#Doctor Everly

[nii-chans-rabiddogs]

Weird Doctor

TWs: drugged character, restraints, muzzle. It's extra long, but I'm not sure where to cut it so I haven't. lemme know if i need to add any other TWs if theyre missing, please. Have fun <3

@cupcakes-and-pain @maracujatangerine

It feels like I’m floating in syrup, cuz everything is nice and quiet and slow, but it’s also too cold to go back to sleep. I wriggled around until realizing that I’m not on a bed and there is no blanket, sadly. I opened my eyes enough to figure out that the cement I’m laying on isn’t covered by anything. Why would I sleep on cement? It’s not warm or comfy at all, and I always trip over the cracks and skin my hands or knees, it's the worst. Wait, there’s a blanket, but it's on the other side of the room and I don’t wanna get up. I stared sadly at it for a bit, letting my brain melt away. Eventually I got too cold and tried to get up, but my arms shook and everything started spinning just a little bit so I laid back down. I huffed, and tried to remember what happened but I kept getting distracted by how cold it was. Why would anyone ever make it so cold? Why would you torture yourself like that? It has to be at least 71 degrees for me to feel comfortable and even then I hide under the blankets. It definitely isn’t that warm in here, and I wanna leave but the only way out is a weird door with a flap at the bottom. 

Actually, the door looks like those ones in movies, yknow? The ones for cells to hold the prisoners, all steel and whatever metal doors are made of. It looks really heavy though, and the room is pretty dark. I can see alright, but there’s no light coming in anywhere. There’s also a ring in the center of the room, which is a trip hazard. You shouldn’t put things out in the middle of the room with no light source, someone’s gonna break the ankle tripping on it. I wouldn’t though, cuz I never trip ever and anyone who says I do is lying and should be banished from my kingdom. Wait, I don't have a kingdom. Do I? Oh well. It would be nice to have a kingdom, just relaxing all day getting to eat all the chocolates and not having to do anything. Maybe I should start my own kingdom, but people say it’s hard. All you gotta do is declare yourself king though, so I don’t understand what they think is hard about that. Maybe they can’t make themselves king? I could make all the people kings, but only if they promised to leave my kingdom alone and give me chocolates.

Suddenly, the door was shoved open, and I closed my eyes against the very bright light that came with it. That was scary, it dragged on the ground and made a really loud noise that hurt my ears. I opened my eyes to glare at it, so it wouldn’t do that again. Oh hey, when they get here? There was someone standing in the door, with a weird thing in their hands. 

“Oh good, you’re awake. Let’s get this on you, I need to take you down to the medbay. You lost quite a bit of blood, and we need to fix that. Getting more is a pain, by the way, so if you lose any more I will drain you dry myself, understood?” They said, walking up to me with the weird thing.

I tried to say something but it hurt and I started coughing, which hurt more. I huffed, cuz I couldn't do anything else. The guy crouched down, setting the weird thing on the floor nearby. He unfolded the weird thing, which had other things inside. He grabbed what looked like one of those shock collars for dogs, but without the spikes on the inside. She- wait, is she a guy or a girl? I can’t tell. Oh well. They slid it under my neck before pulling it tight and clicking it together. Rude, I’m not a dog. I’m not even an animal, everyone can see that. Maybe they need glasses? The weird person was wearing a doctor trench coat, which is even weirder than a normal trench coat, actually. The weird doctor pulled another thing from the little pile that was already mostly gone, and it looked like an odd fabric mask.

He lifted my head up and placed the cold metal part under my chin, and pulling the top metal piece over the bridge of my nose. I tried to watch, but my eyes went cross eyed and made me dizzy, so I just stared at the weird doctor again. They tugged on it before clipping the two back straps together around the back of my head, and then making it really tight somehow. I winced and tried to move away but the weird doctor just yanked my head back and told me to stay still or else, so I stopped wiggling and glared at them. They started pulling on something on the side of the mask thingie, and then that side was really tight and I couldn't open my mouth at all. They started doing the same for the other side, and I tried to move again but it was hard and really slow, so the weird doctor just shoved me back onto the floor.

He yanked my hands behind my back and click-clacked super handcuffs onto my wrists, right over the cuts from before. I tried to pull on them, but it just made my wrists hurt really really bad so I just laid there while the weird doctor went out past the door. It was still cold, but now it was worse cuz i can’t move and everything hurts. Weird Doctor dragged in a moving bed, like the ones in hospitals for patients. Weird, a doctor would never let it get this cold. I’ve never seen a doctor before so I’m not sure. Or a hospital. Movies show them all the time, and they always seem really loud with everyone yelling and weird machines beeping or screaming. Maybe Weird Doctor is a worker for a quiet hospital? Quiet hospitals seem like they would be more secret-ier, so they have to be super secret and make sure nobody tells.

“Alright, runt. I’m going to lift you and if you kick me, I will break your ankle. Behave.” 

That was the only warning I got before Weird Doctor lifted me up in the princess carry and set me down on the moving bed. I wanted to kick him but it felt like I was gonna throw up and I didn't wanna do that. I can’t even open my mouth at all, and I didn't wanna have to swallow puke. That’d be really gross and icky. I jerked when my wrists got crushed under me, and it felt like someone lit them on fire so I rolled onto my side. I took a deep breath, but it didn’t make me feel any better, and nothing made any more sense. Hopefully Weird Doctor could fix my wrists, and maybe give me some chocolate. I’m really hungry, but I can't ask for anything cuz my throat hurts, and the mask keeps my mouth clamped shut. 

Weird doctor started pushing the moving bed out of the dark room, and out into the hallway. I didn’t look very different, but there are lights which is nice. No one will trip, cuz now they can see the ground. Unless they’re distracted, like the one time Detective walked into a door while reading a case paper. He dropped like he was shot too, which was funny cuz he cussed like a sailor, whatever that means. I heard Ms. Secretary say that to someone, but I'm not sure what it means. He did cuss a lot though, and he said I shouldn’t repeat any of it to anyone who looked like a reporter.

We passed by some other rooms, but they all had the same type of door, so I couldn’t see in. I heard something whimpering in one of them, maybe a dog? That makes me sad cuz doggies are really nice and fun to play with, they shouldn’t be hurt. Maybe if I ask really nicely, Weird Doctor will help them too? We passed more doors, and I could hear yelling from some of them, which was scary. I don’t like when people yell, cuz they get really loud and mean and scary. Weird Doctor just kept pushing the moving bed along, and the yelling went away. Weird Doctor is kinda nice, but I don’t like the super-cuffs cuz they hurt my wrists more, or the mask cuz i cant open my mouth at all, or it’ll pull on my nose and make that hurt too. Maybe if I was good, Weird Doctor would get rid of them? And, and maybe if i was really super good i’d get chocolates and something to drink. My throat felt really dry and scratchy, and that was worse than it hurting cuz I can’t scratch my throat. 

Weird Doctor walked us around a corner, and suddenly there was an old elevator, like the ones in the scary movies. It looked a little different though, cuz there’s red blotches everywhere and I thought rust was orange. Maybe rust gets darker the longer it's there? The elevator jerked, and suddenly it felt like I was climbing but without actually doing anything. It was cool, but also made me feel sick again, so I ignored it and listened to the music that was playing from somewhere. IT was really nice and calming and made me feel sleepy again, but I don’t think Weird Doctor would like it if I fell asleep again. The elevator dinged, and Weird Doctor pushed the moving bed out of the doors. The walls were really bright, and they were white. I was right, this is a hospital! But it's a quiet hospital, cuz I don't hear anyone yelling, and nothing is beeping. It’s really nice. They pushed the moving bed really, really close to another bed, and lifted me onto that one instead. Why would they do that? The other bed was just fine. Probably a Quiet hospital thing. Weird Doctor undid the super-cuffs, but then they rolled me onto my back just to strap my wrists down to the bed. This is a little unnecessary, I couldn’t do anything before, so what’s the difference? They walked off, so I just laid on my back and rolled my head to watch them. Weird Doctor pulled out a tall, rolling thingie and hooked a red bag to it. 

They dragged it over to me, and shoved a needle into my arm. I huffed at the prick, but then the tube it was connected to started to fill with the red stuff. It looked really super familiar but I can’t remember. It was definitely a hospital thing though, but usually the bags are clear. Maybe I get to have a special bag cuz I'm a special boy. I’m the specialiest of boys, so that makes sense. Weird Doctor kept walking around and grabbing things and setting them on the table right next to the bed. I didn’t see that, maybe it's to hold all the chocolates and medicine things Weird Doctor is setting down. They need to make sure to leave enough room for the chocolates, though, or else I’ll have to beat them up. Chocolates are the most important-y things ever. 

I blinked slowly as Weird Doctor started filling needles with something, but it’s getting hard to stay awake cuz it's warm. The heat made me tired, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Hopefully Weird Doctor wouldn’t be mad at me, but they also never said anything about not falling asleep, I think. They’ve been nice so far though, cuz they haven’t yelled at me at all. Still don’t like the mask thing, so he’s not the nicest but he’s nice enough. I rolled my head over t o look at the ceiling. It was a pretty grey color, and I stared at it while falling asleep. Blue would be prettier though, I think.

[freebooter4ever]

coming down here with jenn was a heck of a lot less intimidating than alone, i can see why tourists travel in packs

[countrymusiclover]

Feisty Coffee Girl

Y/n twin sister of Izzy Steven's stumbles to Seattle with her ten year old daughter Everly. She hears all the gossip from Izzy and her other intern friends at the hospital, never expecting to get involved with any of it. That is till Mark Sloan pays a visit to the coffee shop she works at.

1 - First Name Basis

2 - Doctor Nicknames

3 - A Sloan Date

4 - What I Want

5 -

???

Tag list - just send me an ask to be added

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[echooefrost]

TGS MEDIEVAL AU :0

Is this Historically accurate? no. Does that matter? no.

Alright, This is gonna be a lot, so thou shalt be warned

In the Au, Robert is a prince and Lanyon Sr. is the King, they rule over a small kindom somewhere in England - name TBA (so not like real monarchies which rule over entire countries etc.) The premise is basically; The Lanyon's personal/private doctor recently passed away so they call in a new doctor/chemist from Scotland - did you guess? yep, It's Jekyll. Hyde exists before Henry/Edward meets Robert (I haven't worked out the exact logistics about it yet, but I will) Jekyll/Hyde are more Chemists/Alchemists than Doctors but they are both still very good doctors regardless (so they don't really wear the 'plague mask' thing) I aged only Jekyll, Hyde and Lanyon down to about their early 20's so it matches around the original timing of when J&H met Robert in TGS. There are other smaller reasons but they aren't to important, all you need to know is that it doesn't really change anything

Lanyon is betrothed to Everly from a neighbouring kingdom -this is where it differs slightly from TGS, it's a political marriage not a lavender marriage. Neither Robert nor Everly are happy about this however, they are both only children in royalty so they don't really have an option.

Hyde is essentially the local gremlin that has in-built eyebags and a sense to sell you things not very discreetly that he probably shouldn't be selling. His Cape is comedically large and has a very extensive collection of illegal powders, drugs, and other nefarious items. Almost everybody knows Hyde becasue at some point they have all needed some rare item from him. - this is where the blackfog comes in (yes it exists!) the Blackfog is basically the same but Hyde really wants to go so he can buy/sell lots of items for his little side-business he has going on, however Lanyon Sr. is opposed to it and it's existence because well... illegal.

*Hyde also goes by: The Spirit of [insert Kingdom's name] at night (soooooo original, ik)

Jekyll stays pretty much the same, He really cares about his reputation so he can move up on the social ladder and create his own Science business at some point, and I mean he doesn't want to make a fool of himself in front of the King of all people, that wouldn't be a very good look, would it?

In this universe, The lodgers are all citizens of the small kingdom and they all sort of have different occupations/roles in the town. They can't all be scientists, but do not fear because they still as equally crazy and chaotic as before. Rachel is the Lanyon's personal chef but she also helps run the bakery in town with Mr. Doddle. Jasper looks after most of the animals and creatures in the kingdom, he used to be a farmer but moved to get away from home. I am yet to work out how Jekyll and Jaspers relationship dynamic stays the same in this universe but I will figure something out.

There is A LOT of Jekyon and Lanyde going on here, so I've got something for everyone, (there may or may not be a masquerade at some point...) and it's not just centred around romance, there is lots of other plot stuff happening so do not fear my ace/aro friends (or just people who aren't a fan of romance)!

That's most of it for now... I'll draw some more stuff at some point and give some extra details, If you have any questions please ask (my asks are open) I'd love to hear from you all!!! Don't be afraid to offer any suggestions or other criticisms. Maybe I'll write a fanfic one day who knows, we will see.

Thanks for listening to my rant (*^▽^*)

*Footnote - I don't think you guys realise how hard it was to make hyde not look like either A.) a fucking elf or B.) Link. Did I succeed? not sure.

[utah1me]

Masterlist

Satoru Gojo - Classmate Suguru Geto - Roommate Toji Fushiguro - Husband Suguru Geto - Playboy Satoru Gojo - Arranged Marriage Utahime Iori - Classmate Yuta Okkotsu - Clingy Boyfriend Megumi Fushiguro - Jealous BF Yuji Itadori / Sukuna Satoru Gojo - Adult Film Costar Toji Fushiguro - Adult Film Costar Sanemi Shinazugawa - Mission Suguru Geto - Adult Film Costar Satoru Gojo - Comfort Akaza - Protector Satoru Gojo - Parents Together Tengen Uzui - Oiran Nanami Kento - HS Sweetheart Choso Kamo - Tattoo Artist Satoru Gojo - Actor AU Eren Jaeger - Prisoner Yuta Okkotsu - OnlyFans Megumi Fushiguro - Caring for You Kento Nanami - Malaysia Suguru Geto - Dad Toji Fushiguro - Dad Satoru Gojo - Dad Yuki Tsukumo - Mission Partner Suguru + Satoru - Frat Party Toji Zen'in - Shibuya Satoru Gojo - Frat Boy Ex Kirara Hoshi - Fight Club Invite Choso Kamo - Shibuya Suguru Geto - Frat Boy Ex Suguru Geto - Trainer Toji Fushiguro - Sugar Baby Hiromi Higuruma - Law Partner Satoru Gojo - Prison Realm Kinji Hakari - Ex Boyfriend Kakashi Hatake - Icha Icha Editor Takuma Ino - Boyfriend Osamu Dazai - Ex Boyfriend Choso Kamo - Babysit Yuji Choso Kamo - Aphrodisiac Suguru Geto - Needs You Shoko Ieiri - Fixing You Noritoshi Kamo - Betrothed Toji Zen'in - Betrothed to Brother Satoru Gojo - Alpha Satoru Gojo - Celebrating Birthday Kento Nanami - Professor Kento Nanami - Shibuya Link - Your Sworn Knight Choso Kamo - Vampire Satoru Gojo - Yandere Kento Nanami - Pregnant w/ His Baby Hajime Kashimo - Culling Games Eren Jaeger - Band Satoru + Suguru - Truth or Dare Angel Devil - Roommate Satoru Gojo - Cheating Boyfriend Suguru Geto - Nurse Satoru Gojo - Doctor

Choso Kamo - Phone Sex Yuta Okkotsu - Reunion Denji - New Recruit Nagito Komaeda - Funhouse Satoru Gojo - Bar Hookup Suguru Geto - Talking Him Down Nobara Kugisaki - Shopping Loid Forger - Daddy-cember Shinjuro Rengoku - Daddy-cember Toji Zen'in - Daddy-cember Erwin Smith - Daddy-cember Takuma Ino - Daddy-cember Minato Namikaze - Daddy-cember Levi Ackerman - Daddy-cember Ichigo Kurosaki - Daddy-cember Aoi Todo - Daddy-cember Jean Kirstein - Daddy-cember Eren Jaeger - Daddy-cember Chrollo Lucilfer - Daddy-cember Kokushibo - Daddy-cember Satoru Gojo - Daddy-cember Suguru Geto - Daddy-cember Shilah Hatahle - Daddy-cember

Mikasa Ackerman - Daddy-cember Choso Kamo - Daddy-cember Aspen Rhodes - Daddy-cember Satoru and Suguru - Daddy-cember Yuki Tsukumo - Daddy-cember Toji Fushiguro - Daddy-cember Neji Hyuga - Daddy-cember Jasper Riven - Daddy-cember Zeppelin Everly - Daddy-cember Utahime Iori - Actress AU Reza Azimi - Persian Commander

[plotandelegy]

P1 -Types of Scarcity in Post-Apocalyptic Fiction: A Comprehensive Guide to Survival Elements in Dystopian Worlds

Understanding the Types of Scarcity

Material Resources: First, start with food, water, fuel, and ammo. Once you have the basics, move to less commonly thought-about things like batteries, clothing, scrap metal, and wood.

Skills and Knowledge: Doctors, engineers, survival experts, and mechanics would be some people worth knowing or being in a post-apocalyptic world. What if there were none?

Emotional Resources: Once the world goes to hell, trust and community become resources. Surviving sometimes means getting along with others; you'll want all parties to mean it. Getting fed to a zombie so someone can escape sounds like no fun. 

Information: Who are you going to let hold the map for you? Things can get harder on your team if it gets stolen, left behind, or destroyed. In a world without GPS, information is a resource; let's face it, you must trust its handler. 

This is part one of a five-part writing guide to post-apocalyptic scarcity. Tune in next time for a more in-depth breakdown of scarcity and who makes the decisions? Not me, that's for sure. I'd probably be the one used as zombie bait first.

-Indigo Everly

Want more advice? Check out my other articles!

[reallygroovyninja]

Does Everly have a favorite stuffed animal or blankie?

Everly came running into the living room, her face red and tear-streaked, clutching her favorite stuffed toy, Klork the lion, in her small hands. The lion’s back leg was barely hanging on by a few threads, and Everly’s sobs grew louder as she approached her mommies.

“Mama, Klork is hurt! Fix Klork!” she wailed, thrusting the toy toward Clarke, her little voice breaking in panic.

Clarke knelt down immediately, taking the plush lion from Everly’s trembling hands. She examined the damage with a serious expression, though there was a soft smile tugging at her lips. “Oh no, looks like Klork needs some surgery,” Clarke said gently. “But don’t worry, Everly. I’m going to fix Klork and make him as good as new.”

Everly sniffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, looking up at Clarke with hope shining through her tears. “Really?”

Clarke nodded confidently. “Yes, really. Klork is in good hands. I’ll have him back on his feet in no time.”

Lexa stood up and headed toward the sewing kit, pulling out a needle and some sturdy thread. Clarke cleared a space on the coffee table, pretending to prep for surgery like a real doctor. She put on a dramatic, focused face, glancing at Everly as she pretended as if she was scrubbing in.

“Okay, Everly,” Clarke said, her tone playful but serious. “We’re going to perform surgery. But I’ll need you to stand by and make sure Klork is feeling brave. Can you do that?”

Everly, still wiping the last of her tears, nodded solemnly. “I can do that, mama.”

Lexa handed Clarke the needle and thread and then knelt beside Everly, resting a comforting arm around her shoulders as they both watched Clarke at work. Clarke carefully stitched Klork’s leg back in place, her movements steady and precise, like those of a seasoned surgeon.

After a few minutes of concentrated effort, Clarke tied off the final stitch and held up the newly repaired lion with a proud smile. “And… surgery is a success! Klork is all fixed up.”

Everly’s eyes lit up, her earlier sorrow forgotten as she reached for her toy. Clarke held it back for just a moment, winking. “Ah, ah, ah. Klork needs a little time to recover, remember? Let him rest for a bit, and then you can play with him again.”

Everly beamed, nodding eagerly. “Okay, Mama.”

Clarke leaned down and kissed Everly’s forehead. “Anytime, kiddo. Klork is tough—just like you.”

Lexa smiled at the exchange, watching as Everly gently cradled her beloved lion in her arms before heading off to find a safe place for him to “recover.” Clarke straightened up, glancing at Lexa with a grin.

“Doctor Clarke at your service,” she joked, and Lexa chuckled softly.

“You’re always saving the day,” Lexa teased, pulling Clarke in for a soft kiss.

Clarke smiled, her eyes following Everly as she sat by the window, keeping a watchful eye on Klork, waiting for him to be ready to play again.

[chenfordspiral]

ch. 34 - december days

Decorating the nursery, a Christmas spent with family, an unexpected day off, and scarring their friends a little more on new years.

December 2026

The rest of their little babymoon is spend the same way as it begun. They nap, they take long walks with Kojo, they cuddle in front of the fire place some more, and, well, reconnect intimately. It’s exactly what they both need, and the physical distance to Los Angeles is an added benefit that makes it easier to recharge and get back to normal before Everly’s birth.

Tim, being the hypocrite that he is, can’t resist and buys a little commemorative onesie at the store the day before they’re headed back home. Lucy teases him about it relentlessly even though she loves how much he’s already spoiling their little one and can never resist buying more clothes.

She also loves how easily he can distract her and reduce her to a happy, sated, limply mess in a matter of minutes.

Four years in, and sometimes it still feels like it’s their first time all over again.

Kojo is the least happy of the three about having to leave again, but he does perk up when Lucy promises him that they’ll come back the following year. Who would’ve thought that their dog loved the snow and colder weather so much. He happily sleeps the entire ride back to LA while Lucy and Tim busy themselves with another baby name debate. They have yet to find a middle name that one, they both like, and two, goes well with Everly. It’s proving to be more difficult than agreeing on her first name, and they’re nowhere near a decision when they turn onto their street after the three hour drive thanks to traffic.

They do still have two months to find a name they both like, and since it’s “only” her middle name, they agree that there’s no reason to panic just yet. They’ll find a name eventually.

Going back to work after being away for three weeks is, in short, somewhat of an adjustment. It feels like going back to normal while simultaneously feeling like they’re back in a totally different world. Since they’re both supposed to take it easy — Tim because he’s coming back from medical leave, and Lucy because her doctor had advised her to not overdo it in her last few weeks before maternity leave, especially coupled with the stress of the undercover mission gone wrong.

“Listen to your body,” Alyssa had said at their last appointment the day before they'd left for Big Bear, and Lucy fully intends to do just that. She’d taken unnecessary risks before, she did not need a repeat.

keep reading on AO3.

[help-an-alter]

Hello! My name is Robin, and I'm looking for name for one of my headmates based off of Shoko from Jujutsu Kaisen? With exhausted/laid-back/smoker/doctor/lonely vibes? Thanks so much! 😊

-DAYDREAMERS BASKET

hi! i did my best with this one, but if it’s not what you’re looking for then feel free to send in another ask :)

names: mari, kaede, shiloh, ace, selah, amaryllis, soleil, saylor, sawyer, harper, solaris, harlow(e), marlow(e), meadow, sparrow, sloane, elodie, liora, moira, celia, charlotte, vera, galen, allegra, althea, siena, asa, blythe, alexia, everly, aspen, marceline, shayla, isla, violette, olive, celine, vienna, rowan, elowen, carmen, carlisle, vesper, arlo

[misaligncd]

status: closed

for: @darkwants

pairing: everly & ezra

life had a way of throwing curve balls and everly hated that saying. especially since she had always had a plan. the first thing that had smacked her in the face was meeting ezra. she had thought that he would be a one night stand, at most. instead they had spent at least one night or more a week together. she had even ended up finding the perfect space for her restaurant. she had signed the contract only for her life to end up spinning out of control. she never imagined that she would end up going to the doctor to discover that she was pregnant. she had gone to ezra to ask if he wanted more because the two of them barely had deep conversations. he had basically told her to get lost and he didn't want more.

that had been a few weeks ago and she was still trying to get used to the idea of being a mother. she had gone to the pharmacy after getting a text that her prescription was ready. the line had been long and she had been content to play on her phone. she had been avoiding her grandmother who was calling for what felt like the tenth time in the hour. finally she was up in the line and she paid. only to be told to wait for the pharmacist for a consult. she stepped to the side, only to see ezra browsing the shelves. her eyes widened and pharmacist was stepping up only to say the name and go," so this is to treat morning sickness, do you have any questions?"

it felt like a pin was about to drop and she had never wanted to disappear more in her entire life. quickly she turned to see ezra gaping at her and she shook her head at him. only to snatch the bag and then she was going to drag him out by the arm," i tried-i tried to tell you when i talked to you a few weeks ago."

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Hey! I love what I’ve read so far! Can we get a kiss prompt #23 with Hangman x Reader? 🫶🏼

Hi Jordan! Thanks for liking all of the kisses I've posted so far! Here's Kiss #23 - in relief with Hangman and Reader!

Relieve Me Of My Burdens With A Kiss

It’s always nerve-wracking to see your babies hurt or sick and know you’re not able to do more than you’re already doing. It hurts even more to see your husband go through the same pain you are. It had started off as a fever for poor little Everly, but as a mom of three, you thought you knew exactly how to handle fevers. After all, Arabella had fevers as a baby and so did James. But this fever wouldn’t drop despite every technique you applied. You’d been near tears when you’d called Jake on the phone and told him you were loading the kids into the car to take your baby girl to the hospital.

“I’ll meet you there, Sweets,” was all he said before hanging up. Thankfully the hospital ER was mostly empty, but you weren’t expecting to hear that she’d have to be admitted to the ICU. By the time Jake blasts through the doors at the end of the hallway, hair mussed and khakis creased, you’re already working yourself into a panic attack. Arabella and James are on one of the waiting room sofas, James with headphones in his ears and Arabella reading a book. But you’re at wits end. The worry, the ever-present worry and panic that resides in your diaphragm and has ever since you gave birth to Ari is roiling. You’ve been cataloging everything you did and running your actions over and over again in your mind.

Jake takes one look at you, tugs you out of the older kids’ earshot, and wraps you in his arms.

“It’ll be alright, sweetheart. The doctors will help our Evie girl.” His voice is a rumble in his chest as you sob with your head over his heart.

“B-but what if it’s something I did? I-I can’t lose her, Jake. She’s only four months old. She’s our baby.” Jake’s lips are gentle against your brow as he kisses your head.

“Nothing is going to happen to our baby, sweets. She’ll be back to our giggling, bouncy mischievous baby girl in no time.” You sniffle even as you nod, stepping away to take Jake’s hand in your own.

His wedding band is smooth against your palm, the metal shiny and worn after years of wearing it every day. You fixate on the feeling of Jake’s hand in yours and focus on hoping that Evie will be alright.

“Captain and Mrs. Seresin?” The doctor’s voice brings your worry back to the forefront of your mind.

“How’s Everly doing, Doctor?” Your voice is tremulous as Jake wraps an arm around your waist.

“You’ve got one strong little girl, Mrs. Seresin.She’s just got a regular run of the mill viral bug, probably something she caught from her siblings. Some fluids here in the hospital tonight and a round of the medicines we prescribe and she will be back to herself in no time at all.”

Your sigh of relief goes unheard as Jake finishes speaking to the Doctor and leads you into the hospital room. Evie’s so tiny in the crib, her rambunctious fists and feet still. Your fingers are light as you brush her honey blond tresses off her forehead and kiss her little brow.

“You’ll be alright, baby girl. Mama and Daddy are right here waiting for you to wake up, okay, darling? We’re right here.” Jake’s voice is hushed and gentle and rough like he’s holding back tears.

You curl your hand around his collar and kiss him, pouring all of your love and relief into the kiss.

“She’s going to be alright, Jake. Our baby girl’s going to be perfectly healthy soon.” He blinks back tears before kissing you again soft and slow, ignoring Arabella’s tween sounds of disgust at her parents kissing.

Want to request a Kiss and a pair for me to write? Guidelines are here.

Want to see other Kisses I’ve written? Here’s the full Masterlist.

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN HERE OR ON AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

[nii-chans-rabiddogs]

Waking Up

TWs: muzzling, dehumanization, restraints. Finally got this done, have fun <3

@cupcakes-and-pain @maracujatangerine

Why do I feel like shit? I haven’t even opened my eyes and I have a headache, and that’s not fun. I hate it when there’s pain, cuz there shouldn’t be and it's just rude. It makes me wanna sleep forever and ever, and there’s no point for pain to be like that. It should stop, I just wanna sleep. My head hurts, and my wrists feel raw and my throat aches, and- wait. 

I open my eyes to see a grey ceiling, which isn’t nice because last I remember I was at the warehouse. I don’t wanna be back there, but Detective didn’t come back, and… Well, he would’ve but he was probably busy and didn't have time to deal with me, and he probably hates me and he’ll- No! He doesn’t hate me, it's fine, I'm fine, this is fine… I think. I look around, and the white walls of a hospital surround me. There’s weird straps on my wrists, and on my ankles. There’s one of those tall rolling things that hold the dripping baggies next to me, and it has something in it. I stare at it, but it doesn’t do anything so I look over to the left and there’s a table with bottles of what I think is medicine, but it doesn’t look like the ones in the movies, I don't think. I can’t read the labels, either, which isn’t fun. This isn’t fun, I don’t wanna be here anymore, actually. I tug my wrist, but the strap doesn’t budge at all and makes the raw feeling worse.

I hear footsteps coming from behind a door on the far side of the weird hospital place. It isn’t loud at all, though, which is weird cuz in the movies they’re really loud and everyone's yelling and machine thingies are beeping all the time, and that’s just really annoying. Probably a quiet hospital? Do quiet hospitals exist? Maybe Detective would know, but he might not answer me cuz I was too annoying last time. Oh, the footsteps stopped, and the door opened. A weird guy in a doctor trench coat walked in, holding a case thingie, like the Detective sometimes had. Is it a guy or a girl? I can’t tell, but they’re almost as tall as Detective. I think? I dunno, but Detective said he was like, six feet tall once and that’s tall. The weird doctor is also tall, so they haveta be the same height. 

The weird doctor walked over towards a curtain, which hides the beds. It does in the movies, at least, so it has to here as well. Movies don’t lie. Their hair flops everywhere, and it looks really curly and soft. It’s also a really pretty dark purple, which is so cool. He pulls the curtain back to look behind it, then scribbles in the case thingie. I wanna say something, but I can’t open my mouth. There’s a weird mask thingie keeping it closed, and it’s really tight. I huff angrily instead.

“Oh! Look who’s coherent again. That’s a good sign. Let’s get you all checked up, then we can get you down to the boss, mkay, runt?” He said, walking over and setting the case thingie on the table with everything else. 

He takes the little heart listener thing out and places it on my chest. He listens for a bit, then hums and grabs a notebook from out of his pocket and writing something down again. Then the weird doctor grabs a temperature gun and checks my temp, which is odd. The doctors in the movies never had a temp gun. I only recognize it cuz Ms. Secretary used one on me once, cuz I was really tired and slow. It was cool, but she made me take a horrible little shot and I hated it. I hope Weird Doctor doesn’t make me take that again.

“Your heart rate is pretty normal, which is good. Others are usually panicking by now, so theirs’ is a little high, but you’re real calm. I’ll take off the muzzle, but if you try to bite or scream I’ll stick it right back on, understood?” He said, staring at me as I nodded. He unstrapped it, and set it down to go grab a cup of water from somewhere. Is he magical? Where the heck did it come from?

“Drink slowly. I’m not cleaning you up if you puke.” Wow, rude.

“Ugh. Where am I? And who are you? Is this a quiet hospital? It looks like the normal ones from the movies but it isn’t loud, and there’s no one else around. Why did you muzzle me? And why am I strapped down? I’m not gonna do anything, I’m a good kid, promise. Most of the time. And how did you get your hair that purple? Wait, what’s your name? Mine’s Ghost, or Ghostie. Can I have some chocolate? I’ll be good!”

“Jesus, runt, you talk a lot. My name is Doctor Everly. You’re in my boss’s…um. Yeah, screw it, you’re in a quiet hospital. You can’t eat anything yet, but we’re going to take a fun little trip down to the boss now, yeah? I have to put the muzzle back on, though. Boss doesn’t like talkative little runts.” He said, waiting for me to nod before putting it back on. He didn’t even answer all of my questions!

He pulled the muzzle really tight again, and then started unstrapping me. Once my wrists were out he grabbed the supercuffs that were apparently hanging off the bed. Dang, I didn’t even see them. He cuffed my hands tight, then went down to the straps on my ankles. I sat up to watch him, and wiggled my toes, which were only covered by my little duckie socks. Weird, I thought I was wearing shoes before. Did I forget them again? But I remember putting them on? Unless that was another time. I’m gonna haveta find my shoes before Detective finds out, or he’ll lecture me again. Hopefully he won’t be too mad at me when I get back, I don’t want him to yell at me cuz that would be super scary if he yelled at me. Scarier than normal, and yelling is already really scary.

Doctor Everly finished unstrapping my ankles, and stepped back, pulling on my arm a bit. I moved my legs off the bed, and slid down until I reached the floor. It was cold. Maybe Weird Doctor would let me borrow some shoes? He pulled me in front of him, then started pushing me towards the same door he came in from. I wanted to run to it, but the floor was slippery and I didn’t wanna break anything so I walked fast instead. Mr Doctor Everly just stayed right behind me, and once we reached the door he took out a card and swiped it in a card thingie. Scanner, I think? There’s one for the hero office too, and Detective does the same thing to open the door. Weird Doctor pulls open the door, so I walk through it and the walls change from white to tan. It was weird, but there are paintings further down the large hallway we’re in. The paintings are weird, cuz they’re only made from different shades of red. Most of it is a really dark red, almost like blood.

Weird Doctor pushes me forward, so I stop staring at the paintings. We go left around a corner, and there’s some doors on both sides. They look really fancy, like the ones you see in mansions, which is cool. We pass by all of them, so I can’t explore which is really sad cuz this seems like it would be fun to wander around in. Maybe I can ask to explore later? We reach a door at the end of the hallway, and it said “Meetings” in big letters. This was the only one with letters on it, that's odd. Doctor Everly opens it, and there’s a really really big room inside. The ceiling is super high up, and it’s painted like a forest at my end, but changes to stars at the other. The walls are a mix of gold and blood red, which is pretty. The doctor that is Everly pushes me towards a large circle table in the center of the room, where three people are talking. They all stop and look towards us when Weird Doctor clears his throat. Wait, isn’t that Hunter?!

“Detective Gunner’s little runt woke up. He’s a little stupid, but pretty willing to talk.” Hey, I’m not stupid!

“I’m sure we can get him to talk no matter what. He’s the size of a small dog, the wind could wipe him off his feet.” Said the guy in tactical gear. Rude, I’m not that small!

The person across from him snorted, and shook her head. She just waved toward Hunter, who I wasn’t expecting to see at all. I shrunk down, trying to avoid being seen. I don’t think this is a quiet hospital anymore…

“Put it in the kennels. The detective’s little pet will have some information, and quite possibly be trainable. I will come to collect little boy blue later, after business has been completed.” Hunter said, barely glancing at me before looking back down at the tablet in front of him.

Doctor Everly pulled me over to the side, and around the table. He shoved me towards a door I didn’t see before, and I started walking as quickly as I could. I didn’t want to be around Hunter or the other ones at all. He yanked the door open, and led me down the much smaller hallway, before stopping me at a door on the right. It was metal, and a lot different from all the other fancy doors. I whined and tried to pull away but Doctor Everly just grabbed me by the collar I never noticed, and yanked me forward. I pushed back when he opened the door, but he just chuckled and dragged me into the room. It was literally full of kennels, like the ones at an animal shelter. There were some actual animals, but Doctor Everly kept walking and I didn’t get a good look at them. He pulled me towards an empty one, and fiddled with the latch. After a second he sighed and stepped back.

“Hey, Seren! Got another one, unlock the damn door!” Doctor Everly called out, staring towards the back. How long are these rooms? 

A woman came around a corner, looking at us before mouthing “oh” and pulling out a keychain. She unlocked the door, and Doctor Everly shoved me in before I could do anything. I tripped over my feet, landing on my elbows while the woman, Seren?, slammed the door shut. She locked it again, before turning to Doctor Everly while I shoved myself back into the corner. I wanna go home, this is getting really scary and I don’t like it.

“Pretty young for a mutt. Did Phoenix get another useless sidekick?” Seren asked, watching me. I glared at her, but she just smirked at me.

“No, actually. Detective Gunner had him all cuffed up in his little warehouse. The guy’s going insane, trying to find us. Runt must have pissed him off, though, cuz normally he’s real protective of the kid. According to Diadem, the detective made a deal with the local heroes at the Xertic agency. The lower ranked heroes and the interns babysit the runt while the detective solves cases. The runt is pretty stupid though, so you might want to be a little extra clear if he stays.”

“Damn, alright. I’ll dig around and see if I can find gear his size, but I might have to talk to the tech guys for gear his size. I can find something less painful for him in the back somewhere. Any favorites you know of?”

“He asked for chocolate right after waking up, so that might be a good treat. Hasn’t really reacted much to anything, so you’ll have to figure that out. Does seem pretty eager and full of energy, but again, he’s an idiot. How the detective puts up with him on a daily basis, I don’t know.” I tried to shove myself farther into the corner while Doctor Everly and Seren walked off, talking about training and gear. I really, really wanna go home, cuz this is really scary and, Detective isn’t here, so he can’t make them stop, or make them let me go, or anything. He’d- wait, would he help? He has to, right? That- I wanna go home! I curled into a ball, trying to blink back tears. I wanna go home, please!…

[fcundaticnsofdecay]

status: closed

pairing: every & ezra

based: things we plotted

@darkwants

it was almost funny how one small thing could impact the trajectory of your life.

something was simple as a single phone call could crack the world wide open and turn it upside down. a friend of hers from culinary school had some kind of family emergency. the issue was that he had a restaurant that still needed to be run. he had called everly begging her to come help him and she had agreed. she had booked herself a flight and promised to be there as soon as she could. everything had been so fast and she hadn't even realized she hadn't let ezra know. she had been rushing through the airport in order to make it. it had been by the skin of her teeth that she got there before they finished boarding.

flying was something she had done time and time again. especially when she had finished with culinary school. she figured that nothing could go wrong. she had been trying to figure out how she was going to approach the whole situation at the restaurant. eventually landing on just reading a book before she ended up drifting off. when she woke it was to the older woman sitting next to her, trying to get the mask onto her. in an instant she was glancing around to see the chaos going on around her. people were screaming and crying. she could see a man clutching at his wife and son a few rows up on the other side. the first person who had come to her mind was ezra and how she wasn't ever going to see him again.

the plane ended up going down in what seemed like the middle of no where. there was nothing but trees and she had been knocked out upon impact. again she woke only to smell smoke and hear more screaming. the woman who had been beside her was no longer there. she was scrambling to undo her seatbelt and rushing to get out. yet the moment she moved, her left leg screamed in protest. she cried out as she looked down only to see a piece of glass lodged into the meat of her thigh. yet she forced herself to keep going, yelling to see if anyone was near.

that had been a matter of nine months ago. nine months of struggling to survive and thinking help would never come. out of everyone on the flight only a handful had survived. the black box had been destroyed in the crash. no one had any idea where they were. each day had been a struggle to survive, find food, fresh water etc. the day the helicopter showed up everly had been half certain it was a dream. she remembered being carried onto a gurney, someone telling her she was going to be alright. her first instinct was to fight, trying to push away at the hands while crying out for them to stop.

the clean white walls of the hospital were the next thing that she was greeted with. that and the sight of her grandmother who was perched on the chair beside the bed. there were so many machines all around her and she realized that she was in a hospital gown. for the first time in months she felt clean. yet that was when it all registered and she quickly began to look around for ezra," grandma? wheres-where is ezra? where is he?" her voice was hoarse but that didn't stop her from screaming. the panic hitting as she realized the one person she wanted wasn't there. her grandma was trying to shush her but the doctors were getting in the way in order to adiminster a sedative.

hours went by and while she was knocked out, her grandmother found a phone to use. cell phones were too much of a bother for the old woman. ezra had given her, his number and in an instant she was demanding he get back to the hospital. he had been the one to drop her off which everly didn't know. the next time she woke, she still saw that the room was empty save for her grandma. the panic hit again and there was no stopping her from screaming again. her grandma was instantly snapping at the nurses and everything seemed to go in slow motion the moment the door was pushed open. a sob bubbled up her throat as she tried to wipe at her face," ezra-ezra! you-you weren't-you weren't here!"

[countrymusiclover]

2 - Doctor Nicknames

Part 3

Feisty Coffee Girl

Izzie and I had gone to the bathroom in the gas station since we needed some groceries and the nearest grocery store was an hour away. Holding a hand over my stomach my sister ripped open the package of pregnancy tests we had just bought. “Here it should show up in five minutes after you take it.”

“I can’t be pregnant right. Mom would be furious if I were.” I gulped nervously taking the test out of her hands going into one of the stalls.

Izzie leaned her body against the wall waiting for me. “We will worry about mom after you take the test. Right now just keep calm and do the test so we’ll have an answer.”

“Okay I’m gonna do it now.” I answered her back peeing on the stick and just sitting on the toilet until the time was up. Opening my eyes I blinked through tears so emotional about what was down in front of me.

Izzie knocked on the stall door gaining my attention. “Y/n, what does it say?”

“It uh ... .it's positive.” I croaked through tears with my sister kicking open the door since I hadn’t locked it. She helps me up to my feet getting my pants up seeing me begin uncontrollably sobbing.

She wrapped her arms around my shaking body and I cling onto her for some strength. “Shhh I’m here for you. We will get through this.”

“You really think that?” I asked her.

Izzie broke the embrace holding me by my shoulders sniffing through some tears. “You and I are extremely tough and we will get through this.”

“What do you think it's going to be? Boy or girl?” Moving my hands down to my stomach I sniffed through my own tears. Closing my eyes I paused just thinking about the choice I had to make. I could get rid of it or keep it and become a teenage mother so young.

Izzie clicked her tongue with a light smile. “I'd say girl. She'll be just as badass as you are.”

“I might hope it's a girl someday too.” I gave her a weak smile. Running one of my hands over my stomach would change everything the second the baby's father said he didn’t want to be a teen parent so I ended up on my own. “I've always liked the name Everly. I'll probably name her that.”

“Everly will be an adorable name.’ My twin sister grinned hugging me again and we just held one another.

My phone had been ringing the entire time I was driving home from work. It had been almost over two weeks since I had gotten the random guy's number. Driving towards the elementary school I was on my way to pick up my daughter from school. Caroline was only able to take her during the mornings. Pulling the car to a stop in a spot I entered the school going to her classroom. “Seriously, how many times are you going to call me.” Taking out my phone I ignored the call.

“Mommy!” Lifting my head up I saw my daughter running straight to me. Her hair getting thrown in every direction until she flung herself into my waiting arms.

Wrapping my arms around her I laughed into her hair dropping myself onto my knees. “I've missed you. I miss you all the time you're not with me.”

“Can we go get pizza?” Everly asked me when we broke the embrace.

Brushing hair out of her face I chuckled. “Sure we can. Oh one second it's your aunt Izzie….hey Izzie what's up?”

“Would you be able to come to the hospital? I am stuck here for the rest of the day and I have some gossip I really need to tell you about.” She explained through the phone.

Holding the phone up to my ear with one hand I take Everly’s with my other leading her out to the car. “Izzie I don't know if that's a good idea. I have Everly with me and we want some dinner.”

“Meredith is sleeping with one of the residents in the hospital. I think that's enough of a reason to hear the whole story.” My sister declared.

Sitting my phone in the cup holder I helped Eve get into the backseat of the car getting into my driver's seat switching the phone to speaker making our way home. “Izzie, I love you. I want to spend time with you too. But it is not a good idea to bring her to the hospital.”

“I want to see aunt Izzie.” Everly said from the backseat of the car.

Izzie heard her and kept convincing me. “See, she wants to come see me. It will be fine. I can even add on that there's pizza down in the cafeteria. So please come visit me tonight.”

“Fine Isobel Stevens. We will come to the hospital. Just do your best to not get my daughter sick because then I'll have to take care of her for two weeks.” I caved running my freehand turning the steering wheel changing in the direction of the hospital. Hanging up my phone I hoped that this would just be a good visit and the next time we could hang out at my apartment or at Meredith's house that she was living in with some of her fellow interns.

Everly was already undoing her seatbelt to get out of the car by the time I had parked us outside the hospital. Leading her inside by the hand we found my sister standing at the nurse desk with her three other friends who were Alex, Christina and George. “Aunt Izzie!” Everly removed her hand away from mine jumping up into her waiting arms.

“Oh there's my favorite little niece.” Izzie twirled her around laughing until she sat her down on her feet.

Alex came around the nurse station with a smirk on his face getting close to me. “So you’re her sister huh. I gotta say you might be hotter than Izzie is.”

“Uh…Hey Eve, I think I heard somebody say they have pizza in the cafeteria. Why don’t you go wait over there for a second and then we can go get something to eat.” Bending my knees to be her level I put my hands on my knees to be eye level with her.

Everly grinned skipping over to one of the empty waiting room seats. “Deal. Be quick, mommy.”

“Okay so what gossip were you dying to tell me that we couldn’t do at home?” I focused my attention on my twin sister with her standing in front of me.

She throws her hands up beginning to ramble off with such bright and bubbly excitement that she naturally showed off to her friends and her patients at the hospital. “The doctor that I told you Meredith slept with is the head of brain surgery and is named Derek Shepherd. But he failed to mention that he was married and then his ex wife came to work here. And now for some reason the guy who also cheated on his wife is now in the hospital in that room.”

George leaned his head to the side, getting our group's attention to focus on the open room where a guy was stitching up his own face even though Meredith was standing in front of him. “Why is he suturing his own face?”

Cristina replied. “To turn me on.”

Alex explained where I parted my mouth opened hearing he was clearly impressed. “Cause he's Mark Sloan. He's like the go-to plastic surgeon on the East Coast.”

George gasped in shock. “That's the guy Addison was sleeping with?”

“Who’s Addison?” I raised a brow at the name.

Izzie filled me in. “You can't really blame her, can you? So basically it goes like this. McDreamy is apparently been best friend up until Mark slept with Addison who was McDreamy's wife till he found them sleeping together.”

“Oh wow.” I didn't know what to say about all their crazy gossip.

Cristina said back. “No, not really.”

George gagged. “Yes you can.”

Meredith finally came around the corner entering our conversation. “McSexy wants an x-ray to check for fractures and I think it's a bad idea if I take him.”

George stammered. “Why? Why?”

Alex bolted towards the opposite direction. “I'm on it.”

George asked. “Why is it a bad idea?”

Cristina quoted. “McSexy?”

Izzie responded and Meredith made a disgusted face. “McYummy.”

Meredith and Cristina said in unison. “No.”

Meredith finally spoke up again with another nickname. “McSteamy.”

Cristina awed in agreement. “Oh there it is.”

Izzie glanced down at me. “Yep. What do you think about the nickname Y/n?”

George gagged running away the second the door open and I turned my head in the direction. “Uh, just ah choking back some McVomit.”

“I don’t see what the big fuss about him is - holy shit!” I felt my mouth hang open when a guy with dark brown hair came out wearing a black tea shirt and gray pants.

Everly spoke up. “Shit?”

“You can’t say that. Only mommy says that.” Whipping my head around I warned my daughter with a finger before putting my attention to the guy in front of our group. “I….I’ve met him.”

Christina, Meredith, Izzie and George gasped all looking over at me. “How?”

“Don’t I know you from somewhere…Feisty Blonde?” The guy that looked exactly like Mark made his way over to us. His green eyes landed only on mine and they remained there with him putting almost no gap between us. “What are you doing here, Y/n?”

Running my fingers through my hair I chuckled nervously feeling my face turn red with the interns watching our interaction. “I guess I’m meeting you for the second time, Mark Sloan.”

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[edward-hydes-letters]

Hello everyone!

I’m happy to say that I am back from my little break, I know all of you missed me while I was gone!

And to those who are… concerned, about where I went for all those months, I was staying with the rich prick and his wife. I’m fine, as you can see.

As for those Bazaar blokes, I managed to give them the slip. They seem to have all left London once they realized I was nowhere to be found.

Jekyll is also doing fine. When he needed to work at the Society, we took the potion and the lovebirds rode over in a carriage. Though Lanyon and Everly did keep the good doctor over a number of times, to stop him from dropping dead from overworking himself. Let me tell you, he did not like that, hehe…

I will now answer any letters that come my way!

-Mr. Edward Hyde

[kendsleyauthor]

Prompt 13 for Xander and Grayson or Micah and Everly? 👀✨

Makeshift Medic

Print/trinket universe

~1900 words

Warning: Blood

Summary: When Xander stumbles in, drunk and bleeding, Grayson takes it upon himself to treat his wound properly. (Takes place sometime between Teddy Bear and Cozy Up.)

Thank you for the prompt!! This one made my heart sing 🥰

@marydublinauthor 🌸

If Xander didn’t make it back to his room on the bus by 4 AM, that typically meant he didn’t plan on sleeping that night. It was nearly dawn, and Grayson hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep.

It wasn’t that he was worried about what Xander was doing—he was a rockstar on tour, what could anyone expect? No, Grayson’s uneasiness came from having the room to himself. Intimidating as Xander’s presence could be, having him around was a safeguard.

A drunken roadie could stumble into the room to harass him. Or maybe a rabid fan looking for Micah. 

Laying back on the pillow, Grayson kneaded his temples. 

He was being paranoid. There was twenty-four-hour security keeping an eye on the troop of tour vehicles. But would anyone bother to intervene if it was a print who was in the danger?

The door burst open. A figure stumbled into the dark room.

Sleep-deprived and wired as he was, Grayson shouted in alarm and scrambled to the corner of his pillow. Then he froze up, his heavy breathing beginning to calm when he recognized Xander’s silhouette. 

“Lights… on,” Xander mumbled. When nothing happened, he huffed. “Lights on,” he said louder.

Grayson flinched both from the sound of his voice and the light that flooded that room. He gaped when his vision cleared.

One, Xander was clearly hammered.

Two, his hand was bleeding.

“Are you okay?” Grayson jolted to hands and knees, leaning forward.

Xander barely looked at him. He muttered something incoherent and sank down on the floor beside the bed. For a second, Grayson thought he was passing out right there, until he heard Xander digging around through one of his bags.

When he stood again, he held a med pack—one that had clearly been swiped from the tour physician. 

“Do, um… Do you get hurt often enough to keep that in reach?” Grayson asked.

Again, Xander didn’t answer. He sat on the edge of the bed and slumped over, clumsily opening the pack. 

For all of his hyper-intense focus while sober, his inebriated self could only focus on one thing at a time—if even that. Or, he was just being an asshole and purposely ignoring Grayson’s concern.

“Don’t tell me you got mugged?” Grayson tried again.

Finally, Xander snapped his head around to see over his shoulder. He stared at Grayson like he was crazy. “You think I’d lose a fight?”

The intensity of his glare almost sent Grayson fleeing back to the corner of the bed. He raised his hands in peace. “Hey, for all I know, they’re laying a blood-soaked heap outside.”

Xander narrowed his eyes like he couldn’t be sure whether to take it as a compliment or not. He snorted and went back to rifling through the medical supplies. “I tripped, okay? Scraped myself on gravel or glass or something.”

“Two are two very different things. Maybe you should go to—”

“I’m not knocking on the doctor’s door like this. She’s already been on my case about drinking. Don’t wanna deal with that.”

The finality of his tone made Grayson shut up for a few moments. He watched as Xander haphazardly selected what he was going to use to fix himself. Unfortunately, that selection only amounted to a roll of bandages to wrap the wound.

“You can’t do that!” Grayson blurted before he could stop himself.

Once again, Xander looked over his shoulder. That glare, unfocused or not, towered over Grayson at a building’s height. Neither of them moved for several seconds, locked in a silent staring contest that Grayson finally forced himself to break. 

“You… you can’t,” he insisted. “You can’t just cover it. You’ve got to disinfect it.”

“I can take care of myself.” The defensiveness in his tone bit hard.

Intimidation rolled through Grayson like a thunderstorm as Xander continued to study him, daring him to continue the argument. But the longer Grayson looked, the more he could see embarrassment lining his narrowed eyes and pout. It was far more than Xander gave away when sober. 

“If that gets infected, there’s no way you’re playing for a while,” Grayson said, injecting some semblance of authority into his tone. “So, listen to me.”

Another beat of silence. Grayson’s confidence wavered. For all he knew, pushing Xander over the edge would result in a broken limb or two. 

At last, Xander pursed his lips and shoved the box in Grayson’s direction. He stared down at the bedsheets with insecurity that Grayson didn’t think possible from him.

Grayson slowly slid off the pillow and inched toward the drunken giant. It could have been some power move trap—lure Grayson close and hurt him just for the fun of it. But Xander didn’t appear to have the wherewithal or spitefulness to pull that off. 

Although every self-preservation instinct told him to keep his eyes on the massively potential threat, Grayson tore his eyes away to look through the box. He grabbed a bottle of salve by the cap and heaved it out. It was longer than Grayson’s arm, and he’d never had access to such high-end medical supplies. He’d only heard that it worked wonders.

Clutching the bottle to his chest, Grayson walked closer to the edge of the bed, right beside where Xander was sitting.

“Lay your hand out,” Grayson said, calmly as he could manage.

Xander obeyed after a heavy sigh. The gash was deep, but thankfully it didn’t look like he needed stitches. Blood continued to trickle out and pool in his palm, threatening to stain the bed. 

Grayson uncapped the bottle. “You need to soak up the blood first.”

“Ugh.” 

With some more cajoling, Xander did as he was told. He used some of the gauze to gracelessly mop up his palm. He even managed to use an alcohol whip on the cut without being a baby about it.

“Good,” Grayson said.

“Don’t talk to me like I’m five,” Xander muttered.

“Then don’t whine like you’re five.”

When Grayson peeked up to see if that would ignite some anger, he noticed the other side of Xander’s face has a smear of red across it. There didn’t appear to be another cut—maybe he had thoughtlessly brushed his hand over his cheek. Whatever the case, the sight of it didn’t do much to make Xander appear harmless at the moment.

Let’s get this over with.

Taking a dollop of the salve into his hand, Grayson leaned over Xander’s palm to apply it to the wound. The moment he made contact, however, Xander seemed to forget what his intentions were. Fingers curling reflexively, Xander snapped his hand away and stared at Grayson with wide eyes.

“H-hey,” Grayson said, swallowing hard. One of those fingers had nearly given him an uppercut to the jaw. “I need to touch you. Please. I just want to help.”

“Why?” Xander snapped.

“B-because, I mean,” Grayson sputtered. “You’re bleeding. People hurt when they bleed. You’re hurt. It hurts, doesn’t it?”

That didn’t quite seem to satisfy Xander’s demand, judging by his deepened frown. 

Grayson returned that frown. “Why are you so shocked that I want to help you?”

Xander shrugged. Cautiously, he laid out his hand again. “Whatever.”

Watching for so much as a stray twitch from Xander’s hand, Grayson gingerly spread the salve on the wound. Almost immediately, the redness began to fade, and the skin began to close a little. With any luck, it would be nothing more than a scrape by tomorrow morning.

“Okay,” Grayson said, searching for the end on a roll of gauze. “Can you lift your hand a little?”

When Xander didn’t move, Grayson dared to peer up at his face and found him staring hard again. Whatever he was thinking about, he couldn’t seem to make sense of what was going through his own head. He blinked and finally seemed to register that Grayson was waiting for him.

Once Xander’s hand was in place, Grayson pressed the end of the gauze to the salved wound to keep it from slipping. Then he wrapped Xander’s palm, asking every few rounds if the tightness was okay. Xander’s only feedback came in the form of noncommittal grunts.

When it was done, Grayson hesitantly told Xander to cut off the remaining bandage roll with medical scissors. Thankfully, that went without disaster. After the gauze was taped off, Xander inspected his hand and flexed his fingers.

His eyes drifted back down to Grayson, intensity flaring up again. “You’re not gonna tell anyone about this, are you?”

Grayson tossed the salve back into the box and clenched his jaw. Annoyance kept him from making eye contact, not fear. “Oh, what? That a print patched you up?”

“Nah. That I tripped over my own feet while I was fucking wasted.”

“Oh. I mean. I don’t know.” Grayson’s gaze fluttered upward and he caught sight of the smeared blood on Xander’s face again. “Hey… You’ve still got—”

“What?”

“Here. Lean down.” 

Grayson ripped off a clean corner of the alcohol wipe that Xander had used. To his surprise, Xander didn’t argue about leaning down. 

Once his face was close enough, Grayson reached out to wipe the blood. Xander went tense—his jaw clenched right beside Grayson. But neither of them flinched. Xander’s skin was hot to the touch. Stubble grazed Grayson’s skin as he gently cleaned away the red smear. He took a step back, holding up the stained wipe for Xander to see.

“Hm.” Xander clumsily plucked it out of his hand and tossed it, along with everything else they’d taken out, back into the box.

Grayson sighed wearily. “Okay, I know you’re wasted, but you can’t just put bloody things back in—”

“Thanks,” Xander cut in suddenly. “Thanks for the help. Micah would’ve lost his shit if I couldn’t play because of an infection.” There was a beat of awkward silence, though it didn’t last long. “You didn’t answer my question, though. About not telling anyone.”

“I mean… I think the doctor should probably know that you hurt yourself, right?”

“Wrong.” Xander’s expression went blank for a second. Then he stifled a yawn into his good hand and wavered like a sudden wave of sleepiness had crashed into him. 

Without warning, he scooped Grayson up.

“H-hey! Wh-what—” While Grayson stammered out half-questions, Xander yanked back the sheets and crawled under them, taking Grayson with him. 

Settling into bed without a care, Xander hugged Grayson to his chest. Although his touch was more uncoordinated than usual, it felt far from menacing.

While Xander’s heart thudded at an unhurried pace beneath him, Grayson’s pulse was fluttering like a panicked bird. Sure, Xander was a cuddler when he was unconscious, but never while he was this awake—though it quickly became clear that awake was an understatement.

Xander’s mumbled words were barely audible, even when pressed up against his chest. “Can’t have you running off to tell on me.”

Before long, his breathing evened out. The weight of his hand loosened. But Grayson stayed where he was. After what he’d been through the last fifteen minutes, he couldn’t say no to some warmth and safety—things that were becoming dangerously familiar from the likes of Xander Dalton.

((Xander only knows two things: 1. be grumpy 2. cuddle Grayson))