#WOOOO ANGSTY

[mappingthesky]

not a prompt necessarily but I’m always down for planymphia angst 🙏🙏🙏

in response to multiple asks i’ve received for planymphia angst… here is this <3

i know baby, no attachment

None of this had been in the plan.

It was the first thing they’d talked about that first night in Jane’s apartment; Neither of them were looking for anything serious. They were both unavailable, incapable of making any promises. Not now. Not yet. It would be clean, simple, no strings attached. Just two people using each other. Innocently, admittedly using each other, but using each other nonetheless.

They’d been on the couch in Jane’s dimly lit apartment. Jane was an obvious sort of gorgeous. It was the first thing Nymphia had noticed about her, what drew her in on that first night they’d met: she’d been wearing something meant to lure you in, hypnotized by the clinging of her clothes to her body, the wave of her hair, her eyes tightlined and sharpened like knives. Jane was almost lethal to look at, all done up and primed to kill; the most magnetic friend-of-a-friend Nymphia had ever been introduced to. She was somehow even more gorgeous now, sitting on the couch in her casual clothes, her face aglow in the light of the television, her auburn hair pulled up into a messy top knot. She was painfully, effortlessly attractive, and, much to Nymphia’s surprise, only so much of a smooth talker. She came off suave at first, all punchlines and quick remarks, but after a while Nymphia could start to see her thinking. Jane would be in the middle of a sentence, flying through it, hurtling towards some revelation, and then she’d catch herself. She’d pause, freeze on a word and scoff at it, like she was considering whether whatever she was about to say would be worth the sentiment. And then she’d go a bit shy, averting her eyes and playing with the pilling on the upholstery, giving away just how carefully considered she was. And just when Nymphia was starting to think that Jane was completely nervous to her core, that Nymphia might actually have the upper hand in this situation, Jane would bring it back. She’d pick her head up and let the words go, say something so stunningly direct and devastating. It left Nymphia a little breathless, a little too endeared, a little too eager to kiss her.

They could have guessed at the chemistry, but it didn’t come close to the real thing.

What happened when Jane’s skin hit Nymphia was the sort of collision that produced suns and planets and supernovas, flinging particles off into space with enough pressure to form entire worlds. Nymphia could practically see the stars behind her eyes, fluttering shut when Jane was hovering above her, hand between her legs, finding some undiscovered place that Nymphia didn’t know had been there all along, waiting to be found. Jane turned Nymphia’s body into something more than it was before, transforming her irrevocably. Jane was a comet crashing through her atmosphere, and Nymphia was awe-struck, staring at the sky and watching the sparks shower. You can’t be prepared for such life-altering things, it's what makes them so devastating.

What neither of them could have predicted was the ease of what came after - the lying in bed, talking about it. The debrief. Nymphia was a bit too happily fucked, and unwilling to share the extent of her satisfaction. She was worried she would come off easy, inexperienced somehow. Jane, however, was endlessly attentive. She wanted Nymphia’s experience of the encounter, all the details - what she liked, what satisfied her the most, what she wanted more of. Her sheer desire to please was enough to pull the details out of Nymphia. She was rewarded when Jane allowed her to relive it, this time through Jane’s eyes. Jane’s gaze was far off with remembering, a smile playing at her lips as she recounted her experience of Nymphia in such erotic detail, every telling arch and shudder, and the whole thing was so overwhelmingly flattering that it sort of made Nymphia want to do it all over again.

Nymphia had known better than to pack an overnight bag. She thought she had, anyway.

Her eyes were closed and she was nearly asleep when she’d mumbled, ‘I should be going soon.”

Jane just chuckled. “You’re half asleep already.” Her fingers trailed up the curve of Nymphia’s thigh. “Just spend the night. If you want to.”

Nymphia's eyes were suddenly open, “Yeah?” Jane traced stars onto her hip.

“Mhm,” Jane hummed, eyes flickering up, then back to the curve of Nymphia’s waist.

Nymphia closed her eyes, savored in the feeling of Jane on her skin. A long moment passed.

“D’you cuddle? Or is that against the rules.”

Jane’s hum was an amused look at you asking so soon. She was already pulling Nymphia to her chest.

That first night turned into a three-day sleepover, because of course it did. Nymphia and Jane stretched themselves over the long arc of the weekend, sharing the sort of welcome, unexpected ease that you can’t put down, the kind that you’ll happily destroy your routine over and resign yourself to picking up the pieces after the fact. One weekend became another, and then occasional nights at Nymphia’s apartment with the door shut and her duvet crumpled at the end of the bed. And then they added the weekday rendezvous: Nymphia meeting Jane at her place after work on Thursday evenings, promising not to keep her up late and failing miserably, leaning her head on Jane’s shoulder in the morning as she locked the door on her way out. And then Nymphia was bleeding into Jane’s week, her Tuesdays and Wednesdays, her breakfasts and dinners, her late-night ice cream cravings and subsequent walks to 7-11. And then it was all too regular: Nymphia and Jane, Jane and Nymphia.

It's been a few months now, and there are so many things Nymphia loves about Jane.

She loves how Jane drives with one hand on her thigh, or with her fingers in her mouth. How she looks over to the passenger seat with that special look that's reserved just for Nymphia, and makes her feel like the only person she's ever wanted. She loves how she listens to her music loud, sings along when she’s drunk and tossing her hair, or when it's Sunday morning and she’s at the stove and there’s a record spinning in the living room. Nymphia loves how unabashed Jane is, how bold. How she never hesitates when it comes to the people in her life, how to be loved by Jane is to be fiercely defended by her. Nymphia loves how Jane kisses her in the middle of her sentences, especially when she's talking too much. She loves that Jane is so rough. How she can fuck her like she hates her. She loves how Jane can be so tender. How she can fuck her soft and slow, as reverent as religion. How Jane can make a mess of her, then put her back together again.

There are so many things Nymphia hates.

She hates that Jane is so impulsive, how she strikes so thoughtlessly, how she has to return to the wounds later to draw the venom out of them. How Jane is so stubborn, so set in her ways, so inflexible. How there’s two Janes - the one she’s with now, the one she is around her friends. The one who doesn’t kiss her, hardly touches her aside from a possessive arm around her shoulder or a tap on her knee. How the real Jane, Nymphia’s Jane, emerges as soon as they’re alone together, the one who will see her downturned gaze on the way home and coo what can I do, princess? Hmm? What can I do to see that pretty smile? Nymphia hates that she forgives Jane so easily, that she crumbles every time, that she loves Jane completely and entirely and beyond any measure of hurt that she could unknowingly inflict upon her.

She hates that she’s still sitting at this party, long after Jane promised they’d leave. She hates that Jane’s friends clearly like her; they laugh at Nymphia’s jokes, compliment her shoes, send knowing glances and winks across the room every time Jane so much as mentions her name. She hates how, when they ask what they are, Jane is all too quick to brush them off.

It's obvious that Nymphia’s upset by the way she pounds up the stairs, by the way she wordlessly digs through her purse for her keys, by the way the anger and the hurt and the disappointment emanate from her like poison.

“I just can’t believe they asked that,” Jane scoffs. Nymphia says nothing, gritting her teeth as she turns the key in the lock.

It should be obvious, but Jane is a bit too self-absorbed to notice.

“Like, we don’t even know what we are,” Jane says, and Nymphia feels sick, because she thought she did. “Why would she put me on the spot like that? In front of everyone?”

Nymphia pushes into the apartment, beelining for the kitchen.

“I mean, it was weird, right?” Jane continues, relentless. “Why do they need to know so bad?”

“Yeah,” Nymphia’s voice is hard, laced with venom. She chucks her keys onto the counter with a little too much force. “Why would they?”

“Right,” Jane doesn’t notice. “It would be nice if they could just let us-“

“I don’t know why they could possibly be so confused.” Nymphia interrupts, working off her thigh-highs.

Jane misses a beat. “Wait. Are you-“

“I can’t fucking imagine why they’d think that we’re together.” Nymphia lets her boots drop to the floor, one gut-wrenching smack after the other.

Jane blinks, brows knit together. Nymphia straightens up, fumbles with things on the counter that don’t need to be fumbled with. “Are you upset about this?”

“Why would I be upset?” Nymphia picks up a stray mug, sets it down again. “You just told all of your friends that we’re nothing serious. Why would I ever be upset about that, Jane?”

“I didn’t say that, Nymph,” Jane starts, already on the defense. “I said that we’re something.”

“Oh, right. My bad.” Nymphia scoffs. “We’re something. Let me know when you’re ready to illuminate me on whatever the fuck that means, Jane.”

Jane recoils at Nymphia’s profanity, unfamiliar with her frustration. She’s never seen her like this- so hurt, so ready to retaliate.

It's not funny. Jane shouldn’t laugh. She really shouldn’t, but she’s viscerally uncomfortable and horrifically unprepared for this situation, so she does anyways. “Are you really angry about this?”

The whole thing is white hot and embarrassing, and Nymphia has tears in her eyes when she turns and whips her purse to the floor.

Jane jumps. “What the fuck?” She’s wide-eyed, both hands held up in shock. “Nymphia. Are you serious right now?”

“I don’t know Jane,” Nymphia bites. “Are you serious?”

“What?”

“I kinda thought you might be,” Nymphia steps over her bag. “Y’know, because you cut me a key to your fucking apartment. I thought maybe that constituted we were more than,” she curls her fingers in the air, “something”.

Jane shakes her head, jaw tight and temple pulsing. When she speaks, it's in a lower voice, almost ashamed. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

“You never want to talk about it!” Nymphia’s voice cracks, a desperate wail. Jane’s mouth opens, already halfway towards defending herself until she looks at Nymphia and sees her bottom lip quivering, the spilling over of her tears. Jane looked back with a concerned, almost panicked expression, lips frozen and slightly parted.

“Do you love me, Jane? Do you even fucking like me?”

Nymphia surprises herself with the question. She’s so amped up, so high on adrenaline that she lets it all out- the culmination of weeks of words she’d bitten back, suddenly pouring forth from where they’d been collecting in a lump in her throat.

“No, seriously, do you? Because I can’t fucking tell. I think you do, because- because you say all these beautiful things, and you spend so much time with me, and you take such good fucking care of me. So you must fucking love me, right? But when your friends ask, I have to sit there and listen to you tell them that we’re something. Like it’s so fucking confusing to you. Like it's a goddamn secret. Do you know what that feels like?”

Nymphia is fully pacing now, walking the length of the kitchen over and over again. Jane follows her with wincing, pained eyes.

What Nymphia hates, more than anything, is that she doesn’t hate Jane at all. Not for any of it.

“I’m fucking in love with you, Jane, alright?” Nymphia whines, hands whipping through the air with frustration. “I’m so in love with you, and everybody fucking knows it. Your friends, my friends, my mom, everyone! But no one seems to have any goddamn clue if you love me too. And you know what? I’m not sure if I do, either.”

When she finally expels the last of the words from the hole in her heart, Nymphia looks up through her tears. She can barely stomach the sight of Jane, lips parted and wordless, unsure of what to do with the outpouring of Nymphia’s heart. She stares at her, eyes twisted in pain, then looks to the ground, like Nymphia’s words have slid off her and collected in a puddle at her feet. Nymphia just cries, a pained and exhausted whimper on her lips as she pushes past Jane and into the living room. She collapses on one end of the couch, pulling her knees to her chest and hiding her face behind one hand, hot tears sliding down her cheeks and into her mouth.

Jane stands in the center of the room with her back turned, still facing the phantom of Nymphia’s words that may very well haunt her kitchen forever. Her head is spinning, because how the fuck did this happen. Nymphia is openly sobbing behind her, and the sound is so gut-wrenching that Jane is nauseated.

Nymphia makes a horrible, shuddering gasp for air and Jane finally breaks, crossing the room and dropping to her knees on the floor where Nymphia sits. She doesn’t even look at her, just sobs, and Jane can physically feel her heart fucking breaking.

“Nymphia,” she says, placing her palm on Nymphia’s knee. “Nymph. Hey.”

Nymphia shakes her head, face contorted with tears. She flinches at Jane’s hand like it fucking hurts, and Jane winces as the guilt slices through her. She exhales a sharp puff of defeat and drops her head in hurt.

Nymphia just cries and cries, and the reality of the situation sinks in Jane’s stomach with every sob. She’s sick to her stomach with concern, worried that Nymphia might actually fucking hyperventilate, and then she’s gently begging the girl to breathe. She goes to reach for Nymphia again and pauses, scared to reach out, scared to hurt Nymphia, scared that she’ll recoil from her again. It’s then that Jane knows, for the first time in all of her life, what she wants. She knows, right as it threatens to slip out of her hands.

“I’ve never done this before.”

Jane hears her own voice. Her words hang in the air for a moment, floating like smoke between Nymphia’s shaky, shattered breaths. Jane looks up.

“This,” she says, a tentative hand on Nymphia’s knee. “What you and I have. I’ve never-”

The words are hard for Jane to stomach. They don’t pour out like Nymphia’s do. They catch in her throat, feel wrong in her mouth. She’s not sure they’ll be enough.

“I’ve never had this with anyone,” she says. “I’ve never wanted to. Not until now.”

Nymphia wipes at her eyes, shudders a bit as her breathing quiets.

“I, um,” Jane glances down, scared to look. “I don’t know how.”

Nymphia finally looks at Jane, so small and nervous and crumbling at her feet. She wants to take her hand, to show her, to be endlessly patient even if it kills her. The desire is so enormous, even now. She almost hates herself for it.

“I know I’m fucking it up,” Jane says to the floor, her voice tiny and wavering. “I’m sorry. You don’t deserve that.”

“I just need to know,” Nymphia whispers.

Nymphia swallows hard, and then Jane looks up and its so fucking harrowing, so moving, because Nymphia can see the guilt in her eyes, the desire, the glimmer of words she can’t figure out how to say. She watches as she considers, catches herself, lets it go.

“I do.” Jane says. Nymphia’s heart plummets, because she knows what she means.

“I don’t want to say it now,” Jane says. “I don’t want it to be an apology. I want you to know I mean it. Is that okay?”

Nymphia nods and Jane mutters over and over I do, I do, you know I do.

It's beautiful and tragic and overwhelming, and Nymphia wants to crash into Jane, to merge together and surpass the need for words entirely. It's too soon to know yet if it's for better or for worse, only that she does it - that she reaches out and takes Jane’s hand.

“I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it.” There’s a hint of a smile on her lips, a bit of Jane laughing at herself. “But I want to try.”

Nymphia just nods and feels more tears streaming down her cheeks, and Jane’s crying too, and then they’re crashing into each other. Nymphia is leaning down and throwing her arms around Jane, who is sitting forward and clinging to her like she’s scared to let her go. Like she caught a shooting star in her bare fucking hands.

It's a whisper against her hair, but Nymphia hears it. “Can I try again?”

Nymphia could hate herself for it for all of forever. She’s prepared to. Jane doesn’t know what she’s doing, and she doesn't either. Nymphia nods anyway.

It's a new world, one of their own making. It's unexplored, uncharted, and they’re venturing into it together, hand in shaking hand. It's dangerous. She’s doing it anyway. She might hate herself for it. It might be the bravest thing she’s ever done.

[loudsnapdragon]

it's a sex shop fic.

Buy Local: Steve Harrington's Guide to Modern Sexuality

steve/eddie. mature. 49,000 words, 5/5 chapters. background platonic stobin, nancy/jonathan, and robin/vickie. read on ao3 here, loudsnapdragon.

Amid the crotchless lingerie and silicone dildoes that litter the floor of Hawkins’ worst and best and only Adult Store, Steve undergoes a very short, and not very stressful sexuality crisis; Robin fails to lose her virginity; and Eddie refuses to admit why he doesn’t use Grindr. It’s not what Steve expected out of life, definitely not what Steve's dad expected out of his life either, but Steve’s not complaining, well, not until he ends up locked in the stockroom, with nothing more than a bag of genitalia-shaped candy, and a prudish Eddie Munson to keep him entertained, with their least favourite gun-carrying regular tearing apart the merchandise outside.

‘Co-captain’s log, the time is…’ Steve checks his watch. ‘4:47pm, the date is 06/10/23, we are currently locked-’

‘You cannot be serious.’

Steve snaps his head away from the security camera positioned in the high corner of the stock room, scowling at Eddie, who sits jaw-dropped, eyebrows set in a furious line, legs sprawled out on the floor, his elbows wresting on a cardboard box marked Penis-Enhancer 2000.

‘What else am I going to do? Dude, we just have to wait this out. I pressed the panic button. The police will be here soon. Might as well be productive.’

Outside the stock room, there’s a loud thump, a swooping noise, followed by the quiet woosh of air escaping an inflatable. Steve winces. Unlucky Doris.

Eddie pulls at his hair with both hands, his feet bouncing faster. ‘How is that being productive?’

‘It’s how me and Robin pass on notes, don’t be a dick. Just calm down and shut up.’ He turns back round to the camera. ‘It’s the sixth of October, and we are currently locked inside the stock room…’

There’s another bang from outside the stock room, the sound of Rodney’s muffled cursing, then a shelf falling over, a clattering of small boxes hitting the floor. Steve silently mourns his beautifully organised DVD displays.

Eddie clumsily jumps up onto his long legs, belt chains clanking on the cement floor, knocking over a box of skin rags in the process, starting to pace manically around Steve. ‘We’ve gotta do something! He has a gun.’

Steve shrugs from the floor. ‘It’s just Rodney.’

‘It’s just Rodney? How can you be so chill? He’s tearing your store apart!’

Steve rolls his eyes, giving up on his captain’s log. ‘Dude, this is like the third time this has happened to me. I don’t really care anymore. Ms. Scarlet has insurance, she’ll be fine.’

From the sounds of it, Doris will be the only casualty, which is a shame, Steve had grown quite fond of the inflatable sex doll.

read more under the cut.

Eddie stops his frantic circling around the six-foot square space. ‘This store has been robbed two times already?’

‘Oh, I dunno, probably, Ms. Scarlet seems prepared, but the other robberies weren’t here.’ Steve yanks Eddie down by the shins, because he just can’t deal with the unnecessary panic right now. ‘That was at Scoops.’

‘Who the fuck does a stick-up at an ice cream parlour?’ Eddie says, confused, which is good, maybe if he’s distracted, he’ll give up with the fretting. He settles beside Steve, leather pants tacky as he wraps his arms around his knees, feet still bouncing.

‘Two guys who massively overestimated the value of vanilla milkshakes.’ Steve says, planting a hand on Eddie’s thigh to stop it shaking, only resulting in Eddie striking it off with a scowl.

Steve laughs, ‘Oh, I forgot there was a robbery at Family Video too, but I wasn’t working that day. And there was this car chase at the drive through, same day that me and Robin got locked in overnight, but that was just the kids messing with us.’

Eddie skews his eyes. ‘Dustin?’

‘Nah, not him. Will and Mike.’

‘Will?’ Eddie asks, tilting his head, surprised. ‘I mean Mike, sure. But Will? I did not expect that for him.’

‘He’s a schemer when he wants to be. He got pissy when I refused to give them free milkshakes on their big date. He pickpocketed the building keys off Robin when she wasn’t paying attention.’

Eddie smiles, feet slowly stilling. ‘Good for him. The boy deserves some mischief.’

‘Easy for you to say.’ Steve scoffs. ‘We’d just finished a ten-hour shift. I was exhausted. Have you ever been forced to make an emergency bed out of hamburger buns? Have you?’

Eddie’s eyes glint in the stock room’s dim light, and he laughs as he fiddles with his hair, curled round his finger, long line of his neck white and gleaming; and Steve considers, not for the first time, there’s danger here, in the trapped box of a stockroom. They’re locked there, their phones lying dead and smashed behind the door, waiting until the police arrive as Steve’s least favourite regular throws a weaponised hissy fit outside.

‘Be honest, was that the worst place you’ve ever fallen asleep?’ Eddie asks, with a knowing lilt.

Steve sighs, smiles despite it. ‘Obviously not. The worst place was last night.’

‘Last night?’

‘Yeah. I swear, my Grindr date’s bed was stuffed full of rocks.’

Eddie laughs, throwing his head back, opens his mouth to speak, stops at the sound of a bullet pinging off the stock room door.

Steve turns to it, bolted from the inside. There’s another bang, a loud crash, then presumably what must be Rodney chuckling to himself.

Steve glances over at the screen with the different security camera views by the light switch, where all the store’s cameras are still very much covered in the silly string Rodney brought along, pink and orange lines dripping over the three of the four views, the fourth one just a grey-scale square in the corner, showing Steve and Eddie hauled up in the stockroom, looking like off-duty actors caught behind the scenes. 

Eddie starts biting his lip so hard it’s going bright red. ‘Fuck. Fuck. He has a gun! Steve, he has a gun!’

Steve pats his shoulder. ‘The door is like, titanium, or something. Ms. Scarlet says it’s bulletproof.’

‘Thank God.’ Eddie exhales, raises his hand to cover Steve’s, skin on skin, then a second later, blushes, and shakes it away. Steve can’t help but smirk.

‘This never happened upstairs, we’ve never had a robbery.’ 

‘Huh. I woulda’ thought a vape store would get tonnes of this shit.’

‘No.’ Eddie says, his legs practically hovering off the floor. ‘Not once. Never had it at the record store either.’

‘Was the record store your only other job?’ Steve asks, trying to find a conversation that will take Eddie’s mind of the madman outside. Probably rude to call Rodney a madman, like he’s an asshole, obviously, but it’s not his fault he has a couple screws loose.

‘Yeah, yeah. Only other legal job.’ Eddie says, unravelling his legs, almost relaxing. ‘Started working there at sixteen, stayed there four years. Then it closed, and… well… you know how my move to the city went after that. But shit man, I can still remember how bummed I was when Andy said he was going to sell the place.’

‘I get it, fucking pain in my ass when Family Video closed.’ Steve says, ‘And Scoops, and Benny’s, and Holloway Press, and Merrill’s farm, and the library, and…’

‘Christ.’ Eddie interrupts. He does that all the time. ‘How many jobs have you had? How did ya’ even get all them?’

Steve doesn’t try counting, he’d need his resume to know for sure. ‘Robin’s good at applications.’

Eddie snorts. ‘You get Robin to apply for all your jobs?’

‘Yeah. We’re a package team, she’s not going anywhere I can’t follow.’

‘Cute.’ Eddie rests his chin in his hand, elbow on his only-slightly shaky knee. ‘Soo how did you end up here? At this wonderful, titanium protected, sex emporium? She sent in an application for you both?’

Steve kicks out his legs and raises his eyebrows. The door remains shut, the barrage of Rodney’s destruction filtering through the cracks.

‘Actually, that was all me.’

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

Hawkins has always been a shit hole, but in the years following Steve and Robin’s consecutive high school graduations, it’s become an all-encompassing shit crater; a chasm devouring and destroying all hope for the few youths that remain in their backwash hometown. Every local store closing, most of the big businesses vacating, Family Video first, but hey, can’t blame them. Personally, Steve blames Netflix, streaming is killing the little guys, people just don’t appreciate a good DVD these days.

Benny’s drive through-was the saddest closure, but the man was just retiring early, couldn’t be assed competing with the McDonalds down the highway. Steve didn’t really give a shit when the newspaper stopped printing, other than losing out on that sweet dental insurance and his last pay cheque. Tom Holloway, the rat bastard, still owes him $558. But Nancy was real torn up, practically mourning the local paper, had a very detailed argument explaining why late-stage capitalism was murdering independent journalism, which Steve failed to keep up with, too busy trying to surreptitiously text Robin under the diner table, asking her if she had any luck with their application at Walmart.

Robin is forging an escape route, halfway done at the community college in the town over, but she’s still bunking with her parents, still pretending to be dating Steve to survive scrutinising questions at weekly family meals; saving up cash for the fancy, probably single sex dorm rooms at whatever stupid, liberal arts school on the East Coast she’ll eventually run away to. Yes, Steve is bitter about her plans to move away, but never enough to try to stop her. So, for now, they still spend their weekends together, driving the pot-holed roads and empty streets, past the burnt-out crisp of Starcourt mall and the bug infested corn fields, singing along to the cheesy local radio stations, and gossiping about all the other losers still clinging on to their hometown by their fingernails.

They’re both very experienced, very bored, and very, very desperate for cash; like most other twenty somethings stuck in the Midwest; and with the rent on the tiny apartment in Steve’s shabby complex only getting higher, and the scholarships Robin’s applying to only getting more competitive; their desperate job hunting driving around the edges of Hawkins eventually leads to the sign-less warehouses just past the town boundary, where the sidewalk stops, the windows are painted black, and the posters promise: a clean and confidential experience.

Robin slams the car door after jumping out the passenger seat. Steve scowls, and she huffs, before gently petting the door and cooing. He accepts this apology on his Beamer’s behalf with a tight-lipped nod.

She twitches her nose as she looks up and down the strip. ‘Steve, are you sure about this?’

‘Not really, but hey? Can’t do any harm.’

A literal tumbleweed rolls over their feet. A crow caws from its stoop on a rickety drainpipe. A barefoot woman in a massive trench coat stumbles out the back entrance of the farthest warehouse, lighting her cigarette, pushing away her silver wig to glare at them over a cloud of smoke.

‘I’m feeling like it could do some harm.’

‘We could do worse.’ He says, ‘Come on.’

[dnfity]

quick lil July 15 2022 and July 15 2023 George bodyswap mini fic 💙

inspired by this dranart like

[the-gilded]

Sorry anon, I accidentally posted the answer too early!

10. What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?

This is a tough one to write without spoilers, so forgive me if I'm a little vague...

Ayre: "I'd be happy to, it's what I'm supposed to do." In some way it does haunt them, because it's a lie they still can't stop telling.

Jolenn: "I'm happy with what I have." I don't think it bothers them so much, since this one doesn't affect anyone but themself.

Nex: "I hate you." No, it doesn't haunt them, and they'd happily say it a hundred more times if it got them what they wanted.

Wren: "I'm happy to help." I don't think they even notice that it's a lie any more, so it can't haunt them, no.

[general-kalani]

Be honest, Joseph, why did you fall for Ambrose?

{ Prompt from here! }

"Because I thought God would let me having something for myself. My teachings were not for me to keep, my brothers were not for me to keep. Ambrose... I thought I could keep him. He was smart, courageous. Everything I was not. Apparently he also decided betrayal was something he was going to do. I would never do such a thing to him but he did it to me... I just want to forget about him now."

[deathbxnny]

Woooo, congrats on 1k followers, sure has been a ride, huh?

Now, with requests back open, it's time time for the sequel to my Arle request!

Okay so, like I said in that ask I sent a while ago, this one takes place in the same "continuity" as the angsty af Arle request you did last req period. This one takes place some time after that story, and is less angsty in this case (but there's definitely still some here).

Here, similarily to the last request, the "Mother" of the House is staying in... let's say Fontaine, tending to one of the injured children (could be some rando kid, or maybe it's one of the Fontaine trio) after a mission. Unlike last time though, it's looking as though the child will pull through, that "Mother" won't have to bury another of her kids!

Bad news tho, the people responsible for the child's injuries are coming around to finish what they started. Arle, who's handling business elsewhere, catches wind of this and makes haste to help her wife.

Little did those who came to finish the child realize what danger they're in. Because you see, fem!reader is a former child of the House of Hearth. Not just that, she's the wife of a Harbinger. Normally she doesn't engage in violence, but these people Hage intentions of ending her child's life, and she simply cannot let that slide.

And so, Arle arrives just in time to bare witness to her s/o going absolutely John Wick (does she kill anyone with a pencil? That's up to you 🤭) on the bandits who dared to cross her not once, but twice.

(Part one)

Ohoho.... I absolutely love this, dear Anon, and I'm hoping you'll love my spin on this as well!! Although I have to admit that I gave it a bit of a mellow end, instead of the "John Wick" type of ending, mainly because I found it more fitting with what I was going for... but anyhow, thank you so much for this request, I was definitely looking forward to it, hehe!!<33

Content: Some gore, Near character death, mentions of near fatal injuries/wounds, blood, mentions of grief/child loss, Reader snapping, violence, assassination attempts, Reader is referred to as "Mother", heavy angst, hurt/comfort, kind of a good ending for once?, stitches

Reader uses she/her pronouns here!!

((Not proofread))

The last one standing had crimson palms. (Arlecchino x Fem!Reader)

"I... I wish to..." "Shh... not another word, child... don't you dare say it." Your hands were stained red once more, pressing down on another gashing, deep wound, sweat running down your forehead as everyone around you attempted to stop the bleeding. You didn't want him to see what had become of him, one hand resting over his teary eyes to stop your heart from shattering any further. You wished she was here, your dearest wife, who had to choose this week of all the others to leave the country for a short business trip.

And today was supposed to be a good day. One filled with the laughter of children and the smell of grilled sausages and steaks coming from the garden. You were trying to have a little festival together to celebrate the start of warmer months. But the atmosphere had now become suffocating with the smell of sharp iron and sweat instead, the gentle warmth now scorching hot, exhausting, and grinding you down to the bone. However, you couldn't let go of him now. You couldn't let him die. You refused to give up on him, especially. You refused to let him become another buried angel.

His hand pressed against yours weakly, his breaths deep, pathetic gasps for air, as he tried telling you something important through broken cries. "Mother... Mother, please, you have to listen to me." He coughed out, blood staining his lips, as his other hand reached out blindly to grasp onto the fabric of your once white sundress. You furrowed your brows against the darkness of the room, light only filtering in through the moon outside and the shaky hands of Lynette trying to keep a lantern steady so her twin could keep patching his younger brother up.

"What is it, Freminet?" You indulged him, trying to keep him awake at all costs. His voice was hoarse, raspy, once silky blonde hair now sticking to his forehead as he gulped dryly to collect his thoughts.

"They are coming for us, mother... and you are next."

Lyney gave you a look, one filled with an undefined emotion he only ever had when it came to your protection. If you didn't know better, you would've been terrified at how similar he was becoming to his father. "Those assassins we encountered during our mission, Mother... they weren't ordinary ones, to say the least." He muttered to you, his mind replaying the moment one of them struck his brother, who was just trying to protect them out of pure instinct. He was brave, despite the shyness he often portrayed.

"How so?" You wiped away the sweat on your forehead, nose wrinkling when another member of the house handed you a medkit before they disappeared into the shadows again. "They... knew us by name. Every single one of us. And then-" You waved over Lynette to stand in your place whilst her twin spoke, so you could unpack the needed supplies for the upcoming "operation" you had to conduct on your son. You've become a near professional over the years. Something else you didn't choose to do nor want to be.

"-They uttered your name. We... believe that they are trying to weaken Father. And you are that weakness they are seeking, Mother.-" "-They've come to finish the job. We... we need to evacuate everyone.. we need to hide her.-" Lynette hushed Freminet quickly, as she pressed some cloth into his mouth. With a glance downwards to his wound, she determined that it would definitely hurt horribly to stitch him up... but he'd live. For the first time in weeks, someone would live. She closed her eyes to hide those tears that threatened to spill in relief.

You stared at the three of them for a moment before you simply proceeded with placing the first few stitches into the boy's wound wordlessly. He writhed in pain, his fingernails digging into the mattress below whilst his screams and cries were muffled by the cloth. Lyney and Lynette were trying to hold him down, their bodies wincing involuntarily at every sharp breath or movement from their brother. Your expression was meanwhile unreadable, hands moving automatically until you cut the string and were done with your little procedure. It's as if your mind completely fazed out, only driven by the need to fix and protect, keep everyone alive no matter what.

"Lyney." The young man hesitantly met your gaze, his body shaking when his brother fell limply into the bed again, his breathing heavy and uneven. "Evacuate everyone into the upper floors and then come back to watch over Freminet." You said, quick to wipe your hands with a nearby towel nearly coldly, but Lyney knew that look in your eyes. You were sick of it and would take it all into your own hands if your wife couldn't. "Mother, you can't just-" "-Lynette, use the backdoor and let this bird free." You tapped the golden cage on the nightstand with your fingers, the little sparrow chirping curiously. It was a messenger bird, one specifically designed to catch your wife's attention and bring her home instantly when things got out of control.

But you weren't using it for it's purpose tonight. No, everything was completely under control here... you just needed her to come back home to stop you once you're done.

"Mother-" A sharp look made him quickly reconsider what he was about to say, a hand pressing against his chest whilst he bowed. "... we're on it." Lyney muttered, signaling Lynette to love with him, which she did after grabbing the bird cage. Their paths split at the stairs, the girl practically descending them two steps at a time, which got the attention of their fellow bretheren immideatly. "Everyone! Get into the attic or your rooms at once! Mother's orders, so get moving! Barricade your doors and don't open them up to anyone! This is an absolute emergency!" Everyone jumped when they heard the usually playful magicians voice bark out orders harshly, automatically getting the job done as everyone filed up the stairs to do as he said.

Lyney pushed through the crowd to continue looking for stray children who may not have heard him. His heart was racing against his ribcage, sweat dripping off his forehead he could only barely wipe off with a handkerchief he accidentally dropped when someone bumped into him. But your orders were clear in his mind and kept him steady. He knew that he and most, if not all, other kids of the house could take care of themselves just fine... but this was something beyond their means. Something usually only Father got to handle.

By the time he finally got back to his brothers room, you had left it behind, nowhere to be found, and yet the injured boy had a simple blanket covering his shivering form now, dressed in clean clothes and resting on perfectly white bedsheets. Lyney waited by the door, his hand gripping the handle tightly, as he listened to his sisters familiar steps running towards him. He let her in, eyes glancing around the dim hallway one more time before he tipped his hat down and shut the wooden entrance again.

The only sound heard for a moment after was the chirping of a bird in the dead of night until deafening silence filtered in once more.

---

The house of Hearth was never still and unmoving, not even in the darkest parts of the day. The late hours were the busiest, filled with agents and children alike walking in and out of it's doors under the cover of shadows to complete their given tasks and missions. The iron, bloody scent left behind by their previous endeavors, their hushed words to eachother as they passed by, the movement of paper being hidden under floorboards, some given to you with proud looks for approval, as you stayed up with them until the first rays of the sun danced in your eyes... it was never calm, never quiet. Yet the intruders didn't question it. They didn't even think twice to enter the house, the open birdcage. They mistook the silence and stillness for safety.

The first assasin stepped in through the picked lock of a backdoor entrance, his cautious eyes trying to catch any looming danger that may cause them trouble. Yet with nothing in sight, he waved over the rest of his three little friends right into your humble home. "Okay, you know the plan... kill as many of those little rats as you can." "And what about the Mother?" One of them asked, his hair clumsily hidden under a makeshift hood, a dirty grin on his lips in anticipation.

"Can I get rid of her? It won't be much of a struggle, I'm sure. She's just a measly housewife anyway." "Heard she's a pretty thing, though." A round of chuckles filled the kitchen before the first shrugged. "Do what you want. We just have to be done by dawn... let's split up in two groups, then. Just in case." The men agreed, one group making their way upwards, whilst the other searched the ground floors.

The darkness was inviting, the silence emitting a false sense of safety that made the intruders let their guards down, unaware of your form slinking after them. You were calm and collected, eyes dull, the dim moonlight not catching in them anymore. A mother's rage was a dangerous, unpredictable one. Filled with the need to make those who hurt her children suffer, she'd advance even through the most perilous paths for the sake of glory, revenge.

Unbeknownst to anyone, you had put two and two together a long time ago. These intruders, who belonged to a foreign enemy faction, were the cause of many of your children's deaths. They were the reason as to why you had to hear them cry out that odd wish so often. They had dared to enter your territory tonight to take away the rest of the family you had worked so hard for to have. You worked so hard to be a good mother. You bled, you cried, you slaughtered your way here. You became a "mother" one could be proud of. And on this fateful night, you'd prove your worth and pride to even Celestia above you with their screams that will reach far and wide. Your hand gripped a silver dagger, one originally gifted to you by your wife, as you blew out a lantern in one of the hallways, plunging everyone into further darkness that was far from warm.

It was ice cold.

---

"Wait outside." Arlecchino gave the Fatui agents a sharp, warning look, her clawed fingers tight around the Scythe as she entered the still, quiet building she called home. Her eyes glanced around carefully, noting immideatly that the danger that lurked in the dark was familiar. The bird on her shoulder chirped, reminding her of why she had come here in the first place. The meeting she had was cut short by it flying through the window, the call for help loud and clear. She had simply walked out then, her priority always having been you and the house, although it still made her wonder why exactly everything seemed so... unusually silent. Did Lyney and the other children deal with the threat already? If so... where were you?

Her keen ears picked up movement in the living room nearby, which made her calmly make her way over to it's entrance. With a raise of a brow, she stopped when she stepped into a puddle of blood. It seems like her suspicions were partially correct... althkugh who it was that took care of the intruders certainly came as a surprise.

"... You came." Your voice made the tension in her shoulders cease, eyes flickering to your form seated infront of the fireplace. The orange light cascaded across the dark room, the four mangled bodies laying at the bottom of your favorite lavish loveseat being a testament to your victory, and yet you remained still as a statue, back turned to her to observe the flames instead.

"You called." Arlecchino replied after taking in the situation, the sound of her heeled shoe echoing off the walls, as she approached you carefully. Her clawed hand grabbed onto your shoulder, head tilting to look at the side of your head. Your eyes were cold, not even the scorching warmth of the fire melting them. You were unreadable, hands bloody, and yet still so tightly gripping onto the dagger like your life depended on it. And despite that, you were still breathtaking to the woman.

"Are... you alright, my dove?" She asked, a genuine tone in her voice that was only ever reserved for you. The tears in your eyes burned when you finally looked up at her with a pained expression. You weren't like her. You couldn't just kill and be as proud as you hoped to be. You raised your hands towards her, bloody palms raised towards the gods the way they often were when you pleaded for help and forgiveness for the death of your children. You didn't need to say anything anymore, as she pressed a hand to your cheek with an acknowledging nod.

She wasn't good at comfort, nor did she ever try to be. A father didn't comfort his children in her eyes. No, a father simply led them to glory, and that's it. But that didn't mean that she was a bad wife, too. She sat down next to you, uncaring of the bloody mess that surrounded you, when she pulled you close to press your foreheads together. It was a way to silently show her support. She was there for you and understood you.

"I was scared... they hurt Freminet, and I couldn't fathom losing the rest-" "-I know. Thank you for your bravery, my dove. I'll take it from here." Her words were curt and short, and most would perhaps chalk it up to indifference. But when she held you close like this, gently rubbed your back and promised to take care of you only she knew how to, you found yourself being lulled back into the familiar comfort you were so used to. You knew that despite everything that happened, however, she could still not promise that this would never happen again. Your hands will always be stained crimson for as long as you were a Mother. There was no going back. There was no leaving the house.

But... you both were stuck in it together forever, weren't you?

Alrightttt... this took a while to finish, mainly due to work and me being sick again. But yeah, thank you again for the request, Anon, and I hope you liked this!!<33

[murpyperpy]

If you need to be mean be mean to me.

“Hobie please don’t make me beg” you say softly reaching out to him.

CW: Angsty Depressing :( Drugs Alcohol

There’s a buzz in the air, an electric feeling your heart pumps your eye open wider. Every breath is a gift from god.

“Fuck yeahggghhg!” You shout sober no longer. Fuck this night just got so much better. You scan the room Chris is chatting up Amy I’ll leave them alone hehe Damian might actually get laid! Wow good luck to him. You swerve around the room of the persons house your partying in and make you way to the drink table.

“Slim pickings huh!” You shout over the music to the stranger on the other side of the table.

That’s how you meet hobie his dazzling dark eyes his smile the way he sniffs and readjusts his posture made you fall in love. The party light refelecting off his skin as he stared at you in the way he does so often. The attention he show you in that night started your constant craving for his approval and exclusivity.

On this particular occasion you were on his bed it wasn’t a special as you hoped because so was 2 other randoms plus Damian. Hobie had unified us all to watch his band preform. Of course you loved his music and tried to show him. Bobbing your head to the beat. Tapping your foot. Smiling wide laughing louder. It’s like in these moments you forgot how to be human and got in your own way. The reminders to be charming more attractive than the two randoms. You clap harder and even sway side to side. Move to the beat.

“Thank ya wonderful audience!” Hobie shouts.

“WOOOO” You shout as we clap and cheer. A hobie looks at you in that way like he’s the one he cares about. You desperately want him to like you. To think you’re half a cool and you think he is.

Hours later your laying on his bed this time to your satisfaction it’s just a you. The time is almost midnight and your collapsed trying to fall asleep and watch hobie clean up his band things at the same time.

“You didn’t answer my question love” he says quietly

“Ummmmm “ you groan “say again?” He had been asking you questions for the last hour trying to keep you awake to keep him company.

“I asked you love” he replied “If you have ever had a pet?”

“A pet a pet a pet “ you yawn trying to think. “I I don’t know” you I close slowly and you fall asleep. Hobie notices your breath slowing and slumped shoulders.

“Oh baby” He covers you with a blanket. He stare at you for a while suddenly not wanting to make anymore noise. Or selfishly ask you anymore questions. Hobie showers letting the water run over his skin his mind stays on you. When he comes back it’s fully dark, sliding into his bed he uses his other senses to know your there. The weight on the mattress your smell the slow sound of your breath.

Hobie feels at peace. He tells him self he will make he will have a move soon.

Hellooooo

Tori here. I will finish this story soon I just thought I should post it in case someone wanted to read! <3

Please comment to tell me what you think about this story? ❤️😁

[thecapricunt1616]

Chapter 2 The Bear & His Honey

Chapter Inspo: Quote - "The only heaven I’d be sent to, is one where I’m alone with you." Summary: (18+ ONLY FIC) Carmy gets heated in the kitchen, makes Winnie lunch, & Meets the famous Sugar. A/N: Heyooo!! I am so proud of myself for like not having writers block and actually continuing a fic I started LOL! I think this one is longer than the last, like 7k characters or smth. I can't make promises abt. when I'll post next, but I can try to make it this week! I hope you're all enjoying so far. Warnings: Swearing, Yelling, smut, alcohol, tad angsty if you can even call it that, and then just overall feminine yearning!! ***As per usual; Reblogs, Likes, Comments, & Constructive Critiques are not only welcomed, but much appreciated! Without further ado, here we go! Woooo!***

𝒞𝒽𝑒𝒸𝓀 𝒪𝓊𝓉 𝑀𝓎 𝑀𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉!

Chapter 1 Here

__________________________

I followed him in to the screaming, bustling pit that was his kitchen. “BEHIND!- Jesus Christ, Tina, watch it - I said Behind! Should I just drop this, huh Chef?!”  Someone cried out, the intensity of the atmosphere causing my chest to tighten as if clawed hands were achingly squeezing ever so slowly around my lungs. 

 “Gosh” I muttered, trying my best to take everything in, every sense of mind becoming slightly overwhelmed. Carmen briskly showed me to his small office, the insanity of his kitchen not even strumming a nerve for him it seemed. He showed me to a desk covered in too many papers in the corner, before thumbing through them until he found what he was rummaging for. “Ah! Yes. Here we go!! Alright. You look at this” he turned to me, handing it over. 

“With that big-booky-brain of yours, sure you could figure some changes to make the dishes sound extra special ‘mm?” He mused. I glanced over the piece of printer paper, nothing more than a piece of plain white paper adorned with dish names and descriptions of them followed by pricing. 

“Uhh…sure thing. ‘M not that smart, slutty books about muscley guys with wings and mind reading abilities only get you so far…” I said jokingly, my eyebrows furrowing as I my eyes glaze over the intricate ingredients I’d never heard of. 

“Alright, uhhh.. you’re gonna have to go more into detail about what you’re getting up to at the bookstore when I get back” he teased and closed the door to the office behind him as he headed to the kitchen. 

I continued reading over the ingredients, adding an appetizing verb here and there, hoping that was what he was looking for. I lean on my hand, looking over the other papers on the desk. Mostly food shipment orders, different labor receipts, jumping in my seat a bit when I hear a huge crash and what sounds like a bunch of aluminum clattering. 

“FUCK, JESUS! ” Carm yells, his voice booming through the kitchen and it was suddenly silent, as if every single thing stopped. “How many times have I told you guys, do, NOT leave empty FUCKING pans ON THE EDGE OF YOUR GOD DAMN STATION. Everyone look over your FUCKING station, RIGHT THE FUCK NOW - if there is an something that needs to be washed- it goes IN THE SINK. NOW. Move!” 

The only response is a chorus of “Yes Chef!” 

“Marcus get the fuck over here deal with this these fucking sheet pans!” He barks. I swallow the nervous lump in my throat, contemplating if I should just grab my purse and go. My eyes flick to the door when I hear the handle, and Carmen walks back in, his face a bit flushed from his outburst I’d assume. 

“Hey” he said casually and smiled a bit, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He was holding a plate that honestly, looked amazing. “So, not chilli, so sorry, but- we do have Mac salad, and then this fire pork stew type deal, oh, and your onions, and a burger, and a hot dog- feelin frisky today, Winnie?” He puts the plate in front of me with a soft smile. 

All tension I was feeling vanished like sand between my fingers. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips and I look up at him. “And my ketchup?” I asked and he rolled his eyes, taking the ketchup and mustard bottles from his apron and setting them down in front of me. “Sorry, your majesty.” He teased.

I take the ketchup, squeezing a good amount over the top. “I guess… I am feeling frisky” I said, doing the same with the mustard. “Yea? You reading up on more winged muscle man porn while I was out there?” I laughed as I cut up the hot dog and burger on top, a real laugh. Not something someone could usually drag out of me since my brother. But for some reason, Carmen seemed to be very good at it. 

“Ohhh yeah. I was just all spread out here on top of your desk rubbing one out - the yelling you were doing really did it for me. Finished right before you came in.” I teased with a feline smirk, watching as his cheeks heated slightly. “Yeah- sorry about that” he rubs the back of his neck. “Uh- Marcus he just left all these fucking pans and Syd ran right in to them - keep tellen ‘em to put shit where it goes.” He sighed a bit. 

“No, no, no need to be sorry. A book store and a kitchen are 2 very different places to work, just glad everything’s alright” I took a bite, my eyes widening at the amazing flavor. It definitely wasn’t home, but that was okay. It was fucking amazing. I bring my hand up to my mouth to cover it as I speak, unable to wait another second to tell him. 

“That? Is Fuuucking heat dude. Wow.” I said swallowing and immediately going for more. “Really? You are…unbelievable” he chuckles, sitting back with a small smirk on his lips. “No you are unbelievable, Chef, great work. 5 stars on yelp” I giggle and he shakes his head rolling his eyes in amusement. 

“Why thank you, your review is valued” he gets up and leans in. I swear I feel my heart stutter in my chest when his chain brushes my temple as he reaches around me and grabs the menu I had been scribbling notes on for him. I could smell the musk of his cologne, a bit of tobacco from his cigarette, and a tinge of salty sweat from being in such a hot kitchen all morning. It was intoxicating. I wanted to bury my nose in his chest and just inhale, I could get drunk off the scent.  “Sorry” he said softly, sitting back down and looking at the menu. 

My cheeks had to be on fire, and I’m sure if his chain grazed my face again, its icy touch would sizzle at the contact. I swallow the bite I had forgotten about in my mouth when he was so close and look over at him. He was still looking over the menu, eyebrows raised slightly, “mm, like that” he mutters, rubbing his chin in contemplation. 

“Wow, look at what your slutty books taught you, ‘opulence to the core in your mouth’ hmm? What were they describing?” He smirks, his eyes meeting mine. I swear I could burst into flames and be left as nothing but a pile of ashes. I can’t remember a time that I’d been so melted by the attention of a man. 

“Uh-“ I stutter, clearing my throat, trying to rack my now empty brain (other then that pesky vision buried deep, of him rage fucking me over his desk. Sending waves of soaking warmth to my core, so strong I’m more petrified of the vision of me getting up and his chair being wet with my arousal) “Oh, you know…” I trail off with a shrug, my gaze finding my plate again and taking another bite to avoid embarrassing myself any further. 

“Well, I just may have you edit these more often little miss vocabulary” he continues reading over. “I like this, exactly what I wanted. Thank you” he smiled softly, setting the paper down on the desk. Our hands brush, and goosebumps immediately rose everywhere from my shins to my jaw. 

I look over at him, to find him looking right back at me. “This is…like so good” I said to take my mind off the ache growing between my thighs and he grinned. “Glad you like it. Swing by anytime I’ll make one for you, on the house of course. Gotta make sure we treat our official menu editor well” he rested his hands on the top of his curls with locked fingers. His biceps looked much more pronounced this way, the tattoos I hadn’t been able to see on the back of his arms making an appearance. 

He looked as if he was a fucking statue, a Greek god carved from the masterful hands of Myron. He is beautiful. He has such a strong nose, a muscular jaw and neck, god his fucking neck. Those veins, I can imagine when he gets all fired up they protrude powerfully. I trail back up to his nose, god that fucking nose. My core clenches around nothing at the sudden dirty image of messily riding his face comes to the front of my mind, his beautiful blue eyes darkened in lust due to his blown out pupils, his beautiful sexy nose nuzzling my bundle of nerves, my arousal dripping down his neck and chest as he drinks up all he can. Flushed at the Hollywood porno in my mind, I quickly shut it out like slamming a door and my eyes flick to his beautiful blues, a satisfied smirk on his blush pink lips. 

“What?” I questioned, my cheeks growing hotter. “Mm. Nothin’. Enjoying the view or somethin’?” He questioned and I look at my plate. “No- I mean, well” I stuttered, picking up another bite and putting it in my mouth to avoid the confrontation as it had worked for me shortly before. 

He playfully smacks a hand over his heart “wow!” He said earning a giggle from me “here I am, slavin’ over the stove like a damn housewife for you to make your- whatever the hell - and you have the gaul to insult me!! In my own restaurant at that!”  He feigned offense, a real smile adorning his features, eyes crinkled, dimples on proud display. 

“You’re cute! There. Is that what you wanted, Carmen? Your ego stroked a little? Awww, Carm, you’re such a handsome little boy” I laughed, leaning in and pinching his cheek playfully. He rolled his eyes, swatting my hand away with a grin. “So you only go out with guys with wings, that it?” He raised his eyebrows. 

“Wow!! Look at you, big player!” I gently kick his clog with my boot “you askin’ me out?” I asked, my heart picking up speed once more. “No, I just asked if your preference is a buff dude with wings. But since you mention it, sure, I’d love to go out with you. Thanks for the offer” he teased, a pesky smirk on his lips. 

“Wooow!” I drew out and laughed. “Wow!! Big sexy muscle man can’t ask a girl out, hmm? Need to trick her in to asking you?” I took a sip from the water bottle I’d brought in my bag. His cheeks heat, raising his eyebrows he says “well I’m no big sexy muscle man, I’m just ahh…how did you put it?” He asked. 

I leaned in, gently adjusting the pendant of his chain to face front and center again before resting my hand on his chest, palm flat, and feel the heavy thump of his heart when I speak again “a very handsome little boy” I said softly, my eyes flicker to his lips as he gently tugged his bottom one between his teeth. “Mm” he hummed, I felt the vibration under my hand. “That was it. Yeah” he said just above a whisper, his voice richer, deeper, like the dark chocolate cake described on the dessert menu. 

The door flies open and I jump back in my seat, resuming eating as naturally as I could manage. “Bear! There you are, Jesus Christ. Since when do you take breaks? The fuckin’ glassware company left three boxes of cocktail glasses off- three Carm!” A very loud blonde storms in, dropping her large purse in a slump at my feet and kicking it under the desk like I wasn’t even there. 

“Sorry,” she gives me a sympathetic smile “just restaurant shit.” She looks back at him “who did the order?” He asks. “Syd!! I told you, Carmen, you are putting too much on her plate right now! Stop being such a jagoff” she pushes his arm gently “and fucking divide the work!! Fuckin- fuckin’ teach Manny how to order!! I don’t know!” She said exasperated and frustrated. 

“Sugar I’ll call them, I’ll fix it, I fucked up.” He admitted with a sigh and rubs his face. “Yes. You did. And you better fix it. Or else how in the fuck are we gonna do your stupid little house cocktail on family night in three days?!” She asked, holding up 3 fingers and waving them in front of his face as he shook his head. 

“I don’t know. I don’t know.” He muttered and ran his fingers through his curls. “Sorry should I-“ I grabbed my purse from the back of the chair and motioned to the door “ahh fuck. Ye’ I’m so sorry I-“ he blinks hard, thinking. 

“What time do you get off?” He asks “5:15 usually” I said and got up, my plate of food mostly gone. “Shit…uhh..” he rubs his chin in contemplation. “Can you swing by at like- 10? If not, it's totally fine, we- we can have a drink? If you want..” he offered. I nod, a soft smile gracing my features. “Sure thing, I’m a night owl anyway. See you at ten, Chef, thanks again for lunch, it was great”. But before I leave the office, I lean in and whisper in his ear. 

“Be a good, handsome little boy while I’m gone. No more yelling over dropped trays, mm?” I rub my hand over his bicep giving a gentle squeeze and my eyes flicker to his lips, watching as his Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows thickly, bright red flushing his cheeks.  “S-see you at ten” he stuttered in reply. I shut the door behind me, giggling quietly to myself as I hear who I now knew as ‘Sugar’ saying “Where’d you meet that pretty thing?”

Read Chapter 3 Here!

[duckymcdoorknob]

𝓣𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓵𝓮𝓽𝓸𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓭𝓪𝔂 7: 𝓕𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭

woooo I’m almost caught up

I’m so seepy, but both classes got cancelled sonow I can write all morning

Hehe good morning Baltimore

Omg now I wanna watch Hairspray again. Anyways-

GOD THIS IS SO LONG SEND HELP

Tags: @chrimsss @ticklish-n-stuff @secret-weeb-account

—this do have tickles below the cut ngl. Also angsty again, oops—

Saiki has always been someone who swore that his friends piss him off, but in reality, he has a big soft spot for them. So when Kaidou’s birthday came around, what kind of monster would he be if he didn’t attend the party and get the best gift ever?

He curses his brilliant mind most times, but when he needs the calculator from it, it’s always there for him.

Just like Kaidou…

Oh dear, now he really needs to go above and beyond.

He spent ages perusing the shelves of multiple stores, comparing prices and name brands (while also considering the off brands.)

After three hours, the treasured gift lay pristinely wrapped in a blue wrapping paper, adorned with a large, red bow.

He looks down at his watch and- oh dear, he would be late.

That’s alright, better to show up with an excuse than to show up and have the risk of someone seeing him telep-

In a flash, Kusuo appeared down the block of Kaidou’s home. He checked his surroundings to ensure that no one had seen the action.

What had happened?

There was a roach, naturally.

Regardless, he checked his watch once more and he was perfectly on time.

Kusuo raised his hand to knock on the door and did so. He was met by a rather enthusiastic “C’MON IN!!!!!!”

When he entered the house, he was truly taken aback…

He was the only one who was in there other than Kaidou.

Okay, now he was pissed off, like really pissed.

“Kaidou, am I the only one that you invited?” He had to check, there’s no way that his friends wouldn’t-

Looking rather melancholic, the silver-haired boy replied. “No, just waiting on the others! You know them, late for everything! Haha!”

The psychic felt a tinge of remorse in his chest. It didn’t require him reading his friend’s mind to understand that Kaidou was devastated.

“And your family?”

“They uh, they went out to celebrate Toki’s birthday… it’s not even his actual birthday today either.” he murmured.

“What the hell is their problem?” Kusuo hissed. “It’s your birthday; this is your day.”

“Look, Saiki it’s-“

“Don’t say it’s okay, because it’s definitely not.”

“They have to celebrate my little brother, it’s-“

“Without you?”

The question left the birthday boy in silence. He turned toward the wall and averted his gaze. It didn’t take a psychic to notice his heaving chest and understand that he was crying.

“Kaidou…”

“N-no it’s… it’s o-okay.”

“Look at me.”

The silver-haired boy turned toward his friend with puffy eyes, tears leaking out of them.

Kusuo wasn’t sure what possessed him to do so, but his hand moved upward and gently swiped away the tears that were falling. “No one cries on their birthday, not on my watch.”

The Jet Black Wings smiled, cheeks tinting pink as he scrubbed at his leaking eyes. “You always know how to make me feel better, Saiki.”

“Hey, hey, no. You’ll rub your eyes raw. Let me do it.” Saiki gently wiped his friend’s eyes once more, eyebrows knit in remorse. This of course only made Kaidou cry harder.

The pink-haired boy short-circuited when he felt the latter lean down against his torso for a hug. But, somehow, something in him told him to hug back…

“S-Sorry for making t-things so awkward.”

“Not awkward at all; it’s not like I’ve never seen you cry before.” Kusuo hummed as he gave a few pats to the boy’s shoulder.

“Uggghhh that’s right.” He shoved his face into Saiki’s shirt, indubitably staining it with tears.

Poor Kaidou… what can he do to make him-

That’s it.

He’s seen Nendou do it before, and scientifically it’s impossible to mess up.

But what if he hurts him? That’s the last thing Kaidou needs right now.

Well, no time like the present.

In a moment of comfortable silence, Kusuo carefully pressed his fingers into his friend’s sides, pinching a bit. He felt the latter shift in response, whining a bit.

“Nooo, don’t tickle me.”

“I told you that I’m not letting you cry on your birthday.”

Kaidou’s hands came up to cover his ears, weird.

“What’s wrong with your ears? Why cover them?”

“N-Nothing.” Kaidou’s voice was up by at least an octave as his hands shook.

“Well, you left yourself wide open.”

“…You wouldn’t.”

Oh he would, and he did. The pink-haired boy brought his hands up to the birthday boy’s underarms and gently wiggled them.

“Hyehehehahaha! Saha-sahahahaihihihikihi! Nohohoho!”

Kusuo hummed fondly when his friend brought his arms down, revealing why he had covered his ears. The tips of them were flushed a beautiful shade of scarlet red, and it was creeping down his neck. “Ohhhh, you’re embarassed, aren’t you?”

A giggly whine was what he received in reply, the blush deepening. “Sahahahihihikihihi- dohohohont—hehehe—behehehe mehehehean.”

“Mean? I could never be mean. Didn’t you know that? I’m completely devoid of human emotion, I thought we’ve covered this in the Dark Reunion episode.” Hands traveled to Kaidou’s ribs and began their attack.

“AGH! DOHOHOHONT BREHEHEHEAK THEHEHE FOHOHOHOURTH WAHAHAHALL!”

“Should I listen to him, everyone?”

“STAHAH-STAHAHAP THAHAHAT! YOHOHOHOU KNOHOHOHOW IHIHIHIHI HAHAHATEHEHE- HYEHEHAHAHAHA! SAHAHAHIHIHIKIHIHI!”

“What’s wrong? Embarassed?” Kusuo could feel the warmth in Kaidou’s face as he continued his ticklish assault.

“YEHEHEHES!” A whined reply.

“Mmm, sounds like you’re still crying though. You know I can’t have you crying on your birthday.”

When hands traveled down to his tummy, it was over. The silver-haired boy fell backwards on the couch, covering his horrendously red face with his hands. He screamed into his hands as he whined incoherently through his laughter. “OKAHAHAHAY! IHIHIHI- IHIHIHI CAHAHANT!”

“Oh? Is this spot ticklish?”

“YEHEHEHES! TOHOHOHOO TIHIHICK- OHOHO MYGOHOHOD! STOPSTOPSTOP KUHUHUSUHUOHOHO!”

When he had heard the rare usage of his first name, Saiki let off his attack. A smile was on both of their faces as Kaidou panted into his hands.

“Oh you’re such a dick, dude.”

“Maybe, but at least you’re smiling.”

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. The two turned toward it, and of course, Kusuo already knew who it was.

“C-Come on in!”

The door opened to reveal all of their friends, drenched from head to toe, and holding boxes under their clothes.

The birthday boy gasped as he jumped up from the couch with a huge smile. “You came! You came!”

“Yeah, sorry we’re late,” Aren hummed. “Nendou forgot your present at home and then it started pouring. SOMEONE-“ he gestured to Hairo, “decided that it would be a “fun challenge” to run through the rain without an umbrella.”

A giggle escaped him, “Don’t worry. I’m glad you’re all here.”

“As for you, why are you so red?” Nendou accused. “Got something you’re hiding from us, buddy?”

“Wh- no! Nononono! I don’t have anything to hide, Saiki just tickled me and- uh oh.”

“Tickled you, huh?”

Kusuo could hear the menace in Aren’s voice, opting to stand up as the group abandoned their gifts and tackled Kaidou to the couch.

“Go easy on him, he’s still catching his breath.”

The four nodded at him and soon the joyful giggles of the birthday boy filled the room once more. The psychic smiled as he used his powers to check under the wrapping paper and-

Oh no…

Nendou had bought the same present he did.

—————♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎—————

[lady-reed]

fic list (@tereshkina on AO3)

Dune part 2 brought me out of my 4-year writing stasis woooo!

All fics are AO3 members-only, just because my IRL best friend also looks at the FeydPaul tag and I don't want to have to deal with that kind of cross-contamination <3

I Try and Try to Make You Cry (Paul x Feyd-Rautha, rated explicit, 2,400 words, complete)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54441508

Summary: Exhausted by the incessant demands of the Other Memory regarding his "higher purpose", Paul tracks down Feyd-Rautha in an Arrakeen prison cell and they have angsty, filthy, entirely purposeless sex. AKA The Water of Life gave Paul a coochie.

2. The Rain is Dripping Real (Paul x Feyd-Rautha, rated explicit, 4,100 words, complete)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54539788

Summary: After Paul’s ascent to the throne, Feyd-Rautha is sequestered to a run-down training facility on Salusa Secundus. His purpose in Paul’s life is singular. They make babies ;)

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

Currently writing a weird little mashup of Dune and The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin featuring Irulan x Chani x Paul, but idk how well I'll be able to stick with it.

Thanks for reading! <3

[carly404error]

Saw you saying you wanted something to rant about since you were boread so I come here with two offers for you to rant:

_ your view on Forever, doesn't matter if you watch him or not, I just think it's interesting to see what people think of the little guy

- your favorite headcanond about anyone ate the island, can be personality headcanons or appearance wise, just have fun with this onde <3

That's it <3 you don't have to answer if you don't want to btw, so don't worry

Woooo those are interesting questions I like them.

Let's start with Forever:

I have never heard of him before the QSMP tbh, but my first impression of him was hilarious as I main Phil (I've been a crow since 2021 I think), it was so random to see q!Forever simp for q!Phil I laughed so much as I didn't have any context LMAO. I know him mostly out of other peoples streams, I think I watched the first stream of the cucu pills, but I think he has a very interesting character development and I must say I like him a lot. The cucu pills arc was amazing and terrifying at the same time. Still, his interactions with q!Phil are always one of the best! I like their dynamic a lot whatever it is really.

Now into Headcanons:

For now I only have headcanons for q!Phil, q!Missa and q!Etoiles, so I'll say my favourite of each:

Q!Phil: Tbh I think this is an angsty one. I think, since the eggs disappeared, he spends a lot of time alone in the potato farm, just trying to keep his mind busy yk. He misses his eggs a lot and started self-isolating, that's why when he got caged no one realised he was gone until almost a week went by since it was normal he didn't interact with people that much.

Q!Missa: He is all skeleton except from shoulders above. This is because his clumsy ass fell into a lava pit and all his body like was all fucked and he came back to life thanks to the goddess of death (hehe) and he came back and was a skeleton and his body just runs normally somehow, no one knows he is like a looney toon character he is alive somehow for some reason no one knows but also don't question.

Q!Etoiles: I haven't developed my design to his character that much, but I do have a headcanon. He has like stars floating around him (think about it like the Hanako-Kun floating souls things) that determine his HP depending on how bright the stars are.

(Those floating things, that's what I mean with the floating stars)

That's all I think, hope you enjoyed it :D

[thefourchimes]

encanto undertale au thoughts part 1 rahhhh

so, encanto undertale au, i've mentioned it already in this post before but it was very vague

so lets do our best to expand a bit more

though fair warning that it's been a while since i've touched undertale in its full, and even then, i was never fully aware of every single lore detail in undertale, so i may miss or be wrong about something, feel free to tell me though woooo

wait, help, i'm realizing that the two have opposite problems: undertale has so much lore that it takes a while to take in, even if some are up to interpretation because at least there's already a basis, while encanto has so little information to work with since the only concrete source we have is the movie, posts from the creator, some comics and books (the latter three not even being 100% sure either)

but anyway, i actually still dont have full thoughts besides the general vibes but onto the thoughts (warning, it's a long post):

i mentioned before that the grandkids will be falling down into the underground for this au

just to be clear though, i am really not sure how to deal with the huge gap between time periods (1950s for encanto and 211Xs for undertale) and i dont think im in the right mindset for that atm so i'll leave it vague, thank you AUSIFHASUF

not unless this will be encanto but modern, but that's still up in the air, and i'm hesitant on it too since i want both encanto and undertale to be as canon accurate as possible oof

though there is a possible way by focusing on how disconnected the encanto is to the outside world, but not really sure either

i am also not gonna be diving much into the setting and place of undertale, and just generally all the parts about both encanto and undertale that can be left up to interpretation unless it's completely necessary (i'll try another day, but just not now IUAFHUAHSF)

anyway, let's make things on both sides clear first before fusing them together

so for encanto, we'll have it set around the months of rebuilding casita, so that means no gifts, the movie besides the very end of all of you already happened, the family's issues are already brought into light but are not fully mended yet (since that takes a long time—plus more fuel to add into the fire for this au mwahahaha), and they can get out of the encanto

on undertale's side, we'll have it all be and set generally the same, keeping the general timeline of it for the sake of continuity, so the kids will fall the same sort of way and "time" frisk does in canon game

i was kinda imagining that the mountains the miracle created would be sort of connected to mt. ebott somehow? it's a thought but i'm unsure on the execution of it, just spit balling a bit here

then again, we don't know the magic's full origins so maybe that can be played around with, but still up in the air, really

even though im not sure of it yet, following the previous thought, it's been a couple of months since they started rebuilding casita, and the kids were taking a break from it to take their time to bond with one another (everyone in the family has been bonding with each other as much as they could when they weren't helping in the rebuild, and this was likely established after the fall since they're all trying to do better with each other)

they had decided to take a walk near the mountains, but rather than on the side of the encanto, they're on the outside, so they went through the crack the fall had made (they did this for the new scenery and exploration, plus they wanted to see the river, so yeah)

after a while of walking and conversation, they find a cave (you know the one)

from here, i'm not sure on how they'll be falling into the underground yet (other than that it will be chaotic but also likely angsty), but they will be falling in

so that will be the start of the journey and full crossover between the two

while the kids will be going through their journey in the underground, the adults and townspeople will be dealing with the kids' disappearance, but i'm not sure how long it will be

i know undertale canonically only took place in a day, but that was with frisk, and i'm not sure if that will be the same case with the madrigal grandkids

i still find it wild though that the entire game of undertale took place in only a day, it has the same vibes as "it only took days for casita to be rebuilt again" except the 1 day for undertale is canon, but i digress

the entire journey is still vibes, but i do imagine some thoughts, plot, and interactions that can and will probably happen in the au:

the kids not being surprised that there's magic (cause duh), but that there's more magic in the underground through the monsters

they're all gonna be in awe of all the magic they see too, considering the variety of it

though they will be missing their gifts more because of seeing all the magic around them

mirabel's definitely not gonna have her insecurities rearing its head again, oh definitely not— (welp, sorry mirabel)

them wondering about the colors of their souls, and how it doesn't fit their signature color help—

the kids thinking flowey was isabela's doing somehow lmao

they're all definitely getting whiplash on the violence that will happen with flowey, and eventually the rest of the underground

the older three, especially luisa, will immediately be taking up the protecting role though

isabela having a crisis because of flowey the psychotic flower, considering her gift (as non-existent as it is at this point in time)

they will not be understanding any game references here, nor the existence of the phone, not unless it's modern au, but again, still up in the air

antonio is gonna be having fun with all the animal-like monsters, and they can talk too, so it's like he still has his gift but his siblings and cousins can hear them too

luisa would be the one to push the rocks (including the talking rock) in the ruins since that's one of the things she had done when she had her gift

them being scared of napstablook at first because ghost but it will all be fine in the end

dolores and napstablook will likely bond through music later on too

toriel reminding them of julieta and her warmth and her cooking and baking

but when toriel is trying to stop them from leaving the ruins and is disappointed, she would probably remind them of abuela, which is fun lmao

each new terrain will leave them surprised and intrigued, especially for the ones they don't know about (like hotlands for example, i doubt they'd have encountered lava at any point in their 5-21 years alive, stuck inside the encanto—again, unless this is modern au)

huh, im kinda realizing that both the encanto and the underground are similar in the sense that both places are trapped and isolated (encanto with the mountains and undertale with the underground), leading the inhabitants to miss a lot of different things (undertale with the sky and stars, then encanto with the different terrains, and both with other people/humans)

sans and camilo are gonna get another prankster/jokester to work with here lol

i also feel like sans' laidback attitude will remind them of felix's own laidback attitude, along with how they both try to make everyone smile with jokes

papyrus trying to prove himself by joining the royal guard, along with his loneliness and want for friends, would definitely resonate with the kids, especially mirabel

also papyrus and agustin are similar in the sense that they're seen as innocent and clumsy respectively, but are actually really smart in their own ways, plus the feeling of wanting to belong is definitely shared by the two of them

not sure about the dating side quest with papyrus, but it will definitely be chaotic if it happens the way it happens

does the encanto have waterfalls anywhere? if not, then first time seeing a waterfall in...well, waterfall

isabela would probably wonder if she could make echo flowers, if she still had her gift (she wonders if she could have made so many of the plants they'll find in the underground)

meeting gaster would be fun, whether it be all of them or just one of them, though if it was the latter, i'm not sure who'd it be, though i'm imagining it to be dolores as of now

antonio cheering the snail on in naptsablook's snail game real

undyne would definitely terrify the kids at first

she's like a weather of chaos, whether it be through a rain of spears or rays of flames from a burning house, similar to pepa in that case

both are outgoing and outspoken, which definitely has the kids reminded of pepa

not fully sure yet but i feel like it will be one of the warm siblings who'll splash undyne with water when they reach hotlands

undyne (once she's not killing them lol) and the kids will be bonding through the cooking lessons, except we know how that ends

i imagine luisa and isa being the ones to take on undyne in both fight and bonding chaos sense ASHFUIAHSF

oh boy, alphys, this one's hard considering how modern things are at this point, even with her nerdiness and anime

but i do think the fact that alphys is hiding something will be noticed by the kids, considering how they were all hiding something for years before

also they'd be reminded of bruno considering alphys' similar vibes in a sense

especially with how they both ran away and hid from their problems (bruno to the walls and alphys to the true lab)

mettaton is fun, they'd probably appreciate him more as a performer if it wasn't for the fact that he was trying to kill them AIUSHFUIAS

ngl though, by hotlands going forward, it's gonna be hard imagining things since the kids will not know a lot of the modern stuff and tech here, but i guess we'll have to see how it goes

plus we can always play off the fact that the encanto is so disconnected from the outside world that they aren't aware of a lot of things, so yeah

but anyway, the core just being a maze will be fun, but whatever was going on with alphys here will be ringing alarm bells immediately

but mirabel will definitely be feeling for her here, considering she knows how it feels

mettaton's whole fight is just gonna have them be confused considering they never knew what tvs are and stuff (unless bruno shared more about the telenovelas he saw through his visions before they fell into the underground)

sans being serious in the judgement hall will give them whiplash lol

though in this sense, this probably emphasizes the similarity with felix in a way

asgore is very kind but is bound by his duty to his people, similar to alma in that case

and mirabel will likely be the one to realize that, as she knows and understands abuela's reasons in the fullest sense (i imagine the whole family got to talk about it already, but mirabel is the one with the emotional intelligence and empathy to notice how asgore is feeling, and also to make the sort of connection between abuela and asgore)

before i continue, all throughout, i realized how the madrigal adults and the ut characters are really similar in some ways to each other (whether personality, struggle, vibe, or others):

julieta = toriel

felix = sans

agustin = papyrus

pepa = undyne

bruno = alphys

alma = asgore

it's obviously not one to one, but the similarities are definitely going to be fun to notice, i think

i think asgore will be less "we'll take care of you and become a family" since they already have a family up top, and more "we'll help you figure something out so we can get out of here and you can go back to your family"

but of course flowey comes and ruins that

omega flowey is...a thing i don't even want to imagine, ngl, that's gonna be so brutal...

they'll beat him of course (with a ship's load worth of trauma as a gift) and they'll be out of the underground

but we know that's not gonna be the end, not yet

continuation in another post because i just hit word limit aaaa

part 2

[brenbrennn]

ੈ✩‧₊˚  ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇ

Summary!!: As the cordyceps destroyed the world you used to know , you stayed alone for a good couple of years. You took a guess that any other civilization was hell on earth or tarnished to bits. Though at that point , hell seemed way better than any of this mess. With your travels as a smuggler , you met two people by the names of Joel Miller and Ellie Williams. Haven't have not seen really any living human beings in ages , you decided to join them on their mission to get to a certain fireflies base. Upon the time you spent with them , you grew to care for the two. Especially growing close to Joel. Even growing a sort of parent and daughter relationship with Ellie , you couldn’t expect ever leaving their sides. Settling into Jackson was a beyond good choice. The community was welcoming and nicely guarded. It allowed you to finally be at ease. But that comfortable feeling was going to be fractured sooner or later. After someone from your past turns up and finds you in Jackson , a lot of realities come to the forefront. Leading you and old man Miller having to actually talk about your relationship. Authors Note!!: WOOOO THE LAST OF USSS!! Ive been a huge fan of the game for a while , and the series already has me hooked. I wanna swarm this game with all my love. So I decided to write some good joel x reader. By all far he is one of the most intimidating characters I have written for. Mainly cause this is my first time writing for the game and I dont wanna fuck up any personalities. Strap in because this one is gonna be a long , angsty , fluffy ride. Content Warning!!: Canon typical game violence/gore (aka descriptions of violence and the reader getting their shit rocked) , deep diving into backstories (specifically the readers since I made up a whole faction) , child death , more game universe than show universe ,  allusions to a fem!reader (had a daughter before the outbreak - also gets called mom a couple times) , and brief mentions of suicide idealation , Spoilers for like the first and second TLOU game , Kind of edited? I am still going through some spelling mistake lol. I understand if some of you wanna sit this one out , love ya guys <3                                     ⋘══════∗ {•『 ♡ 』•} ∗══════ ⋙ For the longest time , Joel Miller was the one person to always plague your thoughts. After a while of getting to know him more , and getting close with Ellie the humanity you once berried so down inside sprawled awake. You got to know the two more , their dreams and fears. Especially Joel.... having a sort of alignment with him. In a weird way you two as a pair sort of clicked. If you still stayed stuck in your mindset before everything , you would have never realized you were in love with Joel. That word always racked your mind. Love... something you hadn’t felt for another person in such a long time. But it was true even if it was hard to explain , you loved that man. With every ounce of life in you. Though, Joel was like a rock. Even after he eased out when choosing to stay in Jackson with you and Ellie , his old habits always snuck up on him. One in particular was the denying of his own feelings. The ones towards you that made him feel like a teenager again. That made him feel whole , those ones he didnt know how to admit them. Which was a pest to your guy's budding relationship. It always floated around the both of you , almost like a warning. You hadn’t known what to describe your relationship. Were you only a companion? Was this something more than just a toughly bonded friendship? You knew about his struggles , at least some of them. Loosing his daughter and all of that.  But couldn't you two finally live to be happy? Shrug away the burdens that had been haunting you? This had all spiraled out in a argument you both had. You were the one who started it , even though you were not proud of it at all. Something had been picking at you the weeks into winter. A harsh storm had swarmed Jackson , almost like the bubbling anxiety that was stirring inside you. The two of you were stern adults , stubborn with your opinions. Some less shared than others. What started as a question exploded into a mostly heated dispute. You tried not to be so loud , the two of you genuinely just tired from the day. You had gotten off of an overnight patrol shift together , but this question could not be avoided for much longer.  Harsh words were met with other harsh words. He got defensive and so did you. Ellie had been off with Dina and Jesse so you knew it was just the two of you alone. “I’m not just that same stranger that came to help you Joel!” You were racked with tears. “I have stuck with you through thick and thin - an this is how you treat me?! Like some liability!”  You were beyond pissed off , and Joel just looked at you in silence. He wanted to say so much but was held back. By his own fears and insecurities. It had only been a year since the firefly incident back in salt lake city. You two sharing an abundance of secrets between one another. He was still scared with being vulnerable with you , and couldn't mutter a word. Not even a sentence to ease your worry. God he felt like such a jackass. He never meant to hurt you this much. He never meant to hurt you at all. “Was this for nothing...?” Your tone filled with anguish. “If your gonna say it like that , I guess so.” He stared at you through gritted teeth. Your heart plummeted to the bottom of your stomach. Ripped out of your chest by the man you had trusted. Trusted with so much and so little. Maybe he was right about everything. You glared , it burned holes into Joel. He felt horrible , he was so worked up his brain was making stuff up on the spot. He had to keep you at an arms length. He didnt want to get you hurt. He had already let you in though , so genuinely there was no way he could rid his heart of you. Not that he even wanted to. The both of you shared a long , pained look. You broke the slowly growing stale silence. “Have it your way , I totally understand. We always said it was to the destination and than nothing else.” Sighing , you walked out of the main area to grab your bag. Your voice trembled , trying not to break out cry’s. You had to keep your cool for now. “I guess I was the only one who didnt keep my word.” That one really stung his heart. He was stunned , stuck in his stance. At this point anything else he would have said most likely wouldnt have helped it all. What was done is done , and he regretted every last second of it. You stuffed a couple things in your pack. “I’ll stay at Tommie's and Marias until then. I know you probably dont wanna see my face.” He nodded weakly , his expression nothing but blank. One more final look from you as you headed out the door. Joel couldn't help but let his sobs' spring free. Shameful tears plummeted down his cheeks. He had no idea what to do , was karma out to get him?  After popping by to see Maria , you told her a majority of everything. She gave pity on you , offering the guest bedroom for you to stay in for a bit. Until yours and Joel’s disagreement died down. Tommy caught wind and reassured you that it was only Joel being Joel. He would come around soon. You tried your hardest to believe him. Patrol time came on once again , Tommy volunteered to head off with you. So going with Joel wouldnt make things more tricky than they already were. You had grown to become a good friend with Tommy along with a lot of the other residents in Jackson. The two of you began to set off around the perimeter , heading the route you had been assigned to. Even with the annoyance of the snow , it was nice that day out. Calm and quiet you made sure to keep your eyes open. Trying to not let your argument before with Joel cloud your thought process. Tommy could see how off you were , and as a friend he was gonna lend a helping hand obviously. “Alright over there? Seem stuck in your own world.” He chuckled , patting his sides as he rode along his horse. You took a breath , flinching your hands at the reins. “No if I am being completely honest , I cant shake the argument at all.” You grew a pained smiled over your face. Tommy took a second before responding. “Look its like I said , this is only Joel being Joel. He’s a protector , but sometimes a idiot when it comes to being out with what he feels. He was like that when we were younger , and now its only worse with what yall have gone through.” He went on , you couldn’t really disagree with what he was saying. He gestured his head over to you once Joel came back to subject again. “Besides , he really does care about you.” That made you paused big time. “Really? What do you mean?” You needed to know more. “Whenever he talks about you , he always compliments you in a way. Either on your smarts or how optimistic you are.”  You sucked your teeth in when he brought that up. You could recognize the ‘awe’ growing inside you , reflecting in the warmness of your face. It had put everything into perspective. Maybe he wasn’t so rough and tough like he always exuded. You could never get through to the truth , always blocked off by him time and time again shutting down. “He’s only stubborn , he’ll realize his wrongs and apologize. If you wanna draw it out so much we can make a bet.” He flashed a sympathetic smile. You chuckled in response , “Thanks Tommy but I would rather not bet on my personal life.” He snickered “Fine , I’ll just do it with Maria.” You couldn’t help but giggle lightly. “Suree suree , you keep saying that.”  Now your mood was a little better from before , less down in the dumps than earlier. Becoming more hopeful, you finished logging everything down that you spotted and started heading back to Jackson with Tommy. Surprisingly you guys hadn't ran into any infected. You two carried conversation for a good while , talking about life in the general sense. Mentally you were trying to think of ways to talk to Joel again. Scenarios went through your head with any possible conversation. Stuck in thought , something jolted you immediately into defense mode. That something was gun shots ringing at you and Tommy.  Right away you both collectively tried to fight it off. But shots kept littering out , one even hitting you in the shoulder. You winced in pain and in a panic looked back at Tommy. “GO NOW!” You shouted , the snow fall getting heaver. “No I cant just leave you here!” He tried to shoot at the random sniper among the trees. “This could mean hunters or bandits , warn Jackson!”  “No! We should both get fuckin going!” He continued to shoot at whatever was hitting you guys. “I have this under control , GO TOMMY!” You tried to plead with him. “I promise once I get this bozo I’ll follow right behind you.” Almost as if you were begging him to run of.                                                     •·.·''·.·• The storm was getting heavier and heavier as the two of you continued trying to communicate. Tommy gave you a conflicted expression but finally did as you said. “You better be on my ass as soon as you finish them off!” He shouted over the blizzard.  He made his way the opposite direction , regretful of his decision. Not being able to look be he kept on going forward , hoping that you would come out unscathed.  But you were gonna be okay. You had to be okay. He rode into the gates of Jackson in a hurry , the large wooden doors opening up. People quickly started to notice that you weren’t actually behind Tommy. Joel especially noticed and couldn’t stop thinking of what possibly could have happened. Everything got worse once they heard a horse , it was your horse. Pained neighs came as it trotted in , on its last leg. The poor baby had a fresh gun wound in its side. Quickly it was helped off to the stables for care. Immediately people got to questioning and Tommy tried his hardest to explain. Every ounce of what went down he told. Recalling the guilt he felt leaving you behind. But when he tried to reason you wouldnt let down at all. Ellie was oh so worried , begging to go out and try to find you. She couldn't lose a parental figure , thinking back to Colorado with Joel. Dina even offered to come along. Maria attempted to calm the overlapping voices but Joel again was quiet. The thumping of his pulse could be heard in his ears. What if you were dead? What if they pumped you full of led? He couldn’t stop imaging the sight. Multiple gun holes in your torso , the light drained from your eyes. Your blood was everywhere , the snow going from a pure white to a dark red. He wasn't gonna let some fuckup do who knows what to you. He was gonna make sure his fists were covered in their blood. He clung onto any possibilities , ones where your insides weren’t strung up. He knew you were a fighter , he just hoped they could find you in time.  Along with Dina , Jesse , Ellie , Joel and Maria some other patrol men tagged along. Tommy wanted to go , feeling that he in some way caused this mess. But Maria told him to stay back , since you weren’t the only one wounded in the scuffle. He sighed in defeat but agreed. Wishing the rest of the others good luck. The search party looked out for you , same route you and Tommy headed on. But there were no signs of you. No backpack , no gun no nothing. Even when they found the specific spot where the sniper was spotted , it was almost like you up and left. Though something was uncovered , and it wasn’t something good. Bloody boot tracks were implanted in the snow , almost forming a trail. They could only follow so much and were led with nothing. Maria looked along the trail , realizing the cut off. Dina spoke up , “Thats weird... it doesnt lead to any direction of Jackson.” Ellie agreed , “Yeah they wouldn’t just up and leave. Thats not like them … this has to be something more?” The possibility of you running away swarmed Joel's thoughts. He never meant for you to think he didnt care for you in any way. You became so constant in his life he couldn’t fathom losing you. Maria sighed , contemplating on what to do. “Lets keep on looking , they could have went to get shelter.” Jesse commented along with the groups decision.  “Yeah , doesnt seem so bad. Maybe we check the lodge? That place is pretty nice shelter from the snow.” Everyone else came to an agreement while Joel stayed quiet. Only letting out a murmur in return. Searching for you lead them into a typical wild goose chase. You weren’t stuck at any of the surrounding areas. It didnt help that the weather proceeded to get more rough. Maria ordered everyone to head back , they can continue this all later. Joel couldn’t stop beating himself up about what was going on. He caused this , he was the one to blame. He scared you off... and now fate was coming to give him a message. He couldn’t be frantic, he had to keep on a brave face at least for Ellie. Slowly you started to gain a sliver of consciousness. As your eyes began to focus around , your surroundings were unfamiliar. This wasn't the woods of Jacksonville , instead you were situated in a old house. Walls were in ruins , paint peeling off of them. Whole room was filled to the brim in dust.  Trying to free your hands , you soon realized you were restrained. Both your wrists and ankles were tied. Your wrists were specifically tied to the railing of the homes stairs. You cursed , trying to get a look at what else surrounded you. Thankfully your gun was with you , but not so thankfully all of its ammo was emptied on the floor. Heavy foot falls followed your look around. You heard a gun rifle get cocked back as you met the face of the gun holder. Immediately you started to panic. Thrashing your brain around on how he could have found you. You thought you had lost him?! There in front of you stood the man Zachary Hale , someone of nightmares. His eyes traced over you , a crooked smile on his face. “Oh friend - how wonderful to see you!” He sounded like a full blown maniac. Which was not super far from the truth. “How ya been? The whole new set up treating you well?” He commented , proceeding to pull up a metal chair. “...How did you fucking find me?” You gritted out , clearly annoyed. Slowly blood from your nose trickled down your features. “Oh sweetheart you forget that you cant just lose me THAT easily?”, he snickered. “Its adorable how you think I’m such a dunce , seriously!” He threw his gun to the side , you watched it clank away.  “Seems like you got your smarts knocked back into you.” He’d let out a wheezy chuckle , playing up the friendly tone a little too hard. But not for long was he gonna keep you like this. “So great Hale , whats your fucking plan? Did you just wanna have tea with me in this shithole?” You cracked , trying to hide your anxiousness with humoring him. Immediately you flinched your face back as his screwed up hand cupped your cheek. You could feel the dirt and grime laced into his palm. It also wasn’t hard to notice the nasty hole in the middle of his free hand. “Oh honey... my little angel , you know that Ive missed you.” He said with a sickly smile. “But you haven’t given me any introductions to your new friends.” Right away you realized what he wanted , you could feel your insides twist into knots. “Sooo... I am going to beat the life out of you until you tell me all of their names.” He was definitely amused seeing into in this state of pain , your gun wound from earlier still oozing with blood. Same went for your nose , as the butt of his gun met right with your face earlier. “I’m not gonna tell you anything , you jackass!” You barked , the tight rope of your wrists thrashing at your skin. “Now see , that's where your wrong.” His finger graced the lining of your jaw. You wanted to bite his finger off , shoot him dead and run off. But the thing was you had no idea where you were. You wouldn’t be surprised if he planned this all out meticulously. With how creepy he is , he wasn't the most stupid when it came to getting his way.  “How so asshole , you know I wont ever answer to you.” His lips curved up in enjoyment. “Well your gonna have to or else I’ll let you bleed out in the snow.” You kept your cool , not wanting him to get inside your head. “Even you know I keep my promises!” He leaned back gleefully , retracting his arms and crossing them. “If you dont , then I’m just gonna have to do it myself. So I suggest you cooperate , I want to ruin you like you did to me.” He chuckled with teeth on full display. It was almost like you were starring right back at death itself. “ I wont stop until I get all.my.satisfaction from this.” He made sure to make his point clear. Again , his hand met your face.   “I didn’t do anything! Your the monster here!” You squirmed around , hoping that luck would be by your side. “You wanna go into things you did , cause OH I can name a list.” Suddenly you stiffened up as soon as he said that. You had an idea of what he was gonna utter. His lips situated into the twisted like grin from before. “Shouldn’t you remember killing her in cold blood....?” He whispered into your ear , rage skyrocketing through you. “DONT YOU DARE MENTION HER!” You barked at him , getting a kick in. He stumbled but didnt change in demeanor at all. “Well if your gonna be a such a pain, I will. Maybe lets jog your memory since we’re gonna be cooped up for a while.” He went into a long explanation , dragging out details and making sure you were put to blame. He wanted to rip into you emotionally and it was working. When the outbreak started , you immediately wanted to get away from civilization. Luckily you were able to make it out of your town before military blocked off any roads. You could remember barreling home after finding out what was going on. Your first priority was your daughter. Barreling through your homes front door , your eyes panickily darted around. “Baby!? Baby where are you?! You called through the house. Right away your daughter let herself be known. She had hid inside her closet once she caught commotion outside. Originally you just wanted to get some errands done , but now you had a mission.  Her eyes were teary as she met you with a hug. You calmed her down , needing to make sure you two got out with every ounce of you both intact. You ran out of your house with her , reminding her to leave anything else behind. She listened and you hightailed you guys out of there. Even if you couldn’t get out of your area right away , you needed somewhere to lay low.

Which is when you remembered your parents farm. It was deep in a woods area and was basically off the grid. You knew for a while your father had been always paranoid about something like this happening , so there had to be supplies. Passing through dirt roads and unpaved patches of land you finally arrived.  It was the same as you could recall. Barbed wiring and large metal fences surrounded the area. Your father was a very guarded person. Always prepping for what sort of worst disaster. Guess this time he was right about it. Taking your daughter by the hand you rushed inside the fencing , blocking you off from the outside. By the time you got really inside the home , place was entirely empty. You always thought your parents would be here. Never hesitating to hide away when a storm came brewing. But no... no one was inside. A letter was placed on the fridge door , the hand writing looked frantic. It was your mother , her signature and all placed at the bottom left. "𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨.  𝘞𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘻𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶."  - 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 , 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 Thoughts overtook you completely. Why a quarantine zone? I mean this house is stocked up with all essentials. What if they were infected already? What if they were shot and killed? From day one of your existence you had always been prepared for this scenario , so it surprised you they were denying their own protections.

You had to keep on pushing through , for you daughter. You couldn’t get all emotional now. That would have to be saved for the inside of whatever mattress. What ripped you away from your stream of assumptions was your little girl speaking up. “Are we- are we sick?” She mumbled , still teary eyed.

You moved over to her and crouched down since she was sitting on the couch. “Sweetie no , you didn’t let anyone inside right?” You comfortably tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She’d quickly nod her head , she was paranoid out of her mind. A kid her age shouldn’t have to panic so much like this , so you tried to quell her fears.

“Look we’re gonna be safe , okay? Take this like a fun trip! We need to keep some rules in check though so me and you can be safe.” You explained , she clung to you with a fearful nod. Guilt was pouring through you but you couldn’t change the situation you two were in. So the best option was to find a solution , couldn’t be so hard...?

                                                     •·.·''·.·•

What continued was years of hiding. Through your scavenging you found ways to fortify the house so no one got out or in. You were able to somewhat supply your daughter with a stable childhood. With the occurrence of infected always prowling around , they were easily fought off with traps surrounding every corner of the farm. Even though you were guarded to the max , slip ups could potentially happen.

It was the middle of the night. Both you and your daughter were sleeping peacefully, her a couple rooms down from yours. A sawed off shotgun just within your reach. Oddly , you were taken out of your slumber by a loud banging coming from your front door. Which genuinely woke you up , your hand immediately went to your weapon.

You haven't been graced with the presence of any other living humans in years; the infected didnt have any manners of knocking. It led you befuddled , making your exit out of your room to check what was happening. Your daughter had rose from her room and found you. In which you quickly shushed her as you made your way to the cameras.

Clicking through them , you found the source of the loud banging. A...family of three were sat at your front door step. It was a mother , father , and a little girl - she was maybe around the age of six. The man was the one who had been hammering at the front of the house , loudly announcing his presence. By what you could make out from the mother and girl , the mother was carefully holding up the young child. You couldn't observe much anything else , except the annoying persistent stranger.

The presence of your daughter stood behind you , she immediately wanted to know what was had to be done. Firmly , you told her to stay put in her room as you would go deal with this. She replied with an “okay.. be careful mom.” Before making her way back up the stairs. Pinching your nose , you cocked your gun and headed to your homes entrance. Immediately as sign of life was heard from inside , the raucous finally quelled. You unlocked the door and it swung in your way , meeting the father with the muzzle of your shotgun at his chest. Instantly he staggered back , so did the mother with her child. Clearly you were pissed off , and you were not gonna be so kind to strangers. “Who are you and what the fuck are you doing at my home?” You grunted out , adjusting you firearm to make sure it was up and shown. The mom and dad made panicked glancing looks before the father finally spoke up. “Look , we were part of a QZ before this. It got tarnished by a resistance group. We’re just trying to find shelter , and our daughter was injured in a scuffle.” The guy explained basically their whole entire story. You listened intently , trying to come up with what to do. “Please , we mean you no harm. Only thing I’m asking for is if you could maybe lend us some medical supplies,” Something else popped up in his head. “Or you could check out her leg wound , but that's all we need.” As the man rambled , your eye peeked over at the two behind him. The mothers eyes looked mortified , clearly this wasn't some ploy. You heart crumbled into tiny pieces as you saw the younger one. She was shaking , her small hands gripping onto her mother. You could recall the start of the outbreak , your mortified daughters expression as the new predicament shaped her childhood.

You sighed and moved your gun away from view. The mans more panicked attitude switched to somewhat awkward. You spoke up , looking at the three before you got to talking. “...Seeing as if your not some sort of trick , I will let you inside. On one condition - you only stay here for the night.” The father right away shook his head in agreement. Before he could say anything more , you cut him off. “We have rooms you can stay in , but you dont touch anything else. Do you hear me clear.” It was almost like a command. Again , the man shook his head into agreement. “Yes yes , thank you so much...!” You nodded in return and let them inside. The rest of the night was a majority of you showing them around. Examining the kids injury , it at first looked like just a couple scrapings. Which you in the end helped with some rubbing alcohol and a cloth. Your daughter came down , ease dropping for most of the confrontation. The parents collectively were thankful for your helpfulness , you only really replying with a gritting “No problem at all.” The threes stay expanded from one day to more. To be completely honest you weren’t mad about it. More people around wasn’t so terrible , and your daughter was getting nicely along with their youngest. But from your earlier predictions , you may have been wrong about it being some couple scratches. Oh would you be so regretful of what you did. Though the belittlement of your past actions was stopped; as you felt your face exit the piercingly cold lake water. You regained your breath , your shivering only getting worse by then. Hale had the ends of your hair balled into a fist , he had a rough grip on it. “What - you gonna budge now?” His hold only got tighter as you squirmed. Through gasps and blood coughing out of your mouth , “Fuck no you dipshit!”  As the cold red liquid trailed down your lip from seemingly days of torture , he threw you to the side. You tumbled not too far , but felt stuck in your moment. Your odds of getting out of this were slim. You couldn't just think your way out of this like the many times before. He’d let out a coarse chuckle , making his way over to you. “God how I always loved your stubbornness.”  Your rigid body was dragged back inside of the run down home , you were met with the cold wooden floor. He looked at you , something was ticking away. “Times running out but I’m a patient man. So I am gonna let you rest until tomorrows fun activities.” He gave you a solemn look before again , leaving your sights. Left to way there - you deep dived back into your past. Going through the mistakes you made to get here. The day your world view plummeted was a week after you’d let the young family stay with you. It was early morning at the farm , sun cupping up into the sky. Even though the sights outside looked so pretty , the inside of your home was not the same.  What awoke you was the startled shrieks of your daughter. Garbled commotion was all you could hear , and right away you were on your feet. When you made your way downstairs you couldn’t be anymore shocked. The young girl was infected , trying to devour her parents. She was eating into her mothers neck , while the father was already out for the count. Right away your gun went off , but it missed the now infected kid. Your daughter was yelling for you , yelling to get her. Before you could make the perfect shot , the now turned child already got a swipe at your daughter. Fucking finally you were able to land a head shot right through the head of the monster. Briskly , two more shots rang out. You were frozen in your path , weapon dropping in your hand. Before your brain could clock what was going on , your daughter spoke. Her voice was chocked with tears as she held her arm. “Mama... I’m gonna become a monster.” That grabbed your attention as you saw what your idiotic decisions gave you.  Your daughter was bit on her forearm , she couldn't stop crying. “Mama please dont let me become one of them!” She begged you , her frame wrapping around your torso. Cautiously you wrapped your arms around her , this would be your final hug. Your head looked back to your dropped gun , her daughters loud sobbs were muffled into you. You looked down at your baby girl and adjusted your view to look at her.  “Honey lets head outside , I wanna show you something.” The two of you shared a look. Through a begrudging smile you ushered her outside. You took her to a nearby field , entirely empty with no civilization for miles. “Why dont you turn around for me and pick some of the flowers?” You mumbled as you gestured to the small patch of daisies.  One last final look , she looked like she knew what was gonna happen. As she crouched down , she began to grab at the patch of flowers. “I love you baby... I hope you know that.” She turned back , again staring you right down. “I love you too mama.” She replied with a quivering smile. She began to hum as she went back to doing what you asked. Your eyes poured out so much tears , you reloaded your gun with ammo. “Remember our song baby? I want you to sing it as loud as you can.” You felt as if your knees were about to go weak.  She listened and began with more volume , sing that same tune. As the words of “Make your own kind of music” came from her mouth , you counted down mentally. Backwards from three , the noise around you went quiet. Only being able to see what you did. Your daughter fell into the flowers , a gun shot to the back of her head.  You finally fell to the grass , erupting into painful sobbing. You crawled over and cradled her in your arms. Repeating's of “I’m sorry” came from your lips as you rocked back and fourth. You never expected to be so alone , but now you were. You lost the only thing that kept you going in this cold world. You wanted to die with her that day but you couldn’t. A crack from a branch came from out of nowhere. You realized where you were , laying on a large tree. Your eyes opened , meeting the face of Joel Miller. Petrified seeing the state you were in. Bleeding out and gravely injured , you could only meet him with a breath of life and curve of your lips.

                                  **END (part 2 coming soon)**

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

turn and face the strange

by dynazty

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Background Robin/Vickie - Relationship Character: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Dustin Henderson, The Party (Stranger Things), Vickie (Stranger Things), Nancy Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 04, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Mutual Pining, everyone lives! because ignorance is bliss folks, eddie is self destructive and steve is sick of it tbh, Underage Drinking, Recreational Drug Use, Concerts, Slow Burn, Shotgunning, Parental Trauma, they fuck you up, your mom & your dad, it's not all angsty though!, Fluff and Humor, Movie Dates, mostly written before vol 2, Sexual Content, HIV/AIDS mention, everyone gets a tragic backstory woooo, Found Family, this is basically a romcom who are we kidding Words: 86,938 Chapters: 20/20

Summary

“I’m coming, man. Jeez. This isn’t life or death.” Steve opens the driver’s side door roughly. “Alcohol thins your blood. Lose too much and it will be life or death.” “It’s just a flesh wound,” Eddie insists in a bad British accent as he plops down in the passenger seat. When Steve only gives him a blank look, his grin falls. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail? No? Come on, dude, how do you work at a video store?” (Or: The aftermath begins to set in. Sometimes, comfort can be found in the oddest of places.)

[newts-and-sharks]

Angsty Brutus Moon for dinner

Close ups woooo

[definitelynotshouting]

OUGH ok I think I might sign off then cus I have been holding off on sending brainrot but now the chemicals have been triggering an I am mentally ill over them EHE

“Do you think they wear secret tokens of each other's affections. Do you think they hold them close at night and hope to every god they can think of that one day they'll be happy. Do you think they take one last deliberate breath as they hold it close and die.”

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY ON EVERY ACCOUNT. Cub asking where Scar keeps disappearing off to and why he keeps showing up with bits of feather fluff in his hair, or why he suddenly has so much new jewelry bits like a new wooden bead necklace or an earring that isn’t his usual swirling gold. Or Pearl trying to figure out why Grian has a little leather cord with blue gems suddenly and why does he smell like magic? So Pearl tries to follow Grian but he’s just CONVENIENTLY TOO GOOD AT DISAPPEARING WITHOUT A TRACE. All the while Scar and Grian just have a terrible habit of disappearing to spend time together bc it hurts to be apart and their hearts can only ache for so long AUAUUGHHJJJJ- They just hold each other and run their hands through hair and feathers and trace freckles and scars and pray for a time when they can do that without being afraid :’) AHHAHAHA and then. Once they’ve been found out and fought to find each other one last time in secret (although they know it’s only a matter of time before the ones hunting them draw near and begin fighting again) they swear their deaths will be by their own hands, if only to have the last bitter laugh (oh god the poetry, its coming out of my BRAIN). They’re found embraced together, looking sweet and peaceful but gone nonetheless, and WOOOO their sides have the sense to at least realize how much they’ve fucked up because GOD DO I LOVE SUFFERINF AND ANGST WOOOOOOOOOOOO- (ok whoopsie didn’t mean to go so awful and angsty there I had to cut it up with a little bit of humor lulz) - um I suppose 🦀 anon??? IDK I LIKE CRABS they’re little snippy guys :3c ALSO SORRY IF THIS COMES OUT WEIRD TUMBLR IS BEIN FUNKY FOR ME ;-;

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OH THIS IS SO VERY HEARTBREAKING ANON.... man. Smth so personal about dying in your lover's embrace,,, also im obsessed with how this is a romeo and juliet au but theres magic in it that Pearl can sense, thats got such flavour /gen

I love this anon!!! Also pls ur talking to the angst machine that came up with hunger au, i eat this shit up for breakfast >:]