#airstream bar

[customairstream]

Elevate your experience with a customized Airstream Bar perfect for corporate events, weddings and parties. To know more about our projects, visit our website!

[aestheticology]

[hudsontrailerco]

Airstream Trailer Renovations - Hudson Trailer Company

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[naffeclipse]

Desert Light

Cryptid Sightings/Signs of Life Crossover

Commission Info

My dear friend @jackofallrabbits commissioned me for a darling little crossover of Cryptid Sightings and their fic, Signs of Life, with @maudiemoods's permission, of course. If you haven't read Signs of Life, you really should and you can find it right here! I had so much fun writing both the cryptid hunter and the scientist interacting, and both monster boys are delightful here! I hope you enjoy <3

———

At nightfall, the desert is dipped in inky blues under a starry sky spilling over the entire expansion over your head. You forget how big the desert feels without trees or mountains to cut into its horizon as if the very heavens are staring down at you with twinkling eyes. The dry ground becomes darkness littered with muted sagebrush. The road is cracked and sunbleached, rocking your dark green truck and airstream. Along the lonely stretch of road, a convenience store with fluorescent lights cuts through emptiness like an oasis of gasoline, candy bars, and potato chips.

Moon hunches low in the passenger seat. Pale eyes gaze at you through the dimness within the truck's cabin. Patches along his nightcap catch on stray starlight, winking on the stitches you sewed by hand.

“It’s late,” he rasps in a low voice.

“I know, sweetie,” you sigh and rub your eyes while keeping one hand on the wheel. “We’re almost there.”

“You’re tired.” His hand strays across the seat to rest on your leg. His cool digits jolt you gently back to alertness.

“It’s only half an hour more,” you give ruefully. “Let’s stop here. I’ll grab a soda then we’ll be on our way.”

He grumbles, vibrating his animatronic vessel with displeasure. A word against caffeine is surely on his tongue, but the jostling from pulling the truck and airstream onto the cracked pavement underneath the almost neon-white light of the gas pumps cuts him short.

The desert hosts paranormal encounters ranging from the chupacabra to aliens. The latter is why you ventured here. Without F.E.I. providing you exact intel and evidence, it’s up to you to conduct your research and discover possible sightings but what you’ve unearthed so far has been solid.

This one in particular speaks of an alien. A towering but thin, long-limbed being spotted around a motel just as remote and lonely as this convenience store. You throw the truck in park and hop out. A lone car is parked alongside the building and another is parked further away, as if trying to hide away from the lights.

Soundlessly behind you, despite the bells tied around his wrists with ribbons, Moon appears like a metallic shadow. Hopefully, the convenience store attendant isn’t against animatronics in their store. He tilts his head for a moment towards the outermost vehicle, his pale optics narrowing before he follows after you.

If he sensed a heartbeat hiding in the darkness, he would have told you.

You pull open the door with a quiet jingle announcing your entrance. A small sign, old and worn, on the checkout counter promises the attendant will be back in a few. You deflate slightly. You had hoped to ask someone in this area about the sightings.

“There’s someone here,” Moon murmurs close to your ear like a breath from a ghost.

Quiet footsteps echo back beside the fridge section of drinks, concealed by shelves of beef jerky, peanut butter cookies, and chocolate bars. Curious, you strive forward. You might still have a chance to speak to the lone employee who may be restocking the cases of beer or soda, but when you round the corner with a cool presence at your back, you stop still.

A person straightens, clutching a few water bottles to their chest, their eyes immediately landing on you, framed in glasses. You look down to the hoodie they wear: dark fabric with a green alien face; a charming, stereotypical depiction of extraterrestrials. Do they sell those here?

“I like your hoodie.” You smile. “Do you work here?”

The person immediately fixes their glasses and beams. “Thank you. It’s a bit too warm for this climate but it’s cute. No, I don’t work here. Is that an animatronic with you?”

You blink but turn back to allow Moon more of an audience with the curious stranger. He regards them with a coolness but no malice. You give a slow nod.

“This is my friend, Moon.” 

The stranger steps closer, studying him with vim and vigor before adjusting the many water bottles in their arms. Underneath their arm, tucked into their armpit is a notebook. They lift a hand towards Moon.

“What model are you?” they ask, eager. “How long have you gone without maintenance? Your wires are exposed and your endoskeleton could use a polish.”

Moon stares. A slight twitch runs through his limbs. You step back between Moon and the stranger, your pulse jumping slightly at the spew of questions—many that have no good answers. Could they be familiar with where Eclipse found their half-burned, abandoned vessel?

You introduce yourself quickly, keeping Moon behind you and out of reach of the stranger. “What’s your name?”

They slowly lower their hand, disappointed. “Ah.” They’re silent for a moment, and you can see the gears working in their mind before decidedly saying, “You can call me Doc.”

That’s funny. Surely it must be a nickname though you have no qualms with a stranger giving you whatever moniker they please, but Moon’s hand falls to your shoulder. His digits curl slightly over your collarbone, as if in warning. Right.

“Alright. Doc,” you smile.

They smile back. “Is your animatronic—”

“I’m sorry,” you say, very apologetically but firmly, “but I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about happenings in this area.”

Doc grows still, their expression guarded. You catch their eyes flickering towards the door and then landing back on you.

“What are you referring to exactly?” they ask tentatively, almost nervously.

“There have been reports of unusual occurrences in this part of Nevada.” You wish you bought your book of cryptid information with you. If they’ve seen anything, you will need to write it down. Instead, you focus on slowly bringing them into your question. If you went around asking any person if they saw aliens right off the bat, no one would take you seriously. “Have you seen anything strange or simply unexplainable?”

“UFO sightings in Nevada are very common,” they say so bluntly, it causes you to blink. They set the water bottles down on a shelf occupied with chip bags and shift the notebook closer to their chest, holding it like a shield. “Did you know that Nevada has the highest rate of UFO sightings per capita in the U.S.?”

“I did know that,” you say, impressed that they know it as well. You lean closer in your curiosity. Do they believe in cryptids? “Have you researched such things before?”

They fix their glasses and lower their hand back to their book only to lift it again and fidget. 

“Recently I have,” they admit.

A coolness radiates behind you. In the corner of your vision, Moon tilts his head. The bell on the end of his nightcap falls over his shoulder. What doesn’t he like? Surely they can’t be a rulebreaker. Moon would have reacted much less pleasantly to such a person. 

They touch their glasses again, and the frames fall slightly askew on their face. “Have you heard anything about an alien?”

You brighten with the question. At last.

“Yes. That’s why I’m here,” you hold a hand to your chest, “to locate any confirmation or evidence about an alien sighting near a motel a little ways from here. Nothing has been reported as violent, but it’s most likely an incident will occur soon unless properly dealt with.”

Their hands furl and unfurl, anxiously touching their glasses, pushing them up the bridge of their nose, and shifting. Are they alright?

“Most of the time sightings of cryptids, including aliens, are just everyday objects seen from a weird angle,” they ramble slightly. 

You pause, watching them. Are they afraid to tell you what they saw? You’ve encountered poor, terrified people who fear even speaking a word of what they’ve experienced will mark them as unstable and insane. Even worse, it might somehow lure the presence that frightened them in the first place back.

“Yes, that’s true,” you admit, but only half of the time. There have been a plethora of hoaxes, pranks, misunderstandings, and of course, misidentifications of objects that have been spun into debunking the cryptic world, but you carry the scars from a true encounter at the base of your thumb. “But have you witnessed anything you would consider to be unearthly?”

Do they know something they can’t seem to tell you about?

Doc shifts again. Their hand strays to the notebook they carry, and touch the well-worn spine. Is it as important to them as your cryptid book is to you?

“No,” they fidget a few times anxiously, “Is there anything I can do to help you with your animatronic? I am an engineer.” 

Moon twitches behind you. Their eyes immediately fall to the movement and frown.

“Are you experiencing a malfunction?” they ask, and start to reach out again. Moon clenches your shoulder tighter.

“No, no!” You hold up your hands defensively. “That’s very generous to offer, but Moon is fine, thank you.”

They frown. Unconvinced, they continue to pry around your person to stare at the cryptid possessing a vessel. You’ve never had this problem before. So many people are put off by the strange, inexplicable presence of a demonic cryptid—a sixth sense warning of danger, but Doc heeds no such deterrents.

“He is experiencing micro spasms which may be a symptom of a conduction failure in his wires or a deeper issue within his processor.” They face Moon entirely, and he stares back unblinkingly. “When was the last time you went in for routine maintenance?”

“We don’t need maintenance,” he rasps. You cover his hand as it clenches you tighter still. A coolness swells around him and you hope Doc mistakes it for the coolness of the fridges.

Confusion twists their brow. Doc parts their lips to offer a rebuttal to a clear inconsistency with their framework and the fact of the matter, but Moon twists behind you. His grip never leaves your shoulder, his fingers digging into your collarbone as the jingle of the bell at the front of the store rings.

Then the lights flicker. A sharp fade of every light bulb overhead and even the light within the fridges drops the convenience store into darkness. Your heart tumbles in your chest. You didn’t bring your crossbow or your detector. Only a knife sits strapped to your hip, hidden by your patched, green jacket. 

Your eyes flash to Doc. You take them by the arm and their expression shifts to alarm behind their glasses.

“Move,” you whisper sharply. “Stay with me and be quiet.”

“I need to leave,” they say, strangely focused, but they don’t struggle when you guide them down the row of fridges to the last column of shelves in the back of the store. They don’t understand. Something else is here. Something not of this world. You must protect them from it.

Moon follows quietly behind you, his fingers spasming as they curl like claws. His pale eyes dip into crimson, alert and vicious. 

“Not a heart,” he mutters, and you glance at him. “Something else… Something strange.”

He stands between you, and your entire body clenches. A towering being begins to prowl under the flicker lights, slipping in through the door. You used to fear your dear friend placing themselves between you and the threat, but they are far more terrifying than any cryptid you have hunted.

The sharp contrast of the fluorescent light bulbs and the sudden darkness spears a sharp ache into your eyes. Carefully, you place Doc behind you, but they offer another protest again. 

“Be quiet,” you murmur firmly, “It’s going to be okay.”

“Ah, you don’t understand.” Doc’s eyes fall past you, towards the frosty doors of the fridges. “He’s—”

A sharp scratch of nails cutting over glass causes your shoulders to hunch up and a grimace to twist your face. You free the knife from your hip. It is the only defense you have for you and Doc. You should have been prepared for the alien to strike here, so close to the original sighting site, now creeping in close to find more precious victims to devour.

Doc reaches out, past you.

“You have to let me pass,” they say calmly. “He wants me.”

You turn to look over your shoulder, confusion painting you in flickering lights.

“Who does?” you ask.

The glass scratching stops. You stiffen, reading your knife as Moon tenses. Creeping from the row of fridges, a figure straightens. Tall and spindly, but with an unnerving aura of strength to his long limbs, an alien stands before you. Deep red and galaxy-speckled skin coats him, and you catch a strange symbol on one of his hands, like the moon eclipsing the sun. A dark hoodie with an alien ship covers his lanky form poorly—not unlike Doc’s. A sharp crown of jutting adornments sits upon his head. A waving veil of starlight falls behind his skull. 

His three eyes, bright and glinting, like a predator about to bounce, immediately find the person behind you. One eye is dark. His grin splits into a wide, hungry thing with razor-sharp teeth.

“My light,” his voice is low and dangerous, “I have been waiting for you.”

Behind you, Doc looks up at the towering, otherworldly beast, but there is no fear in their eyes.

“Stay back,” you immediately brandish your knife. Moon spreads his arm, ensuring that there is no passing him without going through him.

A dark chuckle falls from the creature.

“You dare think you can keep my light from me?” He spreads his arms, four limbs of sinew and bone, claws flashing with a desire to rip flesh from a body. “I will give you one chance to let my light go.”

Moon stands tall between him, silently gauging him like a proper opponent. Is the alien taller than your sweetie in their true form? You’re afraid he is.

“No,” you breathe, “You’re not taking them.” 

A soft sound arises behind you, distress mingling with breath. Doc must be terrified of the abrupt encounter. How could they have ever known an alien would mark them as his quarry?

A snarl rips through his chest, deep and vicious. His hands grope the surrounding shelves, fitting between cookies and candy bars. His hand swipes a few basic camping supplies, spilling ropes and canisters onto the ground. He catches a stainless steel one in his lower set of hands. In effortless brutality, the alien concaves the metal before his claws pierce the container entirely, crumpling it as if it were a soda can. Your gut clenches. 

“I will paint this tasteless floor in your blood,” the extraterrestrial growls, gnashing his teeth.

In response, a sharpness erupts from the sides of Moon’s chassis. Shadowy appendages, seeping black ooze over bony limbs with hands and claws of crimson, stand at the ready. You suck in a sharp breath.

“You will not touch a hair on our heart’s head,” an abysmal sound leaves the animatronic, layered and demonic.

The alien tilts his head, eyes widening at the challenge. 

“My, my, and what are you? No matter, I will tear you apart.” He laughs again, echoing with chilling amusement. Dread hooks deep into your belly.

“Eclipse, it’s okay.” Doc moves underneath your arm. 

Your knee-jerk reaction is fierce. You catch them by the back of their hoodie, scrunching fabric in your fist to keep them tethered close to you. They stop and look back at you. When they smile, it’s heavy. Guilt touches their edges, anchored by worry. 

“Ah. I know he’s frightening, but he’s not going to hurt anyone.” They tug on their hoodie, trying to loosen your grip. “You can let me go.”

“Yes, let them go,” the alien licks a dark tongue over his teeth, “and I might spare you all.”

“What—no, he’s…” you stumble over your tongue then stop, confused. “Do you know this cryptid?”

“Ah. Alien,” they correct you. “Yes. Eclipse would like me back now, please.”

Moon glances at Doc. Confusion pulses in his crimson gaze. The end of his nightcap falls over his shoulder. 

“They’re not afraid,” he rasps. He stares down at Doc’s chest. He can sense a heartbeat, the rhythm of it, and how fast it gallops in a person’s chest.

Your lips part wordlessly. 

There was a time when you believed cryptids were only monsters. Machines capable of great destruction and horror. You never dreamed a demonic cryptid would be capable of kindness and goodness, and care so much for little ones.

Your fingers slip from the fabric. Moon allows Doc to sweep underneath his arms. Their eyes fall to their shadowy limbs, and their hands shift to their notebook. Your heart clenches, caught in the camaraderie urge to take notes of your sweetie’s true form and fearing what Doc would do with such information. F.E.I. is still out there. There are other cryptid hunters. 

But they stop themselves. Fixing their glasses, they quickly step back into the alien’s reach. You clench the knife tighter, afraid as four pairs of hands descend upon them.

“We need to leave quickly,” Doc says as the alien kneels and hunches lower to look over the human, combing for harm or mistreatment. “We’ve already made a mess and stayed here for too long.”

“This isn’t a mess. Yet,” the alien answers, his voice murmuring like a lover in the night. The threat is not lost on you as Moon growls a warning. The alien flashes a smug smile, all teeth, and arrogance before he concludes his checkup on Doc. “Let’s go, my light.”

Doc nervously looks back at you, almost as if they would look to say more, explain, or even ask you about Moon’s extra, shadowy arms. Instead, they weakly wave, like this is a goodbye they wish didn’t have to happen.

The alien lifts them into his arms as if they weighed as much as a feather.

“Wait,” you step closer. Two arms, one metallic and blue, one shadowy and crimson, stop you. He keeps you back from the otherworldly being. “Are you safe?”

The alien scowls at you. Doc only smiles softly. 

“Yes, friend.” Their eyes linger on Moon. “You’re so impressive. I would love to know more about you.”

A ripple of what you think is jealousy takes over the alien. He turns away with a flash of teeth, and steps quickly, sweeping through the store and out the door with a sharp jingle. In moments, the alien carries the small human out into the night. You stand there, stunned. 

Moon straightens. “Their heart is still steady. They feel safe with him.”

Oh.

Moon slowly faces you, two arms touching your sides and holding you close. You lean into his embrace.

“I hope they are,” you murmur. The lights stop flickering in the gas station and the stars outside shine brighter in the darkness. A car speeds away, down the desert road.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Came upon another of my former posts that didn't sell. The 1989 home in Lake Placid, NY has 9bds, 10ba. It's been for sale since 2022 at $31.15M. In 2023, it was reduced to $15M. Taken off the market for 2mos., it's listed again for $15M.

It looks like one of those little German weather houses, doesn't it? Well, you won't believe what's inside.

The interesting living room. Well, we can barely see the fireplace w/all the stuff.

Long formal dining room.

Have you ever seen a kitchen with a gate? I mean, unless they have a dog as tall as a human, that's not a pet gate. There are also bars behind the cooktop. Look at the lights under the cabinets, so they look like they're hovering.

The kitchen is very small for a $15M house.

We're going downstairs, now.

Family room with a huge stone fireplace.

There's a door to this covered patio with a built-in fire pit and swinging sofas.

The home is like a maze of halls.

There's a shower in here, and is that a hot tub or a water feature? Nice ceiling and rock wall.

Double doors and a hall leading to the primary bedroom. This house doesn't look this big from outside.

The bedroom is weird. I just learned that this black thing is a Japanese Luong bed, probably custom made.

Check out the marble en-suite.

Look at this long hall.

It leads to this area with a spiral staircase, a bear, and a fake tree.

The spiral stairs go up to a guest apt.

It has a bigger kitchen than the main house.

The bedroom. Very spacious apt.

Out on the deck. Across the way, see that cabin on huge trunks? That's a guest cabin.

Well. This is certainly is literally in the trees.

Behind the treehouse is another house.

There's another apt. in here with a cool kitchen. Love the two-tone cabinets.

Here's a shooting range downstairs.

Yet another living quarters with a full kitchen.

Makeshift bedroom in the garage.

But, that's not all the living quarters. There's still a vintage Airstream trailer on the property.

They ruined it with the cement coating inside. Well, this property is big- it's 46.64 acres with lots of living quarters.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/116-Bear-Cub-Ln-Lake-Placid-NY-12946/30429336_zpid/

[mygaynesshasnolimits]

have we heard anything else abt the Madison reed thing in LA? do we know if it’s true or..

theyre gonna be there on Saturday

anyone going? 👀

[missredherring]

Pedro Pascal Masterlist

🌶️= spice

Agent Whiskey (Kingsman: The Golden Circle)

Southern Comfort

He sighed and held you tighter, running his hand up and down your back in soothing strokes.

Take His Gun and Send Him Into Battle (OFC) - Part One

An AU where Whiskey isn’t killed and turned over to Statesman instead. No longer Agent Whiskey, Jack Daniels is going to have to find out who the man beneath the Stetson really is. 

Alejandro Santos (Drive-Away Dolls)

In the Flesh 🌶️ (x Ted Garcia, m/m)

A glory hole in a dive bar at the edge of town truly is a liminal space, and this particular half hard cock straining through the side of a bathroom stall is all the proof he needs of that fact. 

Dieter Bravo (The Bubble)

Dieter Does Dorne

"That is not a great angle for the dangle." You said as you turned your head, trying to better understand what you were seeing. Granted, your phone screen wasn’t the biggest, but you weren’t sure a bigger picture would help untangle the knot of limbs you were looking at.

Feast

Dieter's body stops as if it's come to the end of a tether and he turns his full attention to the section of press you're in. Flashing cameras go off and the yells are deafening once they realize his attention is on them, or so they think. Incubus AU.

Paint Me Like One Of Your French Girls

"Sorry, sorry." He says distractedly while glancing around. Even now that he's in the studio, he's still flitting around to find the right supplies.  "Bravo, I'm freezing my ass off." You say, and it's true: the cold is seeping into your butt from the concrete floor. 

The Roles We Play

While isolated in a manor house with his costars, he roams around in a bathrobe, desperately looking for someone to hook up with. 

Dieter Gets It 🌶️

You didn’t get the appeal of this, but Dieter does.

Someone Who Calls Me Baby (Dieter x Javi G)

He shakes his hands down at his sides, but it does nothing to expel any of the nervous energy running through him: his fingers still tingle as he taps them together and a faint ringing starts in his ears.  When he scoops up his phone to reread the text from his agent the message hasn’t changed. He hasn’t gotten the role in a while.

Touch Me Touch Me Touch Me 🌶️ (Fat Reader)

“How long do you want this?” You adjust his kerchief to indicate your meaning. “All day. We don’t have other plans.” He offers and shudders when you bury your nose in his neck, nuzzling at the skin at the edge of the fabric.  “Good. All you have to do is take it off.” You remind him, as you always do. He nods and you reward him with a bruising suck right over his carotid artery that makes him whimper.

No Solo Riders

The ride operator calls out, the music explodes, and the world falls away around you.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir AU

30 Minutes or Less

Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

The Road Ahead

Starting a new journey in life with Din at your side is great. Until he hits a huge pot hole and almost loses the airstream.

Laundry Day

Laundry piles up while no one is looking so you go to the laundromat in town and meet someone new. 

"Then we'll find out together."

Eddie (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

An Act Of Kindness (Fat Reader)

Part Two

"More," he begs, his tongue eager and searching out every drop. "Please."

Ezra (Prospect)

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Hidden Treasure

Sometimes it pays to take a detour and give in to curiosity. You and Ezra find a hidden gem on a dusty planet.

Sanctuary

You weren't surprised to find him at the book shop when you went to open that morning.

Frankie Morales (Triple Frontier)

Highway Honey🌶️

“What’s gotten into you today?” “You don’t have fond road trip memories?” “Not really, and I wouldn’t call the trips I do remember ‘road trips’.” He says and you don’t let what he doesn’t say, that most of them were missions or deployments, bring the mood down.

Strawberry Wine

Frankie prefers beer, but he’ll definitely take you to the local winery with live entertainment for a date night.  

When I Watch The World Burn All I Think About Is You

The world is ending and maybe it was sentimentality or fate, but you ended up at the bar where you met. Somehow you could handle the heartbreak in a place like this.  

Cold Ones and Cards

A breeze drifted in through the open windows and the humid air sent goosebumps down your arms. A warm hand, calloused and large, rubbed at the skin there and you leaned back into his chest. Your whole body shook when Frankie laughed, a deep sound that came from his belly. He had to put his head on your shoulder to catch his breath. Whatever the joke was it must’ve been a good one. 

Joel Miller (The Last of Us)

What're We Doing, Joel?

"Tell me what you like."

Develop🌶️

Your fingers freeze on the mouse when you get to the last pictures of the final roll of film. You scroll through, eyes straining to understand what the thumbnail is showing you.  It looks like Joel had an adult sleepover of his own.

I'm The One To Beat 🌶️

Every one of your friend's names had been added to his list of victims, but not yours. For better or worse, you survived. 20 years pass and new victims start showing up with Joel's MO. Now's your chance. Slasher/Final Girl AU.

Let's Twist The Knife Again

When he feels the hard hit to his head, Joel hopes he doesn't wake up. But he does. Time Travel AU.

My Back Is Breaking From This Heavy Heart (Joel x Reader x Tess)

You weren’t home when the music stopped playing on the radio.

Wrong Until You Make It Right

After a long day when his kitchen sink starts leaking, there's only one person he thinks to call. You make a house call and Joel gets a wake up call.

For A Good Time Call... Joel 🌶️ (Fat Reader)

Joel nods like your silence is the answer he expected. “I had plenty of time to think about it last night. All that noise and it still sounded like someone just gettin’ off.” He shakes his head a little. “I’m sure Tommy did good by you, but there was something missing. That desperate edge to your voice, honey. I bet you’ve never not come, always making sure to get yours. But where’s the fun in that?”

Warming Up 🌶️ (Fat Reader)

The impish impulse wins out and you scoot closer to drape yourself over him as much as you can with him sprawling out on his stomach. He yelps and makes to move away, but he’s already at the edge of the mattress.

A Flower in February

When he’s finished cleaning the scrapes on your face his thumb swipes tenderly over the curve of your chin once. “I'll take care of it.”

Little Girl with a Big Mouth 🌶️

"More?" he asks your shoulder. "More." you agree.

Liam (Nikita)

Lap of Luxury🌶️

He’d told himself that you were a distraction, a liability, a weakness he’d be foolish to give in to, but he hadn’t been able to stay away. He hadn’t been able to stop wondering what it would look like to press his fingers into your skin.

Lucien Flores (The Uninvited)

Red Light Glow 🌶️

He’d called to wish you a happy birthday before anyone else.

Hungry Eyes 🌶️

Lucien thinks he probably gets to fuck you in that light. The lucky bastard.

Trying Something New 🌶️

“Back in town tonight. Sex? Pls?”

Marcus Pike (The Mentalist)

Hall Pass (Marcus x Reader x Dieter)

"I can't believe you're this innocent."

Kate & Leopold AU

Mr. Marcus "king of consent" Pike would ask if he could kiss you after sex.

Marcus Moreno (We Can Be Heroes)

"Do You Want My Fingers?"🌶️

He pulled back enough to see your face. Studying your expression like he still needed confirmation that your wants matched his own.

The Bad Guy

Cleaning up after an alien invasion isn’t easy, but Marcus helps.

All That Glitters 🌶️

“Fuck. You’re perfect.” Marcus’s lips brushed your ear as he spoke, sending a shiver down your spine. 

Practice 

Marcus gets back into training but the administrative work never ends.

Villainous: Part One - Part Two

Nothing good had come of the Ogima infiltration, so why would working with their leftover alien tech go any better? Sucked into an alternative universe you’re faced with a man who looked exactly like the partner you had kissed goodbye that morning. His touch is impersonal and rough as your wrists are restrained and the look in his eyes is anything but tender.

Snap (Fat Reader)

"I know you're anxious to give anything that might work a try, but I really want to urge you to read the consent form thoroughly." Marcus says. The request is the dying gasp of his conscience that's burned away in the flare of satisfaction he feels when you sign the form after only a moment of hesitation.

Maxwell Lord (WW '84)

Fool's Gold (Fat Reader)

In a world where superheroes and villains need to be taken into consideration when planning your morning commute, crystals rank low on the “things to be concerned about” scale. A genie AU. 

Comfort

A simple touch of comfort in the night.

Give Me Strength

Maxine Lord attends her first Pride parade with her girlfriend.

An Escape Rope Tied Around My Neck

A wish… what is a wish if not a desperate plea for the unobtainable?

Oberyn Martell (Game of Thrones)

Hands Off (Fat Reader)

"Do not think about how you were in the past. That you no longer exists."

Given a Name (Fat Reader)

"This would be your greatest indulgence?" He asks, the edges of his beautiful mouth curling into a pleased grin. How like a man to inflate his importance. It’s a pity that he isn’t wrong. This will be my greatest selfishness.

Pedro from Across the Street (Calls, Apple TV)

Dial Tone 🌶️

It hadn’t been difficult; knowing you as well as he does. Or the other you, the one who wouldn’t break your vows.

Pero Tovar (The Great Wall)

The Rain Still Falls

The rain still falls and his heart still beats.

The Thief (Casillero del Diablo)

What Strange Claws Are These🌶️

"Oh, I'm sorry, does it hurt?"

Tim Rockford (Merge Mansion AD)

I want to be between this man and the table.

My Best Friend's Wedding (ft Marcus Pike)

Choose your own Pedro Pascal Character

Seven Minutes in Heaven (Fat Reader)

[mybeingthere]

Ceramic artist Josh Copus, USA.

Copus completed the Professional Crafts Program at Haywood Community College, and then enrolled at UNCA, getting his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He won the Center for Craft’s Windgate Fellowship, and used the $15,000 grant to make a down payment on some land in Marshall, buy an old Airstream trailer, and build his first wood-fired kiln.

“That first summer was the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life,” says Copus. “I was so determined to be an artist that it was almost unhealthy. I was so broke all the time, living in the trailer or sleeping in the studio and just trying to get a start.” He eventually got a gig tending bar at Wedge Brewing Co., but notes, “I would still work more than 40 hours in the studio every week.”

[sweet-old-hereafter]

aghrhrjdj to the three people who read Primus I AM SO SORRY. I got very distracted with the bridge hug fanart that I neglected to work on the next chapter right after a (sort of ) cliffhanger! Rude of me. Am working on it now, meanwhile please accept these random facts about this bizarre convoluted world I’ve created.

- ‘Fourbounding’ is the term used for when apes propel themselves forward with their knuckles. This is considered low-class and regressive by the Coastals (and some of the higher ranking clans). ‘Knuckle-walker’ is a commonly used insult to refer to another perceived as slow-witted or uneducated.

- The apes speak a unique dialect of English with its own grammatical conventions, such as the lack of contractions and adverbs, as well as frequent article omissions. The use of sign language is regional; the preference for brevity in dialogue doesn’t come from a lack of understanding of complex language, but from the fact it is still physically difficult for apes to speak for long periods of time.

- All of Pacifica is in California. Eagle Clan (officially recognized as ‘Mining Clan’) is a valley in the Sierra Nevada. It’s important to note that the clans don’t necessarily originate in the areas that they currently reside in. When the Coastals sought to round up the ‘sundered’, they would’ve relocated them to the nearest natural resource that could be exploited. The borders were not so strictly defined before the Darkest Chapter (the rebellion). They are now fenced and sometimes patrolled.

- The Appia (aka the Pride of Pacifica) is named after the infamous Appian Way of Ancient Rome. It connects all the clans to the Coastal City, though inter-clan travel is barred save for officially sanctioned duties.

- The equivalent of a passenger train system is the ‘caravans’, salvaged Airstream campers pulled by mules and powered by rechargeable batteries. Each system has one car solely dedicated to preparing food and more than one dedicated to refueling supplies.

- The saltwater batteries are real! They can be made from the casings of regular batteries. They aren’t super efficient but are much less dangerous to manufacture.

- The radios are supplied (and required) by the state, but they’ve been altered to only pick a certain range/ frequency….hmm what was that beeping Mae noticed in chap 3 after Noa started screwing with the radio hghhdhhfhhhhphh.

- Proximus comes from a long line of divine-right rulers who claim not only to be descendants of Caesar but to embody him spiritually. Unlike the areligious Panem, Pacifica is highly faith/superstition based.

- The Coastal apes got into that vault at least a century prior the when the story takes place, hence why the society is much more technologically advanced than what we see in Kingdom.

- That mechanical looking water fountain mentioned in chap two is a clepsydra, or a ‘water clock’.

- In case you didn’t catch it, the dead echo that Noa encounters is the one Mae mentions committed suicide. He was a ‘breaker’, the strongest of the miners. Mae is a ‘fuser’, another class of miners who’s small size is utilized to place explosives in crowded tunnels.

AND some bonus character tidbits:

- Koro (Noa’s father) defeated an invading clan during the Darkest Chapter. The rebellion created a power vacuum that enabled some of the larger clans to overtake the smaller ones. Eagle Clan managed to stay neutral, not siding with the rebels (but they did attempt to enforce their sovereignty). Despite this, the Coastals perceived this defeat as a victory on their side and granted the House of Eagle Sun special privileges post-treaty-of-treason, though they are still subject to the same provisions as the ‘traitor’ clans. Koro is very troubled by his recognition as a war hero, especially since defeating said clan involved killing. He’s now dying of a curable disease called the ‘hectic’, hence all the coughing.

- Soona and Anaya are from a lower class than Noa’s family. As they age into adults this rift becomes more obvious (and uncomfortable). Noa recognizes the narrative transpiring between the two without him and this stirs some confusing feelings….(yeah I am on a soonaya kick they’re prolly gonna kiss on the mouth)

- Noa has dyspraxia. His clumsy-ness is alluded to in Kingdom but will become increasingly relevant in this story. From a young age he’s been prone to neurosis (the reoccurring nightmares, the desire to up and leave the clan) despite his relatively comfortable lifestyle. His emotional intelligence and empathy has allowed him to realize the full scope of the cruelty of the system he exists within, yet he has to actively resist these thoughts because he knows he’ll go mad. Sure hope this isn’t used against him…

- Raka’s partner has been dead for a long time, but Raka suppresses the urge to grow flanges by keeping a photograph of him by his side wherever he goes. He sleeps with it. :(

- Mae has secrets upon secrets. That’s all I gotta say there.

[ohyoufool]

20k for 200!

In the spirit of everyone who has done such fun follower celebrations in the past, and the milestone I just reached (thank you for loving my ideas about these wacky little characters we all love??), I'm trying to write 20k total across different submissions YOU guys submit.

And, because I'm a sucker for chaos, this is specifically an alternate universe fic festival. Have an idea of an AU you think would be fun with OMGCP characters? This is THE MOMENT. These will be short pieces, written in order of submission over the next few weeks.

And just in case you're having a hard time brainstorming ideas... pulling back the shades on my AU ideas list I haven't written yet. Feel free to submit any of these or put your own spin on it!

The fun goes as follows:

Submit an AU. Can be from the list included below, can be one of your own ideas.

Jazz it up. Give me a song. A scene that comes to mind that made you pick the AU. A snippet of dialogue. Anything!! I want this to be a little bit a both of yours and mine, because I’m excited we’re all here to celebrate this fandom together.

Be following me, and submit it as an ask! :) <3

Submissions open until MAY 17!!

Window washer AU

Eel fishing AU

Asbestos removal AU

Ghost AU

Ice cream AU: Bitty works at an ice cream store and Jack keeps coming in and bringing different dates. Bitty catches feelings anyways, and it turns out that Jack has been bringing the dates there as excuses to see Bitty.

“Race 2” AU where Jack and Bitty get teamed up as a recently-retired NHL player and a food network star.

Sports AU: Any. give me a sport. I will write it.

Catering AU: Bitty is on the catering staff at a 5 star hotel. Jack is the best man at Shitty and Lardo’s wedding that he’s catering. 

Bitty is the PR person for the Falcs and Jack is on the coaching staff AU

I’m a night guard at a museum and you haunt the paintings AU

NASCAR AU

Space Bar AU

Bob and Alicia Assassin AU

Jack works at an upscale dude ranch, where Bitty is the celeb who comes for a getaway with his friends AU

Bitty is the newly elected President of the United States. Jack is the secret service agent assigned to him AU

Bitty!Angel AU

Jack notices slowly in little ways like Bitty always being in focus on photos and always smelling like pie and the ‘sunshine’ way that people keep describing him always makes Jack feel like the light on him is just a little wrong.

Mob Boss x Bodyguard AU

TV Show AU: The team is all playing themselves as characters in a Check Please TV show. Jack and Bitty are playing love interests. Horror ensures. 

Players in canon TV show but role reversal. Bitty’s parents were the famous actors. Gives a sexy chance for Bitty to have anxiety. Bitty looks at Jack the character and sees what is easy to love about himself. BECAUSE they are playing opposite roles. Jack loves him like it’s breathing. 

Airstream AU: Bitty buys a pair of hiking boots from Jack on Facebook marketplace. Bitty is doing the social media and cooking and driving for his best friends’ band while they’re travelling the states and hiking around America while he runs a cook vlog from their airstream trailer. Jack is a mechanic and failed motorcycle racer who sells him the boots. Bitty proceeds to text Jack photos of the boots accompanying him around the tour across the US throughout the summer. The vlog about the journey of the boots makes Bitty’s vlog blow up and go viral. The band starts taking off. Bitty (also their opening act), invites Jack to a show when they’re back in the area. Jack sneaks off to a show that he didn’t think he was going to be able to make it to and Bitty comes on stage and fucking SINGS A SONG ABOUT HIM. They make out against the airstream after.

High school musical AU: instead of troy and gabriella, they’re CHAD AND RYAN

Bitty the vlogger who has an ongoing series about how he has the criteria for the Perfect Date and he’s convinced that once he goes on it, he’ll have found the perfect guy. He slowly gains followers and goes on a date on a friend (Shitty’s) recommendation, and to his surprise, the guy gets ZERO of the things on his list. They fall in love anyways. AU

Rock band in the middle of the apocalypse. Yeah that’s it. AU

Politician and reporter AU

Wedding DJ x Wedding Party AU

Wild West AU

Band AU where Bitty is the lead singer and Jack is the drummer and they’re famous. Bitty has been in love with jack for forever and jack finally catches feelings. There is totally a gay angst moment where jack writes a song and it gets leaked  on twitter. So there’s Jack, in a backwards baseball cap with an acoustic guitar and IT’S THE DRUMMER POSTING AN ACOUSTIC LOVE SONG. sound the alarms. The worst part is it mentions blonde hair and brown eyes and it’s so about Bitty it isn’t even worth denying and ends up getting them together.

Witch AU where someone has a cursed item and is taking it to the other character, who is a cursebreaker, to fix it. (You pick who is who)

College track AU: Jack is an unbeatable distance runner and Bitty is the short and fiery sprinter who he can’t keep his eyes off of.

Speech and debate team AU

SECRET BONUS OPTION:

ALL THE AUs: Jack/BItty keeps waking up in different realities. He isn’t quite sure what it means. Based on the quote: “you don’t get what you want, but you get what you need.”

[the-hinky-panda]

The Gin Blossom: Part III

Warning: Mention of PTSD, survivor guilt, and suicide.

The night had been going so well. 

You had stuck around Santo Padre for the last week. There were no festivals during that week that you had signed up for and the idea of catching up with Songbird and Riz sounded like a nice break. However, you found your time spent helping Jo and Songbird decorate the outside bar space for a wedding reception that was happening Saturday. Coco and Stitches had apparently eloped and this was their punishment: an evening of elegance and celebration with their closest friends. 

If this was how their esteemed friends were treated, well…it was a good sign of a healthy community. You have to admit, meeting the variety of people in the MC and their significant others, you understand why Songbird has settled here, has made friends with these people. And they seem to have fully accepted you into their ranks. No one stands on ceremony. If you’re going to be part of the group, you’ll stick around. If not, you’re free to go. The honest and direct acceptance is something you only ever came across in the Marines. 

This is a true brotherhood. 

Your days are spent stringing lights, arranging flowers and candles for centerpieces and the evenings are spent with Gilly. He comes to Jo’s bar since you’re staying in your airstream that’s still parked behind the venue. You have a few beers, swap war stories, and subtly flirt. You like him, much more than you thought you would. He’s resilient, funny, and kind. You like his sarcastic sense of humor, and the ease of conversation. You could fall for him, seriously fall for him, and you haven’t felt that way since Dylan. It gives you hope for a second chance of happiness, for finding a true home.

When he asked you to accompany him to the reception on Saturday, you didn’t even have to think about it. You had enlisted Songbird’s help in choosing a dress for the occasion. Normally you wouldn’t care. Fashion was never something important to you. But you felt like this mattered, this was important. And you didn’t want to throw away a chance at finding your second chance. 

The dress was a simple, over the head shift that was a blend of greens, blues, and golds, that brushes right above your knees. Songbird dug out a pair of gold sandals that lace up your calves. She must get the same feeling that you do, that this is some kind of turning point. She fixes your hair, a mix of twists and braids. On the short walk from your trailer to the bar, Songbird picks one of the papery-thin cactus blossoms, a vivid magenta bloom, and tucks it into one of the twists by your ear. 

You can’t help but feel a twinge of guilt as you greet Gilly by the entrance of the reception area. It feels selfish, wanting this second chance. You were adopted by a power couple when you were three. Pulled out of a meth house in Chicago, hiding under a kitchen table clutching a bag of McDonald’s fries and chicken nuggets and handed to a four star Army general and a corporate lawyer. You went right into the Marines after high school graduation, married a Gunnery Sergeant, and thought you had your happily ever after. 

That is until everything went completely off the rails. 

And brings you back to your current situation. 

You had a lovely time at the wedding reception. Eating, drinking, and dancing with Gilly. You enjoyed being close to him, held by him, and when he leaned in close during the slow dance and asked if you wanted to get out of here, you didn’t hesitate to answer yes. But now he’s holding the passenger door of his truck open for you and terror roots you to the spot. 

Shit. 

This is not how you saw this situation going. 

***

Gilly knows a PTSD episode when he sees one, and the look on your face tells him something terrible has happened in a vehicle’s passenger seat. He automatically switches into rescue mode and shuts the truck door. The sound is enough to snap you back from whatever traumatic experience you were reliving. 

“I’m sorry-” 

“No,” he interrupts you. “Don’t be sorry.” 

He can see you’re trembling so he takes your elbow and guides you towards the back of the truck, dropping the tailgate. Your eyes land on all the things that he and Riz had collected for this evening: blankets, pillows, a cooler. So much for it being a surprise now. He grabs a blanket and spreads it out on the tailgate before helping you up on the makeshift seat. A few deep breaths later, you give him a shaky smile. 

“Were you trying to seduce me this evening, Mr. Lopez?” Your voice is still trembling but you’re regaining your footing. 

“Who says I’m giving up on the seduction?” 

You laugh shortly and your shoulders start to relax. It’s a good start. But he sees you’re still struggling to find your words. You’re brave. You’re a marine. And you do end up capturing those elusive words. 

“Remember I told you about my husband, Dylan?” 

Gilly nods. “Yeah. You said he died a couple years ago.” But you never said how and pieces are starting to fall into place. “Car accident?” 

You nod your head. 

He’s heard a lot of stories, far too many of them, of vets coming home and within six months, slamming their cars into trees or motorcycles into ditches. The thought had crossed his mind a time or two if he was being honest. But something always stopped him. The hope that something was going to come along and make it all worth it. “He did it on purpose?” 

“Yeah.” You rub a thumb over your Marine tattoo. “Except I was in the car with him.” 

“Fuck.” The word is out of his mouth before he can stop it. “God, I’m so sorry.” 

“There were warning signs. Events that lead up to that night but…” you trail off, a whole other story behind that revelation. “I tried to pull the wheel so the car would stay on the road but…he punched me in the face. Knocked me out. The doctors say that’s what saved my life.” 

“Being limp at impact.” 

“I was in a coma for a month. They weren’t sure I was going to come out of it. But I did. And then found out Dylan didn’t make it. By the time I was released from the hospital, and could face getting back into a car, grass had already grown over his grave.” 

PTSD. Survivor’s guilt. Grief at not being able to do enough. Gilly knows these feelings all too well. He rests his hand over yours and you immediately slide your fingers between his. “You know, even if you did recognize all the signs, that wouldn’t have stopped him.” 

“I know.” You squeeze his hand. “I know that now.” 

They sit in silence together, hands entwined, and listening to the music from the reception drift over to them. It’s soothing and after a few moments of sitting together like this, he decides on how to move forward. Gilly takes out the keys to his truck and holds them out to you. 

“Whatever you want to do this evening, you’re in the driver’s seat. You’ll always have the driver’s seat when you’re with me.” 

You look at the keys with wide-eyed surprise and then your gaze shifts to the supplies in the back of the truck. “Well, it seems a shame to let such a lovely seduction go to waste. And it has been a while for me. But,” you sigh dramatically. “I’m afraid I don’t know where a good location for such an event would be.” 

“Lucky for you, I happen to know how to get there and will be more than happy to provide directions.” 

You take the keys from him, leaning forward and kissing him briefly. “Well then, let’s not waste any more time.”

[customairstream]

The Harbor Public House Airstream Bar has been transformed into a full serving bar by Custom Airstream in addition to the latest functionalities and features.

To know more about our projects, visit our website!

[dr-lizortecho]

my secret santa gift for @greentealycheejelly, a malexa fic that examines an alternate start to season two that gives them more space to breathe before falling together, with examinations of a lot of the group dynamics and echo in the background! I hope you enjoy it and that the angst isn’t too heavy handed, but I listened to a lot of My Chemical Romance while writing and plotting and I’m sure that shows (in the title at the very least)!

The last few days had been rough, everyone’s emotions strung high from a grief larger than one man’s death and ready to be cracked wide open at any second. From the desperate grasps of one of Alex’s best friends to not get left behind again, to actually have her second chance at the family that had been ripped out of her grasp since she was old enough to hold something in her tiny fist. To the puffy eyes and dark circles of his ex-lover as he forwent sleep and food, spent hours huddled in a dark corner of a bar drinking himself numb or in his bunker hunched over his console angrily muttering under his breath.

Alex knew both of their fragile states- had witnessed them up close and personal. From Liz asking him to steal a corpse to Michael slurring his words as he helped him climb onto the wafer thin mattress in his airstream. Had shown up to install the grotto’s new security system to find Michael glaring at the shimmering console like it had killed Max itself, a beer bottle held tight in one hand and tear tracks glistening on his face. Alex hadn’t asked about the fresh tattoo his rolled up sleeves showcased or the book that had been thrown across the room, brand new by the looks of it, not even a crack in the spine.

Now that grief had drawn back. Leaving a deceptive calm over their group's unresolved emotions. Like the shoreline before a storm.

Both Liz and Michael seem bare and exposed in their exhausted states. The ever present crease on Michael’s brow is smoothed over, pure exhaustion in the slump of his shoulders as he sleeps in an armchair pulled up to the bed. Liz is standing at Max’s other side chewing on her bottom lip, the skin broken from her constant worrying, clipboard held in her hands. As if staring at the data will make their chances less slim, would make the muscle in Max’s chest stronger.

Both not three paces from where Alex had left them the night before.

“Long night?” Alex asks, his voice is still rough from disuse. He was tired himself, barely getting any sleep for the last few days, since he’d stood in the viewing room and watched Max flatline. Had seen Michael collapse against the wall and slide to the ground. Heard Liz’s broken sobs ringing through the high pitched scream of machinery.

For a moment Alex had tasted despair, felt completely powerless to save his loved ones again. A steady uptick to the list of people he couldn’t ever quite save.

He’d wanted to laugh, a dark cruel kind of sound, the kind he used to make around a mouthful of blood or when his ears were ringing so bad he thought he might never hear right again. But he had Maria, her soft warm hand had slipped into his and grounded him. Softened him. Kept his cool facade from breaking as he’d stared a nightmare in the face.

“Mikey just feel asleep,” Liz says, voice soft. Not defeated yet, but weak. Weary of joy it seemed.

Alex nods curtly, hand tightening around the coffee tray he had brought in. Three, just incase. “He needs it.”

Liz nods, concern flashing in her eyes as she gives Michael a glance. “After the days spent hunched over building Max a pacemaker-“ her face looks sour at that thought “-he has to be exhausted.”

read on ao3

[pastelwitchling]

I love your last one shot ❤️ Could you write how Alex comforts Michael after they hear homophonic remarks?

***

              Michael knew how his life worked. After years of being shunted from one foster family to the next, standing on the receiving end of mean highschoolers who mocked everything about him from his clothes to where he slept, and sneered at by every bartender and bar straggler alike, he’d tended to expect the ugly out of humanity.

              Only one man had ever really been his exception to that. With his siblings, though he loved them, Michael could never help but feel that disconnect. That line that told him he wasn’t good enough. But Alex . . . oh, Alex. With Alex, he feared he wouldn’t be good enough, but he’d hoped. Part of him knew that if he got the chance, really got the chance to keep this beautiful, strong, perfectly broken man, he’d love him right. He’d protect him and care for him and love him the way he deserved to be protected and cared for and loved.

              Then he’d married Alex, and his world had changed forever. He’d stopped expecting the worst, the ugly. With someone as wonderful as Alex at his side, loving him right back, how could anything or anyone ever be that bad?

              At least, that was until one random Friday night, when Michael caught Alex around the waist as they were leaving the Wild Pony. The night had gone perfectly; after a long day at work, both of them ready to head home for a long weekend in bed, Michael had suggested they go out for a meal and Alex had suggested they go out for drinks, and there they were, ending their night with bellies full and bodies tired and giggling into each other’s mouths.

              Some moments with Alex felt a little surreal. Like if Michael held on too tightly or kissed him a little too much or got a little too giddy, he would wake up back in his airstream and find his wedding ring gone. This whole life would’ve been nothing but a dream. He hugged Alex tighter from behind.

              Alex laughed as he attempted to make his way to the truck—their truck now, as Michael had had no interest in keeping anything to himself after they’d gotten married. “You’re such a clingy drunk.”

              Michael groaned in protest against Alex’s shoulder, his nose and cheeks red, his eyes half-lidded, his smile wide and sleepy. He was so in love he felt like his chest was about to burst. He hugged Alex tighter.

              “Let me go, you freak!”

              “Never,” Michael murmured, for while a comment like that two years ago would’ve scared him into making some snarky remark he didn’t mean, all he could hear now was Alex’s laughter behind his words, Alex gripping Michael’s forearm securely as if more afraid that Michael would trip than for himself, Alex blushing every time Michael hooked his chin over his shoulder and kissed his neck.

              “Hey,” he murmured.

              “Hm?”

              He nuzzled Alex’s neck. “Hey.”

              Alex giggled. “Hi.”

              Michael’s smile widened at the sound. “Hey, beautiful.”

              “Yes, my pretty cowboy?”

              Michael’s eyes fluttered shut. “I’m your pretty cowboy.”

              Alex finally managed to reach their truck with Michael hanging off his shoulders. “You are.”

              “I love you so much.”

              “I love you more.”

              “Not a chance, Private.”

              “Gross,” a voice said, and Michael felt Alex tense before he opened his eyes and found the source. Some guy and his girlfriend were heading out of the Wild Pony, lip curled in disgust as he unmistakably glanced at Michael and Alex.

              Michael straightened. “The hell?” he started, but Alex caught his arm.

              “Just leave it,” Alex murmured.

              The guy turned and said something to his girlfriend and she giggled behind her hand. The guy followed with a shudder and they both laughed. Michael narrowed his eyes.

              “Guerin,” Alex warned him, “you’re making the ground shake.”

              “I know,” Michael said, working his jaw. “I just want to scare them a little.”

              “Hey,” Alex turned to face him, taking Michael’s face in his hands, “Michael, stop it, you’ll hurt them.”

              “They don’t deserve your protection, baby,” Michael said coldly, satisfaction blooming at the couple’s alarmed yelps as they stumbled.

              “I don’t give a crap about them,” Alex said fiercely. “I’m trying to protect you.”

              Michael blinked, and his eyes focused to find Alex’s smile and bright eyes gone, replaced now with anger and concern.

              “Look. At. Me.” Michael swallowed as Alex slowly cupped his jaw, his thumb carefully tracing Michael’s cheekbone. “I will never let anyone hurt you again, understand? It’s you and me, and no one and nothing else matters. It’s just you and me, Guerin. So stop it, and breathe.”

              “Alex, I don’t want anyone saying crap about us—”

              “If all of Roswell told you the worst about me and tried to force you to leave me,” Alex cut him off, “what would you do?”

              Without needing to think about it, Michael grabbed his waist possessively and said, “I’d burn the world down before I let anyone separate us.”

              “I know,” Alex scoffed, and then more softly, “I know you would. Nothing anybody says can touch us, okay? Nothing.” He pressed his lips to Michael’s, instantly shattering his anger to pieces. “And some asshole will sure as hell never be worth exposing aliens in Roswell.”

              Michael heaved a sigh, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. “You know, having someone worry this much about me is kind of inconvenient sometimes.”

              Alex scoffed, wrapping his arms around Michael’s shoulders. “Deal with it.”

              Michael pressed their foreheads together. “Happily. Forever. Just don’t let go.”

              “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Alex sighed. “Clingy drunk.”

              “The drinks have nothing to do with it,” Michael murmured. “Not even a little, Private.”

***

Happy malex Monday ❤️

[cerebellam]

Something Worth Living For - Chapter 6

Ash Williams x Female Reader

Summary: Feeling hopeless, you decide to drown away your sorrows. Turns out you can’t handle your liquor (or ketamine)

Warning(s): Language, alcohol consumption and intoxication, accidental drug use (ketamine), sexual themes and language, large age gap, feelings of negative self worth

Masterlist: X

A/N: Sorry for the delay as always. This chapter was really fun considering I’ve been on vacation drinking A LOT, so I had some inspiration 😂 More to come soon! 😉

A blonde highlighted bartender approached you at the bar top, a glass in his hands. The man had an almost ‘surfer boy turned stoner’ type of charm to him. He gave you a friendly grin. 

“Hey there, what can I getcha?”

“Something strong please. Anything.” You almost pleaded, a half-smile on your lips. 

The man winked. “One Pink Fuck, comin’ right up!” He flipped the glass in his hands and set it down on the counter. Huh, that was the drink Ash had mentioned the other night. 

You returned a smile, watching as the man assembled your cocktail. You saw him pour a myriad of different alcohols, the liquid becoming a pretty shade of pink lemonade.

You felt someone approach your side. Ash’s blue shirt came into your peripheral vision. 

“Ugh. Chet, what the fuck are you making? Don’t give her a Pink Fuck!”

The bartender, Chet, shrugged. “She wanted something strong, man! Who am I to deny a pretty patron?” 

You blushed, turning to Ash. “Yeah, the pretty patron needs something strong.”

He sighed. “Look, Y/N. I know this is a lot. Let’s just get back to the airstream and talk about this, huh?”

“I don’t think talking is going to change the fact that I’m engaged, apparently.”

Chet perked up at this, offering a goofy grin. “Oh hey congrats!”

“No, you idiot. It’s an arranged marriage,” Ash sighed, voice dripping with exasperation.

His smile fell. “Oh. Yikes.”

You nodded in agreement. “Yeah.”

You both watched Chet finish making your drink in silence. He placed the drink in front of you. 

“There you are, an Elk Grove specialty. Don’t waste any time, now. Throw that baby back!”

Ash’s mechanical hand suddenly reached across to block you. “Y/N, I’m warning you. Don’t drink that.”

You scoffed, pushing away his arm. “Or else what? What are you, my dad?”

Seriously, who did he think he was? You were engaged to a fucking demon for heaven’s sake. You were allowed to mourn this more than unsavory union in your own way.

Ash frowned and leaned in closer to you. “Watch it, or else daddy’ll have to teach you a lesson.”

You shrugged, trying your best to ignore the heat flushing over your body and in your core at his threat. You quickly took the glass and raised the rosé colored liquid to your lips before he could protest. It was sweet, leaving a slight tingle on your tongue.

You turned back to Ash and he sighed, defeated. He watched you, dumbstruck, as you sensually licked the remaining alcohol from your lips. “And what lesson is that?”

Ash was at a loss for words.

You winked, casually turning back to the bartender. You raised the glass in your hands and inspected its contents. “That’s pretty good, Chet! One bartender to another- what’s in this?”

“Vodka, strawberry liqueur, grenadine, lemonade, ketamine, a little sprinkle of orange zest and nutmeg…”

You almost choked, coughing on your final gulp.

“Did you just say ketamine?!”

“Only the special-est K for my customers!” Chet beamed. 

You blinked, setting the glass onto the countertop with a ‘thud’. You turned back to Ash with wide eyes.

“Hey, I warned you.”

The tingle on your tongue had now turned into a full on numb sensation. There was no way this was going to end well for you.

Ash’s annoyance quickly dissipated into a chuckle. The damage had been done.

“Seriously, have I ever steered you wrong before? You have to build an immunity up to this stuff. Chet, go ahead and make me one.”

“Already ahead of you, brother.”

Chet poured two more servings from the silver cocktail shaker, passing a glass to Ash. They raised their cups in a cheers.

“To kicking evil’s ass. Seriously, Y/N. We’re going to get this fucker. No worries.”

You gulped. “Well now I’m not worried about that, am I gonna like…have a heart attack now? Die or something?!”

Ash and Chet shared a look before joining in together in an uproarious laughter. “Yeah no, but seriously, you’re in for a treat.”

You rolled your eyes, making your way over to an empty barstool. A very warm feeling suddenly began to spread over you, flushing your face and heating your chest. 

“Woah…” You took another step forward and almost missed your footing completely. Ash quickly caught you in his arms as you stumbled forward. 

“Yeah, okay, champ. Let’s get you out of here.” 

“Mhmmm,” you giggled. “You’re strong.”

You sloppily dragged a finger down his bicep.

“And you’re drunker than who shot John, come on.”

A feeling of euphoria had taken over you, and you could hardly see straight. All you knew was that the man holding you in his arms right now felt strong, safe, and…ridiculously handsome right now.

You both were soon approached by Kelly and Pablo, leaving Ruby to sulk alone at her table. 

“Is she okay?” The two looked at each other knowingly. “Pink Fuck,” they said in unison.

Ash nodded. “Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and get this one back somewhere where she can’t do anymore damage.”

Kelly eyed you, sighing wistfully. “Yeah, remember the first time I tried that stuff?”

“Yeah, you KO’d pretty hard, Kel,” chuckled Pablo.

“But it felt so nice! Lemme have a glass-“

Ash quickly cut her off, struggling to keep you standing straight. “No can do. No more room to babysit tonight.”

She rolled her eyes, turning back to the bar. “Ugh, fine. Fuck it, bring on the beer I guess.”

“That’s my little alcoholic.”

She quickly turned back to flick Ash off. Pablo smiled.

“Get her home safe, Jefe! We’ll brainstorm some ideas on how to get Baal.”

“Thanks Pablo. You’re a real pal.”

~

Your vision was completely blurred as you crashed down onto a soft surface. Where were you? You giggled, smoothing your arms over what you could only assume was a bedspread. You were in the Airstream. On Ash’s bed. This could be fun.

“Alright, you can sleep this off here. I’ll take the couch. We’ll go back to killing evil tomorrow.”

You quickly sat up to the edge of the bed and reached a hand out, grabbing his. You smirked and with one swift move, pulled the man standing before you to his knees.

“Y/N, what are you-“

“Shhh,” you whispered, sloppily hanging a finger on his lips. “Kiss me, Ash.”

The older man gulped, staring at you intently with brown eyes. “Y/N, you’re very very intoxicated right now. And depressed. That’s a combo that equals no bueno.”

You pouted, trailing your fingers across his jaw. The alcohol and apparent drugs running through your system gave you a surge of confidence you didn’t normally have. “Ash, please.”

He shook his head. “I can’t, Y/N.”

Somewhere deep inside of you wondered if he didn’t want you. What kind of man like him, a Jefe, would want just some girl like you?

He stood to his feet, turning to leave. You didn’t want to see him go quite yet.

“Ash?”

“Yeah, doll?”

“Will you at least sleep next to me? You don’t have to sleep on the couch,” you slurred.

“I’m not quite so sure that’s a good idea-“

“Please? I’m afraid of seeing him again in my dreams…Baal.”

He couldn’t resist the e/c, doe-eyed look in your plea. Ash wanted nothing more than to have taken you up on your offer, and make sweet sweet love to you all night long. But he knew better.

A deep reluctance filled his veins as he defeatedly crawled into the bed next to you, and you immediately inched to his side. You snuggled into his chest, breathing in the faint smell of aftershave and motor oil. You snaked a leg around his and held him close.

“Thank you,” you breathed, slowly drifting off into a deep sleep- the safest you had felt in days.

-

Chapter 7 coming soon!

[thebiggerbear]

Their Silent Thunder Matches Mine - Two - Electricity Discharged

A/N: I rewrote this chapter so many times, trying to get it just right. Sorry if it isn't that great but hopefully it's not too bad.

Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Warnings: implied sex

Series Taglist: @deans-spinster-witch; @rieleatiel

Series Masterlist

Cassie jerked awake, halfway opening an eye. There was an incessant pounding inside her skull and since when had the sun ever been that bright? God, how much did she drink last night? She tried to remember but it made the pounding that much worse so she gave up on it for now. She’d think about it later when it didn’t hurt so much. 

As her senses quickly returned, she realized what woke her when she heard the ringing of the alarm on her phone somewhere nearby. She closed her eye and groaned quietly. Her hand shot out and she felt around for the offending device on her night stand, only to have her fingers meet empty air. She slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes as much as she could. No nightstand. That was odd; maybe she crashed on the other side of her bed? 

Before she could think on that too much, the continued ringing reinforced the need to find that ridiculously loud phone. Everything was still kind of blurry but she forced her eyes open wider and sat up, holding the bedsheet to her apparently naked chest. So she slept in the nude last night, great. Thank God Kai hadn’t woken up before she did and walked in on her like this. 

Once her vision cleared, she glanced at her surroundings. This was not her bedroom. Nothing was in the right place, it was too small, the blinds were the cheap kind she hated that never kept out the sunlight when you wanted them to, the cowboy hat hanging up on the makeshift hook on the wall was not hers, the trailer beyond that was not hers, and— Her eyes widened. A trailer . It was obvious that she had not gone home last night. Not to mention she was incredibly sore like she had gotten one hell of a workout. And she was in a goddamn trailer! She only knew of one person who owned an Airstream with a sparsely decorated interior that suspiciously looked like this one. Sure enough, her eyes landed on a framed picture of Emily from one of her middle school years on the wall, her bright smile on display as well as a full set of braces. Cassie’s jaw dropped as flashes from last night suddenly came back to her in a rush. 

As she predicted, the cute guy from the pool table made his way over to her and offered to buy her the beer she just asked for. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Beau ushering an eager Jenny out of the bar, neither of them looking back. She gave the guy a megawatt smile and accepted his offer, ordering a second beer when the bartender placed her first bottle in front of her. She tipped the drink to the guy’s and when they both took a long pull of the carbonated liquid after he said he appreciated a beautiful woman who could drink, Cassie considered accepting his offer to go home with him later on when he would most likely stop beating around the bush and just outright ask her. And while his hair was dark, his eyes were the wrong color, there was no gruffness or twang that escaped when he spoke, and he had no beard to speak of, she could make do. This was reaffirmed when Cassie said she wanted to dance and he was all too willing, even giving her money to use for the jukebox and telling her to pick a good one. She gave him a coy smile and did just that, more than happy to let loose and not think about anything else for the rest of the night. The only thing she had to remember to do was text Denise and make certain that Kai could stay with her for the night. And one glance at the guy’s smile when she returned to him and he held out a hand to her to lead her to the spot on the floor where others were dancing had her pretty sure that she would be sending that text very soon. 

They had been dancing, her holding onto him as tightly as she dared and his hands were now resting on the seat of her jeans. She had worked hard to keep the fleeting images of the undersheriff actually being under the sheriff in his trailer out of her mind, tightening her hold on her dancing partner whenever they tried to come back and take root. She had shared a few dances with this guy already, but Cassie was reluctant for them to end. His cologne was the wrong scent but if she kept her eyes closed most of the time, she could imagine he was someone else. It was an odd mix of feelings: wanting to be held but being held by the wrong person. Although, the three beers she’d consumed in succession did help. And while she hadn’t completely made her mind up yet on whether she would go home with Liam or not (she was pretty sure he had said Liam was his name when she’d asked), she couldn’t deny that he was strong, he didn’t say much which was fine by her because his voice ruined the illusion every time, and his attention was laser focused on her. She wasn’t drunk by any means, but she was definitely enjoying that all-too familiar buzz. She couldn’t help but smile and close her eyes when he leaned down to kiss her neck.

“Cass.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. How did Liam suddenly sound like Beau? Had she tipped over into the realm of intoxication without her realizing it? Or had she delved so far into the illusion that she had convinced herself that Liam was Beau? When his tongue swiped against her skin and his hands roamed lower than they had before, she dug her teeth into her bottom lip and found that she didn’t mind all that much.

“Cass!” 

Her eyes snapped open to find one very irritated Sheriff Arlen scowling over at her. So now she had started to imagine he was there as well? She really must be drunk.

Liam’s dark head swiveled up, eyes narrowed, and Beau moved his glare over to him. Oh, so she wasn’t hallucinating after all. A part of her was relieved at that knowledge but the other part was embarrassed and worried. Beau wasn’t supposed to see her like this, not in these circumstances, not hurting like this and wanting to throw all caution to the wind even if only for a night so she could forget everything. Not that she ever planned to tell him how she felt, but how could he ever see her as anything more than a friend now? That dangerous thought surprised her and she shut it down quickly. Maybe she drank more than she thought…

It was very rare to see Beau angry and she had witnessed the intimidating sheriff glare he adopted when he was working in that capacity, but she had never quite seen the icy and menacing look he was currently directing at Liam. “I’d like to cut in.”

Before Cassie could say anything, Liam bit out, “She’s already dancing with me . Why don’t you go find somebody else, old man?”

She frowned up at him, not happy that he was insulting her friend. That was completely uncalled for. “Don’t call him that,” she warned. “And I can decide who I want to dance with, thank you.” But neither man appeared to hear her.

Instead, Beau straightened up and put his hands on his hips, revealing the badge clipped to his belt that had been hidden beneath his jacket. “I said, I’d like to cut in,” he growled. “You want to keep dancing? Fine. You and I can dance all the way down to the station if you’d like.”  

Liam glanced at the badge, Beau, Cassie, and then scoffed, obviously deciding she wasn’t worth it and letting her go. “Whatever, man. Fucking cops.” She watched as he stormed off back to his friends who were still engaged in their pool game, obviously pissed off. She ended up shaking her head. And to think she had almost been ready to go home with him, thinking he was a suitable temporary replacement for the man standing next to her. 

Beau filled her vision and his hands gripped her hips, pulling her in closer to him. While she was not exactly happy with him, she didn’t resist. How could she when this is what she had really been craving all night?

“You okay?” He murmured to her hairline.

She wound her fingers into his jacket, holding him closer, and laid her head down on his chest. “Yeah.” She smelled the familiar scent of the cologne she had been trying to imagine earlier and she closed her eyes. “Just let me know when you’re going to lift a leg.”

“Lift a leg?”

“You know, to pee on me.”

“Cassie, I—” He went to move her back, presumably to look at her, but she held on tightly.

“Don’t you dare stop holding me,” she commanded.

“Okay,” he chuckled, strengthening his grip on her just the way she liked and making her smile. 

“Perfect,” she whispered. 

Her eyes nearly watered when she felt him press a kiss to her head and whispered back, “Yeah.”

They danced in silence, with him holding her, and at the risk of sounding like a familiar fairy tale from long ago, for Cassie, his embrace was just right. She realized she had been a fool to think she could find how he made her feel in anyone else, even if only for a night or a few dances.

When the song was over, then she pulled back to glance up at him. His features had softened considerably since she had last seen them a few minutes earlier and the ice in his gaze had melted away to the familiar warmth they always exuded when he looked at her.

He reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You ready to go?”

Cassie gently cradled his wrist with her hand and was about to agree when another song she loved came on. She shook her head. “One more.” She wasn’t ready for this night to end just yet.

His eyes quickly glanced behind her before he gave her a warm smile. “I’d love to, sweetheart, but I think we should head out before that becomes a problem.” He nodded his head in the direction he had been looking and she turned around to see Liam glaring over at them, talking heatedly to his friends who were now also glaring. She was pretty sure that the only reason they hadn’t approached them already was due to Beau being the sheriff.

“Unbelievable.” She hated this typical male bravado crap, it was such a turnoff. Did any one of them ask her what she wanted to do? Since when did one drink, a few dances, a kiss to her neck, and hands on her ass automatically make her belong to someone else? 

“It doesn’t,” Beau stated, and she winced, realizing she had mistakenly said that last part out loud. She swung her head back to find his eyes intently focused on her. “We can dance as many times as you want once I get you home, darlin’, but right now, I think we should make our exit.”

“I can drive, I’m not drunk.” She had no idea why she said it. Yes, she wasn’t drunk, but she wasn’t in any shape to drive right then; she was too tipsy. So tipsy in fact that she hadn’t even realized that she had wrapped her arms around his neck and moved closer. “I’m not,” she insisted, refusing to focus on how much she liked it when his arms secured around her waist in response, keeping her that close.

He gave her a look of disbelief. “You’re not, huh?”

“I’m not.” She went to move her foot when she started to stumble and Beau kept her upright, making her laugh. “Oh, okay…yes, I am buzzing a little, but I promise you, Sheriff Arlen.” She lifted up and stopped a few inches away from his lips, staring right into his eyes. “I am not drunk,” she murmured.  

They watched one another, the outside world ceasing to matter in that moment. She thought his breathing had picked up; she knew hers had. And when her eyes fluttered down to his lips, making her tongue peek out to wet her own, she could have sworn he was moving closer and closer.

A glass loudly breaking jolted them and they both turned to see where the sound had come from. A young red-faced bartender was hurrying to get a broom as people drunkenly clapped and laughed, leaving the glasses she had accidentally dropped on the floor behind. Cassie felt bad for the girl but she also kind of wanted to scream, especially when Beau cleared his throat and moved back an appropriate distance, keeping only his hand at her back to keep her steady.

“I should get you home,” he insisted. When she went to protest, he cut her off. “Don’t. You’re in no shape to drive and we both know it. We’ll get your truck in the morning. So grab your things, Dewell, and let’s go.” Cassie tried to tamp down the hurt at him using her last name. He never used her last name.

She pressed her lips into a thin line to keep from snapping at him that she would be fine on her own and instead, did as he requested. She lifted her jacket from her stool, slapped a $20 bill down on the bar, and allowed him to lead her outside. She noticed that he glanced over to the pool table area quickly before they walked out the door.

While the cold air was refreshing and somewhat sobering, Cassie shivered and began to slip her jacket on. Beau helped her and then he slung an arm around her waist. pulling her into his body for warmth. She smiled a little at the gesture; Beau was still not used to the Montana cold and even though she was, he still rubbed at her upper arm to try to warm her up.

“I thought you left with Jenny.” She felt slightly guilty that she hadn’t even thought to ask where Jenny was all of this time.

He shook his head. “She was okay to drive. You���re not.” He stated it so matter-of-factly, as if that was all there was to it.

“You were gone a while.”

“Only fifteen, maybe twenty minutes.” He stopped them in front of Pedro and dug into his pocket for his keys. “I underestimated how quickly you could get into trouble,” he teased before leading her over to the passenger door.

“Twenty minutes?” There was no way it had only been twenty minutes. She and Liam had shared at least three beers together, at least three dances — or maybe it was two… Regardless, there was no way it had been that short amount of time. Okay, yes, she had pounded those beers back but she was no lightweight. 

He gave her a knowing look. “Like I said, you’re not in any condition to drive.”

“But, Beau, I’m not drunk, really.”

“Uh huh.” He opened the door and indicated for her to get in.

“No, no, Beau, listen to me.” She turned and gripped the lapels of his jacket, making him focus on her and hear what she was saying. She didn’t know why but it was super important to her that Beau knew that she wasn’t wasted. “I promise you, I’m not drunk. If you want to take me home, that’s fine. You’re right, I shouldn’t be driving. But I am not drunk. I need you to know that.”

“Okay,” he agreed.

“I’m serious, Beau.”

“So am I. Now, come on, get in the car. It’s freezing out here. Did you know there’s a wind chill air warning for tonight? Jesus.” Cassie felt bad when she saw him shudder at the bite of the icy air flowing around them and hopped into Pedro, not feeling that she had thoroughly convinced him of her lacking state of inebriation. 

He closed her door, made his way around to the driver side, and got in. He started the car up and put the heat on blast, aiming all of his vents in her direction. She smiled and assured him, “I’m okay.”

Beau blew into his hands and rubbed them together. “I know you are, but I’m not. Wow. This is… Have I ever told you how hot Texas gets? The last time Houston even got any snow… Okay, yeah, it happened last year, but it’s rare.” He blew warm air into his hands again. “So rare.”

Cassie chuckled and laid her head against the headrest, smiling over at him. 

He noticed her watching him and he laughed to himself. “What? It’s cold .”

She shook her head but didn’t say anything. This was the guy who had somehow magically appeared in her life, who immediately insisted on them being friends, and who had snuck his way into her heart. Just when she didn’t think any part of that particular organ was left standing that could allow room for anyone else.

A layer of quiet shrouded them in the old car and only the sounds of the heater and the engine could be heard. Their eyes never left one another and Cassie could feel her heart rate beginning to pick up when she saw him lick his lips nervously. The action made her smile even wider. 

“I’m glad you’re here,” she nearly whispered.

He chuckled, ducking his head in that cute aw-shucks manner he had. “I’m sure you are. Comes in handy when you need a ride,” he teased.

She laughed as well but she made sure to explain what she really meant. “No. I meant, I’m glad you’re here in Montana.” He gave her a bright smile in response and she couldn’t help adding, “With me.”

His smile slowly began to fade and that worried her but before she could backtrack and apologize, he turned to her with a sober expression. “Just tell me why.”

Cassie knew what he was really asking and she contemplated lying, but she had an opening to tell him. If she didn’t take it now, when would she? Even if he did push her back into the friend zone and then break her heart by telling her that he only saw her blonde best friend in that light? She’d kick herself down the road if she didn’t at least take the chance to tell him. No time like the present. She braced herself and spoke honestly, “I like the way you hold me.” Wait, what? She had meant to tell him something completely different. Damn alcohol. 

That brought him up short. He obviously hadn’t been expecting that answer; neither had she to be perfectly honest. She wanted to be honest with him but there was quite a difference between honest and blunt. “Then why—”

“I thought maybe he could.” She shrugged, deciding to no longer worry over how direct she was being. The cat was already out of the bag, might as well give it a name and let it make itself at home. “He wasn’t you but… Even if it was just for a little while. A dance or two...” 

And there it was, the truth she hadn’t been willing to tell him before this moment, the very thing she kept pushing further and further down each time it tried to make its presence known, unwilling to let it see the light of day. Something she figured was good reason when she saw his jaw tighten and he appeared to be struggling to form a response, as if he was warring with himself internally.

She turned her head to look out at the parking lot, unable to meet his eyes when she said what she was going to say next. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say it. We’re just friends, I get it. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Guess I must be more tipsy than I thought,” she attempted to joke, ignoring the familiar burning in the corners of her eyes.

Hands framed her face and turned her to look at him. He was a lot closer than she anticipated, having begun to lean over towards her. His eyes flickered back and forth between her and her mouth. When she didn’t move away or tense up, Beau slowly moved forward and gently pulled her to meet him. She knew what was happening, what he intended to do, and she wouldn’t dream of putting a stop to it. As they inched closer and closer, her heart thumping wildly in her chest, she found herself not really caring about the rest of the world right then. And when their eyes closed and his lips made contact with hers, when he kissed her so soundly, making her heart, stomach, and…other parts of her flutter, all thought of anything that wasn’t Beau Arlen went straight out the window.

When he broke away, placing his forehead against hers and stroking her cheek, her lips tingled and she was eager to get his back on them as soon as they both caught their breath. That didn’t mean she couldn’t kiss other parts of him though while she waited. She went to move into his neck when he gently held her back.

At her pout, Beau chuckled and pecked her lips before moving back slightly, smiling down at her. “I can’t. You’re drunk, sweetheart.”

Her jaw dropped. “I’m not. I told you.”

“You just said it.” 

“I only said that because I didn’t think you’d want…” She purposely let that statement trail off.

“Oh, I want everything at the end of that sentence. Every single bit,” he promised. “But Cass, you’re intoxicated and for us to do anything more than this…it wouldn’t be right.” He rubbed his thumb tenderly along her cheekbone. “And you mean too much to me for us to jump right into this without talking it over first.”

“Beau.” She pushed him back and crawled over onto his side of the car, resting her back comfortably against the steering wheel, making sure she didn’t accidentally hit the horn. It was a tight fit but she was determined to make it work. His hands were on her hips helping to keep her steady and she laid her hands on his shoulders to help her stay upright. “I’m not drunk, I promise. A little buzzed, yes, but I’m telling you, I’m fine.” He went to say something when she cut him off. “Anything that happens tonight is because I want it to.”

“Okay, but that guy in there that you never met before tonight? His hands were all over you, he was even kissing on you. If you’re fine, then how—”

She ran her thumb along his bottom lip, studying him. She chose to throw all caution out the window and just say it; she had already come this far. “Because I wanted it to be you,” she murmured sadly. 

His eyes softened and he gripped the back of her neck, pushing her down to meet him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, touching it against hers, and Cassie felt as if electricity surged through her very being. It was all Beau could do to keep upright in the seat and prevent her from activating the horn repeatedly.

“We should talk about this,” Beau panted against her lips a minute later.

“We will. Tomorrow,” she promised before diving back in for another kiss.   

And that’s how she ended up staying in his lap in his car with the seat rolled as far back as it could go as they indulged in one hell of a makeout session, with her kissing him like her life depended on it. Neither of them cared that the Sheriff’s car could be seen by patrons and passersby alike in The Boot Heel Bar parking lot or that it gave the occasional shake or wobble. Neither of them cared that the windows were so fogged up that even though no one could see exactly who was inside it was pretty obvious that the Sheriff had someone with him and that they weren’t listening to music on the radio or shooting the breeze. Cassie didn’t even care that she was only down to one top layer, her other layers having been tossed somewhere in this old heap of a car alongside Beau’s jacket.

When they both needed air, Cassie broke away and moved to his neck, choosing that moment to roll her jean-clad hips against him. “Fuck,” Beau ground out and his fingers dug into the small of her back. She had never heard Beau use that particular F-word in all of the months she’d known him, but so far tonight, this was his fifth time using it. She smirked, nipping at his neck and then kissing her way to his throat.

“H-Hey, is it okay if I touch you?” Beau asked breathlessly.

“Mmm, you better, Cowboy,” she teased near his ear and then rolled her hips again, making him curse once more which caused both of them to chuckle. 

She expected him to go in for the kill, right where she wanted him, but instead, his hands moved off of her back and slid down to her ass, gently squeezing. Cassie stopped teasing the lobe of his ear with her tongue and froze, not expecting that one. Beau unfortunately noticed this and his hands immediately flew off of her as if they had been burned. She pulled back to see uncertainty lining his expression. “I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I shouldn’t have—”

Cassie smirked and leaned down until she was hovering above him. “Looks to me like you’re blushing, Sheriff.” When he didn’t say anything, only watched her, she pressed a teasing kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I thought you said it wasn’t possible for Texans to blush.”

“Cass.” At the seriousness of his tone, she sat up to glance down at him. Was he regretting making the first move? Or was he regretting that he made the first move with her ?

Seeming to know she was stuck in her head just like he always did, he cupped her cheek and tenderly stroked her skin reassuringly. “You sure you’re okay with this?” 

Instead of replying, she turned his question back on him. “Are you?” While she thought she knew the answer to that one a moment ago, now she wasn’t so sure. He had been the one to kiss her, sure, but maybe he was regretting it. Maybe he was worried what this might do to their friendship and occasional partnership. Maybe she should be worried about that, too, but if she let that one thought in, a whole bunch of other ones were going to come knocking and she wasn’t prepared to deal with that just yet.

He gave her an affectionate smile. “I’ve been wanting this for a while now.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Really…”

His eyes widened slightly with realization and he began to stammer again, his cheeks burning. “No. I mean— Okay, no, what I meant was— I— I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a while, that’s all I meant.” He held up his hands in surrender, chuckling nervously with boyish grin intact, though his blush didn’t die down at all. If this were any other time, she would have thought it cute but now…now she had other things on her mind. After a moment, she decided to go all in. Cassie had always been a bit of an adventurer. She loved to take risks, get the adrenaline pumping, and jump headfirst once she had made a decision, as her dad had always told her. 

And right now, she got that all-too familiar excitement before she was about to make said leap.

“Awww,” she teased. “You’re still blushing.”

“What? No… No, I’m not.”

“You are!” 

“No, no. See, that’s just my blood pressure, which you have done one hell of a job raising by the way. Okay? You have had zero mercy on me and I’m simply reacting to the increased blood pressure levels and I—”

As he rambled, she quickly undid the buttons of her shirt. “Oh, then will this help?” She opened it and then peeled it off of her shoulders before tossing it in the passenger seat, noting his sudden silence. Now, she was only in her bra and she watched in amusement as his eyes roved over her appreciatively.

“Yeah, that’s not…really helping in the blood pressure department, but you are one hell of a beautiful sight.”

He said it so earnestly that Cassie could feel her own cheeks start to heat up in a blush, and she ducked her head, locating his hands and placing them back on her bare sides. His skin was warm and she could feel the calluses on his fingers as they reverently roamed over her rib cage and down to her stomach, stopping just short of the top of her jeans. Beau glanced up at her, waiting for her to give the go ahead for him to continue, and Cassie gave him a coy smile before leaning down to stop right above his lips.

“So tell me, is it true what they say? Is everything really bigger in Texas?” She bit into his bottom lip with her teeth and tugged before letting him go, while at the same time she snuck her hand down and squeezed him, making him grunt and then let out a chuckle. His eyes darkened and his hands flew to her ass, squeezed, and yanked her roughly up against him, making her feel the evidence of her teasing while also causing her to inhale sharply at the unexpected action. He bucked his hips up into her, prompting her to bite her lip to keep a moan from escaping. She could see it in his gaze as he watched her; she had successfully stoked the fire. There would be no more questions or hesitations tonight. Tomorrow wasn’t even a thought; only the here and now.

Beau smirked up at her. “You bet your sweet ass it is, darlin’. Now, c’mere.” He tangled his fingers in the back of her hair and tugged her down to him, covering her mouth with his and proceeding to devour her, body and soul.  

And that’s how she had ended up in his bed inside his too small trailer the next morning, her body sore as hell and lacking clothes, her teeth sawing into her bottom lip when she thought back to all of the passion Beau had unleashed on her last night. Well, that explained the soreness.

She forced herself to focus on the immediate problem at hand. While a part of her felt as if this was a good thing, something she had been wanting for the longest time, especially when she recalled Beau’s words from the night before, the other part knew this had been a bad decision on her part. Jenny.

Not once had she given a thought to her best friend last night and now here she was, naked and experiencing a pleasant form of exhaustion, in the bed of the man that the blonde had her sights set on. They had gotten past Cody but would they be able to get past this one? Especially since she had no idea where Beau stood on how he felt about his undersheriff just yet? He returned Cassie’s feelings, he had stated as much the night before, but that didn’t mean… She refused to let that thought in, trying to keep it locked away but to no avail. But that didn’t mean that with Jenny in the mix, it might not change. Cody had slept with Jenny after all, not even a few hours after she broke it off with him. What if Beau also had feelings for Jenny? Why hadn’t she at least asked him once last night before they ended up in bed together? What if he didn’t even realize how he felt about the blonde and might not know it until the issue came to the forefront? And she had gone and slept with Beau, creating a crapstorm of epic proportions with her best friends, and for what? Some truly amazing sex? One night of intoxicated bliss with the first man she had truly let into her heart since Cody? Jenny was never going to forgive her. Beau was never going to forgive her. Shit.

The ringing stopped suddenly, jerking her out of the chaotic spiral her thoughts were about to go down, and she froze when she heard movement behind her. She bit into her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn’t be seen or noticed, not until she was ready. And honestly, she wasn’t sure she ever would be. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to face him again. Cassie winced when she heard a quiet cough but she remained still. Just when she thought she was safe, arms gently snaked around her and pulled her back into an embrace, spooning her from behind.

“Morning, Beautiful,” Beau’s gruff voice murmured into her ear from behind, confirming her worst fears. “Hope you don’t mind but I saw the text that was making your phone ring when I went to shut it off. It was Denise. She said she and Kai had fun last night and you can pick him up anytime for school or she can bring him if you want,” he said in between peppering her shoulder with tender kisses. She couldn’t deny that his morning voice alongside his affection was definitely something worth waking up to, even in this state. 

Cassie kept her gaze trained on the wall in front of her, choosing on one spot to delay the inevitable freak out she was going to have. Why did this have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t she just enjoy being here with him, in this moment together? When Beau let his lips linger against her skin, gazing down at her, she slowly closed her eyes, hoping he would think she was still tired and wanted to sleep. She just couldn’t look him in the eyes right then. If she did, he would know everything she was thinking and feeling within seconds. She couldn’t do that to him, not when she knew this was all her fault to begin with. And he was vulnerable…any type of rejection or dismissal of what occurred as a casual one night stand was not only bound to hurt him but crack his slowly healing heart even further. What the hell had she been thinking? How could she do this to him? And how could she do this to Jenny, again?

“Tired?”

She forced a faint smile to her face and nodded. “Mmm.”

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the juncture between her neck and her shoulder. “You should be.”

Cassie rolled her eyes behind her eyelids. “Really?”

She heard him laugh and felt his lips on her neck. “I know I am.”

Cassie couldn’t help the smile tipping the corner of her lips upward. He just had that effect on her, looming crisis and ensuing freakout or not. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Tell you what, how about you get a little more rest and I’ll get up to make us some coffee?” He whispered into her ear, nosing at her lobe. “And I’ll make us something to eat to prove to you that I can indeed cook, and bring it all in here to you when it’s ready? How does that sound? Good?”

She smiled and nodded, snuggling further under the sheet. “Okay. But if you start burning the place down, let me know so I can get up to help you put out the fire. You know, like last time.”

Another chuckle sounded in her ear. “The only fire happening in this place is what occurred in this bedroom last night.”

“Oh my God,” she groaned, burying her face into her pillow and making him snicker. “You did not just say that.”

“Just speaking the truth.” He pressed a kiss to a tender spot on her neck that made her sure she was going to have to wear a turtleneck today. She could only imagine the incessant questions Denise would ask her if she saw any hickeys. Despite herself, she let out a quiet moan when she felt his tongue soothing her skin after applying the gentlest amount of suction. “I’m going to have to make sure the trailer’s still in the same spot as it was yesterday. That we didn’t somehow move it in the middle of the night.”

She pushed at him and he laughed, dropping a kiss to her shoulder blade. “I mean it. Don’t burn the place down.”

“Not happening.”

“Yep. You also said the very same thing last time.”

“Nah, this time will be different. I am very determined not to get distracted by the beautiful woman in my bed and I will do whatever I have to do to keep her in it.” He lifted the sheet and began to trail kisses down her exposed back.

“So you’re saying last time happened because you had another woman in bed you were distracted by? I don’t remember seeing or hearing that one and I was here for the Big Arlen Blaze of ‘22.”

She didn’t need to open her eyes and look over her shoulder to know he was staring down at her in mock annoyance. “Wiseass,” he grumbled, making her chuckle. He then hugged her to him tightly and buried his face into her neck, letting out what sounded like a contented sigh against her skin.

Cassie didn’t know what to do so she kept her eyes closed and didn’t move. 

After a few minutes of quiet between them, with him holding her like this, he murmured, “Last night was amazing, Cassie. I’m really…glad it happened.”

Cassie’s eyes popped open and she found her focal point on the wall once more. “Yeah, me too,” she whispered. The swirling chaos inside her head got worse and her guilt tripled when she felt his lips tip up in a grin against her and his arms squeezed her in a silent acknowledgement of her words.

A moment later, he let her go and kissed the side of her head before getting to his feet. “Alright, I’m gonna go get everything started. You rest up and I’ll be back before you know it. Hell, I might even be able to find that George Foreman grill,” he laughed. “I’m feeling lucky.”

She turned her head on the pillow to watch him as he got dressed. There was a part of her that wanted to beg him to stay here with her for a little while longer, to keep the world at bay where she would have to deal with the consequences of her decisions, and the other part wanted to run like hell and avoid them, pretend they didn’t exist. 

As he was buttoning up his shirt, he glanced up and caught her watching him. She gave him the warmest smile she could muster and he returned it, watching her back. If this were anyone else, this would be the start of something new, something promising, but sadly, this wasn’t someone else; this was Beau. He was off-limits and she knew that. She had always known that. The regret and guilt started to consume her even more when he gestured towards a table in the corner behind him. On top of it sat the clothes she had discarded, arranged in a semi-neat pile. She sat up to get a better look and her brows furrowed in confusion. A flash of memory from last night played in her mind and she suddenly remembered her clothes had been strewn everywhere inside his car. She also remembered that Beau had carried her into the trailer since she was wrapped around his body, nearly tripping twice as he made his way up the stairs since their lips were glued together, making him curse the goddamn stairs which elicited a laugh from her. 

“Are those…?”

“Yeah. Clothes and keys. Your phone’s by the bed. I kept it close by in case Kai or Denise called.” She was pretty sure she recalled tossing the phone somewhere in the front seat after she sent a quick text to Denise asking if Kai could stay the night, which was a lot more difficult than it should have been but someone kept trailing open-mouthed kisses down her cleavage while begging her to come home with him. She kept whispering for him to wait so she could think while she typed up the text but his lips did magical things to her, and when his hand snuck its way into her jeans to give her extra incentive to agree, she threw her head back and arched further into his touch, nearly ignoring the device altogether when his tongue swiped up her neck. She did her best to hold on while Beau took her for one hell of a ride. She was amazed she still had the thing in her hand when his hands and lips were everywhere, all over her, setting off fire in so many places, and Cassie was pretty sure she was going into sensory overload. Everything everywhere was Beau and he didn’t let up, not for one second. So when Denise replied back with an “Absolutely! 😃😃😃 Be careful and have fun! 😉” a few minutes later, Cassie dropped the phone like a hot potato and wrapped her arms around Beau’s neck, nodding and panting. “Okay, yeah, let’s go back to your place.” He had worn the brightest smile and then dove in for another heated kiss. Cassie had been ready to go right there in the front seat before the texting but Beau had been insistent on her spending the night, on their making the twenty minute drive back to his trailer for privacy, not wanting the parking lot of the bar to be the backdrop to this moment between them. And she was beyond glad that he had been the voice of reason, especially considering how…loud things had gotten at one point later on. She nearly blushed at the thought.

“Thanks. But wait…didn’t I…?”

Beau gave her his signature smirk. “You fell asleep on me, sweetheart,” he teased. This time she did blush. He had worn her out; hell, they had worn each other out if the dark circles Beau was sporting underneath his eyes were any indication. “I didn’t want you to worry about missing any calls or messages.” She nervously bit at her lip and tried to tamp down the consuming guilt. He worked to reassure her, “Only took me a few minutes. But I will say you could give Nolan Ryan one hell of a run for his money. I found things of yours in the back of Pedro that I didn’t think were possible from that distance.” He winked and she shot him a thin-lipped smile in response. 

His brows creased slightly when she didn’t laugh or tease back like she normally would. He made his way towards his side of the bed, grabbing his watch and slipping his phone into the pocket of his jeans. He studied her as he clasped the watch around his wrist and ran a hand through his tousled hair that looked like he had already done that quite a few times since getting out of bed. He lightly cupped her chin with his fingers and forced her to meet his questioning gaze. “You’re not gonna get all weird on me here, are you, Cass?”

Her jaw clenched. She knew he would be able to read her like an open book if he got one good look at her. Why did she not pretend she had still been asleep? “No. Are you?”

His eyes softened slightly and he tenderly stroked her cheek. “No. I told you I’m good with how things went down.” He moved his thumb to glide along her bottom lip. “And if you’re really not, then I’d rather you just say it.”

Cassie wanted to tell him, to be honest with him about what she was thinking, what she was feeling, and how last night, while it had indeed been amazing, could never happen again. But one look into that green gaze she adored so much, one look into that handsome face that did its best to conceal the worry and expectation of the other shoe to drop, had her keeping silent. After a minute had passed with neither of them speaking, Beau let out a sigh. “Okay.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before placing another one to her forehead. “You can use the shower if you want. Water’s hot. And the spare toothbrush is in the medicine cabinet. Or you can just stay as you are.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

He turned to leave and only got a few feet when Cassie realized what he said. “Spare toothbrush? Do you keep them on hand for all of the women you bring back here, Casanova?” She was teasing him on the surface, and Beau had been honest with her before this about his meager love life since his divorce, but the investigator in her told herself that if she had all of the information about the situation, it would help her to compartmentalize and decide on the best course of action.

“Only the important ones,” he teased in return. He reached the doorway and smirked back at her. “Bring yours next time and there won’t be any need for a spare.” He shot her another wink and then made his way down the short hall to the kitchenette. 

Cassie stared after him, completely caught off guard by his response. Important ones. Hers. Next time. No need for a spare if she brought her own. Shit.

Please let me know if you would like to be tagged for this mini series.

dividers by @firefly-graphics

banner by @cafekitsune

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