#I HAD A LIFE HERE BEFORE YOU BUT NOW IT'S BURNIN'.

[tolerateit]

i love when my mom goes to bed and says "sing as loud as you want."

[foreingersgod]

I LOVE THE FICS LATELY AND ALL THE TIME !!

one of them being the cc being obsessed with her gf , now i wanna see a kate martin being obsessed with her gf !!!

Always take rests !!!!

Work Song . KM

pairing: kate martin x reader

A/N: i’m not sure if anon wanted soft, tooth rotting obsession, but i yearn for sweetie pie kate so i hope it’s ok :’)

Boys workin' on empty

Is that the kinda way to face the burnin' heat?

kate was exhausted to say the least. practices, games…everything was really weighing down on her. she had so much on her plate all the time and it often got to be too much for her to handle. there was a lot of stress on her recently, being drafted and being the new girl on the team. she bared the overwhelming feeling of having to impress everyone, prove that she could handle it. and deep down she knew she could. kate was strong and smart and resilient, but her biggest fear was letting people down. letting you down.

that’s why, during times like this, she turned to you. her biggest supporter, her number one fan, her everything. you had been with her since the beginning. you were there for every meltdown and all the late nights spent in tears when kate felt like a failure. you were there for every loss and every win, there to clean up her nasty bruises and cuts. and now you were here to guide her through this huge change in her life. she wouldn’t be able to count on her fingers the amount of times you had truly saved her in the midst of all this. kate struggled with change, hated how she felt like she needed to start over with a whole new team and a whole new life. but you were there to remind her that nothing was going to change, you would still be with her every step of the way. all she needed was you, the most important thing in her life.

you were the reason she got up in the morning. you were the reason she kept pushing even when she felt like giving up. because she knew that at the end of the day, you’d be there with her, arms holding her tight to ground her. that you’d never leave her and, for that, she wanted to make you proud.

I just think about my baby

I'm so full of love, I could barely eat

she was gone for the week, in another state for an away game. but a week was 7 days too long for kate, she couldn’t stand being away from you. she remembers the night before she left, how she was packing her things unwillingly as you made sure she had everything in her bag. you were trying so hard to get her excited, it was going to be one of her first games upon her pro-ball debut and you had assumed she’d be ecstatic. but instead she was sulking (typical kate), talking about how much she was going to miss you.

“i can’t believe you’re about to go live out your life long dream and you’re sitting here pouting” you teased. she knew you were right, and she really was quite excited, but the thought that you wouldn’t be there killed her.

normally you would attend like you always did, but you needed to take the week to focus on finishing up school. kate admired the way you prioritized your studies, but there were times like these in which she cursed your determination. all she wanted was to see you out there, amongst the crowd, cheering her on. a big ‘20’ plastered on your shirt to show your support and a gratifying smile on your face. you were her lucky charm, she would say. but now she here, far from home and missing her girl.

it was the night before the game and kate and the team had opted for a nice dinner out. something to hype everyone up and to boost morale…well that’s what she was told. but it did little to cheer her up and get her excited. she dreaded leaving her lonely hotel room, somewhat dim and weary without you there with her. it had been a long time since she stayed in a room without you. kate had to fight her own mind to attend dinner with the girls, just wanting to stay in and facetime you instead. nevertheless, she managed to get dressed up and make an appearance.

the entire night she was miserable, as expected. she wanted to join in on the conversations, talk about what her teammates were talking about. but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for herself. she was still jet lagged, tired, nervous, and definitely missing you. she couldn’t even eat her food because she couldn’t focus on anything else but the image of you. memories of your relationship flooded her mind as she messed with the food on her plate, all she wanted was to go back home.

not able to stand it anymore, she made some excuse about being sick so she could leave. she packed up the leftovers to bring back to her hotel room and bid everyone a good night. her time would be much better spent texting or calling you than feeling sorry for herself at the table.

finally, she made it back to her room. without a second thought she was changing her clothes and crawling into bed, pulling out her phone and pulling up your contact. she had no hesitation in clicking on the ‘facetime’ button.

the phone rang several times, making her worried that you had already gone to bed for the night. but, on the 4th ring, the call went through and your face appeared on the screen. it was a gorgeous sight, she thought, seeing you there. you had taken off your makeup already, pulled your hair back, and tucked yourself into your shared bed. oh how she longed to be in that bed right now. you had instantly smiled when you saw kate’s face, making her heart ache for you.

“hi baby!” you chimed.

and that’s all she needed to hear. all of her worries, doubts, all of her anxiety was out the window now. she had just wanted an ounce of your attention all day, and at last, she could relax finally having it.

There's nothin' sweeter than my baby

I'd never want once from the cherry tree

“what did you say?” kate whispered, so shocked that she could hardly speak.

tonight was not a usual one. you had come home upset and stressed out, the past few days you’d been struggling with your mental health. it wasn’t often that you had difficult days, but when you did, kate was at your side and ready to help you in whatever way you needed. but tonight you felt inconsolable.

with kate becoming more popular in the media with her upcoming career, there had been a lot of press coverage. you actually hadn’t had an issue with it, you were thrilled for her to see that she was getting so much attention. but with the praise and positivity online also came the negative parts as well. you had seen a few articles and instagram posts concerning yours and kate’s relationship. seeing your name in bold headlines caught your attention. it was a bunch of nonsense, really, some random person online blabbering about nothing. they were clearly bothered by the fact that you and kate were very much in love, writing about how ‘kate could find someone much better’ or how she ‘should be with someone in her own league’. you tried to remind yourself of how foolish that was, kate loved you deeply and wouldn’t ever think of leaving you for someone else. but, with your history of self image issues and mental health, it was hard to believe it yourself.

“i said,” you were both sat on the couch, thighs barely touching. tears streamed down your face as you had your head turned away from kate. you had seen another one of those damned articles earlier and it seemed to be your breaking point, sending you into a fit of sorrow “i said i don’t know why you’re still with me”

the statement had caught her quite off guard. how could you possibly think such a thing? had kate done something? were you suddenly falling out of love? her heart was shattering as she sat there, desperately trying to figure out what had gotten you upset.

“baby,” her hand found its way to your cheek, gently guiding your head to turn back to her. your eyes were red and your lashes damp as you locked eyes with her “how could you say that? i love you more than anything in the world-i don’t understand”

“i just…i’ve been seeing all of those posts about us, kate” sobs racked your body and you hiccuped to try and catch your breathe “i see all the things they say about us and i can’t help but feel like you deserve more than me”

she had known about those posts for some time now, since she saw you inspecting one the other day. it broke her knowing you were indulging in all the ridiculous things people were saying about your relationship.

“hey hey hey” she wrapped an arm around you, forcing you to move closer to her “i don’t want anyone but you, got it? you have no idea how fucking in love with you i am”

a scoff fell from your lips briefly before you shook your head. you wanted to believe her, but your mind was so convinced otherwise “you’re just saying that”

“well allow me to enlighten you then?” she prodded, wiping the tears from under yours eyes. with reluctance, you nodded.

“i have never loved someone so much in my life” she began “i don’t even know where to start because there’s so much i love about you that it would take forever to say it all. i love the way you love me. how you take care of me all the time without me having to ask. how you make me breakfast in bed and how you brush my hair before we fall asleep. i love how you send me pictures of cute things you see in the store when you should really only be getting groceries. i love that you cry during movies even if it’s supposed to be happy because it shows how deeply you love things. and i love that you always think of people, even though that sometimes means you forget to take care of yourself. but i love that too, i love that i get to be the person that shows you how much love you deserve. that i get to sit here on nights like these and tell you how wonderful you are. because it’s true. honey, you are the best thing that has every happened to me and i’d be fucking crazy to let you go”

she let out a deep sigh, having lost her breath from her confession. if she had anymore air in her, she’d still be rambling on and on. the two of you stared at each other for a faint moment, her blue eyes gleaming back at you. your bottom lip quivered as another tear rolled down your cheek, although this time, it was a cry of joy.

“kate martin,” you muttered, almost speechless “i love you so so much”

she just chuckled softly and smiled at you. she guided you into a much needed hug, feeling your head tuck itself underneath her chin and your arms fall over her shoulders.

“i love you a thousand times more”

'Cause my baby's sweet as can be

She'd give me toothaches just from kissin' me

it was dark outside already, signifying the late hours of the night. you weren’t sure what time it was, definitely late enough that you should be asleep. but instead you and kate were both still up.

the orangey glow from your bedside lamp illuminated your bodies, creating silhouettes on the bedroom wall. kate was laid against the bed, back against the headboard and head tilted back. you were hovering over her as you straddled her waist with legs on either side of her figure. your head dipped down to her exposed neck, lips connecting lazily to her supple skin. eager hands roamed her shoulders and down the sides of her torso. her hands did the same, anxious to touch you wherever she could.

this was another instance in which kate unfortunately had to be away from home for an extended period of time. like every other time, she thought about returning home to you every second that she was gone. she hated not being able to touch you, to feel you, to know that you were right by her side. you had also been yearning for her arrival and hated her absence just as much. so when she was on her way home, she knew she would be having her way with you that night, no matter how late it might be. it may have been well into the early hours of this morning at this point, but the need to be with each other was a far greater need than sleep.

when she stepped foot in that house, she was already dropping her bags at the door and ridding of her shoes. sock clad feet marched quietly up the stairs as she began imagining kissing you for the first time in over a week. she pushed the door to your room open ever so gently, taking in your inviting presence. you had been fighting sleep, she could tell. your eyes peeking through low eyelids, hair messy from laying against the pillows, your lips turned in a sloppy smile. what a sight for sore eyes.

she was tempted to tell you to go to sleep, to get some rest that she knew you needed. but you were already sitting up and crawling over to her side of the bed where she now stood. one of her oversized tshirts hung loosely on your body, your lacey panties emerging from the bottom. before she had the chance to do so much as greet you, your hands were gripping her shirt and tugging her into you. soft lips molded into hers as you frantically kissed her. she took it as a sign that you needed her just as much as she needed you. so she let herself indulge, slithering into bed with you. articles of clothing were discarded to floor. your shirt thrown over your shoulder, kate’s sweatpants and top banished to a pile next to the bed.

now you were here, idly making out, taking each other in as much as possible. one might think you hadn’t seen one another in years by the way you both were acting. your bare chests were pressed together, creating arousing friction. kate’s fingers dug into the soft skin of your ass where her fingernails left small indents. she was breathing heavily and groaning as you left dark purple marks along her collarbone and the tops of her breasts, a reminder of your devotion. her hands pressed deeper into you, guiding your hips in a smooth rhythm of grinding against her lap. the room felt hot from the breathy moans and content sighs.

once you decided you were done marking the skin of kate’s chest, you made your way back to her lips. both of you were too tired to do anything other than this, just needing to be close to each other. not that you needed much else, having her lips on yours was enough to keep you satisfied. it was like your lips were meant for hers. they fit so perfectly together, moved against yours in the most delicious way.

kate let out another moan as she felt your lips grace hers. the sensation sent shivers through her veins. kissing you had to be the best feeling in the world to her. sometimes she felt sorry for the rest of the world, because what a sad life it would be to not know what it would be like to kiss you. and at the same time she felt so damn lucky that it was her, and only her, that got to know what this felt like.

When my time comes around

Lay me gently in the cold, dark earth

No grave can hold my body down…

“i hope you know that i’m absolutely head over heels for you,” she said next to you “you do know that, right?”

you hummed in response, nose scrunching as you looked at her. the amount of guests at your wedding must have been well into the one hundreds, but right here in this moment, it was just the two of you.

underneath a sky full stars was the makeshift dance floor of your wedding venue, marbled tiles beneath your feet. twinkling lights lit up the quaint garden of your backyard that you and kate both decided would be the perfect place to hold your reception. it was the middle of your first dance as a married couple and it was the most perfect moment of your life. your dress swayed behind you in the breeze, hair cascading around your face elegantly. kate looked even more beautiful than she normally did, if that was even possible. both of her hands rested on your waist and your arms looped around her neck as you danced across the floor slowly. your wedding playlist sounded in the distance and your families were watching you with teary eyes, but you and kate were only focused on each other.

“i do,” you replied “i hope you know that i’m also madly in love with you”

“i do” she had repeated like she did during her declaration of intent at the ceremony. you would never forget the look on her face when she’d said it for the first time “i’m never going to get tired of this”

“of what? our first dance?” you laughed, head falling back briefly “hate to break it to you, babe, but i think it’s gonna have to end at some point”

she laughed too, shaking her head. she pulled you in closer as her eyes wandered over the features of your face.

“no” she grinned “of looking at you”

your face was already turning a bright shade of pink, you could feel it as you smiled, but you didn’t mind one bit. you let your arms fall from around her neck as you heard the song of your dance come to an end.

your hands traveled up to take her face in your hands, something you have done often, a small action of your love. they directed her face to drop down to your level. you got onto the tips of your toes to meet her half way, kissing her passionately like your life depended on it. both of you smiled into the kiss, hearing everyone around you cheer as your dance concluded.

and, god, did it feel good to be loved like this.

…I'll crawl home to her

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

A/N: i feel like this started out so good, but then i kinda fucked it up at the end, but i hope you all like it !!

[reidmania]

sharpest tool | s.reid

(chapter three, full machine)

‘I'm a forest fire, you're the kerosene. I had a life here before you, but now it's burnin'. I know I know better and you're ignorin' me, still, if you asked me to run away, i'd go easily’

summary; you know you have a bad history with relationships, so to try not to get in your own head when you stop hearing from spencer.

warnings; fem reader, mentions of bad relationships, ghosting, commitment issues, self doubt & overthinking, preettyy angsty idk guys, no comfort yet but there is some fluff, and theres penelope & reader friendship!! reader lowkey shit talks spencer but he deserves it. reader is embarrassed & upset.

taglist; @gghostwriter @lavonee @guiltyyassin @spencersinonlygf @criminalmindssworld @iknwreid @fortheloveofgubler @yokaimoon @sapphirecobalt-1 @eddiesdrummergf @livvyliv15 @lover-of-books-and-tea @sebastiansstanswhore @bloodredrubyrose @sp3ncelle @nemobee777 @jencole214 @hazzarules

2.1k words.

SERIES MASTERLIST

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since you had last seen Spencer. You understood the demands of his job, that it kept him busy and a lot of the time you were fine with that — you enjoyed your space and your own personal time. You had never had an issue with him being gone on cases before but he would always text you or call you when he got the chance.

And never had he been on a case for two weeks. Not that you knew of anyways.

It was difficult not to jump to conclusions and ruin the idea of him you had. It was difficult not to shut down. It was difficult to not think ‘how could you be so stupid’ and you were trying really really hard to not repeat past mistakes and project past relationships onto this one.

But it wasn’t even a relationship.

It wasn’t like he had talked to you at all. The first two days after he left for his case he had sent you numerous texts, telling you how sorry he was for having to leave early, he called you on the first night and stayed on the phone until you had fallen asleep. Everything was normal. There was nothing that set off any warning bells in your head.

That made you feel even worse.

You hadn’t spammed him with texts, nor calls. You hadn’t messaged him since the last text you sent was left on delivered. You wouldn’t beg for him to reply to you, you wouldn’t beg for an explanation on what you might’ve done wrong. You’d rather live with the lack of closure than further damage to your pride.

But then there was a part of you that wondered if maybe something happened to him, a big part of you worried that something happened to him — actually. You tried to ignore the lingering dwindle of anxiety in your stomach as you carried on with your day to day life. You tried so hard to ignore it.

But two weeks was a long time to ignore an aching gut feeling, one that kept you up at night and never seemed to go away.

Could you have called Spencer? Yes. You could’ve. But did you want to risk the call being ignored and every lingering doubt in your mind being proven correct and then be embarrassed about it? God no.

You were a shame spiral when you instead texted Penelope, who had given you her number when she saw you and Spencer at the grocery store, the last time you had seen him. She begged you to reach out when she got back so you two could arrange to hang out.

You weren’t even sure if they were back. Normally you would know that by Spencer coming over to your house at some ridiculous time and delving into your arms like it was the only place he had ever been able to call home, but he didn’t come over this time.

It was a simple text, ‘Hey Penelope, how are you? I haven’t heard from Spencer in a while so i just wanted to make sure he was okay’

It was good enough. You didn’t want to explain how you just wanted to make sure he was alive so you didn’t feel guilty for hating him. You didn’t exactly want to hate somebody who was dead. Yet a twisted part of you hoped that something had happened to him, because at least then he wasn’t just ignoring you.

What you weren’t expecting was your phone to light up with an incoming call from the one and only Penelope Garcia. You answered it, partly scared that she was calling because texting you to tell you that Spencer was dead seemed insensitive.

“Hello?” You answered. The place in your bed warm from the weight of your body as you shuffled slightly. It wasn’t exactly late, but it was past evening times. You heard mumbling and shuffling on the other side of the phone, before a happy voice.

“Hello my sweet angel!” Penelope greeted you, even in your doubtful mood the warm greeting from the sweet women made a smile line your lips. “I got your message — I’m a little confused. He is fine, he just left work” She answered.

Okay. Not dead.

“Oh” It passed through your lips because now you were just overwhelming confused. “Uh- How long have you guys been back?” You asked, almost afraid of the answer you would receive. You were hoping she would tell you they had only just gotten back, and that the case had been so busy that nobody had time to text anybody.

“A little over a week.” She answered. That made your chest tighten, a lot. Almost painfully. You didn’t want to cry, you didn’t want to give the situation the satisfaction of your tears. You didn’t want to give Spencer any more power over you.

“Right. Okay. Thanks.” It came out shakier than you intended it to be and a wave of embarrassment washed over you. You took pride in your ability to not care about things like this, you didn’t get emotionally involved because of this reason. Your mind was overwhelmed with an abundance of doubts and self depreciation. Embarrassment. You were so embarrassedz

“Did Spencer not tell you? He has been stroppy all week. We thought maybe he had messed up and you were mad at him.” The words came out as a playful joke, but you found it humourless. Because although you weren’t mad at him, you were now.

You wondered if you even had a right to be mad. Clearly he wasn’t dead, so he was just ignoring you. You hated how much that thought made your heart hurt an overwhelming amount. You hated how you had now let someone in enough for their absence to have an effect on you.

“He.. No. He hasn’t told me” You mumbled out, your voice representing how distant your mind was from this conversation. A million different thoughts and each one as bad as the last. You didn’t want to tell his co-worker and one of his friends that he had just up and ghosted you, you didn’t think it was fair, but you could basically hear the confusion and concern lacing her voice. “He hasn’t talked to me at all in over a week..”

“What?” Her response came out hard and fast, tone laced with clear shock and confusion. “Thats- I mean it was a rough case but.. not.. that rough — Maybe he is just overwhelmed? Have you tried calling him? He can get distracted easily.” She rambled, trying just as hard as you were to find a valid explanation for his sudden disappearance.

But you both knew Spencer. Or you thought you did. You knew enough to know about his memory. He didn’t just forget. Or maybe he did. Were you forgettable for him? Were you something so minority important that it slipped through the tight grasp of his memory. Oh that wasn’t a fun thought.

“No- uhm.. I’m not going to call him.. If he wants to talk to me he would.” You muttered. You wanted to believe that, you wanted to not care as much as you were making it out to seem you didn’t. You wanted to feel casually about it. About him.

You really regretted kissing him two months ago.

You wished you could be the type of person who believed that was no point dwelling, the type of person who would be grateful it happened rather than sad it was over — but you just weren’t. You didn’t think you were capable of getting over someone unless you hated them with every fibre of your being. Unless they hurt you to the point of no forgiveness. You couldn’t be glad it happened — not when it ended like this.

It always ended like this, you knew that from the start.

“Im so sorry. I have no idea whats going on with him!” She apologised in his behalf and it was almost funny to you. How come a girl you met once seemed to have more remorse than the guy you had (stupidly) falling in love with.

You shook your head, but she couldn’t see you. “Don’t apologise. Its fine. Its not a big deal really. We weren’t much of anything anyways.” Maybe the words came out fast enough for you to believe them, maybe they were to try and convince yourself that it was true — that it was how you felt.

It seemed it was how he felt.

“Oh sweetheart” Penelope synthesised. “How about this — We can have a massive movie night at mine sometime over the weekend and if you haven’t heard from him by then, then we can talk about how bad his eyesight is and the amount of sugar he puts in his coffee” She mumbled.

You let out a laugh, you wished that his bad eyesight and way too much sugar was the worst you could say about him right now. Your opinions on the boy seemed a lot stronger. Although it made your heart ache that it was his friend apologising and making you feel better.

“I’d like that.” You said, pulling your knees closer to your chest as your curled in on yourself in your bed. You hated how cold and empty it felt without his presence by your side. Even with the same glow of your fairy lights, the room was lit with the same warmth when it was just you.

You were mad. If you could only use one emotion to describe how you felt it would be mad. Embarrassment, disappointment, hurt — they’d all be thrown out the window. You were just so mad.

At him, for making you believe that maybe things would be different, for letting you get close to him, allowing you to trust him, open up to him. You were mad at him for giving and taking like it was some sort of game. You were mad at his lack of communication. You were mad at how he once looked at you like you held so much value only to leave as if you were worthless.

But you were more mad at yourself. You had made it a rule not to date. You had a life, a good happy life before. You busied yourself with work and going to the library to read and get a moment of peace beneath the shelves of books, you enjoyed getting your coffee’s from the small cafe on the corner in the morning, and dancing with your small group of friends at the club on the weekends, and then Spencer came along and now all those things you enjoyed so much seemed dimmer without knowing you’d see him at the end of the day.

You were frustrated because you knew better than to let someone get close to you. You knew how codependent you became on the existence of another by your side. You knew this. You knew all of this. You knew you were cursed, unloveable if you really wanted to hurt your own feelings. You knew this.

Yet you let yourself get sucked into his sweet words and empty promises, his soft touch and warm embrace. You let yourself believe that things might be different this time.

And god were you mad about that.

But most of all, you were mad about the fact that despite all of this. All of the doubt and anger swirling through your veins and leaving every harsh breath that existed your lips, you didn’t hate him. You were mad at him — so mad, but there wasn’t a single part of you that would ever say you hated Spencer Reid.

Not optionally. If it was up to you, you would go back in time and you wouldn’t have let him get close enough for the line to be between love and hate.

You worried, still. About if he was okay, what he was doing. You hated that. You hated that he had made you soft.

You hated that you let him make you soft.

You hated that you still wanted him to reach out to you, apologise and say he had just been so busy, or say he just needed time after the case. You hated that if he showed up on your door step right now you’d probably let him in without a word — whereas if this was prior to six months ago you would’ve slammed the door in his face and told him to get fucked.

Love didn’t come easy for you. But loving Spencer was the easiest thing you have ever done. Hating him was near impossible.

[slayfics]

You get jealous when Katsuki talks about Burnin.

600 words

Internships started back up and they were even more challenging than last time. The pro heroes had a good idea of what your classes could handle now, so the training was even more intense.

After the past days of non-stop hero work, your body collapsed into bed. You didn't think your bed had ever felt so comfortable.

You wondered if your other classmates' internships were as strenuous. Katsuki's at least had to be, after all, he was interning at Endeavor's.

You reached for your phone to send him a text.

[You] Hey, how is your internship going? [Katsuki] Awful. I'm losing my goddamn mind here. [You] Oh shit- what's going on?

Your phone rang as a call from Katsuki came through. Eagerly you answered.

"Hey," you greeted him.

"Fucking hate texting," he stated.

"I know," you chuckled. "So, what happened?" you asked.

"Had dinner at Endeavor's house the other day," he mumbled into the phone.

"What!? How was that?!" You asked.

"Fucking weird- they got a lot of family drama. It was stupid to bring me and Deku into it. Fucking rude not to keep your shit together when ya got guests. HA! And I thought my family had problems," he said.

"That bad, hu? Come on tell me the details, what were they fighting about?" You pleaded.

"Tch- you're nosey as hell ya know that? What the hell do you care anyway?" He asked.

"Endeavor is the number one hero now! It's- interesting to hear that his family life is trash when his career is so good," you explained.

"Yeah- sounds like that's what the problem is. He was an absent father I guess... I don't know- it's not my damn business and I don't care about that crap. I'm here to get stronger not fucking be on a drama show," Katsuki spoke.

"He taught you anything good yet?" You asked.

Katsuki grunted into the phone, "Nah- we've been having to try and beat him to the scene of a villain. But- he's so goddamn fast it pisses me off- and then that damn sidekick of his gets on my fucking nerves."

"What's he like?" You asked wanting to hear more about Endeavor's sidekick.

"She," Katsuki corrected you. "Fucking annoying. She's a strong hero I guess but she's too damn loud all the time."

"Oh.... what does she look like?" You asked, trying to keep the growing insecurity out of your voice.

"Hah? Why? What the hell does that matter?" Katsuki asked confused by your question.

"I'm just curious," you lied.

"It's Burnin' you've probably seen her in the news before, she's a pretty famous sidekick... Wait- are you jealous or something?" Katsuki asked, picking up on the tone in your voice.

"What!? No!" You exclaimed into the phone, but it was too late. Katsuki had picked up on your insecurity.

"I already told ya she's damn annoying, didn't I?" Katsuki said, his way of saying you were dumb for feeling insecure about the sidekick.

"Yeah, but you say that about everyone," you pointed out.

"That's not true," Katsuki challenged you. "I... don't say that about your ass," he mumbled voice lower than before.

Your cheeks warmed at his words, and you shifted in bed. "I miss you," you said, your voice equally as low.

"Tch- don't press your luck... You ain't getting that sappy shit out of me," he grumbled voice rough again. "It's getting late, we should rest."

"Yeah," you agreed hesitantly. He was right you both had to be up early tomorrow to be back at internships, but you didn't want to hang up.

"I'll talk to ya later," he said and paused for a moment before continuing. "I... guess I miss you too or whatever. Good night." He concluded and hung up before you could make any remarks on his sentimental words.

sinners: @queenpiranhadon @unofficialmuilover @maddietries @fiannee @i-heart-carlisle @derangedmango @matchat3a @bakugouswaif @reneinii @peachsukii @pastelbakugou @abadbitchblogs @deluluforcarlos55 @b134ch-m4h-ey3z @pinkpurpledreams @that-one-fangirl69 @dreamcastgirl99 @jays-adventure3

[bassettmemes]

THE GOLDEN YEARS (ALBUM) SENTENCE STARTERS ↳ lines from joshua bassett's debut album, the golden years ↳ ↳ the golden years (single) sentence starters can be found here

BITING MY TONGUE.

"silence speaks louder than I ever could"

"i can't breathe, i'm suffocating on my words"

"maybe the story that's been left unsaid is gasoline just waiting for the perfect match"

"i'm biting my tongue, avoiding the words i cant take back"

"i just wanna love and not look back"

"forget the promises we cant keep"

"i'm begging you to set me free"

"can you blame me for that?"

"you're running your mouth, it's wearing me down"

"i'm screaming out, but you won't hear a sound"

"cause tearing you down, oh, nobody wins"

"im trying to be better than i've ever been"

"hope you got all that you wanted"

"i don't want revenge"

"i won't hurt you how you hurt me; i want this to end"

DANCING WITH TEARS IN MY EYES.

"i lied when i said i'm fine"

"im at the disco dancing with tears in my eyes"

"dancin' with a cigarette, drunk on a Sunday morning

"standin' on the edge is somethin' we'll regret"

"makin' a mess of the bed we made"

"playin' with fire we already tamed"

"romeo and juliet, we shoulda known better"

"i caught your eyes under the lights and now I'm spinnin'"

"i cry every time our song comes on"

"it breaks my heart, dance in the dark, so you don't see me fall apart"

"everybody's askin' if i'm happy for ya"

"nothin' to regret, we went our separate ways"

"it's eatin' me alive to see you doin' better"

"maybe more wine will help me forget ya"

"seein' you tonight, i'm right back where we met"

DON'T LET ME DOWN.

"don't you remember early september? fooling around, didn't know any better."

"our ship was sinking, we held on as long as we could"

"i cried on your shoulder, now i don't know you"

"i keep replaying it over and over"

"wanna go backward, don't know if I can this time"

"we made a mess, but we were just kids then"

"gave it our best, we fell off the deep end"

"i can't forget the way that you held me, dear"

"so, you say you want me again; don't you remember the hell wе were in?"

"i haven't been thе same since you left"

"half of my heart is still there in your hands"

"if you pick me back off the ground, don't let me down"

"how do I know that you actually need me?"

"you say it's different, i wanna believe you"

"holding our hope in, maybe this time is for real"

"might be naive, but maybe we need this"

"nobody looks like you do"

"don't you tell me that you want me just to walk away now"

"don't you tell me that you love me if you don't know how"

"don't you turn your back on me and we can figure it out"

CHERRY BLOSSOM.

"cherry blossoms on your sundress, summer skin on the emerald grass, you pick a flower and pray it lasts, seasons falling away too fast."

"yeah, we talk too much, we fell headfirst under the sun"

"we're growing up but we're still young enough to crush"

"oh my cherry blossom, say you're staying through the autumn"

"you pack a picnic, i'll pick you up"

"is it too early to call this love?"

"some kids kissing in the sun"

"i'll never ever get enough"

CIRCLES.

"merry-go-round, we've been here before"

"your carousel hell got me chained to the floor"

"i've been falling for your sweet seduction"

"can't believe you're fooling me again"

"i've been running for my life"

"i end up at the starting line"

"i've been wasting all my youth on you"

"lovesick spinning 'round and 'round"

"like a broken record wearin' out"

"all this time i wasted chasin' you"

"yeah, girl, you got me going in circles"

"sweet as a peach, you're soft to the touch"

"you're making me bleed but calling it love"

"you pull me close, but keep me at a distance"

"where do i go from here?"

WILDFIRE.

"burnin' pancakes while we're dancin' in the kitchen, singin' to our favorite song, now I'm standin' in the ash and broken dishes"

"wonderin' where it all went wrong, now there's nothing left of you and me"

"it was heartbreak to the third degree"

"we had a gold and it was good until it wasn't"

"now the sirens, they sound, all of the walls are falling down"

"here's nowhere to run, darling, we'll never make it out"

"we're too close to the sun, we let it burn then called it love"

"there's smoke filling our lungs"

"would you look what we've become?"

"you asked for a light, now we started a wildfire"

"we were reckless, we were young and we were stupid"

"got too high to see the warnings signs"

"playin' innocent, we knew what we were doin', and two wrongs don't ever make a right"

"don't look away, darling, there's nothing left to save"

"just kiss me goodbye"

"we're not gonna make it out alive"

"It's far too late to save us, this flame here is to dangerous"

"don't say it's all okay, love, it's too much"

"just face it, love, we're dying"

"no point in even trying, it's too much"

"now we started a wildfire, love"

LITTLE RITA.

"she's crying on the phone, she's not quite sure where to go"

"i know this life isn't easy, but you'd know that I will be right here"

"and you know those are your needs, dear, and someone who can dry your tears"

"'cause home is where the heart is and my heart is always near"

"i promise in no time that you'll bе fine, and everything will bе alright"

"love is all that matters anyway"

"i know it's scary, i know it's sad"

"kiss your mom and hug your dad, 'cause no one knows how long they really have"

WOULD YA TELL ME?

"i've been waitin', wondering where you are"

"i've been prayin', say you're not too far gone"

"cause I don't know where my love went when you left, dear"

"i don't know where my heart was when you were here"

"what if you're still in love with someone else?"

"what if you're still hung up on someone else?"

"what if you're still the one for someone else?"

"what if you're still in love with someone else? would you tell me?"

"sunlight don't shine now that you're not around"

"daydrunk, moonshine, can't drown the sorrow out"

"i don't know where my mind was when you were here"

"i don't wanna know who's taking you home"

MIRROR.

"where did it all go wrong?"

"innocence stolen way too young"

"there's blood on my hands"

"i don't understand, where did it all go wrong?"

"out on my own at seventeen, no one to tell me who to be

"i'm going insane, i'm wasting away, i found a new low at twenty-three"

"i don't recognize the face in the mirror"

"there's nowhere to hide from the face in the mirror"

"the light in my eyes, i can't seem to find, and i don't recognize the face in the mirror"

"the face in the mirror isn't mine"

"i don't know when I last called my mom, ican't let her know what i've become"

"it's better to lie, don't tell her you're high"

"i wish i could talk to my mom"

"won't somebody help me?"

LOOK HOW FAR YOU'VE COME.

"i know you can't see the light right now"

"they buried you alive with no way out"

"you're screamin' underwater but nobody hears a sound"

"you taught yourself to swim so you don't drown"

"just in case nobody told you this today, look how far you've come"

"you've been running far too long"

"what goes up comes back down, just a circle back around"

"i know you're not nearly done when you can't seem to get back up"

"i wish I could hold my younger self. i'd say, "cry a litle longer if it helps"."

"you can't choose the place you're born, your hair, your name, your baby clothes, but getting here, you did that on your own"

"and in case that you forget, the last time you were here, you swore that it would never end"

"darling, catch your breath, the world's gonna need you love, so do the best you can"

"i promise someday that it'll make sense"

[ohdorothea]

Reading of Red (the song) as if the colour red is representing comphet

I’ve had this post in my head for ages but I was inspired to finally write it up today by @12amys

Also when I initially posted this interpretation so long ago I think it was @sapphicscience who really solidified it in my mind by pointing out the link between this interpretation and the lyrics from Daylight ‘I once believed love would be / Burnin' red / But it's golden’ (also in this vein I’d like to present ‘You're my Achilles heel / This is the golden age / Of something good and right and real’)

I have a whole bunch of analysis about RED as an album from this pov and other songs but today I’m just going to focus on little Red

And before anyone shouts at me I’m not saying this is how Taylor wrote this song I’m saying it’s a way I’m interpreting it, the death of the author ect ect

Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street - loving him/being in a heterosexual relationship, is something the writers knows she ‘should’ want, covet (like a fancy expensive sports car), something exciting and new, but once she has the thing she thought she wanted she can’t do anything with it, can’t go anywhere with it (there is a consistent motif of streets in her work that I really think fits in with this reading)

Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly - she momentarily feels the same passion as she does when she is ‘sinning’ (being queer) but that feeling is over so quickly

Loving him is like trying to change your mind /Once you're already flying through the free fall - loving him IS her trying to change her own mind, trying to change how she thinks and feels about love (in a queer way) which feels like a free fall, but she’s still trying to hold on to the ‘before’ (comphet)

Like the colors in autumn, so bright, just before they lose it all - the colours are so bright (like the colours of a rainbow) before she loses everything she has to this relationship of pretending and loses that colour from her life (would also like to tie in the black and white/screaming colours motif to this line)

Losing him was blue, like I'd never known / Missing him was dark gray, all alone - losing the comfort of comphet/thinking of yourself as straight in a homophobic world can be truly depressing and isolating, especially if you community or family is homophobic. Perhaps the writer is even using being sad about the ‘breakup’ as a cover (for herself or for others) for the way she is struggling (because culturally a woman being upset over a break up is much more acceptable than the complicated feelings about queerness)

Forgetting him was like trying to know / Somebody you never met - it’s impossible to forget the experiences she’s had within this relationship (the experiences that have forced her to confront her queerness) but she keeps on trying, like people do think they know someone they’ve never met even though it’s not real

But loving him was red - (in this interpretation I am reading this as a very straightforward ‘loving him was me attempting to be a heterosexual person/attempting to deny my queerness’

Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted / Was right there in front of you - as a ‘straight’ woman you are taught to want some idealised man, and now here he is in front of the writer, everything she thought she ever wanted, but she doesn’t want it once it’s a reality

Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words / To your old favorite song - falling into a straight relationship comes to her easily as she’s known that type of pretending her whole life, since childhood even. But the use of ‘old favourite’ rather than ‘favourite’ makes me think of a song you loved as a kid or a teen, that still makes you feel nostalgic for that time when you hear it on the radio, but your tastes have changed and grown and it’s just not the kind of music you want to hear all the time anymore

Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword / And realizing there's no right answer - there is no answer to the puzzle of comphet because she is not heterosexual! She can’t solve her own desires

Regretting him was like wishing you never found out / That love could be that strong - I think there’s a few ways these lines could be interpreted within this reading however my person favourite is that she wishes she hadn’t ever tried to pretend to have a heterosexual relationship because now she knows how good it felt to be seen in that positive light within her homophobic surroundings.

Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes / Tell myself it's time now gotta let go / But moving on from him is impossible / When I still see it all in my head / In burning red - she wants to let go of the comphet, accept herself as a queer person, but she can’t let go of the burning desire to be accepted

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

So yeah that’s my interpretation that I’m really enjoying at the moment, hopefully gonna write up some of the other analysis within this framework because I find it super interesting

[headfullofpresley]

Happy fuckin’ Birthday

Pairing: Elvis Presley x reader

Word count: 3194

Warning(s): smut, kind of public handjob (m. receiving), getting caught, 50s!Elvis, sub!Elvis, soft dom!reader, strong language, alcohol consumption, inaccurate timelines in Elvis’ life.

Requested: yesss, by anon! hope this finds its way back to you, love <3

Summary: Elvis is needy during his birthday dinner and wants your attention, not caring about anyone else in the room.

Author’s note: slightly different than requested, but ofcourse my brain has a mind on its own, as usual. it’s kinda short, but hope you’ll still enjoy, my luvies <3

read part 2 here!

masterlist

The cold January air was nipping harshly at your cheeks as you made your way past Audubon Park, making you wrap your thick coat around you firmer as a chill ran down your spine. You made sure not to look at the dark park beside you despite it only being 6 o’clock in the evening, quickening your step. Elvis wasn’t able to pick you up tonight, which you completely understood seeing it was his birthday and he had been entertaining visiting family and friends since the afternoon. Unfortunately, you were the last one to arrive at the gathering because of work, but as soon as you turned the corner onto Audubon Drive and saw the Presley house, excitement bubbled in your stomach.

It was your boyfriend’s 21st birthday, which you and him have been looking forward to for a while now. You were a year older than him and he hated how you were able to sip on a drink when he’d take you out to dinner and he wasn’t. The fact that you often ordered an alcoholic beverage just to tease him didn’t help either─the only time he ever drank was in secret with people he was close with, or when he was over at your house and your parents weren’t there. You were pretty sure neither his or your parents would care if he would’ve had a beer before the age of 21 at dinner, but it was him who felt uncomfortable drinking in their presence. You didn’t argue him on the topic.

Not even ten seconds after you rang the doorbell, the door already swung open, revealing a smiling Scotty who immediately took a step aside for you. You greeted him with a quick hug before you took off your coat, greeting some other people before you made your way into the dining room with the gift bag that hung on your fingertips.

‘‘Oh, Y/N dear, you’re here!’’ Gladys cheered happily as she put another plate of food on the table which was already full of all kinds of dishes and drinks, walking over to you to engulf you in the warmth of a motherly embrace. You giggled softly, kissing her cheek. You were just about to ask where Elvis was, but he already appeared in the opening in between the dining room and the kitchen, holding a bottled beer in his hand.

‘‘Mama, I think the dumplings are burnin’, I don’t know what I’m doin’,’’ he laughed as Gladys rolled her eyes, quickly making her way back in the kitchen as she let go of you to hopefully save some of those dumplings. You looked at Elvis and made your way over to him, grinning.

‘‘There’s my girl,’’ he smiled brightly, reaching out his hand to you which you took, allowing him to pull you into his chest. ‘‘Happy birthday, baby,’’ you smiled, pecking his lips before you handed him the gift bag, nodding to the beer in his hand. ‘‘I see you’re finally taking advantage of your coming of age moment,’’ you teased him, looking over your shoulder at Vernon who was already sitting at the head of the table, raising his own beer at his son. Elvis laughed and returned the gesture before you looked back at each other, Elvis taking an extra big sip from his drink on purpose. You laughed and rolled your eyes, ushering him over to the table so he could open his present. He put the bottle down along with the bag and reached his hands into it, his eyes twinkling cutely with excitement as he tore the wrapping paper off of the gift─when he saw the first picture that was ever taken of you two together framed in dark wooden frame, he immediately pulled you into his side and kissed your temple.

‘‘There’s more,’’ you giggled, taking another wrapped gift out of the bag which you handed to him. He kept his arm wrapped around your shoulder as he unwrapped it, squeezing you against his chest in the process. He smiled brightly at the box of cologne you knew he liked so much. Honestly, he was one of the most difficult people to gift something to, because he already had everything and he never gave you any hints of what he’d like. To him, it didn’t matter what you’d give him because he loved everything. Just your presence was enough for him already. ‘‘Thank you, sweetness. I love it, I’m gon’ take the picture on the road with me and put it next to my bed every night,’’ he grinned, looking at the picture before he kissed your cheek a few times, hugging you tightly. You laughed softly and nodded, hugging him back until Gladys came back into the dining room, with the dumplings that somehow survived whatever Elvis had done to them.

Bill and Scotty sat down at the table alongside some of Elvis’ other friends and cousins. Gladys sat down at the other end of the table and when Elvis came back from the kitchen with a drink for you, he sat down next to you opposite Bill and Scotty. You thanked him with a smile and placed your hand in his, your other in Vernon’s while closing your eyes. As soon as Vernon was done with saying grace, everyone released hands and the volume was raised immediately again as everyone was making conversation and starting on their meals.

‘‘So, how does it feel to finally be twenty one?’’ You grinned at your boyfriend as you took a bite of Gladys’ perfectly made green bean casserole. He let out a laugh, one arm hung over the back of your chair as he popped a dumpling in his mouth, chewing it down quickly to not show you how hot they were. They tasted so good that he could barely wait─worth burning his tongue over.

‘‘It feels good, but.. the same,’’ he chuckled, taking a sip of his drink to cool down his tongue. You hummed as you nodded, swallowing your food down. ‘‘The only difference is that from now on, I’ll be getting drunk in front of my parents more often,’’ he whispered jokingly and you laughed, nudging his arm with your elbow as you took another bite of your food. You saw Gladys looking at you two with a big smile on her face which you returned before you made her son focus back on his birthday dinner, instead of giving you all the attention.

While Elvis liked having everyone over and he was happy to be home, his attention kept being drawn back to you. He hadn’t seen you for the entire day and although he did see you yesterday and you were there to wish him a happy birthday precisely as the clock struck twelve, he missed you every second of the day. As everyone was pretty much done with dinner and dessert was served, the music got a little louder and more drinks were nursed by everyone in the room. Everyone was sharing stories, whether about Elvis or about themselves and what they had been doing recently, and you tried to listen to all of them and engage in conversations, but Elvis was demanding. He wanted your attention and he wanted it now.

‘‘Let’s go to my room,’’ he whispered in your ear as he grabbed your hand, intertwining your fingers as he kept your hand under the table in his lap, kissing the shell of your ear. You laughed softly and looked at him, shaking your head. ‘‘This is your birthday and you haven’t even finished your dessert,’’ you whispered back, looking at his half eaten cake on his plate. He just shrugged and grinned against your skin, lips still against your ear. ‘‘I’m sleepin’ over, El. Let’s just stay down here for a bit longer,’’ you quickly whispered to him before you took a bite of your own dessert, smiling and nodding at something Scotty was saying─he was in the middle of a story, but honestly, you had no idea what it was about because your boyfriend was still clinging to your side like a koala. And it was especially hard for you to focus on whatever Scotty was saying when Elvis pulled his hand out of yours but before you even had the chance to put your back above the table, he pressed it down on the very prominent bulge he was currently sporting. You nearly choked on the birthday cake, quickly taking a sip of your drink before you’d have a coughing fit right in front of everyone.

‘‘Elvis!’’ You hissed softly at him, giving him a warning look but he just looked at you with innocent eyes, a grin tugging at his lips. He had expected you to keep your hand right where it was and right where he wanted it, but as he removed his own hands, so did you. You placed your hands back on the table, wrapping both of them around your drink as a smile fell over your own face when you noticed him gasping softly at your actions. He pulled his chair closer into the table and leaned against your side, whispering in your ear again. ‘‘Please, baby.. I need you so bad,’’

You bit your lip, turning your head slightly into his direction to look at him. ‘‘You won’t be able to keep quiet. Stop it,’’ you whispered back, laughing softly as you took a sip of your drink again. He had never been silent when being intimate with you and honestly, you were very good at making him a whining and moaning mess. You’d often have to cover his mouth with your hand or he’d cover his face with a pillow, because you both still lived at home and car sex was too cold this time of the year. If your or his parents ever heard you go at it, they had never mentioned it and you were more than grateful for that.

‘‘I’ll be good and keep quiet, I promise,’’ he spoke in your ear, sneaking his hand over to yours on the table, grabbing it. You bit your tongue not to laugh, letting him pull your hand back under the table and place it back on his hard on─you did your best not to look suspicious and looked back at Scotty who was still in the middle of his story, trying to understand what it was about. You just laughed along as everyone else did, squeezing Elvis in your palm softly and he nearly let out a moan. You heard the soft grunt that did sneak out of his mouth and he quickly bit his tongue, busying himself with the cake he had left on his plate. It didn’t take him long before he was bucking his hips, creating more friction with your hand through the fabric of his white pants─he was playing a very dangerous game here. You both knew it, but he couldn’t get himself to stop and when you saw how he was nibbling at his lip and lifting his beer from the table with a shaky hand, you couldn’t either. You always loved every reaction he gave you when you were making him feel good and you had to try real hard not to pull him to his room and have your way with him.

You felt his hand creep onto your knee under the table, fingertips crawling underneath your skirt which was a little shorter than usual─easy access, he figured. You trapped his hand in between your legs before his fingers could reach your panties, giving him a knowing look. Those dominant eyes of yours nearly made him cum right into his pants, but it also made him quickly pull back his hand, cheeks flushed as he gave you a goofy smile. The dynamics in your relationship were quite amusing really─outside, he was the ‘dominant’ type, the one who wore the pants so to speak and everyone knew it. But behind closed doors, he just loved when you’d pamper him and he would pretty much do anything you wanted him to. He loved not having to be in control all the time and letting you take over whenever you pleased and it seemed like tonight was one of those nights. He did not mind at all, already excited for what you had planned for him when you’d finally take him out of this damn dining room.

‘‘How is your fathers’ business going, Y/N?’’ Vernon suddenly asked you, drawing your attention to him. You looked at your father in law and put on your brightest smile. You could feel Elvis sneakily and silently opening his belt and pulling down his zipper, trying to get your hand into his pants. ‘‘Oh, just great! It’s actually the store’s 5th anniversary next week,’’ you said excitedly and Vernon smiled, taking a sip of his drink as he leaned his elbows on the table, looking at you. He seemed clueless as to what was happening under the table─your hand wrapped around his son’s bare cock now, him trying to fuck himself into your fist as slowly as he could. Elvis’ cheeks were flushed and his eyes a little dazed, but he figured the beers he nursed throughout the evening would be a good excuse for his current state.

‘‘That’s great. Tell your father I will swing by,’’ Vernon smiled at you and you nodded, looking at Bill who then spoke to you. ‘‘Do you have some free time soon, Y/N? If you do, you should definitely join us on the road,’’ he said as he leaned back in his chair, his arm hung around the back of Scotty’s seat. Scotty immediately agreed, nodding excitedly. ‘‘You should! I think Elvis would be more than happy to let you tag along, right, EP?’’ the guitarist said, looking at your boyfriend. Elvis widened his eyes a little, looking at the two men across from him as he had his elbows perched on the table, hiding his mouth behind his knuckles. ‘‘Hmm?’’ He managed to bring out and you laughed softly, biting your lip as you looked at him. You tilted your head a little, putting on an innocent smile as you squeezed his cock a little harder, circling your thumb around the tip, spreading some of his precum around. He groaned softly in the back of his throat, his pleading eyes finding yours as he sped up the movements of his hips a little, making sure he didn’t draw any attention to what was going on.

‘‘Bill said that I should come along on the road for a few days,’’ you told him and he just smiled and nodded, quickly grabbing his drink again so he wouldn’t have to speak. You turned back to the other men and shrugged your shoulders, smiling brightly. ‘‘I’ll make sure to take some days off, so count me in,’’ you told them and Elvis snuck one hand under the table again, grabbing yours to speed up your movements as he held his hips still this time. You gave his cock a warning squeeze and although he knew you’d punish him for it, he didn’t care in this moment─he wanted you so bad, it was nearly becoming unbearable. He should feel ashamed with his Mama and Daddy right there at the table, but his arousal was clouding any rational thought he should have in this situation. Scotty put up his thumb as he smiled and as he accidentally dropped his lighter to the floor, you knew exactly where this was going. Elvis knew it too.

As soon as Scotty bend down to the floor, you wanted to pull your hand back but Elvis wrapped his hand around your wrist, keeping you right in your place. You widened your eyes at him a little and he just grinned, biting his lip as he leaned closer to you, kissing your cheek.

‘‘Are you gon’ punish me for this?’’ He whispered in your ear, his voice deep and hoarse, making your own arousal grow. He wanted your answer to be yes so bad─wanted you to punish him for putting you in a situation like this in front of his family. ‘‘You just wait and see,’’ you hissed softly at him, looking at Scotty who hit his head against the table as he came back up with flushed cheeks, lighter in hand. The guitarist rubbed the top of his head, clearing his throat a little before he quickly lit his cigarette and looked at you and Elvis for a second before he quickly turned back to Billy, falling right back into conversation as if nothing happened. You were glad he did, not knowing what you’d do if he would’ve exposed you right there at the dinner table.

You could tell Elvis was shamelessly getting close to his climax─he was kissing your cheek and breathing in your ear every chance he got and he could barely talk to anyone anymore. He was thrusting into your fist again, his hips starting to pick up their pace, making the table cloth move a little with his movements. When Gladys got up to clean, you took your chance and suddenly pulled your hand out of your boyfriends’ pants.

‘‘I’ll help you, mrs. Presley,’’ you smiled at your mother in law, grabbing your napkin tha laid next to your plate as you got up, wiping your hands on it before you pulled your skirt down. ‘‘Thank you, dear. And get that beer away from him, he’s lookin’ a lil drunk already,’’ she giggled as she nodded at Elvis, bright red cheeks, eyes wide as he looked up at you. It wasn’t because of the beer, but because of what you had just done and how you were just going to leave him hanging like that. You laughed and nodded, picking up some plates and his half empty bottle of beer. Leaning down to him to kiss his cheek, you quickly whispered in his ear.

‘‘This is your punishment,’’

He gasped softly, hands under the table to quickly make himself decent again─the tightness of his boxershorts and pants making him want to cry with how uncomfortable it felt. He needed his release so badly, but as you looked over your shoulder and shot him a wink and playful smile, he knew that there wasn’t anything he could do other than wait for everyone to leave and you were finally ready to go to his room. Tease or not, he was sure you had a lot more planned for him this evening and just thinking about that, only made it harder for him to calm down and for his hard on to go away. Scotty looked at him from across the table, wide knowing grin on his face.

‘‘Happy fuckin’ Birthday,’’ the guitarist laughed, throwing his head back as Elvis blushed and rolled his eyes, throwing a piece of bread in his direction. Bill just looked at the interaction with frowned eyebrows─Elvis was sure Scotty would tell him all about it later, but as long as his parents would be kept in the dark on the matter, he didn’t give a damn.

[gimmethosedaddymilkers]

Under The Weather

Because my anxiety is real and it makes me cry and nearly vomit, and won't let me live my life without being hindered.

Arthur but he's taking care of you while you're sick, heavily inspired by this fic by @azures-bazar

Which was lovely by the way so I hope you read this and enjoy it.

Lets go y'all

WARNINGS: Arthur being sweet, you being sick, possible vomitting, and yeah

Tags: @cantchoosejust1 @mrsarthurmorgan7 @kieropal @6kaja9

You felt hot, your forehead, your arms, your legs, all of you, felt hot, sweaty, and Horseshoe Overlook wasn't that warm.

You felt dizzy and every step you took was nearly torture.

You felt a lump in the back of your throat that was on the verge of coming up and it made your body scream.

You felt gross, even though you'd already taken a hot bath in town, and it seemed like no matter what you did you were just drained, you could barely keep your eyes open.

The table that you kept wiping beneath you was spinning, which wasn't helping with your dizziness, and before you knew it you felt yourself falling but you were far too weak to stop yourself from hitting the ground.

You braced for the impact, but instead felt the warmth of strong arms around you.

"Woah! Y/N, you been lookin' a little out of it, lucky I was over here, are you alright?"

You blink and look at Arthur Morgan, one of your closest friends, a man who had been nothing but kind to you since you met him, unable to really comprehend what had just happened.

"Hey, you alright?" He asks again, looking down at you in his arms.

"I'm sorry Arthur, I..." you blink and close your eyes. "I'm not feeling that great."

"I can tell that Sweetheart, you're burnin' up."

Arthur sighed and gently helped you stand, gently bringing an arm around your waist, as you leaned against him.

"C'mon, let's get you to my cot, okay?"

"No, I'm alright, I'm...I'll be fine-"

"No you aren't, you're five seconds away from vomitin' all over the place. You're gonna lay down and relax for the rest of the day."

"No, Arthur-"

"Yes."

He manages to get you to his cot, and gently lays you down, oulling the blanket he has over you as well as adding a second pillow under your head as gently as he could.

"Don't even think about movin' I'm gonna get a washcloth."

You're about to protest but before you can he's already turned around and out of sight.

You sigh and close your eyes, looking up at the celing above you.

You didn't want him to see you like this, sick and barely concious.

But you didn't have much choice, you were too weak to do much else but lay where he'd put you.

It only took a moment or two for Arthur to return, a cold washrag in his hand.

Gently he placed it against your forhead, squeezing a little water out against your hot skin.

"Arthur you don't have to-"

"I do, you ain't feelin' well-"

"There's plenty of people in camp who can do this, you have other things to do-"

"Nah, now, you stop that Darlin', I'm done with what I needed to do today, I got all the time in the world."

"But I-" you place an arm over your eyes, your throat closing. You felt like you were gonna be sick.

You groan and listen as Arthur moves a bucket to the side of his bed.

"Jus' try not to get it on me, alright?" He chuckled and for a moment you feel a little better.

"I'll take care of ya, you ate anything today?"

"No, I was afraid it'd make me sick." You mumble quietly.

"You think you can down some crackers for me Sweetheart?"

"Maybe, just a few."

"I'll get some here in a bit, okay?"

You nod, and then quietly you take Arthur's hand.

"Thanks Art."

"Course, I can't let my favorite girl get sick."

You smile and feel your eyes close.

"Are you sure you don't need your cot Arthur?"

"I'm sure, you go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay, I can do that."

........

You wake up feeling warm still and exhausted, your head is warm, and so is your body, but you fear if you expose your arms or legs you'll freeze.

The tent is dark now, its even with the tent flaps open.

You realize after a moment that Arthur's hand rests against your arm, his head lays over your legs.

He was a sweet man, sweeter than what the entire gang deserved, sitting here, taking care of you while you were sick, better than what you would have expected.

You sigh and close your eyes, feeling yourself drifting into sleep again.

You made yourself a mental note to repay him for his kindness, give him something he truly deserved.

[secretswiftymarvelfan]

Burnin’ Up - Firefighter!Chris AU (Part 13: Bring Your Partner To Work Day)

A/N: It’s my birthday! so to celebrate my 24 years of life on this planet here the next part of Burnin’ Up!

Summary: Some say to fully understand someone you have to walk a mile in their shoes

Word Count: 8.7k

Warnings: Fluff! Language! Suggestive Phone Conversations! SMUT! 18+ ONLY! MINORS DNI!

Dividers by @firefly-graphics​​

Meet the Characters!

Series Masterlist / Masterlist

Chapter 13: Bring Your Partner To Work Day

You had a slow start to the day, whenever you had the day off you took advantage of having a lie-in. Waking up only once your body was ready to wake up, not when your alarm told you to. When you did finally wake you reached for your phone smiling to yourself when you saw Chris had texted you. Your smile widened when you saw it was a picture of Dodger in his new harness which proudly displayed his position as fire station pup.

You texted him back as you climbed out of bed saying just how handsome Dodger looked. Chris of course texted you back just before you stepped into the shower fishing for a compliment so you told him he was as handsome. He had replied by the time you were back out of the shower asking what your plans were for the day, so you responded with a selfie of you in your towel. Chris instantly responded to that saying how jealous he was of your towel and sad that he wasn’t there.

All throughout the morning you and Chris texted back and forth, whenever he got the chance to text while at the station. You were currently finishing up a batch of brownies when you heard your phone buzz on the side. Grabbing a tea towel you quickly wiped your hands clean before grabbing your phone. You chuckled to yourself when you saw the picture of Chris’ burnt lunch that Paulie had made. You smirked to yourself responding with a picture of your fresh brownies, Chris replying saying he was even more jealous now.

You smiled to yourself grabbed a Tupperware box and began moving enough brownies over for all the crew to have one. Chris had told you that they were having a relatively quiet day so it wouldn’t be that much of an issue if you stopped by to drop the brownies off.

However, when you arrived at the fire station you could see it swarming with kids and their parents. You looked through the crowds spotting Chris standing outside with Dodger beside him, a warm smile on his face as he crouched down to be at eye level with the kids. Walking over you smiled when you heard him recounting the story of how he and the crew rescued Dodger.

“so he lives here?” one of the little girls asked.

“no, he comes home with me when work is done” Chris explains as he scratches Dodger behind the ear.

“Does he fight fires?” one boy asks.

“no when we go on a job, Dodger stays here nice and safe, we have him to boost morale because firefighting can be hard sometimes” Chris explains.

“and dangerous” another little boy adds.

“yes it can be dangerous but we work to make sure everyone is safe” Chris nods, he then glances up and spots you, his smile growing.

Chris answers a couple more questions before the current group of kids and parents move over towards the fire engine where Jamie and Paulie were standing giving tours of the truck. Once they were gone Chris stood up and walked the short distance over towards you, a warm smile on his face as his hand found your hip and he greeted you with a kiss on the cheek.

“hey what are you doing here?” he asks thumb brushing against your side.

“a little birdie told me someone was a little jealous of my brownies so I brought some for all the crew” you explain holding out the box of brownies.

Chris gives you a broad smile as he accepts the box “you are amazing” he grins.

“so what’s going on here? I wasn’t expecting all this?” you ask nodding around at the crowds.

“community open day, parents can bring their kids to learn about firefighting and fire safety” Chris explains “each station holds at least one every year”

“oh that’s good, we hold something similar for troubled kids” you nod “what happens if you get called out?”

“We won’t unless there’s no one else that can respond, dispatch knows we have this in the diary, our aid car is still on call but the rest of us aren’t until this finishes at 5 pm,” Chris says as he guides you into the station and up the stairs to the break area.

“so you might still get called out tonight even after doing this all day?” you point out leaning against the small kitchen island.

“yup so an energy boost like this will be a lifesaver” Chris winks holding up the box of brownies before putting them away in the cupboard.

“I do my best” you smirk as Chris walks back over towards you.

Chris stops right in front of you, arms wrapping around his waist pulling you closer, his head dipping to capture your lips in his. You smile, humming in contentment, your hands instinctively gripping his large biceps as he tilted you back slightly.

Once he pulled away your hands moved to rest on his chest “I better go, let you get back to all the kids” you smile lightly tapping his chest.

“no stay, hang around for a bit,” Chris says with a slightly pleading tone, his arms wrapping around you tighter.

“but you’re busy” you point out with a small sigh.

“I’m not actually, now that Dodger’s on a break I'm kinda a free agent, I can show you around, teach you all about the superior emergency service” Chris smirks.

“I didn’t know you knew about working in the police force” you smirked tilting your head as you looked up at him.

Chris threw his head back laughing loudly, his arms pulling you even closer so you could feel the rumble of his chest as he laughed “I walked straight into that one didn’t I?” he chuckles smiling warmly down at you.

“yep” you grin “but I’ll take you up on that tour if it's still available”

Chris smiles nodding his head “of course it is, now c’mon” he says taking your hand and leading you back downstairs.

Over the next hour or so Chris showed you around all the different areas they had set up. You would stand to the side whenever Chris was explaining things to the children. You couldn’t help but smile as you watched him, he was completely in his element around the kids and you guessed that was because of his niece and nephews. He made sure to always crouch down to their eye level, he’d help lift them into the fire truck. The kids loved him too, he’d already been given multiple drawings the kids had done at the activity table.

“do you really wear all this?” one of the boys asked pointing at the table that held all the different gear the crew would wear.

“yep, this all keeps us safe while fighting fires so if we went into a fire without it we could get seriously hurt,” Jamie says sending Chris a pointed look.

Chris whistles innocently glancing around, rocking back and forth on his heels making you chuckle.

“is it heavy?” a girl asks.

Chris gives her a lopsided grin as he grabs his helmet from the table “I dunno why don’t you tell me?” he says as he put the helmet on the little girl.

The little girl giggles holding onto the helmet “it's heavy” she squeals.

Chris chuckles taking the helmet off her, putting his hand on her shoulder to steady her “yep so we all have to be very strong, and we have to be able to put this all on very very quickly” Chris says as he puts the helmet back down on the table.

“how quickly?” a boy asks.

“less than two minutes quickly” Chris explains “from the moment the alarm goes off we want to be dressed and on the fire truck within two minutes” you couldn’t help but arch a brow thinking you could easily do that, Chris catches you though and a mischievous look forms on his face “it’s harder than it sounds trust me, in fact why don’t we do a little race to prove it?”

“oh this will be fun” Paulie grins rubbing his hands together before grabbing all the gear on the table.

“as lieutenant, I’ll volunteer myself on behalf of the firefighters,” Chris says hand on his chest “who wants to volunteer for the parents?” various children tug on their parent’s arms trying to get them to do it but there were no takers, Chris then looks over at you “how about you? fancy a go?”

“oh no, no I’m good,” you say holding up your hands.

“Nonsense, you look strong enough,” Chris says waving you off as he walks over to you “a quick race, you might even win” he smirks winking as he takes your hand and pulls you towards where Paulie and Steve were setting up the race “it's nice and simple, you just have to get dressed, fastest wins but I’ll give you double points if you manage to do it in less than two minutes” he explains winking at you.

“fine, prepare to be embarrassed Evans,” you say doing a couple of stretches.

Chris lets out a small scoff shaking his head but when you look over with an arched brow he doesn’t actually say anything, he just prepares himself for the race “Jamie you got the stopwatch ready?” he asks.

“good to go, competitors are you ready?” Jamie says holding up the stopwatch.

“ready,” both you and Chris said at the same time, earning smirks from the rest of his crew.  

“Okay, on your marks, get set, GO!” Jamie shouts and both of you and Chris race off from the starting marks.

The first thing you had to put on was the trousers, you managed to slip them on easily but as you were pulling the suspenders up onto your shoulders you spotted Chris had already moved on to the boots. You quickly moved on determined to beat him.

As you slipped on the boots you realised Jamie must be a couple of sizes bigger than yours, you hoped it wouldn’t affect your chances but you were already stumbling “this isn’t fair these don’t fit!” you exclaim as you grab the jacket and slide it on.

“you’ll be fine, you can still beat him! Go” Paul calls out spurring you on.

Glancing over at Chris you could see he was also pulling on his jacket. You were neck and neck so you were still within reach of victory. Feeling spurred on you zipped up the jacket and grabbed the ventilator. It was much heavier than you expected but you still managed to lift it onto your back. Once you had it comfortably on your back you grabbed the helmet and put it on, you were just grabbing the gloves when you heard a whistle to your side. Looking over you could see Chris was fully kitted out, arms crossed, a smug smile on his face.

“Seriously?” you complain, shoulders dropping in defeat.

“you still have 30 seconds if you wanna do it under 2 minutes” Chris points out nodding to the gloves in your hands.

You roll your eyes sliding the gloves on, holding them up to show you had finished. Chris and everyone else cheered, while you hadn’t beaten Chris, you still managed to do it in under 2 minutes which was pretty awesome.

“considering the gear doesn’t fit, I think you did a very good job,” Chris says walking over to adjust the jacket and the straps of the ventilator “you could have a career as a firefighter” he adds with a smirk, tapping the top of your helmet so it covered your eyes.

“I am very happy with my current career thank you,” you say pushing the helmet back up so you could see him.

“I bet I could convince you” he smirks, speaking quietly enough so only you could hear him.

“c’mon let's get a picture of the two of you,” Paul says stepping forward and holding up his phone to take the photo.

Chris grabs the back of your jacket, gently turning you to face Paul. You were expecting him to lower his hand for the photo but he didn’t and you didn’t mind one bit. You gave a thumbs up as you smiled for the photo, your head instinctively tilting towards Chris.

You had to admit you had a newfound admiration for firefighters. Ever since the conversation you had with Chris following the RTC where you told him about your mother you had made a conscious effort to open your eyes and make your own opinions. But wearing all this heavy gear and knowing the dangers that he put himself in to save lives you were honestly in awe. He could be wearing all this for hours, running into buildings, climbing ladders and saving lives. Frankly, you didn’t think it was something you could ever do.

As you glanced up at Chris he smiled down at you, his eyes narrowing slightly when he noticed the look on your face “either way… I am very, very impressed” you grin making his smile grow.

That evening Chris and the crew finished up all the chores that they needed to do around the station before slowly making their way to bed, everyone opting for an early night in case a call came in. Chris was one of the last still awake, clearing up the pots and pans from dinner.

“hey, do you want a hand?” Paul asks walking over.

“Nah I’m good, get some rest” Chris smiles with a small shake of his head.

“good I was only offering to be nice” Paul smirks, Chris letting out a snort of laughter as he looked over at his friend.

“well in that case you can-“ Chris starts before Paul interrupts.

“nope you already said no, can’t take it back” Paul argues shaking his finger at Chris, Chris rolls his eyes in response “it was nice to see Y/N visiting today” Paul comments as he moves to lean against the island.

“yeah, it was a nice surprise” Chris agrees, smiling to himself as he recalls the sight of you dressed up in Jamie’s gear.

“and the brownies were pretty great too,” Paul says making Chris chuckle “but I mean it was nice to see her actually want to get involved in this lifestyle” he adds.

Chris frowns slightly looking over at Paul “what do you mean?” he asks.

“well think about it, how many of your exes have ever made the effort to visit you at work, or even just pop in to say hello” Paul points out.

Chris’ frown deepens as he tried to recall a time but he simply couldn’t. with every failed relationship he only ever saw them when he wasn’t working or on his days and evenings off. He could even recall having to physically drag himself out on a date following a shift when all he wanted was to get some rest, but because it was the only time he’d see his girlfriend at the time he had to go. He’d always work around her, never the other way around. If he was honest his exes only ever liked the idea of him being a firefighter, they wanted the fantasy associated with the career. They’d bail and blame it on him when it got tough.

“yeah…” Chris mutters “yeah I guess you’re right”

“she’s definitely a keeper,” Paul says, Chris nodding in agreement a smile playing at his lips.

“yeah, I knew that a long time ago” he admits.

A mischievous grin grows on Paul’s face as he grabs a nearby white teatowel, draping it over his head like a veil “I can hear the bells, just hear them chiming” Paul sings swaying side to side.

Chris instantly grabs the tea towel from him, twisting it up and using it as a whip to smack Paul in the side. Smirking when he heard the satisfying crack as it made contact.

“Oh Jesus fuck man” Paul complains clutching his side.

“go to bed before I do it again” Chris warns pointing in the direction of the sleeping quarters.

"fine, fine I’m going,” Paul says holding his hands up in surrender, Chris watches him sceptically as he makes his way out and rightfully so as Paul begins to sing “going to the chapel” as he walks away.

Chris shakes his head as he gets back to cleaning up the kitchen. As he cleans his mind begins to wander, the silence of the station giving him ample opportunity, all his thoughts being solely of you. When he was done cleaning up he knew he should head straight to bed but he knew there was no point. He felt completely awake and he knew he would just spend the next hour or so tossing and turning.

So instead he grabbed his remaining brownie from the Tupperware and moved to sit down on one of the stools. Pulling out his phone he first scrolled through Twitter and Instagram, smiling when he saw a picture you had posted of the brownies you had made. Without a second thought, he dialled your number.

The line connects after a couple of rings “hey, I didn’t think you’d still be up” you admit, your voice like music to Chris’ ears.

“yeah, still feeling buzzed from the open day so I’m just eating the brownie you brought me” Chris explains, it wasn’t strictly a lie, he just omitted that it was your presence at the open day that was making his mind buzz.

You laugh softly down the phone, Chris knowing you were shaking your head at him “yeah because eating sugar is really gonna help you fall asleep”

“it might when I get the sugar crash” Chris points out making you laugh even more.

“touche, is everyone else still up?” you ask him.

“Nah they’re all asleep now, Dodger is snoring loudly from his bed, I think everyone is silently praying for a full night’s sleep” Chris admits as he finishes off the brownie and brushes the crumbs off his hands.

“yeah well you all deserve it, the open day was really nice I’m sure it’s inspired lots of kids,” you tell him.

“yeah, it was a pretty great day, got a lot better when you turned up” Chris smiled.

He could hear you bashfully chuckle quietly down the line “it was great to see you too, maybe I’ll stop by more often” you suggest.

Chris’ smile grows even more at the idea “I would love that” he admits.

“okay” you whispered, Chris able to hear the smile on your face in your tone.

“so what are you up to this evening?” Chris asks moving the conversation along.

“not much, just had a bit of a pamper evening, self-care and all that,” you tell him.

“oh yeah like what?” Chris grins.

“Well I had a nice bath with a glass of rosé, had bubbles, salts, the works,” you tell him “and now I’m just relaxing in bed in my bathrobe while I pay zero attention to the TV programme I put on”

Chris lets out a quiet groan “and I’m guessing your bathrobe is the only thing you have on” he says.

“oh, you could be a detective with deduction skills like that” you smirk making Chris groan again as he easily pictured it.

“god you’re killing me here babe” he mutters shaking his head.

“oh don’t act like you don’t love it” you chuckle.

“me loving it too much is the problem, you’ve got me thinking of ways I can sneak out and see you,” Chris says glancing around to make sure he was still alone.

“is that permission to start a small fire in my apartment?” you ask making Chris laugh.

“Only a small one” he smirks.

“I think we’re onto something here, you’d burst in wearing all that gear, putting out the fire with ease before moving on to make sure I’m alright,” you tell him.

“and how would I do that?” Chris asks.

“well I’d be in shock, fire is a scary thing you know so you’d have to do a full private examination” you continue “bathrobe discarded just in case an ember snuck under and burnt me”

Chris dips his head, groaning quietly as he pictured your naked body “gotta be thorough” he agrees.

“Exactly, I’d be so shaken up that I can barely stand so you would make me comfortable on the bed, your hands running over my entire body,” you say, Chris hears you shift instantly knowing that you were mimicking the actions in real-time.

“then what would I do?” he asks wetting his lips.

“well all the gear would start to get in the way, so you just discard all of it,” you tell him.

Chris hums in agreement “I wouldn’t need it anymore”

“Exactly, and to get the best view you’d climb up onto the bed with me, caging me in with your large strong body…” you continue “you’d then lift my arms above my head, I might even let you use my handcuffs to keep them there”

Chris has to shift in his seat and readjust his trousers which were growing increasingly tight “that is a good idea” he manages to say.

“then from there you would continue to… examine my body, using those large hands of yours to your advantage” you mutter, your breath catching slightly.

“gotta make sure the chest area is okay” Chris agrees.

“oh yeah you give my chest area your full attention” you drawl “then once you were certain I was uninjured you would help me relax”

“fires can be traumatic” Chris hums.

“very… and you’d use those long fingers to calm me down in the way only you know how” you mutter before letting out a small whimper, sighing softly “I miss you a lot right now” you admit quietly.

Chris chuckle softly “me too, and I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep now after that”

“Sorry,” you say, but Chris knew you weren’t really sorry, you were enjoying it as much as he was.

“but I can make it up to you, visit you after you finish work and finish the job,” he says with a smirk.

“That sounds like a very good idea, but only if you don’t get called out on a job tonight, you should spend tomorrow resting up if you do,” you tell him.

“I’ll be fine,” Chris says shaking his head but you were having none of it.

“Chris promise me that if you get a job tonight you stay home tomorrow,” you tell him firmly.

Chris chuckles nodding his head “okay, okay, I promise” he grins “I can still call you though, right?”

“yes, of course, you never have to ask to call me,” you tell him.

“Great, I’ll talk to you tomorrow then” Chris smile “sleep well, goodnight”

“goodnight Chris, I love you” you smile.

“I love you too” Chris grins before hanging up.

“Enjoy your day off yesterday?” Ben asked as you met him outside the precinct.

“Yeah it was nice, I paid Chris a visit at work which was fun, they were doing an open day so there were lots of activities set up” you explain as you walk inside.

“Did he let you turn on the siren?” Ben asks with a smirk.

“No, but I did put on the uniform,” you say pulling out your phone to show him the picture Paul had taken of you and Chris.

“Aw, that’s cute” Ben coos “are you seeing him this evening?”

“No” you sigh sadly “they got called out to a warehouse fire in the middle of the night so I told him to just rest up because he’s gonna be exhausted”

“Oh yeah I heard about that on the news this morning, it was a pretty big fire” Ben comments “were you worried?”

“I was asleep so I didn’t know about it until I woke up but I saw he texted me, but I saw he’d texted the ‘i’m fine’ code at the same time so I wasn’t worrying for long” you explain as you walk into the elevator and press the button for your floor.

“That’s good, and the codes are working well?” Ben asks.

“Yeah really well, Chris likes to call certain ones in more than others” you admit, thinking of the various times he’d text you with a code 69.

“By the way you’ve been glowing I already know what code that is” Ben smirks.

“No comment” you chuckle as the elevator door opens and you both walk out towards your desks.

As you do so you notice your Captain was already waiting for you. You glance down at your watch to check you weren’t late, your captain being a stickler for punctuality, but you were perfectly on time, early even. Meaning it had be something important if he was waiting for you.

“Captain, is everything okay?” You ask putting your bag down at your desk.

“There was an apartment break-in last night, I’m assigning the case to the both of you since you have the best numbers for robbery” your captain explains, arms crossed over his chest.

“Of course, we can head straight over,” Ben says nodding his head in agreement.

“Good, the CSI team are already there trying to establish a point of entry and collect any evidence,” your captain tells you.

“Did the responding officers take a statement from the victim?” You ask.

“Yes, here it is,” he says passing you a printout of the statement.

“Great thank you, c’mon Benny we got work to do,” you say nodding over to Benny.

“After you sarge,” Ben says with a small salute.

Making your way back out of the precinct you followed Ben over to his car climbing into the passenger seat. As he drove you read through the statement, rubbing your chin in thought.

“The victim says the door was locked when she returned to the apartment last night” you tell Benny.

“So the perp got in through the window” Ben deduces.

“Maybe, but she said the windows were also locked and intact when she returned” you say pursing your lips in thought.

“Weird, hopefully CSI have found out the point of entry” Ben hums.

Arriving at the apartment building you were directed upstairs by the footman, Ben commenting how swanky the building was on the elevator ride up. Reaching the apartment you were immediately met with the head crime scene investigator.

“I have to say this one is a bit of a head-scratcher” he admits nodding into the apartment.

“You haven’t found a point of entry?” Ben asks.

“No we’ve ruled out that they climbed the fire escape as the ladder was so rusted it wouldn’t reach the ground” the investigator continues pointing over to the windows where his team were sweeping for prints.

“I’ll make sure that’s passed onto the fire department” you mutter, ignoring the smirk Ben sent your way.

“And there’s no evidence of forced entry through the windows either” the investigator explains.

“Could the locks have been picked?” Ben questions.

“There’s no evidence of it, no scratches or anything on either the windows or the lock on the door, the perp could have been extremely careful but they would have had no way to lock the windows or door behind them when they left” the investigator sighs.

“Right we’ll talk to the victim see if we can clear some things up, let us know if you find anything” you tell him.

“Will do, the victim is next door with a neighbour” he tells you pointing down the hall.

“Thank you,” you say before walking down the hall to the neighbour’s apartment.

Knocking on the door, both you and Ben smile softly when it opened “hi I’m Detective Sergeant Y/L/N and this is Detective Sykes, we're here to investigate the robbery next door” you say to the woman who answered.

“Oh yeah, she’s just inside, c’mon in,” the woman says stepping aside to let you and Ben inside.

Walking in you spot the victim sitting on the couch, her hair dishevelled and a tired look on her face. The couch still had the pillows and blanket from where she’d been sleeping, but you guessed she hadn’t done much of that anyway.

“Hi, I’m Detective Sergeant Y/L/N and this is Detective Sykes, how are you feeling?” You ask her gently.

“Exhausted, freaked out and violated” she mutters shaking her head.

“That’s understandable after everything, but we’re gonna try and solve this as quickly as possible so you can get some peace of mind” you reassure her, getting a muttering of thanks in response.

“I’ll put on some coffee, would you like some detectives?” The neighbour asks.

“No we just need to ask some questions and we’ll be getting out of your hair” ben says shaking his head.

“What do you need to know?” The victim asks hugging herself.

“We just want to clarify a few things, are you certain that you locked the door?” Ben asks.

“100% I always check that it's locked before I leave,” she says shaking her head.

“Okay, do you know if anything was stolen?” You ask her.

“Not that I could immediately see, I came home from seeing a friend and the place had been completely ransacked” the victim mutters “i-i can have a better look later when I’m allowed back in”

You nod your head “that would be greatly appreciated but do it within your own time, don’t rush” you reassure her.

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

“What time did you leave your apartment and how long were you gone for?” Ben asks her.

“Um I left sometime between 7 and 8 and was gone about 3 hours or so, I’m sorry I’m not really sure” she apologises shaking her head.

“That’s okay that gives us enough of a timeline to work from” you reassure her.

“At the moment it looks like the burglar was able to unlock and lock the door behind them, can you tell us who has any spare keys?” Ben asks.

“Uh my parents have my spare key but they’re out of state at the moment,” she tells you.

“What’s their address in case they were also burgled and that’s how they got hold of your key,” you ask, noting down the address when she told you “and is there anyone else who would have a key?”

“Um the building supervisor would have a master key, and um my landlord, my ex had a key, our relationship ended really badly so I changed my locks so his key wouldn’t work” the victim sighs shaking her head.

“Okay that’s great thank you, we’ll go talk to them to see if they’ve lost their keys, hopefully we’ll have some answers for you soon, in the meantime if you do find that is anything missing call this number” you say passing her your card.

“I will thank you,” she says.

You give her one more reassuring smile before you and Ben make your way back out of the apartment and towards the crime scene. You paused by the door looking in at the investigators working away, pursing your lips in thought as you tried to make sense of the situation. There were so many questions left unanswered, usually by now you had something to go on, a point of entry, stolen goods or other evidence left behind at the scene. Burglaries were some of the hardest crimes to prosecute, evidence and the perp needed to be found quickly before goods were sold on. But at the moment you didn’t even have stolen goods.

“If all the people she named still have their key…” you say thinking out loud.

“It's got to be one of them who did it,” Ben says finishing your train of thought.

“Exactly” you sigh “which is horrible considering they’re all someone she should trust”

“So what’s our next steps?” Ben asks.

“I noticed a camera in the lobby, we need to ask the super for the footage to establish an accurate timeline and any comings and goings, ask about his whereabouts at the same time” you say turning to face Ben “also ask the doorman who was on duty last night and if they saw anything”

“We also need to question the landlord, what about the ex-boyfriend? Are we ruling him out?” Ben asks as you both start walking back towards the elevator.

“No so far he’s the only one with a potential motive,” you say shaking your head “he might have known where to get a set of the new keys so we can’t say for certain it wasn’t him”

“True, hopefully the further we get into this the clearer it’ll become” ben comments as you step into the elevator.

“I hope so” you sigh “for her sake more than anything”

When you got home that evening you dumped your bag on the couch before heading off to go have a shower. You had stayed at the precinct longer than you normally would waiting on the CCTV footage and all the different statements from witnesses and suspects to come in and be verified. Jumping straight into the shower you hoped that maybe it would spark a light bulb moment, but it didn’t.

You changed into some comfy clothes before sitting down on your couch and spreading out all the documents you had brought home with you. rubbing your forehead tiredly you stared down at all the information you had collected so far in the investigation hoping that something would jump out.

You were reading through all the statements that had been collected hoping to find some discrepancy or something out of place when you heard someone knocking on your door. Letting out a long sigh you pushed yourself up to go answer the door, it was probably Mrs Coolridge asking if you’d seen her cat again. But to your surprise when you opened the door you were greeted by Chris smiling down at you.

“hey babe” he grins as you look up at him in surprise.

“Chris, what-what are you doing here? You should be at home resting, how did you even get into the building” you say shaking your head.

“one of your neighbours let me in while looking for her cat, and I spent all day resting up so I’m perfectly refreshed and good to hang out with you” he beams proudly.

“Are you sure?” you ask him “I really don’t mind if you wanna go home and relax” you offer.

“100% why go home when I can stay here and relax with you” he smirks stepping forward, cupping your cheek to tilt your head back as he kissed you softly.

You let out a small hum in contentment, all your resolve breaking with a simple kiss “okay, I can’t argue with that” you grin “let me just tidy all this up” you say stepping back towards the couch to tidy all your work up.

“what is all this?” Chris asks shutting the door behind him as he follows you over.

“oh just a case we got assigned to today, apartment burglary but it’s a real confusing one, I was hoping I could make a breakthrough, the victim was rightfully shaken up over it all” you explain starting to put everything away.

Chris steps closer putting his hand on your arm to stop you “hey don’t pack it all up on my account” he tells you softly.

“yeah, but you don’t want me working while we’re hanging out,” you say shaking your head.

“it doesn’t bother me, I understand you have to take work home sometimes,” Chris tells you softly “why don’t you take me through it all? You might work something out by explaining it all” he suggests with a small shrug of his shoulders.

“Really?” you ask, uncertain that he could really want to help you work when you should be relaxing.

“really, hey I know I’m not a cop but I’ve watched Law and Order so I know what I’m doing” Chris smirks making you snort with laughter “so how about we put on our detective hats, pop some beers and order some Chinese and go through all this”

“sounds great, thank you babe” you smile reaching up to kiss his cheek.

“Anything for you,” he says softly before clapping his hands together “so take me through it, what have we got,” he asks moving to sit down on the couch.

“well, the victim left the building at 7:35 pm and walked a few blocks to her friend’s apartment where she stayed for a few hours before returning at 10:42 pm” you say sitting down next to him and pointing at the CCTV footage that showed the victim leaving and returning “when she returned her apartment was still locked but had been completely ransacked” you add showing him the crime scene photos.

“How did the burglar get in? through the window?” he asks with a frown.  

“no they wouldn’t have been able to climb the fire escape because the ladder was too rusted, and there was no evidence of entry through the windows anyway” you explain “I’ve already passed the information about the fire escape on to the local fire station” you add when you see him go to say something.

“I’ll ask my dad to chase it up, the fire escape isn’t gonna save lives if people can’t actually get down to ground level” Chris mutters shaking his head before standing up and heading into the kitchen to grab you both a beer.

“thank you,” you say as he walks back in and passes you your beer.

“no worries, do you want your usual from the Chinese place?” Chris asks sitting back down and pulling out his phone.

“yes please, and can you ask for extra fortune cookies?” you ask hopefully.

Chris smiles nodding his head “already on it” he says tapping away on his phone “so how do you think the burglar got in?” he asks.

“the current theory is that they had a spare key, and so far we only know of 3 spare keys existing, her parents had one, her landlord and the super, and none of them reported their keys missing so we think it had to be one of them” you explain.

“whoa, that’s shitty” Chris comments with a frown.

“yeah, but they all have solid alibis and none of them were spotted entering or leaving the building during the time that the crime took place” you sigh.

“oh that’s not helpful” Chris frowns “did the burglar take anything?” he asks.

“no which is the weird thing, they could have potentially been in the apartment for 3 hours and they took nothing, and they left no evidence either, no fingerprints, nothing,” you tell him making his frown deepen.

“so they must have been looking for something specific and didn’t find it or decided to leave before they did” Chris points out.

“or…” you say suddenly getting a brain wave “they never intended to take anything in the first place”

“why would someone do that?” Chris asks shaking his head.

“well robbery is a violating crime, knowing someone was in your house and touching your things can make someone feel vulnerable so what if the burglar's motive was to make the victim feel unsafe and vulnerable, not to take anything, I mean her laptop was on the coffee table in full view, why wouldn’t you take something like that,” you say holding up the crime scene photo and pointing to the laptop.

“it would be the first thing I’d grab, would any of the suspects benefit from making the victim feel unsafe?” Chris asks.

“I don’t know, I can’t see a parent being so cruel, plus her parents were out of state, the landlord would stand to lose because he’d lose a tenant, maybe her ex-boyfriend?” you mutter rubbing your chin in thought “he did have the weakest alibi”

“Did he have a key?” Chris asks taking a sip of his beer.

“no, at least technically he didn’t, he had a spare key but after they broke up and he kept showing up unannounced she got the locks changed” you explain.

“so he has the motive, priors and the opportunity but not the means,” Chris says.

“yep, but guess what?” you say looking over at him.

“He wasn’t seen on the CCTV either” Chris sighs.

“yup, bringing us straight back to the beginning again,” you say shaking your head.

“Whoever did this thought it through a lot, or is a superhero who can phase through walls and can turn invisible,” he says making you snort with laughter.

“it does feel like we’re going after a ghost” you sigh shaking your head tiredly.

Chris wraps his arm around you and pulls your closer, kissing the top of your head “you’ll work it out though, just gotta find that one piece of evidence that breaks the case open” he reassures you.

“yeah, hopefully sooner rather than later” you sigh resting your head on his shoulder.

Over the next hour, you and Chris talked through the case as you ate Chinese and drank beer. Even though you weren’t making any progress you were definitely finding it helpful to talk it all through with him, it helped you make sense of it all. You were having fun with it too, Chris would suggest theories each of them more outlandish than the last, making you laugh each time.

“what if she’s secretly part of the mafia, and the police were getting too close and sniffing around her business so she staged this whole burglary so that in the eyes of the police she was just an innocent woman not this notorious mob boss” Chris suggests as he put his container of food down.

You snort with laughter shaking your head at him as you lie on the couch, feet in his lap “that would be impressive” you say reaching out to take a fortune cookie “although we can’t really rule out her staging it though, even if I do think its impossible, she looked too shaken up” you add shaking your head “hey maybe the answer is in here?” you say holding up the fortune cookie.

“only one way to find out” Chris chuckles.

You break open the cookie and pull out the fortune “oh this is a bit depressing” you comment as you read it.

“what is it?” Chris asks shifting closer.

“Beware the calm before the storm, basically don’t enjoy the good times because they might end,” you say passing him the fortune and popping half of the cookie in your mouth.

“yeah that is a bit depressing” he admits as he reads it himself.

“so what if a storm’s coming, you should just live in the moment and enjoy it, not worry about the future,” you say as you finish off the last of the cookie, when you don’t hear Chris respond you look over to see him smiling over at you warmly “a thunderstorm however, that’s worth worrying about” you add making Chris laugh, his large hand squeezing your leg.

“you’re getting better at those though” he points out.

You hum slightly, he wasn’t strictly wrong if you were with him it was fine, manageable. You’d wake but you wouldn’t be frozen in fear, but Chris would wake with you too, he’d wrap his arms around you letting you bury your head in his chest so you couldn’t see the flashes of lightning, his hands would cup your ears to muffle the noise of the thunder.

It was a completely different story if you were alone, your heart would be racing as you clutched onto something that smelt like him in some attempt to calm yourself down. He would always call you the following morning to check in with you but you’d find yourself lying and playing it down.

“Now as fun as it is playing criminal minds and trying to get into the heads of whoever the burglar is, why don’t we stop now and I can help you relax,” he says leaning closer.

You arch a brow, pushing yourself up onto your elbows to look over at him “and how will you do that?” you ask.

“well…” Chris says running his hand up and down your thigh “I was thinking of using that pretty picture you painted for me last night as inspiration”

You bite your lower lip as you look over at Chris through your lashes, you knew exactly what picture he meant. It was one that you almost regretted but only because it left you restless for the rest of the night, unable to find a release without him. You had seriously considered calling him again and begging him to pay you a visit. And going by the look on Chris’ face he had been in the exact same situation.

“it was pretty inspirational,” you say tilting your head.

“it was damn near teasing, that’s what it was” Chris corrects, he wrapped his arms around you easily pulling you up onto his lap before standing up from the couch and wrapping your legs around his waist.

You grin down at him, one arm wrapped around his shoulder as your other hand cupped his cheek, your fingers running through his beard “if it helps, it killed me just as much as it killed you” you tell him as he carries you into your bedroom.

“a bit, but you weren’t the one trapped at work” he smirks as he places you down on your bed, fingers slipping underneath your hoodie and lifting it over your head “the question is…” he says as he bends down in front of you, pulling down your shorts before pressing a kiss to the top of your thighs “are you gonna let me use your handcuffs?”

You smirk and you lean back slightly “on my belt hanging on the back of the door,” you say nodding towards your bedroom door.

Chris grins, kissing you deeply before moving off towards your door, grabbing the cuffs and walking back towards you. he places the handcuffs and the key down on your bedside table before returning his attention back to you. cupping your cheek he tilts your head back so he could kiss you deeply again, your arm wrapping around his shoulder to keep him there.

His other hand moves behind your knee to begin shifting you back onto the bed, closer to the metal barred headboard. Once he was happy with where you were he removes your arm from around his shoulders and moves it to above your head, he then grabs your other arm and moves it above your head.

“ever done this before?” he asks as he grabs the handcuffs from the bedside table.

“no, you’re the first” you admit, it had always been something you’ve wanted to try but you never felt comfortable enough to suggest it and your exes, especially Jake were never into it.

A lopsided grin grows on Chris’ face “well I’m honoured to be your first” he says before moving to fasten the handcuffs around your wrists, securing you to the bed “not too tight?” he asks gently.

“no it's perfect,” you say shaking your head gently, shifting slightly underneath him “so are you gonna start your examination?” you ask.

Chris smirks leaning down to kiss you “yes, and I’m going to be very… very… thorough” he mutters as he presses kisses down your jaw and neck, his beard scratching against your skin.

Your back arches as his hands begin to explore your body, his beard scratching as he nipped and sucked at your neck. His large hand cups your breast making you gasp as he massages, squeezes and pinches your sensitive peak.  

“Hm you seem to be very sensitive here” he comments with a smirk.

“Only the good kind,” you say with a breathy chuckle “I’m sensitive other places too”

“Oh really?” Chris smirks as he presses a kiss to your lips “are you sensitive here?” He asks, tracing his finger down from your sternum to your navel.

“You’re getting warm” you mutter, your chest rising and falling in anticipation.

Chris hums as he sits back on his ankles, his hands running down your thighs before resting behind your knees gently pushing them apart.

He ran his hands up and down your thighs slowly “what about here?” He murmurs

“Warmer” you gasp, your hips shifting as you tried to get closer to him.

A lopsided grin grows on his face as he runs his hands down your thighs, one moving to your hip, the other cupping your core “what about here?” He hums, tongue poking out to wet his lips.

You gasp your head pressing back against your pillow, hips moving into his touch “red hot” you managed to say.

“Perfect” Chris whispers as he leans down to capture your lips in his.

You smile into the kiss, tilting your head as the kiss deepens. Your hums of contentment turn into moans when Chris ran his fingers up your folds, collecting your slick. His fingers find your clit sending shock waves through your body. Electricity courses through your body as he rubs circles around your clit.

He was playing you like an instrument and it only got better when he slowly presses two fingers inside you. A loud moan escaped your lips, head thrown back, hands straining against the handcuffs. He gradually coaxed you to your peak, working you through your high.

As you caught your breath you looked over at Chris, a smile growing on your lips as you watch him remove his top and sweatpants. Your eyes run over his body, appreciating every muscle, every tattoo. His erection standing proud.

“Like what you see?” Chris says with a smug smile when he catches you staring.

“Just as much as I did the first time we did this” you smirk back up at him.

Chris laughs shaking his head as he smiles down at you “glad to hear it babe, glad to hear it” he grins as he moves to hover above you “I love you” he says softly.

You smile back up at him warmly lifting your head enough to kiss him slowly “I love you too” you whisper.

Chris grins as he cups your jaw and kisses you softly once more. As he kisses you he slowly presses into you, the both of you groaning as he fills you up. It was a feeling you would never get used to it and you didn’t want to either. It was like a drug and you were hooked.

You hook your leg over his hip urging him to move. He grins into the kiss as he slowly starts thrusting into you, his hand gripping your thigh as he thrusts deeper into you.

“Fuck yes Chris harder” you moan your hips moving to meet his.

Chris smirks as he sits up, both hands moving to your hips lifting them slightly as he thrusts harder and deeper into you “fuck babe you feel so good, squeezing me so tight” he groans.

You wanted the moment to last forever, just live in this moment in time forever. But you could already feel your peak growing closer and you were desperate to hit it. Your chest heaved as your hips moved to meet his. Chris heard your wordless plea as he moved to rub your clit once more.

“C’mon sweetheart, let go, I know you want to” Chris mutters, his brows furrowed in concentration.

You didn’t even get a chance to reply as your orgasm hits you like a tsunami wave, your walls clenching around Chris making him groan. You feel him hit his own peak shortly after you, painting your walls with his spend.

Your chest was still heaving as Chris removed the handcuffs from around your wrists, gently moving your arms to rest back on the bed. You whined quietly as he pulled out of you and climbed off of the bed. He soon returned with a warm washcloth and gently cleaned you up. Once he was done he climbed back into bed with you, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you closer.

“How do you feel now?” He asks as you rest your head on his chest, hand resting over his heart.

“Thoroughly relaxed” you grin looking up at him.

Sharing is caring so please reblog if you enjoyed this and maybe even leave a comment to make my day!

Series Masterlist / Masterlist

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[mist1e]

HAARLEP PLAYLIST

Much like with my Ascended Astarion playlist, I created a playlist for Haarlep only this time I used Google Sheets table and a ranking system to help myself. It, too, tells a story and all the s̲o̲n̲g̲s̲ i̲n̲ i̲t̲ a̲r̲e̲ i̲n̲ c̲h̲r̲o̲n̲o̲l̲o̲g̲i̲c̲a̲l̲ o̲r̲d̲e̲r̲

This story is about Haarlep meeting Tav and how this very ordinary acquaintance turned into something utterly unexpected.

Link to playlist on YouTube at the end of the post.

And now that all the normal people are just listening to the playlist, the nerds can click ‘keep reading’ to dive into the detailed breakdown of the story...

The playlist consists of 5 parts, and for each part I wrote a small drabble to share the vibe with you.

PART 1: HAARLEP

«Shhh… Hush, sweetheart, no need to make such a fuss. I haven’t even sunk my teeth into you yet. But do not fret, I’m not some rabid beast. I won’t lunge at you or tear you apart. I’m just a simple incubus, albeit an outstanding one.

What are incubi? I’m glad you asked.

We are the wielders of the enchanted word. Lords of the human soul. Masters of the all-consuming lust.

We breathe in air and breathe out passion. Love flows through our veins, voluptuousness drips from our fingertips, and our gaze ignites desire.

Your most daring dreams are our law. The innuendo swirling on the tip of your tongue is our feast. Guessing your desires before you even know them is like a drug to us.

Oh, you want to know more? Come closer, sweetheart. I never promised not to bite, but trust me, you are going to love it.»

1. Don’t Stop Me Now

Literally can imagine him waking up to this song.

Yeah, I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars On a collision course I am a satellite, I'm out of control I am a sex machine ready to reload Like an atom bomb about to Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, explode I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah 200 degrees that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit I'm traveling at the speed of light I wanna make a supersonic woman of you

2. Aimed to Kill

You've been checkin' under your bed to see if I'm there When you look back up I'm under you pullin' your hair Getting lost inside my world, you don't know where I've been Oh no, oh no, I feel it comin' And I tried to save a life with these diamond hands of mine But they're sharper than a knife, I aimed to kill And I tried to fix a heart with these lips that left some scars "I swear I won't do no harm," shh, I aimed to kill

3. Who Made You a Monster?

You've got a twisted way Of making it all seem fine Tricking the world to trust you But everything that you say Is some kind of sordid lie Who taught you how to lie so well? Who made you a monster? Who made you a monster?

4. The Devil is a Gentleman

He don't always come at midnight Burnin' red and talking sin But he knows how to play it just right If you gonna let him in Sleek along and brings you roses He's always got the words to say Just enough so you don't notice That you ain't nothing but his prey

5. Pass The Knife

Thought you had control, I'll strip you till you're bones Scraping your knees till you beg for more Cover you in scars, just to leave a mark Get you addicted, then tear you apart Pass me the knife and I'll eat you alive Take my time, I'll do it how you like it Pass me the knife and I'll eat you alive Love skin deep, you're only here to make me high

6. Terrible Things

All of the things that I've done Terrible things you would never believe Things that I've done, oh, how you'll run If you knew a single word of all of the things that I've done

7. Liquid Smooth

I see this one as a tenderness and longing for a connection, that is hidden deep inside.

I'm beautiful, I know 'cause it's the season But what am I to do with all this beauty? Biology, I am an organism, I'm chemical That's all, that is all I'm liquid smooth, come touch me, too And feel my skin is plump and full of life, I'm in my prime I'm liquid smooth, come touch me, too I'm at my highest peak, I'm ripe about to fall, capture me

8. Pure Imagination

The fantasy that he creates for the people whom he gets involved with.

Come with me and you'll be In a world of pure imagination Take a look and you'll see Into your imagination We'll begin with a spin Traveling in the world of my creation What we'll see will defy explanation

9. Mr. Sandman

He falls asleep, thinking to himself if there is a way to feel this longing that has been building inside him for quite some time during these lonely evenings in House of Hope, when all he did was waiting, wondering if Raphael would come to him or no. Next thing you know, Tav enters the boudoir...

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream Make her the cutest that I've ever seen Give her two lips like roses and clover And tell her that her lonely nights are over Sandman, I'm so alone Don't have nobody to call my own Please turn on your magic beam Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream

PART 2: HAARLEP MEETS TAV

Haarlep leaned on the railing of the balcony and gazed thoughtfully into the distance. The grey ash-covered mountains drowned in a reddish haze. The ground beneath them was laced with a web of rifts, their bottomless depths blazing with lava flares. Dirty, colourless clouds drifted In the sky above the crooked-toothed mountain peaks. Avernus in all its ugliness.

His forked tongue lashed out of his mouth and wetted his parched lips. He drew in the air, heavy with dust that settled thickly in his lungs, and spat irritably over the balustrade.

He couldn’t resist tasting her, he just couldn’t. Damned girl.

Haarlep was used to being starved in the House of Hope. The howls of the damned souls and the flesh of devils were not sustaining in the slightest, and over the years, he just had to learn to control his hunger. There was certainly nothing good about it. Haarlep was weaker than he could be, it was harder for him to conjure magic, and sometimes in the mornings his veins painfully twisted into poisonous threads. It was the ache he could only relieve with exhausting, concentration-demanding meditation.

Haarlep's mind slipped into the vivid memories of yesterday.

Yesterday, he dreamed of his past life again… Feasts, masquerades, balls in the mortal world, where he could drink from four or five mortals in a course of a single evening, or even sneak around and drain a soul out of some petty wretch. And that last orgy at the Duke’s mansion? Haarlep closed his eyes and his nose tickled with the scent of the freshest rainbow caviar, which swam in the belly of a fish in the waters of Calimport the day before. His ears rang with the laughter of the young noblewomen, who used to lose their composure after the third glass of sparkling wine, pretending not to notice the lewd glances of the men smoking cigars in the half-dark corners of the room. And Haarlep… He was sitting in the centre of the hall on a golden throne — the Lord of that den of debauchery! — whilst the mortals were crawling on their knees, their faces drooping with lust, their hands reaching out to him as if he were their god… The memories ran through his body in a searing wave, and Haarlep involuntarily craned his neck, arching his back. Things had been different in his past life. The one he had before he fell to his knees in the presence of Mephistopheles.

Yesterday, when he opened his eyes and saw her in the Boudoir, Haarlep thought he was still dreaming. How could he have restrained himself? And was there any point in restraint?

Oh, how delicious she was… Her life essence flowed through his veins, blossoming with a long-forgotten arousal in his chest. Perhaps his starvation was to blame, but she tasted divine. Nothing like any other mortal he had had before. Purposeful, ambitious, a little naive, she opened herself to him like a soft book with a flowery spine and golden embossing, allowing him to drink in her deepest desires, fears, and dreams. And he did drink… At the moment of her climax, in the deep caverns of her soul, he tasted submission, desire to please, an urge to earn praise. Ah, if only he had a little more time! He would have guided her and under his tender yet insistent touch she would have unfurled like a beautiful flower in an overgrown garden. He would have nudged her to fall headfirst into the abyss of her darkest desires.

But he didn’t have enough time. It was all over in a flash. For some puzzling reason, she didn’t grab the Hammer and just slipped away unnoticed.

The faint scent of her arousal still lingered in the Boudoir, making Haarlep violently run his claws over his neck, crossing the impeccable skin with red brown marks. He had been hungry before, but now he was famished. All night after they’d met, he spent tossing and turning in bed, the silk sheets thrown to the floor, his fingers digging into the pillow.

Haarlep closed his eyes, which were stinging as if they were filled with sand, and rubbed the bridge of his nose nervously.

He must see her again.

He would sneak out of the House of Hope, follow the scent of her thoughts, and catch her again.

Consequences be damned.

10. Me and Mr Wolf

Hey little girl, you look so nice In the pretty red dress with those pretty black eyes Hello Mr. Wolf, oh what a surprise To find you here so deep in the night My dear little girl, what's the rush? How about supper, just the two of us? Oh Mr. Wolf, you want me to stay But I fear we'll regret it one day

11. Out Of Control — Haarlep

I watched her feet move, her hips they sway Does a hair flip then starts to say Oh my god, it's my favorite song I pull her close and she sings along We can't slow down even if we tried If the record keeps spinning so will I She likes disco and tastes like a tear Tells me don't stop dancing and she's pulling me near

12. Kill of the Night— Haarlep

The street's a liar I'm gonna lure you into the dark My cold desire To hear the boom, boom, boom of your heart I'm gonna catch ya I'm gonna get ya, get ya, oh, oh-oh I wanna taste the way that you bleed, oh You're my kill of the night

13. Terrible Thing — Tav

Oh for you, you terrible thing, you Terrible thing, you Terrible thing, you Beautiful thing Mm, you beautiful thing A wreck, a wreck you make You leave, you leave me in your wake Oh honey, let me go Aha, aha, don't you let me go

14. Tongues and Teeth — Haarlep

I've grown a mouth so sharp and cruel It's all that I can give to you, my dear And when you come in quick to steal a kiss My teeth will only cut your lips, my dear And I know that you mean so well But I am not a vessel for your good intent I will only break your pretty things I will only wring you dry of everything But if you're fine with that You can be mine like that

15. Horns — Tav

She got blood cold as ice And a heart made of stone But she keeps me alive She's the beast in my bones She gets everything she wants When she gets me alone Like it's nothin' She got two little horns And they get me a little bit

16. if u think i'm pretty

If you think I'm pretty, lay your hands on me Know you can't stop thinkin' 'bout it I know that you're shitty and you're bad for me But I can't stop thinkin' 'bout it Said you needed love, but you're only here for sex, and And I'm dyin' to be next Killed me once before, I just come back more obsessed with you

17. When You Say My Name — Haarlep

And does it scare you That I already know what you're into? You can say lеss, I bet I can guess That you say whatevеr to get me undressed Double dare you, tell me two lies Don't need no truths 'Cause I can see right through you You're no good at pretend I’m using your tricks that you use with your friends I like the way your mouth moves The way you say my name

18. Dirty Thoughts — Tav

I get dirty thoughts about you They get worse when I'm without you Does that mean that I'm going to hell? Or are you thinking them as well? But when you hold me In the fantasy, it's so convincing I shouldn't think the things I'm thinking But now I've gone and let them sink in

19. Eat You — Haarlep

Cause you've been sticky with your tricky words And I would crumble like a humble bird Now you're so tender with an ear I can bend And tell you how I feel I go hungry every night But not this time around I'm gonna eat you, you're my desire I'm gonna sharpen all my teeth and build a fire I'm gonna eat you, cook and defeat you I'm gonna breathe you in my lungs and make you mine

20. Sugar Water — Tav

My boy’s got a sharp twist, no, he’s wicked in the heart Feeds me sugar water just to keep me alive Saw him in my dreams again He’s wiping down the fingerprints Press so hard I float up to the sky It’s kind of tripping me up, babе I’ve got it bad for you Laying back sipping sugar water I’m so weak for thе things you do

21. salvation — Haarlep

Sleep with me Worship me Pray like I’m your god Find the light in my voice Treat us like it’s blasphemy Pray we don’t get caught Let me be your only choice I’ll deny you of salvation I’ll be the reason you repent Kiss me like I’m a conviction Beg for divinity in my breath

22. Pretty In The Dark — Haarlep

I want All the power and the pain I’ll love you in the flames Just tell me that you're mine I’ll be your beautiful obsession Center of attention That’s just what I like Run through your veins Got your heart to keep Calling my name Get down on your knees

23. A Dangerous Thing — Tav

Something about you is soft like an angel And something inside you is violence and danger I knew from the moment we met, you are a dangerous thing When you are with me, I feel like I'm living And living besides you can be unforgiving I knew from the very first step, you are a dangerous thing

PART 3: WHEN THE GAME TURNED SERIOUS

“What do you dream of?”

Haarlep lazily opened his eyes at the soft caressing sound of her voice. Just like always after their little romps, he was in a state of blissful indulgence, like a cat who got the cream. Usually, he would wait out the indolent peak of his satiety and then disappear from her sight again, bestowing her with a dazzling smile and a graceful flick of his wrist as a kiss goodbye. But today, for some reason, he felt overwhelmingly lazy and reluctant to leave.

He glanced down at her little head, which rested perfectly in the dent under his collarbone. The look on her face was pensive, and her delicate features were slightly tinged with a subtle sadness of some sort.

“I dream of having a unicorn,” he muttered.

“Really?” she perked up, but her eyes narrowed upon seeing his snickering grin. She grudgingly elbowed Haarlep in the side, eliciting a little chuckle from him. “I’m asking you seriously.”

“Look at me, mouse. Are these eyes capable of telling untruths?” he batted his eyelashes innocently.

She sighed, but smiled with her lips only and didn’t ask further. The predawn silence enveloped them once more, as the morning light was just beginning to bloom in the sky. The first tinkling glints of sunlight seeped through the open windows, and a biting daybreak rolled down their shoulders with chill.

She shivered and snuggled closer to him. She smelled of sex, girlish sweat, floral honey, and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He inhaled her scent deeply, and the corner of his lips tugged up in a slight smile against his will.

Haarlep was brimming with her life essence, and the barely perceptible magical connection still weaved between them, leaving the flavour of her thoughts on his lips. Her mind was emanating feelings and emotions that, to his incubus sense, were as tangible as her warm shoulder under his palm. He felt she wanted him to ask. But he didn’t ask.

No. He had no desire to ask.

“And what do you dream of, little mouse?” The words slipped from his lips involuntarily, clearly having a mind of their own.

“I want to go back to the Feywild someday. To see the place where I grew up again. To see the old oak grove, and the Falls of the Rejected Bride… To see where my parents are buried.”

Haarlep slid the tip of his tongue over his lips, feeling the bitter tang of her sadness in his mouth, and it made him feel unimaginably wistful.

“What a marvellous dream you have, my dear — to visit a graveyard of memories and bodies.” He snorted and let out a cynical hum. “You should dream of visiting the shores of Lake Esmel in Amn. The sun is warm on the skin, the men, and women have a true lust for life, and the wine there is absolutely fabulous…”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant at all,” she muttered quietly.

He sighed.

“I know, little mouse,” Haarlep murmured, pressing his lips to the top of her head, kissing her ashy hair. He closed his eyes and drew in her sadness with his nose. Damn, even her sadness tasted divine.

“Are you going soon?” she asked timidly. Her voice quivered with an unspoken hope.

Haarlep was silent. He took a deep breath again, deliberately intoxicating himself with her very nature.

“I’ll stay a little longer.”

24. FU In My Head — Tav

Take me closer, take my clothes off Oh I fantasize If I'm honest, it's more fun when you can't read my mind Sometimes I fuck you in my head I let you touch me when I'm lonely in my bed I wanna scream, but hold my breath The kinda thing that you would rather leave unsaid I got dirty wishes on my mind But you will never ever know that I I like to fuck you in my head You make me scream when there's nobody Just the thought of your body

25. Devil On My Shoulder — Tav

Every time I think I'm free, you're calling me Your love pulling me right back down Can't believe that I keep coming back But you make me feel so good I swore I'd never dance with you again Keep safe from the devil on my shoulder But you know me so well And you drag me to Hell I can't keep safe from the devil on my Keep safe from the devil on my shoulder

26. Maniac — Tav

You play girls like a man, but your eyes are like a child Your face is cool and calm, but your hair is wrecked and wild You hide behind your metaphors and pray that no one sees The fare behind your poker face: your dark and twisted needs Your fragile heart and your paper skin Such a beautiful boy filled with so much sin Your reflection is your very worst enemy Behind the glass is an angel, but the devil's beneath Let me in, wear me out Let me in, wear me out

27. You — Haarlep

What I would do to get into your head Crawl out my body into yours instead Swim through your veins all day and every fiber Raid your brain and all your desires If you only knew I would do anything For a taste of you I would do anything Just to see inside And no one else will do All that I want is to be you

28. the fruits — Tav

My love, are you the devil? I would worship you instead of him I have no time for confession For I'm too busy committing sins My love, you're something special I never met someone like you You made me fall from Heaven But I know just what I do But I don't I feel your hands grabbing my throat As you say

29. Rule #34 — Haarlep

I love that you shake When I ravage your skin It's so easy to bite with your hands pinned Shadows dancing on the sheets If you obey I might give you a treat Right now you're mine All mine Give in, you're mine All mine You look so good There on your knees Such a good girl, knows how to please Look at me, look me in the еyes Forget yourself Surrеnder your mind

30. Lovesick in Public — Tav

Last night you really got in my head How’d I get hung up on what you did When all you did was kiss my neck My cheek's red like a cherry Help me cause I am berry Lovesick in public I’m hooked on the way that you taste I know I’m headed for heartbreak

31. Good Looking — Tav

Play casino holes of my eyeballs Roll the dice on my thighs You stopped for breath and I sped up Just to impress you The skyline falls as I try to make sense of it all I thought I'd uncovered your secrets but, turns out, there's more You adored me before Oh, my good looking boy

32. You Put a Spell on Me — Haarlep

Before I hunt you down Grab your chin and kiss your lips You bring me back I lay you down and grab your hips And we lose all control And before you know it I put a spell on you Now you're mine I've got a hold on you, at least for the night

33. Keep It Down — Haarlep

You shoot me up through the clouds I’m a hero in your mouth I'm the sickness you found I'm the fever you're about While I throw you around You're gonna scream ... Shhh: girl keep it down The scars you leave on my back A painting of your attack You're biting down on my fist I know you cannot resist

34. Good Looking — Tav

Pressure on my lips I die for just one kiss Wake, I can't resist Could I be dreaming this? How do I fake it with another man? How do I love him on the weekend? How do I listen to another man? How do I get off on the weekend? You're in my heart, in my heart, in my head

35. So Damn Into You — Haarlep

Can I have you forever? Every single night It started with a bang Don’t know how you got me so messed up But baby I won’t ever get enough, oh 'Cause I’m so damn into you I’m so damn into you

36. From Persephone — Tav

No, I wasn't threatened Mother, I was not bound No, I wasn't carried Off on his three headed hound 'Cause I packed my own bag, found my own way Down into the underground See, mama, he may seem gruesome But he's even got a dog And don't you know that death is A very stable job? 'Cause I love my baby, tall, dark Hades Lord of death is down on his knees for me

37. Hearts a Mess — Tav

Pick apart the pieces of your heart And let me peer inside Let me in where only your thoughts have been Let me occupy your mind as you do mine You have lost too much love To fear, doubt and distrust, it's not enough You just threw away the key to your heart Don't get burned 'cause nothing gets through It makes it easier, easier on you That much more difficult for me To make you see

38. Closer — Haarlep

I wanna fuck you like an animal I wanna feel you from the inside I wanna fuck you like an animal My whole existence is flawed You get me closer to God You can have my isolation You can have the hate that it brings You can have my absence of faith You can have my everything

39. Choke — Tav

You are a shadow Following me where I go I'd be better without you What are you doing to me? I'm suffocating Don't know how to explain it But I feel like I'm fading What are you doing to me? Loosen your grip before I choke Can't catch my breath, I'm gonna choke I wish that you'd just let me go I don't want this, I promise, just leave me alone Loosen your grip beforе I-

40. she calls me daddy — Haarlep

It might be a little superficial She plays with the boys But she comes home to me Little fucked up but I think it's official ’Cause she might be your girl But she's calling me daddy She's mi-i-i-ine She wears a collar with my name Secretive but not ashamed She's mi-i-i-ine But I'd never tie her down They always come around now

41. The Masochism Tango — Tav

I ache for the touch of your lips, dear But much more for the touch of your whips, dear You can raise welts like nobody else As we dance to the Masochism Tango Let our love be a flame, not an ember Say it's me that you want to dismember Blacken my eye, set fire to my tie As we dance to the Masochism Tango

42. Wicked Game

The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you It's strange what desire will make foolish people do I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you What a wicked game to play To make me feel this way What a wicked thing to do To let me dream of you

PART 4: OBSESSION

“Say it! I want to hear you say it!” It was not a spoken word, but a rasping growl that erupted from his chest. He loomed over her, with his back rounded, and bristled, like a wild beast over its prey.

His fingers clenched harder on her throat.

She dug her small fingernails into his straining arm. Wet strands of her fringe clung to her forehead, covered in beads of sweat. Her eyebrows were raised piteously, her emerald eyes fixed on his face. She parted her plump cherry lips wide as she gulped in the rhythmic breaths of air.

“I am yours,” she replied hoarsely. “I am yours, Haarlep. Yours… Haarlep! Haarlep. Haarley…”

He growled again and thrust his hips into hers with abandon. She cried out, running her trembling fingers through his wavy black hair, pulling it gently. Her emotions exploded like fireworks in his mind, blurring in coloured circles under his closed eyelids. He pushed his hips against hers like a man possessed, drowning in her sweet surrender. She was under him, and she was everywhere, enveloping him like a raging torrent. Her fragility tingled along his spine, her sincerity squeezed his heart like a vice, her vulnerability stroked him with hundreds of gentle fingers, her trust filled his very being with a velvety warmth.

He couldn’t drink enough of her, couldn’t inhale her with his full lungs. He could barely restrain himself from devouring her whole without a shred left.

As always with her, the pulsing life essence flowed easily, like a chiming stream, she gave it to him willingly. Despite the intoxicating madness threatening to overwhelm him, he tried to take as little as possible so as not to hurt his little mouse in any way.

“You’re driving me mad,” he growled into her ear in a frenzy, his fingers on her neck tightening into a bruising grip.

“I want you to go mad! Lose your mind! Go insane! For me…”

His hips picked up a punishing rhythm

She shrieked and dug her nails into his shoulders, forcing him to arch his back. Clenched like a spring, she stiffened and quivered beneath him, out of breath. Her consciousness blazed like a bonfire on Midsummer Night, spilling her life essence. It crushed him like a storm wave, drowning him in rapture. With the last thrust, Haarlep froze and shuddered, feeling the physical bliss merge with the cascade of her emotions flashing in his mind.

He collapsed on top of her, pressing himself against her hot chest, nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck. She wrapped her legs around his hips, unwilling to let him go, pulling him greedily against her body. Her hoarse and frequent breathing burned his temple.

“Yours… Yours… And you are mine. My Haarley…” she whispered, choking on euphoria, trembling with delight.

With a growl that shook his chest, he slipped his arms under her back, pulling her close, so tight that it was probably hard for her to breathe.

“What have you done to me, mouse?” he exhaled, his whisper tinted with a hint of desperation and confusion.

“I bewitched you. Enchanted you, spellbound you, charmed you, beguiled you. Now you’re not going anywhere.”

For a few moments, only their laboured breaths echoed in the silence of their secret sanctuary.

"I am not,” he agreed and captured her sweet lips in a tender kiss.

43. I Wanna Be Yours — Haarlep

Let me be your 'leccy meter An' I'll never run out Let me be the portable heater That you'll get cold without I wanna be your setting lotion (Wanna be) Hold your hair in deep devotion (How deep?) At least as deep as the Pacific Ocean I wanna be yours

44. The Cult Of Dionysus

I'm feeling devious You're looking glamorous Let's get mischievous And polyamorous Wine and women and wonderful vices Welcome to the cult of Dionysus Run, run, run away Just take my hand and we'll abandon this world We'll wash those tears away You're young and beautiful, and I'll love you always We got no time for pain When it's just you and me in ecstasy

45. Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene — Haarlep

I watch the work of my kin, bold and boyful Toying somewhere between love and abuse Calling to join them the wretched and joyful Shaking the wings of their terrible youths Freshly disowned in some frozen devotion No more alone or myself could I be Lurched like a stray to the arms that were open No shortage of sordid, no protest from me

46. Obsessed With You — Haarlep

Your smile sets my heart aflame Electrocute me with your eyes The very mention of your name My stomach fills with butterflies Your love is better than cocaine I need you more than oxygen I've got it bad again An O-B-S-E-S-S-I-O-N But I want to get next to you Yeah, I love all the things you do I want to get close to you You are my dream come true I want to have sex with you Your sweet caress won't do Cause I'm obsessed with you

47. Misery Meat — Tav

You want a taste of my brain? Okay, it's yours anyway A bite of my eye? Alright I won't put up a fight As you open up my ribs the blood flows out like a river You strip my bones away as you indulge in my liver And the more that I am in pain The more that you'll gain And to me, that seems like a pretty fair trade

48. High Enough — Haarlep

Do you see anyone other than me? Baby, please I'll take a hit of whatever you got, maybe two, maybe three Oh, you're phenomenal, feel like a domino, fall to my knees I am a malady, you are my galaxy, my sweet relief I used to like liquor to get me inspired But you look so beautiful, my new supplier I used to like smoking to stop all the thinking But I found a different buzz

49. Dear Alice (Rainy Days) — Haarlep

I'm losing my faith in you, my long-lost friend, Alice Roses have lost their colors And it's breaking my heart (Ah) You take my breath away And I don't know what to do And I don't know what to do Before you say your last word That makes me want To lay you down I'll kiss, I'll touch, I'll cut you into the pieces And you feel the same And you'll know my crave And you'll see that I'm The only one for you

50. I Am Your Skin — Haarlep

I wanna be your skin I wanna feel everything you feel I will be your covering And I will hide you inside of me With every breath in harmony I wanna be your skin I wanna be your covering

51. Desire — Haarlep

Baby, I wanna touch you I wanna breathe into your will See, I gotta hunt you I gotta bring you to my hell Baby, I wanna fuck you I wanna feel you in my bones Boy, I'm gonna love you I'm gonna tear into your soul

52. Obsessed — Tav

I wanna feel you in my arms Hold you hostage in my heart It’s true 'Cause I'm so obsessed with you Your every word, I pick apart Down to the punctuation marks All you do 'Cause I'm so obsessed with you Oh, with you

53. Spiracle — Haarlep

I want the parts of you You only show to the birds outside your bedroom window I want the teeth that you lost as a child That you hide in a box under your pillow I want your secrets, your clementine fields The ropes that you climb up, the parts that won't heal I want your safe word, your passive resistance The sickness you foster, your favorite addictions And I want your nightmares, the ghost in your doorway Your paralyzed sleeping, your- (Aaaah) I want you butterfly, I want you sailor I am your lover and I am your jailor

PART 5: VANILLA CREAM FLAVOUR

“All right. Take it off.”

Smirking, Haarlep pulled the silk blindfold off, and smiled at her ruddy face and eyes sparkling with mirth. He raised his gaze and looked ahead.

From the high hill where they sat, they could see Baldur’s Gate harbour buzz lazily beneath them. It was slowly preparing to shake off the last cargoes, sigh with its sleepy waves, and retire to rest for the day. The half sunk into the bay of the Chionthar River, casting a golden shimmering glow over its rippling surface. Haarlep lowered his eyes. Before him, on the blanket spread on the ground, she laid out small plates packed with all sorts of savoury delicacies. One was filled with green grapes and strawberries, the other with neatly arranged cheese and sausages, appetisingly glistening with fat. Nearby stood bowls of buns and sweet rolls of various kinds.

“Somehow this picnic looks suspiciously like a date,” he placed a finger on his chin with feigned thoughtfulness.

She shook her head.

“A date? What a silly thing to say. We’re going to unromantically stuff our faces with this unappetising food, that’s all there is to it,” she tossed a grape into the air. He caught it, and it burst in his mouth, spraying sweet juice on his tongue.

Haarlep sank to the grass and rested his head in her lap. She immediately ran her nimble fingers through his hair, stroking it absent-mindedly, as she was gazing out into the distance, at the orange sun setting in Chionthar.

They were silent. Haarlep had long ago realised that it was nice to be silent with her.

Wide over the water resounded the shouts of the workers, who wrapped up the unloading of the last fishing schooner. A loud crack of a wooden crate breaking reached their ears, accompanied by the selected swearing of the cargo handlers.

“You know, I’ve come to realise one rather curious thing,” Haarlep mused thoughtfully. “I know very little about mortals.”

“How so?” she snapped out of her reverie and, for a moment, stopped flicking through his hair and looked down at him. “You can reach into the most secret nooks and crannies of a person’s mind, find out things about them that even they themselves are unaware of.”

“Yes. Except I was looking for a very different thing.”

She continued to stroke him, running the silky strands of his hair through her fingers, as she studied him with an expectant gaze. Haarlep noticed how sweetly she always nibbled on her lower lip when she was curious, and smiled at his observation.

“I’ve always looked for the weaknesses, to see what buttons I can push to get what I need from a mortal, and I’ve always succeeded. I searched into their past. Their traumas, their fears, their most depraved sexual experiences and lusts. All other sides of humanity were always foreign to me. I considered them useless. But after glimpsing into your head, I changed my mind.”

She raised her arched eyebrows, and Haarlep’s mind responded to her emotion. Her sudden sky-blue surprise flashed before his inner gaze, her wonder glided tenderly over his arms like a soft caress. And amidst it all, there was something else — a subtle, salty undertone, tinged with pure, unadulterated hope.

Lately, she had been emitting life essence a little at a time almost constantly, and Haarlep didn’t even need to do anything to elicit it. He had never encountered something like this before. He had to resist the temptation to indulge his innate greed and delve into her. The trust she exhibited never ceased to amaze him.

“I became curious and looked a little deeper. I’ve seen your strength, tasted your fascination with the world, touched your thoughts about the future. And that’s just a small portion of you. There’s so much more...”

He grinned and shook his head slightly.

“I can’t believe it never occurred to me to do this before.” He fell silent halfway through the sentence, and sank deeper into his thoughts, but after a moment he smiled at her again and added, “I guess I just didn’t care. But with you, little mouse, everything is different. Perhaps you did bewitch me?”

“Of course I did. I have a witch’s eye.”

She leaned closer, rolling her eyes and made a funny face, eliciting a laugh from him. Oh, what a dummy.

Delighted that she had managed to humour him, she straightened up again.

“How does it feel to drink the life essence of a human?”

“Oh, it’s the most marvellous feeling.”

Haarlep sighed, and his gaze drifted towards the sky. The cirrus clouds scattered like weightless pinkish-orange silk threads across the deep blue canvas. Their weightlessness and ephemeral nature made him think they were about to dissolve right before his eyes, but they froze in the sky like translucent butterflies caught on a pin.

“Life essence differs from mortal to mortal,” he continued. “It contains their unique nature. In the moments of supreme physical delight, the mortal becomes vulnerable enough for an incubus to harvest it with ease. It’s like crushing a ripe peach in your hand and catching its sweet juice with your lips. The essence is coloured by human emotions and feelings, and each one we can taste, like a hint of flavour in a wine.”

She hummed thoughtfully and twisted a small strand of his hair around her index finger.

“It does sound marvellous.”

Haarlep shifted his gaze to her.

“Every emotion is not only a taste but also a colour, a smell, and sometimes even a sense of a touch. For instance, when I pin your wrists to the bed above your head, you quiver so sweetly… I feel a prickly shiver run down my spine, and you smell like the first snowdrop on an early Alturiak morning: meltwater, almonds, and a promise of warmth.”

She blushed, and an embarrassed smile flickered across her lips. Haarlep smiled back at her.

“It’s like I feel the world with your skin and through you. Your senses mingle with mine, your consciousness flows into mine, the reality bursts with new colours and expands like a star exploding.” He reached out and cupped her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. “I love looking at this world with you. I see things I never knew existed before.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, surrendering to his caressing touch.

There it was. Again. He felt it again.

“You know, there’s something quite mysterious about your life essence. No matter how many times I taste it, I can’t figure it out…” he frowned, and his hand fell limply to the grass along his body. “Every feeling and thought you have, they all have the same tinge, the same unknown flavour to me. Something very soft and sweet and enveloping, like… like…”

Haarlep fell silent, trying to find the words to describe this incredible sensation that made him want to squeeze his eyes shut. One that spreads with homely warmth through his body, rolls with tenderness across his tongue, drips from his fingertips akin to molasses.

“Like vanilla cream?” she suggested.

He fired a glare at her.

“Yes! Sounds about right…”

She blushed even more and turned her face to the setting sun again.

Of course, she knew what that vanilla-cream flavour of her feelings was.

And deep down, so did he.

54. Life Worth Living — Tav

Take what you need, darling I'm just here for you Ooh ooh ooh ooh (oh) Give me your love and Physical affection Ooh ooh ooh ooh Give me the worst of you to hold You to take me to the heavens Give me the best of all your grace You make life worth living

55. Love Like You — End Credits — Haarlep

If I could begin to be Half of what you think of me I could do about anything I could even learn how to love When I see the way you act Wondering when I'm coming back I could do about anything I could even learn how to love like you

56. Hardest of Hearts — Tav

There is love in your body but you can't hold it in It pours from your eyes and spills from your skin Tenderest touch leaves the darkest of marks And the kindest of kisses break the hardest of hearts There is love in your body but you can't get it out It gets stuck in your head, won't come out of your mouth Sticks to your tongue and it shows on your face That the sweetest of words have the bitterest taste Darling heart, I loved you from the start But you'll never know what a fool I've been

57. I Might As Well Die With You — Haarlep

Oh baby When I see your face Too beautiful for this place Don't let the vice and the bad deals Let it go to waste Over and over and over again Oh baby Spiraling out of control God save me Falling in love at the end of world Just take me now What’s the use? I Might as well die with you

58. Souls on Fire — Tav

Do you feel the burn between our hearts Souls on fire A strange desire Have you given in To this ancient ritual I don’t know how long we’ve been apart But we’re the same old souls playing different parts Same old souls playing different parts Picking up the broken pieces of our hearts

59. She — Haarlep

This is the song that started this playlist and it happened so that it ends it. A huge heartfelt thank you to @mina-astarvara for sharing it with me in the first place.

She may be the face I can’t forget A trace of pleasure or regret May be my treasure or the prize I have to pay She may be the reason I survive The why and wherefore I’m alive The one I’ll care for through the rough And ready years Me, I’ll take her laughter and her tears I’ll make them all my souvenirs Oh, where she goes I’ve got to be The meaning of my life is she

YouTube Link:

[sidprescot]

love me forever, a yenralt fanmix 23 songs, 1hr 53mins listen on spotify here tracklist and lyrics under the cut

YENRALT APPRECIATION, VOL 2. -> prompt: forever + two colors

poison, alice cooper

I wanna love you but I better not touch (don't touch) I wanna hold you, but my senses tell me to stop I wanna kiss you but I want it too much (too much) I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison

be my druidess, type o negative

Around the pyre, a circle of thirteen Throughout these woods, ecstatic screams I look deeply into your eyes I smell your hair, caress your thighs Now we'll make love by fire light A blaze so high it lights the night

love is a fire, subvision

Baby, listen, I'm sellin' my soul to the devil in you So give me, give me the strength and I'll push it through Love is a fire, and it's ragin' out of control Love is a fire And it's burnin' up my soul

love walked in, thunder

So tired of waiting, I walked an empty land I was looking for something to help me understand But bad luck kept turning my dreams into sand I didn't want pity, I had my share of friends I wanted somebody more special than the rest I was aching inside like I was approaching the end Just about that moment the timing was so right You appeared like a vision sent down to my life I thought I was dreaming when I saw you that night

spell i'm under, winger

Woman, never before Without a word I hear so much Woman, under the spell Every sin holy in your touch It's all I feel, it's all I see And all I know it must be you You're the spell I'm under

prisoner of your eyes, judas priest

When I saw your face I became a prisoner of your eyes And I would do just anything To stay and be with you

love me forever, motörhead

Love me forever, or not at all End of our tether, backs to the wall You give me your hand, don't you ever ask why Promise me nothing, live 'til we die

hold on to my heart, W.A.S.P.

Take away the pain, inside my soul And I'm afraid, so all alone Take away the pain, that's burning in my soul Cause I'm afraid that I'll be all alone So just hold me, hold me, hold me

love you to death, type o negative

In her place one hundred candles burning As salty sweat drips from her breast Her hips move and I can feel what they're saying, swaying They say the beast inside of me is gonna get ya, get ya, get

dance macabre, ghost

How could it end like this? There's a sting in the way you kiss me Something within your eyes Said it could be the last time 'Fore it's over

sleeping (in the fire), W.A.S.P.

Touch, touch in the flame's desire Feeling the pain's denial And your finger's in the fire Look, look in the candlelight See in the flame of life And my spell is our lie

darling, mcc

Been on my way so many times I walked away so many times From you But in the end you held the key And as it seems the fate of me In you It's ashes and dust Where are you now? I need you now You're lost somehow Where are you now?

jasmine and rose, clan of xymox

The air tastes just like you, it's the smell of June A sensory shock that jolts my spirit, I slowly swallow you A spray of little droplets, a fragrance so refined The spirit of nostalgia is passing me by

darkness at the heart of my love, ghost

There's a darkness at the heart of my love That runs cold, runs deep The darkness at the heart of my love So bold, so sweet

one more fucking time, motörhead

Both your eyes wide open You see the shape I'm in It wasn't of my choosing It's only bones and skin And I will plead no contest If loving you's a crime So go on and find me guilty Just one more fucking time

hell is living without you, alice cooper

Try to walk away When I see the time I've wasted Starving at a feast And all this wine I've never tasted On my lips your memory has been stained Is it all in vain? Tell me who's to blame, yeah

mama i'm coming home, ozzy osbourne

You took me in and you drove me out Yeah, you had me hypnotized, yeah Lost and found and turned around By the fire in your eyes You made me cry, you told me lies But I can't stand to say goodbye Mama, I'm coming home I could be right, I could be wrong It hurts so bad, it's been so long Mama, I'm coming home

only my heart talkin', alice cooper

Anybody's dream can fall apart Anybody's mask can break Couldn't tell you how I wanted you Enough to make you want to stay I never said the words out loud I guess I couldn't get' em straight Baby, give me one more chance Before you walk away

this heart of mine (i pledge), pain of salvation

I lie awake watching your shoulders Move so softly as you breathe With every breath you're growing older But that is fine if you're with me I pledge to wake you with a smile I pledge to hold you when you cry I pledge to love you 'till I die 'Till I die

i don't want to live without you, sleeze beez

I find myself in a strange situation And I don't know how What seemed to be an infatuation Is so different now I can't get by if we're not together Ooh can't you see Girl, I want you now and forever Close to me I'm longing for the time I'm longing for the day Hoping that you will promise to be mine And never go away

save your love, great white

I wake in the night To find you on my mind Deep in a dream, You'll always be Until the end of time I look in your eyes They touch my soul My love is hard to hide I'm never alone when we're apart. I feel you by my side

angel, judas priest

Angel, put sad wings around me now Protect me from this world of sin so that we can rise again Oh, Angel, we can find our way somehow Escaping from the world we're in to a place where we began And I know we'll find a better place and peace of mind Just tell me that it's all you want, for you and me Angel, won't you set me free?

life eternal, ghost

Can you hear me say your name forever? Can you see me longing for you forever? Would you let me touch your soul forever? Can you feel me longing for you forever, forever?

[tolerateit]

reblog with a lyric in the tags that sounds like a taylor swift lyric but actually isn't 👀

[bullet-prooflove]

The Crab Dance Prompt List

Please check the updated character list on my pinned post to see who I am writing for before submitting a prompt!

Also read the rules and do not forget to put the entire prompt into your ask!

I saw you downtown kissing another man

But we don't say forever, but when we're together

I fell in love with I looked over and saw her singing to the radio

And all them other boys say she's a goodbye girl

Honey, dance with me in this bar tonight

I’m the boy that’s always been in love with you til the end

Don’t mind the strain of a hurricane, they come around every June

You were hitchhiking on an old dirt road

Nobody taught her it takes a lot of water to wash away New Orleans

It 3am Im overthinking again

Why do I still give a damn about you

Yeah, I ain't tryna fix her I just wanna kiss her

Sitting on the front porch with a cigarette burning

Baby you look hotter than west Texas sunshine

She never wanted to be white picket fenced in

Looking out through my window Watching the snowflakes fall

Remember all the nights we had?

But here she is, free, layin' next to me 'Cause I ain't tryna to tame her love

I'm terrified of being alone, so I've been seeking out affection

You once called me forever, now you still can't call me back

Staring out at the sunset With you by my side

There's moments in life that I regret Like never holding you close

And I'll dream each night of some version of you That I might not have, but I did not lose

You promised me I was more than all the miles combined

Wake up again in an old motel

One day you wake up, he’s packing up his truck

Why can’t I move on  and give a fair chance to someone new.

And leave before the mornin' sun

And I'm missing you like hell

He stays for the night but hes gone by the morning

Go on tell me what you really feel, because I’ve been dying to know.

And I know you have gone with her and I can't go back home

She ain't living for a diamond ring

I keep the windows down and the wind in her hair

So I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad That I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from dad

We're burnin' it down Blazin' up a trail of smoke

Why can’t I find a way to forget being in love with you

I said "I love you" but I, I never even meant it,

No, I am no longer funny, 'cause I miss the way you laugh

Wherever we are, wherever we go Yeah, that's where she calls home

Just looking for somebody as wild as her

It’s clear that we were meant to be.

It's getting cold but that sun is cresting

And I recall what she said That she wanted me dead But there ain't no grave deep enough

You don’t want to know what he said about you

My other half was you I hope this pain's just passin' through

And I know your daddy wants to shoot me dead

And it's half my fault, but I just like to play the victim

Should've left me at the door, but you let me in And now, your heart is on the floor

I put up a fight because I can’t stand the sight of his hands touching you

Too many different women in my phone

You aint opposed to digging up old bones and raking over the pas

Now I am stuck between my anger and the blame that I can't facet.

I'm sorry, baby, I'm a liar How is it possible to love someone else if I can't even love myself?

It’s a little piece of heaven when we lay down at night

She keeps on loving me and I keep on wondering why.

Love letters written in the dead of night

You must have had yourself a change of heart like Halfway through the drive

But I took her heart, and then I ripped it in half This ain't the first time I've done this neither

[devnmon]

Long Winded Safe Haven.

Chapter Three: Written in My Stars

Summary: [i promise this is the last chapter of Daryl and Merle content.] It's the third day of the new world, and Daryl has had it with Merle's plans. They find themselves stood before two people who claim to have a camp/ Their introduction to the group at the quarry is very brief here, as they agree to wait and see if they'll have a place in the camp. Daryl tries to overcome the awkwardness, but only time will tell if he succeeds.

Daryl Dixon x Reader

Series Masterlist | Playlist

Chapter Warnings: Merle Dixon, typical twd violence/walkers, scary situations

wc: 2.8k

Daryl woke the next morning to the sound of merle banging on the trunk he occupied. The banging boomed throughout the car, his body jolting out of surprise. The muscles of his back were already aching as he shifted ever so slightly. Daryl had quite literally been curled up into the fetal position on his side the whole night, no wonder his body ached like it did.

"C'mon brother! Up and at 'em! we're burnin' daylight and you're still gettin' that damn beauty rest!"

Daryl groaned loud enough for Merle to hear, beginning to undo the ties he'd put around the interior part of the trunk.

"Ain't you bangin' on walker guts righ' now?" Daryl remembered the guts him and his brother had placed on the cars the night before.

"Nah, a storm musta passed through durin' the night, washed all of 'em off. Good thing we hid when we did... else we'd be food for those geeks. Plus, the ground's all wet. An' it's already hot out."

Great. The humidity's gonna be even worse t'day.

And that was the first thing Daryl felt coat his skin the minute he cracked the trunk open.

The sunlight was bright as ever, shining directly in his eyes and blinding him for a moment or two, before they adjusted accordingly. Merle watched as he climbed out of the trunk, back aching as he stood up fully for the first time since the night before.

"Shit, it's hot as hell out here."

Here we go again..

"Yeah. it's Georgia. We've been here our whole lives." Daryl muttered to himself, half wishing his brother would hear him and shut up for once.

But it was always, genuinely always something with him.

Why couldn't Merle just keep his mouth to himself? Why did he have to poison the air Daryl breathed with his unprompted opinions and comments?

"Oh, I'm sorry we ain't in a mansion, little brother!" Merle tapped daryl's shoulder with the back of his hand, "Last time I checked, ya didn't have a problem with bein' outside! We've been huntin' here our whole lives, wasn't that what ya said?"

Of course, using his own words against him.

"I don't! I'm jus' fuckin' tired of bein' on the road all the damn time! I was fine with it while we were huntin', but I don't wanna spend the rest of my life out here! We gotta find a camp, a real one. An' stay. No more of this half assed 'robbing the camp blind' shit! We ain't need to get on anyone's bad side, 'specially now!"

Daryl was starting to get agitated at the fact that Merle always made the wrong decision, resorting to violence or harsh words when he didn't get his way.

Daryl knew both of those quite well.

"Brother, if you got somethin' to say, you say it, right here, right now." Merle's face was condescending, his arms crossed over his chest. Daryl wasn't going to give merle more ammunition to shoot at him when he got pissed. He was always going to hear it ten times worse from his brother.

Waryl thought it best not to light that match, since it was only the beginning of what was going to be a long and hot day of travel.

"Nah. Ain't worth it." Daryl huffed, picking up his pack and bow from the trunk and slinging them onto his back. "Let's jus' get movin', before another herd gets on our tail."

Once again, the two packed their belongings to head out through the humidity of another Georgia forest. somehow, the brothers ended up getting way further into the forest than they'd intended. Large hills came out of nowhere, the terrain only confusing Daryl on their location when he didn't recognize the area.

"Mot to jerk a knot in your tail, brother, but do you have the slightest idea where in hell do you think we're at? Or.. are we lost?" Merle chirped up, perky and wanting so badly to get on Daryl's last nerve.

He only shook his head, lips pursing together as his shoulders stiffened.

"Nah, we ain't lost." His response was gruff and low, a quick snap at his brother to make him stop his conversation there. Obviously, that wasn't the case, since Merle opened his big mouth the second his brother responded.

More fuel for your fire, man.

"Well, man, we've gotta be. I ain't recognize any of this area. And I know my wooded areas."

"Wou know, you're really barkin' up the wrong tree right now, Merle. 'Sides, I said we ain't lost."

"How would you know, brother? I'm the one who taught you everythin' ya know about huntin' and trackin' and survivin' out here! So don't get your feathers all ruffled! You know i'm always right, anyways."

Merle's cockiness pissed daryl off enough to know his brother's never going to save his pride over anyone but his damn self.

"Man, you really don't know shit about shit." Daryl's voice lowered, still intimidated by his brother and how harsh he backfires.

"Oh yeah? And what don't i know shit about?" Merle only paused himself from going on further to cross his arms once more and think about how his own brother just questioned him.. again.

"C'mon man, that plan of yours? It's not gonna get us nothin' other than thrown out on our asses. You're gonna make it real hard for us to stay with a group if you keep comin' up with shit like that!" Daryl kept his voice lower than Merle's was already getting when he responded back again.

Just like Daryl thought he would, Merle shot off on a rant about how he's trying to make life in this world better for us. Then he proceeded to go on longer about how people have had it better and we should be grateful to show anyone mercy..

"Merle, would you listen for one damn second?"

"No! You listen to me, boy! I'm the one that made you the man you are! Huh? Me! So don't act like you haven't been followin' me your whole life!"

This was true, but Merle always ends up twisting Daryl's words.

"I ain't never said that, Merle! You just think that takin' what people already have is gonna help us more than it was already helpin' them?! We can't do that to other people!"

"I'll make ya understand.. just you wait." Merle seethed, getting annoyingly close to Daryl's face before walking off in the opposite direction they had been going.

"Where the hell are ya goin' now?" Daryl called after him, getting a middle finger flipped at him.

"Takin' a piss, don't lose your marbles without me!" Merle called out from a distance, knowing he would return after he went and did his business for a little while. This was always the result of Merle not wanting to argue over something he saw right in his point of view.

Daryl shook his head, sitting on a nearby log. His hands fumbled for his pack once again, finding the spark to write about what had just occurred.

The pen clicked as Daryl started scribbling on the page.

Day three

Tryin my best to convince Merle to change his mind bout robbin' a camp. Ain't right. I put up with a lotta his shit. But not this. Ever. Bein' Selfish during this time ain't gonna help at all. could go for a few hours of not bein' near his stupid ass. or at least a few hours of silence. Used to bein' out here with no noise, not his yappy ass. Gotta find a way to deal or swear I'm gonna end up killin' the bastard. Maybe i’d be better off.

-

He finished writing the entry, shoving his journal away once again, noticing the sound of his brother's voice booming from a distance for the third time now.

"Darylina, where you at, brother?" He stood from the log in a hurry, belongings being swung onto his back. Peering around a tree, Daryl spotted his brother moseying back over to where he was previously sat.

"Merle! You clear your mind and realize I was right 'bout your plan?" Daryl only half believed that his brother would come to terms with something he'd suggested, but he didn't really have faith in Merle like that.

"Nah. Came to tell you I was right." The next thing Daryl saw was Merle swinging a fist at his face, knocking him to the ground. His body landed on the dirt with a thump, Merle still standing over him as he looked up.

"What the f- Ah! You son of a bitch! What the hell you do that for?!" A sharp pain ran across Daryl's cheekbone from his brother's punch. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, crimson staining his skin as he looked down.

"Well, I tried to tell you, brother. But you didn't wanna listen to me! I said we'd be better off with my plan and that we didn't need no group in the first place." Merle leaned down to Daryl, getting real close to his face again, "Just their stuff."

"And I tried to tell you that we need at least a few more fuckin' people in this world to have our backs than jus' you and me!" Daryl pulled himself from the ground to talk with his brother face to face.

"Come on, man! We've been doin' just fine on our own! We don't need-"

"Just fine? I slept in the trunk of a car last night, Merle! Are you shittin' me right now? I'm tryin' to guarantee our survival in this shit world, if you couldn't tell."

"You? Guarantee my survival? I'm the one that guaranteed your survival many years ago! you'd be dead without me. Me! Me, and no one else. So tell me, why you don't like my plan again. hm?"

"Yeah, I'll tell ya why-" was Daryl all could get out before he heard the rustling of leaves from a distance. His expression dropped, and the both of them started glancing around for where the steps were coming from.

Daryl recognized the step pattern as human before drawing his bow. His muscular forearms pushed an arrow into the barrel, and by the time it'd clicked into place, he turned to where the footsteps in the surrounding forest were coming from. Freezing in place, he began staring into the brush where the sound had retreated.

"Come out, now!" Daryl's rough voice called out, hearing a rustling once more until two people emerged from behind the leaves.

You appeared next to a young asian man, approaching out of the wood. Daryl noticed your backs bare of any baggage except for a rifle on the man's back and a pair of binoculars around your neck.

"Well, lookie here! Bambi and her boytoy.." Merle chuckled with a snide look on his face.

"Who are y'all?" Daryl’s aggressive voice called out, bow still drawn. The two of them looked like deer in headlights, startled from the same man yelling at them before.

“Hey man, it’s alright, Y’all ain’t gonna hurt us.” Merle had a smirk plastered on his face, one that could say the nastiest things.

"I think we're the ones who should be asking that, seeing as you guys are in our foraging spot.." The man with the baseball cap spoke first.

"Yeah, where the hell did you guys come from? And here I thought we were far out enough from the city..." You said, slightly trying to lighten the serious mood, since Daryl still had his bow aimed on them.

"Alright, first thing's first you don't have to point your weapon at us, we aren't a threat to you, clearly.. Second of all, are you gonna answer me? Where did you guys come from?" The man’s face dour, waiting for a response.

Merle spoke up, sharing a glance with Daryl before looking back at you, tension growing with uncertainty.

“Oh, we've been traveling for a couple of days now, lookin' to find some place to hole up for a while.” Merle spoke, trying to deceive the two people in front of him.

"Yeah? No luck so far, clearly." Tightness grew in your chest as you crossed your forearms over it.

The snark from the perverted man disgusted you, picking up the fact that he saw himself better than anyone, especially women.

“Now you listen to me, Bambi-“ Daryl pushed his brother back at his stance starting to walk towards you.

"Merle, back off." Daryl really didn't want to scrap the chance they were getting if these people actually had a camp they could go back to.

"What he 's tryin' to say is that we've been on the road since the world went to shit, and we're runnin' low on food. Could use someplace safe to camp out for a while till we get back on our feet. That is, if ya got one."

"Um.. you guys have any... specialized skills or something?" You spoke again, questioning the brothers.

"What kinda skills you mean, girl?" Merle spoke again, laughing cynically as if to suggest you were talking about anything other than survival skills. He muttered a 'shut up, Merle' before answering you.

"Apologies for my brother, he ain't the brightest tool in the shed," Daryl remarked, giving his brother a look before continuing to talk, "We're both real good at huntin' and scavenging, trackin' people and animals and shit like that. Plus my brother's got army experience, too. So, you got a camp, or somethin'? W'all wouldn't ask us this if ya didn't have one, or at least a group.."

Daryl peered at you and the dark haired man, watching you both share a look before replying.

"Even if we did, I'm not sure if I trust you both enough to bring you guys back with us."

"And what if we don't wanna join your camp, huh, Bambi? What if we're doin' just fine out here on our own?" Merle's voice sounded out once more, trying to test the two in front of him.

Considering the look of both the men from a few feet away, they were bulky, probably strong and smart. The itch at the back of your throat told you something was off with the two, sweat-adorned foreheads and dark circles under their eyes told more about them than what met your eye.

No, these guys need us. They're exhausted and should rest.

"Listen, you just told us that you're low on food. Let us help you. I know more about people than you'd think. You guys are clearly exhausted, and need some place to rest for a while. Even if you don't want to come, I'm sure there'd be a place for you."

It's then that you turn your head to your foraging partner, his dark eyes still studying the hunters before him.

"Glenn?"

"What?" The man, now identified as Glenn, looked back over at you before speaking once more.

"They have useful skills and be good for the camp. We can't survive on Amy's berries and mushrooms for the rest of our lives. C'mon!"

"If we come back from our outing with these two random guys behind us, Shane will flip! Out!" Glenn's hands were in the air now, attempting to get his point across.

"Not when he realizes they can help us! I say we at least give them a chance.. Alright?"

Damn, he's makin' several good points and she's tryin' to show him the good in us. Haven't met anyone like that before.

"Y/n.. you're really pushing it right now, and I-"

That's your name? It suits you. Daryl' thought, his brain half caught off guard that these people seemed decent and wanted to willingly bring them back to their group.

"Glenn! Oh my god! Just listen to me for once! Please!"

They sure argue like an old married couple...

Daryl remained calm while they talked it out, while Merle on the other hand grew impatient. He never liked waiting long for anything, was always one to jump the gun before thinking rationally about every little thing. Daryl had watched his brother be overtaken by this urge ever since they were teenagers.

"Hey! I don't trust the bald guy!" Glenn whisper yelled to you.

Daryl would be lying if he didn't admit the guy's opinion of Merle made him chuckle.

"Okay, well I trust the other one. The guy with the bow. So come on already and agree with me."

Oh, she was talking about him.

She trusts me?

"Fine. But it's your ass if Shane gets mad."

Your counter was better than glenn's, in Daryl's opinion, but was still caught off guard when you admitted it.

Who's this Shane guy? Sounds like an asshole.

With a sigh, the duo's bickering finally ceased, Glenn turning to them with their fate in his hands.

"Look, we have a camp, okay? It's out by a quarry, we're all up there with a bunch of other people. Now, if you guys could provide our group with those skills you mentioned before, and help out our camp, we could see about taking you back with us. Maybe."

"What he means to say is it's alright for you to follow us to camp, I'll talk to the guy in charge and a couple other people to see how they feel about letting you two stay. Alright?" You looked to Daryl, watching as the tension in his shoulders diminished at your words.

"Yeah, we'll help out your group." Daryl's gravel voice spoke out, softer than before.

"And what about the rest of camp? Huh?" Glenn turned to you again, knowing how some people would react to this information better than others.

"Well, they're just going to have to live with the fact that I brought them two hunters who agreed to hunt for our group." You shrugged at him, wanting to let it go and head back..

"Hey hold on there, Bambi." Merle perked up at your words.

Oh God, this was either going to go really bad or even worse.

"I don't remember agreeing to work my ass off huntin' in these woods for no damn people that ain't at least feliciated my piece, if ya know what i mean." merle chuckled, a distasteful smirk on his face.

"merle.. shut up."

"nah, man. i meant what i said."

"excuse me?" you turned around, clearly offended at what his brother had said in his ever-so-snarky tone.

"Ohh boy.." Glenn just stood back and watched, not wanting to piss you off more.

"You heard me, Bambi."

You scoffed at the name he kept using, quite offended at the man before you, and his attitude. After all, you had just invited them back to camp, and he had the audacity to tell you how things were going to be?

"Listen here, baldy. I trust my friend Glenn a lot, so you should be lucky I even told you we would bring you back with us! Oh, don't worry, we'll still take you.. but if Shane doesn't want you in our camp, I'll let him deal with you instead. Have fun with that.. Now are you coming, or what? We haven't got all day." Daryl watched as you walked away, turning your head back to make sure he followed.

"C'mon, let's go." Daryl told his brother, before walking ahead to follow the two back to their camp.

Merle only scoffed, but followed anyways.

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[dailybbq]

You think Qtaro’s orphanage ACTUALLY raised him well, in a comfortable healthy household or was he just manipulated into thinking that? Bc I remember him saying in the Mishima Fondness events that he had a ‘great’ childhood due to the support from the people of his orphanage.. but.. I really doubt that since his orphanage was owned by asunaro.

FONDNESS EVENT:

KAZUMI: Then... you had a difficult childhood...? Q-TARO: S'not that at all! I was burnin' bright! KAZUMI: Because you had the support of everyone at the orphanage, I take it.

Q-TARO'S AI:

I was raised up in an orphanage that’s just a mite bit weird. Had people from all sortsa countries. I got a lotta dialects and stuff mixed in me… 'Course, they sent me to compulsory education up 'til high school. Can’t thank the place enough.

ON KAI:

From Kai… I sensed the scent of a lonely person. Dunno nothin' about the guy, but… As somebody of the same kind, I wanna see his dying wish through.

(placing relevant quotes here for easy reference!)

Personally, I read Q-taro to genuinely believe that the orphanage was making the best of an all-around awful situation. On an individual level, this is very true! On a management level? ...buddy, Asunaro's not even paying for your high school because it's not compulsory.

Due to what little information Q-taro's given on the orphanage he was raised, I'm inclined to believe that it was an organization specifically centered around aiding native-born stateless orphans. Now, it already creates difficulty finding basic (legal) healthcare and education; but this same situation is what works best for (what we now know of) Asunaro. Within the orphanage, it's much easier to scout out possible future agents (for their resilience in spite of the situation they were granted; or possibly to take in young children to raise as agents; or... worse, experimentation), as well as... hide their own. As Asunaro's essentially functioning as a yakuza group, they are involved in the 'underground' of society and there are many who may give up their children for safety—whether it is temporary, to fully disconnect them from the yakuza (in being given another name), it's easier to feign being another person within an organization like that.

Additionally, as Asunaro is not simply funding the orphanage, but has their name attached to it—I believe they're also taking advantage of this to idly test everyone there. Despite their yakuza origins and various other connections to separate organizations, they are first and foremost a research agency on humanity. As Q-taro agrees to... he didn't consider himself to have a difficult childhood because he was given support from everyone at the orphanage. Asunaro in their experiments are proved again, and again, that emotional bonds are what uplifts humans and (typically) makes them stronger/more successful.

This is partially what interests me in Q-taro and Kai's 'similar' dichotomy.

Q-taro's orphanage had little resources to work with, yet held such loving people he wanted to do right by. Despite his hardship, and the anger Q-taro carried when he was younger toward his parents, he eventually realized it doesn't... matter if his biological parents thought he was trash to be discarded; he still has family in the orphanage. He was never as lonely as he thought he was, and this is what eventually opened him up. From this, he considers them to be his 'family' and the 'light' of his life; even after he left to pursue baseball, he consistently returns to the orphanage to provide the kids there hope. The very same hope that he (wishes he) had at that age. He's a pillar of unconditional support for them, as one of the few adults who stays.

By contrast, as confirmed in the ministories (though this was my belief before simply on the basis of. how his father acted + Gin's one line lol), Kai was granted a 'richer' life when he hadn't yet stained his record as an assassin. Whereas Asunaro must keep a relatively low-profile with the orphanage, they could indulge within their own faculties. However, most of these funds come down to what was used to train Kai; meaning food and the like were all negotiable variables dependent on his progress and must be permitted by his guardian (Gashu). There was standard neglect in place for those who fell too far—unlike the orphanage, everything within the facility is conditional. The only moment when Kai finds 'light' (or, as he says: 'a reason to live' - one Asunaro failed to provide) is when he meets the Chidouins and is finally granted a chance to love and be loved in turn, but even that hangs in the balance and... inevitably falls through, due to his own failure to protect them.

In a sense, due to neglect, they both struggle with staying close to those they love, for fear of emburdening them. Which they recognize causes more harm, but this isolation is what they are accustomed to coping with.

Q-taro doesn't wish to hoard resources or make conversation 'heavy' when the situation is already dire. This is why he refused to see those who cared for him when he was hospitalized; he feels that proving "orphans can realize their dreams" is his responsibility alone and seeing him in such a state would put a stake in that dream. Meanwhile, Kai doesn't wish to impose himself on the Chidouins because he's been conditioned to believe he isn't worthy of civilian life, though he still dearly wishes to uplift them where he can. As another agent, he's been used enough, and doesn't wish to be an extension of Asunaro any more than he must—he doesn't wish to damn those he cares for simply because he's been raised in 'darkness' (...as Sara doesn't want to drag people she loves into 'darkness' - or 'danger'). As it is, the Chidouins have caught Asunaro's eye. Only Kai, of darkness, can only serve as a barrier because he's well-accustomed to its ruthless cruelty. This is his sole duty.

Their isolation, this loneliness, is born of their intense love and desire to have someone else they can freely connect with but are unable to due to their perceived responsibilities so no one else may suffer hopelessness as they once did.

...but I digress!

All that said, this is my long-winded way of saying: I don't believe Q-taro's living conditions were the best, but I think he tends to focus more on the people rather than the situation. Friends within the orphanage could help him gather money, would encourage him when he struggles academically, so on, so forth! Ultimately, he feels he's better off for his strife, so he doesn't blame the orphanage.

[rileytwenty]

IDIA || an Avatar story (x Neteyam)

Chapter 8

Masterlist

(English Na'vi)

The knowledge that Neteyam could have made it back to the island safely if it weren't for me dug into me as if someone had buried a knife in my chest up to its hilt.

He was smart and alert enough to realize what was happening to us and likely would have been quick enough to keep up with the douchebag gang to get back, but he couldn't because of his obligation to my dumb ass.

"I'm sorry, Neteyam," Was all I could say. I had probably said it three times already.

"Do you have any idea how shameful it will be when we get back? And that's if we don't die out here before my family realizes we're gone. I cannot believe you were so naive."

In a sense, I was relieved that Neteyam was with me. The lack of his presence was more noticeable to the Sullys. If he had followed Ao'nung and his friends back to the island, I'm not one-hundred percent confident that someone would have cared enough to come find me.

"Eclipse will happen in a few minutes. We should get on land, start a fire." He suggested, his tone indicating that he was still upset with me. He began swimming towards the shoreline and I followed close behind.

There was a thin strip of beach across the front of the island before the ring-like rock structures started. It wrapped around almost half of the island lengthwise, though it was only about three strides in width.

"Go look for something wooden, something that will catch," He ordered sternly, and I listened, turning in the opposite direction he was heading to scour the small length of beach.

By the time we met back up again, it was nearly pitch-black and very chilly.

"What did you find?" His bad mood had quickly dissipated under the stress of survival.

Instead of a reply, I held my arms out to display what I had found. A few logs-- only semi-wet-- and a bunch of dead Pandorian palm tree leaves. His eyes lit up.

"Oh, yes! Those leaves will work very well." He sent me his signature fang-y half-smile. He wouldn't say 'good job', but I could read between the lines.

"So, how does one start a fire?" I asked him.

He looked at me with a glare of irritation. "You don't know how to start a fire." It was less a question that an unbelieving statement.

"Nope."

"You would die in the forest. It's lucky you live in that lab." His distaste for my lifestyle was clear. I could almost see a mini Neytiri in his head, working hard against me.

I was getting fed up with people blaming me for my lack of life skills as a Na'vi. "Well you had parents to teach you how to survive, now didn't you?"

He had nothing to say to that, and instead changed the topic. "Give me a hand, will you? Grab that stick there."

With me following his instructions, he had a fire going in only a few minutes.

On land, we were relatively safe. The island was too small to inhabit anything carnivorous. The biggest threat to us was the bugs, which loved our still-wet skin and very well may have killed us via the itching or annoyance factors.

After an unbearable amount of time with Neteyam telling me not to itch the bites and me itching them anyways, I burst out, "I can't handle this anymore! I'm getting in the water." It was the only thing that could soothe the bites.

"Idia, no. Who knows what's in the shallows now that it's dark? Stay on the land, someone will be here soon."

"You said that twenty minutes ago, Neteyam. I'm getting in."

"Idia--" It was too late, I was already waist deep. I crouched down, dunking my body up to my neck in the decently chilly water.

"This is so much better. You should get in, it'll help with the itching," I suggested.

He sighed. "Get out of the water, please. Before something is tempted to take a bite out of you, skxawng." He turned back to the fire, adding some more leaves on top.

"Fine, fine, be that wa-"

A sharp jolt shot up my left leg like lightning. I silently gasped, my brain too shocked to scream or cry. The jolt turned to searing pain which turned to burning. I was hopping on one leg out of the water, holding my upper thigh right above where the pain started. I collapsed onto the sand, cradling my leg as best I could.

"Neteyam!" My wincing tone had him whipping his head around and running over in an instant.

"Argh! I told you not to go into the water!" He slammed his fist into the sand, crouching beside me.

I looked down to find out why my leg was burning and noticed a thick, jelly-like substance coating my calf, knee and lower thigh. Is this what was causing the pain? I reached forward to remove it, but Neteyam caught me by the wrist.

"Don't. It'll hurt your hand, too."

"I need it off. Eywa, it's burning, Neteyam!"

"I'll get a stick. Don't touch it." He ran off for a moment, and by this point my vision was getting fuzzy.

Pushing my head back into the sand as a distraction, I let out a small screaming sob.

Neteyam returned and used the stick to remove the jelly-substance. The burning didn't lessen. I was fully sobbing, not having the strength or focus to try to compose myself. My body was on the verge of throwing up.

"Dammit!" Neteyam shouted. It would have startled me if my brain was present. "There's nothing to help with on this stupid beach!"

"Neteyam?" Shouted a worried voice from out on the water. Jake.

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

I must've passed out. I woke in the Sully marui with Ronal standing over me.

The pain hit me like a hammerhead titanothere ramming me at full force. It was less than before, but enough to elicit a pained wheeze from my lungs.

"Child? Are you alright?" Ronal leaned down, cupping my head.

"Shit, that burns," I gasped out.

"There she is," Jake sighed out a laugh. He was squatting next to me, watching me intently.

"I will apply the medicine now that she is awake," Ronal explained, and began dabbing a paste onto my injury.

My thoughts were scattered. "What exactly happened?"

"Jellyfish sting," Jake answered, "you passed out from the pain. Ronal says you'll heal completely in a week or so if you keep applying the medicine every day."

Neteyam. I looked around, and spotted him with his ears back and his tail tucked between his legs. I made eye contact, but he looked away.

"I'm sorry, sir. I should never have let her go in the water." Neteyam apologized to his father.

"Neteyam, we'll talk about this late-"

"What?" I was baffled by his need to apologize. "That's stupid. I'm older than you, it's not your job to protect me. Besides, you tried to warn me and then you still did your best to help me. If anything, I should be thanking you and you should be mad at me."

Jake chuckled darkly. "Oh, I'm pissed. With both of you. Just you wait."