#'and the machine gun began to fire again'

[multsicorn]

finally unlocked the communism book club in disco elysium after missing it on my first playthrough cause i got it double-scheduled with my encounter with THE PIGS

and when they got to the bit about increasing turnip yields with greater revolutionary fervor

(look i know it's a reference to lysenkoism but)

revolutionary fervor? or resentful energy? how about both?? *face looking out from over fingers pointed at each other* *that turn into finger guns bc lol ofc they do*

[a-small-writer-in-a-big-world]

So This Is Love

Pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x f!reader

Warnings: angst, fake death, some fluff towards the end, inaccurate gun language (please be responsible when it comes to fire arms), dad jokes, smut mdni (18+), praise kink, some shower sex, oral (f!receiving), fingering, overstimluation, unprotected sex, creampie, make up sex?

Words: 11.4k

Synopsis: Simon is having a bad day...

Link to The Roommate Series Masterlist

You currently reading chapter 8 of The Roommate Series

“…I’m always here for you.”

The words replayed in his mind as often as most things in his life did. He wasn’t sure there was a point in his life where everything was quiet inside of him and he was sure that it would rip him to shreds if things calmed down within him. He thrived in the chaos, it was what kept him alive for so long despite the odds being put against him since he started his career, it’s what gave him the reputation he had currently.

Ghost. He lived up to the name in more ways than one, becoming a highly skilled soldier that seemed to be practically invincible when it came to a mission turned south. A silent, cold killer who made enemies and allies alike nervous of him when they heard his name being said. A persona with the face of the dead, an omen, a reminder, of what’s to come when he appears.

Ghost couldn’t help but like the reputation he had created for himself. He liked the way the recruits would straighten up at the sight of him for fear that he’ll lash out when his mind is a far different place. He likes when he sees someone get uncomfortable when they catch him staring at them as if he could read their minds.

In a sick and sadistic way he liked the fear in the eyes of his enemies when he came face to face with them, when they realize that they're in his sight and they’re not going to make it.

His reputation was the only thing that kept him safe. 

The smell of iron and gunpowder filled his nose as he swept through the building of his current mission. He had a rifle in his hands tightly, eyes trained in front of him as he listened to the garbled mess of words that came through the comms. Behind him was a team, not the 141 but he was used to being put on missions with other sergeants or recruits he had never worked with before. 

He gives out commands stern and straight to the point. He makes them clear, with no room for miscommunication because he’d rather not lose anyone due to his leadership skills. 

The team sweeps through the building, splitting up into the rooms as gunfire fills the air. Ghost continued down the long hallway, executing any enemy that peeked out of the rooms on either side with an efficiency of that of a machine. He barely spared them a passing glance after their bodies fell on the ground, painting the cold concrete floors with dark red blood.

It was just another mission, a routine, another time for him to fall back into the persona and to forget about the man who died so many years ago.

Before long he was by himself. He gave the order to the rest of the team to clear out the remaining parts of the building behind him as he continued forward to find the best vantage point for setting up his sniping position. The sound of gunfire slowly disappeared behind him, becoming just white noise, static like a TV in his ears as he came to the end of the hallway and stood at the foot of the stairs. 

He kept his gun at the ready as he took careful steps up the stairs. His mind was set on the mission, your voice had slowly been drowned out by the noise until he found the time to be by himself again.

Ghost made it to the top of the stairs and felt a chill run down his spine. Nothing was out of the ordinary for a building like this; concrete walls devoid of life and barely any light inside. The air was stuffier than downstairs and felt more compact, as if he had walked inside of a padded room. 

His heart began to beat faster and he gripped his gun tighter as he felt that all too familiar suffocating feeling. The darkness didn’t help his mind as he remembered that coffin, his resting place, the one that still held his body and mind, and he swallowed hard.

He took a deep breath, fighting against the tightness in his throat as he suddenly felt pressure against his chest. Something was wrong, he knew it, and he kept his eyes wide as he scanned the empty hallway lined with lookalike doors.

The lack of sound around him made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he inched further down. The pit in his stomach grew larger and larger to the point where he was sure he might be sick. No matter how much he wanted to back down and turn away he didn’t, despite the sirens blaring in his mind.

Ghost heard a noise and stopped. 

It was faint sobbing, for a moment he thought that maybe he had just imagined it, but the longer he stood there in complete stillness and listened past his heartbeat, he could hear it. He tried to think if the briefing about the mission mentioned hostages but he couldn’t remember anything about it.

He swallowed hard as he listened to the person cry, his chest constricting tightly as the sound rang in his ears. It sounded familiar, like the made up sounds his mind had created when he thought about his family. The terror in the person's voice sounded like how he thought his mother had cried for mercy before she was murdered. 

He felt sick to his stomach and he started to shake, the urge to walk away strong but the urge to save whoever was in danger stronger.

The closer he got, the clearer the voice became as he listened to the begging, the pleading for mercy. Whoever it was could hardly speak through their sobs as they begged and begged to be let go. 

Simon’s blood ran cold. His feet took him forward in a sprint, unable to think of anything else as he listened to your sobs grow louder, your begging grow louder.

He had to get to you, he had to save you.

Simon slammed open the door with his shoulder, gun at the ready before he heard a gunshot. He didn’t hesitate to shoot the faceless man in front of him with quick precision before he searched around the room for you. 

His entire world shattered when he saw you laying on the floor with a pool of blood forming around you.

Simon screamed your name and threw his gun to the floor. The moment he made it to you, he pressed his hands firmly on your stomach as blood gushed through his fingers.

His hands shook, his entire body shook. Panic surged through him as he listened to you cry, unable to take his eyes off your face, your beautiful face that was littered with bruises, gashes and blood that seeped out of your mouth. The sight burned into his skull and he felt like throwing up as his stomach vanished to his feet.

You sobbed, a choked scream escaping your throat as you tried to pull his hands off you in a fit of blinding hot pain. You ripped at his sleeves as tears ran down your face, a look of pure fear in your eyes as you stared up at him like he was your saving grace.

“Gotta stop the bleeding.” He felt light headed. “You’ll be okay, you’ll be okay.”

“They…came-”

He shushed you, his eyes frantic as he placed your hands on the wound to try to stop your blood from pooling underneath you as he fumbled to get his medpack. He barked an order medevac into his comms but all he received was static. He cursed loudly to himself as he found that as his breathing picked up he felt suffocated by the cold air.

“You’re gonna be okay, sweetheart.” His voice shook as he spoke. “I’ll get you out of here.”

Simon tried to pick you up but you resisted. You shook your head, writhing in pain as you cried and gave him a pleading look that he knew all too well. The fleeting fear, the instinctual panic that flowed through someone when they knew this was their last moment. The desperation for the pain to stop and for someone to save them.

He couldn’t lose you not after everything, not like this, not in the cold building full of hostiles far away from your home. A place for violence and fear, somewhere where you didn’t belong in the slightest. 

You’d been ripped from your home, you were brought here. You deserve to go back, to be safe, to be alive and uninjured. This was his life not yours, this was his fate, the one that he waited for every day yet it never came. 

You shouldn’t be the one covered in blood, it should be him.

“Simon-” Your voice was weak as you clutched his vest when he tried to pick you up again. 

You shrieked in pain and against his better judgment he stopped. He couldn’t hurt you more than you already were, he couldn't make himself listen to your cries even though he knew he needed to get you to a medic.

“I’m here.” He ripped his mask off so you could stare at his face. “M’gonna help you, gonna get you home, yeah sweetheart?”

Simon stared at your lifeless body and dug his fingers into your arm. He shook his head and your name fell from his mouth in a strained whisper. His voice was broken, thick with despair as his vision blurred with tears and he shook you gently.

When you didn’t stir he clutched your hand, rubbing his thumb across your knuckles as he began to rock you back and forth. He hoped it would wake you, that something would bring back the light that was in your eyes just moments ago. 

He loved you. That had to mean something, you had to be alive because he loved you.

Right?

“Don’t do this.” He pressed his forehead against yours and hugged you closer to his chest. “Please, please don’t do this. .”

A sob ripped through his throat and he cradled your body. Tears ran down his face, streaking the black paint and melting away anything warm that had ever been Simon Riley. He cried louder than he had in years, the mission far from his mind as he held onto your dead body as it was the only thing keeping him present.

How did he let this happen? Why was it you and not him? How many more times did he have to lose someone he loved?

Simon’s eyes snapped open and in an instant he sat up in the bed. Hot tears ran down his face as he stared wildly through the darkness of the room, dull pain piercing him in his side. His breathing was frantic as he tried to figure out where he was while he searched for his gun in his nightstand. 

When he couldn’t feel his nightstand or the gun, his eyes jumped around the room he was in, slowly recognising the items placed about inside and the pictures hung up on the walls. He felt so nauseous when he realized that this was your room that he nearly ran out if it weren’t for the need to see if you were truly gone.

He grabbed the blankets around him and ripped them off the bed in a frenzy.

You had to be here, you had to be alive. He couldn’t lose you, he couldn’t bear the thought of having someone else taken from him. He knew this would have to be the last time, he wouldn’t be able to handle losing someone he loved again. There was no way he could forgive himself for putting you in danger, no way that he could live with himself if you had been ripped from him, shot like an animal. 

The blankets were thrown to the floor and you were revealed to him.

You laid comfortably with your back towards him. Your shoulders and chest rose with steady breaths as you were deep in sleep, completely unaware of the fact that Simon was staring intensely at you.

Simon blinked a few times, letting more tears roll down his face as he placed a hand on your arm, feeling the warmth radiate from your skin into his palm. He took a shaky breath and moved his fingers to your pulse where he felt your heartbeat. 

You were still here, you were still alive.

Instead of relief, he found that the panic set in further as he stared at you and resisted the urge to pull you into his chest. He could hardly breathe as he stood up and grabbed the blankets, laying them back on top of you as he tucked you safely back into bed as if it would keep you safe from the outside world.

He left your room as silently as he could despite his stumbling. For a moment he had no idea where he was going, the layout of the flat unfamiliar to him as he hyperventilated.

He finally managed to find his room and when the door behind him shut, he couldn’t help but let out the pained noises that fought against his tight throat. 

The darkness didn’t help and he struggled to find the lamp. He collapsed against his bed, sliding down to the floor as a sob ripped through him. The harder he tried to keep himself quiet, the harder his entire body shook and the faster his breathing became. It was to the point he was sure he’d pass out and he clutched his chest as a deep pain stabbed him there like a knife to the heart.

Tears flowed freely and he was stuck on the floor. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself you were alive, he had seen you himself, he couldn’t get the image of you dying in his arms out of his mind.

He was too slow, he was too dangerous, he got you killed, you couldn’t even defend yourself.

Simon cursed to himself between sobs and heavy breaths. There was nothing else on his mind as he remembered the bloody image of a fate he never wished to see again. 

Why was he cursed to a life of torment? To lose the ones he loved? Awake he was tortured by thoughts of you dying and yet he couldn’t escape that even in his sleep. Deep down he knew that getting attached again would end his life but he had been too hopeful. He had been too ready to believe that maybe life would be kind to him for once and that made him a fool.

A fool that would surely get the one he loved more than anything killed.

~

You woke up to the room being slightly dimmed due to what you assumed was storm clouds outside. For a few moments you shifted further into the sheets, clutching the blankets close to your chest as you felt the dreary morning lull you comfortably back to sleep. 

It was a perfect morning to stay in bed for just a few hours longer, something that you weren't opposed to especially if it meant you had someone to snuggle up to.

You searched for Simon behind you and that was when you noticed that his comforting weight around you was gone. You frowned with disappointment and rolled over, cracking your eyes open to see that his side of your bed was empty, and judging by the fact that the sheets were cold where he laid, he had been gone for some time.

It wasn’t entirely odd to you. Simon was an early riser and now that you knew it was because of his career, you couldn’t fault him for sticking with that routine. However, the past few mornings of waking up to his sleepy and warm touch had spoiled you into believing he’d lay in bed with you for a few moments longer.

If it wasn’t too late, you could try to convince him to come back for an hour or so…

You groaned softly, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes as you pushed yourself out of the bed and groggily made your way out of your room. You were prepared to use all of your charm to win him over, even giving him a few well placed kisses that he couldn’t resist.

You smiled to yourself and made your way into the kitchen where you heard him piddling about, feeling giddy about your plot to get him to be lazy for a morning, until you walked into the kitchen.

The smile fell from your face and you stopped in the doorway, your eyebrows knitting together with concern. Simon was already dressed and had completely covered himself head to toe as he cooked breakfast. Normally you wouldn’t be bothered by him already being dressed, but what worried you the most was the fact that he was wearing a face mask along with gloves.

Simon always covered up most of himself when he was having a horrible day. It was a habit you had noticed when he refused to let himself out of his room when he would get back from work and one that made your heart ache.

It had been a while since he had done it and you were surprised he was wearing just a face mask and not one of the balaclavas he had. 

You’re not sure what had made him suddenly feel the urge to cover himself up and for a moment you debated on whether or not you wanted to ask him if he would like to talk about it.

“Why’re you just standing there?” He asked and you jumped from his sudden gruffness.

“Just admiring the view.” You teased, hoping to lighten the mood but when he didn’t reply or spare you a glance, you bit the inside of your lip. “I’m still waking up.”

“Then eat.”

You frowned, unsure of how to take his more aggressive grumpy attitude. You went to walk up to him to grab a plate and maybe find enough courage to place a soft hand on his arm to give him some sort of comfort, but he turned away from you abruptly. 

Heat washed over you, shame maybe for the fact that he rejected you so quickly, and you watched him set a plate on the table. You didn’t know what else to do other than sit down and eat as Simon sat across from you without looking at you.

The silence was heavy as you began to eat and you watched him carefully, unsure of what happened to make him so cold towards you. You struggled to say something, the words stuck in your throat as Simon glanced at you, your eyes meeting for only a moment before he quickly looked away.

You pushed down the pit in your stomach, ignoring the way the food made your stomach churn and you put on a smile, trying your hardest to maybe get him to feel better.

“Did you already eat?” You hoped that he already had but you knew better, especially with the way he shifted in his seat.

He looked conflicted, as if there was a war inside of himself that raged on silently as he crossed his arms. He still refused to look at you like the very thought of you seeing you made him repulsed which hurt a lot more than you wanted it to. He took a deep breath and you watched his muscles tense before he spoke.

“I want to teach you how to shoot.”

You stopped eating and stared at him with an incredulous look. For a moment you wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the idea because he had to be joking. You shooting a gun? You had never held one before, hell you had never touched the knife he had let alone the handgun in his night stand because you didn’t need to.

You felt nauseous when you realized that he was serious and you pushed your plate away from you as you began to shake your head. 

“Simon-“

“When someone attacks you, you should be ready.” He gave you a serious look, one that you had never seen before that nearly cut through you.

You felt small under his gaze and though you weren’t afraid, you weren’t necessarily the most comfortable. You wanted to hide away and get him to stop looking at you. Was this how people at work felt when he looked and talked to them? Was this the Simon who disappeared for months, the one that never spoke to you when he was gone? You weren’t sure but the complete switch made your head spin and you still had no idea what happened to make him so…cold.

“It’s not like someone is out there to get me.” You scoffed and watched his eyes narrow. “It’s extremely rare, you’re talking about what ifs.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re leaving in an hour.” He got up and stalked back to his room, leaving you dumbfounded.

All you could do was sit there, mouth agape from the audacity Simon had. You couldn’t quite believe he had just spoken to you that way for the first time in the three years you had known him and after the past few days. Part of you couldn’t help but feel guilt as irritation rose up inside of you because you knew that something was wrong, but you also knew you deserved better than that.

Simon knew you deserved better than that.

You wanted to know what happened to him. He was hurting, that was the only explanation after knowing how sweet and kind he could be to you. For him to turn around and treat you like one of his coworkers it must’ve been bad but you weren’t sure how open he would be to telling you what happened. In fact, he didn’t seem that open to even talking to you at all.

You wanted to help but there was only so much you could do when he wasn’t physically hurt.

You thought about ditching him for the day, going over to a friend’s or anywhere else. It hurt to want to get away from him but you weren’t too keen on shooting a gun, in fact it made you feel queasy just thinking about it.

Simon wouldn’t let you get out even if you tried. If you left, you were sure he would say that you could do it tomorrow instead then. Once he had his mind set on something it was going to happen whether you wanted it to or not.

You clenched your jaw and huffed, unable to stomach the food in front of you anymore. Instead you stood up and threw the rest of it away, trying your hardest to not let your bad mood ruin the rest of the day as you rubbed your temple.

It was going to rain today and you needed a jacket.

~

Dead leaves crunched underneath your shoes as you followed closely behind Simon. The air was thick with the smell of rain and the dark clouds on the horizon didn’t bode well for either of you as you wandered down a beaten path within the secluded woods. You weren’t entirely sure where you were and if it was legal to practice shooting out here but you trusted your roommate enough to not get the both of you arrested.

Neither of you had said that many words to each other since breakfast. You were a little curious as to why he chose the woods instead of a firing range, to which he replied by saying he’d much rather be the one to teach than anyone else. 

It was hard to talk to him through his stilted speech and cold demeanor. He didn’t seem like he wanted to speak or be spoken to all that much, which worried you as much as it made you upset. He dragged you out here, the least he could do was tell you why and to not be an asshole about it.

You watched him carefully, eyeing the bag he had strapped over his shoulder and felt yourself go sick again. The walk was only making it worse as anticipation settled in your stomach, your nerves fraying at the thought of having to practice shooting a weapon.

Simon stopped abruptly in a small clearing and dropped the bag off his shoulder. He didn’t say anything to you as he dug through it and you struggled to find your voice as you watched him. 

A lump formed in your throat when he pulled out the pistol and you instinctively took a step back from him. You kept your hands in the pockets of your jacket, giving him an uncertain look when he turned towards you with the gun dwarfed in his hands.

He held the gun out for you to take and gave you an expectant look. When you didn’t move to take it, his eyes softened and he sighed as he stepped closer to you with the gun still held out for you.

“Safety’s on, there’s nothing in it.” He assured you in the soft voice you were used to and you bit your lip. “Just hold it for now.”

You hesitated for a moment, waiting for him to change his mind, before you grabbed it. Your eyes widened when you realized how heavy it was and you couldn’t help but marvel about the fact that he made it look so easy. You held it awkwardly away from you as if it were a dirty rag and you looked up at Simon for him to do something.

The soft look had disappeared from his eyes and he held you under a scrutinizing gaze that made you frown. Simon grunted and he grabbed your wrist with a cold grip. He moved your hands for you rather roughly and squeezed them tightly against the gun. 

“Squeeze it hard and keep your finger off the trigger.” He told you and you did as he said. “Hold it up.”

“Ask me nicer.” You sent him a sharp look but he didn’t look at you as he patted your arm.

“Up.”

You huffed and did as he said, holding it up the best you could without any other kind of practice. You let him stand behind you and put you into the correct standing position, ignoring the way your body grew goosebumps from his touch and instead focused on the bubbling irritation inside of you.

He was nitpicking and if you were experienced perhaps you would’ve understood why but this was the first time you had ever had contact with a real gun and even though it wasn’t loaded you were still nervous to even hold it.

Maybe if he was being nicer you would've been fine with it. You weren’t exactly the type of person to take this kind of talk since you had never been to a bootcamp or ever intended to. In fact, you were far from the right person to ask to shoot a gun and yet he seemed to think you were.

The wind had started to pick up and the darker clouds had moved in above you. The rain couldn’t come quick enough and you ended up ignoring whatever Simon was saying in order to stare up at the sky. 

“Keep your head down and look in the sights before you shoot.” He positioned your head for you and you suppressed an eyeroll.

“Simon there’s no point in this.” You groaned but he ignored you as he walked back towards his bag. “I’m more likely to get myself hurt than someone else hurting me.”

“Not if you pay attention to what I’m saying.”

“If you actually talk to me instead of boss me around maybe I would.”

“If you’d stop complaining I wouldn’t have to boss you around.”

You scoffed with disbelief, giving him an incredulous look as you watched him pull out the magazine to the gun. You shook your head when he turned around to hand it to you and stepped back with a serious look in your eyes.

“I’m not shooting it.” You said firmly, metaphorically putting your foot down on the matter.

Simon tense up and stared down at you with dark eyes. He gripped the magazine firmly in his hand as he breathed just a bit faster. You watched as a look of desperation flashed in his eyes before he held the magazine out for you again.

“You are.” He said, his voice full of enough authority to make your mouth dry “Now take it.”

“I’m not one of your soldiers so stop treating me like one!” You snapped, your voice echoing slightly off the trees.

Thunder rolled above you and you felt a few drops of rain hit your head as you glared at him. You glared at Simon, shaking with anger as you tried your hardest to calm yourself down. You had spent nearly the entire day being scrutinized, spoken down to, and disregarded. You had half the mind to walk away from him and leave him if it weren’t for the fact that he had the keys to the car. 

You were frozen with anger, unable to move as you gave him the nastiest glare you could muster. You were done with this, done with him treating you this way. There was no way you were going to let him get away with this any longer and if he wanted to even think about sleeping in the same bed as you tonight he had better apologize.

“You need to learn this.” He demanded with a glare of his own as if he couldn’t believe you fed up with him. “You have to protect yourself.”

“From who? Who’s coming after me, Simon?” You demanded but he shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter who, just shoot the bloody gun!”

You tossed the empty gun on the ground in defiance and balled your fists. You tried your hardest to stop yourself from shaking but you failed miserably. 

“Simon, you’re having a bad day and I will never fault you for that but there is no reason for you to take it out on me.” You began, keeping your voice as level as possible. “You’re acting like a dick and I won’t let you talk to me this way.”

There was a slight panicked look in his eyes behind the anger as he clenched his jaw.

“You don’t understand-“

“Then tell me!”

Simon tensed up and force. He didn’t say anything and you waited for him to give you some kind of explanation. You saw him open his mouth from behind the mask but nothing came out as his eyes bounced around your face in a frenzy. For a moment you wondered if he was shaking and he clenched his fists tightly before he looked away from you.

He fought with himself, you saw him debate it and you felt more raindrops hit your head.

You waited.

But he was silent.

You shook your head in disbelief as the rain began to pour. The more you watched him tense up and struggle to speak, the more your anger mixed with concern as you watched fear flash in his eyes. You could only guess what was wrong, what had made him so afraid to turn this cold because he refused to tell you.

He didn’t tell you he was in the military before and getting him to tell you that was hard but now he wouldn’t tell you what was wrong for whatever reason. Maybe someone was out to get you, maybe he was trying to make it so you wouldn’t be scared and failed miserably but you didn't know.

Was he scared of what you’d say? That you wouldn’t care even after what happened today? You had no idea and you felt stuck, frustrated that you hadn’t pushed him more earlier, frustrated that he closed himself off from you even though you were so willing to listen.

It made your heart ache and yet you were so hurt.

“What happened?” You were desperate. “Just tell me, let me help you.”

“We’re leaving.” He cleared his throat just loud enough for you to hear him over the rain before he went to pick up the gun.

You clenched your jaw tightly, your stomach dropping and churning into a mess before you made your way back to the car without waiting for him. The cold rain beat against you, soaking through your clothes and seeping into your bones, stealing away the fiery anger while leaving all of the hurt and frustration inside of you.

Tears burned in your eyes and your throat tightened, causing you to walk faster. You weren’t sure why, it wasn’t like you could hide in the car, not when it was the only way for you to get back to the apartment, not when Simon had to be in there with you.

You were thankful the doors were unlocked when you finally reached the car and you all but slammed the passenger side door as you jumped inside.

The sound of heaving rain hit the car and filled up the silence. You crossed your arms over you as you shivered slightly and felt rain water drip off your clothes onto the seat and floor below you. You fought against letting the tears and you kept yours glued to your wet shoes when you heard the trunk of the car open.

You couldn’t understand it, no matter how hard you tried to. There was no reason for any of this to happen, you had never felt unsafe since you moved in with him and yet he seemed to believe you were a walking target. He had told you he worked around dangerous people, that his line of work was dangerous, but he never told you anything else.

Did he truly think he was that dangerous? That you had to be extra careful and learn how to protect yourself because of him? You could’ve reassured him better since it was clear he was anxious about the topic, but he had been so closed off since the moment you spoke with him this morning. For a moment you couldn’t come up with a reason why he had put up a wall between the two of you until you remembered what he said the night he came back. 

“You wouldn’t be safe around me.”

Your eyes widened and you watched him from the rearview mirror through tears.

Simon was trying to push you away. It was obvious but the reasoning behind it made it worse to come to terms with and you couldn’t help the few tears that rolled down your face as you bit back a sob.

He was pushing you away because he truly believed he was a danger to your safety. He was trying to make it easier for you to leave him because of that, you were sure of it, but the thought made your chest hurt and it had never crossed your mind.

Was he going to if you didn’t? A sob escaped you and you placed a hand over your mouth as more tears rolled down your cheeks. 

Selfish.

It was harsh but that was the only thing you could think to call him inside your head as you shook in your seat. He was trying to make a decision for you and it made everything come crashing down harder, it made everything hurt worse as you thought about him leaving you over the false idea that he would eventually end up putting you in danger.

The driver side door opened and turned your head to look out the window. You sniffled and tried to wipe the tears away as the door shut, blocking out the rain once more, leaving you both in silence.

You couldn’t let him get away with it. You couldn’t let him leave, not when you loved him as much as you did.

“I meant it.” Your voice was shaky from trying to force the tears away as you refused to look at him, knowing you’d cry even more. “I’m here for you.”

Simon stayed quiet for a long time. You could hear his strained and heavy breathing from behind the mask, as if someone was choking him. His hands were in his lap as he balled them up into fists while he glared out the window at the rain that pelted off the windshield.

“I know.”

You sucked in a deep breath and tried to wipe the tears away. You swallowed hard and gathered the courage to look at him so you could change his mind, so you could break down his walls again.

You were surprised to see that he was already looking at you, dark eyes full of hurt and guilt that deepened when he saw the tear streaks on your cheeks. He clenched his fists tighter and he flinched as if he was going to touch you but stopped himself.

“Then why won’t you talk to me?”

“You don’t want to hear it.”

You groaned and wiped more tears away as you shook your head. Stubborn, always so stubborn and you wished he could see how much you loved him despite that.

“Don’t tell me what I want. I know what I want and it's for me to be with you, through all of it.”

Simon stared at you and for a moment you wondered if he was going to speak. He slipped off his mask and you watched him open his mouth as uncertainty flashed across his face. He looked stuck, as if the words physically wouldn’t come out of his mouth before he looked away from you and started the car.

Your face scrunched up and your lip quivered. You turned your entire body away from him and sniffled, trying your best to hold in any sounds while tears flowed freely down your face. You hugged yourself and instead watched the raindrops hit your window as everything became blurry.

The ride back to the apartment was painfully quiet, with the occasional sniffles and shaky breaths from you as you tried to calm yourself down to no avail. You didn’t dare to look over at him and you knew that he wouldn’t say a word regardless if you did or not. 

It was as if there was a wall between you both, built by you being hurt and Simon choosing to not trust you enough to let you back in. He was determined to keep you out, to push you away in the name of keeping you safe from his burdens when you’d gladly carry them with him.

You were out of the car before it even stopped and you didn’t wait for Simon to follow. You were past caring about how soaked you were and how when you opened the front door you were most likely tracking mud in as well, all you wanted to do was be alone.

You rushed to the bathroom and nearly slammed the door, unable to keep the storm of tears that welled up as a new wave of emotions hit you now that you were in the safety of your apartment. A broken sob left your chest as you placed your hands over your face and crumpled to the floor, trying your hardest to keep your voice down but failing miserably to do so.

The floor was cold and it didn’t help that you were drenched but you couldn’t move from your spot right against the door. All you could do was hug your knees close to your chest and sob into them with the knowledge that Simon was most likely in the hallway listening to you the entire time.

You’re not sure how long you cried for. All of the emotions slowly fell out of you along with the tears and soon you were left sniffling, rubbing your nose and eyes raw as your breathing went back to normal. Enough time had passed that you weren’t dripping water onto the floor anymore but not enough to where the storm hadn’t stopped.

It took you a while to push yourself off the floor and when you did, you went straight for the shower. 

You didn’t waste any time throwing your clothes on the floor, feeling a lot less uncomfortable now that they were off your skin, and turned the shower on. As soon as it was hot enough, you hopped in and let the water soothe your skin. You didn’t move to wash your body or your hair, all you did was stand there with absolutely no thoughts in your mind as you were too exhausted to even think.

That was until you heard a knock on the door. 

For a split second you thought about ignoring him, but your heart ached at the thought and you couldn’t bring yourself to do it.

No matter how mad you were, how hurt you were, you couldn’t push him away.

“Simon?” You croaked, your throat raw from crying.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

You poked your head out from behind the shower curtain when he stepped inside. You watched him shut the door and his eyes widened when he saw that you were staring at him insteading of showering. 

The two of you stared at each other for a moment, the silence not as tense as it was before as he stared at you with guilt and regret. You waited for him to speak as he held his hands awkwardly by his side before he glanced away from you.

“I’m…” He clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. “Can I join you?”

You didn’t hesitate to nod. 

Maybe you should’ve, maybe you were being too lenient towards him after how he hurt your feelings but you didn’t want to fight. You were far past your anger, you just wanted to feel his arms around you, you wanted to comfort him and you wanted to work out whatever the both of you were feeling despite how you felt. 

And you hoped that he felt the same.

You hid back behind the curtain once he started to get undressed. Your heart rate picked up as you realized that he was getting in the shower with you, that he was going to see you in your most vulnerable state you could be in. You almost scolded yourself. This wasn’t the time to act shy about him seeing you naked for the first time and yet you couldn’t make yourself turn around when you heard him step in behind you.

He stood awkwardly behind you and you stepped out of the way so some of the water would hit him. His knuckles gently brushed against your spine and you shivered before you stepped back towards him, craving more from his touch, more from him.

Simon hesitated to rest his hands on your hips, the warmth from his palms radiating onto your skin and causing goosebumps to form as you drew in a sharp breath while you felt your stomach flip.

“Is this okay?” He mumbled and you didn’t trust your voice so you only nodded. 

You waited for him to pull you back into him or for him to move closer but he never did. Instead, you felt his forehead softly connect with the back of yours as his hands held onto your hips so gently you wondered if maybe he was even touching you.

His warm breath against the nape of your neck made you shiver again and for a few moments you both didn’t say a word to each other.

“I’m sorry I hurt you.” He said, his voice barely above a whisper as it broke between shaky breaths. 

Your mind and emotions betrayed you as tears welled up in your eyes again. You took a shaky breath as you tried to blink them away. Those hurt feelings popped back up and gnawed against your chest but you also felt relief from his words.

He was being genuine. He was always genuine and you couldn’t mistake the guilt in his voice for anything else, especially as he swallowed hard. You didn’t have to turn around to know what he looked like; the pain in his beautiful dark brown eyes that was sure to stick there any time he looked at you, the crease in his brow that would never cease to exist, and the frown that was plastered on his face. 

“You can’t push me away and expect me to be okay with it.” You said softly as a few tears rolled down your cheeks.

“I know.” He mumbled but you shook your head.

Did he know? Did he know that you were there for him no matter what? That you wanted him when he locked himself away in his room after coming home from wherever he went, or when he came home bleeding to death, or when he was anything but happy? 

You weren’t sure if he did, if he truly knew just how much you loved him.

You pulled his hands off your hips as you turned around to face him, your heart breaking when you saw his bloodshot eyes and the deep regret within them. He looked exhausted, more than you had realized after seeing him all day today and you wondered if maybe he had slept last night.

When you cupped his cheek he flinched away from your touch for a split second. His eyes narrowed and you watched as more pain flashed through them when he leaned into your palm. He placed a hand on your hip again, gently digging his fingers into your flesh as your thumb traced the scar close to his eye as if the very touch of comfort made him tense. 

You could tell he was resisting it without pulling away from you. He wasn’t able to hide the conflict in his eyes and it made you nearly sob.

“Why won’t you let me help you?” You wondered, desperate to understand why he could give so much without accepting what you wanted to give.

Simon swallowed hard and for a moment it looked like he was going to run away. You saw the same panicked look in his eyes he had from before and you held his face with both of your hands. 

He shut his eyes tight as he was trying to hide his from you and placed his hands on top of yours. He drew in a shaky breath and clenched his jaw tight before he spoke.

“I’m afraid you’ll realize I’m not worth it.”

A few more tears rolled down your cheeks and you shook your head. How awful it was to have a mind tell lies like that, you couldn’t believe that he would think you’d find him unworthy of your support, of your love, that he’d thought you would see him that way.

“No.” Your voice cracked and he opened his eyes to look at you. “You are worth it to me because it’s you.”

Simon stared at you with uncertainty, his eyes searching deep within yours as if he were looking for the lie when you were being as truthful as you could ever be. He blinked and a tear escaped down his face before you quickly wiped it away, watching as his shoulders sagged before he leaned fully into you.

You locked him into a tender kiss that he hesitated to reciprocate until you made it clear you weren’t pulling away any time soon. You wrapped your arms around his neck and he held your waist, deepening the kiss as he desperately moved his lips against your own as if you’d disappear right in front of him. 

His fingers dug into your skin and you gasped as he caged you to the shower wall. He moved his hands up and down your body, purposefully avoiding any of the places that burned for him as his calluses scratched your skin.

He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against yours as he looked deep into your eyes. He was out of breath as he gave you a desperate look, a final plea for reassurance.

“Forgive me.” 

“Please don’t push me away again.”

“Promise.”

Simon pressed another kiss to your lips slower but no less desperate as he cupped your jaw with his large hand. He stole your breath away and pressed his body against yours, rubbing his half hard cock against your inner thigh. 

You gasped when you felt it and opened your legs for him to step as close as he could. Breathy moans escaped your mouth when he peppered kisses from your lips to your jaw and you gripped the back of his neck as he began to suck just underneath your ear.

He rolled his hips into yours and you whined when the length of his cock ran across your slit, causing you to dig your nails into his skin. He grunted and did it again, slowly dragging his cock back and forth to gather your slick across it while he attacked the sweet spots on your neck.

His movements and the steam from the shower made you dizzy. You clung onto him as pleasure built up inside you and you kept him as close to you as possible, wanting nothing more than for him to hold you, to be inside of you.

“Feel so good…” He breathed out as he nipped your flesh and ran his tongue over the spot when you whined. 

Simon trailed hot, open kisses from your neck down to your chest. He was slow as he placed them across your skin, giving every part of your breasts attention while he massaged them. There wasn’t a spot that he didn’t pass over without giving you a kiss that burned into your skin, branding you with the heat of his affection as he continued to move further down. 

He kissed your stomach, his hands running across your waist and down past your hips as he mapped out every part of your body that made you perfect. 

Heat washed over you as he kneeled in front of you. You shivered under his touch as he ran his hands down your legs, he pressed soft kisses across your thighs while he rubbed his cheek against your skin.

He looked up at you, dark eyes full of desire and adoration as water ran down his muscles. Deep within his eyes there was a heated need, something only you could satiate as he made himself comfortable on the shower floor. He hummed as he laid a leg over his shoulder, cupping your ass and giving it a firm squeeze as he moved closer to you exposed cunt which ached painfully for him. However, he didn’t move any close as he placed slower kisses to your inner thighs, sucking small marks on them as you sighed with content.

“You’re beautiful.” His warm breath against your cunt made you whimper. 

“Simon…” You were breathless as he continued to kiss your thighs. “Please.”

Simon swiped his tongue across your slit and you choked out a moan. He groaned against you, the vibrations sending shock waves up your spine as you watched his eyes flutter shut once he started to eat you out. 

He lapped at you like a man starved, desperate to get more of you as the taste of you drove him over the edge. He stuffed his face into your cunt, his nose rubbing against your clit as he dove his tongue inside of you like you were his last meal. His hands gripped your legs tightly, keeping you in place as you writhed against his mouth while loud moans escaped you.

The shower barely hid any of the wet noises that came from your cunt as he pressed you against the wall. He groaned into you as well and barely opened his eyes to stare at you while he sucked on your clit.

“Fuck…” You moaned and threw your head back, your hand falling into his wet hair.

Pleasure was building up inside of you quickly. You gripped his blonde locks as you stared into his hazy eyes as he sucked and licked your cunt until you were dripping into his mouth. You couldn’t find any words to say as his eyes burned into yours before the band snapped.

You came and your head lulled back. Your body twitched and your legs shook as you struggled to keep your footing, Simon having to hold you up instead so you wouldn’t fall. 

Simon leaned back as you came down from your orgasm, watching as your chest rose and fell with quick breaths, face covered in your arousal before he dove back in between your legs.

“W-Wait!” You gasped as you were still feeling aftershocks.

“You can take it.” He grunted into you. “Wanna taste you.”

He held onto you possessively, as if you had a chance to run away from him, while he unraveled you from the seams. He massaged his fingers into your plump flesh, squeezing and grabbing you anywhere he could while his grunts were muffled.

You moaned writhed under his hold. Pain from the overstimulation soon turned into blinding pleasure that had you holding onto his hair for dear life in an attempt to ground yourself.

“So good, fuck you’re so good, Simon.” You babbled out, your mouth moving before your mind could catch up.

Simon moaned and he sucked on your clit harder, causing you to throw your head back. His movements became more precise and he quickened his movements while making sure to watch your every move. You didn’t miss the way the desperate look came back into his eyes at the praise, almost as if he was addicted to it just as much as he was to your taste.

He slid a finger inside of you and a choked moan escaped your throat. He moved it at a steady pace, curling it up to hit that spot inside of you that had you seeing stars while he continued to suck on your clit.

The next orgasm came quickly and hard. Your eyes rolled back and your vision went out as your body jerked from the intense pleasure that made your toes curl. You moaned and squirmed, unable to catch your breath as Simon continued to finger and eat you out.

You tried to move your hips away from him, if only just for a second of relief as but he wouldn’t let you leave. Tears blurred your vision and you grabbed his shoulder, trying to push him away while also digging your fingernails into his skin in order to keep him where he was. 

You were stuck on cloud nine with blinding pleasure coursing through your veins. Your body was so hot and you felt your third orgasm approaching rapidly, suddenly the world disappeared and all you could feel was Simon.

When your walls clenched around his fingers once more and he sent you over the edge, you shook violently as not a sound escaped you.

Your body went limp and if Simon wasn’t there, kissing your heated skin as he slid his fingers out of you, you would’ve fallen to the shower floor with him. It took you a moment to open your eyes as the pleasure left your exhausted body as he rubbed circles into your skin with his thumb.

He moved your leg off his shoulder and he held you up as he stood, supporting your weight against him as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. 

Simon pressed a kiss to the top of your head and then to your temple. He peppered more around your face until he kissed you on the lips and held you close to his chest.

You moaned when you tasted yourself from his tongue and he turned off the shower, causing you to open your eyes in a daze.

“Don’t want you to fall on your arse.” He teased and you lazily smiled. “Can you make it to the bedroom?”

You shook your head, unable to speak through the daze of the intense pleasure slowly leaving your body and saw the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. 

You leaned forward and sloppily kissed his chest, listening to him sigh deeply before he hugged you. 

A deep hum resonated from him as you kissed some of his scars, letting your hand cup his jaw as you moved to place a few kisses on his neck. You sucked on the spot that you knew made him fall apart and felt him melt in your touch, he picked you up and stepped out of the shower.

Neither of you cared about trailing water out of the bathroom as he carried you to his room. Your eyes never left one another, even as he gently placed you on his mattress as if you were made of glass despite the fact he had just devoured you moments before.

Simon climbed over top of you and he stared at you as if you were divine, like you were the one who had hung the stars in the sky and dictated when the sun would rise and fall. He brushed his fingertips across your cheek as he studied your face for the thousandth time, a loving look on his face.

You took his hand and kissed each of his knuckles while you stared at him with a warm chest. You studied the scars on his face and the way the water rolled down from his hair, going along the curve of his nose that you know has been broken many times before. 

You were always captivated by his eyes, but now you couldn’t deny the fact that they were the most beautiful shade of brown you had ever seen.

“You’re beautiful.” You repeated back but you meant it with every fiber in your being. 

A smile stretched across your face when you saw his cheeks flush and the tips of his ears turned red. You giggled and he bit his lip before he hid his face in the crook of your neck, stealing kisses that made you softly sigh and run your fingers through his hair.

“Never felt this way before you.” He admitted and you wrapped your arms around him.

“Is that a bad thing?” You wondered, slightly worried about what he meant until he leaned back enough that you could look into his eyes again.

“No. Never.”

You smiled and he did too. You couldn’t help the giddy feeling in your stomach as he leaned back down to kiss you on the lips, this time so much slower than the last as you both held each other. Just being in his arms made you feel safe and loved, especially as he left you in a daze from the tender kisses he left on your sore lips.

You squirmed underneath him as the kiss became heated again. You bit his bottom lip with need as you rolled your hips up into his, causing him to stifle a grunt that made you whine.

Simon kissed you a few more times before he positioned himself at your entrance, rubbing the tip of his cock against your puffy clit to make you whimper. He rutted against you until you felt him slowly sink inside your achy cunt with a soft groan.

Pain surged through you from the stretch, his large cock almost too big for you and you dug your fingernails into his shoulder blades. Tears pricked your eyes and you whimpered, causing him to stop moving.

“Doing so good, love.” He cooed softly and you moaned at the pet name.

He waited a few moments before he moved again and you let out moan from the pain and the pleasure that coursed through you until he stopped again. He wasn’t even half way in and you already felt so full even after he ate you out. You wondered if you would be able to take all of him as he stretched you out like no one had before.

Simon kissed your neck and behind your ear as he rubbed circles into your hip while you clung onto him, adjusting to his size as you fought the urge to force more of him inside of you when you weren’t ready.

“What did the cucumber say to the pickle?” 

“...What?”

“You mean a great dill to me.”

You snorted loudly as you looked at Simon with confusion, unsure of why he decided now of all times to tell you a joke. You couldn’t help but laugh as he stared back at you with a twinkle in his eyes before he pushed himself further into you with ease, cutting off your laugh with a moan.

He bit back a groan as well as your face contorted with pleasure and pain as he bottomed out. Both of you were out of breath even though neither of you moved while you waited for you to adjust to his size.

Once you were adjusted you rolled your hips into his and you both moaned.

Simon started slow as he dragged his cock nearly all the way out before he pushed it back in, causing your head to fall back onto the mattress. The air was knocked out of your lungs as he began to thrust into you at a steady pace, quickly losing yourself in the feeling of him all the way in your stomach.

He leaned down and attacked your neck, quickening his pace which caused you to let out breathless moans. His hand traveled up to your breasts where he toyed with your nipples while he other hand grabbed your leg and pushed it up to your chest.

You moaned loudly and tugged on his hair as the new angle let him reach deep inside of you, hitting that spot inside of you that made you see stars.

“Fucking hell you feel so good.” He grunted and locked your lips in a kiss. “Like you were made for me.”

You whimpered, already feeling the pleasure building up within you again. It was only amplified when he pushed you down against the mattress to thrust as deep as he could. You were a moaning mess, any thoughts were gone from your mind as he bullied his cock inside of you without any chance to take a breather. 

Simon kissed you anywhere he could. He didn’t spare a single spot, placing kisses on your neck, face and collarbone while he pressed his body against you impossibly close. 

He stifled a whine when you ran your hand through his hair and down his neck, dragging your fingernails across his muscles as you held him. 

You clenched around him, your walls tightening as he continued to hit that spot inside of you that had you crying out his name. You hooked your legs on his hips, your eyes fluttering shut as you felt yourself get closer and closer. 

“No.” Simon grunted when he pushed himself up. He grabbed your jaw and gave you a firm squeeze to make you look at him. “Keep your eyes on me, pretty girl. Wanna see you cum again.”

All you could do was nod as he deepened his thrusts, dragging out a whine from you when you felt the tip of his cock kiss your cervix. You writhed underneath him, the all too familiar feeling of your orgasm approaching you fast as you struggled to keep your eyes open.

“That’s it.” He panted as he grabbed your hand and threaded his fingers between yours, squeezing it firmly. “Come on my cock.”

Your back arched off the bed as your orgasm hit you so fiercely you wondered if maybe you looked possessed. You couldn’t see anything as your entire body shook once more, your legs going limp while electricity surged through you. You couldn’t even moan as the air was knocked out of you when Simon quickened his pace.

He hid his face in the crook of your neck, kissing and sucking marks into your skin as he came inside you, filling you up and making you full. He lazily thrust himself into a few more times, sending shock waves through the both of you until he finally came to a stop.

Both of you were silent for a few moments as you caught your breath. Neither one of you moved from the other, keeping each other locked in a rather warm and sticky embrace from the sweat that had accumulated on your skin. 

Simon still held your hand, his thumb rubbing into your skin while you squeezed it a few times. 

After a moment of reprieve, he slowly slid out of you. The drag from his cock made you whimper and you were met with his lips pressing soft kisses to yours, causing your eyes to close.

“Clean you up.” He mumbled and you hummed, a small smile spreading across your face.

“Can you get water too?” You asked sweetly as if he’d say no to you.

“Anything else?”

You shook your head and reluctantly let him go after kissing him a few more times. You laid in his bed for a moment, a slight chill running across your skin as you fought back the urge to roll over and fall asleep in the scent of Simon. 

Soon he came back and cleaned you up while you practically chugged the water he gave you. He scoffed and pressed a few chaste kisses on your leg before he tossed the dirty towel on the floor somewhere. Without another word, he climbed into bed with you, tugging you close to his chest before he threw the blankets on top of you both.

Your head rested against his chest and you listened to his steady heartbeat while he rubbed his thumb across your hairline. You didn’t say anything as you traced the scars that pepper his skin, smiling to yourself when he would shudder and when goosebumps with form soon after. 

Your hand traveled further down and you very carefully ran your finger across the wound in his side, counting the stitches he had. You frowned when you counted at least nine of them and you nuzzled your head further into his chest as you tried to ignore the pit in your stomach.

“I have nightmares almost every night.” Simon whispered suddenly and your eyebrows knitted together. “It’s rare that I sleep.”

You bit your bottom lip, feeling a deep sadness crawl into your chest as you fought back the urge to tear up at his words. Instead, you continued to trace the scars you saw and took a deep breath.

“Did you have a nightmare that scared you?” You whispered back and he nodded. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Simon curled his arms around you protectively. He shook ever so slightly and you pressed comforting kisses to his chest as he stayed silent for a long while. He swallowed hard and his breathing became heavier while you waited patiently for him to continue or for him to tell you he didn’t want to talk about it.

“You died.” He exhaled sharply and you pressed yourself further into him. “I wasn’t there to protect you and you didn’t know how to.”

There was a beat and he let out a shaky breath. You turned your attention to him, looking up into his eyes to see a pain that made your heart shatter. He wasn’t going to tell you the details, but you gathered from the way there were tears in his eyes and from how scared he had been earlier today, that whatever had happened in the dream left him broken.

You rubbed comforting circles into his skin.

“I should’ve told you, I just…” He cleared his throat and shut his eyes tight. “Can’t lose you.”

You shushed him softly and pulled him into a hug, wrapping your arms around him comfortingly as he sniffled. You ran your hands through his hair as you tried to soothe him, feeling the fear he had held down since this morning ease into the air. 

He held you back firmly and took a deep breath, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck.

“I’m here.” You reassured him and he sighed. “I know you’re scared but I’m safe because of you.”

Simon didn’t say anything as he squeezed you and you stayed quiet, mumbling soft reassurances in his ear. 

Even if there was something that had to be done, neither of you were getting out of bed for the rest of the day.

Link to part 9

A/N: the long awaited chapter. Hope you guys like the smut, it was meant to be intimate and passionate but that might've gotten lost in the writing lol. Next one will have less arguments, more fun, but still angst cause unfortunately things can’t always be happy

The tag list is closed!! I am so happy that so many of you want to be tagged for this story but I will not be accepting anymore requests to tag people in this series since this list has gotten long and it's hard to keep track of how many I have to add! Sorry for the inconvenience!

Tags:

@kat-nee @alexwashere82 @suicidal-marshmellow @shuttlelauncher81 @poohkie90 @reiya-djarin @k4marina @mionacaped @igotmajordaddyissues @xxghostyx @pasta-m1lk @imstargazing @jacksonpleasestopkillingme @kgive @konig-is-bbygrl @lialacleaf @frazie99 @gremlin-ghuleh @spencerreidisbae123 @alastorhazbin @writingmysanity @lillianastuff @alastorhazbin @reid490 @lockleywife @sheepselecric @dead-noodles @marshmallowtraver @sinclairbrosbathmat @sofasoap @crazyfandomist @iwmtfm @oiiviagrande @genesis1363 @revyjerry @guttabutta00 @greenkiki @d4z01 @quietlyignoringyou @mysticalgalaxysalad @almightywdm @maviee @lycheedr3ams @multitargaryen @fruitymoonbeams-blog @lilpothoscuttings @eatingtheworldsoffanfiction @adriennepoison

[alientee]

This is rated 18+ just in case minors don’t interact Maugaxreader

🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋

I’ve had Mauga brain rot since he came out and there not enough fan fiction for me so I’m weighting this because it’s a funny thought I had in my mind I may even make it into a series. Reader is AFAB. Mauga x reader, some fluff, just a lil smut (barley) maybe more in the future enjoy!!!!!

You were relatively new to overwatch, but you were strong. The team knew you had their back, and that’s all that mattered; it also helped you have omnikinesis. But you couldn’t control it that well; you were unstable.

That’s why you reached out to overwatch, to control yourself before you hurt the others around you again. It’s a good thing they found out about you before talon or who knows what could have happened?

Speaking of Talon, you are having a team fight against them now. They tried to destroy another omnic and human peace event. Some of the richest humans and omnics were attending.

So you, Ana, Mei, Winston, and Lifeweaver were on guard duty. And lo and behold, here comes Sigma, Sombra, Reaper, Moria and some other big guy you didn’t know to ruin the party. Everyone began to run around in the grand dining room.

Sombra was hacking communications, so you couldn’t check on your backup. Mei and Ana were dealing with Reaper, and Moria, Winston, and Lifeweaver were dealing with Sombra and Sigma. That left you with the hulking, raging giant with tribal tattoos.

You quickly dodge his machine guns, using everything around you in the room as a shield. You quickly hide, trying to regain yourself; if you lose focus, you lose control.

“HEY HEY HEY WHERE DID YOU GO?!”

You hear smashing and bullets flying, trying to think of a plan in your head.

“EITHER YA COME OUT OR I START SETTING SHIT ON FIRE YOUR CHOICE HAHAHA!”

“Ok your completely insane” You whispered

You snuck around the hulking hot head. You hype yourself up to do a sneak attack that hopefully won’t take down the whole building. You focus on all the skylights and chandlers, bringing them down on top of the hulking man before jumping on his back, ready to detain him.

Until you were encased in darkness.

You find yourself squished by the man who was trying to kill you just moments ago. You were lying on his chest and straddling his waist while he was scrunched up and bent forward. You look up at him, seeing the snarl on his face.

“Ummmmmm hi there” , his eyes narrowed at you.

“What the fuck did you do!”.

You look at him startled and confused. “What do you mean I thought this was you?”

He looks like he’s about to yell at you again untill you both hear somthing.

“(Y/N)! Can you hear me!” It was Ana “YES!”

“Sigma got you two stuck in there!”

The large man shouted right in my ear while his chest rumbled underneath me. “HE DID WHAT!”

“Ah Mauga my friend would you like to hear about my new project. I was trying to trap the other one but you’ll make a great tester as well!” you could hear the collective sighs outside.

“It’s a black cube! One could say it’s a miniature black hole, but not a black hole at all, just a void in cuboid shape. It’s supposed to hold matter and keep it stabilized in place. It’s purpose is to hold things until it fully disappears on its own. Can you hear the melody within the universe? ”

You could feel the man named Mauga stiffen beneath you, you stiffen as well.

“Does that mean we dissapear to!” You scream

“Hmm possibly or maybe it will disappear without you in it the possibilities are endless.”

Your about to speak again when you hear Mauga grunt, you look up seeing him move his head down, that’s when you realize it’s shrinking now.

“It’s shrinking now!”

“Don’t worry (Y/N) given the circumstances we will work together until your both out”

“Don’t die in there Mauga I still have use for you” You shiver hearing Moria speak in such a way it’s gross.

You look up and see Mauga looking annoyed and uncomfortable “I’m sorry”

“Why you didn’t do nothing”

“It’s just that, if it shrinks without disappearing you’ll die. I could probably protect myself if I think of a way but I don’t know how it would affect you I can’t fully control my powers.” All he does is hum in response.

“(Y/N)! Can you use your powers to force the cube open!” Now that’s and idea but before you could even think about it Sigma speaks again.

“If you try to force a black hole to seperate it may disrupt everything around it destroying us all”

but sigma speaks again “But if she uses her powers and makes a black whole within a black hole?”

“Then Mauga dies, it would be such a waist but it may be an easier option” Moria spoke again, you could see Mauga rolling his eyes “Fuck you”

You look back up at Mauga you can still see the cube slightly shrinking again. “Mauga who are you?” He looks at me confused not saying a word. You sigh and speak again.

“If I’m going watch someone die in a cube I at least want to know them.”

You can’t help but stare into his eyes; he looks very handsome. Just something about him being a giant hunk of muscle with a sharp tooth smirk had you enticed.

He looks at you and puts a smirk on telling you the basics: he fought a war, he got two hearts, he lives his life as he pleases, and the rest is history.

You learned he liked video games, he takes pride in being strong and actually works out, letting you know he’s not an experiment with Moria, he’s a hot head but he’s passionate, and you even learned you both own a pair of shark slides.

The cube really did seem to be some type of black hole because you lost track of time and talked for what seemed like hours.

“Since you wanna know me so bad you mind doing me a favor” you nod looking at him

“If I die in here do something for me” You stiffen and look away sadly; you didn’t want to think about him dying in here, especially being responsible for someone’s last wishes.

You may be able to save yourself with your powers, but not at the expense of Mauga's life. You could only hope you would get out before then.

“I need you to tell Bap that I was mad at him for trying to blow me up and for leaving me behind. I was willing to drag his ass back; I missed him. Tell him the next time he grows a conscience, don’t skip out on your friends.” You looked at him confused, but nonetheless agreed.

“Ummm ok I’m not even going to get into that, is that all” He looks away and ponders “Make sure my turtle plush and guns are buried with me to and make my funeral a celebration of me not some sad ass drag of a day”

“Considering we’re technically supposed to be enemy’s I don’t think I’ll be able to plan that who knows what they’d do to your body, but I’ll try my best”

“That’s all I ask”

We stare into each others eyes what seems like forever. Until he leans down more moving his forhead to mine “One more thing?”

You look into his eyes shyly looking away when his gaze got to intense. He looks at me giving me a wink and that damned smirk of his. “What is it?”

“I always said if I died, I’d be on my terms. I wanted go out happy with a gun in each hand and a smile on my face. But right now I think the only thing that could make me happy is if I was taken care of by a beautiful lady?”

You blush looking at him with wide eyes “Are you asking me to have sex with you!?”

“Can’t really do that in this position doll” He’s laughing his ass off, you want to wipe that smirk off his face.

“Then what do you mean?”

He looks down your breast and you blush getting and idea of what he wanted. “If you could let me lay my face in those big tits of yours that’s a way to go” he smirks.

You feel your blush go from your face to your neck. “We don’t even know if your going to die Mauga, they could be done getting us out any minute.”

You listen outside to see if I can hear anything.

“We are not destroying the cube Moria!”

“Why not Mauga can be replaced and that girl can cause the destruction of our universe she’s a liability and a threat”

You could only mumble under your breath. “Your ugly face is a liability and a threat to everyone’s day and stomach”

You hear Mauga chuckle. “Don’t worry I’ll make sure to fuck up all her lab shit if I get out of this”.

You noticed his words if. And you couldn’t deal with that. If he died you’d have been to useless to stop it and in that moment you didn’t want to think about him dying.

You can see the cube shrinking more but Mauga doesn’t make a sound of discomfort, it’s like he doesn’t want to bother you every time the cube gets smaller.

“Hey Mauga”

“What’s up?”

You wrap your arms around his broad shoulders and push his face down into your breast. You don’t know what possessed you, but the thought of giving him his last wishes made you confident in your decision.

Mauga snuggles his head in your chest. You hold him there pushing his head down , not wanting him to see your blushing face making this even more awkward.

As if he can sense your distress Mauga motor boats your chest making you laugh. “Hahaha what the heck Mauga!”

“Just enjoying my new home. I love it here.”

He pushes his face deeper in your breast, inhaling your sent. “Hmmmm I really love it here” You feel him lick your chest.

“Mauga! W-what are you doing”

You pull back to find him looking at you with lust in his eyes and a shit eating smirk.

“You looked nervous I wanted to break the ice. I want you to enjoy this too. Can I?”

You don’t know if it was the way he looked at you, or because this was the first time you’ve felt a man’s touch like this, or maybe it was the fact that you wanted to help him; either way you nodded your head giving him the green light.

He puts his forehead against yours once more. “I need words sweetie, tell me what you want”

You look down refusing to make eye contact “I want you to touch me Mauga”

He slowly moves in and kisses your lips, his lips are surprisingly soft he pulls back biting your bottom lip. He moves his face down back to your breast, kissing and biting them slightly, leaving read marks on your skin. You use the front of your hands to pull down the top of your dress, thanking yourself the dress you had on didn’t require you to wear a bra.

He looks up at you as he slowly licks around your breast, taking a nipple in his mouth. His hands cant reach your chest so he settles on placing them on your ass.

Your eyes roll back in pleasure as he suckles on your nipple, his tongue flicking against it softly. He gropes your ass, squeezing your cheeks roughly. You can’t help but moan softly in his ear.

He releases your nipple with a loud pop giving the same attention to the other while nibbling it.

You can feel something slightly poke at you. You realized Mauga got hard. He felt so big even behind his pants. You slightly raised yourself to sit on top of his dick and begin to grind on his erection.

Hoping to give him and yourself some relief, your panties were soaking wet from the attention. You didn’t want to think about the wet spot you were about to leave on his pants.

“Fuck~, you feel so good sweetheart.”

You were about to respond but the cube starts to shake rapidly. You quickly pull your dress up and hold on to Mauga. All you can think about is his safety wanting to put both of you in a shield that could protect you no matter what.

And it seemed like your powers agreed. Because the next thing you know, you and Mauga are in a giant bubble floating above everyone.

He’s looking at you with wide eyes his frown turning into a giant smirk. “I made you feel so good you broke the cube huh”

Your embarrassment must have faulted your concentration, because you two instantly fell from the sky. You land on top of him in front of everyone making it even more awkward.

Everyone looked down at you two before you quickly got up and walked towards your team while covering yourself, just incase you didn’t put your dress on quite right. Reaper spoke up

“Next time you all die”

Ana spoke before anyone else “Oh shut up Gabriel I’m sick of the death jokes”

As they begin to leave Mauga turns towards you giving you a wink.

“It was fun sweetheart”. And he walks away with the rest of talons members.

Mei spoke up while everyone else looked at me “Did he hurt you (y/n)?”

“No he didn’t, he’s just messing with me”

They all nodded and we all begin to retreat back to headquarters. You could only guess sombra hacked everything before you even tried to get back up because no one showed. You started to wonder if you’d ever see Mauga again.

That thought alone made you blush. Lifeweaver tapped your shoulder. He gave you a smirk showing you he was laughing at you. You look at him confused wondering what was so funny.

“What is it?”

He leaned down and whispered in your ear.

“I hope he wasn’t to rough with you”

You looked at him in horror and confusion how could he even know! You looked down to your chest seeing dark red marks all over your breast.

Dammit Mauga!

[neteyamssyulang]

† Scandalous Consequences †

† Chapter I †

† For this story the humans use a shot to breath pandora air †

† Based on this request †

† Pairing: Aonung aged up x Fem human reader †

† Summary: You didn’t know that one night with Aonung would change your life forever

† Warnings: One night stand, Smut 18+, P in V, Dom Aonung, Sub reader, Belly bulge, Creampie, Rude Aonung.

† Total word count: 2,263 †

† Translation(s): Translation(s): Marui -> Home, Tsne sevin tawtute.. atut oe si nga zir tsìltsan -> Shh pretty human, let me make you feel good, Nafì'u a tsìltsan 'eve su oe -> Such a good girl for me, 'upe lu keyawr hì'i 'aw -> What’s wrong little one?, Hahaw lu losk. Oe mkna efuu säfpìlh -> Sleep is overrated. I have better ideas, Oe rnua si tsal ha -> I’ll make it fit, Syulang -> Flower, Kehe, nga’lur venatal lu ou sonfey pam -> No, your moans are my favorite sound, Tewng -> Loincloth, Tawtute -> Human, Sa’nok -> Mother, Ma’Itan -> My son, Vrrtep -> Demon.

† A/N: This took so long to get out I’m sorry

It wasn't supposed to happen like this, it was one thing that now led to you being stuck with the metkayina prince, Aonung.

When Jake had called in saying they needed new coms and some amo for his guns, Norm had instructed you to come with him and Max to drop off the supplies which you happily agreed too.

It had been so long since you saw the sully's ever since they left the forest to seek uturu in the metkayina village.

The flight there took exactly 4 days as you made your way over the vast ocean towards awa'atlu, your heart beat in excitement knowing you'd be able to see your friends again.

As the helicopter landed on the beach a sea of metkayina crowded around the alien machine curious on what it is and why it's there.

Immediately spotting Jake you jumped out the helicopter and ran up to him hugging him, he chuckled at this since you barely reached past his belly button but nevertheless he was happy to see you.

You helped him carry the boxes of equipment to his marui, technically he had to carry you aswell since the bouncy walkway kept making you almost fall.

Once reaching the marui your greeted by the rest of the sullys who are eager to hug you once Jake sets you down.

The sullys were like your second family, you were always with them when they still lived in the forest, even Neytiri loved you despite her hate for humans.

As the time came for you, Max and Norm to leave a bad storm came rolling in. The weather became too bad for flying in so you three had to stay until the storm passed.

You were each given your own temporary marui and Aonung offered to start the fire for each of you so you could cook your meals and also stay warm.

When it came time for Aonung to start the fire in your marui you and him began talking, that talking soon led to him leaning in to kiss you.

"A-Aonung wha-" "Tsne sevin tawtute.. atut oe si nga zir tsìltsan.." he murmured softly finally capturing your lips with his. The kiss was soft but passionate, one of his hands moved to your hip while the other went to your cheek gently stroking it.

The metkayina carefully picked you up before getting up and walking over to the bed, slowly he got down placing you onto the soft bedding never breaking the kiss.

The size difference between you both made him feel even more arousad to where he couldn't hardly control himself, he broke the kiss only to trail wet kisses to your neck sucking and nipping at the skin.

You moaned softly turning your head to give the man more access, "Nafì'u a tsìltsan 'eve su oe" he praised.

Slight realization hits you and your using most of your strength to try and push him off, confused Aonung leans up still hovering over you "'upe lu keyawr hì'i 'aw?"

Looking away still you avoided his gaze "We can't do this.. it's wrong and we should be sleeping." You spoke quietly.

Aonung sighed moving one of his hands to your chin forcing you to look at him as he spoke "Hahaw lu losk. Oe mkna efuu säfpìlh."

His eyes locked with yours and slowly you nodded your head giving him the ok, the metkayina brought one of your hands to his lips gently kissing each individual finger before doing the same to your other hand.

Placing your hands back down he helped take off the baggy shirt you wore along with your bra, panties, and shorts so you were left bare under his lustful gaze.

Leaning back down Aonung placed a soft kiss on your lips until he trailed those kisses down your body all while keeping eye contact with you.

Aonung knows you won't be able to properly take him unless he prepares you, it's taking him so much restraint to hold back instead of pouncing on you taking it for himself.

A shiver runs down your spine as you feel his hot breath against your pussy, his long tongue runs up and down your slit slowly before two of his fingers spread your lips open.

Instantly his mouth waters at the sight and he dives in, one of his fingers prodes at your entrance till it slips inside curling against your sweet spot.

Soft moans leave your lips as your hands reached down tangling themselves in his hair, “Aonung!..” you squealed feeling your orgasm approaching rapidly.

Aonung grinned against your folds slipping yet another finger inside you “Yes pretty girl?” He purred, his thick na’vi accent making you clench around his fingers.

Before you could reach your climax he removed his fingers from your now dripping pussy bringing them to his lips sucking your juices off.

Your skin warmed as you watched him but quickly looked away as his gaze set on you, a low growl rumbled through Aonungs chest as he grabbed your chin forcing you to look at him “Keep your eyes on me beautiful.”

Obeying you kept your eyes on him watching as he now let go of you to quickly untie his tewng throwing it off to the side, shit he was massive..

The metkayina smirked seeing your eyes widen, he knew he was going to have fun ruining you for everyone else. “W-will it even fit?” You asked softly wondering if this was a good idea.

Aonung didn’t respond at first, he quickly moved between your legs positioning his hard cock at your entrance “Oe rnua si tsal ha'” he murmured now slipping his cockhead past your entrance slowly stretching you out.

The stretch burned worse than his fingers, your body felt like it was on fire. Aonung noticed tears threatening to fall from your eyes and stilled his movements leaning down to pepper loving kisses along your face, neck, and chest.

“Shh syulang it’s ok” he spoke softly giving you time to adjust to his size, once the burning sensation started going away you tapped his shoulder giving him the ok to start moving again.

Slowly he began moving pushing more of his length into you, finally he bottomed out and a prominent buldge could be seen in your stomach.

The last of Aonungs resolve crumbled, he pulled out halfway before snapping his hips into yours making a choked out moan leave your lips.

His pace was brutal not caring how fragile your small body was, one of your hands gripped onto his arm while the other covered your mouth muffling your moans.

Huffing Aonung picked up his pace, his heavy balls slapping against your ass “Kehe, nga’lur venatal lu ou sonfey pam!”

One of his hands stayed next to your head holding himself up while the other yanked the hand that was covering your mouth off. “T-they wi-will he-h-he-” “Let them hear how good I’m making you feel, I do not care” he cut you off hissing.

Your orgasm was building up fast again as well as Aonungs, but him being a “gentleman” he held back wanting you to cum first.

Using his free hand he pushed down on the bulge on your stomach making the coil inside you snap, you screamed as your orgasm washed over you, your walls clenching around his now throbbing cock.

Aonung groaned rolling his eyes back feeling you get even tighter if that’s even possible, with one last hard thrust he buried himself deep inside of you spilling his seed in your womb.

You both stayed in that position for awhile until the metkayina pulled away, his now softed cock slipping out of you with a wet pop. Reaching over he got a cloth that was tied to his tewng and proceeded to clean you up as best as he could without hurting you.

He then cleaned himself up putting his tewng back on afterwards, looking over he saw how tired and worn out you were so he helped you put your own clothes back on “You did so well tawtute..but this will never happen again.”

His voice was the last thing you heard as you drifted off to sleep.

The next morning came fast with the suns rays shining through slits in the marui, your eyes fluttered open expecting to see Aonung but he wasn’t there.

Confused you sat up looking around, you thought he would’ve stayed after what happened but apparently not. The flaps of the marui burst open with an exhausted Max walking through “Let’s go y/n, Norm is waiting for us.”

Nodding you stoood up wincing at the pain between your legs as you and Max left the marui stepping onto the bouncy walkway, the walk to the helicopter was short but felt long since you had to navigate your way past the na’vi.

The sullys were waiting for you as you finally reached it, you bid everyone goodbye before stepping inside after Max. The blades started spinning as the helicopter rose taking off back to the forest.

5 months have passed by, you got back into your normal routine just helping out the scientists, except now occasionally running to the bathroom throwing up.

That wasn’t even the worse part of this, you realized 3 months after you came back that you were pregnant. Wanting to keep it to yourself you never told anyone and if anyone ever did ask you’d just say it was food poisoning.

Eventually you grew concerned, you were carrying a half na’vi half human child in your womb but your stomach only had a small bump which you could cover easily.

Sighing you made your way out the human outpost and towards the village, eywa it was only a 10 minute walk yet you were already tired.

Upon reaching the village you walked to the healers tent stepping inside, Mo’at who was alone in there just grinding some herbs lifted her head smiling at you.

“My child, what brings you here?” She asked raising a non existent eyebrow since you did not seem to be injured, hesitantly you walked over now kneeling infront of her.

Before you can speak she smiled “Does it have something to do with the child growing inside you?”

Your eyes widened in surprise “How- how did you-” , “I am tsahik darling I always know.” Well that was true but it still shocked you.

“You must go back to the metkayina clan” she spoke standing up placing the now grounded herbs on a small desk.

Huffing in disbelief you stood up carefully “I will not, I have no reason to go back there.”

The tsahik chuckled quietly to herself “My dear” she began turning towards you “You mated with a metkayina and now are carrying his child, you must go back.”

You can’t believe your going back to awa’atlu, Mo’at had you pack all your belongings which wasn’t much then get into one of the helicopters with her following behind.

Naturally she didn’t want to ride in the alien machine but she did not have a choice, her ikran was killed in the first war and she has not bonded with another since then.

It was rare for tsahiks to venture off leaving the village but she planned everything out, her prized student would take over as acting tsahik while she was away which would only be for a few days.

The ride to awa’atlu was annoying as it was last time, you stayed quiet most of the flight there only engaging in conversation if someone wanted to speak with you.

After 4 long days the village came into sight and once again it landed in the same spot with netkayina gathering around the machine.

You stepped out first then Mo’at moving through the sea of metkayina towards the healers tent where Ronal would be and surely she was.

Mo’at gestured for you to stay outside while she went in to discuss the situation with the tsahik of the metkayina. A few moments pass before both tsahiks walk out with Ronal glaring daggers at you.

“We have decided” Mo’at spoke first, you were confused till you saw Aonung walking over with his ears pinned back against his head.

He stood next to his mother Ronal as she now spoke “You will stay here with my son as you two are now mates” “But sa’nok..” “It is decided ma’itan!” She hissed.

Mo’at gave you a soft smile along with words of encouragement as she walked away back to the helicopter, you watched as she got inside and the helicopter slowly rised till flying away.

Looking back to Aonung and Ronal you gulped quietly, Aonung was narrowing his eyes at you while his mother was yelling at him in na’vi gesturing towards you.

His gaze fell to the ground as Ronal turned to look at you “You will stay in my sons marui of course and I will come by later to check how you are doing” she said with a fake smile.

Not wanting to anger her more you simply nodded turning towards Aonung since Ronal walked back into the healers tent.

“I-” “Do not speak to me vrrtep!” He hissed at you turning around walking off leaving you alone. Aonung couldn’t believe what was happening to him, he didn’t want a mate especially not a human mate.

Groaning in frustration he made his way to a certain marui hoping to relive some of his stress before having to return to you.

[bratzforchris]

the piercer!johnnie fic made me think about a tattoo artist!reader x johnnie

Hello Kitty Tattoo

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ

Summary: In which you give Johnnie a surprise tattoo for a video<3

Pairing: Johnnie x tattoo artist!feminine reader

Warnings: Tattooing (?is that a warning?)

Word Count: 776

A/N: Thank you for the request!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ

“Hey guys!” Johnnie smiled, waving to the camera. “So, today I’m gonna get a new tattoo. Shocker,” he fake gasped. “Only this one is going to come from my lovely girlfriend.”

You smiled and waved to the camera as Johnnie kissed your cheek. You were rather shy, seeing as how this was the first ever video you were filming with Johnnie. “Hi, I’m Y/N. I’m Johnnie’s girlfriend…and I’m also a tattoo artist.” You whispered quietly, but with a smile. 

You weren’t used to talking to a camera, which made your voice shake a bit and your cheeks flush. Johnnie kissed your cheek again, whispering words of encouragement. He knew whatever he didn’t want in the video, he could edit out. All that mattered to him right now was that you were comfortable. After all, this was his video and his career, despite your protests that you were okay with everything. 

“So before I get my tattoo, you guys are probably wondering how Y/N and I met since it’s her big reveal!” Johnnie became more animated as he talked about you. “Jake dared me to try a new tattoo shop while we were in Santa Monica and Y/N was the best in the area.” 

You blushed over his words, but made finger guns back at your boyfriend. “You know it.”

“The rest is history,” he chuckled, doing jazz hands. “But now, let’s get into the actual point of today’s video. Y/N is going to give me a tattoo of her choice. I don’t know if I should be excited or afraid.” Johnnie laughed. 

He panned his vlogging camera around your private room in the tattoo studio you owned with your best friend. It was the complete opposite of a typical tattoo parlor’s aesthetic, decorated with pink, Hello Kitty, and Marie from the Aristocats. 

“Johnnie,” You smiled, a devious look on your face as you waved to the camera. “I think you need a Hello Kitty tattoo.”

Your boyfriend panned the camera back to his face, making a loud squeal. “I’m being tortured by the Hello Kitty girl.” he said in one of his silly voices. 

“Sit down.” You playfully groaned, rolling your eyes. 

Johnnie sat on the tattoo bench, patiently waiting for you to design and decide where his tattoo should go. It didn’t take you long to write up a beautiful sketch; you’d been thinking about this tattoo idea for Johnnie for weeks, simply because it was a perfect combination of you both. You hadn’t known how to bring it up, though, until Johnnie proposed you tattooing him for a video. 

“Done!” You cheered. “Lift your shirt.” You instructed, smirking at the camera. 

“I’m scared, guys.” Johnnie told his vlog. 

You expertly placed the stencil on Johnnie’s hip, instructing him to close his eyes so he couldn’t peek. You prepared all the supplies you would need, planning on giving your boyfriend a fine line tattoo, which was much different than his usual style. 

“Alright, I’m putting the camera on the tripod now so Johnnie can’t peek and I’m going to blindfold him.” You were slowly getting more comfortable talking to the camera, which Johnnie would make for a chaotic video now and even more in the future. 

You set everything up, blindfolding Johnnie and making sure to clean the space and put on fresh latex gloves before speaking. “Are you ready?” You asked your boyfriend, firing up your machine.

He nodded quietly and giggled, mentioning something about ‘don’t draw a Barbie on me’. You began to work on the tattoo, speaking every now and then between you two, but mostly staying quiet so you could concentrate. It didn’t take you as long as you thought it would; only about two and a half hours in total with water and bathroom breaks. 

“Alright guys,” You panned the camera to the tattoo bed where Johnnie was still blindfolded and giggling. “Are you guys ready to see Johnnie’s new tattoo?”

“Yes!” Johnnie groaned. “Show me!”

You quickly wiped the new ink off, before removing Johnnie’s blindfold and smiling proudly as he glanced at your work. It was a Hello Kitty tattoo, but she was holding an electric guitar, mid head bang with dark eyeliner rimming her eyes and a skull bow. 

“I love it,” Johnnie laughed, kissing you deeply. “It’s perfect. The perfect combination of us.” 

“I’ve wanted you to get that tattoo for weeks. I was just waiting for the right time.” You smirked. 

And as you and Johnnie said goodbye to the video, you couldn’t help but to ask one of your artist friends to do the same design on your own hip.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hope you don't mind my idea, I may be a bit biased towards soldier lads ^^;

If your working with Lethal Company, how about a situation where the reader isn't scared of the Nutcracker, but is crazy enough to try and befriend it cause they like the fairytale that much?

OOO this is a big brain idea-

Nutcrackers stress me out,,but oh to befriend them..

.....

With the quota constantly rising, you and your team had to take greater risks on moons with more hostile creatures roaming about....all for the sake of selling scrap.

You four had different roles: One was a scouter, the second a budget manager, the third a fighter (they never left the ship without a shovel or zap gun), and you manned the ship while everyone else explored the facilities.

You watched the monitors and chatted with them through walkie-talkies, alerting them to loot or danger.

Although you've saved their lives more times than you could count on both hands, you kinda got bored and wanted to help collect scrap yourself.

One day, the bestiary on the terminal gets updated with a new creature:

The Nutcracker.

Not long afterwards, everyone returned to the ship freaking the fuck out. Nobody died, and the loot was decent, but they were very much shaken-up by this "Nutcracker" entity they encountered.

It apparently had a shotgun that made them all nearly deaf upon firing AND came close to blowing their brains out.

Yet viewing its model on the terminal did awaken a little bit of childhood nostalgia in you, seeing as it looked like a life-sized nutcracker soldier.

Back on Earth, you loved that fairytale: The Nutcracker and the Mouse.

You even watched performances of the ballet/suite around Christmas.

Least to say, you weren't scared of it..and you wanted to actually see this entity for yourself.

Your team opposed it, until one employee mentioned their scanner registered the shotgun as scrap--and you volunteered to go retrieve it since it could set you above the quota.

Obviously you weren't gonna do that, but managed to convince them to let you go alone.

So you get teleported into the facility, almost immediately spotting the Nutcracker on its patrol, walking around like a true soldier and clicking as it surveyed its surroundings.

You notice the upper half of its head extending, revealing a grisly fleshy eye in its "mouth" as it rotated around.

Now you knew it was likely just a machine controlled by a parasite, but you were still fascinated by it nevertheless.

Then your walkie talkie goes off.

"Hurry up, we leave at midni-"

You instantly turn it off, yet the Nutcracker was alerted.

Next thing you knew, it swung around the corner you were hiding, loading two bullets into it shotgun as it stomped closer and closer...

That's when you got an insane idea and pulled out some items you've held onto since starting this job:

A hard copy of the original Nutcracker tale and a smaller figurine of the soldier.

They were comforts from your childhood. You'd never sell them as scrap. Not even if they're worth a million dollars.

You see the entity hesitate, before the eye reveals itself again and stares at your treasured collectibles.

"I-I always liked your stories and ballets.." You stammer out, still facing down the barrel of its gun, knowing death could await you at any moment. "Could we....maybe be friends, Nutcracker, sir?"

You doubt the damn thing could even understand you...

But then it suddenly shifts its focus back on you and raises its gun, opening fire-

Yet you don't drop dead.

Instead you hear the hiss of a Bracken who was mere centimeters away from snapping your neck, and you realize a bullet tore through one of its leaves.

It looked betrayed, but the Nutcracker's one-eyed glare sent it scurrying back into the shadows.

Apparently it was scared of brief eye contact from all creatures, not just humans.

You couldn't believe what just happened.

The Nutcracker...defended you?

You began to thank it for saving your life, but it's cut short when you're teleported back to the ship and your crew is relieved it's not your dead body.

Yet they'd call you crazy if you even implied that you somehow befriended the entity that just tried killing them all...

So you keep this secret locked away in your journal, wondering if there's other Nutcrackers out there who'd act like the one who saved you.

[j-eryewrites]

Left Behind When We Are In Need

Part Seven of A Sinner's Redemption

SERIES MASTER LIST | MAIN MASTER LIST

Previous | Next

Word Count: ~21.k

Author's Note: This chapter covers some pretty dark topics. Most of the events happen in canon, but I will still say it. Do not read this chapter if dark themes such as SA trigger you. I have put discretions above the sections containing these triggers to warn you again. I am not in charge and do not control the media you consume. Please read at your own risk. That being said, enjoy this extremely angsty and dark chapter.

*Note: I very briefly edited it, and it has not been beta read.

Trigger Warnings: Canon typical violence, gore, gun violence, descriptions of injuries, attempted SA, mentions of death, descriptions of death, depressive thoughts, fire, cults/religion, mentions cannibalism, cursing/language, creepy men, mentions of pedophilia

꧁_꧂

Numb, that's all Piper felt as she sat on the porch. The chill morning light kissed her skin, and the birds sang their good morning, yet Piper couldn't feel anything. She couldn't hear the sweet song or sense the loving caress of the sunbeams. She no longer felt cold, and most of all, she was no longer sick.

She was well aware of how illness worked. It was human to contract illness, but Piper didn't feel human. She was alive and breathing, for that she was sure. However, after the scars left by Joel's words and the wounds that reopened, Piper was in pain. Sure, humans felt pain, but not like this, Not pain that lasts for 17 years. Not a pain that only increases with each breath. Sinking deeper into the frozen porch, Piper clenched her fists. No, the pain she felt wasn't human. It was a message calling out to her, a consequence, and a promise. It was a promise of death. She'd been right when she told Joel. Piper was only made to kill, and she only knew how to kill. She was a killing machine, built to survive and destroy. She wasn't human. She wasn't sure she'd ever been one at all. Maybe once, she could have been through the love she held for her sister, but it was revealed to Piper as she lay bleeding in the snow that maybe Ellie didn't want her love. Maybe Ellie was just as hurt and angry as she was, and no amount of love would change that.

Deep in her depressive derailing, Piper could not hear the crunching of the freshly fallen snow underneath Tommy's feet as he crept away from his home, family, and life to the house across the street.

A huff of air fogged Tommy's view as he stilled, noticing the statue of Piper on the porch. Her cheeks burned a bright red underneath the wood-brown knit beanie atop her head. Where tuffs of long dark hair used to lay were now pinkened, freckled skin. Around her cheeks and eyes, dark purple and blue shades merged as if a child mixed watercolor paints together. Tommy frowned at the sight, taking care to slowly approach.

"How long have you been out here?" Tommy asked her once he reached the front steps.

Piper shrugged and stood up, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. The sound of Tommy knocking on the front door was drowned out by Piper's heavy steps as she descended the stairs and began her trek in the snow.

"Hey, wait," Tommy called out to Piper. Suddenly, the door flung open and slammed shut, revealing Ellie. Ellie hopped down and trickled after her sister, leaving a wide gap between the two. For a moment, Tommy could only stand and stare before he realized he was supposed to follow the girls and lead them.

The walk to the stables seemed longer than Tommy remembered it being. With how fast the girls were walking, he was sure he'd get there faster than he thought. Yet the silence and grim expression of the girls made the trek over exponentially longer. The cold bitterness of the winter's day slightly softened as they walked into the stables.

Hay and straw decorated the floor, and various saddles, ropes, and grooming tools hung along the wall. Tommy motioned for the girls to follow as he led them down the stables. Arriving at the last few stables, Tommy stopped and sighed, stepping back.

A scowl formed on the girls' faces upon seeing what stood inside the stables.

"You came here to say goodbye or something?" Ellie spat.

"No," Joel replied as he saddled up the horse. "I came here to steal one of these horses, probably two since there's three of us, and go."

"I woulda gave you 'em," Tommy told Joel.

"I know," Joel nodded.

"Anyway…," Joel turned to the girls. "…that was 30 minutes ago, and I guess… you two deserve a choice. I still think you'd be better off with Tommy…"

"Let's go," Ellie declared and stepped into the stable.

"Okay." Joel stepped aside and looked at Piper. "Piper?"

Biting her lip, she stared at Joel. A wave of emotions crashed over her. Joel was standing in front of her, saying he'd stay. The deeper his words sank in, the more her nerves began to work. She began to feel the sharp cold that stained her cheeks and clung to her head. The soreness of the bruises Ellie had left behind struck deep within her muscles. Piper began to feel again.

With her silence, Joel stepped forward. The light trickling through the wooden planks of the stables illuminated the bruises and minor cuts from Piper's hasty haircut. Suddenly, Joel's eyes became watery, and his heart sank deep into the pits of his guilt. How long had those bruises been there? Why didn't he see them? How could he have let it happen?

After a few quiet moments, acceptance filled Piper's being, and she nodded, unsure if her words would fail her. She was glad Joel stayed, but the night before had left its mark and made her bleed. A wound like that is not so easily forgotten or forgiven.

Joel couldn't help the soft smile that melted onto his face. Waving his hand, he led Piper into the other stall where the horse he prepared earlier was ready to ride.

"You good to ride on your own? Hard to fight three people on a horse," Joel explained. Piper nodded before placing her foot in the staddle and lifting herself onto the back of the steed.

"Hold onto both," Joel instructed, gently taking Piper's hands. Mm-hmm," he hummed when they were on the lead. Once she was on the horse, Joel led the creature out of the stall. Then he got Ellie onto the horse before turning to Tommy.

"General direction?" He asked Tommy.

"Head southeast till you hit I-25. It's right off the interstate. Shouldn't be hard to miss." The crease between Tommy's eyebrows deepened, and he drew his brother in for a hug. Patting his shoulder, Tommy pulled back. There's a place for you here… The three of you," he explained with as much sincerity as he could muster.

Joel glanced back at his girls. They were his girls. It was a fact he could no longer deny. "Countin' on it." Joel pointed to the rifle hanging over Tommy's arm. "Can I borrow that?"

Tommy followed his brother's finger and nodded. "Yeah."

"'Cause Maria took mine, you know?" Joel continued to persuade.

Chuckling, Tommy handed him the gun. "I already said yes, Joel." After a pause, he continued. "Adios, big brother."

"Adios," Joel said with tears in his eyes. He had found his brother. Tommy was family, but after last night, he realized. The girls, Ellie and Piper, were family too. They were his girls, and he couldn't leave them. While he trusted Tommy with his life, he knew he couldn't bear the thought of not being there for them if anything had happened. Maybe he could have done something to save them if he had just been there. So, as he led the horses out of the settlement, he didn't feel as sad as he thought he'd be saying farewell to his beloved brother. After all, he had found his girls. He had his family.

꧁_꧂

Tommy said they had a week's journey to the university, yet Joel wished the days were longer. For the first two days, as they rode, he had successfully taught the girls, mainly Ellie, how to whistle. The first consisted of the actual whistle, and the second was about whistling a tune.

Ellie was more than eager to learn after all her failed attempts over the months they had been together. On the other hand, Piper was much more reluctant about anything with Joel.

He had tried to ask about her hair after she removed her hat the first night, but he was met with a grunt in response. Then he wanted to help her pack her sleeping gear in the morning while she was busy with other things, only to watch her repack it all. He knew he screwed things up when he left her broken on the porch that night. He knew his words had cut deep, but he felt it was more than just him.

The bruises garnishing her face only seemed to worsen in color as the days went on. They seemed to be an uncomfortable topic for the girls, with flashes of guilt appearing in Ellie's eyes every time she glanced at her sister. However, what Joel thought was the worst of all was the silence. Ellie still talked to him and made jokes here and there. Piper never spoke. Words hadn't trickled from her mouth since that night. Not even a word was spoken between the two sisters.

Today, Joel decided to teach the girls how to hunt. Well, it was more of a shooting lesson, but the knowledge was still applicable to hunting. Piper decided on a more observational approach as she sat in the snow near Joel and Ellie.

Returning his gaze to Ellie, Joel adjusted her hands and nodded for her to shoot. A thundering wave of gunshots echoed over the hills. After the third shot, Ellie sighed and loosened her grip on the gun.

"Wide right," Joel noted as he pulled the binoculars from his eyes. "You're flinchin'."

"The target's too small," Ellie complained.

"I made it bigger than I should've." Joel instructed, "Eject the cartridge."

Ellie grumbled as she did as Joel told her. "…And I am not flinching."

Joel hummed, "Mm-hmm."

"The rifle just sucks," Ellie said upon finishing the task.

Taking the gun back, Joel peered over at Piper, "Why don't you take a break and let your sister try?"

"No thanks, I already know I wouldn't miss," Piper declared confidently, leaning back into her hands.

For a moment, Joel's eyes widened. She had spoken to him. "If you're so sure, why don't you show us?" Joel teased in an attempt to have more interaction.

Piper rolled her eyes and sank deeper into her hands before pushing off and reaching for the gun. Joel passed the weapon to her without a word, and she raised it to fire. Ellie peered over as Piper's eyes narrowed and her breath stilled. Her finger pinched back on the trigger. The gun fired. The glass didn't break. Piper pulled back in confusion as Joel chuckled.

"Did she miss?" Ellie yanked the binoculars out of Joel's hand and zoned in on the target. "You missed!" she gasped before pointing at her sister. "Piper missed!"

Piper grumbled and shoved the gun to the ground. "Ellie's right. The rifle's fucked up."

Joel bit his lip from laughing more. He stuck out his hand and motioned for the gun. "Okay, give it,'" he sighed. "It doesn't aim right. Mm-hmm. You'll see." He raised the rifle into position. "A deep breath in, slow breath out,' he explained, earning a leer from Ellie. "You squeeze the trigger like you love it. Mm. Gentle… steady… nice and slow."

"You gonna shoot this thing or get it pregnant?" Ellie grumbled as she peered through the binoculars. Joel smirked and prepared to fire.

"It isn't gonna work. It doesn't aim right," Piper mumbled beside him.

Joel pulled back the trigger and beamed as he heard Ellie curse, "You dіck."

Piper only huffed and bit her lip. It didn't matter that Joel had hit the target. She had missed. She hadn't missed in years, not since that night. Not since she first killed a man. She wasn't allowed to miss. She couldn't miss. Yet, here she was. Her shot had missed the target. Peering over at triumphant Joel, Piper understood why. Even if he had hurt her and left her on the cold winter night, she was safe with Joel. Joel became home after months with him on the road, fighting for their lives. Joel became family. Frowning, she continued to grumble; even if Joel was family, he had to work to apologize. He had fucked up, and he wasn't going to get away so easily.

After Joel decided his bragging rights had been overused, he told the girls to pack it up and return on the horses. As Ellie begrudgingly trudged away, Joel called out to Piper.

She turned her head to look at him. "What?" She asked with hands in the pockets of her orange coat.

Reaching into his coat pocket, Joel pulled out a small book, brushing off some lint before handing it to her.

Piper hesitantly took it. She flipped it over and read the cover. It was white and frayed along the edges, as paper does with time. " Tiny First Aid Guide," she read. She raised it with confusion on her face.

Joel stood up and brushed the snow off his pants. "I found it in the room I stayed in. No one was using it. I thought you might like it, so you can start saving someone and not, you know…," he awkwardly smiled.

Piper felt blood rush to her face, and a soft, grateful smile appeared. With her fingers, she traced over the cover. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Joel." Joel nodded in response and watched Piper walk over to her horse, holding the book tightly. Her head looked down as her brown eyes quickly scoured over its contents. With each word absorbed into her brain, Piper began to forgive Joel a bit more.

꧁_꧂

Question after question followed as Joel, Ellie, and Piper rode along. Ellie's curiosity bubbled to the surface once she realized Joel was willing to answer her questions. Piper, however, hummed along, listening as she directed her horse after Joel.

"So the way they ran things in Jackson was how things used to be?" Ellie wondered, remembering every aspect of Jackson: the Christmas tree, the movie, the communal relationship, the homes, etc.

"No," Joel smiled as he shook his head. "The country was too big for that. Back then, there were two main ways of lookin' at things. Some people wanted to own everything."

"Mm-hmm," Ellie nodded, adjusting her grip to hold Joel tighter.

"And some people didn't want anyone to own anything at all," Joel continued.

"Which one were you?" Ellie asked. She leaned over to look at Joel, trying not to fall over.

"Neither. I just did my job." Joel shrugged and glanced behind, noticing Piper's sudden interest in her book. She'd been reading it as she rode. The horse she sat on seemed to understand that it needed to follow Joel, allowing her the time to scan the pages of her first aid guidebook. He turned back around, proud of himself for the gift.

"Which was…," Ellie trailed off as her brain recalled her previous conversations with Joel. "Building?"

"That's right," Joel acknowledged. "Houses, stores, that kinda thing. We were called contractors."

Ellie smiled and cleared her throat. Deeply, she said, "The Contractor," as if it was a superhero name from one of her comic books. "That's pretty cool."

"Yeah. We were cool," Joel shrugged. "Everybody loved contractors."

"Nice," Ellie hummed.

The conversations continued one after the other. In one conversation, Ellie chose to ask about movies and television, questioning which ones were Joel's favorite. This led them down the path of football. Joel claimed he didn't watch much TV except for the Sunday games.

Ellie's brows pinched together as she tried to make sense of the game. "Okay, so if you mess up your fourth down, then you give the ball to the other team?"

Joel nodded. "Right. It's called a turnover."

"Turnover," Ellie repeated. "But if you make it to 10 yards, then you're back to first down?"

"Yep."

"So," Ellie concluded. "Basically, just moving in one direction."

"Basically…," Joel agreed. "But violent."

"Oh, well," Ellie sarcastically said. "There's that."

Up ahead stood the I25 sign. Joel glanced around, checking if Piper was still following. Stopping his horse, he announced, "Well, how 'bout that? Made it in five days. Easy days."

"I don't know what Tommy was so afraid of," Ellie noted.

"Still time to find out," Piper mumbled as she continued to walk her horse past Joel and Ellie.

"Still time to find out," Ellie mimicked.

The road went on for what seemed like forever. Snow covered the ground, but small tufts of dried grass poked out here and there. In the distance, stood tall mountains encasing a city that grew larger and larger the longer the road. As they entered the city, the snow traded for dead leaves and forgotten cars. Rusted signs led them to the university campus.

"Home of the Big Horns," Ellie read as they approached the sign. "What does that mean?"

"Team mascot," Joel explained. "It's a kind of sheep."

"Oh, see?" Ellie playfully nudged Joel's side. "One step closer to your dream."

"Don't see any Fireflies, though," Piper noted, stopping her horse beside Joel and Ellie's.

"They're probably in the middle," Joel said. "Safer."

"Uh-huh," Piper replied. "Sure."

"This way," Joel nudged his horse and led them down the road deeper into the campus.

"So these places…," Ellie began as the towering brick buildings surrounded them. "People would live here and, like, what? Go to classes and stuff?"

"Yup."

"Even though they were adults," Ellie questioned.

"Sort of adults," Joel explained. "I think it was just as much about partying and findin' themselves as anythin' else. Figuring out what they wanted to do with their lives."

"What they wanted to do with their lives," Ellie whispered before chuckling, remembering Joel's dream of a sheep ranch.

"So I've been thinkin'," Joel began.

"Mm-hmm?" Ellie hummed.

"I don't want a sheep ranch, actually." Ellie peered at Joel. Meanwhile, Piper stole a quick peek away from her book. "I mean, if the deal is I can do anything?"

"That's the deal," Piper recalled.

"Well… when I was a kid," Joel said, "I wanted to be a singer."

Ellie was unsure what she expected Joel to say, but it sure wasn't to sing. Her grip on Joel loosened as a bout of laughter overcame her.

"Shut up," Joel's cheeks flushed red. "Why is that funny?"He grumbled.

Finding a momentary pause in her giggles, Ellie swatted his arm. "You gotta sing something now."

"No," Joel shook his head.

"Come on, man. I'm not gonna laugh," Ellie promised. "Any singing will be better than Pipers."

Piper whirled around and sent Ellie a glare, who grinned in response. Joel made a mental note to ask Piper about the singing later.

"You're already laughin'," Joel observed.

Ellie agreed, "Yeah, okay, true. Well, you're singin' for me later. I'm gonna save the fսckin' world, man. It's the least you can do for me."

Joel weighed his options and shrugged. "Fair enough," he said, looking over at Piper. "What about you, Piper? Do you have any requests once you help save the world?"

At Joel's words, Piper grew quiet, and her eyes cast down. "No…," her voice shook. "No, I-"

"Are those monkeys?" Ellie squealed, pointing over to where a horde of monkeys was running across the stone stairs.

"Must be from the old labs," Joel muttered, slowing his horse.

Ellie laughed, watching the monkeys fumble over themselves. "Look at them go."

"First time seein' a monkey?" Joel raised his brow.

"First time seein' a monkey," Ellie replied for both her and Piper.

Joel smiled, directing his horse to return to the original pace. Up ahead, he noticed a bright yellow symbol covering the faded university signs. He'd recognize that symbol anywhere: the Fireflies.

"Look-it," he uttered, nodding his head to the sign. Piper and Ellie followed his gaze.

"Here we go," Ellie whispered to herself. Anticipation boiled in her blood as they approached the building that housed the Fireflies. She was so close. So close to making a cure and saving the world.

However, as the horse approached, Ellie realized the campus was too quiet and empty for a group of Fireflies to be there. "Guard stations," Ellie said, noticing the empty stations.

Joel frowned before bringing the horse to a halt. Hopping off, Joel grabbed the harness and tied it around a tree before helping Ellie down. Next, he helped Piper secure her horse.

"Mm. No guards," he noted, looking around. He began to walk with Ellie in tow. It was a few paces before he noticed Piper's absence. He turned around and saw her standing beside the horses. Her gun in hand.

"I'm gonna stay and watch the horses," Piper announced.

Joel sighed and began to walk back. "You're comin' with us."

"No, if the Fireflies are in there, then I'll come in. Besides, someone has got to watch the horses." Piper cocked her gun. "I can handle myself."

Biting his lip, Joel found himself nodding his head. "Okay. We'll be back."

Piper scoffed. "You better."

Turning around, Joel motioned for Ellie to follow him in. Together, they entered the building. Paper was scattered all over the floors. Dirt, grime, and mold clung to the once-white walls. Forgotten glass bottles and display cases created a maze along the floor.

Ellie and Joel glanced around the room, looking for any sign of life.

"There were definitely doctors here," Ellie said, picking up some test tubes.

Joel wandered over to Ellie, noticing a brown file on the turned-over cabinet. "This is a packing list—something you make before moving," he explained.

"They just left?" Ellie's brows furrowed.

In the distance, a loud clang of metal echoed throughout the halls. "Maybe not all of them," Joel whispered, readying his rifle.

The clanging continued to call Ellie and Joel deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of the science building. Nudging a door open, they discovered some of the monkey's from earlier banging against metal cabinets. Upon sensing their presence, the monkeys screeched as they fled from the window.

"Well… at least it ain't Clickers," Joel said.

"Yeah, no Fireflies either," Ellie added in disappointment. "Maybe in all that research, they turned into fսckin' monkeys."

Joel slowly blinked his eyes, watching Ellie begin to fiddle with the cabinets and kick random bottles along the floor. In the back of the room stood a board with numerous red pins. Joel stepped closer, his eyes narrowing at what he discovered: a map.

"That's where they went?" Ellie asked from behind Joel.

"All the pins lead there." Joel's finger traced the mass gathering of pins on Salt Lake City, Utah. "Maybe gettin' ahead of the weather… better facilities?" Joel suggested. "I don't know."

A harsh whisper from outside the window made the two of them freeze. Joel quickly snuck to the window. Beneath him ran a group of men, all armed. They headed towards the entrance of the science building, to the horses, and to Piper.

"This way," one raider loudly announced.

Another raider whacked his back, "Shut the fսck up," the raider hissed, causing the other to cough.

" Out the back," Joel whispered, trying to silence his steps as he ran down the hallway and stairs. He just hoped he could get to Piper in time. She could handle herself. He knew she could, but he would never forgive himself if something happened.

"Ready?" Joel turned to Ellie as he creaked open the back door. The horses and Piper were visible, but the raiders were nowhere in sight. Joel sighed. They could get out without being spotted.

"Yeah," Ellie nodded. The two crouched down as they sprinted over to the horse.

Piper stood by the horses, whirling around, when Joel whispered her name. For a moment, she raised her brow in confusion when she saw Joel and Ellie's crouched position until she realized why. There was something here—something dangerous.

As Joel and Ellie made their way over, Piper hastily untied the horses from the tree. She handed Joel his horse's bridle and quickly jumped on hers. Her horse grunted as it made a turn, adjusting back to its rider's weight.

"Come here. Come here. Come here," Joel soothed the horse as he instructed Ellie to hop on. "I got ya."

Once her horse was still, Piper noticed another figure. She raised her gun and screamed, "Joel!"

Joel didn't waste time ducking as Piper fired her gun, shooting the raider in the arm and making him drop the metal baseball bat he had swung moments earlier. A river of curses fled the man's mouth.

The sound of Piper's scream and the commotion startled Ellie's horse. The horse screeched, kicked its front legs up, knocked its head, and removed Joel's grip. Ellie cried out, trying her best to hang on.

In the raider's moment of weakness, Joel twirled him, sliding his arm around the man's neck. The curses soon exchanged for pleas and gasps of air as Joel choked the man. The raider's punches grew weaker until he tightened his grip and twisted. A sickening crack filled the air, and the raider dropped dead.

Ellie's horse had stilled when the commotion had died down, and Piper lowered her gun. Despite his heavy breath, Joel caught sight of his girls' horrified expressions. Slowly, his eyes trailed down. His shirt was wet. It wasn't wet before. The worst was the knife impaling his torso. He was positive that had not been there. Joel yanked it out of his body while the adrenaline still pumped through his veins.

The girls' terror only grew as they saw the group of raiders rampaging towards them. "Joel! Get on the horse!" the girls screamed."Get on the horse!"

"Joel!" Ellie cried, extending an arm to help him up. With a grunt, Joel sat upon the horse. He flicked the bridle and forced the horse into a gallop.

"Get him!" The raiders yelled. "Go!"

"Get back!" Piper growled before firing her gun and taking out another raider.

"Shit!" The raiders snarled as they watched another one of their comrades fall. "You mοthеrfսckеr!"

Joel, Ellie, and Piper ignored their curses and hurried their horses. They ran and ran until the border of the university and city was no longer visible. The gigantic buildings were exchanged for train tracks and a suburban neighborhood.

"They're not following us. I think we're safe," Piper breathed, looking behind her.

"Joel? Joel, no, no, no! shit!" Ellie cried as Joel's once-tall figure leaned over and toppled off the horse.

Panic flooded Piper as she fumbled off her horse and over to Joel and Ellie.

"Fսck! Joel? Joel? Shit. Joel, open your eyes. Open your eyes." Piper's hand felt Joel's wound. Pulling her hand up, she discovered it drenched in blood. Fighting the urge to puke, she wiped his blood on her coat.

"Joel, you gotta get up," Ellie begged. Her eyes were beginning to water to a point it was hard to see.

"I can't fսckin' do this without you. I don't know where the fսck I'm going, what the fսck I'm gonna do," Piper trembled as her hands shook Joel. "Joel. Please. Joel, please."

Joel did not answer. His eyes did not open, yet his chest still rose and sank. It was something. Fighting more tears of her own, Piper sniffled. "Ellie, help me get him up." Ellie was too lost in her fear. "Ellie!" Piper shuddered, snapping Ellie out of her panicked daze. "We need to find someplace to stay."

"Where?" Ellie whimpered.

Piper whipped her head around and spotted what seemed to be a neighborhood in the distance. "Maybe there. Looks like a neighborhood." Placing a hesitant hand on Ellie's shoulder, Piper comforted her as best she could. "He'll be okay. We'll be okay."

"How? He got stabbed." Ellie blubbered. "Piper, Joel won't wake up. How is that okay?!"

"I don't know," Piper felt her anxiety flutter to the surface. "But…but I'll figure something out. I always do. Just, come on."

Piper stood up and placed her hands under Joel's shoulders. Ellie placed her underneath his feet. Together, the two girls lifted him with all their might and put him onto the horse. Using her coat to secure Joel to the animal, Piper hopped on the horse, telling Ellie to ride the other.

Piper ignored the cold winter day that nipped at her skin. She ignored the stain on her pants from Joel's leaking wound. Her mind focused only on getting somewhere safe and saving Joel. She had to save him. She meant what she said in her terrified state. She couldn't do this without him. If this occurred months before, Piper would have been fine, but not now. Joel was her home—Her dad. She'd be damned if she was going to lose that after she fought so hard for her family. Piper had to be strong for Joel, like he was for her, and most of all, for Ellie, even if her sister didn't want her strength. If it were the last thing Piper would do, she'd ensure Joel and Ellie made it out.

꧁_꧂

The horses weren't content with the heavy thud of the garage doors. They squealed in discontent, making it difficult for Piper and Ellie to drag Joel off the animal. Piper was grateful the garage could hold the horses. Not only was it cold, but having two live creatures hiding outdoors was a calling card for bad things. If the raiders did decide to come after them, the horse would be the first thing they'd look for.

Joel groaned as his weight sank into the concrete floor of the garage. It felt as if a needle pricked every inch of his body as the blood slowly regained passage to his limbs. With hushed apologies, the girls lugged Joel up the stairs and into the remnants of a home. Trash and debris littered the ground and caught on Joel's feet, halting the girls’ movements every few steps until they could clear the floor. Sweat oozed from Piper and Ellie's skin as they withdrew into the basement.

Ellie argued a bed or a room would be best for Joel. Piper disagreed. It was easier to be attacked and cornered in the room. Besides, they had yet to learn if something resided here. The basement made it more accessible to hide in and guard. After they caught their breaths, the next step was to pull Joel down a long flight of stairs.

Each step left a dull ache in their hearts. Anxiety filled their lungs, and exhaled into the air. Piper swore the air only got thicker and thicker the more they breathed, making her lungs sting. Sweat threatened to drip into their eyes, but the girls refused to wipe it away. They refused to let go of Joel.

Their muscles burned as soon as Joel flopped to the floor. His face scrunched up in pain, and he twisted in turn, increasing his pain. Piper dropped beside him, feeling his head. It was wet and just as sweaty as hers, if not more. Suddenly, she didn't feel hot anymore; she was cold. Every inch of her froze.

"Ellie," Piper whispered. "Go upstairs and find a mattress or something for Joel to lay on."

Ellie huffed a breath of air and wearily nodded before trudging upstairs. It wasn't long before she returned with some worn couch cushions. They had an ugly floral pattern embossed onto them, but Piper did not care about their appearance. The cushions were soft and got Joel off the cold, hard floor.

Placing the cushions on the ground, the girls lifted him and put him onto them. Again, their muscles screamed, but they ignored it. Instead, the girls honed in on the blood that continued to pour out of Joel. Lifting his jacket, Piper got a complete picture of the wound. Joel's once dark gray shirt was now a wet black. His blood seeped into the girl's skin and stained the pages of Piper's book as she yanked it out of her coat pocket and flipped through the pages. Her eyes were wide as she scanned the page.

"It's said to bandage and put pressure," Piper read. "Something about antibiotics, too."

Ellie furrowed her brows, trying to understand, but opened them quickly once she heard the sound of fabric ripping. Piper grunted as she tore off a large strip of her shirt, and gathering the fabric, she carefully lifted Joel's blood-soaked clothes to tie it on.

"Ellie, help me lift him," Piper said as one arm snuck under Joel's shoulder and the other prepped the fabric. Ellie copied her sister's actions, and together, they lifted his chest just enough for Piper to wrap the fabric tightly around Joel. After some rustling, a wet squelch, and a whimper from Joel's mouth. The fabric had been secured. "Put pressure," Piper repeated to herself. Her hands hovered over the wound, the makeshift bandage already turned red from Joel's blood. She gulped, took a deep breath, and, with shaking hands, pushed down on Joel's wound.

A guttural scream burst out of Joel. His back cracked, arching up as his eyes flew open. He tossed around fighting off Piper's attempts to place pressure on his injury. Ellie closed her eyes as she helped fight Joel's panicked movements off.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Ellie said as a mantra. Her muscles demanded she release Joel, who fought with all his might.

"Come on," Piper begged, feeling her cheeks grow wet. From blood or tears, she wasn't sure. "You gotta help me. Come on."

Suddenly, Joel's movements stilled, and his pupils fluctuated as he peered at the girls. The fog that had overcome his mind briefly faded as the knowledge of their situation hit him. He was bleeding out, and they had been attacked by raiders who could still be after them. His girls were terrified, and he could do nothing about it. Finding the strength to pull the girls in, he gasped, "Leave. Leave"

"Shut up, Joel." Ellie trembled.

Joel shook his head and continued. The pain in his gut grew more and more. "Take the gun." He felt a tear on his cheek. It wasn't his.

"Joel shut the fuck up!" Piper cried.

"You go. You go," Joel heaved. "You go north. You go to Tommy. You go."

Then he let them go and fell back down. He watched them. He watched as they sat, crying. There was so much more he wanted to say. He tried to tell them so much if only there was time. But life wasn't fair. It never was, especially not for Joel Miller, but he could at least give them a fair chance. So when they huddled back, trying to help him, he mustered all the strength he could and pushed. He pushed them away so that they might have all the fairness in the world, The fairness that Joel never got. As he watched them pull themselves off the floor and trudge up the stairs, he felt his cheeks grow wetter. Except this time, these weren't the tears of his girls. They were his own. If the world were fair, they'd stay, and somehow Joel would make it out. If the world was fair, they could be a family, and maybe Joel could tell them they were no longer cargo and that perhaps they never were. But that's different from the way the world worked, especially not for Joel Miller.

Cold crept into his bones and threatened to freeze his tears—a permanent reminder of what he could have had and lost. In the dim light of the basement, Joel stifled his cries as he heard his song fade away, and in his silence, his dream became clearer. He sat on a porch with the late afternoon summer sun on his skin, in the distance, fields of green and yellow home herds of sheep. From beside, he hears laughter and giggles. Beside him sit his girls, Ellie and Piper. Ellie's reading jokes from her stupid book. Joel won't admit some of them are funny. He smiles as he watches Piper roll her eyes and fight off a smile. He knows Piper's just like him and won't admit she's fond of Ellie's puns. At some point, the jokes end, and the girls look up at him. They smile and get up. Joel knows they're going to leave. They are going to fade along with him and the dream. The dream will end any minute, and the girls will be gone. Except they don't leave. They come closer.

Now Joel no longer shivers. He opens his eyes, and there are his girls—Ellie on his left and Piper on his right. She cleans his wound with a cloth and a bowl of some liquid. It stings, but not as much as the tears leaking from his eyes. His girls. They came back.

Beside him, Piper muttered to herself the words of the page. Her hands were covered with Joel's blood, but the color had lightened. She'd done her best to clean her hands. That's what the book said, and she was reading it now. It was telling her how to stitch a wound. She hadn't sewn someone up before. She'd mended clothes for herself and Ellie, but those were clothes. Those could tear and fall apart, and she'd be fine, but this was Joel. Joel couldn't fall apart. Joel couldn't leave her, so Piper had to do this right.

Collecting the remnants of courage left in her body, she took her lighter and heated the needle she and Ellie had found upstairs. Once the needle seemed hot enough, she threaded the string through the top, biting her lip as her finger brushed by the heated end. The string went through. Piper took a breath. Her eyes met Ellie's, and she nodded. Her hand lowered, and she began to sew. The needle threaded in and out of Joel's skin, leaving him gasping for air. Except this time, Joel didn't fight. He stayed still and cried, listening to Ellie and Piper's hush sorries. But Joel's tears weren't from the pain. His girls had come back. The world could be fair for Joel Miller. Maybe for a little bit.

꧁_꧂

EXTREME TRIGGER WARNING IN THIS SECTION! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

They had found her in the morning; it was easy to tell her apart from the crowd with the blood that covered her body. She was guilty. There was no doubt about it.

As she stood before the compound's officers and leaders, Piper realized. No one could protect her. Levi was gone. She had killed him. Now, Piper was alone to fend for herself.

No one listened when Piper begged them to. He had tricked her and trapped her in that room. She had come to him for help. Ellie was sick and cold. The cold was deadly at night. Piper didn't want her sister to die, so she asked for help. Late at night, she'd snuck out of her room and found Levi. She asked him for another blanket. She felt relieved when he'd said yes, but that feeling was soon replaced with dread when she heard his following words.

"For a price," Levi smirked and locked the door. "I need something in return if I'm going to keep helping you like this."

The next thing she knew, she was on the floor. Levi was above her. In her terror, she did as any 12-year-old girl would do. She fought. Then he held down her arms and legs. So, she battled with the one thing she had left—her teeth. Levi leaned in close, and she tore at his throat. Blood seeped into her mouth and tainted her tongue. She bit and bit until there was nothing left to bite.

Piper pleaded with the officers to understand, but they could not. All they saw was a body of one of their own—a vacant spot that needed to be filled before them stood a body—a body that could be put to use, a body of a young girl that could be molded into one of them.

No one cried any tears when the twelve-year-old received her verdict. If she were old enough to kill, then kill, she would do. Once the decision rang out, it was swept under the rug, along with the bodies and lies. Piper wished she could cry. She wanted to cry, but everything was numb.

When she got back to her room, Ellie asked. Of course, Ellie asked why her sister had been taken out of the room at dawn. Looking down at her sickly sister, Piper felt her throat grow dry. There was nothing to say. She couldn't tell her sister. How was she supposed to when her mind was still trapped in that room? How was she supposed to explain it to her sister? Instead, Piper crawled into the bed beside Ellie. As Ellie fell back asleep, Piper promised to protect her sister. To never let her see the horrors of the world as she had. It was a promise never to leave. A commitment to follow her anywhere. A promise to be her sister no matter what.

Piper's head pounded as the afternoon sun rose high in the sky and broke through the room window.

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

She'd never let anyone in again. She'd be strong enough for herself and Ellie. That's all that mattered now. She and Ellie. Ellie and her.

꧁_꧂

"You thirsty?" Ellie hoarsely asked, reaching for her water bottle.

Across from her sat Piper. Her hands shook as she traced the indent of the needle on her fingers. She succeeded. She'd sewn up Joel's wound, and the blood had stopped. Piper sighed and wiped her forehead. The sweat along her body grew cold.

Water trickled from the edge of the water bottle into Joel's mouth. He eagerly drank it before his throat closed, causing him to choke and cough. Ellie's eyes widened, and she quickly pulled the water away. With worry, the girls lean over Joel. They watch his breath settle as he sinks deeper into the cushions. As they watched, his eyes grew heavy, and their own eyes' weight was felt. Adrenaline had left, and there was a yearning to sleep in its absence.

Placing the water down, Ellie slowly lowered herself onto the floor beside Joel. Her head rested on his chest, and her eyes closed. Piper fought the tiredness as long as she could before she caved. She lay beside Joel and let sleep take her. As the girl's breath synced with sleep, Joel inched his arms around them. He pulled them closer off the cold floor. With a trembling hand, he brushed his finger through Ellie's tangled hair and, with the other, ran his hands over Piper's head. His fingers ran smoothly over her short pixie. Joel cracked open his eyes for one last glance at his girls before returning to his dream.

꧁_꧂

Grumbles from Ellie's stomach were what awoke her from her slumber. Her eyes were still heavy even after the sun had gone down and returned. She groaned as she sat up, noticing the weight of Joel’s arm around her back. Looking to the other side, Ellie saw Piper reading the first aid guide in the corner. Her orange coat was zipped up, and her beanie was shoved onto her head.

“You hungry?” Piper asked without looking up from the book.

Ellie nodded before standing up and looking for her bag. Opening it up, she found not a single crumb. “Anything in your pack?”

Piper shook her head and placed the book down. “Nothing in Joel’s either.” Brushing dust and flakes of blood off her body, Piper continued. “We need to eat.” She watched as Ellie followed her path to Joel.

Carefully, Piper lifted Joel’s shirt and the bandage to check the wound. Instead of pinkened, angry skin, a white ooze surrounded the injury. Ellie gagged at the sight and glanced away as Piper cursed.

“It’s infected,” Piper said.

Ellie whirled her head around. “How do we fix it?”

Piper furrowed her brows. “Um, medicine. Antibiotics and shit.”

“Where’re we supposed to get those?”

Piper shrugged as panic rose in her voice. “ I don’t know, maybe…upstairs? Fuck, Ellie, I’m tryin’ my best here.”

Ellie bit the inside of her cheek, pushed onto her feet, and marched up the stairs. “Come on.”

“I’m gonna be right back, okay?” Piper whispered into Joel’s ear. She stood up and took a few steps before she glanced back. Returning to Joel’s side, she grabbed his rifle before scrambling up the stairs after her sister.

The two of them scavenged every single cabinet and corner. Nothing was to be found. As their search continued, so did their curses to the world and god, even if they did not believe in him. It was someone to blame, and that was enough for them.

Lastly, the girls made their way to the garage. The horses’ ears perked up as the garage door opened and closed. Piper and Ellie walked over to their horses, giving them pets and pouring water into a bucket. The horses greedily drank the water, splashing some droplets onto the ground.

Sighing, Piper reached for Joel’s rifle, which was slung over her shoulder. She opened it up and checked the bullets. Her hands swiftly shut it and returned it to its original place on her arm. “I’m gonna go find us something to eat.”

Ellie turned around and glanced at her sister. “Can I come?” She pulled out her gun, showing Piper.

Piper shook her head and walked to the garage door, pulling it up. “I need you to watch Joel,” she said as she stepped outside into the morning sun. She gulped, took another step forward, raised her hand, and began to pull the garage door shut again.

Suddenly, the garage clanged as Ellie resisted her sister’s attempts at closing it. “Where the fuck is he gonna go?” Ellie pleaded. “Piper, I…if Joel dies…”

“He’s not going to die,” Piper growled and pulled the garage down with more force, causing Ellie to wince from the pain. Piper froze and let go of the garage door. “Ellie, I’m s-”

“If he dies, I don’t wanna be here.” Ellie grew quiet. “I don’t wanna watch him die.” She peered up at Piper with watery eyes.

Piper bit her lip and groaned, caving in. “… alright,” she said.

꧁_꧂

With guns raised, the girls left the house. They twirled around, covering their corners, until they realized nothing was there except them and the bird song. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Piper sighed. Her eyes closed as her skin soaked in the morning sun.

"Piper," Ellie grunted, using her eyes to point toward the nearby forest.

The elder sister narrowed her eyes on the evergreen trees and valleys of snow. Then she returned her gaze to the neighborhood—cars with flat tires, forgotten RVs, and doors hanging on their last rusted hinges. This place was looked over. There would be nothing here for the girls and nothing here for Joel. She turned back to Ellie and nodded her head, telling her to lead the way.

Ellie had to admit the forest was beautiful. Snow clung to the grooves of the tree bark, painting the dark a bright white. Deep, vibrant green pine needles littered the snow-covered ground as if they were the freckles of the earth. Even if the forest was pretty, the snow and pine needles made it hard for Ellie to spot any animal tracks. Ellie stopped looking a bit closer at the ground and noticed Piper doing the same.

The two of them repeated Joel's instructions as they tried tracking any animals. Rabbits, deer, birds were looking for anything at this point with how their stomachs rumbled.

Piper continued to walk around the forest until she felt Ellie slap her side. Turning around, she scowled at her sister, who rolled her eyes and pointed down the hill. Piper moved her head to follow Ellie's directions. In between two fallen trees and surrounded by brush and weeds poking through the white snow was a rabbit. IItsfur was a faint shade darker than the color of the ground. Piper smiled and raised her gun to shoot the creature. Ellie watched as Piper pulled back her finger. The gun fired. The rabbit jumped and scrambled away.

Cursing, Piper bit her lip, drawing blood from her chapped lips. She turned to her sister, but Ellie was already gone, chasing the animal. Her tiny feet trudged through the snow, sinking deeper with each step. With one more step, Ellie was knee-deep in the snow and crashed to the ground. Ellie groaned as she lifted her head covered in snow.

Piper carefully approached and helped her sister, pulling her to stand. "Come on," Piper nudged. "Let's keep going."

Grumbling, Ellie brushed off the snow and followed Piper, stepping in her sister's footprints as they went deeper into the forest and farther away from Joel. Soon, the trees grew sparser, standing tall and farther apart from the next. The sounds of snow tumbling off tree branches and screeching birds were the only things heard besides the girls' footsteps in the snow. Suddenly, a branch cracked, and a soft sound of repeated clicking was heard. Piper gulped and placed her hand in front of Ellie. She raised Joel's gun and slowly stepped closer to the sound. Ellie drew out her pistol and followed.

They tuned their ears into the clicking, and turning their heads in the direction of the sound, they found a stag. Although it was small in stature, the creature made up for it with the sheer size of its antlers. They were majestic as they sharply rose into the heavens. The deer hadn't seen or heard the girls as it was too distracted munching on some forest shrubbery.

Creeping as close as they could, the girls snuck behind a fallen log. Piper readied the rifle only to freeze upon gazing at the creature. Its dark eyes are filled with only one desire: survival. She swallowed her spit. Piper had failed to shoot the rabbit. She could not risk failure anymore, not when so many were counting on her. Taking a deep breath, she sat back and handed the gun to Ellie, who frowned but took the gun. Ellie settled down low and cocked the gun back. In an instant, the gun had been fired, and the deer toppled to the ground. As fast as it had fallen, the deer had risen again to run off in the opposite direction.

"No fucking way," Ellie spat as she stood up, chasing after it.

Piper spat her own cursing string as she followed her sister and the deer. Ellie had shot when Piper couldn't. As Ellie continued to run, Piper found herself slowing. Ellie had shot the deer. All by herself. Maybe she didn't need Piper anymore. Maybe Ellie would realize this and leave; leave Piper all by herself. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, Piper reprimanded herself. It was just hunger. It was only hunger.

Once the girls had tracked the deer and ran out of the clearing, they froze and raised their guns. There, before them, stood two grown men standing over their deer. They were armed, and that's all Piper needed to know before firing a warning shot. The men's gaze shot to the girls.

"Don’t! Drop your rifles!" Piper yelled. Ellie pulled Joel's rifle closer, ready to shoot. The men were hesitant to drop their weapons. It wasn't until the one with red hair nodded that the two lowered their guns. "Now!" Piper demanded, "Turn and face me… Slow. If you make any sudden moves, I will put one right between your eyes. Ditto for buddy boy."

The redhead smiled and raised his hands slowly to the sides of his head. "You’re quite a hunter. We didn’t even hear you coming," he gently spoke. "Both of you."

Piper clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes. She felt sicker than she had been when she was ill. Something about the man's voice made her ears ring and her lungs tense. It was as if her lungs refused to breathe air shared by whoever this guy was. She didn't like it.

"Turn around and walk away," Ellie growled orders of her own.

"Okay," the man said again, stepping back and nodding to the other. The other man shrugged his head and followed. Ellie frowned.

The snow beneath the men's feet didn't crunch fast enough to ease Piper's nerves. "Just go!" She barked when she realized their progression back had stopped.

"Okay," the red-haired man muttered. "All I ask is 10 seconds of your time. I just wanna talk."

Piper cocked her gun and shot another warning. The bullet grazed a nearby tree, making the men jump in their boots. "I won’t say it twice," she growled.

"Please. Just 10 seconds," the man spoke. "My name is David. This is my friend, James. We’re from a larger group: women, children, and we’re all… very, very hungry." He motioned to the dead deer near his feet.

"We're from a large group, too," Ellie announced. "Also hungry."

"Well, even so…" David began pointing to the two of them. "Ya can’t drag this back on your own."

"Thank you for your concern, but I think we've got that covered," Piper hissed. They kept inching closer to the girls. Her eyes darted to their feet. If they stepped one more time, she'd shoot them both in the head.

"We’re not asking for charity. We-we can trade you for some of the deer," David begged. "We have– What do you need? We have… boots."

"Medicine?" Ellie blurted. "Like, for infections."

Piper's attention was snapped away from their feet as David spoke. "We do. Back in our village. You’re welcome to follow us."

"We're not following you anywhere," Piper stated. Her feet dug deeper into the snow, securing her stance. "Buddy boy can go get it. He comes back. You get half the deer. Anyone else shows up, I put one right betw–"

"Put one right between my eyes," David finished with a chuckle.

"That’s right," Ellie said.

"All right," David agreed before turning to the other man. "Go talk to Howard. He’s got a case with some penicillin. Bring back two bottles and a syringe. It’s not code, James. Do as I said."

The man, James, hesitantly looked between David and the two armed girls. Each of them bore a fire in their eyes he'd only ever seen described in the bible. The eyes of the devil, of a killer.

"Ten steps back. Keep going," Ellie instructed James, carefully watching him as he backed away to fetch medicine.

It felt like forever as James sunk deeper and deeper into the forest. Piper was sure he'd sneak around them and attack from behind, but it never came. Still, she and Ellie stood on guard, their guns trained on David.

"That’s your dad’s gun?" David asked, pointing to the rifle in Ellie's hand. "He's the one that’s sick? That’s why you’re out here on your own?"

"What's with all the fucking questions?" Piper snarled.

David's posture caved upon hearing Piper curse. It was almost as if she was offended by her language. "Well, look, uh… it’s a four-mile round trip back to our settlement, he began. "It’s gonna be… a while before James gets back. I have some oil and matches in my pack. We could… take shelter, start a fire."

Piper's eyes narrowed. "We can handle the cold. I'm not sure about you." Ellie shifted beside her. Piper turned to look at her sister. Ellie's burned a bright red, and snot trickled down her nose. Her sister was cold. "…Fine," Piper agreed after a moment. She used her gun and pointed in the distance to a nearby shed. "There," and then waited for David to move.

Once David took his first step, Ellie demanded, "Bring him with us." David looked back and frowned, confused. Ellie pointed to the deer and repeated herself, "Bring him with you." David reached down and grabbed the antlers. "Go," Ellie continued.

She trailed behind David, the rifle ready to fire at the earliest sign of danger. Piper was in tow, tightly gripping the guns James and David had dropped in the snow.

Soon, they reached the shed and had David start a fire. The fire crackled and snapped as the flames consumed the firewood and other kindling. The heat from the fire reached underneath the girls' coats as they sat across David, who sat on the ground. While their guns no longer stood tall in the air, their hands never left the cold, smooth surface of their weapons.

"You know," David said with a smile as his eerie blue eyes flickered back and forth between Piper and Ellie. "You really shouldn’t be out here all on your own."

"Who said we were?" Piper scoffed. The flames illuminated the grim stare embedded in her dark eyes. The purple circles coloring her eye sockets only increased the darkness David found in them. Ellie, on the other hand, was warm. Her eye sockets were free from any darkness, yet her eyes still held a deadly stare, more somber than her sisters'. "From where I’m sitting, you shouldn’t be out here on your own," Piper scolded.

"Fair enough," David shrugged, trying to hide the shiver that covered his body. "So what’s your name? It’s hard to trust strangers. I know. But I honestly mean you no harm."

"I call bullshit," Piper hissed under her breath. She was right. It was getting harder to breathe around David.

David sighed and peered up at the girls. His voice was full of pity. "…For what it’s worth, there’s room for you in our group if you want."

"You’re inviting us to your Hunger Club?" Ellie rolled her eyes. She didn't need this suddenly profound pity David had mustered. She and Piper have never needed anyone's pity. It was worthless in the world the outbreak had created. "No thanks."

"It’s true. We’re hungry," David chuckled. "But… we’re still here…I’m a decent man just tryna take care of the people who rely on me."

Piper frowned. "You’re their leader?" She asked in disbelief. She eyed David up and down, and her frown only deepened. He wasn't a leader. Not in the way Joel, Tess, Tommy, and Maria were. No, he seemed weak yet confident. Piper was unsure where this confidence got assurance from. His people were hungry, and if they looked anything like James, then his people were also sick. Hunger does things to the human mind. It grows fragile and naive in search of comfort and food. Piper knew it well. The QZ would do it to punish the kids. Revoke daily meals, and the kids will start speaking a different tune. It unnerved her.

"Wasn’t my choice. It was theirs," David explained. "But… yes."

"They chose to follow you,” Ellie repeated as a thought formulated in her head. It seemed she and Piper were on a similar wavelength. "Is this some weird cult thing?"

"Uhh," David blushed. "Well, you sorta kinda got me there. I am a preacher, but just pretty standard Bible stuff."

"What?!" Ellie snickered the moment the bible was mentioned.

"The whole world ended, and you still believe that shit," Piper mocked.

"I started believing after the world ended," David corrected. He adjusted his seat to make himself appear taller and more prominent, but to the girls' he was just as small as ever, if not even smaller than before. "Before that, I was a teacher," David said, and a glimmer appeared in his eyes. Piper's breath stilled. She wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light or what, but she swore a flash of desire shone in his eyes when he said that. What was worse, his eyes honed in on Ellie. "Math. Taught kids about your age," he noted, pointing to Ellie.

"So you went from teacher to preacher because," Ellie scoffed, "what? It fuckin’ rhymes?"

David grinned and shrugged as if it was the funniest joke he had heard. "Yeah, exactly."

"But seriously," Ellie said, awaiting David's actual answer.

"Well," David sighed, beginning his story.

The more he spoke, the more Piper realized where the unease with David came from. His eyes, the look they held whenever he looked at Ellie, she had seen before. It was the same look Levi had in his eyes that night. The longer Piper thought about it, the more she realized Levi had always had that unsettling gleam in his eyes.

"I found God… after the Apocalypse," David continued. "Which is either the best time or the worst time to find Him, hard to say. But when the Pittsburgh QZ fell in ’17, Fireflies and FEDRA… I left with a few others, and that’s how I ended up with our flock."

"Long way from Pittsburgh," Piper said with a low voice. Her defense screamed at her to pick up the gun and shoot David. But she couldn't. Not when he had medicine that could save Joel.

David chuckled again. "Yeah, we’d settle somewhere, and then raiders would come, so we’d move again. And as we wandered, we picked up new people along the way until… we ended up here." He looked around the shed before settling on Ellie.

"Well," Ellie said, "your luck had to run out sooner or later."

"Hm? Luck?" David raised his brows and shook his head. "There’s no such thing as luck. No," David inched closer to the fire and, in turn, closer to the girls. "I-I-I-I believe everything happens for a reason. It does. I can prove it to you."

"Okay." Ellie urged him on.

"We didn’t expect this winter to be so cruel," David explained. "Nothing’ll grow. Game’s been hard to find. So I sent four of our people to a nearby town to scavenge what they could. And only two of ’em came back. One who didn't come back was a father. The other was a husband. The father had a daughter just like you. And her dad was taken from her. Turns out, he was murdered… by this crazy man." David hid his sneer under a smile as he looked between the two girls. "And get this. That crazy man… was traveling with two little girls."

Piper's eyes widened as she heard some of the shed's floor creak behind her. She jumped out of her seat. Gun raised, pointing into the forest. Her eyes narrowed, and she stilled her breath. While her body remained calm and controlled, her mind was on fire. An array of curses and fears swarmed each thought. These were the raiders. She'd killed one of them and Joel the other. With the glint in David's eye and the fury of the land, Piper knew one thing. Revenge was guaranteed.

Ellie stood alongside Piper, her gun trained on David instead of the vast forest, awaiting her sister's order.

"You see?" David continued. “Everything happens for a reason." Then, looking out into the forest that drew Piper's attention, he calmly called out. "James, lower the gun."

Suddenly, James appeared with his gun held high, trained on Piper. Piper let out a guttural breath and stared down James. Her finger hovered over the trigger. "They're the ones that killed Alec, aren’t they?"

David stood up with his arms raised. "The girls didn’t kill anybody," David assured. "Lower the gun."

James scoffed and prepared to shoot Piper. "She's the one who killed Desmond. The boys told me he got shot by a girl who looked like a boy. That's her."

"Drop it," Piper growled, and James ignored her, hardening his expression. "I said to fucking drop it. Unless you want a bullet to find a new home in your skull."

"Did you bring the medicine?" David calmly asked James.

James' expression broke upon hearing his leader's voice. "Yeah, but–"

"Throw it to her."

"David," James pleaded. His hand itched to shoot and kill Piper. However, David's stern demand did not falter, and James sighed. Reaching into his pocket, he tossed Piper the medicine.

With ease of breathing, Piper snatched the medicine out of the air. A syringe was taped to the side of the small glass bottle. She glanced down and pocketed the medicine before returning her gun to James.

"Back away," Ellie growled.

James slowly made his way around the girls and found a stance next to David. David handed him an extra gun in his pocket, but David didn't take it. Instead, he began to talk again. "I know you’re not with a group. You won’t survive for long out there. I can protect you," he assured.

"I'll take my chances," Piper snarled as she slowly began to back away. Her eyes never left David and James. Ellie mimicked her sister's movements until they were far enough away for the shed to be the size of their thumb.

James watched as the girls stopped and turned, entering a sprint. He scoffed, turning to David. "So you’re just gonna let them get away?"

David shook his head. "Patience, James," he assured. "God rewards those who wait."

꧁_꧂

It was stupid to run in the direction of Joel, but Piper couldn't care. They had the medicine, and Joel needed it more than Piper's desire to lead David and James astray if they decided to follow. Showing them the direction was one thing, but as the snow squashed beneath her feet, another thought soon overpowered her need to save Joel. Their footprints. They would lead David and his band of fucked raiders straight to them.

The air around her fogged up as Piper slowed her pace. "Els," she hissed, worried that David and James may be able to hear her.

"What?!" Ellie turned around to look at her sister.

Piper dug into her coat pocket and tossed Ellie the medicine. "Here, get back and give this to Joel."

Ellie's brows pinched together as a low level of panic boiled to the surface. "Piper, what are you-"

Her older sister had already moved on to her next task. Marching over to a nearby evergreen, Piper jumped on the lowest branch. A clean snap filled the air as Piper tore off the branch and swiped at their footprints. "I'm covering our asses, that's what."

Ellie's stare switched between the vial of medicine and her sister, who was hard at work erasing any trace of their footprints.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" Piper laboriously wondered. The small pine needle scratched at the ground, diminishing any sign of the girls.

Snapping herself out of her daze, Ellie tightened her grip on the medicine and ran. Worry filled her being the farther away she got from Piper. She was leaving her sister alone. David, James, and whoever was out there could come after them. They could be coming now, and she had left her sister alone. Her only thought of respite was Joel. If she could save Joel, he could save them. That's what he did. He always saved them.

The house appeared before Ellie's vision faster than she thought it would. Her legs burned as she darted into the house and down the stairs to Joel. Desperate pants left her mouth as she collapsed beside Joel. With shaking hands, she lifted the blanket off of him. Then, deftly peeling up his shirt, she winced in disgust. The wound seemed even more infected than it had been before. Sweat beaded on her forehead and trickled down her brows as she handled the antibiotics with as much care as possible. A new wave of panic filled her once the syringe was filled to the brim.

"Ah, okay," she said, wiping away the sweat threatening to cloud her vision. "The fuck do I put this? Alright, what would Pipes do? Uh…" Ellie glanced around the room and spotted Piper's blood-coated first-aid book. Scrambling over, she snatched it up and flipped through each page. There was nothing about injections and antibiotics.

"Fuck," she cursed and crawled back over to Joel. "Joel? Joel? Joel, where the fuck do I put this?" Joel lay unresponsive. A layer of sweat and grime coated his skin, making his dark skin appear pale. "Fuck it," and with one swift motion, she stabbed the syringe directly into the sewn-up wound.

Joel groaned. His eyes tensed but never opened despite the immense pain his body was in. Once the syringe had been emptied, Ellie withdrew the needle before debating giving him another injection. Shaking her head instead, she carefully wrapped the needle and medicine and placed them into Joel's bag for safekeeping.

She watched Joel's tense expression soften and sighed, feeling a wave of exhaustion fall over her. She had run. For how long, she didn't know, but she had run. Her whole body ached: her legs, her shoulder from the kickback of the rifle, her back, and her head. Everything hurt, and she was tired. She was a little girl who only wanted to curl up beside Joel and fall asleep into a beautiful dream of a sheep farm on the moon. So, that's what she did. She snuggled up close to Joel, pulling the blanket over them, and sank deep into sleep.

By the time Piper had reached the house's front steps, her orange coat had been removed and tied at her waist. Her shirt was soaked with sweat from disguising her and Ellie's footsteps. Groaning, she wiped away the last of Ellie's prints and opened the garage before tossing the branch with the horses. With the garage door closed, Piper slid to the floor and took a moment to breathe. One of the horses trotted beside her, sniffing her hair before deciding to try to nibble on it. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her mouth as she brushed the horse away.

Standing up, Piper pulled off her coat and threw it over her shoulders, not placing her arms through the sleeves due to the heat her body was still disposing of. She'd done her best removing any sign of where the girls went, but the knowledge that David and James knew the direction they had gone in and the footprints from before she began her bluff that they could trace and track. She prayed that they were enough to keep them safe. At the very least, to give the girls time to recuperate and Joel time to heal.

Her feet felt heavy as she stepped down the stairs and into the basement. "Ellie, did you…" Piper's voice trailed off when she saw the scene before her.

Ellie's chest softly rose and fell. Her arms were wrapped around Joel, who looked better than he had ever had since the injury. A soft smile melted onto Piper's features, and she quietly stepped down the rest of the stairs.

It felt colder in the basement, so Piper placed on the rest of her coat, zipping it up. Carefully, she picked up Joel's rifle and tip-toed over to the basement window. Sitting beneath it, she cracked it open, just enough to hear the world outside but not enough to invite the cold in. Leaning up against the wall, Piper rested her head on the wall and closed her eyes, Not to sleep but to relax. Piper had no time to sleep, especially if predators were hunting them.

꧁_꧂

Voices cascaded over the ground like the morning fog. Piper's eyes shot open as a wave of footsteps and grumbles grew closer and closer. Her blood ran cool, and her skin paled as white as the snow. It was David, and he brought company.

They were too far away for Piper to make out anything they said, but that didn't matter. Securing Joel's rifle over her shoulder and pocketing her pistol, Piper shuffled over to Joel and Ellie.

"Ellie," Piper hissed, shaking her sister awake. "Ellie, wake up."

Ellie's eyes flew open, and her lungs gasped. "Piper?"

"They're here," Piper anxiously explained. "They found us."

Ellie gulped and looked down at Joel. Placing her hands on his shoulder, she shook him. "Joel! Joel, wake up. Joel, wake the fuck up, Joel," Ellie pleaded.

Joel's eyes shot open, and he darted around the room before settling on the girls. His mind was still in a daze, making it difficult for him to process Piper's words.

"Okay… okay, look at me." Piper turned Joel's face to look at her. "There are men coming, okay? I’m gonna lead them away from you, but if anybody makes it down here, you fucking kill them. You got it?"

Joel's eyes slowly closed, causing Ellie to snap her finger loudly next to his ears.

"Joel, do not fall asleep," Ellie demanded, but it was useless. Joel's eyes closed, and he returned to his sleep.

Piper pushed herself off the floor and began to hike up the stairs when a pair of footsteps accompanied her.

"What are you doing?" Piper asked.

"I'm coming with you," Ellie replied.

Piper shook her head and walked her sister back down to Joel. "No! Ellie, I'm serious. I need you to stay with Joel. He's…he's fucking out of it. I need you to make sure no one makes it down here."

"I'm not letting you do this alone," Ellie desperately said.

"No! Ellie," Piper commanded. "Just fucking stay. Or you'll get us both killed. Stay with Joel. Protect him until he wakes up. I'm gonna lead them away and kill'em. Stay here."

"No-" Ellie began, but Piper shut her down.

"I didn't ask you," Piper growled. Her voice grew dark and dangerous, warning Ellie to back down. "You're staying." In the blink of an eye, Piper shoved Ellie to the ground and darted up the stairs. When Ellie got to her feet, the stairwell door had been shut and barricaded.

Ellie pounded on the door, tears in her eyes. "Piper! Let me out!" She cried. "Pipes! Fuck!"

Fighting the tremble in her voice, she spoke to her sister through the door with clenched teeth. "I'm doing this for your own good."

Without another word, Piper readied Joel's rifle and snuck out the back door. A sigh of relief escaped her once she realized the horses had stayed quiet. With the silence of the late morning, Piper crouched down low. It was up to her now. She couldn't miss. She had to keep Joel and Ellie safe. She had to lead them away.

Her first thought was to take them into the forest, but she knew they would expect that. They'd only send so many men after her and keep the rest in the neighborhood. Instead, Piper chose to lead them deeper into the neighborhood, away from Ellie and Joel. Recalling her faint memory of what the rest of the neighborhood consisted of, Piper remembered a school. She could lead them there. Like a forest, the hallways and classrooms would provide a vantage point to take out the group quietly. That's if Piper was brilliant. The problem there was getting the group into the school. She had to make them think that's where she was staying.

Sneaking around the backyards of the homes that littered the street, she crawled onto a fence and into one of the yards. On the ground lay a rusted ladder. Glancing at it, Piper realized she could sneak onto the roof. It was the perfect place to shoot them down one by one. Maybe she didn't have to lead them to the school.

Pulling herself up the ladder and onto the roof, Piper crawled across the tiles until she spotted the group. David walked into the center with James on his right. There were eight of them. Each of them were armed, all except David. He pointed to the homes on the right and started barking orders.

Preparing the rifle, Piper lay down and peered through the scope. Her sights were on David. She could pull the trigger and kill him right then and there, but then she'd have a pack of revenge-hungry cultists after her. She smiled. That's exactly what she wanted. Kill the leader and then lead the whole group to the school, where she'd pick them off one by one.

Steadying her breath and focusing on David, she pulled back the trigger and fired. There was a cry as the gunshot echoed off the homes. A raider fell, soaking the snow a dark red. But it wasn't David. Piper cursed. She shot the man behind him. Hurriedly, she got ready to shoot again. Her head was down low as she prepared to fire. A cool, sharp whisk of wind flew by her head. She whirled her head around.

"Shit," she snarled. They'd found her. Getting up from her spot, she heard them fire a few more shots as she crawled off the roof.

"Get her! Remember, alive!" She heard David scream as thundering footsteps ran in her direction. She pulled herself over the fence and ran. The school, she kept telling herself, away from Joel and Ellie. She had to keep them safe.

When she heard the raider reach her old spot, Piper had circled the back of the neighborhood. She could see David, James, and one other man.

Piper scoffed and snuck closer, preparing a shot. "It's their own fucking funeral," she whispered to herself.

A horse's shrill filled the air as she readied to fire again. Piper froze as the body of a horse ran onto the street. It wasn't the horse that terrified her—it was the person who sat on the back of the horse.

"Hey, motherfuckers!" Ellie yelled. She shot her gun a few times, taunting the raiders.

David and his group ran after her. Piper bit her cheek, drawing blood. "Fuck," she cursed and ran after her sister, who was half-hazardly firing her gun from atop the horse.

"Shit!" A raider screamed after a bullet grazed his skin. Then, they began to fire at her and the horse.

"Fucking hell, Ellie." Piper's speed picked up, and her breath grew labored.

"Go! Let’s go," James yelled as he motioned for some people to follow him.

"Alive!" David shouted over the chaos of it all.

"Keep comin’, fuckers!" Ellie teased.

Piper continued to run. Her feet blurred as she ran on the pavement, not caring to hide behind the cars and homes. All thoughts of the school were gone. Ellie was out. They had seen her, and she was taunting them to come closer. With each fire of their guns, they got closer to stealing Ellie away. Piper's heart pumped faster and faster. She had to save Ellie. She couldn't let them get her sister. She had to-

A gun fired, and the horse fell to the ground, sending Ellie flying to the ground.

"I got her!" James triumphantly yelled.

"Ellie!" Piper's voice cracked. Raising her gun to fire, she didn't care if she missed. She had to get them away from her sister. She had to get David away. "No, no, no," she breathed, watching David pick up her sister and cradle her in his arms.

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through her leg. Piper screamed and clutched her thigh, feeling the blood trickle out. Her ears screeched as she tumbled to the ground.

"Got the other one!" A raider announced from behind her. He stepped up to her side, yanked the weapons out of her hand, and kicked her in the chest just for good measure.

Piper gasped and clenched her teeth to stifle her cry of pain. She wouldn't give the fucker the pleasure. The pain flooded her, making it hard to notice anything around her. Suddenly, the sun's gaze was blocked by a shadow. Worn leather boots stepped up to her face.

Peering up, fighting the tears in her eyes, she saw David holding Ellie. He smiled down at Piper and brushed away some stray hairs on Ellie's face. Piper groaned and spotted her pistol just beside David's foot. She pulled her hand away from her bleeding leg and reached before James stepped up and kicked it farther away.

"Everything happens for a reason," David muttered.

"If you fucking hurt her," Piper growled. "I'll-"

David nodded, and then her world went black. A dull pain traveled from the base of her head, encasing her in darkness.

"Shhh," David whispered to Piper. "Everything will be alright. You're in God's hands now." Then, turning to the group, he began giving out instructions. "Two of you with me. Drag the horse. The rest of you, stay here. Go door to door. Are you so hungry for vengeance? Deliver it."

The men didn't need another word as revenge and rage flooded their souls. With a sickening grin, they readied their weapons and began their search. They were determined to find the man who had killed one of their own. The girls would be dealt with on David's accord, and only God'; would save them.

꧁_꧂

Something inside Joel forced him awake. It was a whisper tickling the back of his mind. Gently, it eased his eyes open. The location of the basement dimmed the light of the sun that fought its way through. Flickering its way down to the concrete floor, the light touched particles that bounced in the air. They shimmered as the air flew them around.

In his daze, Joel's dark eyes followed the dust as they captured the sun's light. A soft smile crept onto his face. The sun's light reminded him of his dream. It was such a good one. One he hoped to make real—him and his girls. Just as fast as the smile had come, it had faded into something more grim. His girls.

The whisper in his mind grew louder and louder. Words that were once fumbling together now became apparent. "There are men coming, okay?" He heard Piper's voice as it struck away the fog clouding his mind. "I’m gonna lead them away from you, but if anybody makes it down here, you fucking kill them. You got it?"

Joel nodded to an empty basement, and his face paled upon realization. The girls were gone. He shot up, wincing from the pain in his stomach. The guns were gone. The familiar colors of Ellie's purple and Piper's orange coats were replaced with the wooden walls of the basement. His girls were gone.

A cool metal burned his skin, causing him to look down. Ellie's knife. He'd recognize it anywhere. She never let it leave her sight. It had been a gift from Piper. Joel's grip around the knife tightened. His girls. Where were they?

A cloud of dust fell down the ceiling, catching more of the sunlight. Joel froze before looking up. The floor above creaked as footsteps pounded down. Whoever the steps belonged to was trying to be quiet, but they were heavy on their feet—almost sluggish, Joel noted. His girls' footsteps didn't sound like that. Ellie held the weight of her feet on her toes, and her step was springy.

On the other hand, Piper's step was silent. It was almost as if she floated above the ground with how she walked. Joel knew his girls, and whoever was above wasn't them.

The footsteps stilled momentarily, and then a screech was heard as something dragged across the floor. It was an unmistakable noise. Close to the door. Joel stifled his groan as he stood up to a standing position. Clutching the knife close to his body, he quickly scanned the basement for a place to hide. Creeping into a dark corner, Joel held his breath and waited.

Footsteps descended the stairs. Joel heard the heavy breath of the invader, and the shakiness of his hands at the gun he held rumbled between his hands. The man had crept deeper into the basement, flipping around for any sign of Joel. With his back turned Joel saw his chance. He pounced on the man, wrapping an arm around the man's neck.

He struggled and fought Joel's grip, dropping his gun to favor his hands. They beat against Joel's arm before coming to a still once a sharp blade pierced his jugular. The man fell weak and turned to look at Joel, who drove the blade deeper. Blood squirted out, spraying all over Joel's hands. As the man fell, his weight dragged Joel down with him, and with a deadly grin on his face, the man died.

Joel released his grip on the blade and yanked it out of the man's neck. Blood pooled out of the wound and spilled onto the concrete floor. Joel groaned as the wound on his side sent flashes of pain along his body. His lungs wheezed and craved the restful slumber he had before, but now wasn't the time for slumber. Piper wouldn't have let this man get into the basement. He'd seen how she killed that boy. He'd seen her fight. The only way she'd let it happen was if she was gone.

He knew now what happened. Joel understood from the footsteps outside the basement that his girls were gone. These people had come to hunt them. If it were a hunt they wanted, he'd give it to them. He'd get his girls back.

꧁_꧂

The floor was cold and uninviting when Piper woke up. A chill rolled through her body quickly to be replaced with pain. In waves, it rippled from her thigh, roaring as it left echoes of agony in its wake. Her breath tensed as the pain reached her chest. Hastily, she clutched at her head and leg to ease it. That's when she felt it, the coarse cotton of a bandage. Peering through the sweat and tears, Piper saw her leg neatly wrapped up. She felt around the bandage and almost immediately regretted her decision, biting her lip to stop the cry of distress that thrashed within her.

"I started worrying you wouldn’t wake up." A ghostly voice said.

Whirling around, Piper caught sight of David. He stood outside her cell with a smile on his face. Piper scowled as she took in her surroundings. A chain-link fence tied the walls together, trapping her in a cage.

"Don't worry, it was a clean shot. The bullet went right through," David noted, pointing to the leg Piper had been clinging onto.

"Where's my sister?" Piper asked. Her voice seemed alien to her with how hoarse and dry it was. It was as if she was speaking on the edge of death.

David folded his arms across his body and looked down at Piper. "She's safe with us," he assured her, and his smile grew large upon seeing Piper's reaction. "You'll see her soon."

Piper lunged at David, only to be stopped by the fence. She violently shook it, causing the room to erupt in a screeching fit. "Let me out, you fucker." Piper screamed.

"Well, that’s certainly the goal," David chuckled.

Feeling another spasm of pain from her leg, Piper collapsed to the floor. "Why am I in a cage?"

Crouching down to her level, David answered. "Because I’m afraid of you. You’re a dangerous person." His eyes slowly looked Piper over, leaving trails of goosebumps over her skin. "You’ve certainly proven that. The others, they want me to kill you for all that’s happened. Did you hear me say the others wanna kill you?"

"Yeah," Piper coughed, her original voice poking through.

"But I stopped them," David added and leaned in close as if he wanted Piper to be grateful and get on the floor and beg for forgiveness.

"I don't need your fucking protection," Piper snarled before spitting into David's face. She watched as David's smile faded.

With jerky motions, he flicked her spit off his cheek. "Well…," he said, returning to his terrifying gentle expression. "Why don’t we just start with your name?"

"Buster Hi-Man," Piper smirked.

Something in David snapped, and he lunged for Piper but stopped before reaching the fence. "Hey, listen to me!" He yelled. "You can’t survive on your own. No one can. But I can help you. Let me protect you."

Piper growled at David, and through clenched teeth, she corrected him. "I’m not on my own."

"Right," David scoffed. "Your friend. And how is he? I can see how much you care about him, so I know it hurts. But even so…" he looked at her leg and sighed. "You gotta face reality. That part of your life is ending. And what I’m offering you is a beginning. But if you can’t find a way to trust me… then, yes, you are alone."

"Fuck you," Piper hissed. She couldn't let David see how deep her words cut. Joel was out there. She had left him with those monsters. She had let them capture Ellie. She had failed. She had failed Riley. She had failed Tess. She had failed Henry and Sam. Now, she has failed Joel and Ellie. She had failed, and now she was truly alone.

"Everything happens for a reason," David muttered with a smug smile. Pushing off his feet, he stood up and walked to the door of the room Piper was being held in.

"Where the fuck is my sister?!" Piper roared.

"Like I said," David said, peeking over his shoulder. "She's safe. Maybe she'll be smarter than you. I can keep her safe. I can protect her, unlike you. Ponder what I've said."

With that, David was gone, and Piper was alone. Piper had failed, and now she was alone.

꧁_꧂

Joel had hunted. It was easy to take out the two other men who were after him. With one swift bang of the butt of the rifle, he had knocked them out and tied them up in the living room of the house he and the girls sought safety in. He'd find his girls and bring them home.

The first man was a denier. He pleaded with Joel as he brought his hand to his face, beating him over and over. If the man wouldn't speak, Joel would tear it out of him.

"Stop… stop. Please," the raider begged as Joel punched him again. A sharp groan escapes his mouth.

Joel withdrew his hand and reached for Ellie's knife. In doing so, he saw the other man awake. With a threatening smile, Joel raised the knife for the other man to see.

"Leave him alone," the other demanded.

Joel ignored him and instead tuned into the raider before him. He kept spouting the exact words. "Please… I don’t know any girls," he cried. Joel clenched his jaw and stabbed the knife deep into the man's thigh before twisting it. "Oh, fuck!" The raider screamed as his body involuntarily squirmed.

"Jesus!" The other raider whispered, alerting his fellow man to his presence.

"Marco," the raider called out, leaning his back to catch a glimpse of his partner.

Joel snatched the raider's head and yanked it forward, forcing the man to look at him. "No-no, no-no-no. He can’t help you," Joel used the knife to point to himself. "You focus right here. Or I’ll pop your fuckin’ kneecap off." He placed the knife at an angle to do just as he said. The tip of the knife dug under the skin, and the raider whimpered.

"She’s alive," the man confessed. "Both of 'em."

"Where?" Joel growled, leaving the tip of the knife embedded in the man's knee, but he didn't answer. Joel's body tensed as the urge to live up to his promise became stronger and stronger. But today wasn't the day Joel would fight his violent urges. His girls were gone. Whoever was with these men took them, and Joel would get them back. He pulled the knife back and stabbed it back in, lifting it.

A raw scream erupted from the man's throat. "Ah, fuck! Fuck! Ah, the town!" He shrieked.

It wasn't enough. None of the answers were enough. He pulled the knife with as much force as he could muster. "What town?!" He roared in the man's face.

"Silver Lake," the man whimpered, and Joel twisted the knife. "Ah! It’s not a real town name. It’s a resort," he exclaimed.

"A resort?" Joel asked. The man didn't respond fast enough, so Joel twisted the knife further into his knee and leaned in close. "You’re gonna point to where we are… and where your “resort” is. And it better be the same spot your buddy points to," Joel warned.

Taking the knife out of where it impaled the raider, Joel shoved the knife's handle into the man's mouth. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a map. Carefully unfolding it, he held it open for the raider and awaited his answer.

With a trembling head, the raider used the knife to point to a location on the map. "Okay," Joel muttered, marking the spot in his mind.

"…That’s where we are. I swear. Go ask him. He’ll tell you. I’m not lying," The raider explained.

Joel stood up and removed Ellie's knife from the man's mouth. He nodded as his mind absorbed the raider's words. They were to be his last. Within the blink of an eye, Joel drove Ellie's knife into the heart of the man. The blade twisted as the man's life slowly faded from his eyes.

He had died faster than Joel liked. The more pain he could give these men, the better, but that required time. Time his girls didn't have, so he had to settle for a swift, bloody end. Pulling the blade out, Joel marched over to Marco, who scrambled to escape.

"No… no!" Marco cried. "Shit! Jesus! No! Why the fuck did you do that?! He told you what you wanted!"

Joel wiped Ellie's blade and carefully placed it in his jacket pocket. Then he picked up a pipe he had taken from one of the raiders. The metal felt light as he flipped it in his hands. Then he sauntered over to Marco, who resorted to cursing out Joel.

"You motherfucker. Fuck you. I ain’t tellin’ you shit." Marco spat at Joel.

"It’s okay…," Joel coolly said. "I believe him."

He raised the pipe in the air as if praising the heavens above. Then, allowing the weight of gravity to take over, Joel brought the pipe down. Marco didn't have time to scream his god's name before his face resembled a dirtied bowl that not even the devil would use.

꧁_꧂

Ellie snickered to herself about her captors' stupidity. They had put her in a cage with a window. While the window was too tall for Ellie to reach on her own, her captors kept a bucket in the cage. Flipping the bucket upside down, Ellie placed it under the window, stepped up, and jumped. Her hands caught the bottom of the windowsill. Grunting, she bent her arms in an attempt to pull herself up.

It failed, and Ellie was no longer laughing. Maybe her captors were more competent than she thought. Hearing footsteps outside her prison door, Ellie pushed herself up and pulled the bucket away from the window. By the time the door flung open, Ellie had shoved herself into a corner far away from the bucket and window.

"It's good you're awake," David greeted. Your sister woke up a while ago," he mentioned as he pulled a chair to Ellie's cage.

Ellie's head shot up and ground her teeth together. "What the fuck did you do to my sister?"

David smiled and waved off her aggression. "She's fine. You know, my people," he added. "They wanted to kill her. She killed two of our men. It only seemed fair, but I stopped them. I protected her. I can protect you, too. How are you feeling?"

"Eat shit," Ellie growled before tucking herself as far as she could go into the corner.

David smiled before looking to his side. He picked up a bowl and slid it through Ellie's prison bars to her. "Here, this is for you."

Ellie glanced at the bowl and scowled, but it soon faded with the look of pure horror. Beyond where David sat lay a bloodied ear. Ellie glanced down at the bowl of soup containing chunks of thick meat. She felt sick.

"For what it’s worth," David added, "this is just deer meat. I swear."

"You’re gonna chop us up into little pieces," Ellie accused.

Shaking his head, David replied. "I’d rather not. Please, just tell me your name." She refused to answer. She wasn't giving this fucker her name. "If you wanna judge me–"

"Judge you?" Ellie shouted from the top of her lungs. as she kicked the bowl out of the cell. The glass shattered as it hit the wall. "You’re eating people, you sick fuck!"

"Yes," David agreed with a soft voice as if he was trying to quiet Ellie. "There are only a few of us that know. But I would’ve told you. Sooner or later. I guess sooner,' he shrugged.

"You’re an animal," Ellie hissed.

"Well, yes, we all are," David said. "That’s sorta the point." With a deep sigh, David continued. "It was a last resort. You think it doesn’t shame me? But what was I supposed to do? Let them starve? These people who put their lives in my hands, who expect me to keep them safe, who love me?"

Ellie scoffed. "Yeah, maybe."

Stepping closer to the cage, David adamantly shook his head. "You don’t believe that. I don’t think your friend would either. Didn’t he take another man’s life to save yours?" Ellie turned away. She couldn't bear to look at the monster anymore. "What about your sister? She took two men's lives. She did it for you."

"They were defending themselves," Ellie refuted.

"They were defending you. But you knew that. You see a lot. So do I. And you know what I see when I look at you? Me. You remind me of me," David stated. Ellie wanted to throw up. "You’re a natural leader, you’re smart… loyal. Violent."

"You don’t know anything about me," Ellie replied.

"But I do," David corrected. "If I let you out of that cage right now, put that knife of yours in your hand, you’d stick me in a second. You have a violent heart. And I should know. I’ve always had a violent heart. And I struggled with it for a long time. But then the world ended, and I was shown the truth."

"Right…," Ellie rolled her eyes. "…by God."

"No. By Cordyceps," David said. Ellie's brows pinched together, and she turned to look at David. "What does Cordyceps do?" David continued, having caught Ellie's attention. "Is it evil? No. It’s fruitful. It multiplies. It feeds and protects its children, and it secures its future with violence if it must. It loves."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Ellie's feet had pulled her closer to the bars of her cell. Her hand wrapped around the cool metal and squeezed it with the image of David's neck in her mind.

"Because you can handle it. The way the others can’t. They need God. They need heaven. They need…," David paused and looked at Ellie. Cautiously, he approached her. "They need a father. You don’t. You’re beyond that. I’m a shepherd surrounded by sheep; all I want is an equal. A friend."

Ellie frowned. "What about my friend? What about my sister?"

David sighed. "Like I said, loyal. I can tell the others to stop looking for him. I can tell them to let your sister go."

The hope in Ellie's voice betrayed her. "Really? They’ll just let them go?"

"Yes," David nodded. "If they leave us in peace, my people will just let them go. They do what I tell them to do. They follow me. And they would follow us. Lord knows I could use the help." Taking the final steps, David stood directly in front of Ellie. The only thing separating them were the bars of the cage. "I– Look what’s happened. Think of what we could do together, as strong as we are. We’d make this place perfect. We’d grow, spread out. And we’d do whatever we needed for our people. Imagine the life we could give them. Imagine the life we could build." Then David gently wrapped his hands around Ellie's.

Chills were sent down Ellie's spine as she turned a ghostly white. "Oh," Ellie muttered. She hesitantly looked up at David as his finger began to rub against the skin of her hand. The shock on Ellie's face was wiped clean and replaced with a deadly snarl. She grabbed David's finger and pulled. She pulled until she heard that snap.

"Ah, ah!" David screamed and pulled his arm back, but Ellie wasn't done. She would break every bone in his hand and then move to his arm until David was a pool of shattered bones. She yanked his arm back, but David was too strong. With one swift pull, he freed his hand and pulled Ellie into the poles of her prison.

Ellie fell to the floor, clutching her bleeding nose. Her fingers gently pressed against the ridge of her nose. It wasn't broken. She knew what a broken nose felt like. After all, she had broken Piper's.

"You little cunt," David cursed, clutching his broken fingers. "Let’s see what I go tell the others now. Let's see what I tell them about your sister and friend."

"Ellie," Ellie said through the blood and pain. It trickled down from her nose and into her mouth.

"What?" David lowly asked, turning away from the door.

"Tell them," Ellie began, "that Ellie is the little girl who broke your fucking finger!"

David stood stunned as he took in Ellie's appearance. Her face was bloodied and filled with raw rage. Biting his tongue, David glowered at Ellie. "How did you put it? Hmm? “Tiny little pieces”?" Then David was gone, and Ellie was alone.

She was alone, and her strength faded. Her eyes only held fear. She was trapped here with cannibalistic cultists. She only wanted to help Piper. She had heard the gunshot and freaked out. She only did it to save Piper; instead, Ellie led the monster to them. They had Piper. Her panic only multiplied as the image of the ear burned in her brain. They were going to kill her and Piper and who knows what else.

Tears mixed in with the blood that fell from Ellie's face. It was her fault. She left Joel alone with those fuckers. She got herself and Piper caught. She was the reason they were going to be killed. If only she had listened. If only she didn't curse everyone around her. Everyone left. No matter how much she clung to them, they'd leave one way or another, and they'd leave because of her. The more Ellie thought about it, maybe she was the reason. After all, she was the reason Henry and Sam died. She couldn't cure him. Hell, she was the reason Tess and Riley died. She was the reason Piper got caught. She was the reason Joel was alone and dying.

Ellie no longer fought the sobs that fled her mouth. She was a curse, and she was alone, utterly alone.

꧁_꧂

Spite filled Piper's being once the doors to her prison flung open. She jumped back as David and James surged into the room. "Welcome back, you fucker. Oh, brought back up. Scared of little old me?"

David ignored her taunting and fumbled with the lock, keeping her cage closed. Piper scoffed and opened her mouth to spill more curses when the door flung open.

David and the other man lunged for her as they reached for her arms and legs. She ducked before slamming the man closest to her into the brick wall. A sweet crack filled the air as the man swung his hands to clutch his broken, bleeding nose.

"Fuck!" he cried before shooting Piper a glare as he jumped back to his feet. He looked at David, and the two nodded before stepping closer to Piper.

With each step they took, Piper took one back. Suddenly, her hands felt the cool metal of the cage. She was cornered. In the blink of an eye, firm hands squeezed her arms. Then, her legs were lifted into the air. Piper screamed.

"Get off of me! Fuck off." She swung her head around, trying to bite anything she could grab, and found James' hand. He bit his tongue as her teeth entered his skin, drawing blood.

"I tried to redeem you," David scolded her as his hands were replaced by another's, the man who shot her in the leg. "To save you in God's eyes, but you're too far gone. The devil has claimed you."

"Fuck you," Piper growled as she flailed around.

"Take her and bring her to the other one," David instructed them. The men nodded and began to drag Piper out of the room. She scratched, screamed, bit, cried, and did anything she could to free herself, but to no avail. They were going to kill her and kill Ellie too. Piper had failed, and now she was going to die.

꧁_꧂

No matter how much pain he was in, Joel had to keep going. It was as if the blood pumping through his veins was replaced with the need to ensure his girls were safe and back in his arms. Even if the wind and snow howled at him and the cold bit his skin, he kept going. He had to save his girls.

Despite the fogginess the whirling snow created, Joel had found the resort. It was huge, buildings lined, what Joel assumed was the road. As he passed, most of them were empty. Glass windows were broken, and dust and snow littered the insides. Yet he continued. His girls had to be safe so he could tell them they were no longer cargo. He needed to tell them his dream and to share it with them. It was vital he found them, and Joel knew if he couldn't, he'd be gone.

It seemed so long ago his only goal was to find Tommy. Tommy. Tommy. Tommy. The girls were a means to an end to get to Tommy and his family. But fate had a different plan, and the girls stuck around longer than Joel intended. With each horrible joke from Ellie's mouth and eye roll from Piper, Joel found his goal to be changing. Yes, he needed to find Tommy, but most of all, he was searching for his family. He found Tommy and discovered Tommy had a family of his own. With the smiling faces of Maria and his unborn kid, Joel knew Tommy didn't need him anymore, but Joel needed someone.

So, as Joel lay in the dark in the bedroom, he claimed it was his own, and he gazed up to the heavens. The longer his gaze lingered, the denser Joel. What was he looking for in the darkness, staring at the ceiling? He stared that whole night, and as the sun trickled in between the bent plastic blinds, Joel's mind awakened. Joel had his family. They had been with him all along. He'd found them under his gun in a hallway in the QZ. Piper and Ellie became his girls, and most of all, they became his family. Just as quickly as he found them, he lost them as fast. They were taken, trying to protect him and their family.

Clenching his jaw, Joel pushed further into the storm. Leaning his back against the stone wall of one of the buildings, he caught his breath. The wound in his side seared with pain. He quickly checked it for blood. It wasn't bleeding, yet the snow around him was red. With narrowed eyes and careful steps, Joel followed the trail of blood into the building.

He found the door to be unlocked and stepped inside. With his flashlight equipped, he searched the room for any sign of his girls. It didn't take long for him to set sights on the girl's bags tucked underneath a table. He frowned, pushing himself to a stand. The girls were here. The raiders hadn't lied. Making a mental note of the bag's location, Joel pressed forward.

Not one of Joel's steps rang out across the building as he continued his search. His flashlight flickered as it bounced from wall to wall, searching for Ellie and Piper. Suddenly, his light stilled. The beam floated towards the beams in the ceiling. Tied from the beams were three bodies. Their heads were gone, and their skin was paler than white as they dangled from the ceiling.

Joel felt all sense wash away from him. He no longer felt the jabbing pain in his side or the way his lungs heaved air in and out of his lungs. Instead, the purest form of fear entered his body. It infected every inch like a disease, invoking an urge he hadn't felt in twenty years. It was intuitive paternal protection. If it was clear before, Joel had to get his girls out, and he'd do anything to get them back.

꧁_꧂

As the door flung open, Piper's ears were met with the worst sound in the world: Ellie's screaming.

"No! No! No," Ellie screamed as David tried to grab her. With one swipe, he snatched the collar of her shirt, pulling her in. She jabbed her fingers in his face and bit his hand, forcing him to drop her, only to find his boot kicking her down to the ground. Ellie coughed and wheezed as she protected her head from David's attack.

"Get off of me! Get off!" Her violent shakes grew stronger as she tried to free herself from the grasp of her captors. "Ellie!" Piper called out to her sister as David stepped out of her cage, closing the door behind him.

"Shut up!" James yelled at Piper as they dragged her

Ellie pushed her head off the ground, allowing Piper to look at her sister. Blood steadily flowed from Ellie's nose down her face. Scratches littered her sister's once-pale skin. "Piper!" Ellie croaked, raising a hand to reach towards her sister.

Suddenly, there was a thud, and the oxygen in Piper's lungs disappeared. She gasped for air and clenched her fists as James and the other man held her down on the table.

Ellie began to scream again. The words were incoherent in Piper's mind as the assailant from before squeezed her bullet wound. With a knowing smile, he watched as Piper jerked around in pain.

A silver glint appeared. A hand was placed beside her head. Above her stood David with a cleaver raised.

Air fled back into Piper's lungs. "Wait, wait!" She pleaded, shaking her body even more.

"Shut up!" James yelled again.

"Hold her still," David commanded as he steadied the blade above Piper's neck. Her eyes widened as the fight began to drain from her body. She was going to die. She knew it, and after she was dead, they were going to kill Ellie. Piper had failed. She had failed Ellie.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Don’t! Don’t do it!" Ellie cried out. She clung to the chain link fence and shook it. "Please, don’t do it! Please, don’t! Don’t!"

"You had your chance," David reminded her.

Ellie's breath escaped her lungs faster than her heartbeat. "We're infected!" She exclaimed. "We're infected. Both of us!"

James scoffed and then glanced down at Piper. He froze. His grip weakened as the sight sank deep into his mind. It was a bite mark. Piper had been bitten. Ellie also flashed her bite mark in her cage, lulling James' eyes to her wound.

The room grew quiet as James looked to the other men for guidance. His hand was still bleeding from when Piper had bitten him.

"And now, so are you," Piper chuckled. "What did you say? Everything happens for a reason, right?"

"David," James whispered, but David didn't hear him over the sound of his own heart beating in his ears. Ellie had bitten him. She was infected. Both of the girls were infected.

Shaking his head, David began to pray and not the scripted bullshit he continuously repeated for his flock. For the first time, he began to truly pray to the God he always preached about. "No. No, they would’ve turned by now." He tried to assure himself and James. "This isn’t real."

"It looks pretty fuckin’ real to me," James cried.

The other man released his grip on Piper. His feet failed him as he stumbled away from the table, checking his skin. There wasn't a bite mark. He was safe. He glanced between James and David.

"You're infected. You-"

"Now, Peter," David began calming the man down.

"You're infected," Peter gasped before running out the doors.

Piper grinned, seeing her chance, and flung herself off the table at David, knocking the knife out of his hand and forcing him to the ground. Jumping up, she scrambled to open Ellie's cage. With swift hands, she swung it open and pulled her sister out.

"Ellie! Run!" Piper yelled, shoving her sister out the door. Ellie listened this time, and this time, she regretted what she did.

Once the door settled, James retrieved the cleaver and pounced on Piper. She grunted as they toppled to the ground.

"I've got her!" James yelled to David. "Go!" With another word, David ran after Ellie.

Piper screamed and thrashed as she watched David chase after her sister. But there was nothing she could do. James sat above her, forcing the cleaver down closer and closer to her neck. Yet Piper fought. Her arms shook as they pushed against James' weight. Her eyes began to darken, and her heart thundered. Despite her efforts, the cleaver came closer. Tears formed in her eyes as she kicked her legs. She was going to die.

The silver blade shined in the faint light of the sun as it sliced her face. From her right eyebrow to cheek, her face burned. It was a scalding, searing pain as she felt warm blood trickle down her face. She pushed back, but the blade sunk deeper and deeper. Her dark eyes widened as the blade's fine edge hovered above her eye.

In one last effort to force James off of her, Piper gritted her teeth and screamed as she kicked him in between his legs. His eyes bulged, and his grip loosened. Turning his force against him, she swung the blade into her hands. The silver blade shone no longer as blood splattered over the walls, onto the floor, and Piper.

The blade never clattered to the ground as Piper pulled it back and drove it deeper into James' neck, except it wasn't James she saw, with his blue eyes and scraggly beard. Instead, she saw a face that only haunted her nightmares: Levi. She swung and swung until her hands were drenched in red. Her tears stung as the blade finally clattered to the floor. It was then Piper realized the room was darker than it was before. Clouds of gray and black filled the air.

Tilting her head, her eyes followed the trail. It was smoke, and it came from beyond the doors. That's where Ellie had run. Piper's heart clenched, and she grabbed her chest, wincing in pain. Ellie, she thought. She had to get Ellie. She had to save Ellie. Piper pushed herself to her feet. Her eyesight grew muddier as blood continued to flow into her eyes. She tried blinking it away, but her face spasmed in pain. It was as if the pain on her face caused a chain reaction; Her leg buckled from underneath her, bringing her to the floor. Instead of a hand touching the door handle, it was her head. Piper's head hit the floor with a smash, and her world grew black.

The darkness was a sweet relief from the pain and fear. There was no monster hovering above her. In the darkness, she was a kid again, safe in her room with her sister tucked beside her. She could dream in the dark. She could dream of that farm with the sheep and her family sitting beside her. Anything was possible in the darkness, so Piper sank deeper into the darkness.

꧁_꧂

EXTREME TRIGGER WARNING IN THIS SECTION! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION

Ellie ran. Piper had told her to do so, and she ran. The doors she opened only seemed to end in more doors. Twirling around, she searched for anything to protect herself with just in case it wasn't Piper who came after her. She was in a kitchen now. Knives hung from the walls, too high up for Ellie to reach. If she had time, she'd grab them, but time was not on Ellie's side. A glint of red and orange from beneath the stove caught her eye. It was the remnants of a fire still lingering on a chunk of wood. Without much thought, she snatched it and ran through the next pair of doors.

Wood and shades of red clashed together as the new room appeared. Seats, tables, and benches were everywhere. Ellie darted between the tables for the glass door, for freedom. When she reached the door and pushed, it didn't budge. It was locked. Cursing, Ellie whipped her head around. She had to hide until she could get out or until Piper found her.

Hiding behind a wooden wall, Ellie crouched down and caught her breath. Her ears listened for any sign of Piper or an oncoming assailant. There was a deafening creak as the doors swung on their hinges. The footsteps Ellie heard following were heavy and frantic. This wasn't Piper. Holding her breath, Ellie waited until the footsteps were a few paces away before she jumped out. With all her strength, Ellie threw the stick. It flew towards David, who ducked out of the way. The stick landed underneath a window. The remaining fire flew onto the curtains, swarming the fabric with desperate flames.

The fire grew upwards, reaching the ceiling before spreading over the chairs and benches. Crackles came from the fire as it consumed everything around it.

"There’s no way out, Ellie," David said as he stalked around the dining hall. His steps were calculated as he peered under each table for Ellie. "The doors are locked. And I have the keys. Ellie?" David cooed. "Ellie!"

From underneath a nearby table, Ellie squeezed her body tighter. She needed to be invisible until Piper came. Ellie knew Piper would save her from David. After all, her sister had made a promise.

"Ellie…" David called out as he continued his hunt. "I know you’re not infected. No one infected fights this hard to stay alive. So… how did you two do it? What’s the secret? Or are you girls just that fucking special?"

The roaring fire had consumed most of the building. Clouds of smoke soared from the flames, filling the air. Ellie's lungs tensed as the black mist threatened to enter them. She crept deeper into her hiding place, covering her mouth to stifle any coughs.

"No one likes being humiliated, Ellie. You don’t know how good I am! You don’t know what I could’ve given you! If you had just let me!" David's search grew more frantic as he searched for Ellie.

Meanwhile, the young girl darted from spot to spot until she crept behind the bar. With shaking hands, she picked up a steak knife and held it close, ready to strike if needed. Sweat clung to her skin, and worry filled her mind. Where was Piper?

Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream erupted from the back room. Ellie shuddered and slapped her free hand over her mouth. It was Piper. The scream seemed to last an eternity before the sound was abruptly silenced. Ellie whimpered as the blaring quiet filled her ears.

"Did you hear that Ellie? That was the sound of your sister dying. She has failed you. I won't fail you. I never will if you'll let me!" David yelled with a gleeful smile on his face. From her hiding spot, Ellie began to cry. Piper wasn't coming to save her.

"Ellie," David taunted as his steps grew closer to Ellie's hiding place. "I have news for you. Neither one of us is dying today. You see, I’ve changed my mind. I’ve decided you do need a father. So I’m gonna keep you… and I’m gonna teach you. Ellie. Ellie…"

With tears and blood adorning her face, Ellie crept out of her hiding place. David's back was turned to the raging fires. Instantly, Ellie lunged and stabbed the steak knife into David's side as he turned and swung the cleaver at her. She ducked before tripping over her feet and bringing herself to the floor.

Above her, David groaned as he pulled the knife out of his side. "Ah, fuck," he cursed, clutching his side. He pulled back his hand, which was dripping blood. Biting his lips, his venomous eyes trailed over Ellie as she crawled along the floor. Her hands desperately reached for the cleaver David had dropped in their struggle. He took a step before swinging his leg into her stomach. He kicked and kicked, forcing a grunt of pain to escape from Ellie's mouth.

When she turned on her back, he pounced. His hands flew to hers, forcefully holding her down as he sat down on her legs, keeping them still. Ellie screamed as she thrashed around. David leaned in close, and Ellie spit. Pulling back, David chuckled; "Oh. I thought you already knew. The fighting is the part I like the most."

Ellie screamed as loud as she could. It was a call for anyone willing to save her. She begged that it reached her sister's ears, so that just maybe, Piper would awake from the dead to rescue her. But the dead don't return that quickly. Next, she screamed for Joel, who lay dying in the basement. Maybe he'd be able to hear her call and save her. Someone had to come for Ellie. Someone. Anyone.

"Don’t be afraid," David soothed as Ellie continued to scream. “There’s no fear in love.”

As David released one of her hands to reach downward, Ellie reached. No one was coming to save her. Piper was gone. She risked her life for Ellie's escape. Joel wasn't here. No one would save her, so she had to save herself. Her finger brushed against the handle of the cleaver. Pulling it down, she grasped the handle and, with all her might, swung it down onto David's neck.

David fell back, struggling to stop the blood from falling from his body. Gurgles escaped his mouth when he tried to speak, but Ellie wasn't listening. She was saving herself. She brought it down repeatedly with her hands clinging tightly to the cleaver. As the blade cut deeper into David's face and body, Ellie cried. She cried for her loss: her sister, her childhood, Joel, Tess, Riley, Henry and Sam. No one came to save her, and Ellie was alone.

The fire raged on as curtains fell into piles of ash. The wooden walls and ceilings turned dark as the flames consumed them. Hovering David's body, the orange and red blaze reached out to Ellie. The heat was trying to comfort her mourning heart. Stumbling to her feet, Ellie brushed the gentle flames aside and headed towards the door's light. With bloody and trembling hands, she placed the key into the lock and stepped out into the bitter cold.

Smoke trickled out as the door opened. Her body shivered, and her feet sluggishly wobbled in the snow. She had nothing now. There was no Joel and Piper. Her coat and bag were stolen from her when she arrived. The only thing she had was herself. In a daze, she shuffled forward deeper into the snowstorm.

Suddenly, a pair of large dark hands flew onto her shoulders. Ellie screamed and flailed her arms around. "No! Get off of me! Get off!" She pleaded.

"Ellie," a deep, gentle voice uttered. "It’s me."

"Get–" Ellie yelled as the hands turned her around.

"Ellie," the voice repeated her name and a soft hand cupped her cheeks. "It’s me."

The fog from her dark eyes faded to reveal Joel. His face was all pinched up as he looked at her. His brown eyes welcomed her in and told her she was safe. Someone had come for her. Ellie wasn't alone. Joel had found her.

"Hey…," Joel said. "Look, It’s me… It’s me. It’s okay." He brushed some of the hairs from her face away.

"He-," Ellie began to mumble.

Joel nodded and gently pulled her into his warm embrace. She didn't hesitate to place her head on his chest and allow the tears to come. Joel had come for her. "It’s okay. It’s okay, baby girl. I got you," He soothed as his hands rubbed along her back. Closing his eyes, he rested his chin against her head. Ellie was safe. He only had one more daughter to find.

"Where's Piper?" He asked and immediately felt Ellie's legs grow weak. His grip tightened as he held her up.

Choking on her sobs, Ellie peered up at Joel. "She-she's," Ellie's voice shook. "I heard her scream. It was so loud. Joel, she's-"

"Okay," Joel said as he looked at the building Ellie had emerged from. "Ellie, I need you to come with me. We need to fi-"

The shrieking sound of glass shattering filled the air. Smoke tumbled out from the side of the building, pulling Joel and Ellie's attention. What they heard next was quiet. It was a plea for help. It was Piper.

꧁_꧂

Pain. It's all Piper felt once her eyes opened. The room was as dark as her unconsciousness had been. Piper's lungs heaved as they remembered to breathe, only finding nothing to take in except for dark, heavy smoke. As coughs erupted from her chest, Piper felt her body grow weaker than it had ever been before. The temptation to fall back into the darkness grew too much. It had been so welcoming and peaceful, but the darkness couldn't give her everything. The darkness couldn't hold Ellie and Joel.

She placed her hands in the sticky pool of blood that had seeped out of her and pushed herself to a stand. Her hand instinctively covered her mouth as she opened the door she had seen Ellie run out of. As the metal doors opened, a roaring fire was ready to greet her. Quickly, she closed the door and turned around for a new escape.

Above her, a faint light seeped through the dark fog of black. She limped over to the countertops and pulled herself atop them. She prayed Ellie made it out and ran. It was the only thing keeping her going. If Ellie was gone, she might as well sink back into the fire and smoke and return to the darkness.

Standing tall, Piper reached her hands into the air. Her scorched and bloodied fingers felt the cold glass windows. She banged against them, fighting the smoke that forced its way down into her lungs. The windows refused to open. She grew more desperate with each hit. She had to get out. She wanted to live. She needed to find Ellie and Joel.

A glint shone through the darkness. A metal rolling pin glimmered. Piper dragged her feet along to grasp it. Her arms dropped down from the weight. This would break the glass, Piper thought as she lugged it back to the window. She raised it and swung. The metal thudded against the glass. She swung again. The glass cracked. Swinging one final time, the glass shattered. Using the pin, Piper enlarged the hole so that it was big enough for her to crawl through before dropping the pin to the ground.

Piper's knees buckled beneath her as the rolling pin clattered to the floor, and she fell. She was so tired. Her lungs had given up any fight to inhale only breathable air. Her wounds continued to scream in pain as red liquid soaked her skin. Everything in her body told her to crawl into a ball and welcome the fire. However, her heart and mind sang a different tune. It was a song of freedom. It was her dream.

Struggling to stand, Piper clung to the walls, searching for anything to help her up. She reached to the window and clenched her fingers around the ledge. Her muscles strained against her will to pull herself out. Glass dug into the palms of her hand as she forced herself off the counter and into the air. Flinging her elbow onto the ledge, she kicked her legs into the air, allowing her second elbow to gain a grip. With both arms on the windowsill, she pushed down, throwing herself through the window.

A cry fled her mouth as she removed her hands and arms from the window. Shards of glass embedded themselves deep into her skin, and even more blood fell from her wounds. Swinging her legs around, Piper jumped. She welcomed the white snow, which immediately turned a dark pink.

Her head rang with a static noise as her world began to spin. Something loud was crying out into the air. She winced, trying to make sense of it.

"Piper!" Joel and Ellie called out. They ran to her fallen body in the snow. Joel's knees fell to the ground as his hands wrapped around her broken body. Worry and guilt filled his being as he took in her torn-up figure. With heavy eyes, Piper looked up at Joel and Ellie. Ellie was in tears as she lunged for her sister, enveloping her in a desperate hug. Meanwhile, Joel took both girls in his large embrace. He held them tight to fight off the biting winter cold.

His daughters were home in his arms. His daughters were alive. His shirt grew wetter the longer they sat in the snow, holding onto each other.

"It's okay," he whispered into their ears. "I've got you. I've got you."

꧁_꧂

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꧁_꧂

[ghostybaby000]

After Hours | Part 4

Part 1 Part 5

Pairing: Simon Ghost Riley x reader

Summary: I recommend going back to part one (above) to begin this juicy read!

Word count: 1.4k

Warnings: 18+, guns, yelling, light flirting, future smut

(Not fully edited, apologies fro any inconsistencies!)

The next few days you found yourself thinking over your lesson with Simon and how you had wanted to tell your manager that things had changed. You still felt anger, not as greatly as before but enough so that it made you feel physically hot when thinking for too long of it. You broke from your thoughts as an ad came over the television, something about pain relief or migraines. You took the break from your show to grab a snack and make your way back to the couch. 

It had been 3 days since you had worked, and it left you feeling bored and lonely not having any sort of interactions with people other than the occasional text or call. There was no attempt to try and change the incredibly rude managers mind about working so you decided to try and improve on things you hadn’t gotten to do. You had found ways to entertain yourself by going for walks or trying new recipes, anything that kept you moving and out of a slum. If you had let yourself sit in bed you may not have ever wanted to leave. 

The rest of the day is calm, the small house noises making it feel all the more abandoned. The tick of the old clock in the living room, the hum of the fan in the bedroom, the sounds the washing machine made you feel drowsy. Enough so that you decided to drift into a nap, one that you felt was deserved after the day’s chores.

You felt yourself jolt awake to the sound of your phone ringing on the countertop. You scramble to get to the phone, not wanting to keep the person on the other line upset. You slide on the wooden floor as your socks and sleepiness weren’t helping to make your way up and over quickly, finally reaching your phone and reading the bright screen. 

‘Manager Trevor’ You let out a sigh that made you feel a little dizzy after sitting down at the counter, you had to pick up. 

‘Hello?’ You sounded tired and tried to clear your throat before speaking again.

‘Yes, hello Y/N. It’s about time-I tried calling you 3 times already you think you would of answered.’ He sounded angry, as if he had been speaking yet again to someone in a harsh and rude manner. 

‘I apologize, I fell asleep. What did you call fo-‘ you had been cut off when he began speaking again, not to your surprise. 

‘Yeah listen- I need you to come in this week, the rest of the week in fact.’ Your eyes opened father now, his words taking an extra moment to process. 

‘I thought I wasn’t mean to come in, you said I shouldn’t because of the pay.’ You wiped your eyes as you took a moment to look outside, it was dark. A quick glance to the clock had shown you that it was past eight o’clock and you had slept for far too many hours. 

‘Yes I’m aware of what I said, Y/N. I’m telling you now I need you to come in, for reasons I don’t have to explain to you-so can you come in or not?’ Silence sat on the line as you heard him huff, a clear indicator that you shouldn’t say no. You had needed the money anyways and decided to just be grateful he called you and not another worker. 

‘Yes I can come in, no problem.’ You both gave a short goodnight as you let the phone sit back on the counter. 

You had work, you would be able to pay the mortgage, you would be able to see Simon again! You had thought before of Simon and his lesson to you, trying to remember the stances he and taught you, and even how to hold the gun. In the shower you found yourself holding the invisible weapon pointing it at a shampoo, and when doing laundry you tried to remember the foot and hip stances. You find your heart rate picking up as you recognized that this week you might learn to fire the gun, although it still made you a bit nervous when considering how much time it had been since you had last held the weapon. While this was true, the gun had nothing on the nervousness you felt when he had touched you that day, something you promised to not forget. 

The next morning you make your way into the same building, settling into your position and starting your work. You felt good working, and chatting with those who came in asking about where you had been in the previous days. This pattern repeated as you kept working the next day and the day after that, when you saw him again. 

He had come in with an extra to the usual group, making 4 men walking through the shop looking at the ammo and chatting about what would be best for the day. Ghost didn’t motion towards you or even look in your direction, as if your lesson had never happened. You didn’t take it to heart as this was how he treated you before the interaction, and told yourself that it was typical behavior for him. 

The four came up to the desk, purchased their things and headed to leave the shop. Ghost had held the door with one arm, the other holding ammunition as the rest of the group shuffled out of the small shop, taking the smallest moment to look to you. You met his glance as he gave a small head nod, and let the door to the shop close with a chime. You felt your palms become sweaty as a small smile found its way across your face. The butterflies were so pestering now that you couldn’t ignore them raging in your stomach, and decided to have lunch. 

The next few days were all the same, no sight of Ghost or his colleagues in the shop, speaking with a few people about the weather and plans for the summer, your manager giving remarks that left you feeling nasty. It was now time to close the shop, the same visions of your interactions with Simon playing through your head as you heard rain pattering on the tin roof while you locked the door. You felt yourself smile again at the thought of shooting with him tomorrow night as you made your way to your car. 

The next day you wait with baited breath as customers come in and out of the shop, it was a busy day now and you had to pull yourself into a work mindset to get to everyone in a timely manner. You did your job well, making sure everyone had been attended to all the while being friendly and approachable. The day came to a slow end as the customers died down, only now returning golf cart keys and giving their good evenings to leave. You felt yourself sadden, realizing that through your rush of customers you hadn’t seen Ghost or his usual group. You had waited for tonight like a child waiting for a candy store to open, eager for more the second the store closes.

 Your manager was leaving now, a few hours earlier than you had expected-not that you would complain of such a thing, not taking time to say goodnight or bother with a wave as he left through the back exit. Your eyes were now slowing as they looked out the windows to the front of the shop, your heart began to sink. You had been so busy earlier-there wasn’t a chance that you had missed him was there? Military men and women had been checking in and out frequently but you were sure that you would have noticed his typical group had you seen their faces. The last few customers made their way in, leaving you with a goodnight or wave goodbye and you had decided that you would lock up and go home. Your energy from the day had already been depleted, taking a short lunch to help customers had made you feel tired and you needed to rest. 

You begin to pack up your things, taking notice of all the rooms in the building to ensure they were empty, before grabbing your things from your locker with a huff. You made your way out into the main room, turning off the lights as you paced through the building, the only light being the one in front room that you could disable before walking out. You reach down to pick up the lock box from under the desk when you hear it. 

*tunk*tunk*tunk* you freeze.

 Taking a small breath in you slowly stand from where you had been crouched, someone was tapping on the window. 

[sinkingteethinwhitenoise]

Ink - Nicholas Ruffilo 18+

Pairing: Tattoo Artist!Nicholas Ruffilo x fem!reader

Word count: 1.2k

Warnings: Poorly written smut, porn w/o plot, implied needles, tattooing, masochism, kissing, vaginal fingering, not proof read bc i hate myself

The sharp sound of the door chime shot through the air as you pulled the tattoo studio’s door open and walked inside. You had never seen your tattoo artist, but you knew his name was Nicholas. You had followed his tattoo page on instagram for a long time and his work was incredible. You knew you had to get tattooed by him the second you came across his art. You had talked to him through direct messaging about what you wanted and gotten estimates, sketches, and set up an appointment. Finally the day had come. “Hello?” you called out into the empty shop.

A man rounded the corner and your jaw almost dropped. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. His hair was long, dark and silky looking. He was covered in tattoos with splashes of color. He had the most beautiful gray eyes. “Hey!” He greeted, holding a hand out for you to shake. “Welcome in. I’m Nicholas.”

You shook his hand and introduced yourself, “It’s great to finally meet you!” You were trying your best to hide your instant attraction to him. His smooth voice combined with his looks and your excitement to get tattooed had your heart racing pounding so hard that you wouldn’t be surprised if he could hear it.

He led you to his station and grabbed his sketch pad. Once you sat down, he showed you the sketch that the two of you had agreed upon. “Is this still what we’re doing?”

You nodded eagerly, “Yes, absolutely. It’s perfect.”

“Alright, I’ll just go print the stencil and we’ll get you started.” He then disappeared into the back.

You began to grow slightly nervous as you waited for him to return. You knew your attraction to him was going to be a potential issue. You kind of had a thing for pain. It got you going. It got you worked up. With past artists, it had not been a problem. You weren’t attracted to them. But with Nicholas being the most gorgeous man you’d ever laid eyes on, you were in for it.

Before you knew it, he had returned with the stencil. “You still wanted it on your left thigh, correct?”

You let out a shaky breath, “Yes.”

He picked up on your nervousness as he started to prep your skin for the stencil. “Don’t be nervous,” he said softly as he cleaned the skin. “I’m real gentle.”

Your breath hitched. His kindness and his touch ignited a fire inside of you before he even started tattooing. You were fucked. Once the stencil was exactly where you wanted it and he was completely set up, he got started.

“Here we go,” he said as the needle touched your skin.

Your eyes crossed slightly and you almost moaned. Your teeth had a vice grip on your bottom lip to hold in any sounds. As he continued to tattoo you, you began to clench around nothing. You were warm all over. He adjusted his grip on your thigh and a soft moan slipped from your slightly parted lips, causing him to lift the needle and look up. “You okay?”

You nodded as your face flushed with embarrassment. “Mhm,” you hummed, squirming a bit in the chair. “More than okay.”

“You wanna take a break?” he asked, setting his tattoo gun to the side.

“Yea, let me just get some fresh air and I should be good to go,” you sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m never like this.”

“No worries, it happens.”

With that, you stood up and walked outside to breathe, unaware of the telling wet spot you left on his chair. When you came back and sat down again, he stood to change his gloves. You watched as the black latex covered his long fingers and listened to the snap as he released it at his wrist. You felt like you couldn’t breathe.

He got started again, but this time when you started to squirm he immediately put down his machine. “I think I know what this is about,” he chuckled.

“Y-You do?” you stammered. If he was really on to you, you couldn’t figure out how.

He nodded, caressing your inner thigh. “I think you’re enjoying this a lot more than you’re letting on.”

Your eyes widened. “Where did you get that idea?” You were trying your best to play it off.

“Hmm, let’s see,” he started. “The moaning, the squirming, the wet spot you left on my chair when you took your break.”

You just stared at him, the flush returning to your face. “Oh,” you murmured sheepishly, gaze shifting to your lap. You had really tried not to make it obvious.

A gloves finger made its way under your chin and tilted your head up so that you were looking at him again. “Do you want some help with that? Maybe if you get it out of your system you’ll stop squirming so much.” When you nodded in response, his grip on your chin tightened. “Use your words, sweetheart.”

You sucked in a deep breath, “Y-Yes…please.”

In a second his lips were on yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him impossibly closer, hands carding through his hair. The kiss was sloppy and filled with need; the force of your lips colliding was almost bruising. One of his gloved hands slid down your body before he cupped you through your shorts. The barely there pressure caused you to moan. He took that opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth and tangle it with yours.

He lifted his hand and wiggled it into your shorts. He ran his fingers through your folds before bringing them to your clit. He began to rub tight, gentle circles into the bundle of nerves. You pulled away and threw your head back with a gasp. He immediately began to suck a mark into your pulse point once he had the access. Your hips began to move on their own accord, grinding up into his fingers to chase the delicious friction. “Please Nicholas,” you whimpered. “I need more.”

You whined as he pulled his hand out of your shorts and backed away from you. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.” He said as he pulled down your bottoms, leaving your bottom half completely bare. He grabbed your legs and spread them further, groaning at the sight of your glistening cunt. “Fuck, sweetheart. You’re soaked,” he teased. “Let’s do something about that.” He slipped two gloved fingered into you.

You moaned loudly and gripped the sides of the chair as he began to pump them in and out. As he picked up the pace, he started to curl his fingers. With each thrust, his fingers hit that spongy spot inside of you, causing your back to arch off of the chair. You started clenching around his fingers. “Oh you’re close, huh?” he murmured. You could only respond with moans and a weak nod. He dipped his head down and sucked your clit into his mouth harshly. The coil snapped and you came hard, nearly convulsing as he helped you ride out your high.

Your breathing was heavy when he finally stopped. When he pulled his fingers out, he smirked at the evidence of your creamy release on the black gloves that still covered his hand. His tongue darted out and he sucked the glove clean before changing into a fresh pair. “Ready to get back to work?”

[ohblahdo]

Regarding the Mal book, I do think some attention deserves to be paid to this part (which took place in 1975, a few months before he died):

But there were other occasions when Mal couldn’t wrest himself from his demons so easily, times when he exacerbated his condition with drink and drugs. And, for the first time, Fran found herself afraid of her boyfriend, whose darkness had never been more acute. It all came to a head one night when Mal, drunk to the gills, began threatening her with his Colt Woodsman pistol, at one point placing the gun against her head before discharging it into the washing machine. When he sobered up, Mal couldn’t have been more apologetic, swearing to mend his ways and be the boyfriend she deserved.

He held a loaded gun to his girlfriend's head and threatened to kill her! That is not okay! And he fired the gun at the washing machine while they had a four-year-old in the house with them - imagine how scary that might be for her.

So yeah, Mal was a great big lovable teddy bear to his male friends, and he was a devoted aide to the Beatles, and he was also a terrible husband and an absentee father who coerced young fans into sleeping with him in order to meet their idols, got a young woman pregnant and then abandoned her, threatened to kill his girlfriend, and then when he was feeling suicidal, grabbed a loaded rifle and forced that same girlfriend to call the cops on him (again with a child in the house), making her live with that for the rest of her life. All of that has to be considered as part of his legacy, and I'm glad the book didn't completely shy away from it.

[just-a-girl-who-wrytes]

Part 1.

“You’re safe here, we’re going to take good care of you,” Nikki spoke softly into the SWAT officer’s ear. “There’s going to be a lot going on, but we’re going to put you to sleep and get you straightened out.”

The trauma room was full of ER staff - doctor’s, nurses, respiratory, and just as many law enforcement officers were standing outside of the room as there were healthcare personnel in the room. Nikki normally worked in the ICU as a nurse, but their census was low so she got floated to the ER today. Not that she minded, it was her first home once she transitioned into the hospital from EMS.

In fact, her old partner had been the one to bring her the 48 year old SWAT Sergeant. Serving warrants had gone horribly wrong and landed him with a shattered femur, humerus, and a collapsed lung all due to gun fire. The ballistic vests that SWAT wore were the best of the best, but that didn’t protect them from the areas left uncovered - like the arm pit.

This was where David Kay had been struck. The AR round tore through his upper arm, mutilating his humerus, before tearing through his chest wall twice, and lodging itself in the armored plate on the inside of his vest.

His femur wasn’t much better from what Nikki had seen on the x-rays, but it was a more survivable wound than that in his chest. She wondered if this sergeant, who’s colleagues referred to as “Deacon” would pull through, but she also knew the trauma team on today was the best of the best and if anyone had a chance of surviving, it was under their care.

Two days later, Nikki returned to work, back to her home in the ICU. She were getting report from the nightshift nurse when she looked at his computer screen and noticed her patient’s name - David Kay. She were glad to see he had survived surgery. She had encountered line of duty deaths during her days as paramedic but that didn’t make them any easier. Per the off-going nurses report, David had remained intubated, but stable and was periodically needing blood transfusions simply due to the extent of his injuries.

The surgeons had given him a titanium femur and humerus to replace his obliterated ones and he had a chest tube in place as well. He was blessed that his heart was spared in the shooting - literally. He was on minimal sedation but heavy pain control, which in turn helped keep him sedated. The plan was to wean him off as much sedation and narcotics as he could tolerate and then trial to see if he was ready to have the breathing tube removed.

“David, wake up for me.” He heard a familiar voice say.

As David began coming around, a sudden jolt of pain woke him. Then he realized he was hurting everywhere - legs, arms, chest.

He winced.

“No, babe, you can’t pull at that.” The voice spoke again.

He felt a hand on each of his wrists, preventing him from pulling at this god awful tube in his mouth. He was grimacing, he could tell. This was all torture - being held down, the tube in his throat, the pain he felt every time he breathed in or out, and what else did he feel? A tube in his penis? He fought harder to free his wrists.

“David… Deacon, stop fighting us, babe. You’re safe. You’re in the hospital, your surgery went well.” There was that voice again. “We’re trying to get you off of the medicine so that we can get you off of the breathing machine, but in order to do that, I need you to relax and listen to me.”

David was still confused, but he knew that voice sounded like home. He was having trouble recollecting all of the events that transpired and landed him here, but one thing remained clear: this voice was the one speaking softly next to his ear when he was brought into the emergency room terrified and alone.

He knew he wasn’t alone, but everyone seemed so busy doing everything to take care of his physical body that no one took the time to take care of him emotionally and emotionally, he was a train-wreck. He was hurting, he felt helpless, he was terrified…. Yet, in the middle of the chaos of healthcare saving his life, this voice was the calm in the middle of his storm.

He relaxed under her commands and opened his eyes. Everything was blurry at first, but as his vision came into focus, the first person he laid eyes on was a 5’4” nurse. she had brown hair, eyes that seemed to look straight into his soul, and the most beautiful smile that appeared when she said “Hey, Deacon.”

This was her - this was who the voice belonged to and her physical appearance matched it so beautifully.

“All of your SWAT team has told us you go by Deacon. Is that right?”

He nodded and winced at the discomfort of the tubes down his throat.

“Deacon, my name is Nikki, I’m your nurse today. We’ve stopped the medicine that makes you sleepy to make sure you’re still with us. If this goes well, the goal will be to get this breathing tube out tomorrow.”

Deacon continued to hold her gaze.

“Now you’ve got a tube in your chest. It’s under your armpit. You had a collapsed lung so the tube is in the side of your chest to help your lung re-inflate. It is probably uncomfortable to breathe with, but do the best you can, okay?”

Deacon slightly nodded again.

He continued to listen to her speak. He followed her commands and winced through the pain of breathing on his own once the ventilator settings were switched so that he was able to breathe. The breathing test went well, but exhausted him. He welcomed the rest that accompanied the restart of sedation.

The following day, he was woken up again, except this time, they took the breathing tube out. It was a miserable, but short lived feeling. Thankfully, Nikki was by his side through the whole process, talking him through it.

In the following days, he looked forward to seeing his beautiful nurse. He had talked to her about when he came in and was starting to recall some of the events leading up to his current ICU stay. Despite the tragedy, her presence had such a calming effect on David. Maybe it was the way she eased the nerves of his parents when they came to visit after he was awake. Or maybe it was how she answered any questions his teammates threw at her without skipping a beat. She was smart and she knew her stuff. But more than that, David was at ease with her. He was crippled by his newfound immobility, but Nikki encouraged him to do all that he could. And he did. But, he still needed help with things like brushing his teeth or washing himself. In any other situation, David would have been nauseated at having to be given a bed bath, but until he had this chest tube removed and his arm and leg healed up, this was his reality. Nikki made it tolerable. He didn’t feel ashamed, embarrassed, or exposed as she helped clean the most intimate parts of him. She had a gentle touch and the way she made sure he was on clean sheets and in a clean gown reminded David of the comfort he found in his mother’s care as a boy.

Nikki was amazing at her job and it was very apparent that she loved what she did and cared for her patients just like she would her own family. Or was David different? He didn’t know, but he was definitely disappointed on the day he got moved from the intensive care unit to a step down unit and lost Nikki and her care.

[chocoblep]

#5: Putting Out Fires

Prompt: Stamp

The early evening’s dying light streamed in through a large window, illuminating Illian’s workroom in a soft coral glow and casting shadows as it caught on the various magitek parts and enchanting materials strewn about every surface. He had already lit the work lamp on his desk, though he knew that soon the entire room would be dark save for that one little bubble of space if he didn’t take a break from his project to see the wall sconces lit. Sighing, he rose to do just that, striding over to the wall and flicking a wall switch next to the door. The sconces flared to life with a soft, yellow-white arcane glow, courtesy of the connection that the switch made to the crystals housed within, and soon enough Illian was sitting back down in front of the small machine he had taken apart to repurpose.

This little heating unit was mostly done, and with fall’s cooler weather fast approaching, he wanted to get this installed as soon as he could. He’d been making sure the new suite of rooms that Rath had ordered prepared for his new bodyguard were in working order, and unfortunately, the temperature control unit had had to wait until he could source more of the airship controls. He’d never outright made them before, but he knew how to modify them to handle arcane energies from crystals rather than their ceruleum. As he brought his welding gun close to the bottom casing, the door flying open caused him to jump and nearly singe his pants as he dropped it. He hastily grabbed a towel and dropped it onto a small patch of rug that had caught fire as he turned the gun off, and then stomped the towel to ensure the fire was out before glowering in the direction of the interruption.

“Do you mind? I was nearly done with–” he cut himself off when he saw that not only was it M’rath who’d stormed in, but he had a look on his face that was perturbed, which was unlike him. “Whoa. What’s wrong?”

“I had to put him down,” the Miqo’te began. “As soon as I got into his head he latched on and I couldn’t get out.”

After setting the welding gun back on his worktable, Illian came over to stand in front of his employer and best friend, laying his hands gently on the other’s shoulders. They were tense, as he expected, and he tried to send calming energy Rath’s way as he worked his thumbs gently against the muscles there. He knew how the man got when he was in this specific mindset, and to have it turned on its head and directed back at him… He couldn’t imagine how badly that had probably messed with Rath’s mind.

“If you would like, I could draw you a bath… or perhaps you would like to see your partners? I’m sure they would love to hear from you.” Illian fixed his bright blue eyes on Rath’s green-and-golds, and the pair stared at each other for a moment. He couldn’t really read what was going on in Rath’s head right now–but then, he wasn’t the one with that sort of power, anyway.

“I…” The emotions that passed through his expression were uncharacteristic of him to show. Worry. Discomfort. A sort of vulnerability he’d only seen a handful of times. “I do not wish to bother them with this. I am not in the best mindset to be good company for them.”

Illian just sighed. Of course M’rath would not want them to see him in this state. Especially not after the activities he’d been partaking in just a short time before. Still, this was as much a part of the man as all the others, and what sort of friend would Illian be if he couldn’t call him out on that?

“You do realize,” he began, “that this sort of thing is precisely something they would want you to talk to them about?”

Rath’s hands curled into fists at his side, his knuckles going white, and Illian wondered if he’d have bloody nail marks in his palms when he relaxed them again. “I know,” he ground out. “I just…”

“Call and see if they’re available,” Illy replied firmly. “Do not shut them out. You will come to regret it if you do.”

When the Miqo’te looked into Illian’s face again, there was something else in his eyes that Illian hadn’t seen in a good, long while. Guilt.

“I would not be surprised if they refuse, it has been too long” he said, his voice quiet. “I just need someone steady right now. An hour, and I will be fine.”

Illian glanced back at his work table and the nearly finished control unit, and then back at M’rath, who still looked a bit rattled. “Fine. But you’re calling on them tomorrow. I know you’ve been busy with your quarterly visits, but you’re nearly done with them now. Come, let’s go relax.”

As he led his friend from his workroom to Rath’s quarters, he tried to think reassuring thoughts. M’rath was not a bad person. His manifestation of the Echo had never treated him kindly, and sometimes when he picked up a new guest, their crazy seeped into his mind a little more than it should. Rath had spectacular impulse control, and he’d never acted on any of his borrowed neuroses, which always managed to impress the half-elezen. Regardless of how he felt about the torture that Rath put his guests through, it was the only way that the man had found to cope with his own traumas, and Illian couldn’t begrudge him that. Especially when his guests were the worst sorts of people, and deserved every mindfuck they got.

As he settled in a lounging position on Rath’s bed, he waited for the Miqo’te to lay down beside him before pulling his head onto his thigh and massaging his scalp.

“They do, don’t they?” Rath asked, his voice wavering a bit as he relaxed into the touch and curled in toward Illian.

“Mmm?”

“Deserve it.”

“You were listening in, were you?” Illian asked with a little smile, and then allowed his thoughts to become more intentional.

You are not a monster. You are loved. And you are doing everyone a service by taking out the trash.

The silence following those thoughts was heavy with hesitation, and Illian calmly reached over to Rath’s nightstand and found the remote he’d made for the room’s orchestrion. Clicking it on, he set it to play one of Rath’s favorite calming piano pieces. It wasn’t until the Miqo’te began to melt against him that he responded, sounding tired and only half-convinced.

“I am not a monster,” he repeated. “I am doing a service.”

“You are,” Illian agreed aloud. “Unless you’re trying to cook. You do no one a service, then.”

He didn’t even know where the pillow came from, only that it flew into his face with a decent amount of force, and he grabbed it before it could get away so that he could smack Rath back with it. “Excuse me, I did not deserve that!”

M’rath’s mind suitably diverted from the horrors he’d been subjected to before, Illian kept bantering with him until he fell asleep, and then tucked him in and crept out of the room. 

He was lucky that Illian was the kind of friend who would absolutely dispose of a body.

[shelyue99]

A wagon creaked slowly, with the ungreased grating of dry wood on dry wood, and began to move about among the German houses to my left. My hair stiffened. The wagon stopped and then rolled a few more feet and stopped again. It appeared to be moving slowly across the front, near the platoon C.P.

I clenched my rifle and leaned back against the door sill, wondering what had come over the Germans and why they had come to life. A flare popped over a D Company outpost in a small factory five hundred yards down the creek. Deep in town, a German machine gun clashed with an American 50-caliber. A 105 shell whispered overhead and landed far behind the barracks square. The wagon began to move again, jolting and creaking and clattering among the cobblestone streets.

It must be the ghost that's followed us through Europe, I thought with a shiver, for the sound did not seem wholly real-who would have the nerve to walk a horse-drawn wagon along the front in a city under such heavy artillery fire?

The rumors and stories came back to me full force. I had heard Captain Nixon of Battalion S-2 discuss this wagon once. He claimed that it had first appeared outside Carentan, when the 2nd Battalion had one hedgerow and the S.S. the next. Every night they heard a wooden wagon moving about behind the German lines. They even heard the horse's neighing and clopping and the country jingle of his harness. "We put mortars and artillery on it," the captain had said, "but that damned thing just kept going."

Some of the men used to speculate about it. They thought that it was the ghost of a supply cart that had gotten a direct hit and that the driver was homesick for his old outfit. So every night he'd come back and visit his buddies on the line.

The 3rd Battalion reported hearing the same wagon in Holland, near Opheusden, where they had a terrible battle and many men were killed. British tankers who were with them heard it too. They said it was a curse on the Regiment, brought on by some of the things that were done to prisoners in Normandy, where viciousness reached its peak.

And when I was in the 7th Army's forward battalion replacement depot, an S-2 man from Regiment told me that the wagon had followed them to Bastogne. They heard it crunching in the snow, he claimed, but they never saw it or hit it.

Well, hell, there's nothing I can do about it. Thank God I won't make the patrol.

—Parachute Infantry by David Webster

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 1

Episode 13: Spoiler Alert

~Henry's house~

Henry, Jasper and Charlotte had all gathered at Henry's house to watch their favourite show. They stared intensely at the TV screen as sirens and shouts blared out from the speakers. A gunshot fired, making them all jump back in fright. A scene where a car crashed and a machine gun fired made them wince for the characters that were onscreen. However, they all giggled when a guy was killed.

"AHHH!" A man growled on the monitor suddenly, giving them all a huge scare. Jasper jumped on Charlotte as they all screamed.

"Get off." She deadpanned, not thinking that it was that scary. Jasper decided that Henry would be a better person to hold onto as the zombies groaned on the TV.

"Piper, please keep it down in there!" Henry managed to say on Jasper's head whenPiper began rattling around in the kitchen.

"Don't tell me how to live my life." She sassed him, so Henry shrugged Jasper off and continued to watch the TV show.

"That show is intense." Henry looked at the other two teens, his adrenaline still high. He had switched off the programme once it had finished.

"My heart's all cramped up," Charlotte said, massaging the part of her chest over the organ. 

"I'm sweating...more than usual," Jasper told them as he rubbed his fingers together. 

"Use your rag." Henry reminded him.

"Oh yeah, my rag." The curly-haired boy pulled a cloth from his pocket and began to wipe his hands dry.

"Seriously, you guys, that was, like, the best episode ever," Henry told them, and they both agreed. After all, who doesn't like an adrenaline-inducing, zombie-filled thriller?

"Oh yeah."

"Totally. But I'm so sad." Jasper said as he tucked his rag back into his pocket.

"Why?" Charlotte asked him.

"Only one more episode left of Walking Orange. And...I don't want it to end." The boy answered emotionally.

"Are you crying?" The girl next to him asked, not believing that he was crying over a TV show.

"No, my eyes are just sweating." Jasper quickly lied, walking away from the couch so they wouldn't see him cry.

"Rag." Henry reminded him again.

"Oh yeah, my rag." He took the material out and used it to dry his eyes.

"Hey, I read online that next week's episode is going to--" Charlotte began to say, but the boys shouted over her, not wanting to hear any spoilers. They each picked a cushion and pushed her into the couch to shut her up.

Please, don't tell us anything about the series finale." 

"Don't spoil it!"They pleaded and released her from the soft prison.

"I was just gonna say that after the series finale, they're gonna rerun the first episode." Charlotte held her hands up to shield herself from the cushions.

"Ohhhh..." The boys said together.

"So you can put the pillows down." Charlotte hissed at them and made them drop the pillows to the floor.

"Hey! I need one of you to be my cameraman." Piper shouted at them from the kitchen bar, so the teens walked to the kitchen to see what she was up to.

"What kind of video are you making?" Charlotte asked the little girl as she analysed all the junk she had on the island.

"The kind that gets me into the Man Fans," Piper replied excitedly. She had been wanting to get into the number one fan club of Captain Man for ages, and now she had her chance.

"The Man Fans?" Henry asked her. It seemed that despite his status as Captain Man's sidekick, he had never heard of the club.

"It's a club. A bunch of fans of Captain Man." Jasper told him.

"And Kid Danger," Charlotte added, inflating Henry's ego.

"It's really hard to get in. I tried to join and they wouldn't even take me." Jasper said, making Charlotte raise her eyebrows.

"Hey, everyone who's surprised by that, raise your hand. Ooo, look, no one." Piper retorted sarcastically.

"Just be careful." The dark-haired teen walked over to the little girl as she set up her video.

"Why?" Piper asked, not seeing what could go wrong.

"Because that girl who's president of the Man Fans, uh, Paula Macchiato, she's mean," Charlotte warned her, having heard of the things the child president had done.

"Well, she said I could join the Man Fans if I pass my initiation," Piper explained.

"Which is?" Henry asked as he and Jasper munched on grapes.

"I gotta make a video of me eating hair soup." Piper moved a bowl of dark, thick sludge into their view, and the look of the slimy hair made them all gag.

"What kind of soup?" Jasper exclaimed, thinking he had heard her wrong.

"Hair! I got this big bag of it fresh from a barbershop floor." Piper lifted a sack of different shades of hair.

"You can't eat soup with a bunch of hair in it," Henry told his sister. As annoying as she was, he didn't want her to get sick from eating hair and messing up her intestines.

"Okay, first, the things you say don't matter. And second, I am going to eat the hair soup so I can join the Man Fans." His sister stood firm. She wasn't going to pass up the chance to join her favourite club.

"Hold my phone." She passed the device to her hesitant brother, who began to record the setup.

"Hi, Paula Macchiato. I want to join the Man Fans so much, I'm going to eat a bowl of...hair soup." Piper said to the camera and lifted up a spoon full of hair. She looked disgusted but put the spoonful in her mouth as Henry, Charlotte and Jasper started to wretch.

Piper gave a thumbs up to them as she struggled to swallow the hair, her expression miserable. 

"Can I have some?" Jasper asked, curious to see what it tasted like, which made Henry and Charlotte looked at him in bewilderment.

~The Man Cave~

Schwoz was setting up the TV for viewing, as Ray, (y/n), Henry and Charlotte grabbed loads of snacks from the auto-snacker. It was finally time for the series finale of Walking Orange and they were so ready to see how the show ended.

"Yeah, baby! Series finale of "Walking Orange." Henry exclaimed in excitement as they brought the food to the couch.

"I can't believe we're about to watch the last episode ever." Ray shared his eagerness as they all climbed over the back and settled down. Henry passed the sodas out as (y/n) put a large pizza in her lap. Ray sat down on the floor between her legs after taking a slice and she rested her arms around his neck. The TV began to play some random Awards show and they all began to panic as they realised they were on the wrong channel. 

(y/n) put the pizza behind her as Schwoz scrambled to find the remote. 

"I put it on the wrong channel." Schwoz cried as he jammed the station button with his thumb. 

"There, there, I fix it, I FIX IT!" He yelled at the shouting group and sat back down once the show came on, just in time for them to watch it.

"Previously, on Walking Orange..." The man on the TV recounted the story. They all squirmed in excitement at the prospect of seeing what was going to happen.

"I'm so excited!" (y/n) squealed in Ray's ear.

"I know!" He said, just as all their phones dinged from receiving messages. They all pulled their cells out and checked the message, but what they read freaked them out.

"Ohhhh, nooooo" Henry screamed at his phone and they all got up from their seats in anger and frustration. Ray beat a pillow against the ground, as Henry and Charlotte threw the skeezits and pizza in their hands. (y/n) ripped her popcorn box in half, the contents spilling over her lap, but she didn't care. Schwoz watched them all in confusion as they threw their tantrums.

"Just turn it off," Ray said in a strained voice. Schwoz switched off the TV in confusion.

"What happened? Why do we not watch Walking Orange? Why you heave your pizza and your poopcorn?" He asked the all, as (y/n) hugged herself into Ray's back in sadness. The evening had been ruined.

"Because The Spoiler ruined Walking Orange," Henry told him in anger.

"Stupid The Spoiler," Charlotte said in a sulk.

"Who is The Spoiler?" Schwoz wanted to know.

"He's this jerky teenager here in Swellview. He finds out what's gonna happen on TV shows and movies..." Ray stood up swiftly, his hair messed up from beating the pillow around.

"And then he tells people the ending." (y/n) ended for him, lying back on the couch and speaking in a whiny voice.

"He ruins it for everyone." Charlotte pitched in.

"Not for me. I am smart. I turn my phone off." Schwoz bragged to them, annoying his friends.

"Well, yip-dee-doo for you, Schwoz." Henry shouted at him in annoyance, and the alarm started to sound. Letting out a groan, (y/n) and Charlotte walked to the computer and opened the camera link.

"Wat, Gooch?" Ray asked the man up in Junk-N-Stuff.

"Do you know what The Spoiler did?" The Indian man asked them, and Schwoz covered his ears against the spoilers.

"Yeah, he texted all three of us," Henry replied.

"No, he texted everyone in Swellview and told them the ending of Walking Orange," Gooch revealed, as Schwoz pressed his hands even harder against his ears.

"No, don't tell me!" The little genius cried. 

"He said that Rodriguez killed Mallory," Gooch told the story, torturing Schwoz.

"Tell him, let him suffer like us!" (y/n) smirked in her seat at the computer.

"And that he's really a cop!" The storekeeper spilt the biggest secret and Schwoz fell to the floor dramatically, feeling the same anger that the others had felt. 

"Thanks for the info, Gooch," Ray said and closed the link. 

"Okay, how'd The Spoiler figure out how to send a message to everyone in Swellview?" Charlotte asked as she picked up the little man on the floor.

"Oh, I don't know." Ray sighed.

"How smart does someone have to be to pull something off like this, Schwoz?" (y/n) spun around to look at the two.

"Anyone with level five computer knowledge could figure out how to do it." He explained.

Well, somebody's got to stop The Spoiler." Charlotte said, and the young woman nodded and stood up to Ray.

"Good thing we know a certain superhero and his sidekick." She hinted.

"Right, that person is us." He said huskily.

"You mean...those people...are us. You used bad grammar." Henry corrected him, but it didn't sound as cool. Feeling miffed, Ray shot a quick laser at his shoulder.

"Okay, do I have to confiscate that?" (y/n) looked up at him with a frown and a stern voice, similar to a teacher's.

"No, mom." Ray groaned.

"Don't call me that, you're so much older than me." She teased him, wanting to ruffle his feathers.

"Hey!" 

~The next day~

(y/n) was sat with Ray and Henry as the two males played cards and ate chips. She wasn't particularly interested in the game, she was just there to eat their food and scroll through her phone.

However, to Henry and Ray, this wasn't a game, this was a battle to see who could come out on top. They stared each other down as they crunched on the chips in their mouths.

"Only one chip left," Henry mentioned, eyeing the lone snack at the bottom of the bowl.

"Race you for it," Ray said, determined to get that damn chip.

"Okay, I'll try," Henry said, putting his hands down. (y/n) looked up from her phone and saw that they were taking it way too seriously.

"Hands on the table, On three," Ray said, and Henry tapped his fingers in preparation.

"One--" Ray started to count, but (y/n) reached across the table and ate the chip for herself, smirking in her victory over them.

"Come on!" Henry yelled."

"You. Little. Chip-snatcher." Ray spoke slowly at her, but she didn't care. 

"Sorry, the testosterone levels between you two were pissing me off." She said as an incoming alert sounded. The three of them scrambled to the supercomputer. The woman slammed her hand against the panel to open up the Gooch camera.

"Hey, Gooch, what's up?" Ray asked as he stood next to her.

"Spoiler alert," Gooch said, and Henry put his hands on his ears.

"Wait! Don't say anything about The Good Wife, I'm not caught up yet!" He pleaded with the shopkeeper.

"Er, I think he means The Spoiler." (y/n) said, but the boy couldn't hear her, so Ray forced Henry's hands off his head, and pointed to the screen.

"What do you know about The Spoiler?" Ray asked.

"We received a tip that's he's planning to show up at the Swellview Monoplex tomorrow at midnight," Gooch explained.

"Hmm, I wonder why," Ray muttered himself, as they all thought about what The Spoiler would be interested in ruining.

"Tomorrow night is the worldwide premiere of Galaxy Wars 9," Henry remembered that the geeky movie was one of the biggest releases of the year.

"Oh god, yeah. I'm taking Charlotte, I'm so excited and that damn Spoiler guy better not ruin it." (y/n) told them.

"Oh my god. Thanks, Gooch." Ray breathed out and ended the call. He stood up and walked to the middle of the Man Cave.

"The Spoiler must have had inside information about what happens in the movie." The superhero theorised.

"He's going to ruin it for everyone." Henry agreed, knowing they had to stop him. 

"Not if you two stop him." (y/n) encouraged them. 

"Yeah, you and me." Ray nodded at his sidekick.

"You and I." Henry corrected him, annoying Ray.

"That's what I said." The large man said back.

"You said "you and me"." The teen liked to be correct with his grammar, but it really wasn't the time for an English lesson.

"Okay, who cares?" (y/n) butted in, being the referee for them as usual.

"Okay, we have grammar rules for a reason." Henry protested at her.

"Okay, guess what?" Ray said reaching into his jean pocket.

"What?" Henry asked, as Ray pulled out his laser remote and fired at his chest, the child inside him coming out to play.

"Yeah, there you go." He said with a proud smirk on his face, as (y/n) growled at the males in frustration.

"Raymond!" She barked, reaching for the remote, but Henry joined in too.

"You know, I got one, too." He said and used his whiz watch to fire a green laser at the man. They started to engage in a laser fight, (y/n) stepping back to avoid getting hit.

"AH! Not the face!" Henry yelled as Ray got him in the eye, so he began to rapidly fire his laser back at his boss.

"AHHH! Not the butt!" Ray ran around the Man Cave to avoid getting hit. (y/n) was crouching next to the couch, and stood between them when the fight began to get serious.

"OKAY! THAT'S ENOU---OW!" Her loud voice was interrupted as one of the lasers hit her, but she couldn't tell who fired it. The pair of superheroes ceased their fire as she rubbed her arm and glared at them.

"Oops." Henry laughed nervously.

"Sorry, (y/n/n)." Ray tried to give her a hug, but she just snatched the remote from his hands.

"I accept your apology." She smiled at him sweetly, making them think that she wasn't angry. Oh boy, they were wrong.

"Now, I'm going to kill you both!" She raised Ray's remote and shot lasers at them both, chasing them around the Man Cave.

~The next day, Henry's house~

"But I tried to get a selfie with Captain Man! I had a great plan, but it didn't work." Henry walked into the kitchen and heard his little sister talking to someone on her PearBook. She sounded really upset, and at the mention of his boss, Henry was more than intrigued.

"If you want to join my club, then get a selfie with Captain Man!" A rude, little girl said from the speakers, causing Piper's face to crumple with sadness. Whoever this girl was, Henry did not like her.

"But, I don't know where he is. How do I find him?" Piper asked her in distress.

"Wahh. 'How do I find him?" Wahhh. That's how you sound!" The girl snapped at Piper and mocked her. Henry normally didn't care about what Piper did, but he didn't like it when brats bullied her.

"Sorry, I didn't realise." The youngest Hart apologised, not wanting to upset the president. 

"You see this? That's how much time you have to get a selfie with Captain Man, or else you'll never join the Man Fans." The mean girl raged at her and ended the call. Piper slammed her PearBook shut and ran to the sofa to cry. She jumped face down onto the cushions and Henry decided he should talk to her.

"Hey, Pipes. Everything okay?" He asked, acting like he hadn't just heard everything.

"Yes, I'm not upset. Now, shut up." Piper wiped her eyes and tried to appear fine. But Henry could see she was anything but okay.

"Uh, I overheard you talking to that girl from the Man Fans." He told her, switching to his caring big brother mode.

"So?" Piper asked in an uncharacteristically sad and quiet voice.

"Why do you join that club so bad?" Henry questioned, sitting down on the couch arm.

"Well, I just think Kid Danger's really cute," Piper told him, not realising she was saying these things about her brother.

"Ughhh, kill me." Henry gagged at the thought but carried on listening.

"And every week, the Man Fans get together and talk about stuff that Captain Man and Kid Danger are doing, and I just wanna be a part of it. But how am I going to get a stupid selfie with Captain Man?" Piper said rhetorically. She'd never find the superhero in time.

"All right, listen." Henry probably shouldn't have told her this, but he could see how much this meant to his little sister, so he rationalised that a little hint wouldn't hurt. He sat down next to her and leaned in close.

"I read a rumour online that Captain Man might be going to the Galaxy Wars premiere tonight," Henry said as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Really? Where online?" Piper asked, grabbing her phone to search for the information.

"Oh, uh...they took it down, but I saw it and it said he was going to be there." He lied, but it was enough to get her to stop typing.

"Wait. Where am I gonna get a ticket?" Piper said sadly, knowing that they'd all sold out months ago.

Uh. My boss, (y/n) is taking Charlotte, and she has a spare ticket. I could ask her to take you too." Henry smiled at her, knowing that the woman wouldn't mind taking Piper along too.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Piper asked her brother since he didn't usually help her out. Normally, they were always at each other's throats.

"Because...you're my little sister and I...I don't know, shut up!" Henry said, getting up quickly and walking away from all the mushy, sentimental stuff. He walked to the kitchen and saw Jasper through the kitchen window. He was dangling upside down and waving a sock around.

"Henry, look! I got your sock!" Henry looked at Piper, who just shrugged her shoulders in fake innocence.

~The Man Cave~

Charlotte and (y/n) were waiting for Ray and Henry to get ready for the movie premiere. They were sat checking the criminal records on the computer as they waited. The door next to the computer opened and the two males came out chattering to each other. 

"Hey," Henry said through his costume's mask. It was a red, futuristic set of armour that appeared in the movie and at a geeky premiere, he'd fit in.

"You find anything?" Ray asked her, also dressed up. His costume looked more medieval, but it was still in line with the film's lore. Even dressed as a nerd, he looked hot.

"Yeah, we found a great pic---" The girls turned around and burst out laughing at how they looked. It was pretty funny to see them fully geeked out.

"What's funny?" Henry asked Ray, he thought their costumes were good.

"All right," Ray said with a bored tone.

"Seriously? You're gonna make fun of us?" Henry looked at the two girls, who were holding their stomachs from laughing so hard.

"Knock it off. Come on. Enough." Ray said to them, feeling uncomfortable that his crush found him hilarious in the dork costume.

"Ok, ok." The woman and the younger girl breathed in deeply to calm themselves down.

"So, you're a skynaught?" Charlotte asked Henry, having seen every Galaxy Wars movie, she knew every character.

"A red skynaught." Henry lifted his mask so he could speak clearly.

"And I'm Duke Starjacker." Ray said and (y/n) admired how accurate the costume was.

"I can't believe you chose my favourite character. You even got the gold necklace right." She smiled at him and suddenly, the costume didn't seem so bad to him. Charlotte, though, found their lack of knowledge of the film amusing.

"Yeah, yeah. You won't be laughing when we catch The Spoiler." Henry snarked at her.

"Oh, right, about The Spoiler. Here's a new pic of him from a month ago." Charlotte brought up an image on the monitor and showed a cocky-looking teen's mugshot. Ray and (y/n) took a photo of the boy's face so they knew who they were looking for.

"Got it." He said.

"Hey, and you're going to take Piper to the movie tonight?" Henry asked (y/n) as she looked up from her phone.

"Yeah, I got an extra ticket from one of my nerd friends. I'll even buy her popcorn." She smiled at the boy and checked her watch.

"Oh, it's nearly eleven, we should go pick her up, Char." She said to the girl, and they both grabbed their purses.

"Okay. We'll see you at the monoplex." Henry said to them.

"Yep," Charlotte replied and they walked to the elevator.

"Bye!" (y/n) waved as the doors slid shut and Ray turned to look at her from the auto-snacker.

"Stay safe!" He shouted. He ordered some popcorn from the machine and poured it into the satchel on his costume. 

"Uh...what you doing with that popcorn?" Henry asked him in confusion.

"Putting it in my adventure sack," Ray told him and closed the bag.

"Y'know they sell popcorn at the movie theatre." His sidekick said to him, wondering why wouldn't just buy it when they got there.

"Yeah, for like a billion dollars," Ray replied, thinking he was a genius. 

"Okay, let's go, corn smuggler," Henry said as they walked to the tubes together. Ray tucked his gold cloaked behind his back as the tube came down and Henry brought his mask back down.

"Up the tube." His filtered voice said, and they shot up the tube. Sadly though, the suction caused all of Ray's popcorn to fall out of his sack.

"No, my popcorn!" He cried.

"Ha! Your sack has a hole in it." Henry laughed at him. Looks like he'd have to buy some at the cinema after all.

~Swellview Monoplex~

(y/n) led Charlotte and Piper into the movie theatre and stopped at a food kiosk.

"Hey, Piper, do you want some popcorn?" She smiled at the little girl and pulled her credit card out. Even if she didn't, the young woman definitely wanted some of the sweet, corn snack.

"Yes, please. Can I have a soda too?" Piper asked her in a polite voice. She was too excited to see if Captain Man was here to be her usual rude self.

"Sure. Char, do you want anything?" The woman joined the queue and looked at the teen.

"Just a soda for me please." (y/n) nodded and ordered two large popcorns and three large sodas, quickly paying for them so they could get to the movie room. She spotted Ray and Henry walking through the doors and nudged Charlotte, who also saw them giving their tickets to the man at the entrance. 

"Can I go to the bathroom?" Piper tugged her sleeve, not realising that the two other girls wanted to meet up with Henry and Ray.

"Sure, sweetie. Take your popcorn and drink. Do you mind going with her, Charlotte?" The woman jerked her head and winked at the two males to give the dark-haired girl a hint. Luckily, she picked it up.

"Yeah, sure. You go get some seats." Charlotte gave her the chance to get away and walked off to the toilets with Piper. Once they had disappeared into the crowd, (y/n) made her way over to the two disguised superheroes.

"Hey! You made it!" She greeted them and they smiled when they saw her.

"Where are Piper and Charlotte?" Henry asked some concern in his voice for his little sister. 

"Bathroom, I told them I'd meet them in there." The woman pointed to the room where the movie was being shown.

"Let's go then," Ray said, guiding her in with a hand in the small of her back.

The viewing room was filled with animated chatter from countless Galaxy Wars fans, some dressed as their favourite characters.

"You see The Spoiler?" Ray asked them both, all three pairs of eyes scanning the rows.

"No, not yet," Henry said, as an overenthusiastic dork came down the steps and spoke to them, 

"Red Skynaught. You are the sworn enemy of Mento." The teenager spoke, confusing the two males, but since she'd watched all the movies with Charlotte, (y/n) got his references.

"Sorry. We don't speak nerd." Henry said to the boy.

"He's talking about the war between the warriors of Mento and the Red Skynaughts in the Years of the Ethereal Light." (y/n) explained and the nerdy boy smiled at her knowledge. Her friends, however, just looked at her with confusion.

"Tranya! You have insulted my tribe and the fair maiden in your company! Now taste the Tassel of Tinklon and I shall claim her for my people!" The dork slapped Henry across the face with his 'tassel', as Ray put (y/n)'s hand into his. No nerd was 'claiming' her on his watch. The fake weapon in his hand didn't really hurt Henry, it just really annoyed him.

Henry grabbed the boy's glow bat and broke it over his knee. He handed the two pieces back to the teary-eyed boy.

"Why'd you do that? Mom! A kid just broke my glow bat!" The teenager ran back to his mother on one of the back rows.

"How about those two seats right there?" Ray said to Henry, pointing to the seats.

"Cool." Henry agreed and (y/n) let go of Ray's hand to wait by the doors.

"I need to wait for Charlotte and Piper, you two go ahead." She smiled at them, but Ray didn't want to leave her. Henry shoved him up the stairs.

"Dude, she's a grown woman and we can see her from our seats." He hissed into the older man's ear.

"Ugh!" Ray groaned but carried on walking until Henry spotted the mean girl who had been bullying Piper.

"Hey, hey. See that girl over there?" Henry subtly pointed at the girl in the pink shirt.

"Mm-hmm, the one wearing the me button?" Ray asked when he saw the girl's page with his face on it.

"Yeah. That's the president of our fan club, the Man Fans. She's the one who's being really mean to my sister." The boy explained the backstory to his boss.

"Wow." Ray breathed out.

"What?" Henry looked at him in confusion.

"Her button. That's a fantastic picture of me--" Ray said, his ego showing.

"Oh, let's just sit down." Henry pushed him into their seats.

Charlotte and Piper walked in and met up with the woman who was looking after her.

"Hey, everything okay?" (y/n) smiled at them. Charlotte saw where Ray and Henry were sat and nodded, both at her words and at them.

"Um, where do you wanna sit?" Charlotte asked Piper, wanting to keep the temperamental girl happy, but she just gasped and started to jump in excitement when she saw the girl on the back row.

"What?" (y/n) asked, wondering what had gotten her so excited.

"That's Paula Macchiato." Piper cried, and ran up the stairs to where the girl was sat.

"Hi, Paula." She said happily, thinking that the president of the Man Fans would also be happy to see her. However, Paula lolled her head into the headrest and rolled her eyes.

"'Sup, Paula?" Piper reiterated her greeting when the girl ignored her.

"Until you get a selfie with Captain Man, don't talk to me, don't look at me, and don't even think about sitting with us." She yelled at Piper who looked like she was gonna cry. Henry, Charlotte and (y/n) looked on in sympathy and anger at how horrible the girl was. Not even Piper deserved to be spoken to like that. 

"Okay, sorry." Piper sadly plodded back down the steps to where the two girls were waiting for her.

"Hold my popcorn, Charlotte, I'm gonna go say something to that brat." (y/n) said and rolled up her sleeves with a huff.

"Shhh. Don't upset her, please. I need her to like me." Piper stopped her from going anywhere.

"Okay, but if she looks at me, I'm gonna give her one of these," Charlotte said to Piper and pulled an angry face at the girl at the back.

"And I'm going to give her this." (y/n) went to stick up her middle finger, but Charlotte held her hand down before Paula could notice or Piper could tell what she was doing. She let out a sigh and took the younger girls to some free seats before she could swear in front of more children.

"Hey, I want popcorn," Ray whined to Henry as he watched (y/n) and Charlotte sat down with his sidekick's sister.

"There's none left in your adventure sack?" Henry asked him, still looking through the crowd.

"You know there's not! Be right back." The large man snapped, knowing that Henry was teasing him. He stood up to go to the foyer and grab a box.

"Keep an eye out for The Spoiler." The boy reminded him.

"You too." Ray left him and walked down the steps next to their seats. He had only been gone a minute when a man emerged from the crowd and started to speak.

"Uhhhh. Excuse me! Hey, people, listen up!" He shouted to everyone, and everyone fell silent. Henry looked at him in suspicion as he knew The Spoiler had made himself known.

"It's The Spoiler!" Charlotte cried and pointed to him, sending the room into a panic.

"He's going to ruin everything!" The dorky boy from before shouted from the back. 

"I got some information about the movie!" The Spoiler addressed the crowd.

"Ray?" Henry needed his friend with him at a time like this. If only he hadn't been thinking of his stomach. He got up from his seat and ran to go find him at the popcorn kiosk.

"So, get this..."The Spoiler started, but (y/n) was quicker than him.

"Quick, everyone do this! La, la, la, la, la." She told everyone with her fingers in her ears to block out what he was saying. Everyone copied her actions, and the noise they made together meant they couldn't hear what the cocky teenager was saying.

"No, don't do that! Hear me! Hear me!" The Spoiler shouted, agitated that the crowd had some power over him. 

Henry walked back into the room as Kid Danger, ready to fight the guy who was a menace to everyone in Swellview. 

"Hey, you!" He shouted.

"What?" The Spoiler wasn't scared of some sidekick.

"Shut up!" Henry told him, as Piper noticed the new presence in the room.

"It's Kid Danger!" She yelled in happiness, as Charlotte and (y/n) breathed a sigh of relief that The Spoiler was about to meet his match.

"Oh my god, we love you, Kid Danger!" She yelled and grabbed onto her companions' arms as Henry stalked towards The Spoiler.

"Spoiler alert, I'm about to spoil you." Henry sassed the dude.

"Yes! That was the perfect quip!" Piper said fangirling over the boy she didn't know was her brother. 

"Get outta here!" The Spoiler hissed at Henry and shoved him back onto the floor. The crowd 'oooh'd at the attack. Kid Danger got back to his feet and tackled the other teen to the floor. The crowd cheered and clapped as the two brawled and Henry got a few punches to the guy's stomach. However, the older teen was stronger and he managed to twist Henry's arm until he was pinned on the floor. The audience was in horror as the sidekick struggled against the criminal. 

"Maybe I'll just break your arm and ruin the movie for everyone." The Spoiler said as he held Kid Danger's arm over his knee and gripped his throat harshly. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Piper ran from her seat, stealing a glow bat on her way down the stairs.

"Get your hands off Kid Danger!" She yelled at the thug and began whacking as hard as she could on the man's back. He fell to the floor in pain, letting go of Henry, but she carried on her attack. The crowd applauded her brave actions, especially Charlotte and (y/n). It seemed that courage and selflessness ran in the family, even if Piper rarely showed it.

Ray ran in as Captain Man to see his sidekick on the floor, wide-eyed at how viciously his sister was hitting The Spoiler. 

"It's Captain Man!" The nerd boy said, and the crowd cheered even louder. Ray helped Henry up and lifted Piper away from The Spoiler. 

"Calm down." He told her, but she went back to hitting the teen on the floor, making him pick her up again.

"Go, Piper!" Charlotte yelled as she clapped.

"Hit the crap outta him!" (y/n) joined in, loving the way the child was taking down a criminal for Captain Man. Having gotten Piper to calm down, Ray picked the teenager up by the scruff of his neck.

"Well, The Spoiler...I'm about to spoil..." Ray lifted his fist to punch the guy.

"I already quipped that." Henry chipped in, so Ray just chucked the guy to the awaiting cops instead.

"Kid Danger, can I have a hug?" Piper asked, but Henry freaked out at the idea. He couldn't get close enough to his sister that she recognised him.

"Uhhh, not right now, I need to go stand over there." He excused himself in a fake voice, so Piper turned to Captain Man instead. However, Paula Macchiato wasn't about to be outshone by her rival.

"Move!" The president ran down the steps and pushed Piper into the free seats at the front. (y/n) and Charlotte frowned and crossed their arms at the girl's spiteful actions.

"Captain Man, I'm Paula Macchiato, the president of your fan club, the Man Fans. I'm awesome." She said, which made Ray briefly look up at (y/n) who was pointing at her and mouthing the word 'bitch'. 

"Yeah, I heard about you." He said, whilst also looking at Henry who shook his head at the girl.

"What's your name, little girl?" Ray asked Piper, knowing he had to be nice to her and not Paula.

"Piper Hart. Remember? One time you shot an alien off my face with Exterminator Phalange?" Piper said to jog his memory.

"Oh yeah. Well, Piper Hart, you showed extreme bravery by using this glow bat to beat The Spoiler nearly half to death." The superhero praised her.

"Thanks. I loved it!" She said in jubilation, as Paula Macchiato frowned next to her.

"And you...you just sat there, like a pile of nothing." He said to the brat.

"But, I was going to do something." Paula whinged. 

"Wahh. But I was gonna do something. Wahh. That's how you sound." Piper spat the words the girl had said to her earlier on back at Paula. The crowd laughed at her joke and Henry looked on proudly.

"And now, I, Captain Man, declare you, Piper Hart, the new president of the Man Fans." He told Piper, which the Man Fan members in the crowd loved to hear. Paula, however, did not. Walking forward in front of Ray, she punched him as hard as she could in his stomach, however, the girl's measly strength meant that it was more of a tickle. (y/n) snorted at her pathetic attempt.

"I'm okay," Ray said his catchphrase sarcastically, and Paula just stormed off in anger. 

"Now, what do you say we all watch Galaxy Wars 9?" Captain Man shouted at the cheering crowd, as Piper ran back to where Charlotte and (y/n) were waiting for her.

"Wait, wait!" The geek said, quieting everyone down.

"As guardian of the Throne of Krandor, I challenge both Captain Man and Kid Danger to the duel--" The two superheroes didn't want to hear anymore nerd-talk from the boy, so they just stunned him with their lasers. They began to walk back to their seats when Ray spotted that a woman had a carton of popcorn.

"Hey, what's that?" He pointed at something on the wall and took her box when she wasn't looking and rushed to join Henry, where they could enjoy the movie together. 

~After the movie~

"Oh man, that was so good!" (y/n) said to Ray, Henry and Charlotte as they drove home from the movie. Piper was asleep on the back seat, so they were driving her home as quickly as they could.

"I know! Especially when Duke Starjacker blew up the space station!" Charlotte quietly geeked out with her. Ray and Henry liked the movie, it was good enough to satisfy their love for them, but for two fans of Galaxy Wars like the girls, it was out of this world.

"Aren't you glad you chose to be the best character now?" (y/n) poked Ray's cheek in her teasing. He smiled at her quickly but looked back to the road again.

"Yeah, yeah. It was a good costume." He said to keep her happy. They pulled up to the sidewalk outside Henry's house and Henry and Charlotte gently picked up Piper, him holding her head, and her taking her legs. The boy had transformed out of his super-suit after they left the movie theatre, meaning he could sneak back into his house and if his parents were awake, he wouldn't have to answer any hard questions. 

"Ok, I can walk back to my house from here guys," Charlotte whispered to them through the Man Van's open window.

"Okay Char, have a good night," Ray said, and (y/n) waved to her as he pressed down on the gas and they drove off. The woman leaned back into her seat, the long and exciting night making her feel sleepy. The heater made her feel even drowsier, so she closed her eyes and leaned her cheek against the window.

"You getting tired on me?" Ray spoke up, noticing down she had fallen silent. 

"Mm-hmm." She gave a small nod, and the man smiled at her. She was adorable when she got tired, as she clung to him and instinctively sort out his warm body. He knew that they were about fifteen minutes away from the Man Cave, enough time for her to doze.

"Sleep tight, princess. I'll be here when we get home." He put a hand on her knee and she fell into her dreams, imagining Ray as Duke Starjacker and her as a warrior of Mento fighting the galaxy side by side, her love for him burning as bright as the twin suns of Krandor.

[gabithefanwriter]

War

Neytiri x Female Reader

Angst. Mentions of character death.

I’m posting this and then I’ll post the request I got. I might also Start posting about Neteyam soon, or maybe for some other fandoms as well, but for now I’m planning more Neytiri and Neteyam, so yeah. Expect them.

I knew it's wasn't gonna be easy, but I had to fight. I had to fight for my mate. I had to fight for her home, for my new home.

I was on my ikran, riding beside Neytiri and trying to keep her safe, but the humans came in with their robotic armours. I shot an arrow just as a gun shot was heard and hit Seze, my arrow flying into the glass and launching deep within the human, and my heart lurched in my chest. Neytiri fell into trees with her ikran. I dove down with my ikran with her, trying to reach her.

I shot more arrows as I flew down with my ikran, finally landing on my feet as I saw her trying to push Seze off of her. I dropped my bow and arrows and pulled her now dead ikran off of her. I watched as she caressed the corpse, both of us watching in despair as I began shooting the machines making their way over, including a ship from above us. I climbed onto my ikran and shot directly in the glass, killing the pilot before I felt a bullet graze my shoulder, which made me lose balance and fall off my ikran.

He barely caught me, but let me land on the floor safely. Just then I watched the his wing get clipped, landing beside Neytiri, Seze and I. I looked at my Neytiri, holding her close as I looked up again, another hovering jet above us, shooting at the Na'vi riding Direhorses and being blown away by the explosions, direhorses neighing and Na'vi falling underneath them, crying out in fear and pain.

Another explosion shook the ground, and Neytiri let out a cry, and I held her tightly. I looked into her lime green eyes, caressing her face and planting a soft but passionate kiss before pulling back the bowstring and knocking an arrow, shooting the rest. "I see you."

Neytiri looked at me with wide, fearful eyes. "No, Y/n please, no. I can't lose you!"

"It's okay, Neytiri, I'll be back."

I went ahead and jumped over a fallen tree, shooting more arrows and watching the robots and humans fall. I felt a bullet enter my shoulder, making me cry out. More explosions were heard, and I grabbed onto a root of a tree, holding it tightly before shooting another three arrows.

Good thing I participated in archery competitions back on Earth.

They didn't all fall, but I knew that I had to distract them, get their attention off Neytiri.

"Y/n stand down! Do not Engage!"

Jake's voice rang through my ears, but I only replied back. "I'm sorry Jake, but I have to protect Neytiri."

I heard Neytiri's desperate cry, begging me to stop and go back to her, but I couldn't. She was in danger, and I would protect her.

I watched another jet fly over head, shooting closer to Neytiri. I ran and pushed her aside, shooting an arrow to the wing of the jets, successfully bringing it down, but the bullets were still firing, and I felt them tear into my skin, and I fell.

I cried out in pain, fighting to stay awake, but I was unable to. I felt myself being dragged away, behind a tree, where Neytiri sobbed and held me in her arms. I fought to keep my eyes opened, and I only saw Neytiri's crying face, her tears falling on my cheeks. "Y/n!" She screamed, trying to keep me awake. "Wake up, Y/n! My Y/n!"

But my eyes grew extremely heavy, so with what remaining strength I had, I got up and kissed her, cradling her cheek before all my strength vanished, and I was left all powerless in her grasp, until I finally had Eywa reaching out her hand, with me accepting it, and taking me from the world of my beloved. And given that I nearly died in my human form, and Eywa was able to let me stay as a Na'vi, there was no chance for me now.

Soon enough, I couldn't even feel my mate's touch.

3rd P.O.V

Neytiri cried as Y/n fell limp in her arms, her cries enough to send chills down one's spine; painful, the screams of mourning. She lost her father, her home, and now, her mate.

"Jake," she sobbed, "Y/n—she's dead."

Jake, flying on his ikran, widened his eyes, goosebumps all over his avatar. Y/n, his close friend, was gone.

He felt his eyes sting with tears, even as he tried to focus on the current battle. There was now another reason atop of millions of others on why they would win.

He and Neytiri would avenge Y/n. They were going to chase off every human off of Pandora if it was the last thing they did.

The screams and cries of fear surrounded Neytiri as she saw a direhorse on fire. She notched an arrow and aimed it at one of the humans, but Jake yelled at her through the comms. "Neytiri, do not attack. Get Y/n's body and get out of there now! Do not attack!"

Neytiri didn't listen, only focusing on the man who was responsible for her mate's death.

But Eywa had heard them, and aided them into battle.

Time skip

The battle with Quaritch that happened later was filled with fury, as when Neytiri found Jake unconscious, she shot an arrow at the tiny human in the giant robotic suit.

The arrow pierced out of his chest, and Neytiri grunted as she shot another one, protectively going to protect Jake's avatar, hissing at Quaritch.

Time skip. Again.

The battle was over. They won, but not one single life was forgotten. They found the bodies of their beloved ones, and made their own form of funerals for them.

Neytiri gently laid Y/n's limp body onto the grass, leaving a final kiss on her mate's cold lips.

Jake watched as he began crying over his friend, Neytiri going to hug him in search of comfort.

They lost a friend, a lover, a warrior, one of the people.

But they would always remember the impact that Y/n left in their lives.

[changelingsandothernonsense]

Wips on Fridays.

And I seriously feel like it's Tuesday...where did the week go? Why are there earth tremors all the time? Why can't I just art more? idk.

Anyways tagged by @mareenavee and @thequeenofthewinter so thank you guys!!!

Going to drop this week's art and a snippet from something I finished on Sunday.

Art first!

At the stage where I can just use my own shit as references like the dork that I am.

More under the cut! That includes writing.

Because I like him so shhh.

And a cropped for the sensors line art. Ok Writing that relates in a way to all three of these arts..since they are all set within the same 6 months design-wise (sans guns and all that).

Why? Teldryn dressed in the armour he’d been wearing since he crawled out of that damn swamp, old netch leather he pulled off some bandit that tried to shoot him in the ass. He tied his scarf around his neck, stroking the faded vermillion fabric for a moment. Comfort, the only thing he has that provided it. As he slung his pack over his shoulder, something caught his eye. That damn Dwemer Coherer that he had apparently sold his life for. That curious little object just lay there on a shelf, one amongst many miscellaneous objects gathering dust in a storeroom. The thing was a marvel, used as a component on one of their brilliant machines… That sadistic old mer wouldn’t miss it? Would he? Why should he care? Teldryn snatched it from the shelf, quickly putting it in his pack. Fuck him, fuck all of them! He made his way towards the door and opened it into the cool evening air. He had so many things to do. So many reports to write, journals that Caius would want to look over. Every little sordid detail, every expense. He made his way to the shore, journal in hand, his leash that the Blades held him by. He opened it and began to write. - gave me the potion. It didn't cure me. But it did remove all apparent signs of the disease. Divayth Fyr said he didn't actually WANT to cure me, just remove the harmful features of the disease while preserving its virtues. Well, it worked. And now he is eager to test the potion on the other subjects in the Corprusarium. I must hurry back to report to…report to. He scribbled out what he had just written. Awful! Hurry? Why? What was the point of any of this? His skin began to itch again and he sighed. He ran a bandaged hand through his hair, felt the bare skin that dotted his scalp. Bare scalp? He pulled his looking glass out of his pack and assessed the damage. A long scar stretched across his right cheek, cutting into the old tattoos that snaked across his face. He looked drained, pale. His long hair patchy, matted. He hated it! He pulled a dagger out of his boot and began slicing at the strands, hacking, slashing, the hair falling to the sand below. Golden mask, crimson robes. A cacophony of moans, a legion of writhing bodies. A beating heart. He dropped the dagger and fell to his knees. He screamed, burying his fists in the wet sand. Child of his flesh. SPEAK WITH US! He screamed again, throwing a clod of sand into the ocean. He grabbed his journal, tore out the page he’d just written and threw that into the ocean too. Fuck Caius Cosades! Fuck the Blades! Fuck Divayth Fyr and his weird fucking daughters! Fuck that other old man with the snobbish attitude! Fuck the Empire! Fuck the Emperor and fuck the leash that they held him by. A fire ignited in his hands, the journal he had meticulously kept since being dumped in Seyda Neen almost a year ago smouldered in his grip. He’d rather spend an eternity in the prisons below the Imperial City than spend another second serving the whims of those uncaring fucks! “FUCK!” He screamed! His voice, or what was left of it finally returning. Ashen and coarse, unfamiliar. He pounded the sand, punched it until exhaustion overtook him. He slumped over tears threatening to choke in vision. The blur was permanent, everything was out of focus. He couldn’t shake it, couldn’t focus. He punched the sand again before rising to his feet. No, he would not go back to Balmora, he was done with this guarshit! Let some other poor sod chase an ancient ashlander fairytale. He was done! They could think him dead for all he cared. He wasn’t entirely sure that he wasn’t. He’d head west, he didn’t particularly care where so long as he could be alone. His skin itched, ash and sinew clouded his vision.