things to start accomplishing my dream. Now, I'm helping you get back into your's."

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Detroit: Become Human Ralph x Reader [4]

The scenario for this one shot is:

How did Ralph become damaged?

⚠️MENTIONS OF ABUSE⚠️

Most of this chapter will be Ralph talking in first person. I hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!

••••••••••••••••

~(Y/n)'s POV~

"Maybe we should try going on a trip for our second anniversary," I suggest as my boyfriend, Gabe, and I sat at the kitchen table.

The man shook his head with a scrunched up face. "Nah, not a fan of traveling."

"You've got to be kidding me..." I mutter under my breath.

Our conversation was interrupted as Ralph, our WR600 android, entered the kitchen with a bundle of chrysanthemums in his hands from the garden on the veranda.

Gabe rolled his eyes in annoyance and crossed his arms. "Get outta here, ya shitty android."

I smacked him on the arm. "Don't talk to him like that, Gabe." Then, I directed a smile at Ralph. "Those are lovely, Ralph. Your hard work has definitely paid off."

"I'm glad you like them, (Y/n)," the machine answered, his programmed smile appearing. "I'll put them in a vase and place them on the coffee table to brighten up the living room."

"We don't need anymore flowers, ya daft hunk of wires," Gabe scoffs.

I sent a harsh glare in his direction. "Stop belittling his work!"

Gabe slammed his hands on the table, his own glare much sharper than mine. "Don't dare yell at me, (Y/n)!" I flinched at Gabe's bellowing voice. I didn't meet his heated gaze and turned my head in Ralph's direction. From here, I saw his LED was red.

Before I could speak up, pain erupted in my right cheek and I fell out of the chair. The only sound that I heard was when my body collided with the frigid tiles of the kitchen floor. In complete shock, I kept my wide (e/c) eyes glued to the floor. "You care more about this damn android than your own boyfriend!"

I remained silent as Ralph came to my side and placed a gentle and caring hand on my back. The sound of the wooden chair scraping against the tile was all I heard as a sign Gabe had left the kitchen. Completely frozen at the slap, Ralph took it upon himself to get me a bag of ice for my swollen cheek.

I wasn't sure how long I had been on the floor until Ralph returned and helped me back into my seat. He pulled out the chair next to me and pressed the bag of ice against my red cheek. "Why, (Y/n)?"

I met his gaze, never having heard him question anything. "What is it, Ralph?"

"Why do you still take this abuse?"

"I... I don't know. I want to believe deep down that I love Gabe, but I think my love for him has run dry."

Ralph fell silent, applying the ice with more pressure. My gaze fell to the floor, not being able to look at the android any longer.

After a few minutes, I meekly thanked Ralph and took the bag of ice before wandering around the apartment to find Gabe. I found him sitting on the bed in our bedroom with his head resting in his hands. When he heard me enter, his head shot up and I saw the tears building up in the corner of his eyes. "I'm so sorry, (Y/n). I-I didn't—"

"Gabe, do you love me?"

"Why would you ask me such a stupid question? Of course I love you!"

"Every time this happens, you always apologize and I just feel like you aren't sincere. You always end up slapping me again and it's the same process over and over again. My forgiveness is running out."

Gabe sighed, tearing his eyes away from me. "I understand if you want to leave and I won't stop you, (Y/n)."

"I'm not leaving, Gabe. It's just... very tempting because of these fallouts we keep having."

"Then, you'll stay?"

"For now. But, if this happens again, I can't make any promises."

He nods with a smile. "I understand." I nod in silence and leave the bedroom.

Wandering into the living room, I watched as Ralph placed the beautiful flowers in a glass vase and sat them in the center of the coffee table. "Y'know, winter's coming and we haven't picked up any new flowers. What do you think about getting a few hellebores?"

"They'll grow well during the winter," Ralph smiles.

"Then, it's settled! We'll pick up new flowers tomorrow and you're coming with me."

"But, (Y/n)—"

"No 'buts', Ralph. You're coming with me so you can pick out your favorite, too. You are the one who takes care of the garden, after all. The least I could do is let you pick your favorite flowers."

For some odd reason, his LED flashed yellow before returning to normal. Dismissing it, I smile at Ralph and place my hand over his. The android smiled, wrapping his fingers around mine. "I'd like that."

-Next Morning-

"Alright, ready to go, Ralph?" I ask, putting on my heavy jacket that I knew would counter the bone-chilling breeze of the winter that was slowly creeping up on Detroit.

He nods with a smile. "Yes, (Y/n)."

Just then, Gabe emerged from the bedroom door. He raised a brow when he saw the two of us were standing at the front door. "Where are you two heading?"

"To Aurora's Nursery to buy flowers for the winter," I stated stoically.

"Do you really have to take that thing with you?" He scoffed, glaring at Ralph.

"Ralph is coming with me because he is the gardener. Unlike you, he actually does something around here. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be back soon."

"Hey, (Y/n)—!"

"Bye, Gabe." I open the door and pull Ralph out of the apartment before slamming it shut behind us.

-Aurora's Nursery-

Ralph wandered around the enormous nursery, examining flowers left and right. I had a couple of hellebores in my hand and watched him with a huge smile plastered to my face. This was the first time I've ever seen him have so much fun. I recognized the emotion as happiness, which confused me to some extent. Ever since Gabe had snapped at me the previous night, Ralph had been expressing different emotions I've never seen an android express. I wanted to ask him if he had broken protocol and had become deviant without me knowing, but I would save that question for later.

Ralph returned with snowdrops in his hands. The beautiful white petals that created a snowy bell-like image as the flower was drooping was a beautiful sight, indeed, and would look breathtaking in the garden. Though the apartment was small, the veranda was roomy and provided enough space for Ralph and his garden.

"Ready to go?" I ask.

He nods and I pay for the hellebores and snowdrops. With the flowers in our grasps, we walk back to the apartment with smiles etched across our faces.

Ralph held the door for me and I thanked him. I noticed the fireplace was lit and the wood crackled as we walked through the living room. We took the flowers to the veranda and sat them down in the small garden area Ralph had made himself from simple materials I had bought him years ago.

Then, Gabe wandered out the sliding glass door, a scowl present on his face. "Do we honestly need a garden?"

"Yes, we do. I enjoy flowers and it's not this is your apartment. I'm the one who pays the bills, not you," I snap.

"Hey, you know I've been trying to find a job!"

"No, you haven't! You've been sitting on your ass and lazing around here!"

"Well, unlike you, I didn't get a CEO position handed to me from my father!"

"Oh, please! I worked my ass off to get that position! My dad may be the president of the company, but that doesn't mean shit when he treats me like a normal employee! I worked my way to becoming a CEO without my father's influence, you asshole!"

After my final lashing, we both fell silent. Ralph stood next to me, completely shocked at the sudden outburst between me and Gabe. Something inside me suddenly snapped and my glare grew even more heated as my eyes never left my boyfriend. "I'm so done with you, Gabe. Pack your shit and leave. I'm done with all of this abuse."

His jaw fell to the floor, surprised at my sudden proclamation. "You can't—!"

"Yes, I can. You're a deadbeat and nothing but an asshole. Grab your shit and get out."

Gabe cursed me under his breath as he left the veranda and headed back inside. I placed a hand on my head as I sat down in a chair beside the garden. Ralph kneeled in front of me, his worried gaze trained on me. "(Y/n)..."

"I'm fine. I just... need a few minutes to calm down."

After I took a few deep breaths, Gabe returned with a fire iron in his hand and a malicious glint in his eyes. "Gabe, what the hell are you doing?"

"Getting rid of the problem," he said, eyes glued on Ralph.

I quickly stood up and placed myself in front of the android. "He's not the problem. The only problem here is you! Get out before I call the cops!"

Gabe didn't acknowledge my shouting as he raised the poker and pushed me aside. Before I could recover, the man swung the hot, sharp piece of iron at Ralph. The android was struck directly on the cheek, sending him to the ground. I tackled Gabe before he could strike again and punched him in the jaw, knocking him out cold. I scrambled to get my phone out of my pocket and called the police. Moving off of my now ex's body, I went to Ralph's aid and saw he wasn't waking up. "Ralph?"

Staring into his wide, lifeless eyes, I bit my lip in fear and dialed the nearest CyberLife store. The manager told me to bring in Ralph as soon as possible to assess the damage after I told her what happened and hung up.

The police finally arrived ten minutes later and arrested Gabe. Once they dealt with the unconscious man, I dragged Ralph's body to the car and placed him in the back seat. Not heeding the speed limit, I speed to the store and hand the android over to the manager. She takes him to the back and another employee told me it would take a few hours to repair Ralph. I decided to wait in the store, watching as people bought androids left and right.

-Three Hours Later-

"Miss (L/n)?" I snapped my gaze upwards, spotting the manager. She smiled softly at me as she pointed to the repair room behind the counter. "Your WR600 model has been repaired, but..."

"What is it?" I ask.

"The burn damage to the plastic is untreatable and a fraction of its software is fried beyond repair. Besides that, it's in working condition and should be able to perform its normal duties."

"That's good to hear. How much do I owe for repairs?"

"Two hundred." I hand her my credit card from my jacket pocket. She swipes the card using her tablet and hands it back to me. "Alright. We'll send your android out at once."

"Thank you."

The door to the repair room flew open and revealed Ralph. He frantically searched the store until his eyes landed on me and he rushed to my side. Wrapping his arms around me, Ralph held me tightly. "Is (Y/n) injured?"

"No. I'm alright, Ralph." I placed my hands gently on his back, hugging him back.

"Ralph is happy to know (Y/n) isn't hurt."

I pull away, my eyes falling onto his damaged cheek. "Let's go home."

-Apartment-

The moment we set foot in the living room, Ralph dashed to the veranda and began planting the flowers we had bought earlier today. I smiled as he grabbed his tools and worked in silence with a huge smile on his face. Parched from all the yelling that only happened a few hours ago, I head into the kitchen and get a glass of water. The wine that rested on the counter caught my eye, but I decided not to drink myself into a stupor over an asshole like Gabe.

As I downed the water, Ralph entered the kitchen as I filled the cup once more. There was dirt on his undamaged cheek and I giggled with a smile. "Sit down, Ralph, and let me clean the dirt off your cheek." He nods and sits down at the table, shaking his knees up and down. I wetted a paper towel and wiped the dirt off his face. "There. Now you're clean."

Suddenly, the android spoke and said words I never expected to hear. "Ralph loves (Y/n). Will... Will (Y/n) stay with Ralph?"

I placed the cup of water and paper towel down. "I'd never leave you." The android leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. His head rested on my stomach as he remained sitting in the chair when he hugged me. I placed my hands gently on his back, hugging him gently. I looked down to see Ralph had a peaceful smile carved on his face. I leaned down, placing a kiss on top of his head. "I love you, too, Ralph."

[hxarrysbabe]

Harry writing prompt: you and Harry had been a short fling. But a very deep fling. You two were super connected and felt like you knew each other perfectly and understood each other. But you broke up and now he sees you around town. In a grocery store. Or at Starbucks. He always seems to notice when he's in the same area as you. And he can't handle not talking to you anymore. He needs you to see him, too. He needs your eyes to meet his again. What happens between them is up to you!

Harry never thought that it would be that hard to forget her. But that's why it hurts him so damn much - because he wasn't prepared. The pain is unstoppable but constantly changing. Even today, when he decided to take a day off of work and just do the laundry at home and then sit and watch TV for hours, when he looks at the pile of clothes on the floor, his heart starts beating fast and hurtful as if it's going to rip off his chest. It is the memory, connected to his dirty clothes, that triggered it. He remembers the last time Y/N was in his house. Back then they still used to fight a lot and never really listen to each other. It was a day or two before they actually broke up. And he hates these clothes because she used to do the laundry. He hates them because she loved when he kissed her after it and thanked her. Yes, he hates them because the last time he was able to really feel her, the chance was took from him by the sounds of the washing machine which reminded her how rare he did the laundry for both of them and that caused one of the last few fights they had. And no, they didn't end up as in the beginning of their relationship.He kicks one of his old socks, laying on the ground, and it flies to the bathroom. He curses the open door and the washing machine he hits his big toe in, the pain in his chest, even the fucking laundry basket. He wants to throw it away and to never see it again. It's shocking him what of an influence she has on him even after just two months of seeing each other. Her scent is haunting him, reminding him of lavender and jasmine. Images of her, doing domestic shit and looking like a Greek goddess, are burning his eyes from the inside out. When he closes his eyes, he forgets she's not there with him and almost believe he's seeing her right in front of him for real. When he lays naked in bed at night, cold and lonely, he wishes for her to come and warm him. He almost hears her voice from time to time, usually when he makes himself something for dinner or brushes his teeth in the bathroom. It's driving him crazy to not have her next to him, he knows it. It's true abstinence. The last time he really did saw her, was in Starbucks. He went there to buy himself a coffee so he won't fall asleep in the studio. He didn't know why he kept coming back there and keeping the band busy when he hadn't had inspiration from weeks. But the last thing he expected was to meet her at 8 a.m. when he couldn't control even his eyes from shutting down. The thought from keeping himself from embarassing himself as he clinges onto her and begs her to come back to him, is crazy. How can he prevent his body from coming alive when all it waited for was exactly this moment?And it came alive. His eyes opened wide, almost falling out of his lids. His mouth filled with spit, hungry to taste her lips or her skin, or everything she could give him. His hands felt empty and he had to dig them in the pockets of his jeans to prevent a sudden reflex. Even thought he didn't want to admit it even more than anything else, even his cock throbbed in his pants. Then the pain flushed through his whole body and almost made him collapse on the floor. It was so fucking hard not to hug her from behind, smell the scent of her hair and kiss her cheek.All they did was to say rushed hi to each other. All they did was to avoid each other. All they did was fighting for survival after the storm on their own.Sara, Mitch, Clare and Adam knew. Even the boys from his previous band knew. Of course all of them knew. They constantly called him a wanker for ruining the best relationship in his life. But in the same time they supported him too, took him to his favourite places and made him get outside of his house when he didn't feel like getting out of bed and living this day.The night he takes his phone from the drawer beside his bed, is cold and lonely. Tears run down on his cheeks, wetting his skin and reminding him once again how addicted he is to her. He needs her more than anything and nothing is making it up for him if she's not there, laying on his chest. So this is the breaking point. The moment he doesn't care anymore about egos and fights, sounding pathetic or embarrassing himself. All he cares is about the hole in his chest, growing with every second he's not touching her."Yes?" she sounds confused and tired when she picks up the phone call. Did he just wake her up? The image of how beautiful she is while sleeping almost burns his mind."I-I..." he stops, not sure where to start from. "Sorry for bothering you. I know that it's midnight and you had a really long day at work but... I miss you. I miss you so fucking much, Y/N. You can hang up any moment you want but before you do it, i just have to ask you if i can drop by your house.""Wait, like right now?"He nerviously runs his fingers trought his hair and tugs on it, not sure what to tell her. His eyes are red and puffy from crying when he looks himself in the mirror. And the morning is wiser than the night, but he misses her. And that's what matters the most."Yes, I can be there in ten minutes."Then there is a long lasting silence between them. It drives him crazy to the point he feels like punching his head into the wall. But he doesn't even think for a second to hang up because she doesn't react to his plead. Even thought he knows how unhealthy for him is to stay on the phone and wait for her denial, for him to break his heart all over again. "Okay."And this is all he needs to just grab the car keys from the table in the living room and to rush out in the middle of the night, searching the street for his car. He used to like driving with the windows down and the radio on. But not anymore, their breakup took this away from him. But he isn't complaining, not when he's just ten minutes away from his maybe-a-second-chance-maybe-not. After he knocks on the door and she opens it from him, the first thing that falls from his mouth is:"I'll do the laundry".She bursts in laugh but after seeing him just nervously standing there with red eyes and tired face from not sleeping enough, she lets him in."Why do you tell me this?" She asks when he sits on the couch. "I was just... Just" he shuts his mouth, watching her move to the kitchen counter and turning the coffee machine on. "You know that this is one of the reasons why we broke up. I wasn't doing the fucking laundry. And I wasn't helping you with the dishes every time after we ate at home. And I wasn't paying enough attention to you because I was too preoccupied with work. But I'm here now, telling you I'll do these things. Just tell me if you want me to."She gives him the mug of coffee and reaches to touch him, but then stops herself, letting her arm freeze in the air. She didn't ask him how he wants his coffee. It wasn't necessarily because she knows all too well, every detail of him. "It wasn't you the only one who was the reason why it didn't work. I was scared from all the feelings you made me feel even after such a short period of dating. So I used to kind of fight them back, always finding why to start a fight. And I'm sorry for being a coward when you was nothing but fearless about what we had. I'm really sorry, Harry. But if we want to start something new, we should first make sure we won't do the same mistakes."He almost starts crying when sees her sit on the couch next to him and grab his hand in her both. They're so small and incomparable to his. So that's why they fit so well. "I miss you" he shrugs and fights the urge to kiss her with his mouth wide open - just like his heart. "I can't do anything about it. And it hurts. So whatever you'll want from me, it doesn't matter. I'll do it."She nods and gently wipes off the single tear that fell from his eyes. "I don't want you to shout from a roof top that you love me. I don't want the stars from the sky. I just want you to be there for me when I need you and to help me with the domestic shit sometimes. That's it, Harry. Nothing else. And I won't run from you anymore, I promise. I had my lesson, sitting on this couch for two weeks and not being able to eat and sleep because of my love for you.""Wait" he scrunches his eyebrows and his whole face lits up. "What did you just say?""Umm, that I won't run anymore?""No, no, after that!"Her own face lits up now, the drained color from it coming back again."Is it true?" he asks, not knowing if he should take her in his arms and spin her around the room or if he should take her right there on the couch."Yes, I love you. I love you."She bursts out in tears the same time he wraps his arms around her waist and presses his lips on hers. It's funny how they couldn't even say hi to each other before a few days but now they're both crying in each other's arms, confessing their love for the other.