so-long-soldier-writes

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Don't Panic!

kai parker x reader

summary: the wedding was a disaster... a better warning would've been nice.

tags: no use of y/n, s06e22, canon-typical violence, blood, gore, stabbing, canon divergence, temporary character death, death of minor characters, blood drinking, happy ending for some (not ric)

word count: 1.8k

a/n: this is cheesy af & lowkey self-indulgent... i just wanted blood sucky heretic kai

Despite the suspicious note that fluttered down from the hayloft above, you’re definitely panicking. Right after you had just wrapped up the most unpleasant conversation with Joshua Parker himself, a small piece of paper practically landed in your hands, reading, “don’t panic!” with no other context. Immediately, you were most certainly panicked, because one, who does that?! And two, the penmanship was so distinctly Kai’s, it sent a shiver up your spine. 

Yet… Kai had been gone for months, trapped in 1903 after Bonnie double-crossed him on a rescue mission for the brothers’ mom. Everyone around you moved on, including his sister, who up until five minutes ago, was standing, smiling at the altar.

Now, she lies still in Ric’s hands, red staining her delicately white dress. 

In less than twenty minutes, chaos descended upon the ceremony in the form of a vengeful and angry Kai Parker wielding a huge knife. You had about two minutes to process his return, brain stuck in a mental freeze, before both he and his sister were dead. 

You couldn’t help it - you screamed. You covered your mouth as quickly as you could, hiding your reaction from the coven, but it didn’t matter. They were dying, one-by-one, as a result of his death. Magic killed the family in ways you’d never seen. Throats were slashed by invisible forces, bile rose up in the throats and poured out their mouths, air was pulled straight from the lungs, leaving them choking as they gasped for breath. You ducked from both the horrible sight and the blood. It was everywhere, whether it came from the dying witches or the shattered windows. People were stumbling around as they fought to find the exit, but none were going to survive this and they all knew that. 

To your left, apparent when you forced your gaze to turn away from the coven, you noticed Damon was missing and so was Elena. Back up front, Ric was carrying his deceased wife away from the scene of the crime, and you felt a heavy pang of remorse for them both. Too soon, you were the only non-Gemini member left. Even the priest had taken flight quickly, not like you could blame him. You hid behind your row of chairs, eyes squeezed shut, and waited for it all to be over. 

You swore you weren’t hiding any more than five minutes when the sound of stirring filled your ears. You listened, but stayed still in fear of drawing attention to yourself. Instead, you focused your gaze on that stupid note in front of you, “don’t panic”, now splattered with blood. You tried not to cry; he’d brought a bloodbath to his sister’s wedding, but you couldn’t bring yourself to hate him. In fact, you still loved him. 

You considered sneaking out through the side entrance, seeing a sliver of sky through the door. 

A tongue clicked, interrupting your train of thought. Kai’s voice followed, stopping your heart abruptly.

Half of your mind was convinced it was an optical illusion, but the other half knew it was true: Kai was alive - somehow. Through the small slit in the chair, you watched him talk to his father, then frown at him unsympathetically. 

Kai dragged a finger across his face, through a bleeding wound. He lifted it to his lips and suddenly everything made sense. 

Before you could react, a second bout of chaos erupted by the entrance of Bonnie and the return of Damon. Their anger was reasonable; Kai had done the unspeakable. Yet, as they began to target and threaten him, your feelings overpowered your logic, and you stood, making your presence known. 

“Kai!”

All three heads whipped over to you. You swallowed hard.

“Where the hell did you come from?!” Damon asked, face red with taut emotion.

“I’ve been here. I-”

“Elena’s in the hospital,” Bonnie interrupted. “Because of him. His whole family’s dead because of him.”

“I know… At least about the family part… Is Elena-?”

“She’s in a coma. I can’t wake her up.”

“She won’t wake,” Bonnie continued, facing Damon. “He made sure of it.” She raised a hand at him, a spell on the tip of her tongue.

“Wait!” You shouted, breaking her focus. “Let me deal with him!”

“Absolutely not! I don’t trust you! Not around him!”

“Bonnie, I can handle him! You can’t kill him, not anymore.”

“I’ll find a way… vampire or not.”

“Please,” you pleaded. The thought of watching him die twice made you nauseous. You loved him, despite the crime. “Bonnie…”

“I should’ve killed him instead of just putting him in 1903!”

“If you didn’t do that at all, this never would’ve happened!”

“Excuse me?” She said coldly, turning to you. “Are you saying this is my fault?!”

“No! I’m just saying- I mean- It was avoidable! If you’d let me be with him the first time, I could’ve-”

“Gotten yourself killed earlier? I don’t think so!”

“Bonnie, please! Don’t kill him, I-” ‘Need him’ danced on the tip of your tongue, but you decided against it. 

“He needs to pay for what he’s done! He-”

In an instant, she was interrupted. Five seconds later, you didn’t even see her anymore. 

“Wha-?” You looked around, confused. You weren’t anywhere near the barn, actually. You were in the woods now. The barn was in the distance, but not within a short walk. 

“Hey,” Kai’s voice was clear behind you.

You whipped around to find him. Him alone, with you, close enough to touch.

“What happened?”

“She was distracted. I moved us both out here as quickly as I could.”

“Oh…” You took several deep breaths, staring at him. He watched you carefully, waiting for a reaction. Soon, you ran into his arms for a much-needed hug, missing him so desperately, and being so heartbroken over his temporary death. You squeezed him, tears flowing from your eyes carelessly. He held you tightly, lips pressed to the top of your head. 

After a moment, you pulled back and gently hit his shoulder. “You asshole!”

“What?!”

“‘Don’t panic?!’”

“I hoped it would ease your mind, princess. I didn’t want to hurt you. I wanted to warn you, but didn’t want to give too much away in case it landed in the wrong hands. I’m sorry, baby.”

“You killed yourself! I had to watch you die, then your whole coven, and I was so scared, because I love you, and I didn’t want to lose you, especially not like that!”

“Baby, I’m sorry! I wish you didn’t have to see it.” He wet his lips with his tongue. “The only way to get out of the prison world was to make a deal with Lily, and she wanted her family, so I promised to bring her family back to her if she gave me her blood. I wanted to get back to you, I was so lonely without you. I need you, and I love you, too.”

You cried more, the same feeling in your head. You knew you didn’t want to live without him, you’d known it since the first time you knew you loved him. “I- Don’t ever do something like that again! I need you, too, Kai, and you scared me!” You repeated.

“I know. I know.” He pulled you into him again, hugging you even tighter. “I’m sorry.”

He held you until your tears stopped. You gripped his suit tightly, burying your head in his chest. “What happens now, Kai? I’m scared to lose you again. Damon’s angry. Bonnie’s going to kill you the next time she sees you… Or me.”

“Elena’s only taking a short nap. Enough time for his anger to fester, but two months max. They’ll live, and I’m not going to let them hurt you. They won’t get me, either, nor will Lily let them.”

“Lily? Where is she?”

“She and the heretics should all be here soon. I want to take you to them, if you’ll come with me. You have a choice, but I want you to come, if you will.”

You didn’t even hesitate. “Of course, I’ll come. I don’t ever want to be separated from you again.” 

“Me neither. I don’t want to go a day without you.”

“I don’t either. I love you. I don’t care about today, I need you.”

He nodded slowly. He knew the remorse would hit you eventually. His actions would weigh on your heart, whether you’d admit it or not, but he also knew you loved him and would protect him no matter what. He felt the same for you, protective to the point of recklessness. 

And with that thought, he kissed you, reminding you of that love he craves so much. That love he’d only ever felt from you. 

You kissed back instantly, cupping his neck with your hands. He broke off for a second to breathe, then kissed you again. You indulged, then gently pushed his head down to your neck, directing him where you wanted him; he let you guide.

“Hm?” He muttered against your soft skin. You always loved when he’d kiss your neck, though confusion battered him this time. It was late, in the middle of an unfamiliar forest - not quite the environment to start this, but he’d also never dissuade it.

You kept him there anyway. “Feed.”

He pulled away, surprised. “What?”

“Before we go any further, feed from me. You need more than a lick to sustain you if we’re going to get all the way back to town.”

“But baby-”

“I trust you. I want you to drink from me.”

Your heart beat with excitement he’d never gotten the pleasure of hearing as a regular witch. Kai couldn’t help it when he got another yes from a third affirmation for consent. He licked your neck gently before nipping your vein. You put your hands around his neck, encouraging him further. He latched to your carotid and began to suck, your blood sweet on his taste buds. 

A moan passed your lips and it spurred him on. Kai only drank for less than a minute, but it was enough to fill him for the time being. He cocked his head at your dazed smile, before copying what he’s seen Damon do a thousand times, and bit his wrist to feed you in return. The bit of paleness that took to your skin faded, along with the dizzy expression in your eyes.

“You okay, baby?”

“I’m perfect. You feel better?”

“Feel a little drunk on your taste, if I’m honest,” he said, smiling.

You kissed him one more time before reaching for his hand. “Bring me back to where you’re staying now, with Lily. I’ll let you feed again once we’re settled in.”

“I’m not gonna argue with that, love. Ready?”

“Ready for anything as long as I have you.” 

In a blink of an eye, you were off.

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Teased & Pleased

kai parker x reader

summary: in hindsight, maybe the couch wasn't the best place for a hook-up... though in the end, it did work out in your favor.

word count: 1.9k | ao3 link

tags: pwp / shameless smut, party, public sex, consensual sex, teasing, heavy petting, touching, fingering, kissing, hickies, dry humping, minor finger sucking

a/n: comin' out of my cage and i've been doing... not totally fine, but i've found my motivation to write for kai again so hopefully updates will be more frequent ♥♥ i've missed you all and this lil sociopath!

“Oh! Oh, there! Right there!” You wail, much too dramatic for your own taste. “I’m so close!”

The man between your legs grows excited. He sticks his tongue out in a boyish manner and rubs harder against your clit. You squeeze your eyes together, more out of pain than any kind of pleasure. The lack of attraction you feel for him makes you dry at your core. He’s rough, and it burns, but he’s too dedicated to give up now. 

“Oh-ahh!” You fake moan again, spurring him on more. “C’mon, almost there.”

He came minutes ago and had no problem getting off. One look at your chest almost did him in on the spot. You, on the other hand, are just trying to put on the best performance you can to get him out of your sight. 

“Oh, oh, I’m coming! Mhmm,” you bite your lip and jerk your hips just enough to fool his small brain. “So good, fuck.”

Almost immediately after believing you’ve finished, he stops. “Good wasn’t I?”

“The best.”

“See, I told ‘ya.” He winks and you try not to cringe. “I’m gonna go get another beer. Want any?”

“No thanks. I need a minute.”

“Ahahaha! Okay. I’ll find you later, maybe.”

The minute he leaves, you drop your head onto the armrest behind you. That was quite possibly the most uncomfortable ten minutes of your life. Fully consensual, yes, but you never thought it would be that bad. You shudder at your own ignorance; must be the alcohol. 

“That,” a new voice enters your bubble, “was the most offensive thing I’ve ever witnessed.”

You glance up and see Kai speaking directly at you. You groan. “Not now, Kai.”

“And your performance was subpar at best.”

“Thanks… At least he believed it.”

“Why did you even let him touch you in the first place? You knew it was gonna be bad.”

Now he’s pissing you off. First by talking to you, then criticizing your best attempt at a fake orgasm, and third by… “Why were you even watching?”

“Uh, maybe because you chose to do this at a public party…” The music booms overhead, reminding you where you are. “In front of a hundred people.” There are, in fact, a ton of people milling around you. “On a couch, in the center of the living room.”

“Alright, fine. Not the best location.”

“Or the best man for the job.”

You scoff. “Does that even exist?”

“I don’t know, have you fucked every man on campus?”

“Excuse me?”

“Then I guess you don’t know that for sure.”

The response makes you roll your eyes. He’s playing games, as Kai always does. God forbid you get one normal answer out of him ever. 

“What do you think you could do better?”

“Probably.”

“Okay, prove it.”

“Wait-” He hesitates suddenly, caught off guard by the challenge. “Actually?”

“I don’t care what I am, if you think you’re better, then prove it. I’m not scared of your siphon shit.”

“Okay.” Kai sets his drink down and sits beside you.

“Real quick, how much have you had to drink?”

“That’s my first glass. Few sips. Totally sober. You?”

“Drank half a White Claw. No more than four percent of alcohol in a can. Totally sober.”

“Okay.”

“So if you want, prove to me you’re better than Tiny Tim over there.” You nod towards the blond strumming strings on his guitar and singing along horribly; fingers that were just inside - or more like on - you no more than two minutes ago. 

Kai chuckles. “Yeah, I want to… And I’m gonna do it here, since you’re apparently so comfortable with that.”

Truthfully, you both know you’ll get obliterated if anyone were to find out. This is the boarding house, on Damon’s favorite couch.

If you get caught for this, Kai will likely immediately put the blame you. 

He crawls over to you anyway, ignoring the background and focusing on you. Quickly, he sees the damage the previous man had left to your body - an angry, reddenned clit, and a core as dry as the desert. Kai ghosts his fingers over your clit, where it’d practically beaten. He spits on his fingers and puts them back, teasing with just a bit of wetness. You gasp, an unpredictable, satisfied sound. He tries not to smile. 

“You good so far?”

“Mhm.”

The jacket he was wearing is quickly discarded to the other end of the couch. He moves in closer to pry your legs open and wedge his shoulders in between, rendering you unable to close them again. You watch, curious, and genuinely hoping he’ll be better than the last guy. Truthfully, you find Kai rather attractive, and if he’s just as bad, well, that’ll be one of the greater disappointments of your life. 

Before going back to your clit, Kai brushes against your inner thigh, sending subtle stimulation that makes you shiver. He runs his hand along your legs, then moves closer to your center and up towards your hip bones, building up the tension and excitement in your body. When his fingers graze a sliver of skin exposed on your stomach, he leans over to kiss it. His lips trace back the trail his hands just made - your hips, then thighs. 

You can’t hold back the way your body responds to his touch, but you can swallow down any moans that threaten to escape past your lips. Truthfully, you’re not ready to give him the satisfaction that he’s doing really well, not until he can prove his pleasure can go all the way. Give in too early and men get cocky; tease them as much as they should tease you and it becomes a game. 

Kai presses the ring on the back of his right hand into your center, making you jolt unexpectedly. He smirks into your skin and peppers small kisses back across your body to your clothed core, slipping his hand beneath the waistband of your leggings when you’re least expecting it. You let out the softest whine the moment the cool metal of his ring brushes against your clit. Kai moves his head up and replaces his lips with his hand again, where he settles it over your core with his thumb pressed into your pubic bone. Now, you can’t help but squirm, the warmth of his palm holding your most vulnerable spot, fingers pressing in lightly. 

It’s no secret how embarrassingly wet you are from his touch. Your body’s hot, core pulsating, dripping with desire. The only thing holding you back from pulling him closer is your pride. You need more; more of all of it - all of him. 

“Kai, please,” you whimper, surrendering just enough to egg him on further. 

His index finger stretches down to your center, collecting wetness on his pad and moving it back to your clit. He starts to rub agonizingly slow circles on the sensitive tissue. In one quick movement, he adjusts so that his other hand is planted into the couch cushion, keeping him upright and stable so he can focus. He abandons your clit for one second to spit on his fingers, then moves them back immediately, rubbing faster now. 

You’re not sure where he learned it, but Kai knows what he’s doing. In a matter of minutes, he brought you from disgruntled and disappointed to writhing on the couch, squeezing his shoulders with your thighs, and panting heavily, as he works his fingers between your legs with a skill you never expected. He only carries about half the confidence he usually does, but it makes him so much more attractive, especially considering the cockiness of the last guy. He’s inexperienced, you know for sure, but he’s not overcompensating with any dumb, dramatic gestures. In fact, he’s actually bringing you close to pleasure - a feeling you’ve only been able to have with yourself. 

The quick work of his hands, the wetness from your core on his fingertips, the cool, metal ring making occasional contact with your skin. You’ve been grasping the fabric couch desperate for grip, but now find yourself reaching towards him. He obliges, leaning forward and letting you wrap your hands around his neck, pulling him closer to your body. He lowers himself down, capturing your lips in a kiss that you initiate. Kai shifts the rhythm in which he works your clit, making you gasp so he can slip his tongue inside your mouth. You moan, unable to hold back anymore, and bury your hands in his hair. He pulls back, leaving you panting, chest rising and falling rapidly. 

“Kai-” You start, having no direction for your words to go and dropping off after saying his name. He wordlessly moves to your jaw, pressing light kisses down to your neck. His hips buck into yours, making you aware of just how hard he is. Your body shivers, and you feel wetter just from the contact. “Kai- oh!”

You whine more, arching your back as he tugs a small bit of the skin on your neck between his teeth. He sucks roughly, the crude sound filling your ears. He pushes his hips into you again in an attempt to keep you still. It works, mostly, but your moans flow freely now, loud and vulgar right beside his ear. Kai releases your skin with a low pop and leaves a few licks in the area. He rocks his hips into you, the roughness of his jeans scratching slightly against the thin, soft material of your leggings. His fingers on your clit haven’t let up once. Your body’s building tension, a warmth in your stomach ready to burst. 

“Don’t stop,” you mutter, words almost coming out as a squeak. “I’m close.”

He barely acknowledges, not wanting to lose his pace. Kai nestles his nose into your neck and kisses at your pulse. He still holds you down with his hips, bulge pressing down in between your legs, rocking subtly. Your breaths quicken, head going fuzzy as pleasure takes over, shutting down any thoughts, any words you try to tell him. 

“Kai, I’m- oh- fuck. I’m- ah-!”

The tight coil snaps and releases the pressure that’d been built. Kai rubs you through your orgasm until your legs are shaking beneath his. He stops, but doesn’t pull away yet, instead dipping his fingers into your soaked core and swirling them a few times inside you. You’re panting still when he reveals his fingers from your pants - a whitish clear stickiness coats them, and he shows you briefly, before sticking his fingers in his mouth. You shiver at the sight, and swallow hard when he goes back for more. 

“Kai,” you say for what must be your fifth time. You’re still out of breath and nothing follows, causing him to smile at you mischievously as he licks his fingers a second time. On his third and final coating, he ghosts them over your lips and watches intently as you suck his fingers clean of your own come without hesitation. You move your head back to kiss him, both of you tasting yourself in each other’s mouths. 

After a minute, he licks your lower lip, then pulls back. He kisses your skin on your stomach, your clit over your clothes - making you shudder violently - and then pushes himself off you completely. You force yourself onto your elbows when he stands back up, confused.

“Wait, do you want me to…?” You nod to the bulge still visible in his dark jeans. 

“Nah.” He winks teasingly. “Pay me back later.”

He walks off without another word, leaving you stunned. Your body still tingles, core still throbs with a mix of desire and pleasure - fulfilled, but wanting more. Wanting him. Paying him back is something you’ll certainly do, hopefully much more sooner rather than later.

[so-long-soldier-writes]

That Unwanted Animal

kai parker x reader

summary: you could tell there was something different about him, but you never would've believed it if you didn't see it with your own eyes

word count: 2.9k

tags: canon divergence, werewolves, enemies to friends, accidental bonding, childhood trauma, trust

There’s something off about Kai Parker. 

And no, it’s not the apparent “siphon witch” stuff, nor him being a self-proclaimed sociopath. It isn’t even the fact that he killed half his family some two-decades ago, and then got solitary confinement for it. No, it’s something else. 

First of all, his smell is off. He’s calm and collected, and entirely too confident, and while that’s suspicious for other reasons, it’s not the one worrying you. 

Kai smells slightly of earth, like it’s a part of him, or like he spends a lot of time in the woods. As a witch, this could make sense, because he’s connected to the earth, but something makes you doubt that reasoning in this case. His scent is more present rather than distant. Concentrated on his body, not something ancestral running through his blood. 

He also has strong hearing, but he isn’t a vampire. He can sense people before they appear. He can read people like it’s nobody’s business. Maybe these are all traits of someone who’s learned to study others, but again, you’re not entirely convinced. 

But without any answers, all you can do for now is watch. He’s only been in town for about a month and no one else has caught on to anything else tremendously odd about him. They all believe he’s a typical, run-of-the-mill serial killer, just another threat Mystic Falls has faced a hundred times before already. Your brother shrugs uselessly when you ask about it; his girlfriend’s never said anything special about him.

Tonight, you retreat below the earth while the moon rises high above. You’re a hybrid, and don’t have a lot of use for the cellar, but you still go down there most full moons anyway. It comes in handy on nights that your mind is racing too much to gain full control of your shift, or when despite every attempt to avoid its gaze, the moon seems to be staring down at you relentlessly.

You pant, standing with your back to the wall and fighting the shift as much as you can. It takes a moment, but you succeed. The bit of claws and fur and fangs that began to show finally recede. The need to hunt dissipates, returning you to a sound state of mind. You shake your head to clear the rest of the symptoms.

“How’d you do that?”

The voice catches you off guard, and you whip around to the entrance of the cellar. The blood drains from your face as you’re suddenly meeting eyes with Kai, watching you with child-like wonder. 

“What?” You stutter out, hoping he didn’t see too much.

“Your shift. How’d you control it? How’d you avoid turning?”

A thousand questions race through your mind, the one sticking out the most being how he even knows about werewolves, and shifting, and turning, and everything in between. 

“I-”

Suddenly, he shouts, startling you. You look up to him again to find him kneeling, clutching his head in his hands, and whimpering, now, as the shift that almost took you comes over him. You act fast, the urgency of the situation hitting you quickly, and drag him down into your family’s cellar. 

“Hold still,” you order, locating the chains that once held you before Klaus flipped your life upside down. “You’re gonna be okay, I won’t hurt you. You just have to trust me.”

Kai has no reason to trust you, and you’re absolutely shocked when he does, but you assume it’s because you both know he can’t control himself. He surrenders when you bind both his wrists and doesn’t argue when you shut the barred door, separating you and locking him in behind it. He yells out in pain again as his secret, and the answer to your questions, begins to unravel. 

✩*⋆☾⋆｡°✩

In the early hours of the morning, the moon finally relents and gives up control. What few symptoms you felt and what many Kai experienced wear off until you’re both back in your typical bodies. Not a single sign of lycanthropy is present; to any onlookers, you’d seem like nothing more than two crazy college kids hanging out in a cellar. 

When you’re sure Kai is fine, you swing open the heavy door and unlock him from the chains. He looks surprised to see such honesty from you, as if not expecting you’d let him out so soon after his transformation, despite that being what you promised. Though, you don’t comment on it. It’s no secret he just recently escaped a witch’s version of Alcatraz; honesty may not be something he’s used to being given. 

He takes a deep breath and observes his surroundings. He notices the stairs, the dusty walls, the darker path beyond where he sits. He looks at you, back at the chains, and then the cellar floor. He seems quiet, almost embarrassed, but definitely curious. 

“So… you’re a wolf,” you say, a bit awkwardly.

Kai grimaces. He stretches his arms over his head, drawing tension out of his bones. Finally, after a moment, he responds, “as if my father needed another reason to hate me… I just had to be turned, too.”

“Turned? How?”

“Lots of packs run through Oregon. I was trying to run. Ended up making my situation ten times worse than it already was.”

“Run from what?”

He gives you a questionable look. “My family. My dad, mostly.”

“Thought the general consensus was that you were the one they were all running from?”

His laugh is unamused. “And yet Jo still ran the moment she could after I got locked away, right?” 

It’s true, and it’s something you haven’t thought about yet. If Kai was the threat and he was put away in the prison world, what was she trying to escape?

“Okay,” you say, surrendering. “Your point of view: what happened?”

“What happened?”

“What’s your side of the story? Why are you both running from your dad?”

He glances past you again at the stairs. He’s no longer cuffed and could easily fight his way past you, but gives no indication towards doing that. “How much time do you have?”

“I plan to be here until the sun fully rises, just in case.”

The man picks a rock up off the cold cellar ground. He takes a deep breath before starting. “Way before I was turned, my father already hated me. See the merge, with which you’re probably familiar by now, is a required, yet highly regarded tradition in this coven. The leader has a pair of twins, and if they both make it to twenty-two, well, that’s as far as they’ll ever make it. Or… one of them, at least, because as the name suggests, they have to merge, and the one that wins is the new leader. It’s centuries old, yet still practiced with every new leader; our coven is literally as old as dust.”

“And no one’s thought to put a stop to that Hunger Games’ style leadership?”

Kai narrows his eyebrows in confusion.

“Sorry, modern day book.” He’s still staring, so you give a small summary. “Twenty-four people chosen to fight to the death, the survivor becomes the highly praised victor.”

“Yeah, exactly like that. Except between twins. The one who essentially kills the other obtains the highest position of power. Though if they die, so does the rest of the coven.”

“Okay, so what happened on the night you killed the others? If I’m not mistaken, I heard they were all your younger siblings, and none were twins.”

“You heard right, but you aren’t getting it. I don’t think anyone’s getting it, to be honest.”

“Okay, then make me ‘get it’.”

His eyes snap up to you, as if impressed by your challenge. You don’t act afraid of him, but he seems to like that for a surprisingly more innocent way than anything else. 

“All throughout the twins’ childhood, they’re fed stories of the merge and told they’d have to do the same thing. By age six, we’re already well aware one of us has to kill the other in sixteen years. We’re raised with violence; our dad killed his brother to get where he is, and we would have to do the same. 

At age four, they realized I was a siphon, and not only is that different, it’s wrong. Which is crazy, because I can’t control it, but it still damned me for life anyway. So the way I was raised, that differed from Jo’s childhood, was that if I was a normal witch, I would fight my sister in early adulthood and one of us would die. This was done with all twins, and being the firstborns, it’s a birthright. But as a siphon, my birthright is taken away due to a rare recessive gene that they tried to wipe from the bloodline, and the centuries old tradition will be passed down to the next set of twins in the family, for them to kill each other instead.”

You swallow hard. “So violence is all you’ve ever been taught. But you were different, so you what- ignored for years?”

“Yes and no. I wish it was as simple as just being ignored, but I was restless, and my father was angry, and my mother was pretty much impartial through it all. Not having my own access to magic, yet watching Jo, and then sibling after new sibling all have their own sources within themselves made me hungry for it. I learned in being a siphon that I could steal it, but it hurt the other person. It created a vicious cycle of being ignored, stealing magic, and getting punished. Then our mother died, and our father grew more volatile. He had eight kids to raise on his own, and Jo and I were twenty already.”

“That’s an unstable way to grow up,” you decide. “You’re not allowed to merge because of the way you were born; your parents practically said your birth didn’t matter. They have four more kids until they get another pair of twins. Those four are useless to them, because they’re not heirs in any way. One twin out of the new set will die in two decades. Your mother dies, but your father grieves her. Whose life matters and whose is just collateral?”

“Now you’re getting it.”

“They’ve already made it clear that your life doesn’t matter to them, so you try and get out. You get caught and turned, and it only makes things worse. Jo knows your father is a powder keg about to explode. She waits for the twins to grow up so she can run. You detonate first. Plans change, but with you out of the picture now, she can bargain more easily.”

“She bartered my capture for her freedom. He would let her go if she helped put me away.”

“Kids learn from their parents, and when their parents are angry or passive, they may also become such. Your mother retreated within herself, and Jo ran far away. Your father fed you anger until it became more familiar to you than himself.”

You get it. And you’re not afraid. 

The light of the moon showed you a truth unseen to anyone else, yet you’re not running for the hills. You’re sitting here, with him, on the dusty, cellar ground, looking for his point of view in all this mess. He doesn’t know what to say, or what to feel, except a deep sense of relief.

“And how does your wolf fit into all this?” You continue. “If you were to have merged and lost, would it transfer to your sister?”

“I don’t know,” he admits. “I tried reading about it, but the old books barely touched on the subject of werewolves. Jo doesn’t even think they’re real, at least she didn’t when we were kids. She even refused to believe I had been bitten; she thought it was a cry for attention. Even when my dad would lock me out of the house once a month until morning.”

“And what happened during that time?”

“I’d shift and run through the woods. Despite the pain of the shift, I found myself enjoying the freedom of it.”

“Did you ever try to run away again?”

“No. I was too afraid that he’d find me, and find a way to make my life worse. Trap me in the attic or something.”

Kai confessing he was afraid of his father wasn’t something you expected to hear. You nod and don’t comment on it. It’s a vulnerability he’s shown, and that’s a lot for anyone to admit, let alone someone with his troubled mind. 

“Did an alpha ever try looking for you?”

“Once… He found me, but didn’t try to urge me to join them. The bite was in the moment - us crossing paths at one unfortunate time - and I think once they really got to assess me, or whatever, they sensed the witch and knew something wasn’t right.”

You tilt your head. “Not that something wasn’t right, just that it was different.” He narrows curious eyes at you. “I’ve had other wolves look at me like I was crazy for being able to control my shift. Being a product of Klaus’ underdeveloped experiments has its pluses and minuses. A big minus is that it makes me a lone wolf because my alpha is some crazy serial killer who’s wiped out half of New Orleans’ wolf population. Another minus is that he’s not technically my alpha because I broke the bond, but he still thinks he owns me, and everyone else is too afraid to defy him and take me in.”

“So we’re both lone wolves, then, huh?”

You shrug. “We don’t have to be.” He looks confused, which is cute, but instead of focusing on that, you explain. “I still come down here on full moons just in case I can’t control it. When I’m super stressed out, I struggle. You’re welcome to come down here, too, if you want. I’m not afraid of you, and I know what it’s like to feel like you’re alone. Besides, I didn’t have the best dad, either. Not your level bad, but still hateful, I guess.”

“Where’s he?”

“Accidentally killed himself trying to kill someone else.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah… My brother, too, used to be a wolf - hybrid - but because of some crazy shit that happened last year, he’s back to being human. A spell literally stripped him of his supernatural side.”

“That ought to have been painful.”

You nod. “But… that means it’s just us. Ty knows I come down here on full moons, and he knows to leave me alone, so you’ll be safe, too. I won’t tell anyone what you’ve shared with me, or what I’ve seen. I can help you learn control, so they’re at the very least, not as painful.”

He half-smiles. “Yeah… I got a handle on them, actually. I always stayed away from the house - I never tried to eat my family or anything - but I got to a point where the shifts hurt less. I couldn’t control them, but I could manage them.” You chuckle at that one bit. “But then I got sent to the prison world for eighteen years, with no full moons, and completely lost both access to my wolf and the ability to manage shifts. Now, I’m learning it all over again, except in a small, populated town, instead of the miles of empty land in Oregon.”

“I understand the struggle. But I’ll help you, okay? I promise. Just… We don’t have to be friends outside of this cellar, and we can totally ignore each other if you want, so no one catches one, but…” You hesitate, but he gets it.

“I won’t hurt you, Y/N. I promise.”

You smile. “Okay. Thank you.”

For a moment, you sit in silence. The sky is getting brighter by the hour, not fully risen, but high enough to tame the inner wolf. Still, you don’t feel like leaving just yet. Kai doesn’t seem all that bad to you anymore. Yes, he killed his family and you don’t excuse that, but he was also set up to fail by the authority of that same family. He paid two decades in isolation for his crimes, which didn’t help already tangled wires in his brain, and now he’s out. In your eyes, befriending and helping him is the best way to keep everyone - him, included - safe. He just needs one person; one person to trust him and believe he’s capable of better things. At the very least, it’ll make everything run a little bit smoother in this non-stop hectic town. 

“So… you said your brother was Ty, as in Tyler?”

“Yeah.”

“As in the one dating my sister?”

“Yeah- oh, oh! That would be the one.” You pause. “Another sister that ran away from your dad. Her twin, too.”

He nods. “You’re really getting it now.”

“I am seeing it, yeah. The root of all evil: your dad.” He chuckles humorously, and you laugh along, too. “Liv tried to kill me once, last year. Elena, too. She is… a menace.”

“Do tell, if we still have time.”

“Oh, I have time. Though this might take all day… all the trouble she brought.”

“I have no plans.”

“Well, neither do I.”

And so you stay there, talking well into the afternoon, and finding a great mutual trust you would’ve never expected to have.

[so-long-soldier-writes]

What Family's Supposed to Be

kai parker x fem!reader

summary: he shares blood with the crowd gathered below, but his true family are the ones he found along the way: an immortal mother, six outcasts, and you, if you still love him.

word count: 1.4k

tags: n/a; found family; canon divergence from s06e21

He finds himself up in the rafters, watching the excitement from above while the ground floor buzzes with energy. Light music is barely audible under heavy chatter as family and friends grow acquainted with each other pre-ceremony. Everyone is wearing a smile, but some cry tears of joy that they gently pet with a napkin before it can smear their make-up. 

He watches with a cold stare. He does not share the same warmth that was settled amongst the crowd. He is angry. A faint taste of blood still lingers in his mouth. An uncomfortable shock sprints down his spine. 

“Having second thoughts?”

“No. I want them to suffer. They deserve it.” He turns to the girl. “Where’s Lily?”

“On her way to the location you gave her. I should be getting back soon.” Instead of leaving, Nora looks out beyond the railing. “Which narcissistic, old one is your father?”

Kai cracks the smallest smile. “There, talking to the blonde. My sister, who he tried to kill.”

“Misplaced loyalty. I remember it from my days before I was outcasted. My sister always made me out to be the bad guy, but it was my father that she should’ve been weary of,” Nora pauses, sensing a change in Kai’s heartbeat. She narrows her eyes at him while trying to follow his line of sight. “Is that her?”

You make your way through the bustle of people, ignoring the stares you seemed to collect as you pass. Liv’s eyes widen nervously, then she makes an excuse to her father to leave before being enveloped by the crowd on her departure. Her father raises a concerned eyebrow for a second, but your presence soon answers his question. His posture straightens at the sight of you. He grabs your shoulder as you come within his vicinity, making you tense. 

“What-”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

You turn to be face-to-face with your boyfriend’s father, his gaze dark. “I’m just here for Jo, okay? She’s a friend.”

“Not to you. You lost that privilege the moment you got with her psychopath of a brother.”

“You seem to forget that sociopath is your son. You also seem to forget you made him that way.”

“Kai was evil of his own volition. I didn’t make him kill my family.”

“Of course not, but you did outcast him to the point of neglect. And speaking of which, do you not recall yourself trying to kill both Jo and Liv?”

“Those were sacrifices that had to be made-”

“-for the good of the coven, yeah, I’ve heard all about it.”

He clenches his teeth. “They understood it was necessary. That’s what family does.”

“Respectfully, Mr. Parker, you’re wrong. Family should be loyal. They should fight for each other’s survival, not for killing each other because of centuries-old traditions. And even if there’s no way around it, you can still be a positive figure in their life up until the time is due. That’s what a real father would’ve done.”

“And where’s your father? To my knowledge, he’s not even in your life.”

“Maybe that’s why I relate so much to your son. We both excel in the shitty fathers department.”

Joshua tightens his hold on your arm, seething with rage. Kai tenses from where he stands, and Nora wonders if she’ll have to hold him back, or help him intervene. 

You, however, only raise an eyebrow. “Here? Really? You’re going to start a scuffle at your daughter’s wedding? How fatherly.”

“You are a whorish woman,” he spits.

“And you’re a piss poor excuse for a man. I hope you never spoke to your wife with that mouth.” Forcefully, you pull your arm from his grip and flash the most genuine smile you can. He stands, speechless, as you nod politely to one of the many surrounding coven members, then make your way to an empty seat on the other side of the row. 

“Having second thoughts?” Nora asks again, nudging Kai with her elbow. The far-off look tells her everything she needs to know. He doesn’t want to hurt you. He wants to hurt his family, yes, but never you. And in doing this, he would, because as his father dies, he would have proved him right: he is evil, and he is choosing to kill his family. 

Kai shakes the thought from his head. “I need to do this.”

“You don’t, though.”

“He’ll never let me live if I don’t kill him first.”

“You’ll have us, and Lily, to back you up. He won’t go after the newly freed, greatly pissed off heretics his family locked away. And we’ll protect you and her, heretics or not.”

“I can’t let him get away with this. What he’s done-”

“You being here is proof he isn’t getting away with it. Look at her, Kai. Look at how beautiful she is.” They both glance down at you. You’re laughing with someone on his side of the family - a younger boy he’s never met. He’s around nine, eyes full of light. “Look at her now, and imagine her in ten minutes, covered in blood as she doesn’t understand where it all went down.” 

“Are you trying to say she won’t love me anymore?”

“No, but she’ll spend the rest of her life wishing she could’ve done something to prevent this. She believes in you, Kai. Believes you’re not evil and you never were. Prove her right, not your father.”

“What about Damon?”

“What about him? He’s but a tiny bit of dust on the highest shelf. He’s there, but he isn’t that much of a bother in the grand scheme of things. Let Lily reach out and take care of him.”

Kai swallows hard. “Nothing’s going to change if I don’t do this.”

“Everything already has. And if you do this, it’ll be a change for the worse.” She puts a hand on his own. “C’mon, come back to Lily and the rest of us. We’ll make this a change for the better. Show everyone we’re back, and not to be messed with, but not the ones making the first act of violence. We’ll leave that up to them. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“You promise it’ll work?”

“Your father won’t be able to hurt you anymore. And that girl,” she points down to you, “is always gonna love you. Trust me.”

Your words changed the course of the night. Kai came here tonight to bring bloodshed to the masses. No one would be left without a little bit of damage. They hurt him, so they must pay. But… you look so lovely, and your courage is so admirable. If you can face his father with pride, he can, too. 

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Nora confirms. She leads him down the rafters and outside the barn. With a quick rush back inside, she leaves a note on your seat, then hurries back to him. 

“Are you sure about this?”

“Positive.”

1135 Meadow Dr. 

Post-ceremony, meet me here.

It’s vague, but Nora made it vague on purpose. 

A little over an hour later, a subtle knock on the door rings through the old, abandoned house. The heretics rise to their feet, all waiting for this moment. Kai is among them, still in his suit, and the most nervous any of them have ever seen him. 

It’s Nora who answers the door. She smiles at the sight of you. “Come on in.”

“You are?”

“Nora,” she says politely.

“Okay, and I was told to come here because…?”

“We made it out, Y/N. We’re safe.”

Your heart plummets at the familiar voice. The girl who opened the door steps to the side, revealing Kai, smiling shyly and making his way towards you. 

“Oh my god, you’re alive!” In a heartbeat, you rush towards him and jump into his arms. It’s so cliche and Disney, but the sight of him makes him so happy, you can’t help it. 

He grabs your waist with equal enthusiasm and hugs you close. You bury your face in his neck, clinging on as if he’ll disappear. After a moment, he puts you back on the ground, but keeps his hands on your hips. 

“You look beautiful.”

“You’re alive,” you repeat, almost in disbelief. 

“Thanks to them.”

You look around the room, now acknowledging the several other occupants. “Who?”

“Lily Salvatore and her heretics. Banished by the Gemini in 1903.”

“We helped each other survive and escape,” Nora explains. “And now, in the modern age again, we vow to still support each other.”

“Like an anti-Gemini coven,” a blonde says, “where our family is so keen on killing its own blood, we promise to fight for each other.”

“And that includes you,” the brunette concludes. 

Kai cocks his head when you look at him again. “If you want that.”

“Of course I want that,” you grin. “I love you, Kai.”

“I love you, too, princess.” He gives you a short and sweet kiss. “Let me introduce you to everyone, okay? And welcome to our new little family.”

[so-long-soldier-writes]

The Interrogation

liam dunbar x theo raeken

summary: coach interrogates theo. the chimera guesses he should’ve seen it coming.

word count: 1.6k

tags: n/a; coach being protective

Coach squints past the thin strip of glass between the door and its blinds, waiting for his target. For weeks now, he’s let it slide, but decided this morning that enough is enough. He remembers last year clearly: how badly Liam was bullied. He remembers the lack of confidence he carried in his shoulders, a stark difference from his freshman year; he remembers the emotion in his eyes that contradicted the words that left his mouth. Most importantly, though, he remembers the blood. Even before he entered the room, he could hear the yelling. He ran inside and found a crowd watching as two other boys pummeled him. He didn’t fight back, didn’t try to get away. Coach had to physically pull the boys off him and help him stand. His blood boiled with rage that day, and worst of all, they never dealt punishment for it. The guidance counselor let them off with warnings. They attacked him, their own teammate, and felt no remorse for it. 

Now, after it was decided almost everyone needed to retake the past year, Liam seems to have forgiven Nolan for it. They co-captain together like nothing ever happened. 

Coach remembers, though, and he always will. No one hurts his boys. And no one will hurt Liam like that ever again - not on his watch. 

Someone dressed in a black hoodie passes by the slit in the door, darkening the glass for a brief moment. Coach looks at the clock, then stands, target spotted. He hurries to the door and creaks it open, eyeing the boy in question. 

“You!”

Startled, he turns around, one eyebrow raised in confusion. “Did you-?”

“Yes, you. Get in here, now.”

He listens, but the anxiety suddenly wafting off him is unmistakable. Coach leads him into his office and shuts the door behind him. 

“Did I do something?” He asks while glancing around the room.

“What’s your name?” Coach overrides, not answering his question. 

“Theo.”

“Theo,” he repeats, scrolling through a roster of his students. “You’re not in any of my classes. Are you new here?”

“No….t really.”

“Not really? Were you here last year?”

“The year before,” he corrects. 

“Not last year, but the year before,” he confirms.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, where were you last year?”

“Um…” He looks confused, though it’s as if he has the answer, he’s just not sure how to say it. “Ms. Martin and Stilinski worked it out, because of the, y’know… mess last year. My records are all messed up. They’d be able to explain it better.”

“Right.”

He raises his eyebrow again. “Do you not believe me?”

“Well I know a lot of records got messed up because of last year, so I believe that part…” He changes course. “How much do you know about what went on last year?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you move away, or were you in town?”

“I was… mostly in town.”

Coach takes a breath, searching for patience deep within himself. “Kid. Are you gonna answer anything clearly, or keep making this difficult for both of us?”

Theo cocks his head. “Uh, I’m not sure why you’re confused. But I’m going to be late for class soon, and-”

“I’ll write you a slip.”

“Okay…”

“How about you answer this: how well do you know Liam Dunbar?”

The boy straightens. “Why? What’s wrong with Liam?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him,” he scoffs at the assumption, “I’m asking if you know him.”

“Oh, um, yeah, I do. Why?”

“Alright. Do you have any interest in playing lacrosse?”

“What? No.”

“Okay… Do you know Nolan Holloway?”

“Barely. What-”

“Have you ever-?”

“Why don’t you just ask me what you want to ask instead of wasting both of our time beating around the bush?” Theo snaps unexpectedly.

Coach’s eyes widen around the challenge. His protectiveness for Liam grows. “Alright. Yeah, yeah, why don’t I? Why the hell do I always see you at practices and games, lurking by the bleachers, staring at him?” Theo stiffens like he’s been caught. “Yeah,” he continues, “I see you.” His festering anger rises to the brink. “What do you want with him? Do you want to hurt him? Huh? Like those boys did last year? Are you upset over a push on the playground from the 5th grade, or did you lose a bet, and you’re waiting for him to be alone, so you can attack him?”

“What?! No!”

 He advances on Theo, pointing an accusatory finger at his face. “Because I won’t let you do that. I’m not letting anyone else hurt that boy, not after what happened last year.”

“I don’t want to hurt Liam!” He says, tone somewhere between a yelp and another snap. “I’d never hurt him.”

“Never? Then why do you watch him so intently? Why do you look like someone trying to study him, or learn his weakness to target him more easily?”

“I don’t! I’m waiting for him to be done so I can drive him home.” Now Coach narrows his eyes. Theo wets his lips with his tongue before explaining. “I take him to school and back home every day. You think I’d bother driving him if I wanted to hurt him?! I’m already alone with him more than you know. I’m not watching him to learn how to hurt him, I’m making sure he’s safe.”

“Safe?” He scoffs. “From what? I can assure you, under my watch, he’s safe.”

“From himself, when his anger starts to take over.” Theo’s voice drops to a whisper, but Coach still hears him clearly. “From Nolan, or anyone else, if it comes back to that.”

“Nolan?” He plays dumb, still a bit untrusting of Theo’s motives.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about; Corey told me how you pushed those boys off him at school that day.”

Coach finally nods. He’s truthful - he can tell by his eyes, full of emotion, and the conviction in his voice. He’s still unsure on one thing, though - the intensity of his gaze, his unbreakable focus.

“Then what’s that look in your eyes?”

“What?”

“Your stare. I’ve never seen such an intense stare. If you’re not watching him to learn him, then why do you look at him with that-” He stops, realizing. Theo squints, but Coach doesn’t continue his train of thought. Instead, his eyes soften. “You promise you only want to keep him safe?”

“I would never hurt him,” he repeats. 

“He’s like a son to me,” Coach confesses. “I don’t take it lightly when anyone harms my boys.” He drops his voice like Theo had earlier. “I know there’s things out there beyond comprehension. Things most people wouldn’t even understand. I know that’s what the guidance counselor was after, what she feared.”

Theo nods. He’s pretty sure most people in town are aware ever since the war.

“I knew before, too. These boys aren’t as slick as they think they are. Not around me.”

He raises an eyebrow in surprise. Coach can’t help but feel a sense of pride. Scott, Liam, Isaac, and even Ethan and Aiden in P.E. were all werewolves, and he always knew. They never caught onto him knowing, though, and the only reason he’s telling Theo now is to make sure Liam stays safe. 

“I don’t know how much you know about it,” he continues, “but Liam was in the middle of it. He was targeted pretty badly.”

“I know.” He’s been holding onto the straps of his backpack with his hands, but now reveals a claw protruding from one finger. Coach’s eyes catch it immediately. 

“Good.” He’s a little nervous he didn’t peg Theo as one, but blames it on not knowing him well. Also, he does literally hide in the shadows of the bleachers all practice long. Most other werewolves he knows hide in plain sight. “He’s a good kid.”

Theo stares and doesn’t respond. Coach would love to know what goes on inside his head all day. His claw retracts with complete control.

“Well, let me write you a slip. What class do you have now?”

“It’s study hall,” his lips quip with a mischievous smile, “but Liam’s in it, so he’s going to be questioning me on where I’ve been all period.”

“So you two are friends?” He confirms, double-checking if Liam knows Theo, or if the aloof werewolf just has an intelligent stalker. 

“Yes.” He accepts the bright green slip. “He protects me, too, y’know. Saved my life twice.”

“He knows you lurk under the bleachers, too?”

“He knows to look for either me or my wolf,” Theo says easily, a hint of sass in his voice. It takes Coach off guard, though, learning he’s not only like them, but can become more. 

“Well, guess you’re clear then. Sorry for the ambush.”

Theo huffs at that, but then softens. “Thanks for looking out for him, too.”

“He’s a good kid,” Coach repeats. 

~~~~~~

That evening, when he lets them go after practice, Coach pays special attention to Liam and where he goes. He used to take the bus, but that was years ago. Now, after talking to Mason and Corey for a moment, he finds the other boy who’d moved to meet him halfway. 

“Hey,” Liam says, exhaustion evident in his tone. 

“Hi, Little Wolf.” He tugs gently at a piece of hair that’s sticking to Liam’s forward, but the boy swats his hand away.

“Stop calling me that.” His smile contradicts his words. “I’m tired.”

“I can tell.”

“Can you help me with Spanish later?”

“Of course.”

“Cool.” Theo swings his keys once in his hand and Liam watches. “Can I drive?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Fine. Can we go now?”

“Mhm.”

Coach watches them leave. Liam walks close to him, smiling, and making dumb, witty jokes that somehow make the other boy laugh. He keeps an eye on them until they reach Theo’s truck, and he takes note of how confidently Liam climbs into the front passenger seat. It’s good to know Liam has not only an intelligent stalker, but also a protective friend. He’ll be safe with him, he’s sure of it now.

[so-long-soldier-writes]

hello friends,

i have been completely absent. for like, months. it wasn't something i intended to do, and tbh, i'm not sure how it even happened, but i realized the other day i've rarely posted this year, and that immediately bothered me. this year's been weird, i guess you could call it. i've spent the last six months trying to get in charge of my mental health, and in doing so, i had to fix my physical health, too. i wasn't taking care of myself in 2024 bc my stress levels were so high, and i was just totally snowballing up until about two months ago. my living situation's still unstable, and the family drama's only getting more complicated, so i'm still a bit rocky. i'd get up and move across the country if i could, i stg. i just want all this to be over so i can find some semblance of a happy life, which i know will include continuing to write.

that being said, i'm still writing. i never stopped writing, i just haven't been posting. part of it's lack of motivation to actually title, tag, and post things, but a large part of it is guilt for jumping into another fandom. i will still write for tvd, and i'm aware i have a lot of requests to fill and i'll eventually write them, but i'm just dual-writing, i guess. but i know most of my readers are here for tvd, so i'm trying to get back in the balance of writing for both. (nobody remind me of the 2 yr old unfinished glee fic plz, i don't need three.) to reiterate: i am still writing and hope to get back to regular posting in the near future. (even if i were to stop, tho, i'd never take down this blog nor my ao3.)

lastly, i hope my absence didn't ruin any friendships i have on here. one of my worst traits is shutting myself off when i'm struggling, when that's when i should be reaching out the most. i hope no one thought i was ignoring them or didn't want to be friends anymore, bc i can promise it's more the opposite, and i've missed everyone i used to message frequently. i hope you all are doing well, and i love you, and i'm very, very, sorry for my disappearance. i hope to be back soon. ♥♥♥

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Falling in Love is like Falling Asleep (Slowly, Then All at Once)

liam dunbar x theo raeken

summary: liam knows things theo doesn’t know he knows. A harmless movie night is the easiest trap to set.

tags: movie night, sleepovers, texting, mutual pining, feels, trust, homeless theo

word count: 1.5k

a/n: i haven't posted in a hot minute, and i'm so sorry for that, and i'm also sorry that this is for tw, but the gays are stuck in my mind! i acknowledge my tvd requests and promise i'll get to them when i have the inspo, but for now here's this lil piece

12:48 pm

Liam: hey

12:54 pm

Theo: Do you need a ride?

12:55 pm

Liam: no

Liam: mason and corey are coming over to watch a movie tonight and i don’t want to be a third wheel

Liam: can u come

12:57 pm

Theo: No.

12:58 pm

Liam: wait why not

Liam: are u busy?

12:59 pm

Theo: No.

1:00 pm

Liam: okay then come over

Liam: my mom’s really chill and she’s baking brownies rn

Liam: my dad gets off work at 7 but then they’re gonna go out on a date or sum

Liam: they won’t be back till late and then they’ll just go to bed

Liam: please

1:04 pm

Theo: No offense, but I have no interest in watching a movie with you three chatterboxes.

1:05 pm

Liam: yes you do, you just don’t want to admit it

Liam: you secretly love us

1:06 pm

Theo: I tolerate you.

1:07 pm

Liam: you love us

Liam: 😘

Liam: theo i’m serious i really don’t want to third wheel

1:10 pm

Theo: And you think I do?

1:11 pm

Liam: no but at least we can third / fourth wheel together

Liam: hey 111, i wish you’re gonna come over tonight

1:12 pm

Theo: If you say your wish, it doesn’t come true. 

1:13 pm

Liam: that’s not true

Liam: c’mon theo please

Liam: it’s not just that i don’t want to third wheel, i want your company

Liam: and you should relax and watch a movie, you’re too tense all the time

Liam: no offense

1:15 pm

Liam: please

1:16 pm

Liam: please

1:17 pm

Liam: please

1:18 pm

Liam: theo, please?!?!?!?!?

Liam: theooo i stg answer your phone

Liam: come overrrr

Liam: i’m gonna be bored without you

Liam: my mom’s brownies are really good, she bakes

Liam: please

Liam: theo

Liam: i’m summoning you

1:19 pm

Theo: Oh my god! Shut up!

1:20 pm

Liam: oh good you’re back

Liam: pleeeeaasseeeeeee come over

1:21 pm

Theo: If I come, will you stop blowing up my phone?

1:22 pm

Liam: YES

1:23 pm

Theo: Okay, fine. ONCE.

1:24 pm

Liam: 😘😘 i’ll see you at sevennnnn

Despite getting a ‘yes’ on attendance, Liam’s still slightly surprised when he hears the familiar truck engine pull up to its usual spot by the mailbox. He opens the door when Theo’s footsteps reach the top step, and pops out from behind the dark green entrance with a smile. 

“Hi.”

“You’re a menace.”

“I’ve been told.”

Theo follows the little beta deeper into his house. He meets his mom, who ends up being as sweet as Liam describes, and greets Mason and Corey, who are bickering about what to watch. Up until the movie is decided, he opts to talk to Jenna in the kitchen rather than the pack of misfits across the room. Fifteen minutes later, though, her husband comes home and he knows he’ll have to succumb to the crazy soon. 

Sooner rather than later - Theo was hoping he’d have at least a little more time - Liam jumps up to hug his dad, then pulls Theo by the arm all the way to the living room. He plops down on a blanket on the floor and practically tugs him down with him, offering a half-assed sorry afterwards. Theo huffs, but settles beside him. He takes note of Mason and Corey sitting rather close to their right, and copies Liam as he leans his back against the couch. Jenna and David leave ten minutes later, leaving twenty dollars on the counter top, and about thirty warnings to not burn down the house. The DVD finishes its previews right as the door locks. Theo realizes he’s trapped now. 

It’s not that Theo doesn’t want to be around Liam, that’s not the case at all. The problem is the setting, where it’s late at night and a movie’s playing. It’ll be hard to control his heart rate and even worse to prevent his nightmares if he falls asleep. If he were a normal boy, without supernatural DNA, and if Liam were the same, he would kill for an opportunity like this. He’d agree immediately and sit beside him without hesitation. As the night went on, he’d inch closer and closer until practically cuddling the other boy, if he let him. 

But Theo can’t, and he won’t, and he stays still, and controls his heart. A few times, Liam’s shoulder brushes up against his and his focus dwindles. At one point, Liam moves his head close enough that his lips brush Theo’s cheek. It was an accident, by the way he moves away quickly, but he’s not too embarrassed, because he goes right back to his ear, this time with a better understanding of where Theo is. 

“You can relax, y’know? This isn’t a pack meeting or anything, this is just us hanging out. You don’t need to pretend around me, or any of us.”

Theo struggles with that. One, that Liam can sense he’s holding back, and two, that he’s putting so much strength into his mask, he’s missing the movie entirely. 

“What are we even watching?”

“Ant-Man, because there’s one scene at the end that Corey finds really funny, and he’ll happily sit through the whole movie just for those three seconds,” he explains. “But Paul Rudd is hot, so Mase and I don’t mind. Plus the movie is pretty good, I have to admit.” 

Theo doesn’t respond. His mind sits on the idea of Liam finding the man on the screen hot. It’s not that he doesn’t agree, it’s the fact that Liam finds him hot. 

Liam. 

Who dated Hayden. 

Who begged Theo to come tonight, because he “wanted his company,” and sent about a hundred kissing emojis to beckon him over. 

Liam, who just grazed his lips against Theo’s cheek and didn’t even flinch. 

Theo’s mind is suddenly really busy. And between the dark room, and the peaceful atmosphere, and the fact that he’s not in his truck, staring up at the fabric headliner, but leaning against Liam’s shoulder - how did that happen? - he starts to feel tired. He hasn’t slept well in days. Weeks, really. Maybe even months. 

Scratch that, Theo’s not sure he’s ever slept well. The last day in his mother’s womb was probably the last good sleep he’s ever had. 

But right now, next to Liam, inhaling his scent, close to Corey and Mason, - two people he used to doubt but now trusts - Theo feels himself nodding off. 

Liam thinks the man on the screen is hot. 

Liam’s beside him, touching him, almost kissing him. 

His head is spinning. 

Tara’s not in eyesight or earshot of him. The movie tunes her out. Liam grounds him. 

His head slumps from Liam’s shoulder to his lap, but he barely notices. 

Liam does. 

“Mase, give me that blanket.”

“This one?” He holds up a suede blue one.

“No, the weighted one.”

“Oh. Here.”

“Thanks.”

“Is he sleeping?” Corey asks in a whisper.

“Not yet, almost.” Liam drapes the blanket over him, from his shoulders to toes. Theo shifts slightly to welcome its warmth and the comfort it brings. 

Something heavy caresses his body, but it’s nice. He nestles his head deeper into his pillow - Liam’s lap, unbeknownst to him. A gentleness massages his head - Liam’s fingers playing with his hair - but he’s too relaxed to find out the source. In record time, Theo dozes off. His heart rises and falls steadily through the night. He doesn’t wake, nor cry, nor sweat. He sleeps peacefully, indulging in the comfort of the new environment. 

Liam falls asleep with a hand still in his hair, backed up against the couch. He’d watch him sleep if he could, make sure he doesn’t wake from a nightmare, but the gentle lull of his anchor’s heartbeat puts him to sleep quickly. 

Corey laughs silently at his favorite part - Thomas the Tank Engine  suddenly becomes so massive, he breaks through the house’s roof. He throws his hands in the air in a quiet cheer. 

When the movie’s over, Mason collects him into an embrace to sleep. 

The sun rises early in the morning, but Theo doesn’t. Everyone wakes up one-by-one and takes extra precaution to be quiet. Liam knows things Theo doesn’t know he knows. He wanted his company tonight, but he also wanted him to sleep. He hadn’t expected his crash to be in his lap, but Liam is certainly not complaining about it. 

Corey’s the last to wake. It’s nearly nine. Theo fell asleep at ten. Liam wants at least one more hour, a full twelve hours of undisturbed sleep. It’s likely he’ll be too embarrassed to come back to another movie night. Liam’s prepared for that. But he desperately hopes that this rest instead convinces him to stay more often, even if it means sneaking carefully through his window. His mom’s already approved that, if it gets him off the streets. 

“Is he still asleep?”

Corey receives three sets of fingers to lips. He apologizes silently with wide eyes and wild gestures. Mason corrals him out of the living room and into the kitchen. 

Theo’s still sleeping at ten. His heart’s still steady. He looks beautiful, painted in sunlight.

One more hour, Liam decides. At least one more. 

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Ship for: @perseephoneee

♥ I ship you with: Enzo St. John

You meet outside the Grill. You had just gotten off the phone with a friend, trying to work out a small argument that had risen between you two. He was heading inside for a drink, but couldn't help but stop and ask if you were okay. You seemed like you needed to talk.

He knows what it's like to be betrayed and considers himself a loner because of his past. You understand him, and while it takes time for both of you, you eventually grow close and develop a mutual trust for each other.

You share a loyalty that goes unmatched. He likes that you can be fierce while still being kind. He admires your intelligence and quick wit. He also likes that you're always down for an adventure, no matter the time of day or night.

He knew he loved you when you stood up to your friends in his defense. He, too, then realized he would die for you without a second thought if it ever came to that.

Your song: When the Night is Over ~ Lord Huron | It played softly on the radio behind you on your first date. Both of you catch the other humming it from time to time.

♥ I ship you with: Scott McCall

You've been neighbors for forever, but never really talked until you were up late one night on a full moon and saw him trying to control his shift. It didn't scare you, though, and the next time you caught him alone, you admitted to what you saw. He was worried at first, but then realized you weren't afraid of him, and told you the whole truth.

You gain the pack's trust by being a loyal and helpful addition to the group. You have a kind and gentle heart that he really adores. You also have a great sense of humor and can playfully banter with his best friend, which is a big plus.

The two of you bond over a mutual love for rock music. Once you start talking, you frequently go next door to play together, forming a "two-man band" in your free time.

For the longest time, he tried to convince himself you were just friends. You both did, really. But then he'd always feel jealous whenever other guys would talk to you, and he found himself offering his jacket whenever there was the slightest chill in the air. He knew he loved you, though, when the pack was under attack and he had a surge of protectiveness over you. Despite his worries, you proved more than capable of holding your own, and that just made him love you even more.

Your song: Arabella ~ Arctic Monkeys | It's one of your favorite songs to play together. Luckily, his mom often takes the night shift.

♥ I ship you with: Sam Evans

You're a new student in his class. You moved a little bit into the year, so you asked to borrow his notes, and quickly, you became friends. After a bit of coaxing, he managed to get you to join him in glee club, and once they all realized how well you can sing, you knew you were (happily) stuck.

He's been through more than enough hardship in his life, and understands the wall you put up around yourself at first. When he gains your trust though, he loves the person he finds. He admires your creative spirit and the way you're so in touch with your emotions. He appreciates your kindness and the way you always want to help those around you.

The two of you are always laughing together. You're the funniest members of the club, making jokes and doing your best impressions whenever things get too serious. He also loves the voices you do, and when you narrate the thoughts of inanimate objects; he thinks it's the cutest thing!

He fell in love with your personality first, then your heart, and then everything, all at once, entirely. Once he realized he was down bad for you, there was no going back. It wasn't until after winning the national title, though, that he confessed, and was over the moon to learn you felt the same way.

Your song: 1983 ~ Neon Trees | The group song that won you nationals. The day he found the confidence to confess.

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Oh my god, I love this!!! There's so much detail, and it's so organized and pretty!! It was so much fun to do this with you, thank you for introducing me to it!! 🩷🩷

"Scott let him fall because it was funny," is making me giggle. I love him and his goofy self. 😂 Also, the tropes with Stefan! He's a great combination of fun and loyal. And I love Kitty, too! When she finds her place amongst the group, she balances out well, still being sarcastic, but less menacing. 😅

And your song choices are perfect!!

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 @so-long-soldier-writes

↳ masterlist  ↳ ship exchange information ↳ taglist

-͟͟͞☆I ship you with Stefan Salvatore! Stefan is very loyal and understanding, we saw his kindest side all the types he helped Caroline. I think that he’d be good in helping you feel comfortable and bringing you out of your shell, while also celebrating everything that makes you you!

-͟͟͞☆Headcanons:

Stefan is always game to go on an adventure with you. One time you brought him to an estate sale where the two of you spent the entire time competing against a millennial couple trying to buy out everything. Stefan said it was the most fun he'd had in years.

The first time Stefan fell in love was when he saw you greeting a dog outside Mystic Grill. It was so normal, and somehow so heartwarming that it made him realize how much he needed to get to know you better.

When you were having a bad time, Stefan woke you up super early and drove you guys all the way to the Grand Canyon. He didn't tell you where you were going the whole time, just let you sit in suspense. But when you got there, the sun had just set. It was the most peaceful you had ever been.

-͟͟͞☆Tropes:

gryffindor (him) x slytherin (you) the two assholes eating popcorn and watching the drama unfold

-͟͟͞☆ Playlist:

elderly woman behind a counter in a small town -- pearl jam

sailor song -- gigi perez

at last -- etta james

-͟͟͞☆I ship you with Stiles Stilinski! Stiles would find you absolutely endearing. He’d be head over heels the second you guys met, even if you were a stumbling mess. You guys would be that sickening sweet couple for sure.

-͟͟͞☆Headcanons:

Stiles did actually trip the first time he saw you. You were pulling a real Y/N and writing outside the school on your first day, and he was immediately taken aback by your energy. Scott let him fall because it was funny.

You were a little afraid to open up to the pack at first, you were used to be stabbed in the back, but Stiles encouraged the pack to have a welcoming party at Derek's loft. It was the first time you really felt like you could trust other people.

You also got a job as a vet aide like Scott, and it meant Stiles was coming around a LOT more often, much to Deaton's dismay.

-͟͟͞☆Tropes:

sunshine (him) x moonlight (you) "shall i compare thee to a summers day?" (stiles) x "no, a summers day isn't a bitch" (you)

-͟͟͞☆ Playlist:

age of consent -- new order

flagpole sitta -- harvey danger

linger -- the cranberries

-͟͟͞☆I ship you with Kitty Wilde! Unlike Santana who is honestly a bitch 99% of the time, Kitty is only a bitch most of the time (but in a fun way?) She's protective to those she loves, and has an amazing character arc throughout the show. With you? She'd protect with her life. Or a slushie. It's one or the other.

-͟͟͞☆Headcanons:

When you guys went public, most of the New Directions had no idea how to feel. Santana definitely uttered the words "you're a lesbo?" which made you uncomfortable and caused Kitty to dish out some serious fighting words. It made you love her more.

She confesses to you one night that most of all, she just wants to be a dancer. You try to push her to get involved in dancing more, but it isn't until you write a story about her as a dancer that she has the guts to pursue it further.

Also, she's definitely the type to wrap an arm around your shoulders in the hallways and glare at anyone who looks at you.

-͟͟͞☆Tropes:

sweetest person on earth (you) x knight in shining armor (kitty) "and they were roommates."

-͟͟͞☆ Playlist:

i wanna dance with somebody -- whitney houston

unwritten -- natasha bedingfield

behind these hazel eyes -- kelly clarkson

[so-long-soldier-writes]

hii just a small request, but i was wondering if you could maybe write a legacies kai parker x reader fic of some sort? i have nothing specific in mind, sorry 😭 so i guess you have free rein for this one!

i just wanna say i love your writing sm and thank u!

awwh, thank you!! 🥰🩷

and i just so happen to have a legacies kai in my drafts that i haven't posted, but will now! it's here! i haven't watched it in a while but i wrote this sometime when i was (and it's a little short, i'm sorry!). if you're looking for something else, i can take a stab at it, but i hope you like this!!

[so-long-soldier-writes]

drabble #16 - gotcha in the nick of time

kai parker x reader | requested (ish)

summary: kai's out and alaric's seeking revenge. luckily, you find him right before it's too late.

tags: based on s2e13; no warnings

word count: 859

a/n: i've had this in my drafts since february! and am only posting it now bc a legacies!kai was requested. i'm not the biggest legacies fan, but i did watch the first season and a half of the second (a while ago), so i wrote a few things for it back then.

“Oh, you dork… what have you gotten yourself into?!” You manage to joke, not at all focusing on your heart that’s dropped to your toes. Twenty feet away is the love of your life, chained to a wooden post by none other than Hope Mikaelson. She had raced inside the school looking for Dorian, who would alert Alaric, but in the midst of their conversation, you were able to slip out of sight and into the old warehouse. It wasn’t news that Kai was out of the prison world, but your fellow teachers had been working hard at keeping the two of you apart. You doubt he even knows you’re right under his nose. 

This doubt proves true when he looks up at the sound of your voice. Restless eyes soften immediately, and he stands up as straight as he can despite the chains. “Y/N… What are you doing here?”

You hurry towards him, done taking in his sight and now needing him in your arms. “I should be asking you that. How’d you get out?”

“My careless little niece didn’t keep a good enough eye on the ascendant when she got stuck there.” He pants, fighting his chains. Your hands are on him, looking for any give, but he still can’t touch you. “Y/N?”

“Hm?”

“How are you here? How did you know to find me here?”

“I work here.”

“What?!”

“I teach. I didn’t want to; I didn’t want to help Ric do shit after everything that happened, but when he asked, I figured I could keep an eye on him. Keep an eye on the twins. Try my best to prevent the merge, if it came time for that before I could get you out.” You grab a nearby board and sandwich it between the post and the chains, then start to pull. “Talk started going around lately… Josie was getting nosy about Gemini stuff; Ric was getting antsy about telling her anything. Dorian and Ric both have been keeping me in the dark about anything involving you. But then Ric sent Sebastian to the prison world, opening a can of worms, and then suddenly Hope runs in, saying she’s got you tied up down here, and I managed to slip out before either could notice. But something tells me Ric is on his way for revenge, so I need these damn chains to loosen so I can get you out.” 

With one last rush of adrenaline, you finally pull them just enough to give him some wiggle room. He uses his heretic strength, albeit weakened, to break free, then immediately envelopes you in a hug. For a moment, you stumble, but he’s holding on so tight that there’s no way you’d fall. Kai kisses your forehead. The hairs of his beard tickle your skin, and you giggle. 

“That’s new,” you mutter into his chest. 

“Perk of this prison world that I didn’t have in the old one.” He finally releases his grip on you, but keeps a hold of your shoulders. “God, you’re still as beautiful as the day I met you.” Then his eyebrows arch. “Have you even aged?”

You pause, not sure how to break the news of your vampirism to him. “I, um, not really.”

In matters both lucky and unlucky, the sudden sound of footsteps down the hall interrupts your conversation. 

“We have to go!” You grab his sleeve and begin pulling him out of the warehouse.

Kai follows, curious question forgotten. “Yes, quickly. Where to?”

“Anywhere.”

“But what about your job?”

“Fuck it. All I’ve ever wanted is to have you back; I’m not losing you again.”

“Well… I know a safe place we can lay low.”

“Take me there. I don’t need this job, or this life. I just need you.”

Dorian’s voice stops you in your tracks. For a brief moment, you listen. “Hope said he was here. She said he was chained.”

Alaric is armed with an axe. The sight makes you both swallow hard. “He was here all right. The chains are here, but definitely not holding him.” They share eye contact for a moment, then… “Where’s Y/N?”

“She was in her office when Hope came to get me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure. Would she really let him out? Even if he’d come for Josie and Lizzie?”

“She would do anything for him, no matter the cost. I should’ve taken better measures; I should’ve locked her up. Damn it!”

“Alright, so what’s next?”

“I’ve got a friend I can call who’s a hunter; the guy that found Raph and Landon when they ran away. But in the meantime, we need to lock up, and alert the students to be careful.”

“Guessing we should not tell them their teacher’s run off with your daughters’ crazy uncle?”

“Yeah… that would be best.”

You pull on Kai’s sleeve one more time, breaking his focus from the mens’ conversation. 

“Come on,” you mutter, “let’s get the hell out of here.”

A million questions run through his head, but he’ll ask them later. For now, he just takes one more look at your face and smiles. “Okay.”

[so-long-soldier-writes]

can i request reader being in love with Kol Mikaelson, but having to watch as he fell in love with Davina?

hi!! sorry this took me a bit to write, but it's here! 🩷

i could not remember much of the originals' plot, but finally got the inspo to write this, and i hope it's what you were looking for!! sorry again for the wait!!

[so-long-soldier-writes]

No Longer Yours

kol mikaelson x reader | requested

summary: you watch as the love of your life starts to love someone else

tags: angst, heartbreak

word count: ~1.8k

a/n: remembering the plot of the originals was so hard tf, i need to rewatch it

When Ester brought Kol back, you were both shocked and delighted. It was such an uncharacteristic thing for her to do, but yet, you couldn’t complain. For decades, you were lovers, on and off waiting for him as Klaus re-daggered him every couple years. Then, after the whole family was rejoined in Mystic Falls, he was killed by two teenagers way in over their own heads. His death broke you. So much so that his sister offered sympathy, something you’ve never received from her. When the bunch moved back to New Orleans, you took her offer and followed, not living with them, but near them. Away from the brother that so often hurt him, but near the sister that now comforts you. You learned to be okay. 

But now Klaus has stirred up something new, and all the species of the city are fighting, and everyone is gathering forces to try to fight him. It’s the witches, versus the werewolves, versus the Mikaelsons, versus the New Orleans’ vampires that pre-existed in the city. In the midst of it, the Other Side was collapsing, and Esther made a desperate act to bring her family back together. 

Kol isn’t the same. Not one bit. His body is different, as is his mind. He’s on edge, understandably, but no longer only seeking you to tame his restlessness. He’s been put on a mission, you know that, to manipulate the young witch for his mother’s benefit, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. 

And Finn. Finn’s been in your ear nonstop, taunting, updating, day-to-day, on how the progress between the two is going. You’re not sure when you hurt him, but he’s surely out to hurt you. 

“He has this look in his eyes, when he talks about her. Like he knows his task is to trick her, but he doesn’t want to do it. He’s going soft, and it’s not for you anymore,” he’d whisper. You were on the street corner, watching them walk out of the pub, when the eldest snuck up behind you out of nowhere.

“Why are you telling me this?!”

“Thought it’d be something you want to know.”

Finn in his old body was annoying enough. Him in this one, this vessel that seems to carry a hundred times more sass than the last one, is so much worse. 

And it’s not like Kol doesn’t know you’re here. One of his first days back, he spotted you from afar and whisked you away into a quiet corner, declaring his love and kissing your face. You still see him every day, too, even though his return is being kept quiet from the rest of the Mikaelsons. The fact of that makes it even harder to separate him from Davina. You only see him in stolen moments; she seems to be everywhere, in everyone’s business. 

What also hurts, is that you can’t hate the girl. She seems to be Klaus’ number one hater and that warrants some respect. She’s been planning to control Mikael to help take down Klaus, and that’s something no one has ever been able to do. She’s a badass, powerful witch, who Kol is falling for, and that’s not her fault. 

Though slowly, you see it going both ways. She’s falling for him as much as he is her, and honestly, you can’t blame her. Kol is so much more than his narcissistic siblings make him out to be. He’s charming, funny, protective, and up until now, loyal. But then again, maybe you’re overexaggerating this. He’s around Davina for a task, maybe this is just him playing a part. 

You know, deep down, that it’s not. 

It’s one of the days you get Kol alone. Truly alone, without Davina, nor Finn, nor any other supernaturals lingering around, overhearing your conversation. Things feel back to normal, you feel happy, like maybe you have been overthinking, and everything’s actually fine. 

“So, um, how’s it been with your mother?” You didn’t mean to bring up his mother. It’s an awkward subject, and the woman has never been a kind one. But after ten minutes, your dinner date begins to run dry, exchanging small smiles and short laughs rather than the deep thoughts and strong opinions you once shared. 

“She’s fine. She’s my mother. The same, horrible woman she’s always been.” 

His accent is so much thicker in this body. 

“Hm. And Finn? Personally, he’s been annoying the hell out of me, and if he doesn’t stop, I’ll send him right back.”

It earns a chuckle. “I’m about to send him there, too. Little brown noser, always desperate for mother’s approval. What’s he bugging you about?”

“Nothing important, just… the usual.”

“He’s so much worse as a witch. He always hated vampires and now he isn’t one, yet he still wants to bring the rest of them down. Him having access to magic is not great, either.”

“Oh, I bet. Glad I’m only on his ‘hate’ side and not his ‘kill’ side. If I ever defended Klaus in my lifetime, I would have a much different fate against witch Finn.”

He laughs a bit louder. “I’m pretty sure I’m on his ‘kill’ side. Mother giving me chores is the only reason he hasn’t struck. But I wouldn’t let him kill you, Y/N. You’ve always been mine, and even Finn knows not to mess with us.”

His words make you feel some warmth inside, some comfort, that maybe, again, you’re just overthinking all this. 

“He better not, or I’ll send Matt after him again. Bet he’s only a click away, if I tell him I need to extinguish a Mikaelson.”

“Oh, he would be so upset to learn mother brought him back to life. All his hard work, gone! I think Matt would have a lovely time here in New Orleans. So many things he hates in one city. Bet he’d come up with an elaborate system to bomb every vampire in a fifty mile radius without destroying the city itself.” 

“And he’d find a way to make a protective bubble around Rebekah, saving her, and no one else.”

“Oh, don’t remind me of that crush! Any man my little sister could’ve picked and she chooses the vampire-hating prick. Her taste in men has never been good.”

“I don’t know, Marcel’s kind of nice to look at,” you tease.

His eyebrows raise playfully. “Marcel? You should’ve known him when he was a child, then. Little misfit.”

You laugh. It feels like old times. Like going on adventures, pushing peoples’ buttons, grabbing life by the neck. It feels like the love you and Kol shared way before the collapse of the Other Side, and even before Mystic Falls. It’s reckless and exhilarating. 

But now, it’s short-lived. And you feel the light dimming day by day, and you’re not sure how much longer you’re willing to pretend like it’s all okay. 

“I should be getting back soon. Mother’s going to think I ran off.”

“Totally understandable, she is not one to cross.”

“Definitely not.”

“What’s in your plans for next week? Any time we’ll be able to steal like this again?”

“Not sure yet. Klaus is so sporadic, and she bases her plans around his hourly attitude changes. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Okay.” You don’t want to ask it, but it’s been sitting on the tip of your tongue all night, and if you don’t, you might go crazy. “Kol?”

“Yes, love?”

“Your ‘task’ she puts you up to, with Davina.”

“Yes?”

“You care for her.” It’s less of a question, more of a statement. You meant it to be a question, but your mouth spoke before your brain could catch up.

Kol pauses, halfway getting up, to sit back down. He’s never been one to lie to you. You’re not sure if this is when he’ll start. 

“I do,” he replies truthfully. “I don’t want her to get hurt trying to take down my family. I see why she wants to, and I believe she can, but she’s still young. I’ve been trying to best Klaus for centuries and have never been able. But while I’m protecting her the best I can while my mother is actively trying to manipulate her, I don’t feel anything for her, if that’s what worries you.”

You nod, confirming his words about your concerns. “It’s good that you care. She’s been through a lot. She deserves someone who will stand up for her.” 

You wish it didn’t have to be him. 

“I try, while mother and Finn constantly berate.”

“When do they not?” You half-joke, smiling softly. 

“You’re entirely correct.”

Kol might not believe he’s growing affection for the young witch, but you know differently. You can see it in his eyes and the softness of his voice. You can see it on the dimples that form on her face from smiling so wide. 

Klaus finds out that ‘Kaleb’ is Kol, and everything gets much more difficult. It’s such a big tangled web of emotions that you take a step back from the family altogether. Mikael’s on the loose and Klaus is vengeful. New Orleans is in a city-wide panic as the vampire-killing vampire runs rampant without Davina’s control. It isn’t her fault that he got loose. 

It isn’t anyone’s fault when he rushes to her side, more than once. 

It isn’t anyone’s fault when he kisses her, and she kisses back. 

It’s just circumstance. Time and place. People grow apart and others grow close, and sometimes, nothing can be done to stop it. You have to learn to let it go; to understand that he’s happy, and that’s truly the only thing that matters. You’ve survived without him before and you can learn to do it again. 

New Orleans is in the midst of an all out war. Klaus kills anyone who stands in his way. It’s nothing new but it’s nothing short of terrifying. You realize, now, as Kol grows closer to the young witch, and Rebekah starts to take the side of her brothers, that you’re just as vulnerable as the wolves he hunts. A lone vampire cannot survive any greater than a lone wolf, and Klaus doesn’t care who he slaughters in his act of vengeance. It’s with great sorrow and even greater heartbreak that you leave the city, middle of the night, with only a note to explain your absence. Kol will be okay. He’ll be safer with her than you; Klaus has never liked you too much, and his second chance at life matters more than your love for him. 

You’ll always love him, but he’s no longer yours.

He may still love you too, but not in the way it once was. 

And with that, you have to learn to be okay. 

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Hiii, luv ❤️❤️❤️

So my request is, if you could do a Kai x female reader smut. the main plot is in the 1994 prison world (Kai has been in the prison world for like 16 years and y/n has been there for a year. and y/n and Kai are living together, they are close friends, Kai doesn't hurt y/n, he's just OBSESSED WITH HER. Kai would take pictures of her while she slept, take her underwear from the dirty laundry basket, or they could be clean, it doesn't matter to him. He would take her perfume and spray it on his pillows so he could smell her when he falls asleep.

But one day Kai leaves the home they share to go buy something to cook for dinner and y/n decides to Snoop around the entire house bc she's bored and she wants to find something interesting. When y/n stops by Kai's room she notices a lock on the door, she gets curious and wants to find out what he's hiding. So she picks the lock and goes into his room and starts to look for anything.

She looks everywhere but the closet. She walked towards the closet door and opened it, ofc all she saw were clothes and shoes but one particular box caught her eyes. She realized that the box was on a high shelf and decided to get a stool and get the box. When she got the box she opened it and found, pictures of her while she was sleeping, half naked. She also found bracelets, perfume and underwear she's been missing for months now. All of a sudden she hears a door opening and BAM!, Kai finds y/n in his room, on his closet floor with her underwear in one hand the pictures in the other....then it's smut and the ending can be fluff.

this doesn't have to be dubcon. Y/n likes Kai but never acted on her feelings bc she thought he didn't see her in that way. If you're not comfortable writing this I understand completely. XOXO ❤️

omg. i am so sorry this has taken me so long to fill. i have not been with it these last couple months; my life has completely flipped upside down and i'm not handling it well. although, recently, i've started wellbutrin and for the first time in forever, i can actually focus?? and sit down and write?? it's been insane. but… deepest, sincerest apologies for this taking so long. i hope it's okay. (i also hope the smut's okay bc i feel like i haven't been doing it well lately.) and i don't mind writing the subject matter at all, i've just been astronomically slow at filling requests lately. <3

it is linked here!

also, ily ❤️❤️ and thank you for your patience!

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Playing with fire's only gonna get you burned. Unless you're, like, into that kinda thing.

kai parker x reader

summary: things have been disappearing from your room lately, but never would you think kai is the one to blame.

tags: 1994 prison world, friends to lovers, snooping (it's very 'fuck around and find out'), mild argument, sexual tension, touch starved, kissing, touching, playful sex, teasing, fingering, vaginal sex, relatively mild smut, overstimulation, cuddling

word count: 5.5k

a/n: this fic is sponsored by wellbutrin... kidding. but that's the only reason i've actually been able to sit down and focus / write lately. this was requested eons ago, and with the greatest guilt, i'm just now posting it. also, i wrote it in a day. as in, today. i hope it's okay. <3

It started out innocently. A curious snoop in a big, almost-empty mansion, inhabited by two abandoned people left here by their families. 

He hadn’t expected her to go digging around in his stuff, and she didn’t think he’d come home early. Both were wrong. And as the thin material slips from beneath her fingertips in shock, he gives her an indescribable look. His nails rap on the wood of the doorframe and she stands, speechless. 

“Uh…”

“Hey, princess. Like what you see?”

-------------------------------------------------

The Salvatore Boarding House is where you found him. You wandered for some time before running into him and finding his company relieving. 

Of course, getting to trust Kai took some time. You found common ground in the fact that you both were hated by the Gemini Coven. Both had been sent here by them; Kai, sixteen years ago, you, only one, and both had been frowned upon by their families. But while you shared the same enemy, you were afraid for a while that Kai would be an enemy, too, considering what he did to be sent to the prison world. Apparently, as reported by his own tongue and the daily paper, he had slaughtered four of his siblings in an attempt to kill the youngest two. He didn’t feel much sorrow, nor regret, over his actions, and explained his methods of killing with a rather monotone voice. When asked if he’d kill you, he shrugged. 

“No point in doing that, really. It’s not like you can die, anyway.”

And that was that. 

For weeks, you feared him, but he got better as the days passed. Kai’s actually pretty funny and can cook well. And though you’ve never said it out loud, he’s pretty cute, too. Over time, your companionship turns into a friendship. You swap stories about your past and come to understand each other better. As cold as life has made him, you don’t think he wasn’t always that way. The more you grow to trust him, you start to see a side you’re not sure he’s even seen in himself for years. Sometimes you forget you’re all alone in a prison together, save for the fact you’re the only ones there. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like a sentence for a punishment you both may or may not deserve. 

But lately, something’s been off.

It’s not that anything’s changed about Kai, but more so that it just feels… different. The young witch is the same playful, unserious boy you’ve known for months, but a few times, you’ve caught a glimmer in his eye you can’t quite decipher. He’s a troublemaker for sure, and though you’ve never seen malicious behavior, your head is filling with questions if he’s capable of some other kind of behavior you haven’t considered. 

Basically, things have been disappearing from your closet. Your favorite bracelets, a few lip balms, and clothes, even some you know you threw in the laundry bin. For a bit of time, you blame it on the same-day repeating thing. Maybe the gloss you stole from the department store has just been returned to its original spot to be sold. Maybe yesterday’s pair of underwear went back to the bottom of your drawer. Maybe the shirt you wore when you entered the prison world got swept through some portal back to the real world, because you hadn’t worn it here yet, so it must not be able to exist. 

One morning, ruminating thoughts swirl in your mind as you try to mentally explain the disappearances. It’s a rather new thing - within the last few weeks - and nothing like this had happened in the first couple months you were still roaming the empty earth. 

At the kitchen counter, you must seem lost in thought, because Kai shuffles a pancake off his spatula and onto your plate then nods. “What’s up?”

“My clothes are disappearing.”

“What?”

“Have you ever had that happen to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Out of my room. I’ll toss a shirt in my hamper, and it’s gone. My favorite chapstick isn’t in my nightstand drawer anymore.”

“Weird.”

“You’ve never lost anything?”

“I mean… misplaced things, yeah. But I know I just put them somewhere where I can’t remember where I put them, y’know? Maybe that’s it.”

“Maybe.” You take a bite of the food and smile up at him. “Ooh, perfect! Thank you.”

He returns the smile with a wink that makes you shyly look down. You eat in a comfortable silence, omit the CD player beside you being just barely audible; Billie Joe Armstrong whispers uncharacteristically rather than shouting into your ear at nine in the morning. 

He starts to speak again while gathering the dishes. “Hey, I need to take a quick trip to the store today, want to come?”

“Wait, why? We just went?” You ask, frowning. 

“That house down the street had a cookbook I’m borrowing-” you chuckle at the word choice, “-and I’m gonna try one of the recipes in it, but we need, like, half the things in it.”

You think about it. Going grocery shopping with him is always an entertaining experience, but you were planning on flipping your room inside out to look for your stuff instead. The most recent thing to disappear was one of your favorite underwear sets, and if you don’t find it, it’ll drive you crazy. Explaining this, though, sounds ridiculous, so you make an excuse. With a shrug, “don’t really feel like being cold today.” Despite no one around to operate it, Bell’s refrigerator section stays cold. 

“You have a jacket. Or you can borrow one.”

“You always take, like, ten years in there, and the cold seeps through eventually.”

He gives you a sassy look, but it’s true, so he knows he can’t really argue. “Alright.”

“Plus if you’re trying a new recipe, it’s going to take even longer for you to find everything you need. And then the recipe won’t have enough detail, so you’ll sit there for five minutes, debating if you should use brown sugar or light brown sugar.”

“Okay, you’ve made your point!” You smile in satisfaction. “I’ll go by myself. Won’t take more than an hour.”

“Two, maybe.”

He glares at you, but you only laugh. Kai, by now, is harmless to you. You can poke and prod him all you want and know he won’t hurt you. Maybe if his family put a little trust in him, they would’ve known that, too. 

“I’m leaving in ten.”

“Okay. Be safe from any vortexes that could contain aliens coming to invade our planet.”

He stares at you, then gives a playful roll of his eyes. You laugh. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It doesn’t make sense. You’ve flipped your room about a thousand times in the last hour and nothing, not a single one of your lost items have appeared. It’s actually driving you insane. On second thought, you might be going insane. You know internally that stuff doesn’t just disappear in this world. Some things might return to the way they were before - the Dookie album annoyingly starts at “Burnout” every morning that Kai presses play; the grocery store is always fully stocked, no matter how many bags of chips you take in a single day - but things don’t just get lost. The prison world has structure, in its own extremely aggravating way. If something’s missing, you lost it. 

But you’ve flipped your room three times to no avail. If something’s missing, it must not be in your room at all. You sigh, sitting in the middle of your now-messy room, and think. It is possible that they got mixed up in the laundry with Kai’s stuff and neither of you noticed. Of course, that doesn’t account for your two missing chapsticks, but maybe those were in pockets that ended up in the laundry, too. You crinkle your nose at the thought. If that’s the case, that chapstick and the hoodie it’s in are definitely ruined. 

With the new idea in your mind, you head to the laundry room to check it out. It’s a rather long walk down the hall and to your left, making you wonder, again, whose house - sorry, mansion - this is in the present day, and could they be living here now, in the real world? You and Kai have talked about it before, made bets on the residents’ identities and personalities. Kai thinks it’s the mayor’s, and that he’s some oldish rich guy with a trophy wife, who needed to live far away from his “village” to exude “dominance,” as if this were the middle ages. That, or a thousand year old witch who moved out here to never be bothered. You swear it’s vampires, but he always shakes his head, “that’s not a thing.” You think otherwise.

But regardless of who lives in the house, you can both agree it’s an insane amount of house for anyone. Though, neither can complain about the dungeon in the basement. It’s a nice touch. In fact, every house should have one. 

The laundry room checks out to be clean. There’s not a single sign of anything missing or out of place, and by this point, you just feel like giving up. Maybe the laundry ate them in the way it always seems to eat one sock. Oh well, because the constant search is only stressing you out. You stand there bored for a moment while trying to think of something to do. You could read; the library downstairs must have a thousand different books. Or, you could snoop the mansion. Kai’s shown you tons of stuff he’s found over the years: diaries, letters, secrets. Whoever lived here has quite the story to tell, but those things aren’t always easily found. The letters had been hidden in books, and between closely stacked books, and the most telling diary he’s found was in the floorboard of the furthest room on the right. Surely there’s more that Kai hasn’t discovered yet. 

You decide, then, that the best entertainment will be to snoop around the old Victorian home, because… why not? You can’t settle down enough to read, and when has anyone not had fun digging into other people’s business? After all, that’s what got you sent to the prison world in the first place. 

A part of you is most curious about the dungeon, so you decide to start there when something in the corner of your eye makes you pause. A lock, uncharacteristically on Kai’s bedroom door. It’s odd, considering the openness between you two; you’ve never felt the need to hide things from each other, and you’re not sure when he started feeling differently. You stare at it, curious and a bit hurt, before inserting your nail into the hole on the bottom. Again, you ended up here by pissing off one Parker, what’s stopping you from egging on another? And what would Kai possibly do to you that would hurt you? Like you told yourself earlier, towards you, he’s completely harmless. 

In a couple minutes’ time, you finally free the lock of its duty and push the door open. Inside, it looks normal. He’s always been clean and his room is no exception. You’ve seen it before, when he didn’t feel the need to put a suspicious lock on it, and it looks the same then as it does now. Still… that little weasel is hiding something, and you’ll be damned if you don’t at least peek. You step further inside, leaving the door wide open so you can hear if he comes back. 

To your displeasure, a five minute search yields no secrets. You’ve looked under his bed, in his drawers, and everywhere else that’s definitely invading his privacy, but hey, you were under the impression that there was no privacy in the prison world. You start your way back to the door, but then open the closet you had previously ignored, just in case. It checks as normal, but then… up high, in the corner, sits a little box out of reach. And by out of reach, you mean even for Kai, who’s rather tall, meaning even he would need a stool to retrieve it. Curiosity quickly gets the better of you and you fetch the nearest stool to grab it. Something this well hidden must be fun. And who knows, maybe it’s the residents’ mystery box, and Kai doesn’t even know it’s there? At least, that’s what you tell yourself to excuse your nosiness. 

Though, immediately upon opening it, that’s proven to definitely not be the case. 

A whiff of perfume floods your nose the moment you take off the lid. It’s familiar, and warm, and quickly, you realize it’s yours. Then, your heart drops at the first thing inside - something he should not have, and frankly, shouldn’t even exist -  which is a polaroid of you. Specifically, of you on your side, asleep, bare chested, with your comforter just barely covering your hips. Your spine is the main focus of the shot, but a little bit of your exposed breast shows. You drop it with a gasp. It flutters down and lands in a different place than where you had picked it up, revealing more. Each polaroid in the stack shows more and more of your body in every shot. Sometimes, your breasts are covered by a thin, lacy piece, but more often than not, your top is completely bare. Your comforter, luckily, stays at your hips, and the one or two times it slips further, you’re covered in your favorite floral set, but then you pause. That particular set disappeared a while ago, and now, you think you know why. 

Dropping the polaroid, you remove all the photos from the box to reveal what’s hidden underneath, and oh, does it shock you. Instantly, you eye your favorite set, causing you to swallow hard. Your perfume’s also in the box, alongside all your missing items: your chapsticks, bracelets, and three more pieces of your clothes. That rat. He’s been taking your things the whole time! Then giving no more than a shrug when you bring it up. Kai has been sneaking into your room at night, taking pictures of you and stealing your things, then acting none the wiser in the day. You try to feel angry, but you’re more shocked than anything. 

Hesitantly, you pick up a pair of your underwear, inspecting it as if you can’t believe it’s really there. You roll your eyes in disbelief as it slips off your finger, back down into the incriminating box. 

A knock raps on the doorframe. You freeze; you hadn’t heard anyone come in.

“Hey, princess,” Kai says, standing there, “like what you see?”

Your mouth falls open, a thousand words rising up your throat, but none of them coming out. You were shocked before, but then his sudden entrance and his laidback reaction makes you angry, and when he stands there, waiting for your response, you only find yourself shocked again. Surprised, that he’s found you digging through your stuff, yet doesn’t seem to care. 

That is, unless, the anger is bubbling underneath his fond smile. You know that Kai has an unpredictable edge to him. Sometimes, he’s quiet in his anger and lets it stew before exploding. You’ve only been on the receiving end of it once, ages ago, when you were still getting used to each others’ routines and you got too much in his way. You’ve seen it since then, but not directed at you: his father, mostly; his lack of magic; his misguidance about the world. But sometimes, oftentimes, he’s short in patience and snappy in reaction. He responds to disruption the same way his father does: suddenly, mercilessly. It’s all he knows, after all. 

But the Kai standing in front of you now, watching you, is neither of those things. He doesn’t seem angry or agitated. Caught off guard, certainly, but while that look is interpreted through his eyes, a small smile counters it. You stare a bit longer. Amused is more like it. He’s amused by your reaction. By you finding your clothes in his room and having no idea how to react to it. Initially, his posture held some indignation, probably because you were going through his stuff and had picked the quite secure lock to do so, but any ill feeling dissipates at the look on your face you’re sure is amusing to him. 

You try to replace your shocked look with a stern one. He only laughs. 

“Want to tell me why my stuff is in a box in your room, which was locked, by the way, not sure if you’re aware. Since when do we lock our rooms, Kai?”

He looks surprised by your sudden snap. Good. Unfortunately, he recovers quickly. 

“Want to tell me why you’re going through my stuff in the first place?”

You scoff. “I think the more pressing matter is the fact that you’ve been stealing my clothes! And- and- not only stealing, but look at this-” you toss a polaroid at him as if he hasn’t seen, taken, them himself- “how long have you been lurking in my room while I’m asleep?! Taking pictures of me sleeping? Not caring if I’m literally nude in half of them?!”

“I’d argue the nude ones are the best ones,” he says with a shrug. 

You scoff again. “What would possess you to do this? Why are you taking my stuff?”

“Y’know, princess… What’s funny to me is that your questions are just questions.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You’re asking questions simply to know the answers. A playful curiosity. There’s no anger in your tone, no spite in your words.”

“Oh, I’m angry, Kai. I’m pretty fucking pissed off right now.”

He only chuckles. “Still not hearing it. See, I know anger. Anger’s my father, who has a harsh bark but a nastier bite. You, my angel,” he crouches down in front of you now, “have no bite.”

“Fuck you.” You push his shoulder. He barely sways, but you were kind of hoping to knock him over. You wait a moment, then try again. 

Kai, though, easily predicts your actions and grabs your wrist as soon as it comes within his reach. He holds on with a tight grip and you almost lose your balance. 

“Let go,” you grumble, raising your other fist. It only makes it halfway before he grabs that one, too. “Kai.” You struggle in his hands. “What the fuck? Let go of me.”

“Ah, ah.” He tilts his head to the side, a look that means nothing but trouble. “You were a bad girl to go through my stuff.”

“It’s my stuff, actually.”

“It became mine the minute it crossed the threshold of this house. You became mine.”

“What the fuck does that mean? This isn’t even your house!”

“But it is my prison world. Built for me when I committed a crime so heinous, they felt the need to lock me up. But you… what are you in here for? Stealing a book?”

“It was a grimoire, you fuck. Your father’s. So clearly my crime was equally heinous and they sent me here, too. The moment I got dropped here, this no longer became just your world.”

“You raise a good point. But still, I was here first. And I’m the oldest of my siblings, so I can tell you what to do.”

“You have a twin,” you counter, “who’s probably older than you by now, considering neither of us have aged, and you’ve been here sixteen years already. She’s probably… thirty-eight by now? Probably married, has some kids, a nice house.”

“Stop talking,” he snaps, tightening his grip on your wrists. They burn, but it doesn’t bother you. Egging him on is more fun. The tight cord of his control is breaking. 

“I’m just saying. Oh, and your younger twins, the two you didn’t get to kill. They’re, uh, twenty, now, I think. I saw them, actually, when I broke into your father’s house. They’re both blonde, wherever that gene came from.”

“Y/N-”

“Jo wasn’t there. Not sure where she went. Probably does have a house somewhere. Somewhere far, far, away from fucking Portland. Good for her, that place is a shithole.”

His grip tightens, his body almost shaking with anger now. “Stop. Talking.”

“Or what? Are you gonna attack me?” You put on your best puppy eyes. “Show me your bite’s worse than your bark? Because I’m just proving to you that I can bite. Don’t like it, do you? Yeah, well, I didn’t like finding my lingerie in a box in your room, but I guess we all can’t get what we want.”

Whether it was your words or the sass in your tone, he finally breaks. With a sudden force, Kai pushes your fists into your own chest, knocking you to the floor. You gasp a little as your head hits the wood, but you have no time to dwell on it as he climbs on top of you, pinning your fists now over your head. 

“You want to see me bite, is that it? Don’t think I have it in me because you’ve never seen it for yourself? I can be ruthless, Y/N, I can make you regret-” he pauses, jaw dropping as he realizes you’re giggling. 

“Regret what?” You urge. “Were you saying something?”

“You’re playing with fire, Y/N.” His eyes are dark, but not in a way that scares you. Instead, his pupils are dilated so much they look dark. He stares into you desperately, gaze fighting between your lips and your neck, as if unsure where to attack first. 

“And yet I’m just a girl, laying under a boy, asking to get burned.”

He doesn’t get the quote. It’s after his time. But the message is clear: you’re under him and you’re not fighting to get up; you provoked him enough just to send him off the edge; you were never really that mad about the pictures or the clothes. 

He pauses. Okay, maybe you were a little mad about it. He did go out of his own way to creep across your boundaries. But still… had he not, you would’ve never ended up in this position. You should probably thank him for that. 

You swallow, with difficulty because of the way you’re laying, and his eyes drop to the bob in your throat. He snaps out of a daze. 

It happens before you know it, his lips on yours. He starts soft, waiting for you to reciprocate, and the moment you do, he gets rougher, more confident, as if this is something he’s always wanted, but he’s so unfamiliar with being able to touch, that he holds back at first. 

You’re much less hesitant, though. You offer kindness to him through your words, but you’ve never touched him much, knowing how foreign it is to him. You’ve wanted to give in, to hug and hold him and kiss his cheek before you go to bed, but you were never sure how to bring it up. He’s guarded in his emotions. They’re there, but they’re locked away with a key you haven’t been able to pick. But this, maybe, is the first step. 

You’re not sure when you stood up, or if he picked you up, but in a second, you’re off the wood and plopped down on his bed. The pillow beneath you smells like your perfume and you raise an eyebrow at him. He tilts his head again - no comment. He’s kissing you again before you can say anything, effectively distracting you from the whole thing. One hand props himself up over you, while the other lightly grasps your neck. Both of your hands are tangled in his hair, scratching and pulling gently. You break the kiss, out of breath, and he trails his lips down your neck instead. Your back arches instinctively, and a giggle escapes your throat at a sweet spot. In a matter of seconds, he sucks a bruise into your skin before moving down further. Your shirt, very much in the way, is pulled up and off, followed by your shorts. You copy the action, pulling his own off him and immediately letting your hands explore his chest. It’s only fair, you think, considering all the times he’s welcomed himself to the sight of your body. 

Distracted, you miss him pulling off your underwear until they’re dangling on one finger in your face. You tilt her own head in confusion, then feel your jaw drop as he throws them in the box. 

“Mine.” He winks.

“No! Kai-”

You’re cut off by your own moan, provoked by the feeling of his touch on your bare body. He smiles, clearly pleased with himself, and touches again. 

“Those are mine,” you try to argue. 

“Are they?”

With a new bite, you lunge forward and surprise him, bringing him pause. You take control for thirty seconds, unbuckling his belt and sliding off his jeans and boxers. A gasp escapes his throat, the cold air hitting his cold, now exposed body, in addition to you seeing him for the first time. 

“These are mine then.” You toss his jeans on the floor, but keep his boxers like a prize in your hands. 

His look is unimpressed. “You wish.” He tackles you easily, prying the material out of your hands to ball up and throw, laying you back down, crawling over your body, licking his lips, eyeing you like prey. It happens too fast for you to react, and before you know it, you’re forced back into submission, him dominating easily. 

“Y’know, for someone not used to touch,” you pant, relishing in the feeling of his lips around your nipple, “you sure seem to know what you’re doing.”

“Instinct, baby.” 

“Oh, really?” 

He shuts up any further remark by meeting his body to yours, erect cock rubbing against your clit in a way that turns your brain to mush. “Yeah, really.” You don’t fight back this time. “So easy to please,” he mutters, his fingers moving to your clit at the feeling of precum rising up. 

“Stop teasing,” you whine, growing desperate. 

“Not teasing, princess. Just getting you ready.”

Pressure builds like a coil low in your stomach. You squirm, arching your back and shivering in pleasure, at the same time you mutter, “don’t stop.”

“Don’t move, then, baby.”

You try your hardest to listen, but it’s almost impossible with the way he’s touching you. The long fingers you’ve always admired rubbing in perfect circles. The lust in his eyes as he draws you closer and closer. The wetness on your thigh where his aching cock drips with its own need. 

“Kai-” you cry for a second as he stops. He spits on your clit, then laps it up with his tongue, sucking now, while his fingers open you up below. “Fuck.”

“You okay, princess?”

“Mhm,” you nod weakly. 

The coil’s so close to snapping. You won’t survive much longer, not with the way his tongue works so beautifully against the sensitive spot, and especially not when he looks up at you from his position, eyes still dark with lust, yet focused, as if this is the most important thing in the world. 

“Kai-”

“Mhm?” He asks without detaching. The vibration that it causes is what finally breaks you. With an eager moan, you finally come, the force of it shaking your legs and core. Kai sucks you through it and only lets up when you start begging, “please, please, please, I can’t-”

He ceases, and immediately crashes his lips onto yours, letting you taste yourself in his mouth. 

“You okay?” He asks between wet, open-mouthed kisses.

“Mhm.”

“Alright, good girl. Ready?”

“Please.” 

Of course he can’t deny you when you ask so politely. 

With a deep kiss, he distracts you enough to push in. You take him well until you’re almost full, gasping into his mouth and sinking into the mattress. You squirm a bit more, body reacting to the sudden intrusion, but settle around him soon enough. 

“We’re good?”

“Good.”

“Let me know if you need to stop.”

He starts slowly, pulling out a little ways and pushing back in, kissing you sweetly as he does. But then as your body adjusts and clenches around him, he picks up the pace to an even speed. His mouth drops from your lips to your neck, sucking more bruises into your delicate skin. You keep your hands tangled in his hair, pulling, grasping, moaning more as the pressure starts to build again. 

“Y’know,” you stutter, trying to speak as he thrusts. “Making me come once isn’t going to make up for you stealing my underwear.”

You can feel his smile grow against your skin. “Oh really?” He presses a kiss to your neck. “How about twice? Three times? Four?”

The color drains from your face at the thought of coming four times in one day. You really need to learn to stop challenging him. “I-”

“Yeah, four sounds good. Let’s try for that.”

He has slowed down a little to make conversation, but as soon as his mind is made, he picks his pace back up. His troublemaking smirk stares into you, waiting to see if you’ll challenge him again, then falls back on your neck once he sees he’s won. 

In the end, Kai holds true to his promise and coaxes three more orgasms out of you before his hips stutter. He pulls out and releases on your stomach, panting hard. You lay beside each other, completely exhausted and overstimulated, until he finally drags you up and into the bathroom. In a way, you do win, because he dresses you in his own clothes - boxers and a hoodie - before pulling you downstairs with him. You’re still determined to get your clothes back somehow, but as your eyes flutter sleepily still, you decide to table that for another day. 

That evening, when you settle down for your usual nightly movie, you find yourself laying against his chest with his arm around your waist. He seems more relaxed than you’ve ever seen him, and the noticeable difference makes you smile. 

“If you wanted to touch me, you could’ve just asked,” you half-tease. 

“Hm.”

“I like you, too, y’know.” He finally looks away from the tv, eyes dropping to you instead. “Way before all of this. I’ve had a crush on you for ages.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Fear of losing you?” You shrug. “Not only are we the only people here, but… you’re also the only person I’ve felt ever close to in my life. I didn’t want to do something that would make you uncomfortable, or make you hate me.”

“I could never hate you,” he admits. He presses a gentle kiss to your lips. “And I think I’m the one who crossed the ‘uncomfortable’ boundary.”

You laugh. “Yeah, you did. You crossed a very big boundary.” You tilt your head and run your tongue across your lips. “But… it doesn’t make me uncomfortable with you. Nor angry. Maybe in the moment, but certainly not now. Actually… it’s kinda hot, now that I think about it.”

Despite his passing nervousness, he can’t help but laugh. “I did say you’d be playing with fire.”

“Guess I should’ve headed the warning.”

You curl closer into him, adoring the way he responds so quickly, running a hand through your hair and dancing his fingers on your skin. It’s easier than ever to relax around him. Right now, this prison world feels like anything but a prison. 

~~~~~~~~~~

In the night, you sneak into his room, polaroid in hand. It’s rather easy, the lock is gone now and his door is cracked open, practically inviting you in. You tiptoe up to his bed, focusing the camera on Kai’s shirtless form and snap a quick photo, snickering to yourself. But then, as the old machine whirrs in action, your target opens an eye. You back up, glancing between the boy in the bed and the door. He groans, laughing on the tail end of the tired sound. 

“Whatcha doing?”

“Karma, baby.”

“Mhm, good try.” He eyes you in a way that sends a shiver up your spine. “Y’know… the way I got so many of you is because I was quiet.” 

“Uh-” You look at the door again - big mistake. The moment your eyes are off him, his arms around your waist. “Ah, Kai!” You screech, head hitting his pillow for the second time that day. 

He positions himself on top of you, practically sitting on you, and takes the camera from your hands. “Tip number one, snap the picture and leave before the camera starts to sputter.” He sets it on the nightstand. “Tip number two, stalk someone who’s a little less obsessed with you. That way, they might not be able to hear your every move.” Before you can reply, he’s kissing you again, with as much passion as he had only hours ago. 

[so-long-soldier-writes]

~ part 2: drabbles, headcanons, etc.

~ updated: 11/18/24

~ read tags before reading; each fic is thoroughly tagged  

~ back to masterlist

#1 - stomach ache ~ fluff

kai comforting you when you have a stomach ache

#2 - pink starbursts ~ fun

listening to caroline plan a party gets boring. kai finds a way to entertain himself.

#3 - can’t help that i love you ~ fluff; soft!kai

while you and kai aren't necessarily in a relationship, no one can ignore the way you are together. it started with kai's nightmares, bringing you to his side for nightly comfort. soon, gentle touches on his back led to full blown hugs and forehead kisses; simple conversation turned to long talks, and you're only getting closer every day. kai feels safe with you, and you're falling for him. maybe he's falling for you, too. this is why your "thing" needs to stop. right now.

#4 - the dinner party ~ smut

ten minutes before company arrives. five to finish up, two to clean up, one to fix your hair, and the last two to occupy yourself with something inconspicuous. a perfect amount of time. let's just hope they don't show up early...  

#5 - stupid, sad movie ~ soft!kai

since kai missed out on over a decade of movies, you now spend your nights watching the best ones. tonight's movie: titanic.

#6 - “i took his virginity” ~ best friend!kol mikaelson x reader

you should've known kol would find out about your new boyfriend before you'd be able to tell him yourself. luckily, you're able to talk him into accepting kai, as long as he treats you right.

#7 - kissing disease ~ fun

despite the deal he had made with her several weeks ago, kai needs his sister for her medical opinion, again.

#8 - jumpscares ~ fun; best friend kai

kai has the worst timing for wanting your attention

#9 - hope ~ hurt / comfort; tw: sh

kai notices your scars.

#10 - aphrodisiac ~ fun

you can only listen to damon ramble on for so long before you lose focus. unfortunately, this time, your zoning out manages to cause maximum embarrassment when the rest of the group follows your line of sight.

#11 - sinful ~ smut

shoe humping with kai... specifically, those old 1994 converse

#12 - kiss on the cheek ~ fluff

kai receiving a kiss on the cheek would have no freaking clue what to do with himself. 

#13 - the massage ~ fluff

kai's sure he'll win the bet. you're positive he won't.

#14 - morning coffee ~ fluff; fun

the sun rises. a new day starts. yet, everything remains the same, but nothing's where you left it.

#15 - attention to detail ~ fluff

kai admires the way you watch tv.

• dating yandere!kai ~ mild violence; some fluff

• heretic kai x accident prone reader ~ fluff

• driving lessons ~ fun

• kai’s sex life

• king!kai / royalty au

• demon!kai x angel!reader // angel!kai x demon!reader ~ smut; corruption kink

• how he would be academically / intelligence-wise

• childhood best friends to lovers ~ angst; fluff

• werewolf alpha kai // kai's demigod parent (pjo) ~ nsfw; fun

• kai with a lip ring ~ mildly nsfw

• body swap au ~ fun

• comfort ~ tw: [non-graphic] non-consent; csa

a flashback to his childhood. a terrifying memory he thought he had repressed. | pre-1994 |

• the dog ~ tw: violence, animal death; read at your own risk

kai hates the family dog. | pre-1994 |

[so-long-soldier-writes]

Never Let Stiles Pick the Movie

liam dunbar x theo raeken

summary: an innocent pack bonding night goes south when something in the movie reminds theo of his past. luckily, liam's there to remind him he's not in another nightmare.

tags: pack bonding, movie night, based on the movie: the ring (2002) [i have never seen this movie, bare with me], emotional hurt / comfort, mentions of tara raeken, mentions of dread doctors, theo's nightmares, trauma, & ptsd, panic attacks, concerned liam, deep conversations, theo needs a hug (but he gets one!), mutual pining / they're in love they just don't know it yet, couch cuddling, emotional with a happy ending

word count: 4.5k

a/n: i intended to post this on halloween, but while i got it up on ao3 in time, the same cannot be said for tumblr, because i got distracted. apologies! let's just pretend it's still october, though, and besides, isn't every day spooky day for these poor teenagers?

also, i saw a post a while ago that was like, "how would theo react to seeing the ring?" and i can't find that post, but i haven't been able to let it go, thus producing this fic. if that was your post, thank you for the idea, lmao

Theo swears he’s never seen a pack do as much bonding shit as the McCall pack. It seems like every other night, they’re at their alpha’s house. Once every week, they’re sleeping over. And almost every single time, some stupid movie is played, and everyone’s expected to stay for the entirety of it. He is tired. 

Not of the pack, necessarily. Theo’s just tired in general. He’s grateful to be included, actually, he just never expected there to be so much demand involved in being part of a pack. Theo’s gone from being the only person his age, hiding out in dark tunnels with the Dread Doctors, to his three more-or-less authoritative figures being erased from time, and him being plunged into civilization with a rowdy pack of teenaged wolves for company. And while he’s not complaining - he promises - it is a lot to take in. Especially considering half of the pack’s still unsure of his presence, and one person in particular is just too sweet to him. 

Theo’s snapped out of his thoughts as that particular person is now waving him over to the couch, a bag of candy in his unoccupied hand. He takes a deep breath. The last thing Liam needs right now is candy, considering how bouncing off the walls he’s been for the past three hours. 

“Theo!” He calls out, after unsuccessfully coaxing the chimera the other way. 

“What?” He doesn’t mean to sound as tired as he is, but it’s exhausting to keep up the facade he works so hard to maintain. 

“Come watch a movie with us!”

Mason turns out all the lights but one in the kitchen - the one right beside Theo - and shrugs at him playfully. 

“Didn’t you guys watch a movie just the other day?” Theo asks, eyes bouncing back and forth between the close friends. 

“Yeah, but this is a different one.”

“C’mon, dude, it’s Halloween. If you don’t give in, Liam’s gonna be upset,” Mason urges, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He’s getting better with Theo. Slowly. 

The older boy rolls his eyes. It’s no secret how he feels about the young wolf - no matter how oblivious Liam himself may be. 

“What is it, a horror movie?”

“Probably.” 

Theo wants to comment on how he clearly heard Mason say he hates horror movies in the beginning of October, which contradicts the casual tone he uses about them now. Obviously, he just wants Theo to give in and join them, no matter his own reservations about the spooky tradition. 

“Alright,” he groans, knowing he’s not winning this fight. Mason’s smile grows and he turns on his heel. Theo follows him to the living room, then nestles himself beside Liam and the arm of the couch. Mason goes to the couch’s opposite end, Corey beside him. Theo would try to avoid touching Liam’s leg, like he’s currently forced into doing, but the couch meant for three is occupied by all four of them, and no one seems to be itching to move. Liam and Corey look to have no qualms about practically sitting on top of each other. In a second, though, Corey shifts to sit on Mason’s lap, giving the beta some wiggle room, and Theo can meld a bit more into the couch and curl a little closer into the arm. 

Across the room, Nolan and Alec are in a similar position. At first, Alec seated himself on the ground, but then Nolan coaxed him into the seat with him, making for a tight squeeze. Neither boy seems to be complaining, though, and are now sharing a bowl of popcorn much easier than they would be if Alec was still on the floor. 

“What movie are we watching?” The youngest beta - now beating out Liam - asks. “The Conjuring?” He has a hopeful tone that Theo doesn’t understand in the slightest. 

“No, no,” Corey waves him off, “The Ring.” Alec makes a face, prompting Corey to continue. “Stiles’ choice, from afar. We asked in the group chat earlier. He was the first to respond.”

Mason shudders. “I haven’t seen this movie in years. Remember, Liam?”

Liam frowns, seemingly agreeing. “I didn’t sleep for weeks.”

“Your mom was pissed.”

The troublemaker then laughs at that, as if bringing his mom emotional turmoil is something to be enjoyed. He’s just playing, though. Theo knows that about him. 

“What’s it about?”

“Demon girl that kills anyone who watches a specific tape,” Mason replies vaguely, unwilling to spoil it to the unsuspecting chimera. 

Theo raises an eyebrow but doesn’t reply. The movie begins, causing Nolan to shush no one in particular - no one had been speaking at that moment - and bringing everyone’s eyes to the screen. The familiar scent of trepidation takes over the pack, but the territory is safe. All rising heart beats and pauses of breath are to blame on the film as the narrator continues, introducing the scene. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fear lingers in the air, but they’re used to it now. It carries a different scent - one Theo’s not too keen on - that holds a bit of thrill in it, like the pack is terrified, but they’re enjoying it. Theo’s not quite sure he’s enjoying this movie. 

His whole life has practically been a horror movie. He doesn’t need to see one, he’s lived one for ten years. The only reason he agreed to this dumb thing was to be close to Liam and to bond with the pack. The more stupid shit he agrees to taking part in, the more accepting of him they’ll be. 

Right now, though, he’s regretting that decision wholeheartedly. The moment he sees the girl - Samara, he thinks her name is - his blood runs cold. Her hair is long and black and covers her eyes. Her skin is pale and covered in grime. Her face is sullen, almost unreadable; he can’t tell if she’s more disappointed or angry. She reminds him of something seen only in nightmares. Something that haunts you in your darkest moments, when you’re most tired, but unable to close your eyes, because she’s there, waiting. She reminds him of Tara. 

Theo tries his hardest to watch the movie. He tries to focus on his heartbeat, regulating it, keeping it steady, but he can hear it accelerate with every passing minute. He tries to calm himself, count sheep, focus on Liam’s scent, squeeze his eyes shut, but nothing works. His breaking point is when Samara finds her way out of the well. The sun has completely set now, making the McCall house dark, omitting the one light in the kitchen. Samara spots the man she’ll make her victim and rushes towards him. She crawls on her hands and knees before grabbing him. Theo springs up the minute she starts to crawl, the nightmares he thought he was finally pushing away resurfacing at the sight of her. He pays no attention to the way Liam instantly panics, reaching a hand out to him. He misses the concerned drawl of his name on the boy’s tongue, the worry in his eyes. Theo scrambles off the couch and out of the girl’s sight as fast as possible. He finds himself in the bathroom and shuts the door quickly, flicking on the lights. His breathing is erratic and the panic attack is inevitable. Theo clutches at his chest and throat, claws out, ready to attack, or rip her off him, or something, anything, he has to do to keep his heart.

He misses the short sentence Liam tells the rest of the pack: “I’m gonna go find him.” 

He fails to hear the boy’s footsteps, or his nearby breathing, or his scent at the door. 

He doesn’t acknowledge him until Liam’s right in front of him, grabbing his hands to pull his claws away from his delicate skin, whispering, begging to know if he’s okay. 

“Theo,” he mutters, frowning, “talk to me.” 

Tears form at the edges of the chimera’s eyes, worrying the beta further. Theo doesn’t cry. He never panics, and he certainly never cries. 

“What happened? You can tell me, it’s okay.”

He trusts him, Liam. He trusts him with his life. He trusts him with the truth. He just can’t get the words out, can’t form them on his tongue. Theo opens his mouth to say, but nothing comes out. Nothing but air. 

“Theo,” he urges. “Breathe. Settle down with me, okay? You have to breathe.” He looks around, still holding the boy’s fists in his hands. “What color shirt am I wearing?”

The older boy knits his eyebrows together. “What?”

“What color shirt am I wearing?” Liam repeats, providing no context.

“I don’t know, I can’t see.” The color swirls around in his mind. He thinks it’s green, but his vision’s too fuzzy to tell. 

“Okay… What color are my eyes?”

Theo blinks. He knows that, of course he does. He knows it by heart. He knows it in his dreams. A beautiful light blue. Where the sea meets the sky. “Blue,” he says, wanting to say more, to be more descriptive, but limited by his dizzy mind. 

“Good. That’s really good. Okay. What color are yours?”

“Green.”

Like moss agate, Liam wants to add. He doesn’t. “Good. Can you tell me what shirt color I’m wearing now?”

“Green, I think.”

“Yeah, it is. You’re doing really well. Can you name three other things in this room that are green?”

Theo narrows his eyes, but doesn’t question the prompt. “The walls, I guess, are green-ish. That shampoo bottle up on the shelf.” He scans the room once, then twice. “The curtain has a little bit of green in the design, if you look closely.”

“Good! Those are the same things I noticed. That’s great! Alright, how are you feeling?”

Theo pauses, contemplating the question. He almost answers terribly, and that he’s out of breath, and it feels like he’s going to die, but then he stills. He notices his heart isn’t beating so hard that it might jump from his chest, and his vision isn’t so fuzzy, he can actually see Liam in front of him, and the slight pain from his claws emerging from his palms is now absent, because his claws have retracted back into his hands, making him safe from himself. 

Theo looks at Liam and swallows hard. He feels a bit vulnerable, but the boy isn’t looking at him in a way that makes him feel like he has to hide. He looks at him with pure concern and care, and almost love, if Theo isn’t mistaken. He shakes that thought away. 

“Theo?” Liam prompts, leaning closer, squeezing his hands a bit harder, but still gently.

“I’m okay,” he finally responds. His mouth is dry and tastes faintly of blood, like he was biting his own cheeks, which he probably was. “I’m okay,” he repeats.

Liam visibly relaxes, posture deflating. “Good.” He squeezes his hand again. “You startled me.”

“What happened?” He remembers the questions, remembers the feeling, but can’t recall the trigger. It’s like a gap in his memory, despite just occurring. 

“You had a panic attack. Maybe from the movie? I knew it was a bad idea to let Stiles pick the movie. Mason and I watched it when we were kids, and it scared me to death.”

With a sinking feeling in his chest, Theo remembers. It was the movie. It was her. Tara. 

“Theo? You okay?” Liam senses the sudden anxiety rising in the other boy. “What color are my eyes?”

“Blue,” Theo replies, own eyes closing. “And the rug you’re sitting on is blue, too.”

Liam smiles, clearly elated that Theo’s caught on to his game. “Very good! You’re a quick learner.”

“So I’ve been told.” Theo finds himself smiling, but then remembers the memory that brought them here. He frowns. Liam cocks his head to the side. “The girl in the movie.”

“Mhm?”

“Reminds me of Tara.”

Liam’s mouth goes dry. Nerves bubble in his stomach. “Your sister?”

Theo nods. “When she escapes the well and goes after that guy… that’s what it was like in hell.” Liam’s face changes for a split second - a look of fear, to curiosity, then back to fear. He knows Theo’s time in hell had been… unpleasant, to say the least. He knows about hell from what he was taught as a kid, that it’s not a place of rest, but instead somewhere one atones for their crimes, and no matter how much they pay, they never get to find peace. He also knows Theo was desperate not to be sent back. He never gave details on what had happened to him, but he knows it was something horrible. Something for which Liam feels so guilty about; something he wishes he could wipe from Theo’s mind, erase his slate, as if he’d never been there at all. 

Theo doesn’t talk much about his time in hell. Liam always wondered if his sister was down there, too. He gets his answer now. 

“Every day was the same. I’d wake up in the hospital, in one of those beds in the morgue where they’d put the dead. I’d climb out, gasping for breath, confused. And then I’d wander into the halls, wondering where I am, what I’m doing in the hospital, and then she’d find me. She’d attack. She was pretty fast for, for, someone in her condition. She’d push me down and climb over my body, then rip her heart out from my chest, and watch me bleed until she became fuzzy to my eyes. She never stopped, no matter how much I begged. I know she was just taking back what was hers, but it hurt so goddamn bad every time.”

Liam stares, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes as Theo talks. The revelation of what occurred in all those nightmares sends a jolt up his spine. The realization that he hadn’t been able to protect him from his own sister, his own nightmares, makes him choke on a sob he doesn’t know he’s trying to hold back. 

“I’m sorry,” he finally blurts out.

“What? Why?” 

“For us watching that stupid movie! I didn’t think about how it could look like Tara. I didn’t know-”

“You weren’t supposed to know, Liam,” he interrupts. “Have I ever even told you what she looks like? That’s not your fault.”

“She looks like you,” he assumes, “but, like, a girl.”

“Are you saying that Samara looks like me? Because I’m actually a little offended that you think that,” he jokes, desperately trying to rid the boy from his falling tears. 

“No.” Liam hits him playfully, then wipes his eyes with his sleeve. But I should’ve been more aware that she could look like Tara. I hadn’t considered that.”

“That’s not your fault,” he repeats. “You didn’t even know Tara was in my nightmares. You knew something was haunting me, but I never told you what.”

“I should’ve given you a better synopsis of the movie,” he mutters.

“You’ve gotta stop finding ways to blame yourself for this.”

Liam’s quiet. He has so much to blame himself for, no matter what Theo’s saying now. The older boy was supposed to be his responsibility. He wasn’t only supposed to keep him in line, he was supposed to keep him safe. 

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Theo asks, trying to meet his eyes, realizing he’s been silent for much too long. 

“You kept waking up in the hospital?” That’s not what he meant to ask, but it seems his curious mind and tongue are conspiring against him now. 

“Yeah, Beacon Hills Memorial.”

Liam replays the flashback of the time he and Theo were tasked with distracting the Ghost Riders. As soon as they entered the hospital, something overtook Theo. His body was flooded with fear and his mind was hard to reach. Liam had to call his name several times, urgently, to snap him out of whatever trance he fell into. 

Liam then remembers his plan of hiding in the morgue. He remembers the older boy’s resistance; fear, which quickly turned into defense. 

“I think whatever happened to you, you deserved it.” He had regretted the words as soon as he spoke them, but stubbornly, couldn’t take them back. They were already out, chilling the room even colder than it was. Maybe he thought them for a second, believed them to be true for a moment, rehashing in his mind all that Theo had done to him and his pack, ripping them apart at the seams, but in reality, he always knew it wasn’t deserved. Everyone is at least worthy of trying to be redeemed. If hell is really the hell he was taught in school, Theo didn’t deserve that fate, when all he was doing was trying to survive. 

“Liam,” Theo repeats, shaking the younger boy’s hand vigorously. Too deep in thought, he hadn’t heard the three previous times he’s called his name, but Liam finally responds now. “C’mon. Snap out of it.”

His touch brings him back to the surface, out of the memory. Theo had been hesitant to touch him, he always is, but it will always be the thing they both crave from each other. 

“Sorry.”

“You okay?”

Liam shrugs. “You didn’t deserve what happened to you.”

“What?”

“Hell, Tara haunting you, even the fucking Dread Doctors… you didn’t deserve any of that pain. You should’ve gotten to grow up like a child does, scared of a horror movie because it’s a horror movie, not because it reminds you of your past. It’s fucked up.”

“Liam-”

“If you’re gonna try to convince me I’m wrong, don’t even try.”

“The Doctors chose me because I had the potential to be evil.”

“That’s bullshit. They took you because you were a child, and children are easy to manipulate.”

“That’s why they took Mason,” he corrects. “I was never meant to be anything good.”

“I don’t believe that. You’re good to me.” Theo looks up in disbelief, frustrating Liam even more. “You anchor me, and you’re always there for me, and you’re my friend.”

“But-”

“And look at Corey. He trusts you now, because you’ve earned it. You’re a friend to him, too. And Alec, he looks up to you.”

“Alec looks terrified of me.”

“Well, you can be a little intimidating, but you’ve never given him a reason not to trust you. You’re older than the rest of us, but mesh better with us than the older pack. You’re like the most authoritative figure we have when Scott’s gone.”

“That’s scary-”

“You’re often the voice of reason in unknown situations. You protect us, all of us, sometimes from ourselves.” He drags a finger along Theo’s open palm, carefully, and relishes in the way his shoulders unconsciously relax. “I think Tara - the real Tara, your sister, not the deranged manifestation of her from hell - would be proud of you. I know I am.”

Theo sucks in a breath and knits his eyebrows together in confusion. “Liam-”

“You can’t convince me otherwise. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You survived ten years with those fucking freaks. You did what you had to do to survive, and yeah, you did some bad things, but we’ve all done bad things, but none of us have paid for them as horribly as you have. And now, all those things aside, you’re doing better. Emotionally scarred, yes, but physically? They deprived you of so much, but you’re learning now. They taught you nothing but pain, how to live in fear, how to ignite fear in others, but no one in this room’s afraid of you anymore. And you’re safe. We’re all pack, and we protect each other.”

“Nolan’s still scared of me.”

“Nolan’s scared of everyone.” Liam stares into Theo until the boy finally meets his gaze. “You didn’t deserve any of the literal or figurative hell you’ve been through, and I’m proud of you for surviving it, and turning out the way you have. In fact, I quite like the way you’ve turned out.”

Theo wants to let the words sink in, wants to let himself enjoy them as they fall off the other’s lips, wants to let them warm his heart, but he still isn’t used to receiving praise - no matter how often Liam seems to give it - and gives a slight chuckle instead. “How do you think baby Liam from a year ago would react to hearing you say that?”

Liam frowns. He chooses to ignore the baby part and answers honestly. “I think he’d be glad, because he never wanted you to be the bad guy. He always hoped you’d be good.” He shrugs. “And now, given different circumstances, you are. So, he wins.”

Theo’s shoulders deflate, as if being proved wrong for the fiftieth time in ten minutes is finally getting to be exhausting. “You really believe that?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t believe it. I don’t lie, Theo. Check my heart.”

“You’re a horrible liar even without listening to your heart. Your eyes are always trained to the floor, and the side of your lip curls up, and your hands are restlessly clasped together.”

Liam looks up, stunned by the detailed observation. “You’re just proving my point.”

Theo sighs, then smiles. He tries to catch a sound from beyond the bathroom door, but the screams of the characters that once filled his ears are now replaced by a haunting melody. The movie’s wrapping up to close. The demon, hopefully, was defeated. 

“Are you okay to go back out?” Liam asks, also listening. “I think it’s finally over.”

Theo nods once. “Sorry to make you miss the end.”

“I don’t mind. If you hadn’t run out, I probably would’ve.” Theo begins to stand and Liam follows, still talking. “Mason and I both screamed when she climbed out of the well. My mom came running so fast, heart beating out of her chest, and soothed us both before settling us into bed. Then, the next morning, we got the worst scolding of our lives.” They stand in front of the mirror, Theo’s hand on the doorknob, Liam’s pinky finger inching towards his free hand, suddenly not ready to leave. “When I told her we were watching it tonight, I could already hear her heart starting to beat. She got that warning look in her eyes and wasted no time reminding me of how that went last time. The fact that Mason would be here, too, was no comfort to her, considering how equally scared he was. I was honestly surprised she even let me come, because even though she trusts me, she’s still super protective, y’know?” Theo nods, understanding, though curious as to what he’ll say next. “But then I assured her the whole pack would be there, it wasn’t just Mason and I. I told her you’d be there, and that’s when her posture relaxed and her rambling stopped, because she trusts you. She knows you keep me safe and grounded. She knows you’re good.”

Theo swallows. He suddenly becomes aware of Liam’s pinky grazing his, and fights the urge to take his hand in his own. He tries to ask, but the words get stuck in his throat.

“Can I hug you?” Liam asks, somehow having the same question Theo did. He nods, and immediately, Liam’s reaching up on his tiptoes to hug the boy around his neck. Their bodies press close. Theo sneaks his hands around the smaller wolf’s waist, inhaling his scent at his chest. Liam nuzzles his nose into the crook of his neck, and before pulling away, plants a small kiss there without even realizing it. A shiver runs up Theo’s spine and the air around them changes. The gentlest shift of something that was once small growing into something more noticeable. Neither complain, but neither explore it further. 

“Ready?”

The skin on Theo’s neck tingles, as do Liam’s lips. A dizzying, sweet scent floods their noses, overwhelms the room. Theo opens the door, letting the unfamiliar scent rush out into the house. Liam links their pinkies as they re-enter the living room, ignores the looks from the pack, and plops back down into his seat on the couch. Theo follows, but is careful not to touch Liam’s side, despite their hands still clasped together. 

“You guys good?” Corey asks, pushing Liam with his socked foot. Liam rolls into Theo for a split second before Corey retracts his foot, giggling. 

“Yeah. Did Samara crawl back from where she came?”

“No, they defeated her,” Alec supplies, eyes on Theo. He sits on Nolan’s lap still, but his shoulders are tense. He isn’t quite comfortable being so close, despite having such a painful, obvious crush on the human. 

“Why was she so mad?” 

“Thought you guys watched this movie before?” Corey asks instead of answering Liam’s question.

“Mom turned it off before we finished it,” he reveals.

Corey looks at Mason, jaw dropped. “You told me you finished it.”

Mason raises his hands. “I wanted to sound cool!”

Corey pushes him playfully. “You suck!”

“Well now I’ve finished it. These two are the only ones that haven’t.” He points to Liam and Theo. “Want me to rewind it?”

“No, no, no, we’re good,” Liam says quickly. “In fact, I’m good to never watch it again.” He pauses, watching the screen as something else dark and spooky fills it. “Okay… What’s this?”

“Chill out, it’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Since you two big, bad werewolves can’t handle an actual scary movie.”

Liam sneers playfully at the younger chimera, who just throws his hands up unapologetically. Conversation ceases as the music begins to play, and everyone begins nestling further into the couches, getting comfortable for another film. Beside him, Theo’s heart rate is calm. He still smells slightly sweet, and seems to be making an effort to avoid getting too close to Liam, but Liam decides to quickly change that by putting a hand on his arm. 

“What are you-?”

“C’mere,” he interrupts, keeping his senses out for any signs of him being uncomfortable. There’s none, but there is a fresh scent of the sweetness they both had earlier. “Cuddle me.” He puts up no fight as Liam nests himself into his personal space. Their thighs touch completely now, Liam enveloping his body with his own. He kisses the side of his head, causing the chimera to practically melt into him. Both heartbeats quicken, then relax as they settle into their new position on the couch. 

Their closeness crosses the already thin line between them, but it was only a matter of time before that happened. Corey and Mason share the quietest of high-fives. Nolan stares, but isn’t complaining, as Theo relaxing into Liam seems to cause Alec to finally relax into him, as if the older boy nonverbally assures the other, it’s okay. 

“What’s this movie about?” Theo mumbles, tired still, but satiated in Liam’s arms. 

“Skeleton wanders too far outside of Halloween-town and ends up in Christmas-town, where he causes a major ruckus,” Mason offers. 

“My mom used to play this movie all the time when we were kids,” Liam adds.

“So it’s Mom-approved?”

“Mhm. No creepy-crawly girls.”

He can feel Theo’s chuckle reverberate through his body. “Good.”

Liam smiles, then presses his lips into Theo’s shoulder once more. “You’re safe,” he mutters softly. The boy beneath him relaxes under his touch.