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[sageyxbabey]

BABES. DON’T YOU EVER APOLOGISE FOR REBLOBBING TO ADD MORE SWEET COMMENTS. IT’S LITERALLY THE BEST THING EVER AND UR THE SWEETEST??!?!

for reallll!!! reader thinks she just became part of the cat distribution system. little do they know…

OKAY NO BECAUSE I’M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED TO TRY AND ADD LITTLE CAT BEHAVIOURS WHEN KYLE IS BACK TO NORMAL it’s gonna be so goooood *shoulder shimmy*

Whiskers & Wishes - Gaz x Reader

jesus christ, i can't believe i'm doing this...

two of the images used are renders done by loneghostwolf88 and BettyBRenders3D

Gaz x F!Reader, eventual smut (final chapter only).

this is: Chapter 1

Summary:

Gaz knows you very well - he's been in love with you for the better part of a year. So when he jilts the wrong woman and ends up being turned into a cat for his troubles, surely the person who knows him best will recognise him, even like this... right?

You know Gaz very well - you've been pining over him for the past year. So when he disappears without a trace and a strange cat appears at your apartment, the little coincidences that remind you of Kyle are just your anxious mind making false connections... right?

Read on AO3 or below the cut!

Kyle kept his head down as he made his way to the pub near your apartment, rain slipping down the slope of his nose. 

This was his last night of leave, and he had spent the entire day with you, the same way he had for each time off he’d had for the past year of his life. Outside of his task force, you had become his closest friend. To his heart, you had become something more. You were the lightness in his chest, threatening to float away with his heart in tow every time you smiled. You were the warmth that settled over his skin when you hugged him hello and laughed at his quips. You were safety and peace. You were still and mundane compared to his working life. And with a job like his, God only knows how magical the mundane could be.

But he could never tell you this. He couldn’t tell you this because you were his best friend, and you had been for a year now. A year spent spinning in your orbit and eclipsing you in sweet, soft moments. He had flirted, he had touched, he had watched. And now, in this dance of yours, he had spun you out and waited for you to keep the waltz going, but the longer he stood with arms outstretched, the less likely it seemed you would spin back into him. Being with you but not being with you was the sweetest torture. Your blade was carving him up, but all he wanted was to kiss the hand that held it. 

Sergeant Garrick was trained to hold up under pressure, but Kyle was about to crack. He knew he had to move on for his and your sakes. For better or for worse, Kyle needed you in his life now, and if the only way he’d get to keep you was as a friend, so be it. So, he pushed open the door of the Crossroads Hotel and bought himself a goddamned drink. 

And when he finished that one, he bought another.

And another. 

A hand grazed his wrist when he raised the bottle to his full lips for one last swig. 

“You’re drinking awfully quickly there, handsome.” Kyle turned to find the owner of the voice. She was nothing like you.

Maybe that would make it easier.

He leaned one hip against the bar and grinned, “Is this you offering to get my next one?” 

“Maybe, what are you offering me in return?” The woman purred.

“Hmm… Where to start? I have several talents, you know.” Kyle moved in closer as the stranger laughed. This was why he was here. He needed to try to shift his attention to people who would want him back. This bout of flirting went back and forth like a tennis match, and felt like one, too. It was performative, a hollow game. When she excused herself to the bathroom, Kyle was on his sixth drink and still just as drunk on thoughts of you. 

When he turned to scan the bar (hypervigilance was a serious work hazard), he spotted someone else who looked so similar to you… How could he resist? It was a terrible idea, but he was already feeling terrible. He approached this new player and started the same kind of game as he had before. His only prize was frustration at himself.

“Well, you don’t waste time,” a sharp voice groused – the woman from earlier.

In his self-pity and irritation, he said the words that he would both curse and praise himself for later. “No offence, but I don’t exactly owe you anything, do I?”

The woman cocked her head to the side, her smile just on the wrong side of inhuman. When her grey eyes locked onto his, he felt a shiver down his spine. “Fine. Since you’re so concerned with getting pussy, maybe you’d enjoy being one instead.” 

Gaz let out a grunt as the woman’s palm smacked into the centre of his chest, an odd sensation spreading out from his heart to the tips of his fingers and toes. By the time he collected himself, both women he’d been speaking to were gone.

He was alone. Wonderful…

With a heavy sigh and a heavier heart, he closed his tab for the evening.

Shuffling back out into the cold and biting night air, Kyle made his way towards the end of the block. Nausea was setting in. God, how hard did that woman hit him? ‘ Clearly, the alcohol isn’t helping ,’ he thought, as an aching started in his head and joints.

Then, there was nothing but excruciating pain. If Gaz could’ve screamed, he would. But he could not breathe. He could not think. He felt like his bones were being pushed to breaking, like his skin was tightening in on itself.

Snap.

Now he screamed.

Crack, snap.

Holy shit, his bones were breaking. They must be because he knew that sound all too well. What the bloody hell was going on? Gaz moaned out in pain, shaky breaths getting smaller and tighter as he closed his eyes to try and brace through it.

As suddenly as it had started, it was over. 

When he opened his eyes, everything looked… wrong. Colours were not what they should be, and things were too clear for this time of night. That streetlamp was also… a lot bigger than it had been a moment ago. Kyle went to stand before freezing when he caught a glimpse of himself.

Was that a fucking paw ? Why was it moving when he tried to move his left arm? Kyle swung his head around to see not his torso and two legs but a cat's body and a full, long-haired tail. A glossy brown-black coat of thick fur.

‘I didn’t think I’d had that much to drink…’ Kyle thought. He was dreaming. He must be dreaming. But he felt very much awake, very much in pain, and he knew he had not made it home yet. Oh God, home. How the fuck was he supposed to get home? His clothes and belongings were not lying around after his… episode? Transformation? The half-an-hour taxi back to his place was now out of the question, and – assuming this was real and he wasn’t just having a fit in the gutter – he was not about to get very far on foot. On paw?  

“Shit…” Kyle tried to mutter.

“Meow…” was what he heard. 

Oh… you’ve got to be having a fucking laugh.

He was a soldier, a problem-solver. He just needed to think and find a way out of this. He needed help. He needed…

You. 

He’d come from your apartment, not two blocks away. Your building was pet-friendly, and he remembered the little dog door leading onto your balcony. Bless you – even when you didn’t know it, you were helping him. If he could get to your apartment, get inside, and figure out how to convince you who he really is, you could help him.

If this were all a dream, he would wake up in his bed tomorrow morning and laugh it off. 

If this was real, you were his only shot at getting out of this mess.

Moving was strange. Kyle’s brain was thinking about moving his limbs the same way he usually would, but the sensations he was getting back were all wrong: the strange tingling from the wind  moving in his fur and whiskers, the lightness of his body, and his shifted centre of gravity. 

He was grateful for how easily he could jump once he reached your block – scaling up the tree to your balcony with sharp claws. In one leap, he landed at the glass door. He ducked his head into the plastic dog door…

It did not budge. Locked. Shit . 

‘Hey!’ Kyle called out in his head. A loud ‘mrrow’ came out instead.

– – – – –

You startled at a strange flurry of taps and yowls as you tugged on your sleep shorts. You followed the noise with cautious steps out into your living room and breathed a sigh of relief when you spotted the culprit. The cutest little long-haired cat with wide hazel eyes stood on its hind legs, tail swishing eagerly with front paws pressed into your sliding balcony door. 

“Aww! Hi there, kitty!” you cooed. In response, you received a string of pathetic meows. 

“Do you live here? Did you get stuck outside, silly?” 

Your building was pet-friendly. You had a few neighbours with cats who liked to laze around outside on the warm pavement. The cat batted a paw at the small dog door. “Demanding little thing,” you laughed and reached down to unlock the flap. As soon as you did, your new guest darted through in a chocolate-coloured blur. The cat’s fur was shiny, and it looked well-fed. It was definitely not a street cat. ‘No collar…’ you thought, ‘Odd.’ You sent a quick message to your building tenants' group chat to see whose cat you’d accidentally acquired. 

In the meantime, your fluffy friend was mrow -ing up a storm as though you’d personally offended them. You knelt down on the carpet and offered your hand for a sniff. “Hi, baby,” you cooed. The cat stopped meowing and stared at you, blinking. You gently scratched behind their ears, watching how their eyes closed and head tilted in pleasure.

— — —

He knew you didn’t realise it was him, but hearing you call him ‘baby’ in that soft voice had floored him for a moment. 

He’d been chatting your ear off, hoping that something vaguely human-sounding would get through, to no avail. He was going to start thinking up Plan B, he swore, but then you’d kept cooing at him and scratching behind his ears – Oh, that feels very good, thank you – and before Kyle knew it, he’d leaned so far into your touch, he was flopped on his back, purring. You giggled sweetly, and Kyle felt his heart melting in his chest. 

“Oh, what a sweet baby! You’re such a pretty girl,” you fussed.

Kyle’s eyes opened, and he let out an indignant chirp. 

“Hang on, are you a girl?” He watched you lean forward with a surreptitious gaze before realising your intent. Kyle yowled and flailed away, but you had seen enough. “Oh, pretty boy. My mistake.”

You were completely unfazed. 

This was the most mortifying moment of Kyle’s life. 

In all the ways he’d imagined you seeing him naked for the first time, this was never one of them. Oh, God… was he technically walking around naked the whole time? No… ‘The fur counts as clothing! The fur counts as clothing! ’ he thought. That was the only way to stop himself from curling up into a ball and dying of embarrassment.

You’d gone back to patting him at some point during his existential crisis, complimenting his fluffy tail and chest. “What a handsome little man!” You praised, stroking a gentle finger down his nose. 

He was going into cardiac arrest. He just knew it. 

“Where do you live, little guy?”

Your question snapped Kyle back into action. With a chirp, he was up and running across your living room.

— — — 

You watched the cat bound past your couch to sit in front of your TV console, right next to the framed picture of you and Kyle from the day you’d helped him move into his apartment. The cat just flicked his tail, looking at you almost expectantly. 

“What?” 

“Meow!”

“What!?”

He sniffed at the picture before turning back to you.

“That still doesn’t answer my question, mister.”

This time, the cat turned to paw at the photo of you and Kyle, and you jolted upright.

“No, no, no, we don’t touch that!” You took him into your arms and carried him back to your couch. He meowed in protest the entire time. “That’s a very special picture, pretty baby, so you leave that alone.” He flopped onto his side, the image of dejection at being denied the chance to cause chaos. You checked your phone to see responses from most of your neighbours; no one recognised the cat. “Well buddy,” you sigh, “Looks like you’re stuck with me for the moment. How do you feel about chicken for dinner?”

“Mrrp!” His tail twitched. 

You narrated your cooking process to him, picking him up to show him the pans on the stove. Your little sous chef sniffed the air before giving his approval, but complained the second you put him back down. “What’s the matter?” you whispered. His pleading eyes bore into yours as he pawed at your calf. “You wanna come back up? Okay, you big baby.” You supported his weight with one arm, his front legs resting on your shoulder while he watched you cook, tail swishing lazily. Now and then, you pulled a strip of chicken off the grilled fillets and fed it to him, laughing as he licked your fingers clean. You ate your dinner on the couch as he sat beside you, staring at your face the whole time – strange cat…

You may as well enjoy this little fluffball before sending him on his way. 

Your new friend gave a quiet chirp and nudged your hand where you had been absentmindedly scratching his chin. He rolled over to show you his belly when you looked down, blinking up at you expectantly. 

“Wow,” you deadpanned. “I see how it is. You’re just using me for cuddles, huh?” You hesitantly ran your hand down his tummy, barely brushing the soft fur. You’ve had one too many cats lure you in with this trick, only to scratch and bite you when you give in and pat the sensitive spot. You pulled your hand away from his belly, not wanting to risk a finger. He wiggled and meowed at you – almost petulant in tone – and you returned your hand to his stomach, feeling a purr vibrate against your fingertips. 

This odd fellow was changing your perception of the typical cat. “You are such a weird little guy!” He mrrped back at you and stretched out lazily, presenting more of his belly to you. You couldn't  help but laugh. “Cheeky little bugger,” you muttered before pressing your face into the long fur of his chest, dropping obnoxiously loud kisses there whilst you scratched his sides. You reached up to rub behind his ears before sitting up to grab your phone. 

“I’ve got to tell Kyle about you; he’s never going to believe this!” You starte dtyping out a message, but soon, a chocolate-coloured tail obscured your vision. Your new friend frantically meowed, demanding your attention. 

You hushed him, stroking his back with a soothing hand until his cries ceased. You briefly re-read your texts with Kyle. Normally, he’d have told you he was home by now and maybe sent you a meme or two before heading to sleep. You hope he’s just knocked out after packing his bags to leave tomorrow morning. This deployment wasn’t supposed to be a long one, thank God. 

You’d already started missing him before he left your apartment earlier today. You used his goodbye visits as an excuse to hold him tighter, like you could press him into your chest and keep him there if you tried hard enough. 

Your eyes flicked to the time. It was getting late.

“Alright, pretty baby, I think it’s time for you to go home.” You picked up the cat and walked towards your balcony door, but he wriggles out of your grasp for the first time tonight, darting back to the couch. You kneeled next to the small cat flap, holding it open. 

“Come on,” you coaxed. “You need to go home, little kitty. Your people will miss you!” The cat kept staring, unmoved, even as you pspsps to try and get him closer. You sighed, resigning yourself to leave the little plastic covering unlocked. “Fine, I guess you’ll leave on your own at some point.” You stand and make your way towards your bedroom before freezing in your tracks. You turned back to point a stern finger at your feline friend. “Do not. Shit. In my apartment.” You stared each other down in silence. Satisfied with your quiet agreement, you turned and crawled into bed. 

Half an hour later, you were fast asleep when silent paws padded into your room and leapt onto your bed. You didn't feel it when a gentle weight sank into the pillow next to you, one paw stretched out towards your face.

[sageyxbabey]

[sageyxbabey]

[sageyxbabey]

steven lim: we actually need more money for higher production value so that you guys have the best! and we're bringing back a super expensive show! for you guys, the fans!

the fans:

[sageyxbabey]

[sageyxbabey]

You’ve heard of one shots, now get ready for none shots! It’s when you think of an idea for a fic and then don’t write it

[sageyxbabey]

obviously, put on headphones for maximum enjoyment ( ͡° ᴥ ͡°) and if u fancy hearing more like this, check out this tag!

[reblog to kiss op <3]

[sageyxbabey]

“You think, but you don’t know. You don’t know anything about what it’s like to find your other half, I would take anything she chose to give me-the tiniest fraction or her entire world. I would take her for a single night knowing that I’ll lose her by morning, and I would hold on to her and never let go. I would take her healthy, or sick, or tired, or angry, or strong, and it would be my fucking privilege. I would take her problems, her gifts, her moods, her passions, her jokes, her body- I would take every last thing, if she chose to give it to me.”

Lowe and Misery - Bride

Artist: @nesismatic

[sageyxbabey]

If a worker who isn't the owner says ANYTHING similar to "I'm not really supposed to do this but-" and then does something that helps you, under no circumstances inform the business, including through reviews. You tell them that the worker was polite, professional, the very model of customer service and why you like to go there. You do not breathe a word of the rulebreaking.

[sageyxbabey]

Shoutout to the dedicated cheerleaders of wips who comment on each chapter and motivate the poor fic writer to keep going you are crucial to the ecosystem

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yayyyy mutuals hiiiiiiiii reblog if you love your mutualssssssss hiii mutuals

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"With “green corridors” that mimic the natural forest, the Colombian city is driving down temperatures — and could become five degrees cooler over the next few decades.

In the face of a rapidly heating planet, the City of Eternal Spring — nicknamed so thanks to its year-round temperate climate — has found a way to keep its cool.

Previously, Medellín had undergone years of rapid urban expansion, which led to a severe urban heat island effect — raising temperatures in the city to significantly higher than in the surrounding suburban and rural areas. Roads and other concrete infrastructure absorb and maintain the sun’s heat for much longer than green infrastructure.

“Medellín grew at the expense of green spaces and vegetation,” says Pilar Vargas, a forest engineer working for City Hall. “We built and built and built. There wasn’t a lot of thought about the impact on the climate. It became obvious that had to change.”

Efforts began in 2016 under Medellín’s then mayor, Federico Gutiérrez (who, after completing one term in 2019, was re-elected at the end of 2023). The city launched a new approach to its urban development — one that focused on people and plants.

The $16.3 million initiative led to the creation of 30 Green Corridors along the city’s roads and waterways, improving or producing more than 70 hectares of green space, which includes 20 kilometers of shaded routes with cycle lanes and pedestrian paths.

These plant and tree-filled spaces — which connect all sorts of green areas such as the curb strips, squares, parks, vertical gardens, sidewalks, and even some of the seven hills that surround the city — produce fresh, cooling air in the face of urban heat. The corridors are also designed to mimic a natural forest with levels of low, medium and high plants, including native and tropical plants, bamboo grasses and palm trees.

Heat-trapping infrastructure like metro stations and bridges has also been greened as part of the project and government buildings have been adorned with green roofs and vertical gardens to beat the heat. The first of those was installed at Medellín’s City Hall, where nearly 100,000 plants and 12 species span the 1,810 square meter surface.

“It’s like urban acupuncture,” says Paula Zapata, advisor for Medellín at C40 Cities, a global network of about 100 of the world’s leading mayors. “The city is making these small interventions that together act to make a big impact.”

At the launch of the project, 120,000 individual plants and 12,500 trees were added to roads and parks across the city. By 2021, the figure had reached 2.5 million plants and 880,000 trees. Each has been carefully chosen to maximize their impact.

“The technical team thought a lot about the species used. They selected endemic ones that have a functional use,” explains Zapata.

The 72 species of plants and trees selected provide food for wildlife, help biodiversity to spread and fight air pollution. A study, for example, identified Mangifera indica as the best among six plant species found in Medellín at absorbing PM2.5 pollution — particulate matter that can cause asthma, bronchitis and heart disease — and surviving in polluted areas due to its “biochemical and biological mechanisms.”

And the urban planting continues to this day.

The groundwork is carried out by 150 citizen-gardeners like Pineda, who come from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds, with the support of 15 specialized forest engineers. Pineda is now the leader of a team of seven other gardeners who attend to corridors all across the city, shifting depending on the current priorities...

“I’m completely in favor of the corridors,” says [Victoria Perez, another citizen-gardener], who grew up in a poor suburb in the city of 2.5 million people. “It really improves the quality of life here.”

Wilmar Jesus, a 48-year-old Afro-Colombian farmer on his first day of the job, is pleased about the project’s possibilities for his own future. “I want to learn more and become better,” he says. “This gives me the opportunity to advance myself.”

The project’s wider impacts are like a breath of fresh air. Medellín’s temperatures fell by 2°C in the first three years of the program, and officials expect a further decrease of 4 to 5C over the next few decades, even taking into account climate change. In turn, City Hall says this will minimize the need for energy-intensive air conditioning...

In addition, the project has had a significant impact on air pollution. Between 2016 and 2019, the level of PM2.5 fell significantly, and in turn the city’s morbidity rate from acute respiratory infections decreased from 159.8 to 95.3 per 1,000 people [Note: That means the city's rate of people getting sick with lung/throat/respiratory infections.]

There’s also been a 34.6 percent rise in cycling in the city, likely due to the new bike paths built for the project, and biodiversity studies show that wildlife is coming back — one sample of five Green Corridors identified 30 different species of butterfly.

Other cities are already taking note. Bogotá and Barranquilla have adopted similar plans, among other Colombian cities, and last year São Paulo, Brazil, the largest city in South America, began expanding its corridors after launching them in 2022.

“For sure, Green Corridors could work in many other places,” says Zapata."

-via Reasons to Be Cheerful, March 4, 2024

[sageyxbabey]

really crazy how much i’ve imagined this fic. like it’s soooooo imagined you wouldn’t even believe. not writing it though

[sageyxbabey]

[sageyxbabey]

This a 10 day old baby highland coo for your appreciation.

[sageyxbabey]

istg, this just spawned out of nowhere...

idk why but my mind just said f!reader disguised as a frail man, weak enough that when viking!141 pilages the village, they take pity on "him" and spare him a bit of mercy and take him in instead.

you'd shaved your head, binded your breasts, wore your brother's clothes, which were baggy enough to hide your figure and have been silent the entire time, never uttering a word because you know your voice will give you away, so they just assumed that you can't talk.

cut to maybe a week later and they're trying to teach you how to use a blade but you're so bad at it. you land hard on your back with a groan with viking!Soap standing over you and says "come rain or shine, lad, i'll make a man out of ye." and you've never been more afraid of the glint in his eye.

and he keeps you close. tells the other vikings to fuck off when they pick on you for barely being able to pick up Ghost's hammer. puts a cup of ale in your hands, even though you didn't ask for it, but you drink it anyway.

Gaz often let's you sit by the fire when the nights get too cold. he spares you his blanket and tells you stories sometimes. his voice is soothing, makes your stomach twist when you hear him laugh. he doesn't mind your silence. only asking yes or no questions to communicate and you answer with a nod or the shake of your head and sighing in relief when you tell a few white lies.

you tend to stay away from Ghost and the leader of the vikings, chief Price, mostly because you're sure that if they look too closely, they might suss out your rouse but occasionally, you do run into them sometimes.

Ghost saw you fishing one day and silently often traded stuff for fish with you. you don't know why he does it, seeing as you know that he's capable of hunting a whole deer by himself. but you don't question it. you needed things; new clothes, a knife, a book he got from the local traders.

you never look Price in the eye. or try not to. he's not sure what to make of you. the weak little man whom his two Sergeants took pity on to keep around like a little pet. he merely hums as he watches you around his men. watches the way you flinch when Soap smacks your back when he laughs all too loudly. watches the way your brows furrow when you listen to Gaz telling you soemthing silly or soemthing important. watches the way you keep a healthy distance away from Ghost, even when the giant of a man seems just as drawn to you as everyone else.

he watches with an eye that sometimes makes you think he knows.

they don't let you cook, thankfully, something about not trusting you enough not to poison them because they did essentially kill your entire village. smart. and here you were planning to put poisonous mushrooms in their soup. you just stick to fishing and foraging for plants your mother taught you about for food because you can't constantly rely on the vikings to feed you.

you're on your own. trying to find a solid way out of this alive and unharmed. you know your disguise won't hold up forever, sooner or later, you're going to get caught. there's hardly any time to mourn all you've lost because you have to keep up the facade. it takes every ounce of your strength to not bathe every day and to avoid smelling like a woman. it takes everything in you not to let your hair grow back and you hate nicking your skin every time you shave it off. the only time you feel like you can lower your guard is when you're alone in the forest when you're picking wild berries.

you saw Gaz carrying a few maps and you thought of stealing one for when you escape so you at least know where you were going when you do. but for now, you keep your head down and lay low. you've made it this far. a good few months with them being non the wiser.

you've been luckier than most, having the gods give you the strength to keep going and to have been spared the fate of what vikings do to the women they steal from villages. you've seen it. one had been thrown on the mud while Soap tore her clothes off and laughed maniacally when she squealed and tried to shove him off.

the others watched and they revelled in taking turns. that night had reminded you that Gaz might have a pretty face but his teeth are still sharp, even when he smiles and they're stained with blood. it took every ounce of you not to do something, not to step in and keep it stepping for your own survival.

the months were getting colder. winter was coming and you can barely survive on your own. you made it another month before they started hanging around you. Ghost shadowed your morning walks. Gaz kept you company as you went fishing. Soap brought you to see more friendly duels. Price made you sit next to him during feasts. the closer they were, the more you felt like time was running out.

things took a turn when Soap decided to accompany you through the forest for foraging. he didn't have a clue about which plants to pick and which ones not to touch, so you just point to the ones you needed since he insistent upon helping you.

except, you turned around for five minutes to grab a few mushrooms. and when you turned around, Soap was nearing a bush, picking a few dark berries. knowing him, he was going to eat a few.

but you know that bush. you avoid it for a good reason. eat just one berry and you'll be dead in minutes.

so the terror gripped you when Soap slowly brings a handful to his mouth and you. just. panic.

"stop!"

your scream tore through the forest, frightening the birds as they took off from the trees. you stare at him in horror. he stares at you, equally as wide eyed while the berries were mere inches from his mouth.

his death wouldn't bode well for you. the others would blame you for it. they'd hunt you down and make your end slow and painful. you can't have that.

but you've just exposed yourself to the enemy.

"i fucking knew it." he smirks, dropping them to the ground. he takes a step towards you, you take one back. "i knew it— i knew ye were a bonnie lass—"

you turn and run as fast as you can. you forget about all of your stuff and you run as far as your legs can carry you.

you somehow run past Gaz, who'd been carrying a bundle of wood and he wonders for a second why you were in a hurry before he hears, "don't let her get away!"

and him being closer, he drops the wood, breaks into a sprint and manages you tackle you to the ground. he grunts as you struggle under him, pinning you down when you try to escape his grasp. but he hadn't been sure if he heard Soap correctly, his gaze veering to him. "her?"

your hands are tied behind your back and you're made to sit on your knees. Gaz looks at you with confusion, trying to make sense of Soap's words.

"got nothin' tae say now, bonnie lass?" the man grins, leaning closer to your face. you clench your jaw shut. "no?"

"have you lost your mind?" Gaz shoves at him. "that's not a woman."

"wanna check just tae be sure?"

Soap's grin is directed at Gaz, and the latter catches the horror seeping into your eyes. Gaz drops on his knees beside you and you try to worm out of his grasp as he tries to reach under the layers of your fur coat and shirt.

your face burning hotly as you move away from him, but he brings you back. you couldn't take it anymore when he reaches your binded chest. "no, no, alright! stop!"

his cold hand had been splayed on your belly as he stopped. he's shocked. you can see it on his face before you look down. he peels his hand out from under your clothes.

it's a brief moment before he yelled, "hang on, you can talk?!"

you can't tell if his teeth are chattering if he's seething as you all make your way back to the chief's tent. Soap had thrown you over his shoulder whilst Gaz walked behind, glaring at you the whole way there.

Price raised his eyebrow when Soap bounded in with a boisterous voice and explained everything that had happened.

"can't believe she went on for months and we didn't even realize it." Gaz muttered, sat in a corner and crossed his arms.

"hiding in plain sight." Ghost replies beside him, his eyes have been fixed on you ever since you were carried all the way back to Price's tent. "smart girl."

Price tells Soap to untie you. it's not lie you'd get away from them. so you stay put when the rope is cut loose and the room falls into a quiet hush as they watch you rub your sore wrists. you flinch when the chief reaches for your hands to get a closer look at them.

he studies your palms in a long silence. there's not a hint of his thoughts, not bad or good. you're unsure of what to say when his eyes find yours. it's the first time you've held his gaze for this long. the first time you've truly taken the time to see the hardened wall in his blue eyes.

"what's your name?" he asks, letting your hands fall back on your knees.

you don't want to accept defeat yet. but hopelessness seeps in your veins as you look down and offer a quiet utter of your name.

he hummed, leaning back. "pretty name."

Soap leaned closer to you, his hand jerking at the collar of your shirt. "mind if i take a peek—"

you reacted violently, swinging your elbow as hard as you could. you heard a sickening crunch and a yelp when you took off but you were yanked by the back of your coat and held down. Ghost looks down at you in slight amusement as he pinned your wrist down.

"fuck." Soap groaned, holding his bleeding nose. still, he laughed, blood dripping into his mouth, surprised by your sheer act of defiance. "good one, lass. we taught ye well."

"smart girl." Ghost added, his head tilting. "very smart girl, having us all fooled."

you say nothing. keeping your mouth shut was your best option for survival. no, mercy, at the very least. the slightest bit they can spare now is all you can hope for.

"quiet as a mouse, eh?"

Price, Gaz and Soap stand over you. you feel the tears welling like a dam of boiling hot water in your eyes.

"that's alright." he smiles darkly. "we have all night to make you scream."

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