#“I came here through the hell that we've both been through to take you home”

[nobleriver]

The Walking Dead // The Ones Who Live

After I left here, why did you come after me? You know why...You're the love of my life. I couldn't just let you go.

[norrisleclercf1]

i fear we are in dire need of a part 2 to this fic 😭😭

https://www.tumblr.com/norrisleclercf1/763607869452124160/possessive-toto-with-engineer-reader-lets?source=share

A/N: Sorry this took so long lovelies

Walking into the paddock you knew the whispers, but as you red the Ferrari red you knew it was a problem, but people didn't talk about the wearing Ferrari they mainly talked about the lack of wedding ring on your finger. When you woke all those months ago after leaving yours and Toto's hotel room, you stayed up with Lewis all night talking about your options.

After the race you arrived home to a packet of papers and your name on them and Toto sitting at the end of the table. You both just stared at one another when you slowly slipped your ring off, his face contorting in pain watching you do it. Sitting it down you moved like a ghost through your home and gathered your things and never looked back.

Now, almost 6 months later, here you are walking through the Bahrain paddock, the Mercedes people staring as you walked to the second motorhome, bright red and flashy. You never thought you'd be wearing Ferrari, hell you thought you'd wear papaya before this, but I guess life comes at you fast.

You freeze seeing Toto walking past talking to George who spots you and waves but stops when Toto grows quit and turns to stone almost instantly seeing you and turns right back around choosing to ignore you, which half the paddock notices but chooses not to speak on it.

"Hey," Lewis comes over and bumps your shoulder smiling brightly as he looks flawless, almost untouchable in the red. "Hi," You whisper and feel ice lick your spine as you turn seeing your husband stare at you with such cold rage you almost shiver at his look. "Come on, we've got a meeting," Lewis pulls you away as you look back seeing Toto still stare at you, but not with anger this time.

Heartbreak.

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Sighing you trudge yourself back to the hotel, exhaustion wrapping around you as you try your best to stay awake. You knew Ferrari would be demanding but not like this, you haven't been this tired since-, well it doesn't matter no, you wouldn't be falling asleep in his arms tonight anyways.

Just....just for a second, your mind tells you as your eyes fall shut, the elevator dings as it opens you blink slowly as you see Toto there and you both stare at one another but he says nothing as he steps in and says nothing. Fuck, you're so tired you feel like crying almost at the situation. Toto says nothing typing away at his phone as the elevator comes to a jumping halt almost making you lose balance.

"Ba-" Toto catches himself and slams his mouth shut as you catch yourself and sigh rubbing your eyes. "You stupid fucking piece of JUNK METAL!" You scream kicking the door as Toto stares at you. "Are you alright?" He asks softly, and you turn almost making him flinch with how hot your

"Am I alright? Alright? No I'm not alright Troger, I'm anything but alright. I'm exhausted, bone exhausted, to the point I want to cry, and I'll I'm trying to do is go up to my hotel room and sleep, but instead I'm stuck in the elevator with my ex husband WHO DIDN'T EVEN THE HAVE THE BALLS TO ASK ME FOR A DIVORCE!" You scream as Toto stares at you.

"I never asked for a divorce, we're not divorced," Toto says as you take deep breaths, "What," You breath as Toto stares at you. "We're not divorced, Y/n, why would you think that?" Toto asks, putting up his phone up you notice him wearing his wedding ring, but something around his neck catches your attention.

"The papers, the papers on the kitchen table, when I came home," You stammer, and Toto's eyes grow wide. "Those weren't divorce papers they were your contract Ferrari, I...I wanted to negotiate how we should break your Mercedes contract, I never wanted a divorce," Toto whispers and you stare at him.

"What?" You whisper, running your hands down your face as Toto just stares. "The papers were your Ferrari contract, not our divorce papers. Do you honestly, think I'd let you go over this? Are you fucking serious?" Toto seethes, voice almost shaking the elevator

"I just....I just thought,-" Toto cuts you off, "You thought, you thought I'd divorce you over this? Did you truly question my love for you like that? I lost...we lost months of our marriage because of a fucking MISUNDERSTANDING?" Toto seethes and you step back as he steps forward and yanks your ring off his neck. "You ever, and I mean ever take this ring off you better hope it's because I'm dead," He whispers and you nod your head slowly.

"Okay," You whisper as Toto takes your finger and slides the ring on. "Never again," He whispers, "And don't think you'll go to that pathetic hotel room, we'll go to our suite," He grumbles as the elevator kicks back on as you just nod, loving the weight on your finger

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Tagging those that wanted a part 2:

@imchiarashelby1 @annewithaneofthegreengable @alliseeiscarlossainz @lovecarsgoingvroom @newlifeforus @1800-love-me @honkyscats @pear-1206 @colorfulbluebirddeer @geniusalpaca @wertyuizxcvbnm

[6ix9inewiturmom]

The Scare- Chris Sturniolo

Summary: you end up having one of the biggest pregnancy scares of your life while chris is in boston

Warnings: Cursing, Crying, use of Y/N, talks of sex, taking a pregnancy test

A/n: may be tmi but lowkey relate to this so this was easy to write LMFAOO, ENJOY

PSA: DO NOT USE MY WORK FOR “inspiration” OR ANYTHING ELSE!!

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Chris has been in Boston for the last 2 weeks, and he's finally coming home. I decided to shower and shave before he came home because that man is the most sexually active 20-year-old I've ever met, the Facetime sex at 3 am for him isn't nearly enough to satisfy both of our needs.

After my hour-long shower, I'm digging through my shared bathroom with Chris in an attempt to find my body lotion to prevent my dry ass skin in this heat when I find my box of tampons, which got me thinking I haven't had a period in a while and Chris and I aren't the safest people when it comes to sex because neither of us can even remember to put a condom on, it always fucks up my mood.

“Shit,” I say to my self.

Chris and I are only 20 and with his career there's no fucking way in HELL we can have a kid or even raise a kid, I am nowhere near ready to raise an actual child.

I open my Flo app and see the little circle that's normally red is grey ‘1 week late’

“Shit shit shit,” I say out loud again, panicking.

I can't keep it from him, he's gonna see the pregnancy test in the trash. Would he be mad if I kept it from him? Should I just tell him? Should I go to Tara?

After about 30 minutes of standing in the bathroom looking at the message in my phone, panicking about what to do, I just decided I was gonna tell Chris, he loves me, and we've talked about having kids way later in life anyway, he couldn't be mad.

I finally built up the courage and got dressed in a pair of tight ripped jeans and a baby tee, with some Converse, and sat on the couch waiting for Chris to come home going through Tiktok and whatever else was on my phone.

“BABY IM HOME” Chris yells from the stairs

I squeal in excitement as I spot Chris and run towards him. Jumping into his arms, he effortlessly lifts me, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist.

“Umm Y/N there are other people here too you know? Also, Chris get out of the fucking way so we can fucking put our shit down” Nick says in annoyance.

“Well hello to you too Nick,” I say jumping out of Chris’ arms moving out of the doorway, and letting Matt and Nick come inside the house.

“Sorry babes, we've all been up since about 6 am Boston time trying to catch our flight we almost missed because your fucking boyfriend wouldn't get the hell out of bed” Nick replies sending me a soft smile and giving me a soft hug.

“To be fair none of us went to bed at a decent time, mom was making sure we had everything packed so we didn't leave anything behind” matt defends.

“Thank you, Matt, now Y/N do you wanna take a nap? I know we were gonna go out to dinner but I'm very fucking jet lagged and kinda just want to order dinner and watch movies with you” Chris wraps his arms around my waist nuzzling his head between my neck as my hands rest on his shoulders.

“Thats fine with me i don't mind” i pull away from his embrace and smile at him.

Chris grabs his luggage and my hand and guides me to our shared bedroom. As we enter the room he seats his luggage down and plops on the bed letting out a groan of frustration.

“I have missed this damn bed, don't ask me how I slept in that bed at my mom's house for god knows how long because this one is so much more comfortable,” Chris says adjusting the way he's laying to rest his head down on the pillows. “Now after 2 weeks of no sex and just my right hand, I'm gonna need to fuck the ever-loving shit out of you” he smirks at me patting his lap and signaling me to sit on it.

“Yeah so about that” give him an awkward smile “So I didn't know how to approach this to you, 'cause you know we're not the most responsible sexually active humans” I start babbling getting nervous of his reaction based on the puzzled look on his face.

“Y/N what the hell are you getting at? cause if you don’t wanna have sex with me right now that’s fine just say that, but considering our last facetime call the constant ‘oh chris i need your cock’ was really misleading to me” he says with a puzzled faced.

“Chris i’m late” i breathe out.

“late for what? did we have reservations for dinner? did you have something for work?” he says with frustration in his voice.

“No Chris my period, I'm late, my period is LATE, I'm 1 week late today,” I say aggressively from his lack of acknowledgement.

“wait we haven’t had sex in 2 weeks? i’m confused” he sits up moving to the edge of the bed.

“last time we had sex i was ovulating, remember when i told you like a while ago that if im ovulating means im FERTILE?” i say in frustration.

“Fuck” he runs his fingers through his hair “Did you take a test? Do you know for sure that you are pregnant?” he questions

“No, and no, I didn't wanna take a test without you, and I for SURE didn't wanna hide it from you,” I say softly sitting next to him on the bed.

“So why the hell are you freaking out now? You don't know for sure that you are” he asks placing his head in his hands.

“Because you and I are nowhere near ready for a fucking kid Chris, your career, and my inability to even fucking care for myself some days, yeah there's no fucking way I can care for a child who can't even speak on its emotions, Chris” I stand up out of frustration and start pacing.

I can tell Chris obviously got upset with my statement about our ability to care for a child but i was stressed and honestly wasn't thinking.

"I want you to know that I care about you deeply, Y/N. If you are indeed pregnant, please know that I will do everything in my power to support you and our child. Even if it means giving up my career, I will do it willingly. Let's go get a pregnancy test and we can talk about everything else later, okay? I am here for you, and I will always be." he says, his voice filled with empathy and understanding as he gently cups my cheeks in his hands, rubbing them softly up and down and warm smile spreads across his face.

As our eyes meet, a warm smile spreads across his face and I can't help but return it. He takes my hand in his and gently guides me towards the living room, his grip firm yet gentle. The coolness of his skin against mine sends shivers down my spine.

“Girl, were you guys arguing? Normally after we come home from Boston it's all ‘Oh Chris more, more’ typically a traumatic event” Nick says mocking me with a smile plastered across his face.

“Y/N and I are running to CVS so well be back in a little,” Chris says walking him and me down the stairs and to my car.

The drive to CVS was filled with a bunch of conversations and laughter, talking about if I was pregnant how we would raise our child, and Chris talking about the dad jokes he's gonna have, and considering he's a triplet he carries the genetic that I'm probably gonna twins or triplets.

“How many of these things do we need? What brand is best? why are there so many options?” Chris says holding 3 boxes of pregnancy tests and struggling to figure out which one to pick “fuck it why don't we buy all of them and use one pack tonight then we'll have the extra on hand in case our irresponsibility gets the best of us” he continues.

Chris and I walked up to the front counter and dropped the boxes of tests. The worker behind the counter took a look at the tests and then looked back at us, giving us a fake smile. After ringing up the purchase, we made our way to my car.

“So do you think you are pregnant?” Chris says breaking the silence.

“I mean normally my cycles are normal and a week late is not normal at all but it could be my hormones changing or something, but I do wanna make sure,” I say glancing at Chris nervously biting his nails.

“You were right about how irresponsible we are with our sex lives but when we first started fucking we knew the risk of everything and I mean our kids would be pretty cute,” he says placing his hand on my leg and rubbing a small circle with his thumb.

Chris and I pulled up into the driveway. As we got out of the car, he held my hand tightly and carried the CVS bag in the other hand as we made our way into the house and up the staircase.

“did you get any snacks?” Nick says eating a bowl of popcorn on the couch with Matt watching the most random movie on Netflix.

“Uhm no I just got a couple of personal things” I say nervously holding up the bag and sending a warm smile to Nick.

Chris and I pretty much B lined to the bathroom, anxiously “So which one do we use?” Chris says looking down at the boxes.

“Just give me the one that says Clearblue” i say softly laughing as Chris opens the box for me and inspects it before handing me the little stick.

“Do you want me to hold the stick while you piss? I'm sorry I have no idea how these things work” he says laughing allowing his back to slide down the wall and sit with his back against the shower door.

“Chris it's fine i know how to use these, believe me my friends in highschool weren't the most responsible either” I say laughing beginning to pee on the little white and blue stick.

“So how long do we wait?” Chris says helping me take a seat on the floor next to him.

“5 minutes” I breathe out setting a 5-minute timer on my phone and leaning my head against the shower door.

As we sat in the bathroom, waiting for the pregnancy test to show its result, the silence felt palpable. It wasn't an awkward silence, but rather a deafening one that seemed to fill the entire room. With just the two of us present, we anxiously waited for the five minutes to pass.

“Would it be a bad thing if I wanted it to be positive?” Chris chuckles.

“I wouldn't necessarily say a bad thing, there's a part of me that kind of wants it to be positive too” i smile back at Chris.

The alarm on my phone quickly broke the once-loving moment sending us into a panic. Chris and I stand up walking to the counter.

“Wait should we film it in case you are then we could always have it if you could be pregnant?” Chris’ gaze softens as he looks at me.

“Chris not the time” I softly laugh out.

“Right,” he nods smiling back at me. “WAIT” he grabs my hand “Whatever happens, I love you,” he says in a serious tone.

With a warm smile, I gaze lovingly at him and reciprocate his affectionate words, "I love you too Christopher." However, my attention is quickly drawn towards the counter where the pregnancy test lays face down, taunting my nerves. With trembling hands, I muster up the courage to pick it up and slowly turn it around to face me, my heart pounding in anticipation of the result.

‘Not Pregnant’

“YES, MORE CREAMPIES” Chris shrieks wrapping his arms around my waist and picking me up, and spinning me around as I giggle out of excitement.

He carefully seats me down back flat on my feet. Our moment was quickly interrupted by both Nick and Matt barging through the door.

“ARE YOU GUYS- wait is that a pregnancy test? Y/N ARE YOU PREGNANT?” Nick yelled as Matt's eyes widened at the little blue stick in my hands.

“Please for the love of god, I don't want a little Chris running around, or two, or even three” Matt places his hand on his forehead.

“No she is not” Chris chuckles at the boys’ comment.

“THANK YOU,” matt and nick say in unison.

“Wrap it before you tap it next time Chris,” Nick says walking away and back to the living room.

“Now I'll say it again, after 2 weeks of Facetime sex I would like to absolutely fuck your brains out” Chris says smirking down at me.

“Please do” I smile as he picks me up gripping the backs of my thighs as my legs wrap around his waist leading me to the bedroom.

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A/N pt 2: I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THISSSSSS AND TYSM TO @cosmicmistake42069 FOR THIS INSPIRATION!!

[stylesispunk]

"Where is my love?"

Joel miller x f! reader

summary: Isn't she coming to me?

w.c: 7k>

warning: angst, mentions of death, and grief.

a/n: this is a sad one and closer to my heart because grieving is the love we can give to people who are gone. The only change of this is that has been ten years since the "end of the world" and is based on the last chapter of the show. reblogs and comments are always appreciated and for the love of god, can you please help me with inspo for writing, I want to write for other characters, so if you have any suggestions are welcome. Have a lovely reading 💌 dividers by @/saradika

masterlist

Your paths crossed a long time ago. When the world had descended into madness, the souls met the dead in a now forgotten land. He came across you, and he fell in love with you. The sunlight radiating after the freezing storm was a fire keeping his brittle heart warm.

You had saved him from ending his own life that day, when he had lost faith in a horror movie without an ending or a purpose. He did lose everything he had known—everything he had ever loved and protected—but he had met you.

For him, you were an angel, not delicate nor free from sins, but an angel who appeared after he thought he had met his spirit in heaven.

You have looked after him and Tommy for days, taking care of their well-being and taking care of the reminiscing scar plastered on Joel’s forehead as a reminder of his almost-death encounter with his angel, you.

And you had loved him ever since; you found yourself increasingly drawn to him, not just for his vulnerability under your eyes but because he had brought sense back to life. His presence seemed to chase away the shadows that had been going to hunt you since now.

As the days turned into weeks, months, and then years, the bond between you and Joel only grew stronger. You found yourself drawn to his strength, his resilience in the face of adversity, and the way he faced each day with unwavering determination.

You had loved him after acknowledging every terrible thing he had done, and you loved him anyway. The darkness inside of him, taunted by the loss of the previous time, didn’t prevent you from looking at him as if he hung the stars of the sky. You both looked at night before sleeping, trying to find some reassurance.

Together, you faced the challenges, from the first days of the end of the world to the QZ, to Ellie, to where you were right now, knowing that as long as you had each other, you could overcome anything.

Now, here in Jackson, in the quiet moment before sleep, you and Joel would still gaze up at the stars, finding solace in the vastness of the night sky. And as you held each other close, you found reassurance in the knowledge that no matter what tomorrow brought, you would face it together.

Joel broke the silence, his voice soft yet filled with the weight of years gone by. "You know, I never thought I'd find this kind of peace again. Not after everything that's happened."

You turned to him, your eyes meeting his in the darkness. "We've been through hell and back, Love. But somehow, we made it together."

He reached out to intertwine his fingers with yours, seeking the comfort your touch brought to him. "I don't know what I would do without you," he admitted, his voice breaking a little.

"You don't have to find out," you replied, a gentle smile playing on your lips. "We're in this together, remember? No matter what."

Joel nodded, his gaze returning to the heavens above. "Yeah, together," he echoed, as if trying to convince himself of the truth of those words.

"You will never lose me,” you whispered, leaning in to press a tender kiss to his forehead. "And I'll always be here to guide you home."

He closed his eyes, savoring the warmth of your lips over his skin. "I love you," he murmured, the words carrying the weight of a lifetime of pain and longing.

"I love you too," you replied, your heart overflowing with love for the man beside you.

Being in Jackson brought you back to a civilization, to peace, to a place where you could both sleep next to each other at the same time without fearing other people coming for you.

But as much as you cherished the peace and stability that Jackson provided, you couldn't escape the reality of everyday life. With it came the mundane challenges, the petty conflicts, and the occasional tension that threatened to disrupt the tranquility you had found together. There were disagreements, misunderstandings, and moments of frustration that tested the strength of your relationship.

You felt a rush of joy as you entered the door of your Jackson home. You couldn't wait to tell Joel about the trade you had made, so you were looking forward to seeing his reaction.

"Joel," you called out, your voice full of anticipation as you approached the living room where he was sitting. "Guess what? "I made a trade today."

Joel looked up from his book, interest in his eyes. "A trade?" "What did you get?"

You smiled, holding out the little camera you'd traded for some extra food supplies. "I exchanged some of our extra coffee for this camera! It's in excellent condition, and I thought we might use it to save some memories."

As you proudly showed the camera, Joel's initial curiosity turned into an unhappy face. He set down his book and looked at you with a mixture of disbelief and stress.

"You traded all of our extra coffee for a camera?" Joel repeated, his voice filled with frustration. "We rely on that coffee, you understand. It's not simply an extravagance; it's a product in high demand here in Jackson."

You faltered, understanding the potential repercussions of your impulsive trade. "I know, Joel, but I thought..."

"You thought what?" Joel interjected, his irritation growing. "That a camera was more important than having enough food to get us through the winter? "What if something happens and we need that coffee?"

You bit your lip, feeling a sense of remorse rush over you. "I didn't think of it that way. I just thought it would be wonderful to have something to save our memories."

Joel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I understand, but we must prioritize our needs before our wants. You cannot go out there and make bad decisions."

His words hurt, and you felt a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. You didn't plan to compromise your safety, but in your excitement, you forgot to consider the repercussions of your actions.

"I'm sorry, Joel," you said quietly, feeling a sensation of shame rush over you. "I didn't mean to cause any harm."

Joel's gaze softened slightly as you apologized, but the tension in the air remained. "It's okay," he said softly. "Just stop being this childish," he murmured, strolling past you to the kitchen and leaving you in

Joel's gaze softened slightly as you apologized, but the tension in the air remained. "It's okay," he said softly. "Just stop being so childish," he replied, walking past you to the kitchen and leaving you in the living room with a bitter taste in your mouth.

A wave of guilt swept over you. You didn't mean to act impulsively or selfishly, but you now see that your actions had far-reaching implications.

Feeling the weight of Joel's disappointment, you remained in the living room, staring at the camera in your hands, your heart heavy. You realized he was correct; you needed to be more responsible and more aware of the circumstances and the actions that could affect your survival; being at peace in a place did not imply the risk had passed.

With a heavy sigh, you lay the camera down on the table, the excitement you had felt earlier replaced with a sense of regret. Joel's words lingered in your head, reminding you of the excitement you had felt earlier, replaced by a sense of remorse. Joel's words echoed in your mind, a reminder of the need to grow and learn from your mistakes.

You walked upstairs to your room, and with a heavy heart, you lay in bed, the events of the day on your mind. Despite the comfort of the blankets that surrounded you, you couldn't shake the sense of remorse and sorrow that persisted within you.

You closed your eyes and replayed the conversation with Joel in your head, each word stinging like a sharp reminder of your failure. You knew you'd let him down, and the thought gnawed at you, leaving a bad taste in your mouth.

And as you drifted off to sleep, the weight of Joel's disappointment gradually began to lighten. A few hours later, you awoke to the faint click of a camera shutter. Blinking sleepily, you opened your eyes to see Joel standing by the bedside, a tiny smile on his lips as he held the camera.

"What are you doing?" you said, your voice still laced with sleepiness.

Joel chuckled and lowered his camera as he neared the bed. "Just capturing a moment," he said, his eyes filled with adoration as he glanced down at you. In confusion, you furrowed your brow and sat up slightly in bed. "A moment of me sleeping?" you asked, feeling both amused and fascinated.

Joel nodded, his smile growing wider. "Yes, a second while you sleep. You looked beautiful; I couldn’t resist."

Despite the lingering anger from earlier, Joel's gesture made you feel warm. It was a modest act, but it showed a lot about his remorse and faith in your relationship. Reaching out, you took the camera from Joel's hands, studying the image of yourself sleeping soundly.

"I look horrible," you muttered. Joel softened his smile and leaned in to kiss your forehead. "Liar," he muttered. "Sorry for how I acted earlier." He moved forward, pressing his lips against your cheek this time.

"You're just an old, grumpy man," you remember, with a tiny giggle. His soft kisses eased the tension between you. His amusing response lightened the mood and lifted the sadness that had been in your heart.

"Old grumpy man, huh?" Joel chuckled, shaking his head in mock indignation. “I’ll show you what this old, grumpy man can do,” he said, planting a more urgent kiss on your lips this time.

You worked hard in the weeks following your fight with Joel to repair the distance that had grown between you. Despite the apparent signs of peacemaking, you still had a persistent sense of insecurity.

Then a new woman arrived in Jackson. She was closer to Joel's age, and you couldn't help but notice the easy connection that had developed between them. They spent a lot of time together, whether on patrol with Tommy or speaking in the common areas of Jackson.

You tried to ignore the jealousy that was bubbling up inside of you. After all, Joel had always been polite and accommodating to strangers, so there was no reason to suspect anything other than friendship between them.

But as the days went on and you saw Joel and the new woman form a stronger bond, your concern grew. You couldn't escape the nagging suspicion that there was something more between them—something that harmed the precious trust you'd worked so hard to build. 

On today's evening, as you watched Joel and the woman laugh from across the room, you felt a pang of jealousy. You excused yourself and withdrew from the privacy of your thoughts since you could no longer contain your feelings.

You were alone in the living room, struggling with opposite emotions. Part of you felt ashamed for doubting Joel and allowing jealousy to cloud your thinking. But another part of you couldn't help but feel sad and insecure as if you weren't enough for him; after all, it wasn't just you, him, and Ellie outdoors any longer, and here in Jackson, you weren't the last woman in the world.

As you sat alone in the living room, buried in your thoughts, the sound of steps broke your state of trance. Looking up, you noticed Ellie enter the home, looking bright and cheerful, until she spotted your teary eyes.

"Hey, I missed you at dinner in the bar," Ellie said, concern etching her features as she approached you. "Is everything okay?"

You tried to brush off her concern with a forced smile, but Ellie wasn't fooled. "Yeah, everything's fine," you replied, your voice betraying the turmoil within you.

But Ellie wasn't about to let it go that easily. She moved closer, her gaze searching yours with intensity. "No, it's not. What happened? Why are you crying?"

Your heart ached at the concern in Ellie's eyes, and despite your best efforts to hold back the tears, they continued to fall. "I...I don't know," you admitted, feeling the weight of your emotions pressing down on you. "I just...I don't know where Joel is."

Ellie's brow furrowed in confusion. "Joel? He's eating with Tommy and the new girl, why?"

You shook your head, unable to articulate the jumble of emotions swirling inside you. "I don't know," you repeated, feeling the tears threaten to overwhelm you once more. "I just...I need to talk to him."

Sensing the urgency in your voice, Ellie nodded in understanding. "Okay, let's go find him," she said, taking your hand and leading you out of the house.

As you followed Ellie towards the bar, your heart raced with fear and anticipation. You knew that whatever awaited you there, you couldn't continue to let your doubts and insecurities consume you.

Once inside the bar, you noticed Joel in the crowd, his gaze settling on yours with a warmth that shot an emotion through your chest. It was as if a magnetic force drew you closer together, despite any remaining doubts.

You moved across the crowded bar, Ellie's hand firmly clutched in yours, Joel's smile widening, and his gaze never leaving yours.

Finally reaching Joel's side, you felt a wave of relief sweep over you as he held you in his arms. The warmth of his hug swept away the residual frost of doubt, leaving you with an eager sense of calm and belonging.

"I missed you," Joel murmured, his voice soft as he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

"I missed you too," you whispered, your voice barely above a breath as you leaned into Joel's embrace, reveling in the familiar scent of his cologne and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

For a moment, the world around you faded into insignificance, leaving only you and Joel locked in a tender embrace. It was as if time itself had slowed to a halt, allowing you to savor the precious moments you shared together.

As Joel pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, you felt a rush of emotion swell within you, a profound gratitude for the love and support he had always shown you.

As the tender moment between you and Joel lingered, a voice interrupted, pulling you back to the present. "Hey, Joel!" called out a cheerful voice, and you turned to see a woman approaching, a bright smile on her face.

Joel turned to face the stranger, his arm still wrapped over you protectively. "Oh, hey Rachel," he said, a warm smile on his face. "This is my girlfriend," he added, introducing you. Then he turned his face to introduce the stranger to you. "This is Rachel, and she is new to Jackson."

You smiled politely at Rachel, but a tinge of dread came over you as you watched how she drew in closer to Joel, her hand casually resting on his free arm. You repressed a jealous pang and pushed yourself to keep a friendly demeanor, even though your heart squeezed with uncertainty.

"It's nice to meet you, Rachel," you said, your voice solid despite the tumult inside you.

Rachel returned the welcome with a warm grin, and her eyes flickered with intrigue as she glanced. between you and Joel. "Likewise," she replied, her tone friendly but tinged with a hint of flirtation.

As the night went on, you couldn't ignore the sense of unease that hung in the air. Despite your best efforts to ignore it, Rachel's lingering touches and seductive glances at Joel gnawed at your insides, stoking the jealousy that threatened to engulf you.

With each passing moment, it became more difficult to ignore Joel and Rachel's growing friendship. Their laughter and friendly banter got on your nerves, reminding you of the bond that they had.

You tried to ignore your misgivings and enjoy the evening with Joel, but insecurity weighed heavily on you. It felt like you were on the outside looking in, watching helplessly as Joel and Rachel got closer with each passing second.

Rachel's flirtations became more daring as the night progressed, her touches lingering a bit too long and her laughter provocative. Despite your best attempts to remain calm, the jealousy simmering beneath the surface threatened to explode.

You stole looks toward Joel, hoping to find reassurance in his eyes, but he seemed unaware of the impact Rachel's actions were having on you. It was as if she had enchanted him, consuming all of his attention.

You excused yourself from the table, unable to take the sight of Joel and Emily's flirtatious behavior any longer. You could understand, after all, that Joel was a handsome man who hadn't received this much attention since the world ended; yet, that didn't make it any less painful.

As you excused yourself from the table, a slew of feelings surged through you—pain, jealousy, and a deep sense of isolation. You longed for Joel's reassurance, his acknowledgment of the hurt that Rachel's behavior was causing you, but as you stole a glance at him, you saw only obliviousness in his gaze.

With a heavy heart, you moved away, your footsteps quietly echoing on the bar's hardwood floor. You felt Joel's stare on your back, but you couldn't force yourself to look into his eyes, scared of what you might find reflected there.

As you approached the edge of the room, you hesitated, your back facing Joel, struggling to find the perfect words. Finally, you spoke, hardly rising above a whisper. "I need some air," you remarked, your voice filled with anguish.

After a period of silence, you felt Joel's hand on your arm, warm and soothing. "Hey," he replied quietly, his voice full of concern. "Are you okay?"

You turned to face him, meeting his gaze with a mixture of longing and frustration. "I just...I need some time," you replied, your voice trembling slightly. "I'll be outside."

Joel's expression softened, and his eyes filled with understanding as he nodded in response. "I'll come find you," he promised, his voice gentle as he squeezed your hand.

But instead, as you walked towards the house, the weight of the evening's events bearing down on you, you felt Joel's presence beside you. His steps were quiet, but his presence was comforting, a silent reassurance that you were not alone in your pain.

"Hey," Joel said softly, his voice breaking the silence between you. "I'm sorry about back there. I didn't realize... I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

You glanced sideways at Joel, the warmth of his gaze softening the edges of your frustration. "It's not your fault," you replied, your voice tinged with sadness. "I know you didn't mean to."

Joel fell into a step beside you, his hand reaching out to brush against yours. "I just want you to know that you're the only one for me," he said earnestly, his voice filled with sincerity. "No one else matters, not like you do."

“You could have told her about it,” you said, frustration edging into your tone.

Joel's expression faltered slightly at your words, a hint of defensiveness flickering in his eyes. "I didn't think it was necessary," he replied, his tone tinged with irritation. "I didn't want to embarrass her or make things awkward."

You felt a surge of frustration rising within you, the sting of jealousy and insecurity reigniting in your chest. "But by not saying anything, you made me feel like my feelings didn't matter," you countered, your voice tinged with hurt. "You made me doubt myself; doubt us."

Joel sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice strained. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I just didn't know how to handle the situation."

The tension between you hung heavy in the air, the weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions pressing down on both of you. You wanted to believe Joel's assurances of love and devotion, but the lingering doubts and insecurities threatened to cloud your judgment.

"I need to rest," you said, changing the subject, your voice steady but tinged with sadness. "Tomorrow, we need to get up early for the patrol.”

“Actually, I’m not coming with you,” he said carefully.

“What? Why?”

“I’ll promise Rachel to...“

The air crackled with tension as Joel's words hung between you, his admission weighing heavily on your heart. Anger flared within you, fueled by hurt and betrayal.

"Why?" you demanded, your voice laced with frustration and disappointment. "Why would you choose her over me?

Joel's expression softened, and his eyes filled with regret. "I’m not choosing her over you; I would never do that," he replied, his voice tinged with guilt. "I didn't realize it would upset you."

You shook your head, unable to hide your frustration. "You should have talked to me about it first," you said, your voice trembling with emotion. "You should have considered my feelings."

With a heavy heart, you turned away from Joel, the ache of disappointment echoing within you. As you retreated into the solitude of your thoughts, you couldn't help but wonder if your relationship could withstand this latest test or if it was destined to crumble beneath the weight of unresolved conflicts and broken promises.

“You’re sleeping on the couch tonight!” you exclaimed as you kept walking.

The next morning dawned with a strong sense of tension in the air, the previous night's events still fresh in your mind. As you awoke from your sleep and began to prepare for the day ahead, the pain of disappointment and deceit chewed at your heart, casting a shadow on the early sun.

With a heavy sigh, you pushed aside any remaining doubts and concerns, determined to focus on the task at hand. As you approached the kitchen, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, a soothing reminder of Joel's presence.

You discovered him standing by the counter, holding a warm mug of coffee, and preparing a second cup for you. His expression was solemn.

His eyes were downcast, as if weighted down by the events of the night before.

"Morning, angel," he said, his voice tinged with regret, as he gave you the mug. "I made some coffee."

“Thank you, but I’m leaving,” you replied, shortly walking towards the door.

"Angel, wait," Joel called out, his voice pleading as he reached out to gently grasp your arm, halting your departure. His touch was warm against your skin, a silent plea for you to stay and hear him out.

You hesitated, torn between the desire to escape the tension that hung between you and the longing to resolve the issues that had driven a wedge between you and Joel. With a heavy sigh, you turned to face him, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on you like a leaden blanket.

“Take care; you know your safety is the most important thing for me,” he reassured, meeting your sad gaze.

"What a shame you're not going to be there to protect me," you replied bitterly, unable to mask the hurt in your voice. The words spilled out before you could stop them, a reflection of the pain and frustration that churned within you.

Joel's expression softened; his eyes filled with remorse as he reached out to gently cup your cheek.

Joel closed the distance between you, his lips meeting yours in a tender kiss filled with longing and remorse. It was a silent reassurance of his love and commitment, a promise to mend the wounds that had been inflicted upon your relationship.

As the kiss lingered, you felt a sense of peace wash over you, the weight of uncertainty lifting ever so slightly from your shoulders. Despite the pain and hurt, you knew that Joel was sincere in his desire to make things right, and you were willing to give him another chance.

Pulling away, Joel met your gaze with a mixture of regret and determination. "We'll talk when you get back," he said softly, his voice filled with resolve. "I'll be here waiting for you, ready to make things right."

With a nod of agreement, you returned Joel's gaze, a silent acknowledgment of your shared commitment to each other.

As you and Tommy ventured out on patrol, the rhythm of your footsteps echoed against the deserted streets of Jackson. The tension that had weighed heavily on you began to ease slightly, replaced by a sense of purpose as you focused on the task at hand.

"So, what happened between you and Joel?" Tommy asked, breaking the silence that had settled between you. His voice was filled with concern, and his eyes were studying your expression carefully.

You sighed, the events of the previous night still fresh in your mind. "We had an argument," you admitted reluctantly, the words heavy on your tongue. "I just don't know how to trust him again."

Tommy nodded in understanding, his expression sympathetic. "I get it," he said softly. "But you have to remember, Joel cares about you more than anything. He'd do anything to protect you, even if he doesn't always show it the right way."

You mulled over Tommy's words, the weight of his reassurance providing some measure of comfort amidst the uncertainty that plagued you. Despite the doubts that lingered in your mind, you knew that, deep down, Joel's intentions were genuine and his love for you was unwavering.

"I know," you replied, a sense of resolve creeping into your voice. "I just need to figure things out."

Tommy placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, his gaze filled with empathy. "You will," he said confidently. "And when you do, Joel will be right there waiting for you, ready to make things right."

With a nod of gratitude, you continued on your patrol, the weight of uncertainty still heavy on your shoulders but with a glimmer of hope shining through the darkness. As you walked, you couldn't help but feel grateful for Tommy's support and reassurance, knowing that with his guidance and the strength of your bond with Joel, you would find a way to navigate the challenges that lay ahead.

“Of course, you will say nice things about your stupid brother,” you joked.

Tommy chuckled at your jest, the sound carrying through the quiet streets as you continued on your patrol. "Hey, he may be stubborn and thick-headed sometimes, but Joel's got a good heart," he said with a grin. "And he cares about you more than anything."

You couldn't help but smile at Tommy's words, grateful for his unwavering support and his ability to see the best in Joel, even in the midst of conflict. "Thanks, Tommy," you said sincerely, the weight of uncertainty lifting ever so slightly from your shoulders. "I appreciate it."

Tommy nodded in response, his expression filled with understanding. "Anytime," he replied, his voice laced with warmth. "We're family, after all. And family sticks together, no matter what."

As you and Tommy continued your patrol around Jackson, everything was eerily quiet, with the only sound being the subtle crunch of gravel beneath your feet. The weight of insecurity lingered in the air, but you pressed on, determined to do your job and safeguard your town.

A group of people appeared from the shadows unexpectedly, their faces hidden by the night's darkness. Your heart jumped into your throat as you understood the danger that was immediately surrounding you.

You weren't a weak person; in fact, people considered you a powerful fighter, always merciless when it was required and determined to save the ones you cared about, so your instincts kicked in and your senses heightened as adrenaline flowed through veins. Despite the suddenness of the attack, you maintained your composure, guided by your training and expertise.

Until one of them grabbed you and pinned you down, your heart raced with a mix of fear and determination. You struggled against their hold, every muscle in your body tensing as you fought to break free. Despite the adrenaline coursing through your veins, the grip of your assailant remained firm, their strength overpowering.

With a surge of desperation, you summoned all your strength and training, channeling it into a fierce struggle to break free. Your mind raced with thoughts of escape, of finding a way to overcome this unexpected obstacle and emerge victorious.

Beside you, Tommy fought valiantly against the other attackers, his determination matching your own as he defended against the onslaught. Though outnumbered and caught off guard, you refused to give in, clinging to the hope that help would soon arrive.

“So, you’re Joel’s Miller girl,” a feminine voice said.

The voice cut through the chaos, freezing you momentarily as you tried to recognize the mocking tone. Despite the tense situation, a surge of anger flared within you at the mention of Joel's name. You refused to let fear or intimidation weaken your resolve.

With renewed determination, you continued to struggle against your assailant's hold, your mind racing with thoughts of escape and survival. Every fiber of your being was focused on breaking free and finding a way to overcome this threat and protect yourself and Tommy.

“Tommy!” you exclaimed, worry creeping up with you.

“I’m fine!” he reassured back.

“What do you want?” You asked the girl, who is now in front of you.

The girl smirked, her eyes filled with venom as she peered down at you, pinned under her. "What do I want?" she said, her voice full of scorn. "I'd like to send a message to your dear Joel. I want him to understand that no one is safe, including his girl."

Her statements enraged your fury, but you kept calm, refusing to show any signs of weakness in the face of her remarks. "And what message would that be?" you asked, your voice steady despite what was occurring.

As she drew in closer, the girl's smirk deepened, and her eyes took on a malicious glitter. "The message is simple," she stated, her voice low and frightening. "I will take away what he loves.

the most from him, as he did with me.”

“What?” but before you could even realize what was happening, you felt a sharp pain through your abdomen.

The sharp pain ripped through your abdomen, stealing the breath from your lungs as you gasped in shock. A guttural cry of agony escaped your lips as you felt blood seeping from the wound, staining your clothes crimson.

The girl's cruel laughter echoed in your ears as she withdrew the weapon, a twisted smirk of satisfaction twisting her features. "That's the message," she said coldly, her voice dripping with malice.

You didn’t want to die here without seeing the smiles of the people you loved.

Your vision blurred as waves of pain washed over you, threatening to drag you into unconsciousness. Through the haze of agony, you fought to stay conscious, your thoughts consumed by a desperate need to survive, to make it back to Joel, to warn him of the danger that now threatened you both.

“Hey, stay with me. I’m taking you to Jackson,” Tommy said desperately, but his voice was just an echo at this time.

The world seemed to spin around you as you fought to hold onto consciousness, Tommy's voice barely registering amidst the haze of pain and confusion. Every fiber of your being screamed in agony, but you refused to succumb to the darkness that threatened to consume you.

With a herculean effort, you summoned whatever strength remained within you, clinging to Tommy's words like a lifeline. Through sheer force of will, you forced your eyes to focus, locking onto Tommy's determined gaze as he lifted you into his arms.

The journey back to Jackson was a blur of agony and desperation, with each step sending waves of pain coursing through your battered body. But with every labored breath, you clung to the hope that burned within you—a determination to survive and protect those you loved.

As the walls of Jackson loomed into view, relief flooded through you, a flicker of hope amidst the darkness. With Tommy's unwavering support, you stumbled towards safety, with the promise of medical aid and the comfort of Joel's embrace urging you forward.

As you were carried through the gates of Jackson, the weight of exhaustion and pain threatened to overwhelm you.

Tommy stepped into Jackson's doors, crying out for help as you lay practically still in his arms. The wound in your stomach was major, and he couldn't shake the thought that you would die as a result of his inability to protect you.

As Tommy stormed through the doors of Jackson, his voice buzzing with desperation, terror spread throughout the neighborhoods. People turned their heads, concerned expressions on their faces, as they saw you almost unresponsive in his arms, crimson blood covering the clothes you were wearing.

A crowd swiftly gathered around Tommy, their alarming murmuring filling the air. Tommy ignored them, focusing entirely on getting you the help you so desperately needed.

As Tommy went towards the improvised infirmary, frantic yells sounded out, requesting the medical attention they had here. His steps were heavy with guilt, and each instant seemed to last forever as he feared the worst.

Finally, the infirmary doors swung open, and a team of medics led by Jackson hurried forward to take you from Tommy's arms. They worked fast and effectively, their expressions serious as they assessed the seriousness of your injury. 

Tommy stood back, his hands quivering with terror and remorse, as he saw the doctor rush into action. He couldn't shake the notion that your condition was a result of his failing to safeguard you from harm.

Joel's heart was tight with fear when he saw a commotion near the infirmary. Without hesitation, he raced towards the crowd, his instincts screaming for him to get to you as soon as possible.

Joel's heart raced in his chest as he pushed his way through the crowd, finally arriving at the infirmary entrance. He saw you, pale and frail, in the arms of the doctors, your life hanging in limbo.

Joel moved forward without hesitation, arms outstretched, reaching for you. "No," he murmured hoarsely, terror and desperation evident in his tone. "Please, don't let her die."

The medics stepped aside, allowing Joel to take you into his arms. As he held you close, he could feel the warmth of your body against his, but it was too still, too fragile. Tears welled in his eyes as he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, silently praying for your recovery.

“Hey, angel,” he murmured, finding strength in his voice. “Open those beautiful eyes of yours for me, baby, okay? Please, do it!” He continued sobbing as he caressed your hair. “I can lose everything, but not you... Oh god, not you, please?”

Joel kept holding you in his arms, preventing you from going away from him, and you could feel his touch, his care, and his voice pleading with you to stay with him. You wanted that, you wanted so bad, but the strength was dying inside you, and everything you ever knew went black.

You became a lifeless frame in the arms of your biggest love. When you stopped breathing, Joel’s heart stopped beating because, as if it was glass, it shattered.

The look of the doctor and the face of Tommy told them the truth he didn’t want to acknowledge, confirming the unthinkable: you were gone. In that moment, time seemed to stand still as Joel's world shattered around him. He clung to your lifeless form, his body racked with sobs as he struggled to comprehend the enormity of his loss.

"No, no, please," Joel choked out, his voice breaking with grief as he held you close, unwilling to accept the truth of what had just happened. Tears streamed down his cheeks unchecked, his sobs echoing in the silence of the infirmary.

For a moment, time stood still as Joel clung to you, unwilling to let go and unwilling to accept that you were gone. The world around him blurred, and the pain in his heart was too overwhelming to bear.

But as the reality of your loss settled over him, Joel's grief turned to rage, a primal, consuming fury that burned through him like wildfire. With a guttural cry of anguish, he cradled you in his arms, his body trembling with the force of his emotions.

In that moment, Joel felt as if his world had come crashing down around him, leaving nothing but darkness and despair in its wake. He had lost everything—the love of his life, his reason for living, his angel.

And as he held you close, his heart shattered into a million pieces, each one a painful reminder of the love he had lost and the life that had been snuffed out too soon. For Joel, the world had ceased to exist, consumed by the gaping void left in the wake of your passing.

He was never going to kiss you again; he was never going to hold you close at night or wake up to your smile in the morning. The future he had imagined, filled with laughter and love, now lay shattered at his feet.

A few hours later, Joel woke up in your shared bed, and you were sleeping next to him.

Joel's hand extended out to touch you, and a sense of warmth and comfort came over him. For a little while, he felt the smoothness of your skin beneath his fingertips and the rise and fall of your chest as you breathed peacefully beside him.

But then reality slammed back in like a tidal wave, yanking him from his comfortable state of sleep. His hand gripped the empty air, his fingers wrapping around nothing but chilly emptiness.

Joel's eyes opened abruptly, and he found himself lying in the dimly lit space, alone in the bed that had previously accommodated both of you. The ache in his chest returned with vengeance, a searing pang of anguish piercing his heart as he realized you were no longer alongside him.

Joel let out a deep sigh as he ran his hand through his hair, the memories of the dream still fresh in his mind. It felt so genuine and so vivid that, for a brief minute, he believed you were still alive and with him.

You were gone, taken from him in a cruel twist of fate, and no amount of dreaming could bring you back to him.

It's been a week, and he didn't attend your funeral because he was unable to accept that you were no longer alive.

Until today, when he stepped out of the house, which was surrounded by the flowers that some members of the community had left for you, and walked to your graveyard.

As Joel approached your graveyard, he felt an enormous burden settle over him—the weight of grief and loss that had been his constant companion in the days since your death. The walk appeared longer than it had ever been, with each step weighed down by the weight of his grief.

As he reached the grave, Joel's heart tightened with agony and need. The sight of the newly turned earth and the plain headstone traced your name as if it were your face. Joel's heart tightened with agony and need. The sight of freshly churned ground, with a simple monument marking your final resting place, acted as a sharp reminder of your absence.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you; I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

Tears welled in Joel's eyes as he laid a bouquet of flowers at the foot of the headstone, each bloom a silent tribute to the love and loss he felt in his heart. The scent of the flowers mingled with the earthy aroma of the graveyard, a poignant reminder of the fleeting beauty of life and the inevitability of death.

Joel's voice quivered as he spoke, every word heavy with the weight of his despair and sorrow. He kneeled near the grave, his hand resting on the cool surface of the headstone, seeking comfort in the memory of your love.

"I want you to know that it was never me who protected you, but you who protected me," Joel said quietly, his words barely audible above the delicate murmur of the wind through the trees. "You were always the one who gave me strength, who showed me what it meant to love and to be loved."

As Joel spoke, tears streamed down his cheeks, revealing his real and unadulterated grief. At that time, surrounded by the serene tranquility of the graveyard, he felt profound loss, a yawning void that could never be filled.

"But now you're gone," Joel added, his voice breaking with sadness. "And I do not know how to go on without you."

Joel rose to his feet after one final long glance at the headstone, a sensation of purpose coming over him. He may have lost you, but he promised to always carry your love with him, to respect your memory in all he did, and to find a way to move forward, even in the face of his greatest pain.

You were always in every star shining above, in the sky.

He was back in the dimly lit room, with the weight of the grief still over his shoulders, and with trembling hands, he reached for the small camera you had traded, his fingers tracing the familiar contours of the device.

As he turned it on, the screen flickered to life, illuminating the darkness with a soft glow. And there, displayed before him, was the image he had captured of your sleeping, your peaceful expression a bittersweet reminder of how simply you could make him happy.

With a heavy heart, Joel reached out, his fingertips gently tracing the patterns of your face on the screen. It was as if he could feel your presence beside him.

Tears welled in Joel's eyes as he lingered on the image, his heart aching with longing for the touch he could no longer feel. But in that moment, surrounded by memories of you, he found a glimmer of solace, a reminder that though you were gone, your love would always remain.

[paleprincessturtle]

harvey fic request! :) maybe they get in a spat about harvey getting jealous or a miscommunication but then they fix it and then super fluffy

Hiiii!!! Thank you so much for the request and I'm so so so so sorry it took so long for me to continue writing here. Life been tough but here I am. Enjoy❤️

The Greenest

When Harvey received a phone call from Mike, he was happy, to say the least. But upon hearing what he had to say, Harvey sighed. There was this charity in Seattle, and both Mike and Rachel invited him. Harvey dodged the question by saying that he had to ask his wife. It wasn't that Harvey didn't want to donate his money for a good cause, but he rarely spent time with his wife now. He just wanted to stay home and do absolutely nothing with his wife in his arms. He could just write a check for it and make up some excuse later.

Harvey got home to Pink Floyd blasted through the house. He couldn't help but hum along with the song. It would be useless, he thought, to call out for his wife. He found her in their bedroom, a few dresses draped on the bed as she stood in front of her kingdom of shoes. "Are we going somewhere?" Harvey asked casually as he took off his suit. She jumped at his voice, eyes wide. "You scared the living hell out of me," she said, reaching for her phone to turn down the volume of the speaker. "Well, I suggest you shouldn't give your husband a spare key, then." Harvey rolled up his sleeves as he observed the dresses. "We're going somewhere?" Harvey asked again. "Oh yes! Mike and Rachel invited us to this charity gala. It's for abused women and children. Can you imagine?" Harvey watched as his wife's face scrunched in sadness. He swore this woman wouldn't even hurt a fly. "It's in Seattle?" Harvey asked again as she earned an eager nod. Well played, Mike, Harvey thought. Going straight to his wife. Well played. "We sure can come, yes?" Harvey looked at his wife, knowing damn well it wasn't a question. He nodded and smiled. 

Harvey's favorite thing to do whenever he went out with his wife was to watch her get ready. He watched his wife put on matching underwear in black, all lacey. He stole a glance at his watch as his brain raced at the possibility of tempting his goddess of a wife for a little fun activity. "Don't think about it, Harvey." His wife scolded him as she watched him from the unreasonably huge mirror in their hotel room. "Think about what?" Harvey asked, pretending to be clueless. "Think about taking off my underwear, bending me over, having your way with me, being late, and what excuse should you give Mike for being late?" Harvey smirked at the sultry way his wife said it. "We've been in this dance before, Harvey. I will not fall for it again. Now, why won't you be a nice gentleman and zip my dress?"

"Jeez, Harvey. Didn't you arrive at the hotel yesterday? This whole thing started an hour ago!" Mike scolded Harvey, who gave him a knowing look. "Seriously?" Mike gave him a disgusted look, and not long after, his wife came along. Mike hugged her and thanked her for coming. He then managed to explain this charity he and Rachel are now part of. He also said it would be good for the charity to know two successful New York lawyers are here, siding with the charity. It just meant more money for the charity. Which was great.

Not long after, Rachel came, and she gave them brief hugs. She managed the whole event, so Rachel was running around as she made sure that nothing went awry. The three of them were having a good time. They talked about what was going on in their lives. Harvey probably would have to admit that this wasn't an entirely bad idea to come. Mike nudged Harvey, "There, that's the city attorney. Let's put that pretty face to good use." Harvey looked back at his wife, signaling for her to come along. "I need to go to pee; I'll look for you later." Harvey smiled at her as he followed Mike.

Harvey just realized that his wife was never to find him. It had been 20 minutes; surely she didn't need that long. Harvey tried to look around. He squinted his eyes at the sight of his wife, who happened to look way too comfortable with a man he had never seen before but was somewhat familiar. A man her age. Harvey frowned as he hurriedly excused himself. He made a beeline to where his wife stood but slowed down his pace when he was near. "Oh Jackson, you know how it is in New York," Harvey heard his wife laugh not long after. "Well, then maybe you should consider moving here." Before he could hear what his wife's reply would be, Harvey stood beside her, an arm wrapped around her hip. Harvey didn't miss the way this Jackson guy's eyes followed where Harvey's hand rested. "Won't you introduce us, sweetheart?" Harvey asked a rhetorical question. She sensed something wasn't quite right with Harvey's attitude. "Jackson, this is Harvey, my husband." Harvey extended his free hand. "Harvey, this is Jackson ...." Before she could finish her sentence, he jumped in. "I'm her ex-fiance," Jackson said, shaking Harvey's hand. Harvey gave him a curt smile. "Who would have thought that Harvey Specter is your husband?" Jackson said to her, but his eyes never left Harvey's. Again, before she could say anything, Harvey said, "What can I say, Jackson? I'm immaculate, and my wife has an immaculate taste." They looked at each other for quite some time, trapped in an uncomfortable silence as the two men tried to intimidate one another. Harvey then remembered that he once went against him in court. Harvey won, of course. "Well, it was nice to meet the two of you," he was about to leave when he stopped in front of her, "especially you; I'll give you a call when I visit New York." Before he left, he touched her bare arm. And Harvey was seething. Harvey took her hand to make them face-to-face. "What the fuck was that?" Harvey said, his jaw tightening. "What the fuck was that? What the fuck was what? I was just trying to get him to donate, Harvey!" Harvey scoffed, "By flirting with your ex-fiance, who suggested you move here?" She looked at him, exasperated. "We're going back to the hotel," Harvey said quietly. He took her elbow as he guided her out of the crowd. "Harvey, we are invited here to help them raise the donation," he said, shaking his head. "We're going back to the hotel." Harvey's voice left no room for argument. Before exiting the venue, she caught a glimpse of a confused Mike. She shook her head in silence before Mike became out of view. 

The two of them were silent during the ride back to the hotel. "We're back now at the hotel, happy?" she said sharply as she took off her heels. "We could've helped more if you weren't being so childish and being all jealous!" She raised her voice, both hands on her hips. She looked at Harvey's back, and he poured himself some scotch. "If you weren't flirting like a high school girl, we would still be there." Venom laced his voice. He turned to face his wife. "Do I need to pack your things and send them here so you can get back with Jackson?" His wife shook her head in disbelief at his words. He finished the glass in seconds, opened the door, and slammed it hard. She sighed and prepared herself a bubble bath. There is no use in arguing with him now.

She woke up with the curtain open. She squinted her eyes. She was greeted with the sight of Harvey sitting in a chair just beside the bed. "Hey, sunny," Harvey said softly. She didn't say anything or react; she just stared at him. "I'm sorry," he said genuinely, she could tell. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did; I'm really working on my issues. She nodded, she knew he tried. "Did I hurt you?" he asked as he took her hand in his. He did so as if he might break her, so gently. "You did," she answered quietly. "I'm really sorry," he kissed her hand softly. "It's okay, Harvey. Just try to work on yourself harder, okay? I'm here ready to help if you need anything, but no more lashing out," she said as she caressed his cheeks. Harvey leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" Without answering, she moved over and signed for Harvey to lay beside her. 

[sugusat]

Saturo Gojo x Reader

Post-Apocalyptic Survival: In a world overrun by curses, you team up with Gojo to survive. His cocky attitude keeps you somewhat entertained, but his rare moments of vulnerability make you wonder what else he has hidden under that blindfold.

Slight enemies to lovers, gojos a goof and lowkey down bad but reader is angsty af from saving everyone. Pesismistic reader, eventual smut. Oral, grinding? Gojo calls reader Peach!

Part 2!

The long abandoned buildings creaked and swayed as rats scuttled across the ground in the afternoon sun. You and Gojo had been walking for hours now, hell bent on making your way back to camp where you and a group of survivors had been banding together to try and defeat the dominating curses once and for all.

You had both gotten lost on a run for supplies, overwhelmed by high-level curses that had attacked.

The camp would be wondering where you both were now, and you weren’t liking the look of that nasty gash on Saturos ribs that he had received in turn for defending you. With Gojo still weak from the fight, you didn't like the idea of being out here vulnerable any longer than you needed to be.

He was such an idiot sometimes.

"Come onnn Peach, we've been walking for hours. Can we pur-leasE take a break." Gojo sighed as he dragged his feet across the mudded road.

"For the last time, no! We need to get into the woods whilst we have the daylight, the curses will be coming out to play soon and I do not want another run-in. Besides, I'm estimating the camp is only around 1 hour from here." You sighed as you continued walking, ignoring the ache in your feet and trying to not become too paranoid as the dark woods came into view.

This was good, you would be more covered on this part and have more areas to hide. You would get home shortly and then could have some well-needed space from Gojo.

All these thoughts ran through your head as you sent Gojo silent daggers through the back of his head.

"Ya know I can feel you glaring at me from here, it wouldn't kill you to say thank you. You know.. for saving your life and all."

You snorted at this, "What you did was foolish, you are the strongest one here and yet you came on this stupid supply run and nearly died stopping curses I could have handled." You muttered the last part as you knew you couldn't have handled those curses alone, but you weren't ready to admit that yet.

Since the curses had taken over 5 years ago, the world had fallen into disarray. With limited communications and more people dying every day, the fight was hard. But this didn't seem to have stopped Gojo's infernal positivity, no he seemed entirely unaffected by the years and it was infuriating.

"Yeah sure Peach, you could have handled that all by yourself, forgive me for making an error in judgement. Next time, you handle the big bad demons all by yourself. " His words seemed more agitated now and his movements had become sluggish with every step.

You moved to stand in front of him, and he staggered as if he hadn't noticed you had even gotten ahead of him. "You're burning up, I think that curses blade was poisoned. Fuck." You sighed as he began to sway.

"Hmhm Peach I'm fine, lets just rest awhile yeah?" Gojo mumbled as he leaned his forehead further into your hand.

"No, we need to keep moving, come on.. Just loop your arm around mine and tell me something, k-keep talking to me," You insisted hesitantly as you began to pull Gojo a bit quicker through the muddy forest. Using what little reversed technique you knew to try and heal him. If you made it back, you needed to remember to thank Shoko for showing you a few tricks.

"I think that's the first time you've ever asked me to speak, rather than shouting at me to shut the hell up. Are you sure you're not the one with the fever Peach?" Gojo smirked as his steps began to match your pace but his weight noticeably leaned into you.

You laughed at this, just satisfied he was still walking and talking. The camp wasn't far, you could do this. Sure - It was only the strongest.. close to passing out in your arms.. Gods, what would the camp think if you got him killed? Then where would you all be, and a small part of yourself couldn't deny how awful it would be to not have his annoying optimism around all the time.

"I thought we were supposed to be talking Peach, " Gojo breathlessly said as he floppily turned his head to yours, his eyes hidden beneath the fabric on his head. "We are! We're all fine. Everything will be fine." You spoke more to yourself than him.

"Heh, I know it will be Peach" Gojo said as he began to walk with a bit more strength, "because I've got you. You really think any of us would be still here without ya saving us all the time Peach?" Gojo said as a lazy smile graced his face.

This was strange, Gojo and you tormented each other but you were sure over the last five years he had never acknowledged your leadership in the camp or how you tirelessly worked towards keeping everyone alive and stopping the curses once and for all.

You were silent in this, unsure what to say. "Why do you call me Peach?" You asked, wanting to steer the topic away from his strange vulnerability at the minute.

"Heh, I've always called you Peach. Do I need a reason?." Gojo laughed as he staggered slightly across a small fallen branch on the ground. You steadied him with your arm and pulled him closer, the camp wasn't far now.

"C-come on, just a bit longer Saturo.." Gojo seemed to wake at this, "What did you call me?" He asked in a hazy confusion, "Your name silly, we're nearly there." "Ye-yeah, right. Nearly there," Gojo muttered as you continued to walk, Gojo leaning into you still.

"I call you Peach because when we first met, before all of this, you were so shy and awkward. You would go pink as a peach whenever we spoke, but now.. you're so different.."

"Bad different?" You snorted as you glanced up at the tall white-haired boy.

"N-no, never. You keep us all alive, heh- I've never known someone so stubborn to fight for this world.." You held your breath, the only sound of both footsteps in the quiet woods to fill the air. Gojo sighed, the poison clearly fighting back against the healing energy.

"I guess it's just nice to hold on to something that could have been ya-know? Everything is changing every day and it can feel so scary, but if I can still call you Peach and maybe tease a lil, then I guess it's not too bad right?"

You glanced down at the ground, processing Saturos small confession. You always thought he was an arrogant fool, too powerful to understand what it was like to fear death every day. Too busy laughing and making jokes to understand the gravity of what you were all doing here, fighting back. But maybe you had been the one to judge too quickly, maybe this was just how Gojo coped with everything. Just how you leading the camp and fixing everyone, helped you feel a bit more in control.

"Come on, we're here. Shoko is going to pull that poison out of you and you'll be back to your usual teasing self." You said with an eye roll, dismissing the curious conversation.

"Hmhm..home sweet home.." Gojo muttered as he almost fell into the protective wall that kept the camp safe.

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

After dropping a babbling Gojo into the arms of Nanami and Shoko, you quickly made your way to the small 2 room quarters you had been provided many years ago. The camp consisted of a series of shacks and some larger buildings for a food hall, medical and defence, it wasn't much but it was home.

Now resting on the tiny beaten table in what could be called the living room, you tried to get comfortable as you poured over war strategies in books and any possible weapons for defeating curses.

A knock sounded at the old wooden door. Your head whipped around at the sudden sound, and the door began to creak open. Immediate panic ran through you as you moved for the cursed-infused dagger resting on the table and stood to attack. But as quickly as you were standing, the door opened fully and a mop of white hair bobbed into the room, ducking down, clearly too tall for the shack's rickety door.

"Woah-woah, I come in peace alright, jesus, and I thought we liked each other now,”

Gojo laughed as he held his hands in the air and looked you up and down. His mask now abandoned and his captivating six eyes staring into your soul. You calmed your breathing, glaring at his back as you placed the knife on the table and Gojo slowly shut the door behind him.

"You ass! Can see you're back to your usual self now," You snarled, angry at yourself for reacting. Reading about war strategies and demons for two hours in silence would make any girl jumpy.

"So this is how you spend your nights.." Gojo smirked as he took in the worn shack filled with aged volumes and archives containing vital information about the war you were fighting, usually swapped between you and Nanami. Weapons scattered the floors and more clutter accumulated over the years. Small drawings littered the door of a long broken fridge, which caught Gojo's eye as he walked over to observe.

"Make yourself at home.." You muttered as Gojos eyes skimmed the collection of sketches from another life, along with some children's drawings. "Wow, you really are talented, seriously if art museums still existed this would be a home run." Gojo laughed as he picked up a splotchy painted drawing, clearly done by one of the small children you helped train and not yourself.

You snatched the drawing from his hand and placed it on the counter, "What do you want Saturo..?" You were so tired after being nearly eaten by curses, saving Gojo and pouring over those beaten books. You weren't in the mood for his teasing.

"Hey it's been a long day but um, I guess I just wanted to say thanks alright? I guess you saved both of our asses today and I appreciated it."

Gojo said awkwardly as he rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, his muscles flexing through the tight t-shirt he now wore. You could see the lining of where the bandage ran around his ribs.

You were clearly sleep deprived if you were admiring Gojos muscles, you shook your head. Clearing the fog.

"Uh, yeah it's fine I guess. I mean you hah-you saved us first, and it wasn't much." You mumbled, feeling an awkwardness from the vulnerability again. You weren't used to this.

"I guess the Peach name still counts.." Gojo smirked as he stared at you and your slightly flushed cheeks.

"Ass" you muttered as you turned to sit at the table. As you sat down, Gojo started to follow but instead of sitting down on the other remaining chair, he knelt in front of you.

"Look I mean it, thank you. And I'm sorry if you don't think I take things seriously Peach, because I do, trust me. But sometimes it's nice to remind you that life can still be fun ya know?"

You rolled your eyes and scoffed but Gojo placed a large hand on your thigh and pulled your body back to face his kneeling form. "You don't always have to be the strong one Peach. You deserve joy as well, you know... ”

And you didn't know what to do with those words, it was as if five years of pressure and fighting came crashing down on you all at once. You felt the breath be sucked out of your lungs at someone seeing you, and you were so tired. So tired of running, of fighting, of making the decisions. But you weren't ready to face that just yet, and you hadn't realised you had knelt forward, your face now so close to Gojo's who silently watched you.

Tears threatened to spill in your eyes but you couldn't deal with it, couldn't stand it. So you did the only thing you could, you kissed Saturo. His initial shock reflecting through the kiss, his lips unmoving against yours and it was as if time had slowed down.

And oh god, this was a mistake. What were you doing? Why were you kissing him, but then he was moving the hand on your thigh to grab at your hip and ghosting his other across your jaw. Parting your legs to lean in further on his knees he pulled the chair closer and kissed you back with a force you had never expected. He groaned into the kiss, which surprised you even further and surprised you how much you liked that noise from his lips, and how you would do anything to hear it again.

As his tongue pushed past your lips you let out a small moan and allowed him to pull you closer as he deepened the kiss. Lips crashing together, his tongue moved around your mouth desperate to taste more of you. The hand on your jaw now snaked into your hair as small mewls fell from your lips between breaths.

"Fuck Peach, you're something else.." Your arm moved around to his thick white hair as you pulled slightly and that delicious noise crept up from his throat again.

Gojo broke the kiss to stand but quickly pulled you up from the chair and began to scatter kisses all across your neck. Sucking lightly and nipping wherever he felt was right. His hands now stroking your hips, wanting to make this moment last forever. You let out small moans of pleasure at the feel until you needed more, "Hmhm Touru please.."

"Fuck Peach, say-ah-say that again," Gojo murmured into your neck as he roughly pulled your hips against his.

"Tou-hm-ru" you muttered as you began to pull at his arms, his hair, his neck. Anything, you needed to feel more. You needed more of him.

"Peach, let me make you feel good yeh? I can do that, let it be about you okay, Peach." Gojo whispered as he continued placing kisses across your shoulders. He said it so gently it made you feel sick, this was such a strange day but the contact felt so good and you just wanted to forget. To be that girl again from 5 years ago who had a secret crush on the Saturo Gojo and not the girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

You pulled him to the room other room where a small bed was situated in the middle and nothing more. He nipped at your neck as he lightly pushed you down and then caged you in on top. Dipping back to your lips, tongues tangling against each other as you arched into him. Quiet moans fell from your lips at the light friction, your pussy growing wetter by the minute with each grind.

"Heh, so responsive Peach." Gojo breathlessly laughed as he nipped at your lip. "Can I make you feel good Princess, can I do that for you?"

"Hmhm, yes please," You muttered as your hips grinded into Gojos again. "Uh s-shit, I've wanted you for so long Peach" Gojo muttered as his hips thrust down in response, his cock now painfully hard in his dark pants.

Gojo grabbed your chin and moved your restless head to meet his eyes, "Tell me you want this Peach, tell me you want this and I'll make you forget everything for tonight" "Hm fuck, please Touru, need you," not allowing yourself to process his previous words.

Gojo didn't hesitate after that, scared you may take those precious pleas back. He continued to kiss down your body, pulling your vest over your head along with your sports bra. Suddenly you were brought back to reality and very aware Satou Gojo was on top of you staring at your full breasts as if they were the last Mochi on the planet. Feeling exposed, you made to reach for the blanket but he held back your arm with his own, locking you in as his head went down, his lips suckling at your nipple and then grazing his teeth across the puckered bud as moans filled the room. Pushing against his arm at the newfound sensations. His head bobbed up, those bright blue eyes staring into yours.

"Still with me Peach?" He asked with a smirk as you nodded, eyes rolling into your head as he dipped down to the other breast.

"Hmhm Turo, please-hm-need you, please" You muttered, impatient at the lack of friction. Gojo began to leave wet sloppy kisses down your navel as he slowly pulled your pants away from your legs.

Your wetness clearly visible in the light grey panties you wore, you arched up again, the cold air providing a frustrating relief. "Shit Peach, you're soaked. This all for me? I can't wait to taste you." You blushed at this and rolled your eyes, irritated at Gojos teasing but desperately needing him to make this ache go away.

"Don't make me beg Gojo" you said with little demand as Gojo began to place wet kisses down your thighs. Your breath hitched in anticipation. Getting so close to where you needed him and then pulling back to start again on the other side teasingly.

"Uh uh Peach, I don't know. If you're calling me Gojo, we clearly don't know each other very well. Should we really do this.."

Your thighs shook with anticipation and your wet pussy helplessly bucked at nothing as Gojos large hands grazed the soaked panties.

"Turo, I need you so bad. Make me feel good, make me forget, puh-leaseee" you whined, mocking his begging from earlier in the day, still breathless.

"That felt a little sarcastic but I don't think I can deny her any longer, " And just as you were about to ask who her exactly was, Gojo dived in. At first, pushing your panties to the side but then impatiently pulling them off and lifting your lower half into the air as his tongue met your folds. You moaned aggressively, sure the whole camp would hear you but you didn't care. Fuck he had a magic tongue.

And then his long fingers entered you, first just one and then another desperately curling to a spot inside that you could never reach with your own. You panted as he nudged your legs farther apart and groaned into your pussy as you clenched around him. "Fuck peach, you taste out of this world, why have you been hiding this from me?"

"Hmhm" Was all you could say as Gojo continued to ravage you and your high began to grow. You needed the release, needed him. Your hands found their way into his hair as you pulled, needing something to ground you as you felt you were about to levitate off the bed.

Gojo moaned as you pulled on his hair, his fingers now curling again and again into your pussy. Hitting that spot you desperately needed as he continued to make out with your folds, tongue flicking at your clit, and fuck it was too much.

"Toru, I'm going to-I ccan't, shit" You mewled as his hand grabbed your own to soothe you, and then it was happening. You were so close, so close to falling. You needed to cum, you needed it so badly you couldn't see, hear or feel anything else.

"Shit Peach, cum for me yeah? Cum Peach, cum, cum" and so you did, with a final curl of his fingers, you let go and came crashing down. Every muscle in your body spasmed as Gojo continued to suck on the juices leaving your body. You think you screamed but you couldn't remember, couldn't make sense.

"Fuck Turo, what the fuck." You cried as your body came down from the insane high. It had been too goddamn long.

Gojo looked as dishevelled as you felt as he emerged from your thighs, wiping his mouth across his arm and then sucking his fingers dry.

"God damn Peach, that was something else."

You mewled back, still struggling to catch your breath as you stared at the ceiling.

You glanced down to Gojo and you wanted more of him, you needed it. But you were so tired, your eyes blinking slowly as you made grabby hands to pull him back up. He was visibly hard and you wanted to return the favour but your limbs felt like jelly, still feeling fuzzy from the previous high. Exhaustion taking over you.

Gojo quietly groaned when you began to palm at his visible erection but he quickly grabbed your wrist to gently move your hand away. He instead pulled your body into his chest and adjusted the blanket onto both of you as he brushed the top of your head with his lips.

"Sleep Peach, you did so well," He whispered into your hair as your eyes finally fell shut, officially exhausted.

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

Part 2?

I really enjoyed writing this so please lmk if you liked it, this is like my second smut so pls be kind !!

[radiaurapple]

Lucid Dreams of New Orleans: Chapter 14

CHAPTER SUMMARY: IN WHICH Lucifer and Alastor go home.

FIC SUMMARY: Lucifer has always kept his distance from sinners. It’s what keeps him (relatively) sane — if he gets too close, he is haunted by visions of the tragic mortal lives that landed them in Hell. But in his new life at the Hotel, it is more difficult than ever to stay away — and when it comes to light that his daughter’s insufferable facilities manager is gravely wounded, it falls to Lucifer to deliver his soul from Death. In so doing, he falls headfirst into the sins, past lives, and heartbreaks of the one human whose contradictions he is powerless to resist.

we've reached the end-ish folks!!! I have an epilogue and some other ideas i want to go after this in the same universe--I am taking a week off next week though so expect the first epilogue on 6/27!!!

thanks so much to everyone who has read along and I hope you enjoy!! 🍎📻💖

[AO3 LINK]

The portal to Heaven closes in a puff of sparks. Lucifer is left behind, staring at the space Alastor occupied only moments ago. Without so much as a word to the hotel’s other residents, he opens a portal to his room, right over his bed; he steps through and flops unceremoniously onto the comforter. 

He usually escapes into a memory in moments like these — when he’s alone and awash in self-pity, his mind a prickly hedge maze of grief. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to call up something pleasant. 

It’s no use. There’s only one place he wants to be right now, and none of his memories of that place and time belong to him.

Lucifer sighs and flicks his wrist; a portal splits open in the middle of his room, spilling green light over the carpet.  

Which is how he finds himself on Earth. 

New Orleans. October. Sunset. 

Lucifer steps off a cable car in the French Quarter and stumbles through the crowd of evening commuters. He inhales a lungful of a skateboarder’s cotton-candy flavored vape and coughs; the crowd thins, and he ducks into an alleyway and bends his form into a white pigeon. He flaps his wings and takes off. 

He glides over the rooftops. As the millennia went by, Heaven seemed to care less and less about Lucifer’s intrusion here. He rarely interferes in the affairs of mortals — but from time to time, he likes to walk among them, to see them exercise the gift of free will in a wider range of hues than his skewed and gruesome view from the top of Hell. Every time he comes here, he discovers some new human creation that brings a smile to his face — that makes him wonder if he might have been right all along. 

This time, he isn’t sure what to think.

Below, he spots Elysian Fields Ave., a few blocks from Alastor’s old home. He alights in the shade of a house between two garbage bins; he steps out onto the street in the same pale imitation of a human form he wore in Alastor’s memories. 

The suburban street is quiet and still apart from a hideous, boxy electric vehicle that drives past on the road. He borrows Alastor’s sense of direction and heads northwest. Soon he’s lost — most of Alastor’s landmarks are gone, and only the shape of the streets is familiar. He circles Alastor’s block three times before he finally accepts that the houses where Alastor and Hollis lived are both gone, replaced by multi-story duplexes. 

He finds what he believes was the lot of Alastor’s home and stands before it on the sidewalk, stares at the building that now occupies it, unsure of what he came here for. He wants to knock on the door and tell them everything that happened here — to tell them about the game nights, the lone drop of blood, cigarettes and violin in the rocking chair on the porch. He wonders if late at night, or during storms, the memories resurface like ghosts — one high and trembling note remembered in the sound of falling leaves. He wants to ask them if there’s anything left of those short human lives — any mark of their existence. The outline of a shoulder worn in the lacquer on the back of a violin. 

As Lucifer stands there, the thread of linear time frays, and his consciousness splits between both places at once — the present world and the memory. Alastor is coming down the sidewalk, right now and ninety years ago; He steps right through Lucifer, like a ghost, and climbs the invisible steps of a yellow house that no longer exists. 

The sound of a car door jolts Lucifer back into his body. He bends his form back into a white pigeon and flies up to look over the city. 

He takes inventory. Most of Alastor’s places are gone. Economy Hall — the lighthouse that marked the edge of Lake Pontchartrain — the City Park pool. The park has expanded north of Florida Ave., which has itself widened from a street into an interstate. Many of the charming cobblestone streets downtown are now paved with asphalt.

The Francs Amis, the first place Lucifer really saw Alastor with his own eyes, is one of the few buildings that still exists. Lucifer perches on the chain-link fence across the cracked asphalt street and eyes the sign out front. A dry laugh escapes him — it has been repurposed into a church. Figures.

[AO3 LINK]

[handdrawnfrog]

OK I need to write this

Golden ghost

This is part 2 of Casper Darling and I have been thinking way too much about this story.

Nigel started down at Gunnar, who was on one knee looking up at him, the ring box extended the him and open with the delicate ring inside it.

His mind racing, was Gunnar really proposing, to him? Here? At V.I.L.E. Nigel's mouth was open and Gunnar, for the first time ever, seemed nervous. "Nigel," he began bringing the other man back to reality. Nigel looked at him, blushing deeply.

"We've known each other for decades and... We've been dating for fifteen years at this point. I want to make it official." He continued, taking Nigel's glove off. "I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. Nigel... marry me." Gunnar spoke clearly, his voice light and filled with... Nigel would say hope. Nigel looked at the band, a simple gold ring with two gems, alexandrite, and a diamond. "You... want to marry... me?" Nigel blurted out. Gunnar laughed, though it seemed unsure. "Yes? That's why I proposed." He chuckled. "Yes."

"Hm?" Gunnar finally met Nigel's eyes with pure joy, in hsi own, cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. "I'm marrying you. And taking your last name." He told him, his voice confident as Gunnar leaned forward and kissed him, slipping the ring onto Nigel's right hand. "I love you." He murmured.

David walked around V.I.L.E, it was rare for him to be there. He was usually at home at his computer as the troll but every V.I.L.E agent had to make a call back to HQ. He looked around and finally found Mealstrom's office, usually his uncle, Nigel, was in there.

He looked into the office, just through the blinds to see... was Professor Maelstrom proposing to someone. He laughed and looked at the person who he was... "Oh my god." He muttered, his jaw dropped. He was proposing to his uncle. "Holy shit!" He whispered. "Is that why he called me, what the hell!" He muttered as he saw Nigel smile and nod and kiss him. He was flabbergasted.

Were they dating? Well obviously but like... for how long? Why did his uncle choose... choose that pasty white freak!? Should he be happy? Angry? He was so confused!

Paper star came skipping down the hall humming and folding paper into a humming bridge, she had just learned how to do it and wanted to show professor Maelstrom. She slowed down seeing the troll crouching in front of the window to Mealstrom's office. "David, you look worried." She joked then seeing his face.

"Tammy, you have to see this." He grabbed her shoulder and dragged her down. "Ah! Hey! Watch it!" She shouts at him, sticking the hummingbirds beak at his face. "Just look!" He whispered harshly. She rolled her eyes and looked into the office. "Holy shit." She saw professor Maelstrom and Roundabout holding each other, smiling. She could see a shimmer of gold on Roundabout's ring finger.

"Did he..." she pointed at the blinds, meaning to point at Mealstrom. "Yeah." The troll muttered in response. Tammy stood up, as did he and they ran into Mealstrom's office.

"How would David o-or Julia, or even Xifeng?" Nigel looked at his now fiancé, though his thoughts for his daughter, niece, and nephew ran wild, he felt no regret for agreeing to marry him. Gunnar kissed Nigel's brow. "They'll be fine, love." Gunnar measured, his own thoughts drifting to paper star and fly trap, even spin-kick, though the child doesn't care about... much other than succeeding in a caper.

Suddenly the door flew open, making Nigel jump. "David!" "Paper star!" The two men shouted, Gunnar's hands grasping Nigel's arm tightly. The four pause Nigel gave David a stern look. "Were you both watching us?" He asked David huffed. "You were getting secretly engaged." He responded. "David, dear, I would have told you minutes later." He explained Paper Star and Gunnar's eyes met. She was surprised and Gunnar sighed. "I mean, unk." Nigel shot David a glare at the nickname. "I'm not mad just... why him?" Nigel paused. "That's why you trusted through the door?" Nigel asked crossing his arms. "Yeah, I mean... it's him." Paper star nodded in agreement Gunnar huffed. "Yes I understand he's... him." Gunnar looked at Nigel. "What was that." He huffed. Nigel cocked a brow and Gunnar rolled his eyes. "But there's parts of him that... well you wouldn't have seen." He explained. Paper star tilted her head, her naturally creepy smile set plainly on her face. "Gross, I don't need to know what you guys get up to." David shuddered Nigel looked at him and hit his foot with his cane. "That's not what I meant and you know it!" He shouted as Gunnar pulled him back by the hips laughing. "Don't encourage him." He huffed.

"So David. You're fine with me marrying your uncle." He hummed, he shrugged. "I don't know. But marry him if you want." He admitted. The paper came closer to Nigel. "Hehehehe." Nigel hummed as she giggled and looked at his ring. "Well, I'm glad that's sorted," Nugel whispered to himself, as David looked at the ring.

"He really picked out a fucking expensive one-ouch!"

"Language, David."

"Did you have to hit me with your cane!"

Gunnar laugh at it as paper star showed him the hummingbird and threw it off, hitting the wall with a smile. "Make the beak a small bit longer." He suggested, his hand resting on her shoulder.

Ok I hope that one was good because it it's a long one, I love think that they're like a small family. Also worried Roundabout is my fav :]

Credit for david(the troll) from @st0r-fruit heartfelt au <3

[mirkwoodshewolf]

No following; Planet of the apes fanfic Chap. 6

*Author's note*

We've now reached the end for the first POTA Serkis movie. I'll continue to post up the chapters that I've got for DAWN throughout the day and then once I'm all caught up, it'll have to be a waiting game from then on out but like I said, I've gotten a bit of the sequel movie done so you'll get a lot of chapters your way. Thanks for giving this story a read guys and remember, if you'd like to be tagged for this series, leave a comment below.

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@psychosupernatural

@waddles03

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

@queen-paladin

_____________________________________________________

Things after that afternoon between Will and I were strained.  I had refused to talk to him or even look him in the eye, and even though he’d try to patch things up, there was always this tense, awkwardness in the air.  So most of the time, he just gave me my space.  Even when Caroline tried to play mediator and have us be in the same room to try and talk, nothing ever got done.

I was already in the process of packing my bags for college so that way when the day came that I could move into the dorms, I’d just pack up and ride as far from here as possible.  At this point, there’s nothing for me here, and hell there’s no need for me to visit every weekend anymore.  With Caesar gone and grandpa dead, home just didn’t feel like home to me anymore.

I woke up and stretched myself out, but I was surprised to see a couple of things.  First of all I had been placed in my bed and was covered up.  I know for a fact I hadn’t gone to my bed cause I was at my computer looking at my schedule and seeing if I had received any emails from any of my professors for the first term.

Also my violin had been brought back into my room.  I had tossed it out just shortly after grandpa had passed away.  I couldn’t even look at it cause it reminded me too much of our times making music together and remembering those days still made my heart ache.  So I had placed it in the shed and maybe until I’d leave for college, I’d take it out.

“Lin.” Caroline’s voice spoke up as she opened my door.  “Lin, I know this is odd for me to ask but—have you been into Caesar’s room recently?”

“Why would I go there? He’s not here anymore, nor does he want to be here.” I replied.

“Will says he saw the pully rope that attached to his stairway was moving. I haven’t been in it and neither has he.” I perked up and turned to my violin and things started to click.  That’s when she noticed my violin, “Hold on, didn’t you—”

“I had that put in the shed after grandpa’s funeral. And I didn’t fall asleep in my bed last night.” Our eyes both widened as she urgently told me.

“Get dressed.” I threw the fleece blanket off of me and raced over to my closet and grabbed the first shirt and jeans I could find.  Once I got dressed, both Will and Caroline were now dressed as Will filled me in.

“No one’s answering at the shelter. You following on your bike or—”

“I’ll get there faster on my bike.” I said as I ran towards it and getting the tarp cover off of it.  I mounted it and immediately turned it on as Will and Caroline got into Will’s BMW station wagon.  I revved my engine a few times before taking off down the street as quick as I could towards the shelter.

Hundreds of thoughts were going through my mind.  How did Caesar escape with no one noticing? Why did he come back to the house? What did he get? And why bring my violin back inside or take the time to tuck me into bed? I sped up as I now drove up the winding hills that led to the shelter until I finally reached the gates.

Surprisingly, neither Rodney nor Dodge were at the front gates.  Usually it’s the two of them first thing in the morning before Mr. Landon comes around for a few hours and then leaves.  I shut off my bike and as I got off it, Will’s car soon pulled up next to me.

“Neither of them are at the gate like they usually are by this time.” I told them as they got out of the car.

“Alright, come on there’s gotta be another way in.” The three of us raced around towards the back entrance to find the doors were broken off their hinges.  We looked at each other worriedly before racing inside and coming around towards the back office.  “Landon? Landon!”

“The cages are down there.” I told them as I led them across the backroom and down the winding ramp where all the cages were, but it was shocking to see all of them were completely empty.  Not a single ape could be found in the long corridors, and each cage door had been opened.

But what truly stuck out was the sudden smell of burning flesh.  I looked down and right at my feet was Dodge Landon.  I shrieked as uncle Will came over and pulled me away from Dodge’s body.  He knelt down to check his pulse but I could already tell from the severe degree of burns he had, and the fact that he wasn’t breathing that he had to have been dead for several hours, at least.

I continued to walk pass each cage hoping to find some sort of clue when Caroline called out.

“Will! Lin!” we raced towards the last cage that she now opened up herself and I proclaimed.

“Rodney!” I knelt down beside him, the poor man was curled in feeble position, fear and shock was permanently etched to his face, and I could see the faint bruising around his neck and face.  “Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s Lin, remember?” he whimpered but I saw him mouth out my name and I gave him a soft nod.  My uncle knelt down beside me and asked Rodney.

“What happened?”

“He spoke.” Rodney whimpered softly.  Almost so quietly, we almost didn’t even hear him.

“What do you—what?” Will asked perplexed.

“Your ape…..he spoke.” Rodney said again, this time an intensity to his voice.

Oh. My. God.  Caesar could…..speak now? Holy shit.

“We have to call this in.” Caroline said.  “Tell them that they’ve all escaped. And get Rodney some help.”

“I agree with getting Rodney help, but you know what they’ll do. They’ll just start shooting at every ape they see, including Caesar.” Said uncle Will.

“It’s better they hear it from us than from Landon.”

“She’s right. He’ll just spin it as rabid apes that killed his son. At least from us, it’ll be an unbiased report of an animal escape.” I agreed with Caroline.  Will took a few deep breaths before taking out his phone and called 911.

Within minutes, police and an ambulance arrived as Rodney was being wheeled outside, I heard Rodney call out my name.  The medics stopped and I came up to him.

“He—he also told me. To give you a message.” My eyes widened.  “He said….. ‘keep playing nightingale.’” And with that the medics rolled him out after deducing his statement as part of the shock he was experiencing.  My heart felt heavy but at the same time, lighter than it had been since grandpa passed away.

I went back to the security room where some officers, Will, Caroline and now Mr. Landon all watched Dodge’s last and final moments that were captured by the security camera.  We all saw Caesar come into the frame with the hose, while Dodge stood with the cattle prod in his hand.

“What the hell?” a cop spoke up.

“‘I’m gonna skin each and every one of you!’” Those were Dodge’s final words before he was sprayed by the hose but also electrocuted by the cattle prod that I could hear was at full charge.

I know it’s not right to speak ill of the dead, but Dodge kinda deserved it.  Didn’t he know that water is a strong conductor for electricity? If he hadn’t had the prod in his hands, all he would’ve gotten was a spray full of water.  Probably given a taste of his own medicine, Caesar would never have done it to kill him.

But the evidence was all the police needed.  Immediately they started moving out to go on the hunt for every ape loose in San Fransisco.  I came up to the car window and asked.

“What do we do now?”

“I know where’s he’s headed. Keep on our tail.” I nodded and soon Will hit the gas and drove away from the shelter and I followed close behind them.

Will took us across the backroads in order to avoid the city.  And when I saw the Golden gate bridge pass the fog, that’s when it hit me.  Of course he’d take them there.  That’s all he wants is to take them home, to a place where there’s nothing but rich green grass and trees taller than the tallest buildings San Fransisco has.

I revved my engine as I drove up close to Will’s station wagon and Caroline turned to face me.  I quickly pointed at the bridge and I saw her say something to Will and he and I nodded to each other as I revved my engine faster and he drove behind me.

But as we finally came to the bridge, traffic was piling up and a crowd of people were being evacuated.  Police, SWAT team, riot police, every law enforcement officer was now on the bridge trying to get everyone off the bridge, while the crowd were screaming in a panic.

I had a sinking feeling that Caesar and the other apes must’ve already passed through here and were somewhere pass the fog shrouding the bridge.  Both Will and I weaved our motor vehicles through the crowded traffic until police force stopped us right in our tracks.

“Turn that bike around, keep moving. Get off the bridge, now!” I took off my helmet and the officer told me again.  “Ma’am I won’t ask you again, turn the bike around and evacuate the bridge now!”

“What’s the reason for officer?” I asked.

“You need to evacuate the bridge now. This is your last warning ma’am.”

“I can’t turn this bike around until you give me a better reason. Is there a bomb? A hostage situation with children on a school bus?”

“Alright, get off your bike and put your hands behind your back.” I revved my bike and sneered.

“Not this time.” I drove past him and several other officers.  I drove past the barricade they tried to make and I stopped just midway through the traffic.  I then ditched my bike as I saw the riot police coming up through the narrow pathways the cars would allow them on their horses.  Fully armed and ready to take down the apes.

“This is gonna be a blood bath.”

“Push them north!” I heard a riot officer cry out as their horses began the charge across the bridge.  I got behind a black SUV and I quickly peeked pass the car to see my uncle running down the street with a riot officer running right behind him.  I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to the side as the horse ran right by us.

“Lin?”

“It’s too late to turn back now. You and I can settle our grievances later, right now we’ve got more important things to deal with.” He panted heavily but nodded.

“Don’t leave my side for a second. If there’s gunfire, you get low and don’t come up for any reason. Got it?” I nodded.  At that moment we heard the sound of apes shrieking in pain as the riot police force began swatting at every ape they got up to with their batons.

Now these riot police are more than just your average cops, but not on the extreme level of the SWAT team.  They are hired because of how hard they can hit someone with brute strength alone, and be practically emotionless when taking down panicked rioters.  And when riding on top of their horses, it was like seeing a modern day calvary charge like back in WW1 England.

“Let’s go.” Will said as he took my hand and we both ran ahead down the street.  It felt like being in a horror movie with how vacant the Golden gate bridge was without all the traffic noise and no person in sight.

The second we heard any sound of gunfire through the fog, Will immediately stopped and had us hide behind some cars and he shielded me with his body.

“Don’t get up!” he warned me as he buried my head into his chest.  The faint sounds of gunfire from both semi and automatic weapons as well as pistols echoed through the dense fog, and I didn’t know whether not seeing them or seeing them was scarier.  Then as quickly as they started, it all went silent again.  After a few moments of silence, a roar soon pierced the air and I muttered.

“Caesar.” It had to be him.  Soon the sounds of apes shrieking aggressively and panicked screams of the police and guns going off soon took over the deserted bridge.  Will and I looked at each other and he said.

“Keep low and follow me. Once there’s no more gun fire, we make a break for it.” I nodded as we stuck close hiding between car to car, and any chance we heard gunfire, we quickly ducked behind the car before moving again.

After about 5-10 minutes, the sounds of gunfire finally stopped and all that could be heard was the sounds of the apes shrieking and screeching victoriously.  That’s when Will and I made a break for it and sprinted down the bridge until we came the turned over bus that the apes must’ve used as a decoy before ambushing the officers.

“CAESAR!” both Will and I cried out.  Caesar, who was on top of a police car, let out a roar before quickly turning toward us, a stunned look on his face.  But our brief reunion was cut short by the sound of helicopter blades whirling.

Once the chopper was over the bridge, the sound of rapid gunfire rang out as bullets were flying everywhere, including us.

“CAESAR NO!!!” I cried out as Will pulled me behind the bus and as the bullets bounced through the entire bus, uncle Will encompassed me with his entire body as we got as low as possible as the bullets continued to rain hellfire.

Okay, this was actually more frightening than just hearing the bullets just a quarter mile down the bridge.  Actually hearing a gun go off and bullets brushing leaves you with a high-pitched ringing in your ears.  Your world goes muffled and faint and you can only hope and pray that you’re not shot by the next several rounds as they get closer and closer to you.

It almost felt like an eternity before the rain of gunfire finally stopped but as both uncle Will and I looked up, we saw the helicopter suddenly start to spin out of control.  That’s when I noticed the form of a gorilla had somehow managed to launch himself into the chopper and bring it down.  And it was heading towards us!

“LIN GET DOWN!!” Uncle Will threw himself over me as we got to the other end of the bus, Will’s body on top of mine as the helicopter crashed into the side of the bridge just hitting barely a foot from where we had stood to get Caesar’s attention.  I felt the heat of the explosion even through my uncle’s body as I heard the sound of a few cop cars blow up along with the chopper before all went quiet once more.

The air was tainted with the smell of burnt fuel and rubber, and the stray flames decorated the Golden gate bridge like flowers in a meadow.  But what caught my attention were some of the dead ape bodies that now lined the streets of the Golden gate bridge.

All of this…..for what? All they wanted was to go to their new home, but like always we humans would rather shoot a wild animal first and ask questions later.  Supreme intelligence, more like egotistical supremacy.  I shook my head shamefully at all this destruction and death when I felt uncle Will gently take my arm.

“They’re moving out, come on.” We ran past the bus and headed towards one of the few police cars that somehow miraculously wasn’t hit when the chopper crashed.  Will got into the driver’s seat while I got into the passenger’s seat, and the second I closed the door, he shifted the stick to Drive and he floored it down the bridge.

We drove over the same road we took practically every weekend to take Caesar to the Redwoods entrance.  The second we came to the entrance, Will put the car in park and we both ran out the car and raced into the forest’s main entrance. 

We ran through the redwoods as fast as our legs could carry us, all the while uncle Will called out Caesar’s name.  From above, I could see the faint silhouettes of apes swinging from above us.  We came to clearing where Caesar’s favorite tree to climb was and this time I called out Caesar’s name.

When out of nowhere, both uncle Will and I were knocked to the ground, my chest aching from having the wind nearly knocked out of me.  Uncle Will came in front of me as a scarred-face bonobo chimp stared us down snarling.  He got closer and closer to uncle Will, but he made sure that this ape wouldn’t get to me first.  But just when I thought I was going to see my uncle’s face get ripped apart, another figure came and pushed the bonobo aside.

The bonobo was tossed and rolled across the ground a few feet away from us.  As it tried to come back toward us, it soon stopped as the figure stood tall and dominant.  The figure turned out to be none other than Caesar.  He gave the bonobo a dominant grunt and a hard stare, daring it to challenge him.  But the bonobo refused and ran off deep into the woods.

Caesar turned to us and we all stared at each other for a moment.  Caesar then slowly extended his hand out to uncle Will and after a brief moment of hesitation, Will took his hand and Caesar pulled him up.  Caesar then turned back to me and extended his hand out to me next.  I took it and he gently helped me up.  At this point I couldn’t contain myself, I immediately embraced him and choked out.

“Thank god you’re alright.” I tried to suck in my tears but I could feel them burning behind my eye lids.  Caesar pulled away from my embrace but cupped my face between his hands and gently placed his forehead to mine.  After our sibling reunion, we turned to Will and he said to Caesar.

“Caesar, I’m sorry. This is my fault. This has to stop, this isn’t the way. You know what they’re capable of. Please come home. If you come home, I’ll protect you.” How? This—this is so much bigger than us now. Plus…. At that moment, the rest of the apes soon came out all looking to Caesar.  Without him, these apes are lost.  They need Caesar even more than Will or I do.

There was silence as the two of them looked at each other, Will’s eyes pleading for Caesar to come home but I knew from the look on his face that Caesar made his choice.  Softly and slowly, he brought Will into his arms and pulled him close.  One hand around the back of Will’s head while the other was resting over his shoulder.  Then just loud enough for the both of us to hear, he spoke into Will’s ear.

“Caesar is home.” Whoa.  That deep, gravely yet warm voice sent chills up my arms.  Uncle Will jumped back in surprise as Caesar kept his arms near his body but allowed him to back away.  His eyes widened in shock as he stared at Caesar.  Caesar gave uncle Will a pat on the shoulder as uncle Will finally began to understand.

“Okay, Caesar’s home.” Finally there was an understanding between the two.  Will finally learned to let go and Caesar could finally be himself, and not who we tried to make him be.  Then Caesar turned his attention to me.

Even though I’ve now accepted his choice, it still didn’t make it easier.  Tears burned my eyes as I looked down, my shoulders shaking.  I soon felt Caesar’s rough, leather hand come up and touch the edge of my right eye, wiping the tears that bled out with his curled fingers.

“Lin,” he said to me.  I looked up at him as he told me as he signed what I’d used to sign and speak to him, “You…stay. I—go.” My heart shattered and my throat clenched as I looked down again.  He lifted my chin up before finishing as he waved his finger at me, “No….following.”

“You’ve been waiting eight years to finally say that back to me.” I choked out a laugh as Caesar huffed one out.  His green eyes looking at me lovingly but held such strength to them.  I embraced him once again as I cried into his shoulder. “You’ll always be in my heart.”

We rocked back and forth softly before he released me and slowly backed away from me, the last bit of touch I felt from him was his fingers brushing against mine.  Uncle Will came up to me, holding onto my shoulder to not only hold me back but to give me comfort.

“Goodbye Caesar.” I softly whispered as the tears continued to spill down my face.

“Go.” Will told him.  Caesar then turned his back on us and walked over to his troupe.  All of them looking to him as their great leader, much like the figure he was named after.  Some began to give him the supplicating gesture, to which Caesar accepted from them as they parted like the Red Sea and let him stand before his tree.

Caesar looked to each of his apes as they now all stood up on their back legs just like him before racing towards his tree and began climbing up it, followed by the other apes going up the various other trees nearby.

My tears that were once filled with sorrow and heartache, now turned to joy and pride as I smiled and watched as Caesar climbed far past the skyline with his people.

Caesar was home, and he didn’t need me to follow him.

[thisuserislilsilly]

Summary: A Captain makes the decision that'll seal his life (I won the bet against @jaghatai-khock, you're welcome dear, now cry >;] )

Pairing: Jubik/Ascilen (Ascilen baby my boy @jaghatai-khock is precious OG creator)

Genre: Angst/fluff

TW: Hella angst, grimdark, gore

Goblin tag squad (lemme know if you wanna get tagged too): @finchly-tintinnabulation @cardinalcanis @jaghatai-khock @artemisareia @echo-of-damnation @meervalv0

Vision of a promised doom

"Oh mother, you who taught me everything I watch the lights up above and I think of you Those wonderful days under your warm arms I saw the earth, at first, the one that welcomed me home It came the beauty of the fire, taking my hand and showing How the world could be fine, could be beautiful like it My brothers, who await for my arrival I ask for forgiveness, as I lay down here Hugged in warmth, with my soul resting at last I love you all, my brothers, but I must pass away We'll see each other where the songs never stop This I promise you, for all that we've been through Goodbye, at last, Ascilen, who loved me whole"

Jubik opened his eyes, looking down at his armor, all broken and in shambles, there was blood everywhere, his bolter was cast aside. That was it, his last moments alive, and it was not in his own homeworld nor in the ship where he saw Neophytes grow and brothers reuniting. It was in his new home, Kianxe, on the very steps where he had once walked upon to meet the gaze of the love of his life. He made a painful chuckle, his mouth spilling blood everywhere as the memories flooded his mind; he had lived a well and long life, full of brothers he cared for and a family he never in a thousand years could've imagined he would be able to get.

His back was pressed against the door, that golden, heavy, massive door that held inside the second love of his life; his child. They had grown, strong, brave and true to the ideals of both his parents, who had loved that kid since the day he was born. yes, Jubik had lived that child from the moment he had ran up to Ascilen, finding his love calm gaze as the birth was taking place, he remembered how nervous he had been the first time he held his baby in his arms and cradled it against his massive chest; Jubik at that moment had ignored his bruises, his weak complexion and the multiple open wounds shown in his body after that fateful encounter with the Howling Griffons. It had mattered not how much pain he ws feeling, how much adrenaline his body had at that moment to keep him in his two feet and fully awake.

That had been the most precious moment in his entire life, and would stay that way even after all the blessings he had received afterwards; day after day waking up besides his love, kissing him, loving him, then leaving the Merciful side only to attend their child, play with them, make silly faces and talk in a deliberate slow and "dumb" vocabulary so their mind could comprehend how much their father loved them, how proud he was of being that kids father. When it came the moment of raising that child, to teach him about the universe and be very careful in how to handle certain subjects and be better than those who had come before them. Jubik saw them grow, become one of the greats in their field of expertise, then too form a family, oh how Jubik had loved to be a grandparent, to see his children children's grow, be with them as well, get everyone together for a cuddle session as soon as he and Ascilen arrived from a long and tiring campaign.

A cough brought the Nomad back to reality, to his last stand for the Imperium against those Tyranids that had the audacity of attacking the Merciful's home. A soft chuckle again escaped his lips, he had given them a hell of a fight, one for the ages, worthy of being in the life song of any of his brothers, but not for him; no, that was it, his body had given up on him about an hour ago, when one of those Xenos had punctured his lungs and chew at his stomach before dying pierced by the sword of Ascilen, of course Jubik had denied being injured, of course he smiled and said everything was fine when he heard the Emperor calling out to him for his vigilance to end at last. He began to sing again; "Oh mother, you who taught me everything..." His head leaned on his chest and the warrior exhaled his last breath, his lump body slowly sliding down the door until his head touched the cold floor with his long braided hair. His lifeless eyes were still open, a smile was upon his lips. He had lived a well and long life.

In the darkness of the medical facility of the Merciful, Jubik shuddered, his eyes still closed. That had been a warning, that had been the Emperor or the Kahn or maybe the Spirits of his ancestors showing him his fate, showing what would happen if he kept going down that path he was walking on. If he stayed with Ascelin, he would die like that; there was no doubt of it, but just if he stayed. The weaves of fate are feeble and one could change his destiny by taking the smallest of different decisions that, in turn, would ripple through time and space in a completely different direction. Jubik thought of this, inhaled deeply, pondered if he disappeared, fled the Merciful or break his relationship with Ascilen perhaps they could live a different life, perhaps his child might turn out different, Jubik death avoided, the sorrow of Ascilen completely avoided, their entire life and future together changed.

"No" Jubik told himself, he would not change fate, he wouldn't run away from Ascilen, he would spend his time there, enjoying the hours, the days, the events that had yet to come as they may. The expected birth of his son. He would not let a vision persuade him to desist on loving the love of his life. But he now knew this: the end of his life, one of the ways his life could end.

But it was okay.

He knew it. He had chosen it. He would let his soul hold on to Ascilen forever and ever.

The vision faded, Jubik felt the world around him once more, the pain of the injuries still healing; he felt his hands touching some soft warmth. His eyes opened and saw his hand placed on top of his pregnant lover.

"Hey you" Jubik slowly formed the words, his mouth aching slightly from all the movement

"Oh good your vocal chords are working again...I have missed them so much" Ascelin left the book he was reading and kissed Jubik forehead tenderly.

A single tear rolled down the Nomads face; no, he wouldn't change this for anything of the world, no matter what the future would be.

[whirligig-girl]

MAJOR spoilers for the telltale-style video game Star Trek: Resurgence, spoiling the ending (or at least, an ending.) Do not read until after you have played Resurgence. Also: you should play Resurgence!

Below the cut is a short fic taking place after the end of my playthrough.

This assumes an ending in which Diaz gets bioformed by Miranda, but has injected themself with Deuridium. I assume this is one of many possible endings, but I've only played the game once.

Here's a short fic, taking place a year or so after the events of the game. subject line: So. I'm back... from: cdiaz@aucklandpenalcolony.ipn "Toza and Carter Diaz" to: niliedsilar@ncc92317resolute.uespn "Ensign Nili Edsilar" sent: Stardate 58498.72 audio recording: [47 megaquads] transcript: select UT setting: (view in Southeast Trill) (view in Federation Standard) (View in English)

Computer, begin recording. Hi Nili. It's Carter Diaz. I know that might seem pretty hard to believe. I've been back for a month or so now, but every time I try to write a letter to you I just end up not knowing what to say. So uh, I guess, hi?

Me and Toza, my T'kon part, have come to a mutual understanding. We've been seeing a therapist in here on Earth, and we're learning to cooperate more. It can be hard; me and Toza don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, and I'll probably never be able to serve on a starship again, but we're getting to be a lot more functional.

I can't begin to tell you how much I've missed you since the Aphelion, or thank you enough for how you helped me through everything I had to do.

See, the thing is, most of us who got bioformed really are still in here. We've just been suppressed. But the T'kon didn't really think this thing through, 'cause the longer they go on, the harder it is to keep us down for good. I can't imagine how much worse it is for the T'kon out there who escaped and don't have any good therapists. I nearly drove Toza insane.

Then again, I think part of the reason I came back out is that Toza's feeling a lot of regret and boredom here in New Zealand. Sometimes he just sits, depressed, on our bed, doesn't go pick up a book or hang out with the other T'kon or any other patients or play a game, and when he lets his mind fall away that's when I come out again. First time it happened it was a real shock to both of us, and I kinda freaked out.

But sometimes it can be real hard for me to stay around. I think about everything I did and said that I regretted, and i can feel myself falling away, and it's hard to bring myself back when that happens. But most of the time these days when one of us is fronting the other's just kind of watching. I should have had Miranda scanned as soon as I suspected something was up. I dunno, maybe we coulda kept her safe until she could come out again one day.

And I know it's fucked up to say, since we now know everyone who's bioformed really is still in there, but i wish i didn't have to end up like this. Miranda died anyway. I don't know how I could have possibly killed her myself but... I should have. And then I wouldn't have left you. I hope you're doing ok without me. I love you Nili, you know that. That's too vulnerable. Computer, delete that last sentence. Hell, delete that entire damn paragraph.

[there is a pause lasting approximately 20 seconds]

If you have any leave coming up any time soon, I'd really appreciate a visit. I hear the Resolute's going to be coming back to Sector 001 to study some kind of cometary phenomenon around Alpha Centauri, so. Maybe that'd be a good time for it.

I know this kinda thing really hits home hard for you, but Toza's agreed not to cause any problems with you here and let me stay in front if you did visit. Or we could call or something, if the subspace comm path lines up right.

Computer, send message.

[there is a pause lasting approximately 9 seconds]

Damn, I forgot to mention the trans stuff. Toza, why didn't you remind me?

Because you wanted me to keep quiet!

[sending message]

wait what? no no n--

[idkwhatimdoinghere1655]

Australian GP 2024!

Mads' Race Recap!

Oh my jesus lord christ alive this was a goddamn good day. OK, I'll try to remain calm, but that is VERY difficult under the circumstances of my 3 best boys getting the podiums. But, I shall do this in order of constructors. Also, thanks to @lipringlrh for edging me through the entire bloody race cause she knew what happened, I swore I was going to be sick.

Red Bull - Nice qualis from Max, and I can't say I wasn't happy with Checo's three place penalty, just because I definitely think it helped the main race. Everything was all honky dory, then Carlos overtook and I was just like 'OK Carlitos, sure'. Then Max was slowing down... Then Lando and Charles passed, and the everyone else. The brakes were smoking, I was screaming out of pure joy. Now, don't take this the wrong way, I love Max. BUT, this provided my boys some very good opportunities. I reckon if Checo hadn't gotten the penalty, he could've tried to pip in front, but I won't dwell on what didn't happen.

Ferrari - WE GOT A FUCKING FERRARI 1-2 BABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! HOLY FUCKING SHIT WHEN I TELL YOU I LOST MY GODDAMN MIND IT IS UNPARALLELED! Anyway, I'll be constructive, for a moment, at least. Charles and Carlos had some mental quali pace, so how they didn't get pole is a little crazy to me. Alas, none of that matters now. The second I saw Max go, I was like 'oh fuck we've got it'. Carlos DOTD and race winner, barely 2 weeks after having his appendix out and he doesn't have a seat?! Absolutely diabolical. It was sweet how he went back to singing Smooth Operator, I was waiting for it. When I heard the commentators saying that they may swap the positions so that Charles could lead the WDC, I was shitting it. Yes, I wanted Charles to win, but I didn't want it to be because of something stupid like team orders. Charles can win without needing it handing to him, and it would've been so damn disrespectful to Carlos. Every year that a team has finished 1-2 in Melbourne, they've gone on to win both championships... It's our year, I'm telling you.

So happy to see them back at the top, both of them did incredibly, Charles was pulling pace out of God knows where for that fastest lap. And the strategy was good???? Like, bringing Charles in when he said he needed to? Listening??? Nice stuff. Hearing the Spanish and Italian anthems was absolutely amazing. Also, I feel like this really highlights how special Ferrari is. The team were screaming that Italian anthem like there was nothing more important to them, and they were all hugging and having a whale of a time. It was just so fucking nice to see Charlandos up there, so fucking good. So so so so so happy, Forza Ferrari. Everyone is a Ferrari fan.

McLaren - OK, so, quali wise, Lando kinda came out of nowhere. I feel like Oscar was just... There? We were racing, it was the 'rarri 1-2 with Oscar in P3 at his home race, it was lovely stuff. Then they swapped the positions. Can someone please tell me why they swapped the positions? Pretty sure it was something to do with either less pace or more recent pitting or something, but I'm not 100% sure. As much as I love Lando, I wanted him to stay down in P3 just for that Ferrari 1-2. I needed it. The last few laps, I was looking at the delta between Charles and Lando, and I was relieved to see that it wasn't changing. Super happy for Lando, Oscar did loads better at his home race, nice one for all.

Mercedes - What the hell is going on here? Like, Lewis' qualis weren't good, George's were fine, nothing bad but nothing spectacular. Now the race was something else. I can't really blame Lewis for his problem, since it was a mechanical issue obviously as opposed to driver error. From what I saw of George, he didn't even do anything that bad. One minute he was fine, the next he was turned on his side. I may not want Merc to get points, but I don't want a crash to be the reason why. He's OK, so that's all that really matters. But, as for the car in general, there's something wrong with it. It's not just a one week thing where it's a bit off, this has been consistent. Yes, George had a nice P3 in qualis the other week, but the pace just wasn't there at all in the race. I just don't know what's going on with them at the minute, and the fact that they're so behind the Ferraris and McLarens is concerning.

Aston Martin - Pretty mediocre all together, I've seen varied opinions on Fernando's 20 second pen. Some said he was kinda to blame for George's crash, from what I saw, he was just avoiding George after the fact. I don't really know, so I won't comment until I watch another replay. But yeah, nothing too special, but they do need to up their game.

VCARB/RB/REDBULLSHITTYEDITION - Yuki Tsunoda. Well bloody done babe. Got extra points thanks to the Fernando penalty, even if I didn't really see him during the race like... at all. But, he must've done a pretty damn good job to end up all the way in eighth before the end of the race. Now, Daniel. What is this man doing? 12th is not bad, but when your teammate with less experience in the same car is doing that much better than you in your home race, you know something's up. I love Danny Ric, but Carlos is more likely to get that Red Bull seat than he is at this rate. Slightly disappointed, I won't lie.

Haas - Both drivers getting points? OK, OK. I actually think Kevin could've gotten higher in qualis if Checo hadn't impeded, but I'm glad Checo was put down on the grid. Overall though, nice drive from both, nice to see them get points.

Williams - Right, realistically, what harm would it have done to let Logan drive? It wasn't his fault, Alex has fucked it at that circuit so many times at the same place, and Alex didn't even get points. It wasn't fair, and he took it like an absolute champ. #justiceforlogiebear #cancelwilliams

Kick Sauber - These guys need to fix their pitstops I swear to God. How many times are they going to get that wheel nut stuck on? They did 1 good one for Valtteri, but they screwed up all the others. Zhou's pitlane start was unfortunate after it looked like his front wing just... fell off. Someone said the car reminds them of a wheelie bin, I completely agree and can't see it any differently.

Alpine - Pierre 's fault for getting the 5 second penalty, but other than that, they were shit as usual. Pierre was running pretty high for a little while, then just kind of... fell back. I can't help but laugh at them, I know it's mean, I just find it so bloody comical. I think FC Versailles is just a distraction, but he has just invested in a Tier 3 league, unheard of French football team... Nice one, I guess.

[lacktastrophe]

Do you think Taeshi will ever resolve the conflict between Mike and Lucy in a satisfying way, narratively speaking? I want them to fix their relationship badly, but for that to happen, Mike has to get over Sandy and mature more. I want to see Mike and Lucy have a stronger bond after overcoming such terrible circumstances in their relationship, but I think being a huge source of conflict might put the series’ narrative longevity in jeopardy, so I’m not sure if I want to hold out hope or not.

After seeing elements of Abbey's story being (mostly) closed out accompanied with moments of closure, I'm absolutely confident that Veronica' will be able to have them both be resolved in a good way. But I feel reaching that point is going to require a lot of effort and time on behalf of the characters, particularly those two. We've had some insight into their complexes and seen how little has really changed since Lucy's return. And to complicate matters further there's a lot of newly fractured ground on an otherwise hopeless situation. Now that Mike's realised he's trapped in a relationship he's not happy with and burned Lucy again, we can bet that these will probably get worked on progressively with some focus through the story. But I feel this growth will be the slowest because it's been the corner stone of characters behaviour, like Lucy's. There's a lot that needs to happen! And for most parts I feel that Lucy's is going to be a balancing act on opening up and relying on others. I'd be confident her happiness will be through resolving the problems around her, but I'm not writing it, so whatever happens is going to happen!

I don't think it really has much to do with Mike needing to mature. He already has the foundation to make the right choices, it's just he's found himself in an ironic predicament: trapped a relationship where he's obligated to keep things going despite being otherwise really unhappy, just like he was much younger when he thought Lucy was more take then give. I figure what we're looking for here is more an idea of growth for him to realise that ultimately long distance doesn't work and his source of happiness is more closer to home. Sorry Sandy but you either move back or it's over, Baby!

Comparatively Lucy is in a considerably worse situation because of her internalised baggage over the abandonment she suffered through the series, which came to light as the reason we're seeing her push herself away from the others.

There's also the co-dependency, Lucy isn't motivated to find new friends, everything comes back to Mike.

I get a lot of people still want Mike x Lucy win out but I feel we should be prepared for the eventuality that these two might decide instead that they need to meet newer people for their own health, especially given they've been pretty bad to each other a few times now. That might be the result of the "Bittersweet". Terribly ironic given McCain's analysis but, you know he's right -- most relationships in school don't win out, and there needs to be a lot to occur for these two to resolve their issues while addressing all of their baggage -- Because I can't see how Mike and Lucy can remain a pair while knowing Lucy is still co-dependent. That's not something I feel we can really just end with.

But again, I'm a fan of closure when it comes to issues like this, so for me I really do want to see how these issues are addressed. At the same time I feel any result would be satisfying. It can't stay in this perpetual-hell forever and must eventually end.

I feel Lucy and Mike's arc ending is the pen-ultimate end to BCB, what starts with the comic has to be at the end, but at the same time I think there could even still be enough there for the series to continue regardless -- we saw this when Lucy moved away originally; you have three other protagonists and everyone mostly moved on after the first initial chapters dealing with the fallout anyway!

But yeah, I'm sure it'll be resolved, but I just wouldn't hold out for certain relationships, I think 10 years has illustrated that point for a lot of people who liked Paulo x Jasmine LMFAO.

[betweenthings2]

23 from the gentle love prompts maybe?? (there’s an obvious Rambler™️ between the two of them so what if it was the less obvious choice 👀) (not to tell you how to write) (whatever you do is gonna be cute as hell) (thanks bye<3)

Thank you so much for the ask!! My apologies for taking so long to answer this. I have no good excuse, but you should absolutely feel free to tell me how/what to write. The prompt list is here if anyone else wants to see it =)

Gentle love prompt 23. letting them ramble when they need to let off steam.

George comes home in a whirlwind of activity and energy, an anomaly, but Matty can't really say that he minds. It's been a quiet day for him, most of it spent curled on the couch with Mayhem, watching films, while George has been out, actually working. Matty's missed him.

It's passed dinner time, so George greets Matty with a kiss and Mayhem with a scratch behind the ears before going upstairs for a shower, but it's not more than twenty minutes before he's back, joining Matty in the living room to see the end of the film that's playing. Mayhem wanders off to see if George put anything in his bowl, so they have the couch to themselves, and they're both quiet through the end of the film, but when Matty curls into George's side, restless energy practically seeps from his body, so as soon as the credits begin to roll, Matty moves so George can get up.

George doesn't move, but he sits up a little bit straighter and asks, "How was your day?" 

"Fine," Matty answers. "Didn't really do much, but it was kinda nice to not have to do much. How was the studio?"

George sighs like he's at the end of his rope, and says "'s a really cool project, but there's all this back and forth and no one can agree and it's like trying to herd cats. How do you get people to do what you want?"

Matty laughs. "People think I'm a little bit unstable and erratic and they don't want to upset me?" Then he shakes his head and says, "Actually, I just tell people how it's going to be. Like, when we want things to be a certain way, once we've decided, I just tell people it's going to be that way."

"I don't think either of those are good options," George responds, slumping against the backrest. "Thanks, though."

Matty laughs again, then his expression softens to something very fond and he asks, "Tell me about it?"

"'bout what? How everyone just wants to argue about things?"

"No, the project, you idiot," Matty responds, still watching George will a fond expression.

With Matty's urging, George is off, talking about the ins and outs of the project, the intricacies of the production, the points of contention.

Matty doesn't really catch everything George says. Some of it goes over his head--he's not involved in the project George has been recruited work on, and by his own accounting, he isn't anywhere nearly as skilled as George when it comes to producing--and some of it doesn't really register because he's too busy simply looking at George. He's too busy being in love with George.

George talks with his hands, gesturing to supplement his words, and Matty is half mesmerized watching simply the way he moves and listening to the sound of his voice. At some point, Mayhem returns, nosing at Matty's hand, then George's when Matty doesn't have anything and George goes from gesturing to scratching Mayhem absently. It makes Matty feel ridiculously soft and in love, and he lets himself be lulled by the sound of George's voice.

"What d'ya think?" George asks, possibly for the second time, looking expectantly at Matty. Mayhem is looking too, almost like he and George are both waiting for an answer.

Matty blinks. "What?"

George laughs. "I love you."

"What?" Matty repeats.

"You didn't hear a single thing I said, did you?" George asks, half smiling.

"I heard some," Matty protests. "I was listening, but I got distracted listening to you talk. And then Mayhem came back and you looked really cute with him."

"You're impossible."

"You do the same thing to me," Matty insists.

"Maybe," George relents, pulling Matty back into his arms.

Matty lets it happen, perfectly happy to be back in George's arms, and when he's comfortable, he says, "You do feel better now, though, don't you?"

George presses a kiss to Matty's temple and murmurs, "Don't let it go to your head."

Matty laughs and burrows a little bit closer, and after a few moments, he says, "Glad you feel better."

[dabisblueflamebaby]

A single pistachio muffin sat on the kitchen counter next to the coffee maker. It was wrapped in pink cellophane and tied with a pink ribbon. Beside it, there was a pod of her favorite coffee and a red envelope; her name scrawled on the front in black marker. Touya's handwriting was unmistakable. The sight brought a smile to her lips. Kyira picked up the envelope, tracing each letter with a fingertip before opening it.

The card was beautiful; black with red roses and words written in a delicate script. Inside, she discovered a sheet of paper. Carefully unfolding it, she sat then began to read:

Hey Little Mouse,

You know I'm not the best at putting my feelings into words unless it's in a song, and I've already written you a hundred of those. So, I'm gonna try this. What should I say? Can't believe we've been married for over a year. Being with you makes the days pass so damn fast. Guess it's because you distract me from the bullshit that usually drags people down. I notice the difference every time I'm on tour, and Keigo's snoring next to me on the plane. I count the minutes til I can get home again. Don't get me wrong. I love the music. Love performing. I just hate it when we're apart, but I know you've gotta do your thing, too.

Fuck. I'm rambling. The point is I love you. The minute I saw you in that stupid cafe, I knew I was doomed. Not doomed. I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I mean, I knew I wanted to be with you, and I'd do whatever it took to make it happen. Back then, I was a villain, so I did things in my own way. I'd have been screwed if I played by the rules. How else would I have found out where you lived? Wasn't my greatest plan, but I didn't know how the hell to talk to you. I'm damn lucky you didn't turn me in to the heroes after the first night I dropped by.

Too late to make a long story short, but I need you to know how damn grateful I am you came into my life when you did. If it wasn't for you, who knows where the hell I would've ended up. Don't even want to think about it. You changed everything. Turned my life around. You're the reason I became who I am. All because I wanted to be a guy you could count on.

We've been through plenty of shit over the years. There're still times I can't believe you stayed. It got rough, but you saw something in me that nobody else did, especially not me. You refused to give up. So, now, here I am, a damn international rock star with a gorgeous, successful wife and a crazy bunch of friends. I've even got most of my family back in my life. How insane is that?

I know we've both gotta work on Valentine's Day, but Saturday night, I'm taking you to Kunpekina Shunkan for dinner and then to Sukairain for drinks. I've got something extra special for you this year. Don't bother trying to get it out of me. It's not gonna work.

Damn. I didn't mean to write so much. Gotta wrap this up.

Never doubt how much I love you, Little Mouse. You're my everything, and that's never gonna change. Kick some ass at your meeting today. I'll be home around 9.

Yours~

Touya

[princessconsuela120]

❃ FEZCO ❃

Chapter twenty-three: This Side of Paradise—❃

Series masterlist

Chapter Warnings: foul language, everything with teotfw and with euphoria

Authors note: Enjoy guys! All rights reserved to the show the end of the f*cking world.

—❃

Normally, alyssa always kissed me first.

“Are you okay?” I asked, pulling away from the kiss as she sighed. I could tell she was somewhere else.

“Can we wait?” She asked, her voice full of worry as she spoke to me.

“Just for a bit, like, I don't know, for a few days, is that okay?”

“Yeah, of course.

I think it is okay. We've got, like, our whole lives. Plus, she might feel like it tomorrow.

“What?”

“Nothing. I can't believe I've got a brother. I've probably got, like, loads of them. All over the place. I know he's traveled. I've probably got family in Vietnam or some shit. I think I hate my dad more than I hate my mum.” She explained, making me nod.

“Me, too. I hate both of mine, but definitely hate my dad more.” 

It was true, I hated both my parents for leaving. I grew up when I was a kid, it wasn’t fair. My dad was a gangster, a bad one too. I never saw either of them ever again. Atleast my mom had the curtesy to leave me.

“Why?”

“'Cause she died and he didn't.” 

“What was she like?”

“I don’t know, I never met her. I lived with my grandma since I was a kid. She left when I was really young, so did my dad.” Alyssa sighed, smiling at me as she grabbed my hand. We sat next to each other on the beach, staring out at the water as she leaned her head against my shoulder.

“Fez?” She said softly, god I loved when she said my name.

“Yeah?”

“It wasn't your fault.” She reassured, squeezinng my hand with a smile. I smiled back, leaning my head against her with a sigh, a relieving one that seemed to let out all the stress I had been holding all my life. Somehow hearing her say that just made everything really simple. Like I knew I was gonna be okay because I had her. It's like we're at the edge of the world. Like we're safe. Only... we're not.

“We can't stay here.” She called out, seeming to think exactly what I did.

“Nope.”

“We can't go home.”

“No.”

“We should go away. Properly away. Like, somewhere foreign.”

Anywhere sounded perfect with Alyssa.

“Yeah.”

“Somewhere else completely new and start again.” She explained, pulling away from my embrace with an eager look.

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to do that, too?” She asked, making me nod.

“Yes.” I really did want that. “Shit ma id follow you anywhere.” She smiled at me and I smiled back. “We could take your dad's boat. We just need the keys.” 

It's much easier to think someone's the answer if you haven't seen them for years. Because they're not really real. People can't be answers. They're just more questions. Questions like: "Why are you such a fucking useless dad?" I could tell Alyssa was regretting coming here. I could tell that by the way she chucked beer cans at her dads sleeping body.

“Ah, fuck! Ah, Alyssa! Ah! You came back! Oh, thank God. I was worried about you.” Alyssa raised an eyebrow at him as he ran a hand through his hair nervously. “I was. I went looking for you everywhere.”

“No, you didn't. You ran over a dog, killed it, then fucked off and left me.” She hissed, making him sigh.

“Yeah, but after that. After all that. Wait, I killed the dog? Fucking hell!” Then he laughed, he fucking laughed. I was about 10 words away from kicking this man’s ass.

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I was shit-faced. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm laughing because it's bad, you know? I'm–“

“Can we go out on the boat?” Alyssa asked, catching her dad off guard.

“What?

“Your boat. Me and Fezco want to go out on it.”

“Now?”

“Yeah. Now.”

“Okay. Fine. Give me, like, ten minutes. I need a shit and a Berocca.

“You don't have to come with us.

“What do you mean?

“Just mean, it's cool, we'll manage. Fez is a good driver. We'll have it back by lunchtime.” 

That’s where we knew we were fucked, because instead of handing us the keys, he just chuckled. It made my skin crawl.